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LONDON: T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; EDINBURQH; and new YORK. lIDCOOIilZ. r}^' 20514 910.4 i') r J / t -a' » '^\ -|f ."i r f> n ■r>ii i ■: f,.5 ' -i-. ) -M <• ■ '>.: ' !♦' : i ■ . 1 ■ . PREFACE. ■:■ ' •:,, :u. ; ^ii r; s' '-; v- 1 ' » 1 • •:t-. : ' S. '« ■t.i There are few subjects that have to such an extent attracted the attention and gratified the curiosity of mankind, in all ages, as the narratives that have been given to the world of the voyages and adventures of distinguished navigators. The description of foreign and distant lands, and of the strange and diversified races that inhabit them, is calculated to produce in the minds of young and old an impression as powerful as any that can be called forth by the most highly wrought tales of fiction. This may be accounted for, partly firom the novelty and striking nature of the scenes described, and partly from the air of truthful- ness that pervades most narratives of the kind, which carries along with it the sober judgment as well as the admiration of the reader. The object of the present work is to ifumish a com- prehensive history of the various circu'nnavigations of the globe, and to describe, at the same time, the gradual progress of discovery in Polynesia^ and those ."HHPIW m» PREFACE. '■» ! ^ other portions of the earth that lie remote from Euro- pean shores. The innumerable islands that lie scattered over the surface of the broad Pacific have ever, since the day when it was first descried from the heights of Darien by Vasco Kunez de Balboa (a.d. 1513), occupied an important place in public attention. In few regions of the earth does Nature put on such an attractive aspect, or pour forth such a lavish profusion of her bounteous gifts. Under a mild and most genial climate, the fertile' soil produces in abundance the choicest fruits and flowers, and rich and varied vegetation clothes the land from its ocean margin to the summits of the loftiest mountains. This is the region of the bread-fruit tree, where, as if the Almighty had granted an exemption from the original curse, the inhabitants neither plough nor sow, but gather at their ease " the unreaped harvest of unfurrowed fields ;" and it will not appear surprising that the earliest visitors imagined thuy beheld the land described in the golden age of the classic poets. As Humboldt has remarked, " the state of half civilization in which these islanders are found gives a peculiar charm to the description of their manners. Buch pic- tures have more attraction than those which portray the solemn gravity of the inhabitants of the Missouri or the Maranon." In every compendium of voyages, a prominent place has always been assigned to the discoveries and ad- ▼eutures of those navigators whose course has led themj "W PREFACB. T to encompass the world — an enterprise first accomplished by the daring and skill of Magellan (a.d. 1520), though that intrepid commander did not survive to witness the successful termination of the voyage. But, in most of the early works of this nature, the general dryness of the narratives, the obscurity of the details, and the frequent repetitions, tend rather to repel than to excite the attention of the reader. The voluminous character, also, of most collections cannot but deter the great mtyority of inquirers. In one of these (Bibliotheque Universelle des Voyages, par M. Albert Montemont, in 8vo, Paris 1833-35) the "Voyages autour du Monde" occupy about twenty volumes; to which our own " Pinkerton's Voyages and Travels" fiimish a sufficient parallel The excellent work of Admiral Bumey may be said to be almost the only one in which an attempt has been made to arrange into a connected narrative this mass of crude materials, and to throw the light of recent research upon the obscurity of the early writers. But the "Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea" is chiefly addressed to the professional and scientific student ; and though it consbts of five volumes quarto, it only brings the annals of maritime enterprise down to the commencement of the reign of Qeorge III. — thus leaving untouched the epoch of Cook's voyages, the most interesting and important of the whole. And it must not be overlooked that Admiral Bumey's work, however excellent in its day, has now become, in a great measure, antiquated, owing to the immense ac- f^ Yi PKEFAOE. cessions which geographical knowledge has received since his time. - '^ ' -. i : -^ i ; i: >■. ».i In later times^ the investigations of Mariner and D'Urville have added greatly to onr knowledge of the Tonga Archipelago and the Feejee Islands ; Otaheite, the Society and Sandwich Islands, have been fSfdthfully elucidated by the Rev. Mr. ElUs, Messrs. Bennet and Tyerman, and the American missionary, Mr. Stewaii. The officers of H.M.S. Bliynde, and MM. Morineau and Botta, have also ep':vi;ed our acquaintance with the last-mentioned group. Much light has been thrown upon New Zealand by the writings of Cniise, Kuther- ford, Yate, Earle, and D'Urville; upon the Ladrone, the Navigators', and the Caroline Islands, by Frey- cinet and Kotzebue ; while much information has been obtained in regard to the Coral Archipelago, the New Hebrides, and oth@r groups, from the researches of some of the above-named v(^agers, and of Billing- hausen, M. Duperrey, Dillon, and Captain Beechey. The obscurity that hung over the fate of the unfortu- nate La Perouse created a deep interest throughout the civilized world, and to this generous feeling we are in- debted for several valuable contributions to geographi- cal knowledge on the part of the French, and especially to the detailed voyages of D'Entrecasteaux and Dumont D'UrviUe. • » - -» .,, ••f„,..v ? In the preparation of the present work, every care has been taken to turn to advantage the researches of the writers above mentioned, and of many others, as \. PBEFACB. Tii far as they tended to the elucidation of the subject ; and, in the case of collections, such as those of De> brosses, Daliymple, and Bumey, the original authori- ties, whence they derived their information, have, where accessible, been in no instance neglected. « ..u ^:> u For some valuable information embodied in the ac> count of Cook's voyages, the publishers have been indebted to the relatives of his family. The late Mr. Isaac Cragg-Smith kindly famished them with the original manuscript of the great navigator's observa« tions of the transit of Venus, a fac-simile of which accompanies this work. The innumerable circumnavigations of Ihe globe that have been accomplished since the death of Cook, have added immensely to the store of previously exist- ing information ; and even to enumerate the names of the navigators would extend these prefatory remarks to an undue dimension. This increase of materials has greatly contributed to the accuracr^ of our informa- tion, and no pains have been spared to lay before the reader the results obtained from the investigations of the most eminent and trustworthy observers. Atten- tion may be particularly directed to the voyages of the United States' Exploring Expedition, under Captain Wilkes ; and specially to those of the Erehis and Terror, under Sir James Koss and Commander Crozier, which first brought to light the existence of the great Ant- arctic Continent, with its stupendous ice-bound shores and lofty mountains. mm VUl PREFACE. ; With the exceptioi of tliis last-named discovery, maritime enterprise has of late years been chiefly con- fined to the minute examination of the observations of previous navigators, and to the rectification of the errors into which they not unnaturally were led. In this work it will be found that every attention has been paid to the latest investigations, and the pub- lishers are confident that their compendium, unencum- bered by lengthy detail, will contain every fact deserving the notice of the student of maritime discovery. ■'> •rot] 'l\ v: ':un!. ';■'■ "..••■•-■ :-■ ■■> •■' _ ■ 'm'h . .i^!-.f-'r"i-'irr;nl ■l..jr, ;al 'io. . ;ri»5/ ;♦=(;? ;)A ,^. -w '^' : ■■■) ■ !,- " i' 1 .',.■ ;/.»•; , ;■ '' '■ -'"- . . • i>:i!>"' ' »'!'• ■ " • - - - ■ - <:■'..[> ; ..;;. ■:%:'■:.. -u CONTENTS, .j,.;""^-''-; CHAIaM^. I. DISCOS £nT or the bouth ska— 1519. •/•'.•Ji;ii-» Geoji^phical Knowledge of i\ '. Anrifnitfl — ^Their Ignorance of a Sea to the East of Chinar -First raen iry Marco Polo (1271- 1296)^Progre8S of Modem Discos erj^Colnnbus (1402)~ni- pal BuU oi PurUtion (1494>~C;.bral ( 1600)— Cabot (14117-1517) Cortereal (IMO)— Phaon (1500)— Vasco Nnncz de Balboa hears ofthe South Se»-.Its Discovery (26th Sept 151II),..Pag« 17 CHAPTER II. CIRCUMKATIOATIOK OF UAOELLAK— 1519-1522. 1 Magellan's Birth and SerYices — Proposals to the Spanish Coorl ac- oepted^Sails on his Voyage (20th Sept. 1519~ABcbors at Port SuiJulian — ^Transactions there— Description of the Native*— DiscoTers the Strait (21st October 1520)— Enters the South Sea (28th November) — ^The Unfortunate Islands— The Ladrones (6th March 1521) — The Island of Mazagna or Limasava — Zebu — Intercourse with the Natives — Death of Magellan (27th April) — His Character — Fleet proceeds to Borneo— Arrives at Tidore^ The Ship Yitoria reaches Spain (6th Sept 1522)— Fate of the Trinidad— ResulU of the Expedition,.. 33 CHAPTER III. 1o fitiifj',';;'..' U1 }}?itj > DISCOrERIES AND CIBCUUKAVIOATIOK8 FROM MAOCT.tAlT TO THE END OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY— 1622.16(10. Expedition of Loyasa (1625)— D!«covery of Papua or New Guinea (1526)- Voyages of Saavedra (1527-ld2U)— Of Villalobos (1542) CONTENTS. —OfLegaspi (1564)— Of Juan Fernandez (1563-]574)-Expe. dition of Mendana, and Discovery of the Solomon Islands (1567) ~John Ozenham, the first Englishman that sailed on the Pacific (1575)— CircumnaTigation of Sir Francu Drake (1577-1580)— Expedition of Sanniento (1579)— Circumnavigation of (Cavendish (1586-1588)- His Second Voyage ( 1591)— The Falkland Islands disooTcred (1592)— Expedition of Sir Richard Hawkins (1593) —Second Voyage of Mendana (1595)— The Marquesas Santa Cruz — Expedition of five Dutch Vessels (1598) — Circumnaviga- tion of Van Noort a598-1601)— Retrospect, Page 62 1 CmAPTERIV. CIECUHKAVIGATIOKS AKD DISCOVERIES OF TBE SEVEK. TEEKTH CEMTUBT— 160O>1700. Voyage of Quiros (1605-1606)— La Sagitaria— Anstralia del Es- piritn Santo— Luis Vaez de Torres discovers the Stnut between ( New Holland and New Guinea (1606) — Circumnavigation of s Spilbeigen ( 1614-1617)— Of Schouten and Le Maire (1615-1617) '■ — Discoveiy of Staten Land and Cape Horn — Cooos, <3ood Hope, and Horn Islands— New Ireland — Expedition of the- Nodals (1618)— Discovery of New Holland by Dirck Hatichs ( 1616)— Cir- cumnavigation of the Nassau Fleet (1623-1626)— Voyage of Tasman (1642)— Discovery of Van Diemen's Land, of New Zea- land) and the Friendly Islands — Voyages of Hendrick Brower (1642) and La Roche (1675)— ExpediJonj* of the Buccaneers (1683-1691)— Discovery of Davis* or Easter Ishmd (1687)— Voyage of Strong, and Discovery of Falkland Sound (1680)— ^ , Retrospect,. 91 (i««t« liifbi Mil s — »iyii;;'j'. I Mjiii.Mn.iwiij '^ii : -— ; 1 ;.;i>if*. r. lu.js.} ;!:■-/ ■'•■^•';;"^ • ' CHAPTER V. • ' -^ -'^fUVn ■ :\-' OIRCUMirATIOATIOKS FROM THE BEOINKllTa OP THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO THE REION OF GEORGE III. —1700-1761. Circumnavigation of Dampier and Funnel (170S-1706), of Woodes Rogers (1788-1711)* of Clipperton and Shelvocke (17191722), of Roggewein (1721-1723) — Easter Island— Pernicious Islands —Circumnavigation of Anson (1740-1744)— Objects of the Ex- pedition — Passage of Cape Horn — Severe Sufferings of the Crew '^-Jnan Fernandez— Cruise on the American Coasts— Burning CONTENTS. XI of Payta— Lou of the Gloucester— Tinian— Capture <^ Uie Ma- nilla Galleon^Retam of the Centorioa to England — Fate of the Wa^er, Page i:U ' i fei : i tlrj ^ "1 CHAPTER VI. « CIRCUolKAyiOATIOKS OF BTROK, WALLIS, AKD CARTERET— 1764-176». Voyage of Byron (1764.1766)— Its Objects— Vain Search for Pepys* Island — Discoveiy of the Islands of Disappointibent, King George, Prince of Wales, Danger, and Duke of York — Circum- navigations ofWallis and Carteret (1766> 1769) — Their Sepa- ration (1767) — ^Wallis discovers the Islands of Whitsunday, Queen Charlotte, Egmont, Cumberland, and Osnaburg— Arrivea at Otaheite — Transactions there — Sails for Tinian — Anchors in the Downs (1768) — Carteret discovers Pitcairn's Island (1767) —Santa Cruz or Queen Charlotte's Islands — The Solomons — St George's Channel and New Ireland — New Hanover — Arrives at Spithead (1769), 167 CHAPTER VII. ■•? i u • •f^nl CHAPTER VIII. ni') a%o*.ara LIFE OF COOK PREVIOUS TO HIS FIRST VOTAOE— 1728-1768. Birth and Parentage of Cook— His Educatbn— His Indentares with a Draper— Apprenticeship on board a Collier— Volunteers into the Navy (1765)— Appointed Master of the Mercury (I7dU) m zU CONTENTS. ' —His Services at Quebec — Hurbreadtli Escape — He first studies Euclid— His Marriage (1762) — Made Marine Surveyor of New« foundland and LAbrador (1764) — Communicates an Observation of r.n Eclipse to the Royal Society (1767)— History ot the Transits of Venus — Predicted in 1629 by Kepler — Discovery and Obser- vation of Horrox (1639)— First Appreciation of its Uses — Pro* feasor James Gregoi^ (1663)— Dr Edmund Hall^^ (1677-1716) — Hu Exhortation to future Astronomers — ^Transit of 1761 — PrcparaUons for that of 1769— Proposal to send a Ship vrith Observers to the South Sea—Cook promoted to the Rank of Lieu- tenant, and appmnted to conduct it (2dth May 1768) — His Choice of a Vessel — Sir Joseph Banks determines to ^joiu the Expedi- tion — Preparations and Instructions tor the Voyage. ..Page 241 CHAPTER IX. FIBSf CIBCUBINAVIOATION OF COOK— 1768-1771> Pepartore (26th August 1768) — Adventure on Tierra del Fuego (16th January 1769) — Discovery of Lagoon, Thrum Cap, Bow* The Groups, and Chdn Islands — ^Arrival at Otaheite — Observa- tion of the Transit and Incidents during their Stay — Discovery of the Islands of Tethuroa, Huaheine, Uliatea, Otaha, Tubaf, Bolabola, Maurua, and Oheteroa — Makes the East Coast of New Zealand (7th August) — ^Affrays vnth the Natives— Doubles the North Cape — Discovers Cook's Straits, and circumnavigates the Islands— Sails for the East Coast of New Holland — Discovery of New South Wales (19th April 1770)— Botany Bay— Inter, course witli the Natives — Port Jackson— Dangerous Position of the Ship— Reaches the most northerly Point of Australia — Re- discovery of Torres' Strait— New Guinea — Timor — Batavia— Mortality among the Crew — Arrival in England (12th June 1771),..... 267 ■''■ . ■■ r -■■ ■' '■■:.'_ /:o:f| :.,.,. CHAPTER X. 8EC0HD CIRCUMNAVIOATIOK OF COOK— 1772-177& Objects of the Voyage— Departure (I3th July 1772)— Search for Ooiivet's Land— The Southern Continent— Aurora Australia —Arrival at New Zealand — Visit to the Low Archipelago— Otaheite— Hoaheine — Ulietea— Re-discovery of the Tong^ or Friendly Islands— Second Visit to New Zealarvery's Cutter is stolen — (]ook goes on Shore to recover it — Interview with the King— A Chief slain— Attack by the Natives— Deatii of Cook 14th February 1779) — Recovery and Burial of Part of his Re- mains — ^The Voyage is resumed — Death of Capt^n Clerke--» The Ships reach China— Fur-trade — Arrival in England (4th October 1780),. 341 ^ V...,.,.., CHAPTER XIL „,.:-•,„;, .j OBSERVATIOKS OK THE CHARACTER OF COOK. o::i[-\ Honours pud to him— Personal Appearance — ^Temper and Habits —His Children and Widow — Euergy and Perseverance— Self. education— His vast Contributions to Geography— Skill in deli- ' neating and fixing his Discoveries— Discovery of the Means of ^ preserving the Health of Seamen — Advantages derived from his Voyages— Progress of Civilisation in Polynesia— Conclu8inn..410 XIV CONTENTS. -iii yt-fju-ili, I /*;«-- ft^i^^u. CHAPTER XIV. r EPVOKTS MADE BY SFAIIT, EKOLAKD, AKD FRAVCE IN THE KORTHERK PACIFIC AHD ON THE KORTH-WESTEUK SHORES OF AMERICA. •, /^;-'.«,o -i -^ > v^../1-U> Vi ,?io-rif I-* Spirit of Enterprise excited by Success of Captain Cook—Voyages of Portlodc and Dixon — ^Their Account of the Falkland Islands —Commercial and Nautical Advantages — The Ships reach the north'Westera Coast of America — Description of the Covntry— Winter in the Sandwich Islands — Renewed Exertions on the American Shore — Discovery of Norfolk Sound and the Queen Charlotte Islands— Number and Language of the Inhabitants- Return to Owhyhee — Proceed to China and finally to England — Supposed Motives which led to the Voyage of La Perouse — Boussole and Astrolabe sail iVon^ Brest — Visit the western Shore of South America — Miserable State of Spanish Colonies — Supposed Voyages of Maldonado and Fuentes — La Perouse ex- amines the North American Coast— Desolate Aspect of Country —State of the Missions — Proceeds to the eastern Shores of China end Tartary — Discovers the Strait which bears his Name— — Massacre of De Langle and eleven Men at Maouna — ^Arrives 6t New Holland— His future Projects, Page 323 (t CHAPTER Xt. ▼OTAOES OF D*£KTRECASTEAUX, MARCHAKD, AKD VANCOUVER. French Government resolve to send two Frigates, La Recherche and L*Esp6rance, under D'Entrecasteaux* in search of La Perouse— Account of Van Diemen^s Land — ^The Captain surveys New Cnledonia— Researches in the Solomon and Admiralty Islands -Touches at New Guinea — Examines the western Coast of New Holland— Proceeds to Friendly Isles — Hostile Spirit of the Inhp- bitants — ^Visits New Hebrides — Discovers the Islets of Beaupre -^Stretches along the Coast of Louisiade— His Death, and Com- mand assumed by M. D*Anribeau — Expedition breaks up at Java on political Grounds — Marchand sails in 1790 on a mer- cantile Speculation — ^Touches at the Marquesas — Discovers some iimaU Islands — He anchors in Norfolk Sound — Sails for the Sand- wich Islands, and returning by the Cape of Good Hope, completes CONTENTS. a Voyage round the World — Vanconver sent out by the Dritish Government to make Inquiries respectinjjr Nootka Sound — Sup> posed Channels of De Fuca and De Fonte — Discoveries on the Coast of New Holland — State of Inhabitants — Geolon^— He proceeds to New Zealand. — Discovers the *' Snares" — Island of Oparo— The two Ships meet at Otaheite— Vancouver steers for New Albion, and surveys the Coast— Remarki^ on Channel of De Fuca — ^Admiralty Inlet — Gulf of Georgia — Arrival at Nootka, and diplomatic Difficulties— Port St Francisco— Monterey — State of Missions — Columbia River — I/ieutenant Hei^estaid Daedalus His Discoveries — American Coast again examined — Quarrel with Natives— Cook's Inlet— Prince William's Sound— port Con- clusion — Return Home after a Voyage of four Years — Amount of Discoveries— Remarks on the Sandwich Islands — Mnrder of Hei^st — Concluding Observations, Page 480 CHAPTER XVI. .»' ■jii; s EOWABDS, WILSOK, FANXIKG, AKD TURKBULL. Motives which led to the Voyage of Lieutenant Bligh — His In- . structions in Regard to Plants — He arrives at the Society Islands . —Inquiries relative to Captain Cook — Co-operation of the Natives - — The Areois— Funeral of the Surgeon — Attempt to cut the . Cable of the Bounty — Suspicions of Bligh — Mutiny on Board his :. Ship — Supposed Cause of this Ruing — Defence of Christian — • Navigation in the open Boat — The Arrival at Timor — Govern- . ment despatch Captain Edwards in the Pandora in Search of „ Mutineers — Proceedings at Otaheite— Treatment of the Prison- . ers on Board the Frigate — Plan adopted by Christian and his • Adherents — Pandora leaves the Society Islands — Several Dis- coveries made — Visits the Hapai and Fijee Groups — Edwards puis to the Coast of New Holland— Wreck of his Ship — Loss of Lives, including some of the Mutineers — Sufferings of the Siur- . vivors— Arrival at Coupang— Adventures of a Boat's Crew ' Departure for England — Wreck of the Antelope, Captain Wilson, , on one of the Pelew Islands — Kind Reception by the Natives — The King and Royal Family — English Sailors assist the Inhabi- tants in War — Habits and Manners of the People — ^The King confides his Son Lee Boo to the Care of Captain Wilson — , Character and History of the Youth — ^Voyages of Mr Fanning — Discovery of some Islands — Adventures in the higher Lati. tudes of South Sea— New Suuth Shetland — Deception Island— xvi CONTENTS. Reaaona why not sooner discovered— Voyage of Mr Tumbull round the World— St Salvador — Manners of the Portuguese New South Wales—Natives of New Holland— Norfolk Island- Soil, Climate) and Productions — Attempt on his Ship at Ulietea— > Missioiiaries— Scepticism of Chiefs — Return of Author, Page 542 ■' . i ■-..