The people of this island are very tall, well proportioned, and have long hair, which, like the inhabitants of the other islands, they tie in a bunch on the top of their head; they are likewise tataowed on different parts of their bodies, but not on their posteriors.
This island does not shoot up into high peaks, like the others which they visited, but is more level and uniform, and divided into small hillocks, some of which are covered with groves of trees; they saw no bread-fruit, and not many cocoa-nut trees, but great numbers of the tree called Etoa, were planted all along the shore.
Their cloth, as well as the manner of wearing it, differed in many respects from any they had met with; all that they saw was died yellow, and painted on the outside with a variety of colours. Their habit consisted only of one piece with a hole made in the middle of it, thro’ which they put their head; it reaches as low as their knees, and is tied close round their bodies with a kind of yellow sash; some of them wear caps of the same kind as that already mentioned, and others bind their heads with a piece of cloth resembling a turban.
On Tuesday, the 15th of August, they sailed from this island to the Southward, with a fine breeze from the north, and clear pleasant weather; and on the 16th it being rather hazy, they were deceived by an appearance like several high peaks of land, for which they bore away, but the weather clearing up, convinced them of their mistake, and they resumed their course to the south.
On Friday the 25th, they celebrated the anniversary of their leaving England, from whence they had now been absent one year: a large Cheshire cheese, which had been carefully preserved for that purpose, was brought out, and a barrel of porter tapped, which proved to be as good as any they had ever drank in England. On the 29th John Raden, the Boatswain’s mate, died; this man’s death was occasioned by drinking too freely of some rum which was given him by the Boatswain. On the 30th, about four o’clock in the morning, they saw a large comet about 60 degrees above the horizon.
On Thursday the 7th of October, they discovered land at west by north, and in the afternoon, of the next day, they came to an anchor opposite the mouth of a little river about a mile and a half from the shore. The Captain, with Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and some other gentlemen, accompanied by a party of marines, went on shore in the evening, in the pinnace and yawl.
Having left the pinnace at the entrance of the river, Captain Cook, Mr. Banks, &c. proceeded a little farther up, when they landed, and leaving the yawl to the care of some of their boys, went up to a few small houses which they saw at a little distance. Taking the advantage of their absence from the boat, some of the natives, who had concealed themselves behind the bushes, suddenly rushed out, and ran towards it, brandishing the long wooden lances which they had in their hands in a threatening manner. The boys perceiving them, instantly dropt down the stream, but were very closely pursued by the Indians; the Cockswain of the pinnace therefore fired a musquetoon over their heads, which did not seem to intimidate them, as they still continued their pursuit; he then fired a second time over their heads, but with no better effect; alarmed at the situation of the boat, as they were now got near enough to discharge their lances at it, the Cockswain levelled his piece at them, and shot one man dead on the spot. Struck with astonishment at the fall of their companion, the others stood motionless for some time, but as soon as they recovered from their fright, retreated to the woods with the utmost precipitation. The report of the gun soon brought the advanced party back to the boats, and both the pinnace and yawl immediately returned to the ship.
On Monday the 9th in the morning, a great number of the natives were seen near the place where the gentlemen in the yawl had landed the preceding evening, and the greatest part of them appeared to be unarmed. The long-boat, pinnace and yawl, being ordered out, and manned with marines and sailors, Captain Cook, together with Mr. Banks, the rest of the gentlemen and Tupia went on shore, and landed on the opposite side of the river, over against several Indians who were sitting on the ground; as soon as the gentlemen began to land, they immediately started up, each producing either a long pike, or a kind of truncheon made of stone, with a string through the handle of it, which they twisted round their wrist. Tupia was ordered to speak to them in his language; and the gentlemen were agreeably surprized to find that he was well understood, the natives speaking the Otaheitean language, only in a different dialect. Their intentions at first appeared to be very hostile, brandishing their weapons in the usual threatening manner; upon which a musquet was fired at some distance from them, at the effect of which the ball happening to strike the water, they appeared rather terrified, and desisted from their menaces. The marines being drawn up, the Captain, with four or five of the gentlemen and Tupia, advanced nearer to the side of the river; Tupia again spoke to them, and informed them, that they wanted to traffick with them for provisions. They readily consented to trade, and requested the English gentlemen to cross the river and come over to them; which was agreed to, upon condition that the natives would quit their weapons; but this the most solemn assurances of friendship could not prevail on them to comply with. Not thinking it prudent therefore to cross the river, as they would not be persuaded to lay by their arms, the gentlemen in their turn intreated the Indians to come over to them, which after some time they prevailed on one of them to do; he was presently followed by several others, bringing their weapons with them. They did not appear to set any great value on the beads, iron, &c. which was presented to them, nor would they give any thing in return, but proposed to exchange their weapons for those belonging to the English, which being consequently objected to, they endeavoured several times to snatch them out of their hands. But as the gentlemen were on their guard, from the information given them by Tupia that they were still their enemies, their attempts to seize the arms were repeatedly frustrated, and Tupia, by the direction of the gentlemen, gave them notice, that any further offer of violence would be punished with instant death. One of them had, nevertheless, the audacity to snatch Mr. Green’s hanger, and retiring a few paces, flourished it over his head; he, however, paid for this temerity with his life, Mr. Monkhouse firing at him with a musquet loaded with ball; and that gentleman afterwards, with some difficulty, recovered the hanger, one of the Indians endeavouring to seize it.
