The next morning, November 2, many canoes made their appearance, and one, which proved to be the same that gave the salute the night before, came up, and Tupia again engaged in conversation with the people in her. After behaving very peaceably about an hour, the fit of pelting again seized them, and they gave the ship another volley of stones; but a musquet being fired, they instantly took to their paddles.
In the forenoon, of the same day, the Endeavour sailed between a low flat island and the main: the villages upon the latter were more extensive than any they had yet seen. They were upon the high land next the sea, and were surrounded by a bank with rails on the top of it, and a ditch. There were some inclosures that resembled forts, and the whole had the appearance of fortified places. The Endeavour passed the night under an island about twenty miles from the main, which they named the MAYOR. In the morning of the 3d, they gave the name of THE COURT OF ALDERMEN to a number of small islands that lay contiguous, about twelve miles from the main, between which there are several other small islands mostly barren, but very high. The aspect of the main-land was now much changed, the soil appearing barren, and the country very thinly inhabited. The Chief, who governed the district from Cape _Turnagain_ to this coast, was named _Teratu_.
On Friday the 3d, three canoes came a-longside with several Indians. These canoes were built very different from the others, being formed of the trunks of single trees, made hollow by burning: they were not carved, or in any shape ornamented. These Indians were of a darker complexion than the others, but made use of the same modes of defiance, and threw several stones and some of their lances into the ship.
The same afternoon the Endeavour sailed towards an inlet they had discovered, and anchored in seven fathom water. She was soon after surrounded by several canoes, and the Indians at first did not shew any signs that they intended committing hostilities. One of the Endeavour’s people shot a bird, which the Indians conveyed on board, without testifying any surprise at the event. For their civility, the Captain gave them a piece of cloth. But this favour had a very opposite influence to what was expected, for when it grew dark, they sung one of their menacing songs, and attempted to carry off the anchor’s buoy. Some musquets were now fired over them, which seemed rather to irritate than terrify them, and upon their going off, they threatened to return the next morning in greater numbers; they came back however the same night about eleven o’clock, in hopes of surprising the ship’s crew; but finding them on their guard, they again retired.
In the morning of the 4th, a great number of canoes, with near two hundred men, armed with spears, lances and stones, made their appearance, seemingly resolved to attack the ship, and desirous of boarding her, but could not determine at what part, changing their stations, and paddling round her. These motions kept the crew upon the watch, in the rain, whilst Tupia, at the request of the Captain, used every dissuasive argument he could suggest to prevent their carrying their apparent designs into execution; but his expostulations did not pacify them till some musquets were fired; they then laid aside their hostile intentions, and began to trade: they sold two of their weapons without fraud, but a third, for which they had received cloth, they would not deliver up, and instead of paying any attention to the demand that was made of it, they only laughed at them, and turned their expostulations into ridicule. As the Captain proposed to stay some days at this place, that he might observe the Transit of Mercury, he judged it expedient to chastise these people for their insolence and knavery; accordingly some small shot were fired upon the principal offender, and a musquet-ball went through his canoe. His companions left him to his fate, without taking the least notice of him, though he was wounded, and continued to trade without any discomposure. They for some time traded very fairly, but returning to their male practices, another canoe was fired upon, and struck: they soon after paddled away, whilst a round shot was fired over them.
Thus we find, that theft and chicane are as prevalent amongst the inhabitants of New Zealand, as those of Otaheite; from whence we might conclude, that in all uncivilized nations, probity is not considered as a virtue, or theft as a vice. Having no punishment for crimes of this kind, it may be urged, that they are not taught to consider them as such; but if nature has implanted in us just ideas of right and wrong, they must operate as forcibly upon the inhabitants under the line, as on those of other climes; and a native of Otaheite must be equally conscious of a breach of natural justice as the most polished European. However, as this is establishing the doctrine of innate ideas, which would lead us into a large field of controversy, we shall leave the reader to his own opinion upon this subject.
In searching for a convenient anchoring-place, the Captain saw a village upon a high point, near the head of the bay, fortified like those villages already mentioned. Having met with a place to his mind near where the Endeavour lay, he returned to the ship, and sailed to that spot, where he cast anchor.
Several of the Indians came off to the ship on the 5th, but behaved much better than they had done the preceding day. They had with them an old man, who had before testified his probity and discretion; and he appeared to be of superior rank to the rest. He came on board with another Indian, when the Captain presented them with some nails, and two pieces of cloth of English manufacture. _Tojava_ (which was the name of the old man) informed Mr. Banks, that the natives had been in great terror of the English; when he was informed, that the Captain and his people had no ill design against the Indians; but, on the contrary, wanted to establish a friendly intercourse, and to traffick with them. Tojava then acquainted the Captain, that they were often visited by freebooters from the north, who stripped them of all they could lay their hands on, and often made captives of their children and wives; and that being ignorant who the English were upon their first arrival, the natives had taken the alarm upon the ship’s appearing off the coast, but were now satisfied of their good intent. He added, that to secure themselves from these plunderers, their houses were built contiguous near the tops of rocks, where they are more able to defend themselves. Probably their poverty and misery may be ascribed to the ravages of this banditti, who often strip them of every necessary of life. Whilst they were fishing for mullets in the bay, the Indians who were upon the banks testified their friendship by every possible means, and gave them an invitation to come on shore.
The assurances of friendship, which they had received from the gentlemen on board, seemed to have a proper influence upon the natives, who were now very tractable and submissive, and behaved with much civility to the people in the long-boat, which was again dispatched into the bay to fish, but with little success; the Indians however brought great quantities of fish, dressed and dried; and though they were very indifferent, they were purchased, that trade might not be discouraged. In a word, the natives now treated the English with great hospitality; a large supply of wood and good water was obtained, and the ship, being very foul, was heeled, and her bottom scrubbed in the bay.
November the 8th the ship was visited by several canoes, in one of which was Tojava, who perceiving two strange canoes paddling from the opposite shore, suddenly turned about, and acquainted the Captain that he was under apprehensions, the people in them were some of the freebooters, but he soon found his mistake, and returned to the ship. The Indians supplied the ship’s crew with as much excellent fish, resembling mackrel, as was sufficient for all their dinners, for which they gave them some pieces of cloth.
A great variety of plants were this day collected by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander; they had never observed any of the kind before. These gentlemen remained on shore till near dark, when they observed the manner of the natives disposing of themselves during the night. They lay under some bushes; the men nearest the sea in a semicircular form, and the women and children the most distant from it; their arms were placed against trees very near them, to defend themselves in case of a surprize from the freebooters. They had no king, whose sovereignty they acknowledged, which was a circumstance unparalleled on any other parts of the coast.
Early in the morning of the 9th, several canoes brought a prodigious quantity of mackrel, one sort of which was no way different from the mackrel caught on our coast. These canoes were succeeded by many others, equally well loaded with the same sort of fish; and the cargoes purchased were so great, that when salted, they might be considered as a month’s provision for the whole ship’s company.