>' CHAPTER XVII. '.:i I BAUDIV, FBEYCINET, DUPEBSET, D'URYILLE, BOUOAIK- TILI.E, AND LA PLACE. Objects of French Government in Voyagesof Discovery— Appoint- ment of Baudin and Hamelin to the 66ographe and Naturaliste — ^reat Preparations for scientific Researches — Disingenuous- ness of the Commanders — New Names given to former Discoveries — Base Conduct of De Caen to Captain Flinders — Generous Conduct of Great Britain to the Officers of the French Ships- Captain Preycijet appointed to the Uranie — Rio Janeiro, the Cape of Good Hope, acid Mauritius described — He arrives at New Holland — Account of Timor — Examines the Caroline and Marian Islan'ls — Visits the Sandwich Group — Repairs to Port Jackson — Overtaken by a Storm near the Strait of Le Maire — Loses his Ship at the Falkland Islands — Duperrey sails in the Coquille — Touches at Chili and Peru — Proceeds to the Society Islands — Description of New Ireland — Arrives at Sydney— Steers for the Bay of Islands— Made valuable Additions to the Know- ledge of the Magnetic Principle as applied to Navigation — Bx> pedition under Captains Ross and Crozier to the Antarctic R^ons —Remarkable Soundings made by Captun Ross — Dumont d*Ur- ville obtuns Command of the Astrolabe — Instructed to make search for La Perouse — Notice by Dillon — D*Urville proceeds to Vanikoro, where the Remains of the Wrecks were found— Proceeds to New Zealand — Examines the Northern Coast of New Guinea and the Southern Portion of New Britain — Bougain- ville the Younger is sent no a simiUr Expedition in Command of the Thetis and E^rance— The Object was to show the French Flag in the Indian and Chinese Seas, and to promote the Interests of Commerce — La Place, who succeeds him in these Pursuits, makes interesting Remarks on the European Colonies in the Indian Archipelago— Concluding Remarks,. Page 600 . 'v'-^ !.;.<;. lj-> Jt* tr»i»>:' CONTEMS, XVll CHAPTER XVIII. , (A. J» KBUSEMBTEBNt XOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. ^ ti/1 MotiTM of the Russian Court, who send an Ambassador to Japan —Policy of Catherine the Second— Induced by the Vicinity of her Settlements in Kamtschatlia to attempt an Intercourse with the Jaoanese — ^The same Views inherited by the Emperor Alexander •^TbeNadeshdaand Neva equipped — Krusenstem's Voyage ex- penmental — He arrives at the Marquesas — Character of Natives —•Sandwich Islands— Kamtschatka described — Historical Details respecting Japan — Dutch owe their Establishment to William Adams, an Englishman — Base Conduct of the Hollanders — At- tempt made by the East India Company — Restrictions laid on tlie Russians — Fruitless Result of the Embassy — Krusenstern surveys the neighbouring Coasts — Returns to Kamtschatka— Statistical Remarks — Proceeds to Canton — Treatment there — Kotzebue sent on a Voyage of Discovery — Cruises along the Western Coast of America — Enters Behring^s Strait— Discovers the Sound which bears his Name— Intercourse with the Inha- bitants — Chamisso Island— Singular Iceberg— Remarks on a North-east Passage — Observations on California — Interview with Tamehameha— The Radack Chain of Islands discovered — Reflections on Coral Reefs— 111 Health compels a Return Home — Kotzebue again appointed to pursue Discovery — Account of Brazil — Again visits the Radack Islands— Anchors at New Arch- angel — Russian Colony there — Missionaries at California — Ehta- blishment at Ross — Remarks on Sandwich Islands — Voyage of Bellingshausen — The Expedition under Ijutke— He repairs to New Archangel — State of the Aleutian Isles — Islands of Pri- byloff and St Matthew — Volcanic Mountains — Proceeds to the iiAariannes- Returns to Behring*s Strait— Amount of his Dis- coveries, Page 665 •il ,- -i..v/i-.,'.-iiiV-'') tI' CHAPTER XIX. ••'/ HAM., RU8CRENBEROER, AKD FltZROY. Lord Amher8t*8 Embassy to China— Alceste and Lyra, commanded by Captains Maxwell and Hall— Remarks on China— Visit Islands on the Coast of Corea— Manners of the Natives- Language— Aversion to Intercourse— Friendly Disposition— Ships proceed to Loo-Choo— Benevolent Character of the In- :viii CUNTENTS. habitants — Description of the Country — Visit from Prince Shang Piing Fwee— Religion of Loo-Choc. — Manufactures — Diseases — Rnschenberger sails in the Prussian Ship Peacock to Muscat and Siam — He arrives at Zanzibar — Account of the Country, its Commerce, and Inhabitants— Character of the Sultan- Commercial Treaty — Peacock proceeds to India and Siam— The Prince Momfanoi — Bankok, the Cafntal of Siam— The Palace — Occupations of the Prince— i His Intelligence and Curio- itity-^Prussians admitted to an Audience — Delineation of the Sovereign and his Attendants — Commercial Arrangements- Departure for China — Arrival at Sandwich Islands — Remarks of Ruschenberger on the State of Society — Gradual Diminution of Inhabitants — Captains King and Stokes sent to surrey the Western Shores of South America v *he Adventure and Beagle —Enter the Straits of Magellan- . ^th of Captain Stokes, and Appointment of Fitzroy to the Beugle — Pn^ess of Discovery— i Four Natives brought to England — Presented at Conrt— Be::.gle recommissioned — Natives return home— Beneficial Changes in South America effected by English — Transactions at Otaheite — Keeling Islands, New Zealand, and Australia — Beagle arrives in England — Scientific Observations,. ..Page 752 I', I. ,. 'J '■\i\-Al ■*n Y. CHAPTER XX. M ..-^ t MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHEB. Meyen, as Surgeon of the Princess Louisa, sails to South America — Ascends several Heights in the Andes— The Grand Pampa described — Volcanic Phenomena — Agitation of the S ea V isits Sandwich Islands — John Adams, the Governor of Oahu— Pro- ceeds to China — Feast at the House of Mowqua — Wilson sails to New Holland as Surgeon of the Governor Ready — His Remarks on Port Ra£9es— Object of Settlement— Scenery on Swan River — King Geoige*s Sound and Neighbourhood — In- habitants of Murray's Island differ from other Natives of New Holland — Oaptain Beeoby and Mr. ELellett proceed in the Sul- phur and Starling to the Western Coast of South America— The former is relieved by Captain SUr Edward Belcher — Details of a minute Survey of the Paoiflc Shore of that great Continent — Sir Edvrard makes an Excursion into the Mountains — Sails to Sandwich Islands — Discussion with the Native Government- Mr. Bingham rebuked — Death of the King's Aunt — ^Funeral— CONTENTS. X!X Opiniona respecting the Missions in the South Sea — Cuinpara> tive View of the state of Society in the Sandwich Islands- Minute Examination of the Columbia River — Fort George or Astosia — ^Fort YaneouTer— Settlement on the Williamette — Dispute between British and Americans respecting Oregon — Tfreck of Japanese Junlcs on the coast of Oahu and America — Experiment at Bow bland for ascertaining the basis of Coral Islands— State of Society in Tahiti— Bad conduct of the Queen's Hu8band->High Results of Missionary hibour at Barotonga — The Feejee Islands — Amboyna and the Minor Moluccas— The Chinese War— Account of the Sechelles Islands Page 814 s '-fU''-'^ '■" ... j: oj ii.^ n K CHAP'^ER XXI. BENXET, ROSS, AND WILKES. The Whaling Voyage of the Tuscan — Fitcairn's Island — Tahiti — The Marquesas — Caroline Island — Marine Phenomena — Sir James Clarlc Boss's Voyage — Captain Biscoe's and Captain Balleny's Antarctic Discoveries — Sir James Boss's Cmise in the Atlantic, and Progress to the South — Possession Island — Ker- guelen Island — Captain d'Urville^s and Captain Wilkes* An- tarctic Explorations — Sir James Boss's First Cruise in the Antarctic Ocean — ^Discovery of the Antarctic Continent — ^Island- Flanks, Mountain-Banges, Grand Volcano, Sublime Scenery, and Icy Barrier of that Continent — Aurora Australis — Embay- ment among Icebergs— Sir Jameses Second Antarctic Cruise^ Perils among the Pack Ice — New Views of the Continent— Col- lision of the Ships — Visit to the Falkland Islands — Sir James's Third Cruise in the Antarctic Ocean, and Further Discoveries there, and Betum to England — The United States Exploring Expedition — Besearches and Perils of its several Ships in the Antarctic Ocean — ^Visit to the Friendly Islands and the Feejee Islands, and Tragic Occurrences at the latter — The Volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauno-Loa in Hawaii — Cruise and Shipwreck of the Peacock— Occurrences in Oregon and California— Home« ward course of the Squadron Page 844 l' ■1 XX CONTfiMTS. CHAPTER XXIL SIMPSON AND PFEIFFEB. Sir Oeorg« Simpion's Toar Round the World — Wliirl-tempest and Vimary Illasions in the Atlantict— Progreu through Canada— Interriew with Chippewaj Indians— Journey across the Prairies and OTer the Rooky Mountains — ^Deseent of the Oolnmbia--« Adventures in Oregon— Visit to San Francisco — ^Voyaging in tho North Paeifl»— The Aleutian Islands— The Sea and Town of Ochotsk — Yakutsk — The River Lena — Progress through Siberia and onward to Britain — Madame Pfeiffer's Voyage Round the WorldF— Brazil— The Puri Indians — C^pe Horn — Tahiti — The Central Pacific — The Waters and City of Canton — Singapore- Ceylon— A Tiger-Hunt in India — Voyage from Bombay to Bas- sora, and Progress thence to Germany Page 888 .<.. ;^..»v^ ''■'''J>- . ' '!■• ' o7 i:r.:,.!'i^/ ''lit' -i-A ctsk'' ,,, : . '■. ,'' ,, •; ',.. ..A ..V *;■ 'Ir-y' -'v'"'- ^.5'.-"'^"**' *''-^'^- . ' .ij ■ '.■ .yr. . :i ti. -i'l-i 'T fcf'K '^-•'S"' ■ .J-na ; vfl ji^-; r ' T 1" . :|o ■i. ij -. -/;;.- .' OI.W ■c, ■ti . (f . ; ' ' ; ' M It! , ■ ' # CIRCUMNAYIGATIOlf J,, /f 'ff"; I jf t'^^ iwi.til •/•;:-. .:■-:'> ,1 I ..I.; or THE GLOBE. ivl:r: •a I 1 >,','! „.. Jfi il I " 11! .■ ; I •■,'•}] ■).'>? \ ♦■■/,■ '■ - CHAPTER I. jii :>; Vkeovery of the South 8ea» Geographical Knowledge <^ the Ancients — ^Their Ignonmce of a S^ to the East of China^— First seen by Marco Polo— Prog;re8S of Modem Discovery— Columbos— Papal Bull of Partition—* Cabral — Cabot— Cortereal — Pinzon — Vqsoo Nunes de Balboa hears of the South Sear— Its Disooyeiy. The existence of the vast ocean which separates the con- chap. L tinents of Asia and America was never imagined by the j^c^Jl^ti,^ I ancients ; nor, indeed, do they appear to have had any andenu certain knowledge tliat Asia on the east was bounded by [the sea. Homer had figured the world as a circle begirt by j^aaet. [** the great strength of ocean," and this belief in a cir- cumambient flood long continued to prevail. It was [implicitly received by many geographen^ and, being {carried onwards with the advance of science, was from time to time reconciled to the varying theories and con- jectures of the increased knowledge of succeeding ages. ■H 18 DISCUVEUY OF THE SOUTU SEA. CHAP. I. Supposed encircling ocean. Ideas of Aristotle, Seneca, and Herodotoa. ProRfeMof discurery. (■ w Ptolemy. .r-r.: . Thus, long after the splierical form of the enrth was taught, the existence of its ocean-girdle was credited ; and in the geographical systems of Eratosthenes, Strobe, Mela, and others, the waters of the Atlantic were de- picted as laving on the one hand the shores of Europe, and encircling on the other the mysterious regions of Scythia and India. Nay, so far had the speculations of philosophy outstripped the rude navigation of the times, that the possibility of crossing this unknown ocean was more than once contemplated. Having formed an esti- mate of the circumference of the globe, Aristotle con- ceived that the distance between the pillars of Hercules and India must be small, and that a communication might be effected between them. Seneca with more con- fidence affirmed, that with a fair wind a ship would sail from Spain to the Indies in a few days. But these notions were far from being universally received. Herodotus had early denied the existence of this circle of waters ; and those who maintained the affirmative, reasoned on grounds manifestly hypothetical, and beyond the narrow limits of their knowledge. Of the northern countries of Asia they knew nothing, nor were they acquainted with the extensive regions beyond the Ganges, — a vast space that they filled wiCh their Eastern Sea, which thus com- menced where their information stopped, and all beyond was dark. The progress of discovery at length brought to light the existence of lands in those portions of the globe supposed to be covered by the ocean ; but, proceed- ing with undue haste, it was next imagined that Asia extended eastwards in an indefinite expanse. It was figured thus by Ptolemy, the last and greatest of the ancient geographers. He removed from his map the Atlanticum Mare Orientale (the eastern Atlantic), which had so long marked the confines of geographical research, and exhibited the continent as stretching far beyond the limits previously assigned to it. Hb know- ledge did not enable him to delineate its eastern ex- tremity, or the ocean beyond : he was therefore induced to terminate it by a boundary of " land unknown." lyy P DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. 19 With Ptolemy ceased not only the advance of science, but even the memory of almost all that had been fonner- ]y known. The long night which succeeded the decline of the Roman empire was now closing in, and a dreary space intervened before its shadows were dispelled by the dawn of a brighter day than the woild bad yet witnessed. The first gleam of light came from the East, where the Arabs pursued the study of geography with the utmost ardour. Their systems again revived the belief in a circumambient ocean, which bound the earth like a zone, and in which the world floated like an egg in a basin. That portion of this belt of waters which was imagined to flow round the noilh-eastem shores of Asia, they called by the name of " The Sea of Pitchy Dark- noas.*' The Atlantic had by the Greeks been regarded as a fairy scene, where the Islands of the Blest were placed, in which, under calm skies, surrounded by un- rufiled seas and amid groves of the sweetest odour, the favoured of the gods enjoyed everlasting peace and happiness. This fable found no place among the Arabs, who bestowed on that ocean the name of ** The Sea of Darkness," and filled their imaginations with appalling pictures of its storms and dangers. Xerif al Edrisi, one of the most eminent of their geographers, who wrote about the middle of the twelfth century, observes, — " No one has been able to verify any thing concerning it, on account of its difficult and perilous navigation, its great obscurity, its profound depth and frequent tem- pests ; through fear of its mighty fishes and its haughty winds ; yet there are many islands in it, some peopled, others uninhabited. There is no mariner who dares to enter into its deep waters ; or, if any have done so, they have merely kept along its coasts, fearful of departing from them. The waves of this ocean, although they roll as high as mountains, yet maintain themselves with- out breaking ; for if they broke, it would >« impossible for a ship to plough them." But tlie mystery of this " Sea of Pitchy Darkness " was B CHAP. I Dodlnc of geognphlcal ■cleoce. geugniphon. 7{ \hUii:Ji Tlie AtlMiUo Ocoiui. Xerlfal EdrU. r J!JlftHI> ... ;,tf 20 DISCOVERY OP THE SOUTH SEA. CIIAP.I. Mateo Polo. ; iliu I II ' ! ; I BX, length removed. Towai^s the end of the thirteenth centuiy, the celebmted Venetian traveller, Marco Polo, succeeded in penetrating across the Asiatic continent, and reached the farthest shores of China. He brought bock to Europe tales of oriental pomp and magnificence far beyond any previous conception. Hb work exer- cised the greatest influence on the minds of that age, which, prone to belief in marvellous stories, found un- bounded gratification in the glowing descriptions of the wealth of those eastern countries ; the extent and archi- tectural wonders of their cities ; the numbers and glit- tering array of their armies ; and, above all, the incon- Thoeonrtof ceivable splendour of the court of the great Kublal KuU^ Khan. Khan, his vast palaces, his guards, his gay summer- residences, with their magnificent gardens watered by beautiful streams, and adorned with the fairest fruits ■< and flowers. Among th^se visions of immeasurable riches, a prominent place was occupied by the sea which was found to be the eastern boundary of China. Ho drew a picture of it, widely difiering from the gloom and tempests with which the Arabs had invested its waters. He spoke of its extent, so great, ** that, accord- ing to the report of experienced pilots and mariners who frequent it, and to whom the truth must be known, it contains no fewer than seven thousand four hundred and forty islands, mostly inhabited." As to their products, he told that no trees grew there that did not yield a fragrant perfume. He dwelt on the abundance of their spices and drugs, and summed up the whole by declar- ing, that ** it was impossible to estimate the value of the gold and other articles found in these islands!'