This behaviour of the natives, added to the want of fresh water, induced Captain Cook to continue his course round the head of the bay. He was still in hopes of getting some of the Indians on board, and by presents, added to civil usage, convey through them a favourable idea of the English to their fellow countrymen; and thereby settle a good correspondence with them. Soon after an event occured, though attended with disagreeable circumstances, that promised to facilitate this design. Two canoes appeared making towards land, and Captain Cook proposed intercepting them with his boats. One of them got clear off, but the Indians in the other finding it impossible to escape the boats, began to attack them with their paddles: this compelled the Endeavour’s people to fire upon them, when four of the Indians were killed, and the other three, who were youths, jumped into the water, and endeavoured to swim to shore: they were however taken up and brought on board. They were at first greatly terrified, thinking they should be killed; but Tupia, by repeated assurances of friendship, removed their fears, and they afterwards eat very heartily of the ship’s provisions. When they retired to rest, in the evening, they appeared perfectly easy in their minds, and slept very quietly for some hours, but in the middle of the night their fears again returned, and they appeared in great agitation, frequently making loud and dismal groans. After some time, however, the friendly promises and kind caresses of Tupia again prevailed over their fears, and they became so calm and resigned as to sing a song, the tune of which was solemn and slow, and, at the dead of night, when an universal silence prevailed throughout the ship, had an awful and pleasing effect. The next morning, after they were dressed and ornamented, according to the mode of their country, with necklaces and bracelets, Captain Cook proposed setting them on shore, that they might give a favourable report to their countrymen of the reception they had met with. They testified much satisfaction when told they were going to be released: but seemed under great apprehensions of danger, at finding the boat approach Captain Cook’s first landing-place, intimating, that the inhabitants here were their foes, and that they always killed and ate their enemies. The Captain, nevertheless, judged it expedient to land near the same spot, which he accordingly did with Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander and Tupia, resolving at the same time to protect the youths from any injury that might be offered them. The gentlemen had not been long on shore before the boys left them, but on seeing two large parties of the Indians advancing hastily towards them, they returned, and again put themselves under their protection. As the Indians drew nearer, one of the boys discovered his uncle amongst them, and a conversation took place between them across the river, in which the lad gave a very just account of the hospitality he had met with, and took great pains to display their cloaths and finery. Soon after the uncle swam across the river, bringing with him a green bow, as a token of friendship, which was received as such, and several presents were made him. The body of the Indian, who was shot the day before, lay in the same place where he fell: one of the boys had covered it with part of his cloaths; and after the gentlemen had retired, the Indian performed a kind of ceremony over it, by throwing a green branch towards it, and the body was afterwards carried in a raft across the river. Notwithstanding the presence of the uncle of one of the boys, all three of them, by their own desire, returned to the ship, but as the Captain intended sailing the next morning, he sent them on shore again in the evening, though much against their inclination; the names of these boys were Taahourange, Koikerange and Maragovete. They informed Captain Cook, that there was a particular kind of deer upon the island, likewise taro, eapes, romara, yams, a kind of long pepper, bald coote, and black birds.