[Illustration: _View of a perforated Rock in Tolago Bay_]
[Illustration: _The Head of a new Zealand Chief curiously Tataowed._]
On the 25th an armourer’s forge was set up on shore for necessary uses. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went again in search of plants. Tupia, who was with them engaged in a conversation with one of the priests, and they seemed to agree in their opinions upon the subject of religion. Tupia, in the course of this conference, enquired, whether the report of their eating men was founded in truth; to which the priest replied it was, but that they ate none but declared foes, after they were killed in war. This idea is, however, horrid and barbarous, and proves that they carry their resentment even beyond death.
Captain Cook and Dr. Solander went on the 27th to inspect the bay, when the Doctor was not a little surprised to find the natives in the possession of a boy’s top, which they knew how to spin by whipping it, and he purchased it out of curiosity. Mr. Banks was during this time employed in attaining the summit of a steep hill, that had previously engaged their attention; and near it he found many uninhabited houses. Here were two rows of poles about fourteen or fifteen feet high, covered over with sticks, which made an avenue of about five feet in width, extending near a hundred yards down the hill in an irregular line: the intent of this erection was not discovered. When the gentlemen met at the watering-place, the Indians, by desire, sung their war song, which was a strange medley of shouting, sighing and grimace, at which the women assisted. The next day Captain Cook and the other gentlemen went upon an island at the entrance of the bay, and met with a canoe that was sixty seven feet in length, six in breadth, and four in height; her bottom, which was sharp, consisted of three trunks of trees, and the sides and head were curiously carved. There was a large unfinished house upon this island; the posts which supported it were ornamented with carvings, that did not appear to be done upon the spot; and as the inhabitants seem to set a great value upon works of this kind, future navigators might find their advantage in carrying such articles to trade with. Though the posts of this house were judged to be brought here, the people have certainly a taste for carving, as their boats, paddles, and tops of walking-sticks evince. Their favourite figure is a volute or spiral, which is sometimes single, double and triple, and is done with great exactness, though the only instruments the gentlemen saw were an axe made of stone, and a chissel. Their taste, however, must be acknowledged whimsical and extravagant, scarce ever imitating nature.
Their huts are built under trees; their form is an oblong square: the door is low on the side, and the windows are at the ends; reeds, covered with thatch, compose the walls; the beams of the eaves, which come to the ground, are covered with thatch; most of the houses the gentlemen saw had been deserted, through fear of the English upon their landing. There are many beautiful parrots, and great numbers of birds of different kinds, particularly one whose note resembled the European black bird; but here is no ground fowl or poultry; nor were there any quadrupeds, except rats and dogs, and these were not numerous. The dogs are considered as delicate food, and their skins serve for ornaments to their apparel. There is a great variety of fish in the bay: shell and crayfish is very plentiful; some of the latter weigh near a dozen pounds.
Sunday, Oct 29, they set sail from this bay, which is called by the natives _Tolaga_. It is seated in latitude 38 deg. 22 min. south, four leagues to the north of Gable end Foreland: there are two high rocks at the entrance of the bay, which form a cove very convenient for procuring wood and water. There is a high rocky island off the north point of the bay, which affords good anchorage, having a fine sandy bottom, and from seven to thirteen fathom water, and is likewise sheltered from all but the north-east wind.
Captain Cook obtained nothing here in trade but some sweet potatoes, and a little fish. This is a very hilly country, though it presents the eye with an agreeable verdure, various woods, and many small plantations. Mr. Banks met with a great number of trees in the woods, quite unknown to Europeans; the firewood resembled the maple tree, and produced a gum of whitish colour; other trees yielded a gum of deep yellow green. The only roots they met with were yams and sweet potatoes, though the soil appears very proper for producing every species of vegetables.
Sailing to the northward, they fell in with a small island, about a mile distant from the north-east point of the main; and this being the most eastern part of it, the Captain named it EAST CAPE, and the island EAST ISLAND: it was but small, and appeared barren. The cape is in latitude 37 degrees 42 minutes 30 seconds south. There are many small bays from Tolaga Bay to East Cape. When the Endeavour had doubled the cape, many villages presented themselves to view, and the adjacent land appeared cultivated. In the evening of the 30th, Lieutenant Hicks discovered a bay, to which his name was given. Next morning, about nine, several canoes came off from shore with a number of armed men, who appeared to have hostile intentions. Before these had reached the ship, another canoe, larger than any that had yet been seen, full of armed Indians came off, and made towards the Endeavour with great expedition. The Captain now judging it expedient to prevent, if possible, their attacking him, ordered a gun to be fired over their heads; this not producing the desired effect, another gun was fired with ball, which threw them into such consternation, that they immediately returned much faster than they came. This precipitate retreat, induced the Captain to give the cape, off which it happened, the name of CAPE RUNAWAY, which lies in latitude 37 degrees 32 minutes, longitude 181 degrees 48 minutes. Next morning, at day break, they saw between forty and fifty canoes along shore, many of which came off in the manner they had done the day before, shouting, and menacing an attack. One of their Chiefs in the largest of the canoes made several harangues, and by the menacing flourish of his pike, seemed to bid the ship defiance; but the gentlemen continuing to invite them to trade, they at last came close along-side, and the Chief who had been declaiming, after uttering a sentence, took up a stone and threw it against the side of the ship, which appeared to be a declaration of hostilities, as they instantly seized their arms; Tupia told them, that immediate destruction would ensue, if they persevered in their design, and at the same time assured them of the gentlemens pacific intentions, and that they only wanted to traffick with them. Neither his threats nor persuasions would probably have had any effect, had he not at the same time shewn them some pieces of cloth, which attracted their eye, and brought them to reason. The gentlemen now purchased a great quantity of cray-fish, muscles and conger-eels. These Indians did not attempt any fraud in their trading; but some others, who succeeded them, took the goods from the ship without making proper returns: one of them, who had been particularly culpable, and seemed to pride himself upon his cunning, putting off with his canoe, was brought back by a musquet being fired over his head, and this presently produced good order. But when the sailors began to traffick with the Indians, they renewed their former fraudulent practices, with great insolence. One of them seized some linen that was hanging to dry, and made off with it; a musquet was fired over his head to make him return, but this did not prevail, and even after another was fired at him with small shot, which hit him in the back, he still persevered in his design. Upon this the rest of the Indians dropt a-stern at some distance, and set up their song of defiance. They did not, however, make any preparations for attacking the ship; but the Captain judged, that if he suffered them to go off without convincing them of his power of avenging the insult, it might give an unfavourable opinion of the English, to the natives on shore. He accordingly fired a four pounder, which passed over them, and the effect it had in the water terrified them so greatly, that they made to shore with the utmost precipitancy. In the afternoon they descried a high island to the west, and some time after perceived some other islands and rocks in the same quarter; not being able to weather them before night came on, they bore up between them and the main-land. About seven in the evening a double canoe, built like those at Otaheite, but carved after their peculiar manner, came up to the ship, and Tupia entered into a friendly conversation with the Indians on board; when, on a sudden, it being now dark, they pelted the ship with stones, and then retreated. Tupia was told by the Indians in the canoe, that the island close to which the Endeavour lay, was called _Mowtohera_; it was but a few miles from the main-land, of no great extent, but pretty high. They saw a high round mountain, south-west by west of _Mowtohera_, which the Captain named MOUNT EDGECOMBE.