* But all others were outshone by the more lavish splendours of Zipangu, the modem Japan. There, were tC' bo found abundance of precious siu^-es, and large quantities of pearls, some white, and others of a beautiful pink colour. The inhabitants were of a fair complexion, well made, and of civilized manners. " They have gold," it is said, " in the greatest plenty, its sources being inex- haustible ; but as the king does not allow of its being lalndsof the Indian QfiRsn. Zipnnga or Japan. ,i__. DISCOVERY OF TOE SOUTH SEA. 21 exported, fow merchants visit the country, nor is it fre- chap. i. queiited by much shipping from other parts. To this pgia^f the circiimstance we are to attribute the extraordinary rich- sovei-eign of nepo of the sovereign's palace, according to what we are ''^'*°* told by those who have access to the place. The entire roof is covered with a plating of gold, in the same man- ner as we cover houses, or more properly churches, with lead. The ceilings of the halls are of the same precious metal ; many of the apartments have small tables of pure gold, considerably thick ; and the windows also have golden ornaments. So vast, indeed,'' exclaims the Venetian, ** are the riches of the palace, that it is impossible to con*.^ an idea of them !"* Marco Polo was careful to explain, that the sea in which Zipnngu and its neighbouring islands were placed was not a gulf cr branch of the ocean, like the English or the Egean Seas, but a large and boundless expanse of waters. Thus early was the Asiatic margin of the South Sea made known ; but more than two centuries elapsed before its opposite boundary was reached, or a European ship was launched upon its waves. The Atlantic shores of Africa were the first scenes Portnj?ne«e of that career of modern discovery which characterized f '^^?I'^^*', 1 ' • f t n i> 1 mi • i « ®** '''* Afl'l- the spirit of the fifteenth century. Ihe mam object can-ioait was the circumnavigation of that continent, in order to open a direct path to India, the grand source of com- Ti^erce and wedth ; and, under the auspices of Prince Jlenry of Portugal, this end was pursued with a steadi- ness and perseverance which produced the most important results. There was inspired a confidence, hitherto un- felt, in the art of navigation ; its capabilities were much advanced, and the range of its enterprise extended far beyond all previous limits. A passion for maritime adveiituio was also spread tlironghont Furope, and men's minds were excited to daring undertakings and bold speculations. Attention was turned to the un- . • The Travels of Marco Polo, a Venetian, in the Tiiirteenth Contiiry, translated from the Italian, with Notes hy Willian Mars- den, K.R.S. London, 18ia 4to, p. 56!), e< sc/y. i 1 i CHAP. L Influence on Europa Columbus. I :| 111 f I * Supposed cir- cumference uf the earth. 22 DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. Pcpnrtnre of Columbus. known waters of the Atlantic, and imagination wantoned in figuring the wealth, the wonders, and the mysteries of the lands that were hidden in its bosom. The fables of antiquity were revived ; the Atalantis of Plato came again to be believed ; and to its classic fictions were added the marvels of many a Gothic and monkish legend, and the visions of splendour seen in the glory of the setting sun. Yet all these glittering fancies failed to tempt any mariner to sail boldly forth into the ocean, and explore the secrets of its depths. At length arose Christopher Columbus, — a ipan of whom it has been happily remarked, that the nar- rative of his life is the link which connects the history of the Old World with that of the New. From the study of ancient and modem geographers he became convinced of the existence of lands which might be reached by sailing westward. He argued that the earth was a sphere, and, following Ptolemy, he assigned to it a circumference of twenty-four hours. He esti- mated that fifteen of these were known to the ancients, and that what remained to be explored was occupied by tlie eastern countries of Asia and the sea seen by Marco Polo, which he ' elieved to be identical with the Atlantic. He was therefore firmly assured, that, by proceeding westward across this ocean, he would arrive at the shores of the Asiatic continent and its neighbouring island of Zipangu, of which the glowing description lel't by the Venetian traveller seems to have constantly haunted his thoughts. tI);). After many yeara of doubt and disappointment spent in soliciting various princes to engage in the enterprise, lie at length set sail from Spain on the Sd of August 1492, and the 12th of October following landed on San Salvador, one cT the Bahama Islands. After cruis- ing for some time among this cluster, believed by him to be part of the great archipelago mentioned by Marco Polo, he discovered the island of Cuba, which he con- cluded to be a portion of the continent of Asia. He next visited the beautiful island of Hayti or St Domingo, DISCOVERY OP THE SOUTH SEA. 23 and, having loaded his vessels with specimens of the inhabitants and productions of this new country, re- turned to Europe, In his third voyage, Columbus dis- covered the continent of America, and looked upon it as the Aurea Chersonesus of the ancients, — the penin- sula of Malacca in modern maps. As he sailed along its shores, he received tidings of a great water situated to the south, and, conceiving that it must be connected with the Gulf of Mexico, determined to search for the strait or channel of comi>iunication. His last voyage was dedicated to this fruitless attempt ; and he died in the firm conviction that this southern sea was the Indiaa Ocean, and that the lands he had visited be- longed to the eastern boundary of Asia. How very far did he under-estimate the grandeur of his achievements ! He thought that he found but a new path to countries known of old, while he had in truth discovered a con- tinent hitherto unimagined, yet rivalling the ancient world in extent. Who will not share in the regret which has been so eloquently expressed, that the gloom, the penury, and disappointment which overcast his latter years, were visited by none of those bright and consoling hopes which would have flowed from the re- velation of the future glory of *' the splendid empires which were to spread over the beautiful world he had discovered ; and the nations, and tongues, and languages, which were to fill its lands with his renown, and to revere and bless his name to the latest posterity I ** * To secure the possession of the vast countries dis- covered by Columbus, the King of Spain applied for the sanction of the Pope. Martin V. and other pontiffb had granted to Portugal all the countries which it might discover from Cape Bojador and Cape Nun to the Indies; and the Portuguese monarch now com- CHAP. I. DiscoTery of the continent of America. Mistaken estimate oi the dis- covery. Pnpnl f^ft ot the New World. * History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, by Washington Irving, vol. iv. p. 61, — an ^dniirable book, in which industry of research, elegance and lot'tiue'^R of thoueht and diction, have combined to rear a work, which, surpassing aH others on the 8ui)ject, will itself probably never be surpassed. i.- wm mm BBS 24 DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. CHAP. I. If i fi ! plained that his neighbour in visiting America had violated the rights conferred on him by the Holy Father, While this complaint was undergoing investigation, the court of Castile exerted its influence with Pope Alex- ander VI. ; and on the 4th of May 1493, a Bull was issued, which most materially influenced the future Nature of the course of maritime discovery. By this important docu- FapaiBuiL ment, the head of the Catholic Church, "with the plenitude of apostolic power, by the authority of God Omnipotent granted to him through blessed Peter, and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ, which he exercises upon earth," assigned to the Spanish sovereigns "all the islands and main-lands, with all their dominions, dities, castles, places, and towns, and with all their rights, jurisdictions; and appurtenances, discovered, and which shall be discovered," to the west of an ideal line drawn from pole to pole, at the distance of a hundred leagues westward of the Azores. Thus did Spain at once ac- quire " an empire far more extensive than that which seven centuries of warfare obtained for the Romans I"* This munificent grant was accompanied with one im- portant injunction : Alexander adjured the sovereigns " by the holy obedience which you owe us, that you appoint to the said main-lands and islands upright men and fearing God, learned, skilful, and expert in instruct- ing the foresaid natives and inhabitants in the Catholic faith, and in teaching them good morals, employing for that purpose all requisite diligence." The ^terrors of Divine wrath were thundered against those who should infringe the papal grant. " Let no person presume with rash boldness to contravene this our donation, decree, inhibition, and will. For if any person pre- sumes to do so, be it known to him that he will incur • Memoir of Columbus, hy D. G. B. Spotorno, Professor of Eloquence in the University of Genoa, published in ^ Memorials of Columbus, or a Collection of authentic Documents of that cele- brated Navigator, now first published from the original Manu. scripts, by order of the Decurions of Genoa. Translated from tho 8|;>anish and Italian." London, 1Q23. 8voi Important inj unction. DISCOVERY OP THE SOUTH SEA. 2B the indignation of Almighty God, and of the blessed CHAP, t apostles Peter and Paul.** * Even by orthodox princes, content of however, these threatenings were held light. As has the Papal been remarked by Purchas, "the Portugalls regarded^""* them not; and not the Bull, but other compromise stayed them from open-hostilitie.'* By an agreeroeLxt between the two nations of the Peninsula, concluded ic 1494, it was covenanted, that the line of partitiop describ- ed in the ecclesiastical document should be extended 270 Agreement leagues farther to the west, and that all beyond t^is^etween^ boundary should belong to Castile, and all to the east- Portugal ward to Portugal.t Thus their territories were defined with sufficient certainty on one side of the globe ; but the limits on the other were left perfectly vague, and became a fertile subject of dispute. * The original Bull may be consulted in Purchas, vol. i. p. 1<)-15. A translation from a copy exhibiting some variations, but iA no great consequence, is inserted in the *' Memorials of Colum- bus " above quoted, document xxxvii. p. 172-Wd. This last has been follovred in the quotations given in the present work. The copy in Purchas is accompanied by a chapter of '< Animadversions on the said Bull of Pope Alexander," which cannot fail to gratify the curious in abuse and invective, in which it will scarcely yield tlie palm to any of the " flytings ** of our earlier Scottish poets, or to the controversial writings or Scaliger, Milton, or Salniasius. Id one sentence Alexander is called " Heire of all the Vices of all the Popes," — ^ the Plague-sore into that Chayre of Pestylence,'* " the Monster of Men, or indeed rather an incarnate Devill," — fio necessary did Purchas consider it ** not to suffer this Bull to passe unbailed !'' f-This agreement (sometimes called the treaty of TordesiUas) was concluded on 7th June, but was not subscribed by Ferdinand till 2d July 1493, and by John not till 27th February 1494. It was confirmed by a Bull in 1506. The late Admiral Bumey, whose work we will have occasion so often to mention with respect, writes of this i^reement, — " At the instance of the Portuguese, with the cod> 8ent of the Pope, in 1494 tlie line of partition was by agreement removed 270 leagues more to the west, that it might accord with their possessions in the Brazils.'* — Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea, vol i. p. 4. It is impossible to admit the existence of the motive here assigned ; for Brazil was not discovered by Cabral until six years after tlie date of the agree, raent — Purchas, vol. i. p. 8U. Robertson's Hist, of America, book ii. Irving's Columbus, iii. 147, and authorities there quoted. >— It is proper to mention that Bumey is by no means singular in this mistake. 26 DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. CHAP. I. PsHsage of the Cape of 'Coed Hope. IMscoTcry of Brazil. Meantime, the Portuguese liad achieved the grand object which they had so long laboured to attain. In 1486, Bartholomew Diaz reached the southern extre- mity of Africa, which he named the Cape of Storms ; but the Portuguese monarch gave it the more auspicious title of Good Hope. Eleven- years after, Vasco de Qama doubled this dreaded promontory, and conducted a fleet to the rich shores of India, — an event which was destined to exercise on the career of American discovery more than an indirect influence, powerful as that was. The vast treasures which Portugal drew from countries where the harvest of the adventurer was prepared before he visited the field, mightily inflamed the avidity of Spain, and breathed a new spirit of ardour into her enterprises. Nor did the former kingdom fail to contri- bute her exertions towards extending the knowledge of the new continent. In the year 1500, the second expe- dition which was fitted out for India, under the com- mand of Pedro Alvarez de Cabral, standing westward to clear the shores of Africa, discovered the coast of Brazil, and took possession of it in name of the Portuguese crown. It has been well observed by an eminent writer on this subject, "that Columbus* discovery of the New World was the e£fort of an active genius, enlightened by science, guided by experience, and acting upon a regular plan, executed with no less courage than Rested by tiiis perseverance. But from this adventure of the Portu- iiiecovery, guese, it appears that chance might have accomplished that great design which it is now the pride of human re^uson to have formed and perfected. If the sagacity of Columbus had not conducted mankind to America, Cabral, by a fortunate accident, might have led them a few years later to the knowledge of that extensive con- tinent."* * Robertson's Histoiy of America, book ii. Care must be taken not to overvalue the merits of Cabral. It should be recollected that his dJscoTerv was the result of chance; and farther, that Brazil had been visited some months previously by Diego Lepe, and 6t-ll earlier b^ Vicente Yanez Pinzon, who was the first to cross tiio equator m the Atlantic. Ideas eng* I the grand attain. In hern extre- of Storms ; e auspicious , Vasco de conducted which was n discovery 8 that was. n countries ared before avidity of r into her 1 to contri- owledge of cond expe- • the corn- westward to t of Brazil, i*ortuguese I eminent jcovery of genius, md acting irage than le Portu- >mplished human igaclty of America, d them a sive con- it be taken lected that Brazil had and gt=ll cross Uiu «-»^'* -li-l 6.*l-> -^ «*» . .S^'"-'' DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN bV VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA. Page Sb. DISCOVERY OP THE SOUTH SEA. «r •tiii^' We have seen that even Portugal yielded but a chap. I. scanty deference to the right which the Pope had ehkiuIT usurped of bestowing the world at his will ; and Eng- adventuie. land was still less inclined to acquiesce in such an assumption of power. So early as 1407, an armament sailed from this country, conductid, under letters-patent from Henry VII., by John Cabot, a native of Venice settled at Bristol, and by his three sons, Louis, Sebastian, and Sanchez.* The object appears to have been to find a western passage northwards of the new Spanish dis- coveries, and by this route to reach India. In prosecu- voyn.ce of tion of this great scheme, Cabot, on the 24th of Juno JoimCubot. 1497, approached the American continent, probably at Newfoundland ; and his son Sebastian, in two successive voyages, performed in 1490 and 1617, explored a largo extent of the coast, from Hudson's Bay on the north as far as Florida on the south. Although unsuccessful in the attainment of their immediate purpose, these expe- ditions have justly entitled the English to the high distinction of being the first discoverers of the mainland of America, — Columbus not having seen any part of it Discoveiy "f till the 1st of August 1498. In 1600, three years after *5\'JfJ£"' the first voyage of Cabot, Caspar Cortereal, a Portuguese gentleman, under the sanction of King Emanuel, pur- sued the track of the Cabots with the same views. Sailing along the east coast of Newfoundland, he reached the northern extremity of that island, and entered the mouth of the St Lawrence, which, with no small show of probability, he concluded to be the opening into the west that he was seeking. He proceeded also along the coast of Labrador, and appears to have advanced nearly as far as to Hudson*s Bay. * A late acute writer has started a question as to the compara- tive agency of John and Sebastian Cabot. (Memoir of Sebastian Cabot London, 1831 ; p. 43, et seq.) This point has been amply considered in a previous volume of this Library, to which reference is made for a minute relation of the discoveries of the Cabots. — His- torical View o*' the Progress of Discovery on the more Northern I Coasts of America, chap, i., and Appendix. Edinburi^h Cabinet Library, No. IX. v- iv- fe 2JJ DISCOVERY OP TUE SOUTH SEA. CHAP. I Zeal and activity of Sjiain. National enthusiasm excited. Spanisli voyagerii. While England and Portugal were thus examining the coasts of the New World, Spain, which had first opened the path, pursued it with unabated zeal and activity. The peculiar circumstances of that country afforded much encouragement to the spirit of adventure. The long war she had waged with the Moors, and the high and romantic feelings which animated that contest, fostered a strong desire of excitement, and an ardent love of enterprise, which found in the regions discovered by Columbus an ample and inexhaustible field. ** Chi- valry left the land and launched upon the deep ; the Spanish cavalier embarked in the caravel of the disco- verer." Year after year her ports poured forth fresh expeditions, while national enthusiasm was almost daily excited by rumours of new countries far richer and more fertile than any previously known. The details of these navigations, however, more properly belong to another work ; and it will be sufficient in this place briefly to allude to their chief results. In 1600, Rodrigo de Bastides explored the northern coast of Tierra Firma, from the Gulf of Darien to Cape de Vela, from about the 73d to the 79th degree of west longitude. In the fame year, Vicente Yanez Pinzon doubled Cape San Augustine, discovered the Maragnon or River of Ama- zons, and sailed northward along the coast to the island of Trinidad. The same active voyager engaged in several other expeditions ; and in one of these, in which he was accompanied by Diaz de Soils, made known to Europeans the province of Yucatan. Almost contem- poraneously with the first voyage of Pinzon, his towns- man, Diego Lepe, pursuing nearly the same path, added largely to the knowledge of the coasts of Brazil. In 1512, Juan Ponce de Leon set sail in quest of the fabled island of Bimini, where flowed the miraculous Fountain of Youth, whose waters were of such wonderful power that whosoever bathed in them was restored to the vigour of early manhood. Though this fairy region was in vain sought for, the important discovery of the blooming coast of Florida was achieved. DISCOVERY OF THE SODTU SEA. 80 In the succeeding year, 1613, the Spaniards at length cuaf. i reached that ocean of which they had heard many vague — rumours from the natives of Tierra Firma. The lionour of this discovery is due to Vasco Nunez de Bnlbon, a vrnwo Numa man sprung from a decayed family, and who, first '*« **'''i'"»«- appearing in the New World as a mere soldier of for- tune, of dissolute habits and of desperate hopes, had, by courage and intrigue, raised himself to the government of a small colony establbhed at Santa Maria in Darien. In one of his forays against the native inhabitants, when In this command, he procured a large quantity of gold. While he was dividing the treasure among his followers, Discovery much disputing took place in the presence of a young of gold cacique, who, disdaining brawls for what seemed to him so mean an object, struck the scales with his hand, and scattered the gold on the ground, exclaiming, " Why ' should you quarrel for such a trifle ! If this gold is indeed so precious in your eyes, that for it you forsake your homes, invade the peaceful lands of strangers, and expose yourselves to such sufferings and perils, I will tell you of a province where you may gratify your wishes to the utmost. Behold those lofty mountains !" he said, pointing to the south, " beyond these lies a mighty sea, which may be discerned from their summit. It is navigated by people who have vessels not much less than yours, and furnished like them with sails and oars. All the streams which flow down the southern side of those mountams into that sea abound in gold ; and the kings who reign upon its borders eat and drink out of golden vessels. Gold is as plentiful and common among these people of the south as iron is among you Spaniards." From the moment in which he heard this intelligence, j^^^ Q^,jgp| the mind of Vasco Nunez became occupied with this of ambitiua one object, and he steadfastly devoted all his thoughts and actions to the discovery of the southern sea indicated by this chief. Many difficulties, however, retarded the undertaking, and it was not till the 1st of September 1513 .that he set forth, accompanied by no more than a hundred and ninety soldiers. After incredible toil ii 80 cnAP. L Dlscovt-ry of the Pacidc Oceuii. Religions entiiiisiuKin and avarice Rny of Saa MiKuel. DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. marching through hostile tribes, he at length approached the base of the lost ridge he had to climb, and rested there for the night. On the 26th of September, with the first glimmering of light, he commenced the ascent, and by ten o'clock had reached the brow of the moun- tain, from the summit of which he was assured he would see the promised ocean. Here Vasco Nunez made his followers halt, and mounted alone to the bare hill-top. What must have been his emotions when he reached the summit ! Below him extended forests, green fields, and winding rivers, and beyond he beheld the South Sea, illuminated by the morning sun. At this glorious sight he fell on his knees, and extending his arms towards the ocean, and weeping for joy, returned thanks to Heaven for being the first European who had been permitted to behold these long-sought waters. He then made signs to his companions to> ascend, and when they obtained a view of the magnificent scene, a priest who was among them began to chant the anthem " Te deum laudamus," all the rest kneeling and joining in the solemn strain. This burst of pious enthusiasm is strangely contrasted with the feelings of avarice to which, even in the mo- ment of exultation, their leader surrendered his mind, when he congratulated them on the prospect "of becom- ing, by the favour of Christ, the richest Spaniards that ever came to the Indies." After this he caused a tall tree to be felled, and formed into a cross, which was erected on the spot whence he first beheld the western deep. He then began to descend from the mountains to the fihoivs of the new-found ocean ; and on the 29th of September reached a vast bay, named by him San Miguel^ from the festival on which it was discovered. Unfurling a banner, whereon was painted a figure of the Virgin with the arms of Castile at her feet, he marched with his drawn sword in his hand and his buckler on his shoulder knee-deep into the rushing tide, and, in a loud voice, took possession of the sea and of all the shores it washed. He concluded the ceremony by cut- ting with his dagger a cross on a tree that grew in the DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH SEA. 91 water ; and his foUowei-B, dispersing themselves in the CHAP. I. forest, expressed their devotion by carving similar marks with their weapons. Vasco Nunez then betook himself ''p""" <>' *'»• to pillage : he exacted from the natives contributions in "" gold and provisions ; and being told of a country to the south, where the people possessed abundance of gold, and used beasts of burden, the rude figure of the lama tiivced on the beach suggested to him the camel, and confirmed him in the opinion that he had reached " the gates of the East Indies." From the circumstance ofNumeoftho the ocean having been firat descried frOm the Isthmus of "''* '^'"*"* Darien, which runs nearly east and west, it received the name of the South Sea, — a title which, however accurately applied to the part first seen, is employed with little propriety to designate the whole vast expanse of .the P . ific. Tidings of this great discovery were imme- diately transmitted to Spain, and received with delight [and triumph. But instead of rewarding so important a service, the court despatched a governor to supersede Balboa, who, by the perfidy of his successor, was publicly executed in 1617.* j''.' Meantime the colony on the Darien continued to ex- Darion tend their knowledge of the western ocean, to make ex- '^^'""y* cursions in barks, and to form small settlements in the vicinity. Larger vessels were soon constructed ; and violently taking possession of some small islands in the Gulf of San Miguel, which they named the Pearl Islands, the Spaniards extorted from their conquered subjects a [large annual tribute drawn from the treasures of the [deep. As the hope decaj'ed of finding a passage to India Settlement through a strait in the American continent, the design ^* P"»'*>"* I was formed of establishing a regular intercourse by the I Isthmus of Darien ; and a settlement was accordingly [fixed at Panama, whence vessels were to visit the eastern * The extraordinary career of Vasco Nunez de Balboa has of ate been invested with a new interest by the eleji;ant memoir of Don Manuel Josef Quintana, — an English translation of which, by Mrs Ilodsnn, nppoated at Edinburj;h in 1832. I ^\ w 32 DISCOVEHY OF THE SOUTH SEA. Causes of fiiilare. CHAr. 1. shores of Asia. This scheme, however, failed of success. Within a month after the ships destined for the voyage had been launched, their planks were so destroyed by worms as to render them quite useless. No better suc- cess had followed an attempt which was made in 16 15 to find an opening into the Austral Ocean, in more | southern latitudes. The commander of the expedition, Juan Diaz de Solis, in exploring the country at the | mouth of the Bio de la Plata, fell into an ambuscade , and lost his life. Upon this disaster, the undeilaking was abandoned, and the vessels returned to Spain. Timid navi- Such was the knowledge obtained of the South Sea | rSK.**' *''^ prior to the year 1619. Its waters had indeed been discovered, and the highest hopes formed of its treasures as well as of the rich lands washed by its billows. But all attempts to explore its vast expanse had failed ; and the seamen who boldly crossed the broad Atlantic were content to creep cautiously along the gulfs and creeks of this newly-reached ocean. No strait had yet been found to connect its waves with those of seas already known and navigated ; it seemed to be hemmed in by inaccessible barriers ; and the great continent of America, which had been regarded as a main object of discovery^ was now in some degree considered as an obstacle in the path to farther enterprise. .,:. > CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 33 id failed : and CHAPTER II. Circumnavigation of Magellan, Magellan's Birth and Services— Proposals to the Spanish Court ac- cepted— Sailson his Voyage— Anchors at PortSan Julian— Trans- actions there — Description of the Natives — Discovers the Sti-ait Enters the South Sea — The Unfortunate Islands — ^The La- drones— The Island of Mazalish languages. In the "Historical Collection of tlie several voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, bj Alexander Dalrj^^ple," London, 17^9, will be found translations | of Herrera, flarros, and Caspar, arranged in a rrn. cr that much M facilitates a comt)arison between their varvinir si-t'-r-.i^nts. 't is | to be regretted that Dniryrrple has only troateas; irtsof Behem.| ice to his ownj^ not choose to| CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGjiilLLAN. 35 iv. .. ^ij::>iii2.' bmpanib 'hef>:-; t, an acco;.''' ^viis; rhe firsit perfect fbrosian Library, llolto terracfiiieo. I into the Frencl!' lollection of Uie lacific Ocean, by , |\ind translations 1 pr that mucli ! .((".nts. 't hear it, nor to give it any confidence, but dismissed him with a frown and singular disgrace, very dififerent from what was due to the proposal of Magalhanes, and the reputation he had acquired for his valour." Thus did Portugal, after having rejected the greatest honour in the career of discovery, — the finding of America, — • spurn away the second, — the glory of the first cireum- navigation of the globe. — Magellan, accompanied by Ruy Falero, a native astrologer who was associated with him in the enterprise, thei determined to go to the [Spanish court and tender he fame and profit of his [undertaking to the Emperor Charles V. He arrived at fValladolid, where hb majesty then was, about 1617, ind his proposals were listened to with attention and aspect. We are told by Herrera that he brought with ^m a globe fairly painted, on which he had described le lands and seas, and the track he meant to pursue, ^ut carefully left the strait blank, that they might not iticipate his design. This precaution (if the tale is to credited) was a bitter satire on the little faith to be eposed in the honour of princes, but li was not used without good reason ; for Magellan had before him the miple of John II. of Portugal, who, having gathered )m Columbus the theory of his great project, with igular meanness, secretly despatched a vessel to make le attempt, and rob the discoverer of his honours. The emperor, on considering the proposals of Magellan, ^as so much gratified as to confer on him several dis- ictions. Articles of agreement were drawn out to the llowing effect : — The navigator, and his countryman, ly Falero, agreed to reach the Mol-'ccas by sailing to west ; it was stipulated that they v^'ere to enjoy a years' monopoly of the track which thoy explored, to receive a twentieth part of all the revenue and )fits, which, after deducting the c\penses, should [Magellan dovm to his entry into the Pacific. Burney has dili- *tly examined all the authorities with his usual acnmen and pcr- erance, and has woven the whole into a compreliensive and dis- ftinatin^ narrative. C 1 CHAP. IL Dismissal fiom Por- tagaL Visit to the Spanish court. Saspldons precautiona Articles of agreement ' I 86 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. CHAP. IL ntleand privileRea Gouceded. Mnfcellnn's squadruu. Mean Jea- lousy of the Portagaeso king. Dei Magdlan. of accrue from their discoveries. He was also to enjoy the title of Adelantado over the eeas and lands he should happen to make known. Certain privileges of mer- chandise were conceded to him and his associate, includ- ing a fifth part of all that the ships should hring home in the fii'st voyage : the emperor agreed to furnish for the expedition five vessels, two of 130 tons, two of ninety, and one of sixty ; and this fleet was to be victualled for two years, and provided with 2S4 men. These articles were concluded in Saragossa, and Ma- gellan then repaired to Seville, where, in the church of Santa Maria de la Yitoria de Triana, the royal standard of Spain was formally delivered to him ; and he took a solemn oath that he would perform the voyage with all faithfulness as a good vassal of the emperor. His squad- ron was composed of the Trinidad, the San Antonio, the Yitoria, the Concepcion, and the Santiago ; but the period of sailing was retarded by the interference of the Portuguese king, who threw every obstacle in the way of the enterprise which he himself had not either the spirit, or the generosity to encourage. He even endea- voured to entice Magellan from the Spanish service by promises of more advantageous terms. Failing in this,^ he is supposed to have countenanced various reports^ which were circulated against the fame of the adven- turer ; while others among his countrymen predicted, that " the King of Spain would lose the expenses, for Fernando Magolhanes was a chattering fellow, and little reliance to be placed in him, and that he would not^ execute what he promised."* At length this renowned leader sailed from San Lucarl on the 20th, or, according to some accounts, on the 21st| of September 1519. His first destination was tiie| Canary Islands, where he stopped to take in wood andl water ; and on the 13th December following he came tci anchor in a port, which was named Santa Lucia, in 2m degrees of south latitude, and on the coast of Brazil Herrera, dec. ii. lib. iv. cap. x. CIRCUMMAVIOATION OF MAGELLAN. 37 This has sometimes been supposed the Rio de Janeiro of chap. li. ihe Portuguese ; but modern observation does not con- jfgti^^oi firm the opinion. The natives appeared a coniiding, South credulous, good-hearted race, and readily gave jrovi- ■^™«f'«»' sions in exchange for trifling wares ; half-a-dozen fowls were obtained for p- king of spades, and the bargab was considered to be equally good by both parties. Piga- fetta says, — " They were very long lived, gen«rally reaching 106 and sometimes 140 years of age." Weighing anchor on the 27th, the squadron tailed j^q ^g j, southward, and on the 11th January 1620, reiched f^** Cape Santa Maria on the Rio de la Plata, where they took in supplies. Near this place Juan Diaz deSolis about five years before had been murdered by the ndives, on which account they kept at a distance from their visiters. Putting again to sea, and touching at diferent places, the fleet, on Easter Eve, came to anchoi in a port which was named San Julian ; and there Magellan remained five months. Discontent, and at last open mutiny, broke out in his ships, the ringleaders ieing Mutiny in certain Spanish officers, who felt mortified at seiving thesquadvoa unJcr .^ Portuguese commander. The first step tken to restoi-e order, however much it might accord vith the character of that rude age, cannot be reconciled vith our notions of honourable conduct : a person wasde- spatched with a letter to one of the captains, with oilers to stab him whilst he was engaged in reading it. Ibis commission being unscrupulously executed, and follored up by measures equally prompt in regard to the oher mutineers, the authority of the captain-general was aon fully re-established. While the fleet lay in this harbour, the Santiago, me nmisg f^„^ of the ships, made an exploratory ci-uise ; and on theSd wreck ouiie May, the anniversary of the Finding of the Holy Cr«8s, s»nti«ga discovered the river named Santa Cruz. Having id- vanced about three leagues farther to the soutli. tie vessel was wrecked, though the crew, after sufterug very great hardships, ultimately rejoined the squadroi. The long perioJ which they passed on that coast enabW as CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. Interview with a native, I , i iW Personal ap- pearance. chaP.il the Spaniards to form an intimate acquaintance with — the natives. They had at firet concluded that the coun> try was uninhabited ; but one day an Indian, well made and of gigantic size, came capering and singing to the beacJh, throwing dust upon his head in token of amity. A setiman was forthwith sent on shore, and directed to imitate the gestures of this merry savage, who was of such immense stature, says Pigafetta, that a middle- sized Castilian only reached to his waist. He was large in proportion, and altogether a formidable apparition ; his broad face being stained red, save a yellow circle about his eyes, and two heart-shaped spots on his cheeks. His hair was covered with a white powder. His cloth- ing, formed of the skin of the guanaco-^ covered his body from head to foot, being wrapped round the arms and legs, and sewed together all in one piece, like the dress of the ancient Irish. Shoes fabricated of the hide of the same animal, which made the feet appear round and large, procured for his whole tribe the name of Pata-gones, or clumsy-hoofed. The arms of this indivi- dual were a stout bow and arrows, — the former strung with gut, the latter tipped with flint-stones shai'pened. He ascended the ship of the captain-general, where he appeared quite at his ease, ate, drank, and made merry, till, seeing his own image in a large steel mirror, he started back in alarm, and threw down four Spaniards. The good reception of this giant brought more to the bea<;h, who were taken on board and feasted, six of them eating as much as wouV. have satisfied twenty seamen. The first Indian had pointed to the sky, as if to inquire wlicther the Europeans had descended thence ; and they all wondered that the ships should be so large and the men so small. They were in general diessed and armed alilii e. They had short hair, and carried their arrows stu':;k in a fillet bound round their heads. They ran • The camelus huanactia of Linnaeus, a species of lama. This anil nal, described by Pigafetta as having the bod}' of a camel, tiie \eg^ of a stag, the tail of a horse, and the head and ears of a mule: «!xc ited great amazement among the Spanish seamen. Natives on board tlie Bhipsk CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. 39 with amazing swiftness, and devoured their meat ra^^ as chap, il soon as it was obtained. These savages practised bhsed- — ing by rudely cupping the part affected, and produced vomiting by thrusting an arrow pretty far down the throat of the patient. Magellan wished to carry home Perfidious some of this singular rjice ; and European craft wat. *^pJ^^° <•' basely opposed to Indian confidence and credulity. Fixing on two of the youngest and most handsome, ho presented to them knives, glass beads, and mirrors, till their hands were filled ; then rings of iron were offered ; and as they were eager to possess them but could not tiike hold of any more articles, the fetters were put upon their legs, as if to enable them the more conveniently to carry these ornaments away. On discovering the treachery, they vainly struggled for freedom, and shrieked to their god Setebos.* Besides these prisoners, the cap- Attempt to tain-general was desirous of securing two females, thai •«='*« other the breed of giants might be introduced into Europe ; but though the women, whose stature was not so re- markable, were far from beautiful, their husbands be- trayed considerable symptoms of jealousy ; and, as they were more seldom seen, an opportunity of entrapping them could not be found. It was therefore resolved to seize other two men, in the hope of effecting an exchange. Force, however, was not so succe&sful as stratagem, and it was with difficulty that nino of the strongest Spaniards ! threw them down. One of the savages broke loose even * " They say," writes Pigafetta, " that when any of them die, there appeare ten or twelve devils leapin? and dancing about the "^odie ot the dead, and seeme to have their bodies })ainted with ivers colours, and that amon^ others there is one seene bigtrer lian the residue, who maketh great mirth and rejoycing. Tiiis jreat Oevill thev call Setebos, and call the lesse CHeleuie." — Pur- chas, vol. i. p. o5. It has been supposed that from this passa^;^ "Shakespeare borrowed the demon Setebos, introduced in the Tem- cHt, act i. scene ii. : — ** I must obey : his art is of such power. It would control my dam's god, Setebos, And make a vassal of him. ''^ There are other passa^res in the play of which the hint may have nan taken from the narrative of rigafetta i. f ' 1 1 i 1 1 If 'l: I'- ! 1 1 1 M ll •■'■) j 1 M n 'i / 40 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. Escape of a captive. Departure from San Julian. CHAP. IL in spite of every effort to detain liim ; and in the end tlie plan failed, for the other made his escape, and Magellan lost one of his own men, who was shot with a poisoned arrow in the pursuit. His companions, who fired on the runaways, " were unahle," says Pigafetta, ** to hit any, on account of their not escaping in a straight lino, but leaping from one side to another, and getting on as swiftly as horses at a full gallop." On the 21st August, the fleet left Port San Julian, after taking possession of the country for tlie King of Spain by the customary ceremonial of erecting a cross, — the symbol of salvation, so often degraded into an ensign of rapacity and cruelty in the fairest portions of the New World. Two months were afterwards passed at Santa Cruz, where the squadron was well supplied wuth wood and water ; and, on the 18th October, standing southward, they discovered Cape de las Virgines, and shortly afterwards the desired strait. After careful examination of the entrance, a council was held, at which the pilot, Elstevan Gomez, voted for returning to Spain to refit ; while the more resolute spirits recommended that they should proceed and com- plete their discovery.* Magellan heard all in silence, and then firmly declared, that were he, instead of the slighter hardships already suffered, reduced to eat the | hides on the ship's yards, his determination was to make good his promise to the emperor. On pain of death, every one was forbidden to speak of the short- ness of provisions or of home, — w^hich, though a some- what unsatisfactory mode of stifling the pangs of hunger * Gomez was by birth a Portuguese ; and it has been alleged, that the insidious advice which he gave on this occasion, and his mutiny and desertion at a- later period, were dictated by a desire to promote the interests of Portugal. See Memoir of Sebastian Cabot, p. 126. — Another motive for the treachery of Gomez h?i been assigned by Pi^t'etta, viz. th^iit he had previously engaged himself in the Spanish service, and had been appointed to, or promised the command of, a small squadron, to sail on a pioiected enterprise, which was laid aside on the arrival of Magellan in Spuiu. The Strait discovei'ed. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 41 or the longings of affection, equally well answered the purpose of the captain-general. Pigafetta makes no mention of the council ; but says the whole crew were persuaded that the strait had no western oatlet, and would not have explored it but for the firmness of Magellan. ' ' ^ , .; ; : ■. ■.• \ ' Two vessels were sent to examine the opening, and a hurricane coming on drove them violently thiity>six hours, during which they were in momentary lUarm lest they should be forced ashore. The coasts more than once seemed to approach each other, on which the voyagers gave themselves up for lost t but new channels successively opened, into which they gladly entered. In this manner they were led on till they had penetrat- ed the First and Second Gut, when the gale having abated, tl^ey thought it most prudent to retrace their course, and report what they had observed to the com- mander. Two days had already passed, and the captaia^ general was not without fear that his consorts must have been cast away in the tempest ; while smoke being observed on shore, it was concluded to be a signal made by those who had had the good fortune to escape. Just at this instant, however, the ships were seen returning under full sail, with flags flying ; as they came nearer, the crews fired their bombards and uttered shouts of joy. These salutations were repeated by their anxious companions ; and, on learning the result of the search, the whole squadron advanced, [having named the land where the smoke was seen Tierra del Fuego. On reaching the expanse into which [the Second Gut opens, an inlet to the south-east was [observed, and two vessels were despatched to explore it, while the others steered to the south-west. Estevan Gomez was pilot in one of the ships sent on the former service ; and, knowing that Magellan no longer lay between him and the open sea, he incited the crew to mutiny, threw the captain into chains, and under the [darkness of night put about the helm and shaped his [course homeward. This recreant had on board with CHAP. IL Firmness of Magellan. Exploring tlie Strait Sailintrof the whole fleet Mutiny of Estevan Ctomez. ..Uiil ! 42 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. Death of one of tbe c»p- tiven. First elglit of the Paciflo Ocean. CHAP. IL him one of the giants, whom he calculated upon being the first to present at the court of Spain ; but the poor prisoner pined under the heat of the tropical regions, and died on approaching the line. In 'he mean time, the commander of the expedition pursued the channel to the south-west, and anchored at the mouth of a river, where he resolved to wait the arrival of the other vessels ; he ordered a boat, however, to proceed and reconnoitre, and on the third day the sailors re- turned with the intelligence that they had seen the end of the strait, and the ocean beyond it. " We wept for joy,*' says Pigafetta, " and the cape was denominated II Capo Deseado, for in truth we had long wished tu see it." Public thanksgiving was also made ; and after spending several days in a vain search for the deserter, and erecting several standards in conspicuous^situations, the three remaining ships stood towards the western mouth of the strait, which they reached thirty-seven days after discovering Cape de las Yirgines. Magellan entitled this long-sought passage the Strait of the Pata- gonians, — a name which has been justly superseded by that of the discoverer. He found it to be so deep, that anchorage could only be obtained by approaching near to the shore ; and estimated the length of it at 110 leagues. Pigafetta relates, that during the voyage he ** talked with the Patagonian giant '' on board of the captain-general's ship, and obtained some words of his native language, so as to form a small vocabulary, which, as far as subsequent inquiries afford the means of judg- ing, is substantially correct. It was the 28th of November when the small squad- ron gained the open sea, and held a northerly course, in order to reach a milder climate (the crews having already suffered severely from extreme cold), as well as to escape the storms usually encountered about the western opening of the strait. On the 24th January 1521, they discovered an island, which was named San Pablo in memory of the Pata- gonian, who had died, after being baptized, it is alleged, Name of the Strait Northward Coarse. Inland of Sau PAbla { \ 1 I CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 43 at his own request ; and on the 4th February another chap. II. small island was seen, and called Tiburones, or Sharks* jiburoiies or Island. The crews had now suffered so much from the Sharks' want of provisions and fresh water, and from the ra- '^"'** vages of the scurvy,* that, depressed by their condition and prospects, they named these discoveries Las Desven- turadas, or the Unfortunate Islands. Their sufferings, for three months and twenty days after entering the Pacific, were painful in the extreme. Nineteen died of scurvy ; and the situation of the remainder, reduced to chew the leather found about the ship, and to drink putrid water, was in the highest degree deplorable. Even sawdust was eaten, and mice were in such request as to sell for half a ducat a- piece. Their only solace was a continuance of delightful weather, and of fair winds which carried them smoothly onwards. To this circum- origin of the •tance the South Sea owes its name of Pacific, — a title namo^PaciHo which many succeeding seamen have thought it ill de- serves. On the 6th of March were discovered three beautiful and apparently fertile islands, inhabited, and therefore likely to afford succour to the fleet. The In- dians immediately came off in their canoes, bringing cocoa-nuts, yams, and rice. Their complexion was olive-brown, and their form handsome ; they stained Native the teeth black and red, and some of them wore long suppi'e* beards, with the hair of their heads hanging down to [the girdle. On these poor islanders, whose pilfering [propensities obtained for this group the appellation of the Ladiones (or Thieves), the captain-general took * As Pigafetta describes the effects of this disease without naiu- \g it, it is obvious that to its severity was then added the terror ' a new and strange visitation. ** Our greatest misfortune," he ays, " was bein;; attacked by a malady in which the gums swelled n as to hide the teeth as well in the upper as thf *'>wer jaw, riience those aflected thus were incapable of chewi vn tv:eir ^bod. besides those who died, we had from twenty-five to iliirty sailors III, who suffered dreadful pains in their arms, legs, and other parts "f the body." Some years later, when the crews of Cartier were eized by the same disorder, it appeared to them also equally novel nd loathsome. — See Historical View of the Progress of Discovery on the more Northern Coasts of America, p. 64. ( 44 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. natives I i i, ■ CHAP. IL Hi(^al vengeance for a small ofFcnee. A skiff was stolen CrueTre^ from the stern of the capitana, or admiral's ship, upon venge on t]ie which Magellan landed with ninety men, plundered their provisions, and burnt fifty or sixty of their houses,* which were built of wood, having a roof of boards covered with leavtc. about four feet in length, probably those of the banaiiier (musa pisang). He also killed some of the natives, to whom the arrow was an unknown weapon, and who when pierced by the shafts of the Spaniards, excited pity by vain attempts to extract them. They had lances tipt with fish-bone ; and when the invaders retreated, they followed with about 100 canoes, variously painted, black, white, or red, and showed fish, as if disposed to renew their traffic ; but on getting near they pelted the people in the ships with stones, and then took to flight. The boats of these savages re- sembled gondolas, and were furnished with a sail of Ineffectnal retaliation. : 4 , * P. le Gobien, in his History of the Ladrone or Marian Islands, has asserted, that at the time Magellan arrived, the natives were altogether ignorant of fire, and that, when f " the first time they saw it consuming their houses, they regard as an animal which attached itself to the wood, and fed upon ^'his tale has been adopted by the Abbe Raynal, in his Histoi^ ^. the East and West Indies, and has served him as a topic for ample declamation; and the Abbe Prevost, in his " Histoire generale des Voyages," has also given it credit, quoting as his authority the narrative of Piga- fetta. As, however, wa^^ rery early remarked by the President de Brosses, in his " Histoire des Navigations aux Terres Australes," Pi^fetta, credulous and fabulous as he is, has made no mention ol this circumstance. This alone might be held sufficient to disprove the unsupported assertion of Le Oobien. But, as Malte-Brun has observed (English Translat. vol. iii. p. 618), ^* these islands are filled with volcanoes,'* — a circumstance of which Raynal was not aware, as he accounts for this supposed ignorance of fire, by assuni' ing the fact that here there are ** none of those terrible volcanoes, the destructive traces of which are indelibly marked on the face o( the globe." Nor is this all ; a later French navijgator remarks, " Les insulaires chez qui on assure que le feu etoit inconnu avoient dans leurs langues les mots feu, bruler, charbon, hraise, four, fftiller, houillir, ^c, et fahriquoient^ avant Vartivee des Euro- pSens dans leurs ties, des poteries evideniment soumises h Vaction peens du & 20. Par M. Louis de Freycinet — Historique, tome ii. p. IfHi. See also pp. 322, 434 feu.** — Voyage autour du Monde, execute sur les Corvettes de M. I'Uranie et la Physicienne pendant les annees 1817-18-19 el CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 45 [palm-leaves, which was hoisted at the one side, while, CHAP. II. to balance it, a beam or out-rigger was fastened to the Nati^ other. Vessels of the same construction were afterwards vesgei* i observed in the South Sea by Anson and Cook, who I very much admired the ingenuity of the contrivance. From the 16th to the 18th of March, other islands were [discovered, forming the group then called the Archi- I pelago of St Lazarus, but now known as part of the Discovery of I Philippines. The inhabitants were found to be a friendly {JJ/,Ji"^^ and comparatively civilized people. They wore orna- ments of gold ; and, though otherwise nearly naked, displayed cotton head-dresses embroidered with silk. The^ were tattooed, and had their bodies perfumed with aromatic oils. They cultivated the land and form- I ed stores of spices ; they used harpoons and nets in [fishing ; and had cutlasses, clubs, lances, and bucklers, [some of them ornamented with gold. On the 26th, the fleet left Humunu, the principal member of tho group, and afterwards touched it some others in the same archipelago. At a small island named Mazagua, and supposed to be Commmiiea- the Limasava of modem charts, a slave on board, by JJ^Sy^'^'^ **'® name Enrique, and a native of Sumatra, was able to _, . make himself understood by the savages. He accord- ingly acted as the interpreter of Magellan in explaining the reasons of this visit on the part of the Spaniards, and in unfolding the terms of commerce and friendly intercourse which they wished to establish with them. Mutual presents were made, and ceremonial visits exchanged ; the captain-general doing every thing likely impressions to impress the Indian king with the power and superi- Pu°^"**£'^° ority of Europeans and the dignity of the emperor his master. For this purpose he caused a sailor to be clothed in complete armour, and directed three others to cut at him with swords and endeavour to stab him. On seeing the mailed man remain unharmed amid this shower of steel, the island-prince was greatly surprised, and remarked, that a warrior so protected would be able to contend with a hundred. " Yes," replied the inter- mmm mm 46 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. •i 11 ■ shore. CHAP. II. preter, in the name of the captain, " and each of the three vessels h.as 200 men armed in the same manner." Reception on With this chief Magellan formed a close friendship ; and two Spaniards being invited on shore to inspect the curiosities of the couniry, the chronicler of the voyage was sent as one of them. They partook of an entertain- ment with the Rajah Colambu, as he was called, and were served in vessels of porcelain. The king's manner of eating was to take alteriiately a mouthful of pork and a spoonful of wine, lifting his hands to heaven before he helped himself, and suddenly extending his left fist towards his visiter in such a manner that, on his first performing the ceremony, Pigafetta expected to receive a blow on the face. Seeing all the rest of the company go through the same gesticulations, the polite Vicentine conformed to the customs of the place, and having finished his repast, was otherwise very graciously treated, being introduced to the heir-apparent, and left at night to repose on a comfortable matting of reeds with pillows of leaves to support his head. Among the luxuries of Mazagua were candles made of gums, rolled up in the foliage of !.he palm-tree. The wverdign was a remarkably handsome man, of olive complexion, with long black hair ; his body elegantly tattooed, and per- fumed with stoi-ax and gum-benjamin. He was adorned with geld ear rings, " and on each of his teeth," says the narrator, " were three golden dots, so piacec one would have thought his teeth had be-^n fastened with this metal." ^ About his middle he wore a tunic of cotton cloth embroidered with silk, which descended to the knees ; around his head was wrapped a silken tur- ban or veil ; while a dagger at his side, having a handle of gold and a scabbard of ejtquisitely carved wood, completed the costume of this barbaric ruler. It was * Peron mentions small spots of silver on the fore-teeth of some of the people of Timor, fixed to the enamel by a kind of mastic, so firmly that he could not pick them off with his nails ; and the man who wor« them ate before him without seeming to feel any incon- venience from their whimsical finbrv. The soye- reign ot Maiagua. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. 47 observed that his subjects enlivened themselves by con- CHAP. It stantly chewing betel and areca, mixed with a portion — of lime. They acknowledged one Supreme Being, Weas of » whom they called Abba, and worshipped, by lifting BeS^"® their hands towards heaven. At this time was Magellan first seized with the violent desire of making proselytes, in which he easily succeedea. On Easter Day, a party landed to say mass, and all their ceremonies were exactly imitated by the natives. Some of the Spaniards afterwards received the communion ; which being ended, " the captain," says Pigafetta, " exhibited a dance with L swords, with which the king and his brother seemed much delighted." A large cross garnished with nails and a crown of thorns was then erected on the top of a , ,| , ^ [hill, and the Indians were told that, if duly adored, it [would defend them from thunder, tempests, and all ilamities. The men then formed into battalions, and having astonished the savages by a discharge of mus- cetry, returned to the ships. Such were the first rois- lionary labours among these islands ! Gold was seen in lome abundance ; but iron was obviously much more vaine at- ralued, as one of the natives preferred a knife to a |»che(i to loubloon in exchange for some provisions. The com- onodities brought to the ships were hogs, goats, fowk, rice, millet, maize, cocoa-nuts, oranges, citrons, ginger, »nd bananas. At the request of the rajah, part of the " Spanish crew went on shore to help him in gathering in lis crop of rice ; * but the poor' prince, who had assisted bn the previous day at mass and afterwards at a banquet, lad yielded do far to intemperano that all business was |efei--ed till the morrow, when the seamen discharged lis neighbourly office, and shortly afterwards saw irvest-home in Mazagua. On the 6th of April the fleet sail'^ti, the king attend- Sailing of the Bg it in his pirogue. Being untJ bie to keep up with ^e*** lie squadron, he and his retinue were taken on board ; ad on tile 7th of the same month they entered the wbour of Zebu, — an island rendered memorable by lie first settlement of the Spaniards in the Philippines. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 11 ;; Inland of Zebu. Reception oi CHAP. II. The accounts which the captain-general had received of the riches and power of the sovereign, made it a point of good policy to impress him and his subjects with the greatness of their visiters. The ships therefore entered the port with their colours flying ; and a grand salute from all the cannon caused gi*eat consternation among the islanders, about 2000 of whom, armed with spears and shields, stood at the water-side, gazing with astonish- ment at a sight so new to them. An ambassador, attended by the interpreter Enrique, was sent on shore, charged with a message impoiiing the high consideration which ** the greatest monarch on earth," and his captain- general, Magellan, entertained for the King of Zebu. He also announced that the fleet had come to take in Magellan by provisions, and give merchandise in exchange. The ® "** prince, who acted through his ministers, made the strangers welcome, though he insisted on the payment of certain dues. These, however, were dispensed with, in consequence of the representations of a Moorish merchant then in the island, who had heard of the Portuguese conquests in the East ; and in a few days,; .,,,, every requisite ceremony being observed, a treaty of- fensive and defensive was formed. In manners and in | social condition this people did not appear to differ! Sudden con- from the natives of Mazagua. Their religion, it is true, vereion of the whatever it was, sat but lightly upon them ; for in a few | days Magellan converted and baptized half their number, f The rite was administered on shore, where a rude! chapel was erected. Mass was performed, and every | ceremony was observed which could deepen the impres.^ sion of sanctity ; among which, the firing of guns fromi the ships was not forgotten. The royal family, thep Rajah of Mazagua, and many persons of rank, were the ; first converts; the king receiving the name of Carlos, in honour of the emperor. Among these sudden Chris- i tians were also the qaeen nd ladies of the court,! Baptism was likewise administered to the eldest princess,! daughter of his majesty and wife of his nephew the! heir-apparent, a young and beautiful woman. She| natives. CIRCDMNAVIOATION OF MAGELLAN. 49 usually wore a robe of black and white cloth, and on chap, il her head a tiara of date-leaves. " Her mouth and AtteildTnce nails," adds Pigafetta, " were of a very lively red." of the queen One day the queen came in state to hear mass. She "' """^ was dressed in a garment like that of her daughter, with a silk veil striped with gold flung over her head and shoulders; and three young girls walked before her, each carrying one of the royal hats. The attendants were numerous, wearing i>mall veils and girdles, or short petticoats of palm-cloth. Her majesty bowed to the altar, and having seated herself on a cushion of em- broidered silk, was with the rest sprinkled by the ' ' captain-general with rose-water, — " a scent," says the writer Uready quoted, ** in which the women of this country much delight." A cure performed on the king's brother, who after Cure effected being baptized recovered of a dangerous illness, com- ^^ M-igeiiiiu. pleted Magellan's triumph. Pigafetta gravely relates, " we were all of us ocular witnesses of this miracle." By way of help, however, to the supernatural agency, a restorative cordial was immediately administered, and repeated during five days, until the sick man was able to go abroad. The fashionable religion of the court spread , , ^ rapidly. The cross was set up, idols were broken, amid -- i zealous shouts of " Viva 1p Castilla ! " in honour of the Spanish monarch, and ''^ss than fourteen days from the arrival of the squadron the whole inhabitantn of Zebu and the neighbouring islands w< re baptized, save those of one infidel village, which the c/ptain-gen i;d burnt in punishment of their obstinacy, and then erectc d < a cross amidst the ashes and ruins. Among other customs, the Zebuians drank their wine Entertain- by sucking it through a reed. At an entertuinment b^jf"i\e '**'" given by the prince, the heir-apparent, four singing- girls prince. were introduced. One beat a drum, another the ketti' • drum, the third two smaller instruments of the ne description, and the fourth struck cymbals against each other ; and as they kept excellent time, the effect was pleasing. The kettle drum was of metal, and in form 50 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. Native music. ExHction of tribute. CHAP. II and tone somewhat like European bells. Other young women played on gongs ; and the islanders bad a musical instrument resembling the bagpipe, as well as a sort of violin with copper strings. Their houses were raised on posts, and divided into chambers, the open space below serving as a shed for domestic animals and poultry. Provisions were plentiful, and the Indians everywhere showed hospit£.'Ity to their visiters, constantly inviting them to eat and drink. They appeared indeed, to place much of their enjoyment in the pleasures of the table, at which they often remained four or five hours. Magellan availed himself of the submissive and re- spectful demeanour of these people, and exacted from them and the chiefs cf the neighbouring islands a tribute, which seems to have been willingly paid. The King of Matan alone refused to acknowledge this new sovereignty, ' - - and with much spirit replied to the demand, that as strangers he wished to show them all suitable courtesy, and had sent a pres^it, but he owed no obedience to those he had never seen before, and would pay them none. This answer greatly incensed the captain-general, now above measure elated'with the success which had at- iittack on the tended his late labours. He forthwith resolved to punish natives. the refractory chief, refusing to listen to the arguments of his officers, and particularly to those of Juan Serrano, who i*emonstrated with him on the impolicy of his de- sign. Accordingly, on the 27th of April, being a Satur- day, which Magellan always considered his fortunate day, he landed with forty-nine of his people clothed in mail, and began an attack on about 1500 Indians. Th^ King of Zebu attended his ally with a force ; but hii* active services were declined, and his men remained in their boats. The battle between crossbows and mus- ketry on the one side, and arrows and wooden lances on the other, raged many hours. The natives, brave from the onset, rose in courage when they became familiar- ized with the Spanisli fire, which did comparatively little execution. A party of the latter was detached to burn a village, in the hope that the destructit n of their CIBCUMNAVIGA'ilON OF MAGELLAN. 51 Ihouses would overawe and induce them to disperse ; but CHAP. If. the sight of the flames only exasperated them the more, couraRe and land some of them hastenmg to the spot, fell upon their sWM of tho lenemies and killed two. They soon learned to take aim °* "^ It the legs of the assailants, which were not protected by mail ; and pressing closer and harder upon their ranks, threw them into disorder, and compelled them to rive way on all sides. Only seven or eight men now smained with their leader, who, besides, was wounded the limbs by a poisoned arrow. He was also re- leatedly struck on the head with stones ; his helmet leas twice dashed oiF; a lance thrust between the bars * '' K'ounded him in the temple ; and his sword-arm being " . lisabled, he could no longer defend himself. The fight pontinued till they were up to the knees in water ; and kt last an Indian struck Magellan on the leg. He fell Death of |n his face, and as the islanders crowded about him was Magellan, sen to turn several times towards his companions ; but ley were unable either to rescue him or revenge his lleath, and made for the boats. " Thus," says Pigafetta, 'perished our guide, our light, and our support !" Though the rash warfare waged with the unoffending a .aracter of lief of Matan cannot be vindicated on any prmciple of «'« Admiral istice, the premature and violent death, in the very liddle of his career, of a navigator and discoverer second Inly to Columbus, will ever be a cause of regret. Magel- was eminently endowed with the qualities necessary a man engaged in adventures like those in which he lent his life. He had a quick and ready mind, ever fertile in expedients, and never wanting in self-posses- |on. He possessed the rare talent of command ; being less beloved than respectt by his crews, though )anish pride and national jealousy made the officers imetiines murmur against iiis authority. He was a dlful and experienced seaman ; prompt, resolute, and iflexible ; having a high sense of his own dignity, and liaintaining it with becoming spirit. When, on one :casion, certain of the pilots remonstrated with him on le direction of his course, his only answer was^ that p 1 52 CIRCUMNAVIG/kTION OF MAGELLAN. CHAP. IL Personal sp- pearaace. Hatred of him by the Portuguese. I I ■ i , ^«;Vv •0- their duty was to follow him, not to ask questions. In personal appearance, he was rather mean ; his stature was short, and he was lame from a wound which ho had received in battle with the Moors. His former voyage to India, which he extended to Malacca, and the success- ful one he had just made, entitle him to be named the first circumnavigator of the globe. The unfortunate circumstances which led him to abandon his native country, in order to serve her foe and rival, long ren- dered his memory odious in Portugal. The only land, | indeed, in which his fame was not acknowledged was ' the country which gave him birth. " The Portugall autbprs," says Purchas, *ts upon the town. At this time Captain Juan Serrano the^span seen dragged to the edge of the water, wounded tied hand and foot. He earnestly entreated his jntrymen to desist from firing, and to ransom him this cruel and treacherous people. They turned leaf ear to his prayers ; and he was thus left at the Ircy of the islanders. Pigafetta relates that, " finding Ihis entreaties were vain, he uttered deep imprecations. of iat-ds. it the eternal execration of their country, for being instrumenta lepriving it of the services of so jfreat a man as Magalhanes."— K. Collect, of Discov. in the South Sea, vol. i. p. 4. 54 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. CHAP. II. Heartless de- sertion ot their com- rades. Fate of the captiTea, Redaction of the arma- ment Difficulty of obtaininf; proyisioaa. and appealed to the Almighty on the great day of judg- ment to exact account of his soul from Juan Carvallo, his fellow-gossip. His cries were, however, disregarded," continues the narrator, " and we set sail without ever hearing afterwards what hecame of him." This cruel abandonment of a friend is imputed to the hope which Carvallo entertained of succeeding to the command on the death of Serrano, the captains of the other ships being already massacred. It is but justice to the people of Zebu to mention, that one narrative of the voyage imputes the indiscriminate slaughter of the Spaniards to a quarrel arising between them and the natives, for in- sulting their women. Some years afterwards it was incidentally learned that, instead of being all murdered, eight of the Europeans were carried to China and sold as slaves. But the truth was never clearly ascertained. The armament of Magellan next touched at the island of Bohol, where, finding their numbers so much reduced by sickness and the battle of Matan, they burned one of the ships, first removing the guns and store?, into the others now commanded by Carvallo. At Zebu they had already heard of the Moluccas, their ul. nate destina- tion. They touched at Chippit in Minoanao on their way, and afterwards at Cagayan Sooloo, where they first heard of Borneo. In this voyage they were so badly provided with food, that several times hunger had nearly compelled them to abandon their ships, and establish themselves on some of the islands, where they meant to end their days. This purpose appears to have been particularly strong after leaving the last-mentioned anchorage, where the people used hollow reeds, through which by the force of their breath they darted poisoned arrows at their enemies, and had the hilts of their pon- iards ornamented with gold and precious stones. The trees, moreover, grew to a great height, but none of the necessary supplies could be obtained. They therefore sailed with heavy hearts and empty stomachs to Puluan, where provisions being very abundant, they acquired fresh courage to persevere in their voyage. Here a pilot CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAOELLAN. 55 was procured, with whose assistance they steered towards chap, il 1 Borneo, which island they reached on the 8th July A^;;;fa» 1521, and anchored three leagues from the city, which Borneo, was computed to contain 25,000 families. It was built within high- water-mark, and the houses were raised on [posts. At full tide the inhabitants communicated by (boats, when the women sold their various commodities. IThe religion of Borneo was the Mohammedan. It [abounded in wealth, and the natives are described as [exhibiting a higher degree of civilisation and refinement than has been confirmed by subsequent accounts. Let- 3rs were known, and many of the arts flourished among them ; they used brass coin in their commerce with one lother, and distilled from rice the spirit known in the st by the name of arrack. Presents were here exchanged, and after the ceremo- Reception oi ^ial of introduction, permission to trade was granted, the Spanish lephants were sent to the water's side for the Spanish *™^**y Embassy ; and a feast of veal, capons, several other kinds ^f fowl, and fish, was placed before them on the floor, rhile they sat on mats made of palm. After each louthful they sipped arrack from porcelain cups, ley were supplied with golden spoons to eat their ^ce ; in their sleeping-apartment two wax flambeaux / silver candlesticks, and two large lamps with four ' •^'• jhts to each, were kept burning all night, two men sing appointed to attend to them. The king was a jut man about forty. When admitted to an interview, _ , ke deputation first passed through a large saloon thronged Bornea ph courtiers, and then into an ante-room where were guards armed with poniards. At the extremity of ke apailment was a brocade curtain, and when this IBS drawn up the king was seen sitting at a table with [little child, and chewing betel, while close behind him [ere ranged his female attendants. No suitor was per^ |itted to address his majesty personally, but communi. ted his business in the first place to a courtier, who Id it to one of a higher rank, who again repeated it to fitill greater dignitary, who, in his turn, by means of a fi6 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. ^4: CHAP. IL Indifference to the i paniith gifts. Productions of Borneo. Attack by the Spaniards. Piratical pro ceedings. hollow cane fixed in the wall, breathed it into the inner chamber to one of the principal officers, by whom it was ultimately conveyed to the royal ear. The monarch received the Spanish gifts with merely a slight move- ment of the head, discovering no eager or undignified curiosity, and returned presents of brocade, and cloth of gold and silver. The courtiers were all naked, save a piece of ornamented cloth round their waists. On their fingers they wore many rings ; and their poniards had golden handles set with gems. The curtain of the royal saloon, which was raised when the ceremony began, dropped at the conclusion, and all was over. Pigafett.i was told that the king had two pearls as large as pullets' eggs, and so perfectly round that, placed on a polished table, they rolled continually. The productions of Borneo were rice, sugar-canes, ginger, camphor, gums, w^ax ; fruits and vegetables in great variety ; and among the animals were elephants, camels, horses, and buffaloes, asses, sheep, and goats. The people were peculiarly skilful in the manufacture of porcelain, which constituted a principal article of their merchandise. Their pirogues were ingeniously formed, and those used for state pur- poses had their prows carved and gilt. The Spaniards, who seldom or never left any port they visited on good terms with the people, in real or affected alarm for an attack, seized several junks in the harbour, in which they knew there was a rich booty, and kidnapped some persons of quality. The authority of Carvallo, which had never been respected, was now set aside by the choice of Espinosa as captain-general. Sebastian del Cano, a Biscayan, was also made a commander ; and the squadron forth- with commenced what more resembled a privateering cruise than a peaceful voyage of discovery and traffic, pillaging all the small vessels they met, and holding the passengers to ransom. Between the north cape of Borneo and the island of Cimbubon, they found a com- modious port for careening, — a labour which occupied them forty- two days. They were destitute of man • CIRCCMNAYIGATION OP MAGELLAN. 67 things necessary for making repairs; but the most chap.il serious inconvenience was the difficulty of procuring — timber, which, although barefooted, they were obliged • -o--*-.'^- to drag from among the tangled and prickly bushes. It was among these thickets that Pigafetta found the Extraordu famous animated leaf, the account of which tended so "«""y P''eno- much at first to stamp his narrative with the character served. of fable. " What to me seemed most extraordinary," he says, " was to see trees, the leaves of which as they fell became animated. These leaves resemble those of .' the mulberry-tree, except in not being so long. Their stalk is short and pointed ; and near the stalk, on one side and the other, they have two feet. Upon being touched they make away ; but when crushed they yield no blood. I kept one in a box for nine days ; on ^he ani- opening the box at the end of this time, the leaf was mated leaf. alive and walking round it. I am of opinion they live on air." Subsequent travellers have observed a similar phenomenon, and some conjecture that it is moved by an insect within ; while others describe it as a species of bat, the wings of which exactly resemble a brown leaf with its fibres. Continuing their piratical voyage, they encountered a dreadful storm, and in their alarm vowed to set free a slave in honour of each of the three saints, Elmo, Nicholas, and Clare. The desired lights, ir;[fcMc the tokens of safety, having appeared on the mast-heads, lights. and continued to shine two hours, the storm abated, and the promised offering was made.* Touching at Sarran- / , gan, they seized two natives, whom they compelled to ' i act as their pilots to the long-sought Moluccas, which they at length reached, and on the 8th November anchored at Tidore. They met with a hospitable and kind re- * It may be proper to explain, that the electric Iklits, which in stormy weather are frequently seen flickering on tne tips of the masts, were believed to represent the body of Samt Elmo, and regard- ed as a snre sign that there was no danger in the tempest. When the lights were three in number, two of tnem were supposed ^o mark the presence of Nicholas and Clare. The appearance of these lambent flames was hailed with the chanting oi' litanies and orisona. 58 OIROUMNAVIOATION OF MAGELLAN. CHAP. IL AiTival at tbe Holucciuk Prodnetlona vftbeialand& Abandon- ment of the Ti-inldad. ception. The ships were visited by Almanzor, the sovereign of the island ; a traffic in spices was com- menced, and a factory establbhed on shore, where trade soon became brisk, the native productions being readily given in exchange for red cloth, drinking-glasses, knives, and hatchets. This king was a Mohammedan, to which faith the Moors, at a period comparatively recent, had converted as many of the native princes of the East Indian Islands as they had stripped of their power. The Moluccas, which had been discovered by the Portuguese in the year 1611, were found to be five in number, lying on the west coast of a large island called Gilolo. They were named Tidore, Ternate, Motir, Bachian, and Maquian. Their best spices were nut- megs, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon, which grew almost spontaneously. The houses were built on piles or posts, and fenced round with cane hedges. The King of Bachian sent as a gift to the emperor two dead birds of exquisite beauty, whiclv, the natives called ** birds of God," saying they came from Paradise. These animals, as well as the clove- tree, of which Pigafetta gv^es a description, are now well known. By the niHdl of December the cargoes were completed ; and the bpan- ish commander, ready to depart, was charged with letters and presents, consisting of the rarest productions of the island, sent to the emperor his master by the King of Tidore. When about to sail, the Trinidad was found unfit for sea ; and the Vitoria proceeded alone on the homeward voyage, with a crew of forty-seven Europeans, thirteen Indians, and also Molucca pilots. These native mariners entertained the Europeans with many a marvellous legend. While steering for Min- danao, before coming to the Moluccas, Pigafetta had heard of a tribe of hairy men, inhabiting a cape on the island Benaian, very fierce and warlike, and who were said to consume the hearts of their prisoners with lemon or orange juice ; and he was now told of a people whose ears were so long, that the one served them tor a mat- CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAGELLAN. 59 tress and the other for a coverlet.* He was also informed of a tree, which gave shelter to birds of suffi- cient size and strength to pounce upon an elephant, and bear him up into tae aii. The Vitoria touched at different places in the voyage to Spain, and, after a mutiny and the loss of twenty-one men, passed the Cape of Good Hope on the 6th May 1622. Being reduced to the greatest extremity for want of provisions, the officers anchored in the harbour of Santiago, one of the Cape de Verd Islands belonging to the Portuguese, on what, according to their reckon- ing, was Wednesday the 9th July, but which, in fact, proved Thursday the 10th — a difference which was ex- tremely perplexing at first, though a little reflection soon enabled Pigafetta to perceive the reason.t Some provisions were obtained before the quarter whence the ship had come was suspected ; but the truth being at length discovered, in consequence of a sailor offering some spices in exchange for refreshments, the boat was seized, and the people on board seeing preparations making for an attack, crowded sail and escaped. On Saturday the 6th September 1622, after a voyage of three years' duration, in which upwards of 14,600 * The classical reader vviM be amused by the coincidence between the narratives of the Moluccc^ pilots and the wonders related by Strabo, who recounts this amoh;' other legends brought from the £a8t by the soldiers of Alexander the Great. f To illustrate the fact mentioned in the text, let us suppose a ship sailintr westward keeps pace with the sunlit is evident tliat the . crew wonid have continual day, or it would be the same day to them during their circumnavijgation of the earth ; whereas the people, who remained at the place the vessel departed from, would nave a night in the mean time, and consequently must reckon a day more than the voyagers. If the ship sailed eastward, an opposite effect would be produced ; for, by constantly meeting tlie sun every morning at an earlier hour, a whole day is gained in the tour of the globe. Hence, if two ships should set out at the same time from any port, and sail round the world, the one eastward and the other westward, so as to meet again at the same port, they will be found to differ two days in reckoning their time at their return. — Keith on the Use of the Globes, p. 42. A beautiful illustration of the phenomenon will also be found in Sir J. F. W. Herschers Treatise on Astronomny (Lardner's Cabinet Cycloinedia), p. 137. CHAP. IL Extravagant marvels. Passage of tlie Cape of Good Hope. DifTcrence of reckoning. Attempt to seize tlie vessel. i>. ■>,■ v-: -•1 ■ i; ,',( M hi W^ CIllCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. CHAP. IL Arrival at San Lucor. Thanksgiv- ing services. Rewards of Sebastian del Cano. Fate of the lYinio id. Results of th9 voyage. leagues of sea had been t^'aversed, Sebastian del Cano brought the Vitoria into San Lucar, and on the 8th proceeded up the river to Seville. Pigafetta, from whom every historian of this remarkable voyage bor- rows so largely, concludes his narrative in language almost poetical : — " This, our wonderful ship, taking her departure from the Straits of Gibraltar, and sailing southwards through the great ocean towards the An- tarctic Pole, and then turning west, followed that course so long that, passing round, she came into the east, and thence again into tlie west, not by sailing back, but proceeding constantly forward ; so compassing about the globe of the world, ai.til she marvellously regained her native country Spain." The crew on reaching Seville walked in their shirts, barefooted, and carrying tapers in their hanus, to church, to offer thanks for their safe return ; eighteen men, out of sixty who sailed from the Moluccas, being all that came home in the Vitoria. The vessel itself became the theme of poets and ron:Ancers ; but tho' .gh some have asserted that she was preserved till she fell to pieces, Oviedo, a contemporary writer, states that she was lost on her return from a voyage to St Domingo. The commander, Sebastian del Cano. escaped the neglect which was the common fate of Spanish discoverers. He was liberally rewarded, and obtained letters-patent of nobility, with a Globe for ;i crest, and the motto Primus me circumdedisti (You first encompassed me). The Trinidad was less fortunate than her consort. After having refitted, she attempted to recross the Pacific, but was nearly wrecked ; and being driven back, the crew were made prisoners by the Portuguese, whose jealousy of Spanish enterprise in these parts was DOW violently inflamed by the late transactions at the Moluccas. ,i The voyage of Magellan was attended by the most important results ; it effected ih\i communir ation so long desired between the if tlantic and the Pacific Oceans, and removed the barriers which had hitherto obstructed 1 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP MAGELLAN. 61 New wajr opened to India. Kuropean navigation in the latter sea. It opened a new ,CHAP. il path to the riches of India and the spices of the conti- guous islands ; and in fact achieved what Columbus and his companions had so long endeavoured to accomplbh. It ascertained the southern boundary of the Ampiican continent, and the axteiit ^f the great sea which divides Asia from that portion of the globe. In its progress he discovered the Unfortunate Islands, the islands Saypan, Tinian, and Aguigan, four others of the group of the Ladrones, and the Philippines or Archipelago of St Lazarus. He also demonstrated the spherical form of the earth beyond the possibility of doubt ; and accom- plished what had baffled, even on the threshold, every drevious navigator. Demonstra- tion of tlte spherical form uf the earth. >■:,.:: i \ vm FROM MAa^WJAN TO THE END '...'» CHAPTER III. Assumption by Spain. Discoveries and Circumnavigations from Magellan to the ~| End of the Sixteenth Century. Expedition of Loyasa — Discovery of Papaa or New Guinea— Voy- age of Saavedra— of Villalobos — Of Legaspi — Of Juan Fernan- ' dez — Expedition of Mendana, and Discovery of the Solomon Islands — John Oxenham, the first Englishman that sailed on the Pacific — Circumnavigation of Sir Francis Drake — Expedition of Sarmiento — Circumnavigation of Cavendish — His Second Voy- age — The Falkland Islands discovered — Expedition of Sir Richard Hawkins — Second Voyag«; of Mendana — The Marque- sas—Santa Cruz — Expedition of five Dutch Vessels — Circum- navigation of Van Noort — Retrospect, CHAP. III. All the seas and lands discovered by Magellan were declared by Spain to be her exclusive possession, — an assumption which the other European States, especially Portugal, were unwilling to acknowledge. The privi- lege of sailing by this track to the Moluccas, as well as those islands themselves, the principal advantages gained by the recent discoveries, were claimed on the double title of the papal grant and the alleged cession by the native princes. But John III., the Portuguese monarch, was equally tenacious of his rights. The old dispute as to a boundary and partition line was renewed, and referred to a convocation of learned cosmographers and skilful pilots, who m?t near Badajos, and parted as they met ; the commissioners of both crowns being alike obstinate in their claims. The respective governments were thus left to establish their rival pretensions as they should find most convenient ; and Spain, accordingly, lost no time in fitting out an expedition to secure thu full benefit of Magellan's labours. Disputed of Spanisli claims by PortugaL OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY". This armament consisted of seven vessels, of which CHAP. ill. Jarcia Jofre de Loyasa, a knight of St John, was ap- kcw arma- )inted captain-general ; Sebastian del Cano and other JJJJ*' ^"«'* irvivors of the former enterprise going out under his Command. The squadron sailed from Corunna on the Ith July 1525. Every precaution having been taken ensure* the success of the voyage, the fleet at first |>roceeded prosperously. But accidents soon occurred, P'^*®!"' **" id to the still imperfect state of nautical science we the voyage, mst impute many of the subsequent disasters of jyasa. The captain-general was separated from the kher ships ; the strait so lately discovered had already jome uncertain ; Sebastian del Cane's vessel was pecked near Cape de las Virgines ; the others were ajured ; one of them was forced to the southward,* id two, after suffering much damage, appear to have Ben conducted back to Spain. In short, it was April efore they entered the sound ; the passage proving BdiouB and dismal, and the crew having suffered much )m the extreme cold. Few natives were seen, and Reception by lose who appeared showed signs of a hostile disposition, robably from recollecting how their confidence was »used by their fonner Visiters. On the 26th May, the leet reached the South Sea, but was almost immediately Bspersed in a storm. Two of the vessels steered for Tew Spain, and in their course endured much from ^ant of pro- mt of provisions ; the sailors having little else to ^' ^^^ Ibsist on than the birds which they caught in the ;ing. Of the two remaining ships, one ran aground The Spaniards claim an iniportant discovery in consequence of accidental ciminjstance. The San Lesraes, a bark commanded Francisco de Hozes, is reported to have been driven to 65° south the gule, and the captain affirmed that he had seen ths end of erra del Fuep^. This a Spanish writer supposes to have been »pe Horn ; while Biirney thinks it more probable that it was Sta- ll Land, the certain discovery of which is, however, of much later Me. The extent of projecting land between the eastern entrance the strait and Cape Horn makes it unlikely that it could have en seen by fhe crew of the Saa Lesmes.— Chron. Hist, of Discof. South Sea, vol. i. p. 134. 64 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END Mutiny oud deaths. SnffeiinKH and priva- tions. CHAP. III. at the island of Sanghir, after the crew had mutinied and thrown overboard the captain, his brother, and the pilot ; while the other, which carried the admiral and his second in command, held north-west. Both these officers were now sick ; and, four days after crossing the line, being the 80th of July 1526, Loyasa died, and Del Cano, who had weathered so many dangers, expired in less than a week. Alonzo da Salazar, who succeeded to the charge, steered for the Ladrones, and, in 14*^ north, discovered the island which he named San Bar- tolome, the native appellation of which has been lately ascertained to be Poulousouk.* Between Magellan's Strait and the latitude now specified, thirty-eight of the seamen perished, and the survivors were so enfeebled that they thought proper to entrap eleven Indians to work the pumps. Salazar, the thii-d commander, died ; and it was November before they came to anchor at Zamafo, a port in an island belonging to their ally the King of Tidore. On reaching the Molucc&s, disputes immediately arose between the Spaniards and the Por- tuguese governor settled at Teniate ; and a petty mari- time warfare ensued, which was prosecuted several years with various degrees of activity and success, — the people of Tidore supporting their former friends, while those of Temate espoused the cause of their rivals. In the course of this year, 1626, Papua was dis- covered by Don Jorge de Meneses, in his passage from Malacca to the Spice Islands, of which he had been ap- pointed governor by the court of Portugal. About the same period, Diego da Rocha made himself acquainted with the islands De Sequeira ; believed to be a part of those which in modem times bear the name of Pelew, and belong to the extensive archipelago of the Caro- lines.t In the course of the following summer, the * Voj'age autour du Monde, par M. L. de Freycinet. Historique, tcrnie ii. pp. 69, 70. Dincover y of I'apua. •j- " Leslies qu'il [Diego da Rochal nomnaa Sequeira, ne parois. nt etre antres, en efTet, que les Matelntas, sitiiSes dans TE. N. E. ~ " 70. pent eire antres, en cfttel, que lies Pahos." — Frfycinet, in op. cit.y tome ii OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. Co mutinied er, and the dmiral and Both these er crossing •A died, and ers, expired o succeeded ind, in 14° id San Bar- been lately Magellan's eight of the so enfeebled . Indians to Binder, died ; o anchor at leir ally the oaS) disputes |[ind the Por- , petty mari- ated several juccess, — the riends, while : rivals, ma was dis- passage from tiad been ap- About the f acquainted be a part of ne of Pelew, af the Caro- Bummer, the let. Historique, teira, ne narois< dans YE. N. E. fourth captain-general of Loyasa's squadron died, as was alleged, by poison administered at the instigation of the Portuguese governor ; and shortly afterwards, his ship, which had been much damaged by repeated actions, was decla-ed unfit for the homeward voyage. In the same season, the celebrated Hernau Cortes equipped three vessels for the Spice Isles, which sailed from New Spain on the eve of All Saints under the command of his kinsman Alvaro de Saavedra. Two of them were almost immediately separated from the admiral, who, pursuing his course alone, after leaving the Ladrones, discovered on Twelfth Day a cluster of islands, to which, from this circumstance, he gave the name of Los Reyes, or The Kings.* The men were naked, save a piece of matting about their middle, — tall robust, and swarthy, with long hair, and rough beards They had large canoes, and were armed with cane lances. When Saavedra, after a run of little more than two months, reached the Moluccas, he was immediately attacked by the Portuguese, but supported by his countrymen, the residue of Loyasa's fleet, who had now built a brigantine. Having completed his cargo, he sailed for New Spain on the 3d June 1628, — an eastward voyage that for a series of years baffled the most skilful navigators. Land was reached, which the Spaniards named Isia del Oro, in the belief that it abounded in gold. There is, hov^'ever, reason to con- clude that it was Papua, afterwards called New Guinea, from the resemblance between the natives and the negroes on the coast of Africa. They were black, with short crisped iiair, and had the features of that dis- tinctive race of Polynesia, since termed Oceanic negroes, who are found in many of those groups which are scattered throughout the vast Pacific, sometimes n ixed with the other great family by which these islands are • They are included in the Caroline ran{);c, and are supposed to be idontical with the Egoi Islands of the present maps. — Freycmet* ; tome ii. p. 7(i. CHAP. III. Treachery of the Portu- guese. Heman Cortes equips an expedi- tion. Arrival at the Moluccas. Papua or New Guinea. I ^ I iM ll If'' I'l 'lim'i ■mi m iili 1 J6 PROM MAGELLAN TO THE END Second voyage for Kew Spain. laland^ CHAP. lit peopled, but generally apart. Saavedra, finding the — wind unfavourable, was obliged to return to the Mo- luccas ; nor was his second attempt to reach New Spain, in the following year, more fortunate. In this voyage he once more touched at Fapua. When formerly there he had made three captives, two of whom, on again seeing the beloved shores of their native land, plunged into the sea while the ship was yet distant ; but iha third, who was more tractable, and had by this time been baptized, remained as envoy from his new friends to his ancient countrymen, and to establish an amicable traffic. When the vessel neared the beach, he also left her, in order to swim ashore ; but, without being allow^ed to land, he was assailed and murdered, as an outcast and renegade, in presence of his Christian pa- Tiie Caroline trons. A group of small islands (part of the Carolines) in 7** north, were, from the circumstance of the natives being tattooed or painted, named Los Pintados. To the north-east of this cluster, several low ones, well peopled, were discovered, and named Los Buenos Jardines.* At this place Saavedra dropped anchor, and the inhabitants drew near the shore, waving a flag. A number of men came on board accompanied by a female, who touched each of the Spaniards in succession, and was from that circumstance supposed to be a sorceress brought for the purpose of discovering what kind of beings they were. Both sexes were light-complexioned and tattooed. The women were beautiful, with agreeable features and long black hair, and wore dresses of fine matting. Saavedra, on landing, was met by a promiscuous band advancing in a certain order, with tambourines and festal songs. To gratify the curiosity of their chief, a musket was fired, wliich struck them with such terror that the greater part immediately fled in their canoes to a station * " Nous reconnoissons dans les premieres [Los Pintados] une portion des ilea Ralik, et dans les secondes [Los Buenos Jardines] rextremite nord des Radak, groupe explore long-temps apres [1816-17] par le capitaine russe Kotzebue." — Freycinet, tome ii. p. 76. Appearance Dt the women. OF TUK SIXTEENTH CENTURY'. 67 n, on again three leagues distant) whence they were with difficulty chap, iit, induced to return. These islands afforded abuodance of dis^^h oi cocoa-nuts and other vegetable productions. The com- the Spanish mander died soon after leaving the Good Gardens ;* ^"y^^"'*- and, after vainly attempting to reach New Spain, the sliip once more returned to the Moluccas. After sus- ' '' taining many varieties of fortune, the Spaniards, finding that they could procure no reinforcements from their own country, consented to abandon the settlement, on condition of being furnished with means to convey them home. They accordingly departed for Cochin in Retnm to 1534, but did not reach Europe till 1637, after an ^"'"^'-• absence of twelve years. " Though the honour," says Bumey, " of sending forth the second ship that en- circled the globe cannot be claimed by the Spanish nation, it is nevertheless a justice due to the memory of the few of Loyasa's and Saavedra's men who reached their native country, to notice them as the navigators who the second time performed that tour."+ Several voyages had in the mean time been attempted Private ad- j by private adventurers ; but they all proved abortive, ^«"*"''*"»- To Saavedra is ascribed the bold idea of cutting a canai I from sea to sea through the Isthmus of Darien. This project. ' [which has been often revived, very early en^ged the attention of [Spain. It is discussed in Jos. Acosta's J-fistory of the Indies, Iwho ur^es against the design an opinion, that one sea being higher ■than the other, the undertaking must be attended by some awful ^lamity to the globe. Observations made under the patronage <»(' bolivar, and completed in 1829, seem to show that the levels of lie two oceans are different ; but as our ideas of a canal no longer upl^ a channel through which the waters of the one sea should Dw into the other, the apprehensions that occurred to the Spnish ^fctorian have ceased to appal us. The chief obstacle is the enor- Bous expense ; for it seems now to be sufficiently proved that kither a canal or a railway is quite practicable (See Royal So- ciety Transactions for 1U30) ;_ indeed, it is reported that tjfie con- Mruction of the latter has been determined on by the government f New Granada. A cut was in fact made in 1788, connecting a ributary of the San Juan with a branch of the Quito, and thus opening a communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific, luring the rainy season, for the canoes of the country, which draw yovn one to two feet of water. t Chron. Hist, of Discov. in South Sea, vol. i. p. Itil. E 1 68 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END CHAP. IIL Cession of the Spanish clHims to the Foi'tuguese. New Spanish ■quadi-on. !; SettTcmrntln the Philip- tiiaca. and the passage by Magellan's Straits, as well as the schemes which began to be entertained for opening a communication through the Isthmus of Darien, were abandoned, when, in 1629, the Emperor Charles V. mort- gaged or ceded to Portugal his right to all the islands west of the Ladrones, for 850,000 ducats (£108,181, Ifis.) The discoveries now opening in other quarters likewise contributed to divert attention from this point. The peninsula of California was visited a few years after- wards. Its gulf and outer shores were examined by Cortes in 1636 ; new settlements were also every year rising in Mexico and Peru, which engrossed the cares of the Spanish governor ; and it was not till the year 1642, that, forgetting the cession to Portugal, a squadron was once more fitted out, destined for the Archipelago of St Lazarus. This was the work of Mendoza, viceroy of Mexico, and the command was intrusted to his brother- in-law, Ruy Lopez de Villalobos. He discovered the island of San Tomas, in latitude 18^ 80' north, and a cluster, which he named El Coral, On the 6th January 1648, at 36 leagues from the Coral Isles, the fleet passed ten islands belonging to the group of the Carolines, and probably the same with Saavedra's Gardens. — The squadron coasted along Mindanao, and on reaching Sar- rangan, an island near the south part of Mindanao, re- solved to establish in it that settlement which was the chief purpose of their expedition. This the natives, though at first hospitable and friendly, stoutly opposed ; but the captain-general, having already taken formal possession of all the islands for the emperor, determined to make good his point, and accordingly, attacking their forces, compelled them to retreat. Here the Spaniards raised their first harvest of Indian com in the Philip- pines, — the name now given by Villalobos to the archi- pelago, in compliment to the Prince-royal of Spain. The inhabitants of several islands in a short time be- came more friendly ; traffic was established ; and this success once more excited the jealous apprehensions of the Portuguese, and induced them to foment intrigues OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 6!) among the native chiefs who favoured the different European leaders. In the progress of events, the con- duct of Ylllalobos was marked by periidy to the allies he had gained, and by treachery to his sovereign. In despite of the remonstrances of his officers, he accepted unworthy terms from the Portuguese, and provided himself a passage home in one of their ships. But his main object was defeated, for he died at Amboyna of sickness and chagrin, — ^thus eluding the vengeance of the country which he had betrayed. The commencement of a new reign is a period pro- verbial for energy and activity. Among the first acts of Philip II. was an order issued to the Viceroy of Mexico i'oT the final conquest of the Philippines. The Fray Andres de Urdaneta, a celebrated cosmographer and navigator, who, after sailing with Loyasa, had be- come a monk, was requested to accompany an expedi- tion for this purpose ; and to him the honour was given of nominating the captain-general, his own profession forbidding him to hold any secular rank. His choice [fell upon Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, a person of great |prudence, who sailed with four ships from Navidad in [New Spain on the 2l8t November 15C4. On the 9tli [January following, they discovered a small island, jwhich they named De los Barbudos, on account of the llarge beards of the natives, and next morning a circle of "slets, which were called De los Plazeres, from the heals which ran between them. A similar group were jrceived on the 12th, named Las Hermanas, or The Sisters ; and are supposed to be the same with the Pes- idores and Arrecifes of modem charts. The squadron )uched at the Ladrones, and without seeing other land lade the Philippines, where, according to the sealed »rders received from the king, they were to form a lettlement. On the 13th of February, they anchored lear the east part of the island Tandaya. The natives |\'ore the semblance of friendship ; and an alliance was Jiade with the chiefs, according to the customs of their country, the parties drawing blood from their arms and CHAP. 111. Renewel Jealousy (if the Por!it> suese. Accessfori of Pbilip IL . tion of dl»- cuvvry. ArriraT at the Pliilip. pint;». 70 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END Singular pledge of mutual fidelity. tlie Spani- ards. ciiaP. iil breasts, and mingling it with wine or water, in which they pledged mutual fidelity.* In this ceremony the captain-general declined to join, alleging that there was no person on the other side of sufficient rank to contract with him. The Indians, however, could not be so far ensnared as to become the dupes of European policy, re- marking that the Spaniards gave " good words but bad works." The fleet sailed from place to place, but small progress was made in gaining the confidence of the people, who were now fully alive to the intentions of their visiters. One station after another was abandoned, and though a good understanding was established with the chief of Bohol, with whom Legaspi performed the ceremony of bleeding, Zebu was at last selected as the j(>nionsy and Centre of colonization. There the Spaniards carried violence of matters in a higher tone than they had hitherto as- sumed. The tardiness of the people to acknowledge the offered civilities of the voyagera was used as a pretext for aggression, and the foundation of the first Spanish colony in the Philippines was laid in the ashes of the sacked capital. Hostilities continued to be waged for a time between the islanders and the invaders ; but at last a peace was concluded. The news of the settle- ment was carried back to America by the Fray Andres Urdaneta, the pilot-monk, who sailed on the first June, and on the third of October reached Acapulco, — an ex- ploit highly extolled at the time, as the passage across the Pacific from west to east, so necessary to facilitate the communication between the Philippines and the mother-country, had hitherto baffled every navigator. By following a course to the 43d degree of north latitude fair winds were obtained ; and the homeward voyage long continued to be made to New Spain by the same track, which acquired the name of Urdaneta*s Passage. The occupation of Manilla soon followed that of Zebu, Urdan eta's passage. * The riassiral reader will not need to be reminded that Ifero- dotus records similar customs as prevalent among tlic Scythians and other nations. ),ti OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTrUV. 71 and became the insular capital of the Spaniards in the chap. ni. eastern world. "■"" Geographical discovery and maritime enterprise were Ocotjpntion now to receive a new spirit from that extraordinary •*'**""'"«• > career of conqi st which, commenced by Hernan Cortes almob. contemporaneously with the voyage of Magellan, had already extended over the greater part of the west- em coast of South America. In the year 1663, Juan jnan FeiTiandez, a Spanish pilot, in the passage from Peru to *''-'»"»n^«»' the new establishments in Chili, had stood out to sea in the hopes of finding favourable winds, and in his progress descried two islands ; one of which was called Mas-afuera, while the other received the name of its discoverer, and has since acquired much celebrity as the supposed scene of Defoe's romance of Robinson Crusoe. In the year 1667, Lopez Garcia de Castro, the viceroy Expedition of Peru, fitted out the first expedition which sailed fl^^^^u!' from that country expressly for the purpose of discovery. He intrusted the command to Alvaro de Mendana de Neyra, who departed from Callao, the port of Lima, on the 10th of January. Having dii-ected hi progress westward a distance which is variously stated by dif- ferent writers, he reached a small island inhabited by .'",. copper-coloured savages, and named it the Isla de Jesus. Shortly after, he discovered a large shoal, which he islands di». called Baxos de la Candelaria (Candlemas Shoals), and covered. from this descried an extensive land, for which he set sail, and anchored in a harbour, that received the ap- pellation of Santa Ysabel de la Estrella (St Isabel of the Star). The inhabitants were of a bronze complexion, had woolly hair, and wore no covering save round their waists. They were divided into tribes, and engaged in continual warfare with one another. They seemed to be cannibals ; but their usual food consisted of cocoa- nuts, and a species of root which they called venaus. Having first, with the characteristic devotion of the age, caused mass to be celebrated on these new-found shores, Mendana constructed a brig large enough to carry thirty men, which was despatched to explore the .4 72 FROM MAGELLAN TO TIIR END m IsJaiida. crrAP. III. neighbouring coasts. The result was the discovery of Archipelago ^" archipelago consisting of eighteen islands, some of iiieiKhuen which were found to be 000 leagues in circumference, though of several others no definite knowledge was obtained. The names of Santa Ysabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, San Christoval, and £1 Nombre de Dios, were bestowed on the principal ones ; while the group re- The Solomon ceived the general appellation of the Solomon Islands, from a belief that they liad supplied the gold and treasure employed in the building of the Temple.* The air was extremely salubrious ; the feitile soil offered ample resources for a dense population, and the rivers washed down great quantities of the precious metals. This archipelago, however, was not explored without several rencounters taking place between the Spaniards and the savages, who fought with much valour. After this rapid survey, Mendana returned to Peru in the beginning of March 1568. Many years passed ere any farther knowledge of his discoveries was sought ; and their situation long furnished a perplexing theme for the discussion of geographei's. < . t In the year 1574, Juan Fernandez visited two small islands lying near the continent of America, which were named San Felix and San Amber. About the same period, a discovery is ascribed to him of a more doubtful character. Sailing from the coast of Chili, Icniandcz. * The minds of the early discoverers seem to have heen ron- stantly inflamed hy tlie description of the wealtli of Solomon, who " made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones," and whose '* drinking vessels were of t^old, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold ; none were of silver ; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." — 1 Kings, x. 21, 27. The land of Ophir, from wliich the navy of Hiram brought gold and "great plenty of almug-trees, and precious stones," was the object or continual search ; and Columbus, among his other dreams, be* lieved that he found this source of Jewish splendour in Hispaniola and Veragua. — Irving's Columbus, vol. iii. p. 2dl, and vol. iv. p. 39. The true position of Ophir is yet a questio vexata among geo- graphers. It lias been placed in India, in Arabia, in Africa, and even in Peru. Etymology', the never failing Kupport of such spe- culations, comes in aid of this last hypothesis with the expression "gold of Parvaim." , ,. OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 9Br tbout the latitude of 40° south,* he is reported to have chap. hi. reached, after a voyage of a month, the coast of a con- p^^^^, tinent which seemed to be very fertile and well culti- ducoveriu. vated. The people were white, wore fine attire, and were of an amiable and peaceful disposition. Several large rivers fell mto the sea, and altogether it " appeared much better and richer than Peru." This country has been supposed by some to be New Zealand ; others are inclined wholly to discredit the voyage ; and the data are certainly too meagre to warrant the identification of this supposed continent with any of the islands in the Pacific known to geography. The year 1676 witnessed the first launching of a bark johnoxeiw by an Englbh seaman in the waves of the South Sea, — ham. a feat which was accomplished by John Oxenham, a native of Plymouth. Landing on the north side of Darien, he marched across the neck of land ; and having built a small vessel, he intrusted himself to the ocean, and steered for the Pearl Islands. There he captured fi^ccem tmik two rich prizes, and returned with his spoil to recrosa ftte. the isthmus, — an attempt in which he was slain. Unfortunate as was the issue of this enterprise, it did not chill the ardour nor damp the courage of our * It is to be regretted that the learned Burney should have les- '' sened the value oriiui important work h\ the loose and unscholarlike fashion of departing from the words of his author, even while pre* tending to quote literally. This practice has led him into numerous mistakes. Thus, in relatmg the discovery of Fernandez, he takes oc- casion to quote the Memorial of Doctor Juan Luis Arias, published by Dalrymple (Hist Coll., vol. i. p. .58), as to the following ef- fect : — *' Arias says, < The pilot, Juan Fernandez, sailed from iha coast of Chili, a little more or leas than forty decrees, in a small ship, with certain of his companions,* &c." — Chron. Hist, of Dis- covery, vol. i. p. 300. But the passage, as it stands in Dalrym- pie, is materially different: << A pilot, named Juan Fernandez, who discovered the track from Lima to Chili, by going to the westward (which till then had been made with much difficulty, as they kept aion^ shore, where the southerly winds almost constantly prevail), sailtng from the coast of Chili, about the latitude of forty ,i CHAI'. III. Sir Pranclu Di-ake, Storms in the Pacifla Capture of prizes Islands dis- covered. 74 FKOM MAGFLIAN TO THE END countrymen. Within two years was commenced the first voyage round the globe performed V'y the British, in the person of the renowned Sir Francis Drake. ■V/hen, from a "goodly and great high tree" on the Isthmus of Darien, this bold navigator first saw the South Sm, we are told that "he besought Almighty God of his goodness to give him life and leave to sail once in an English ship in that sea." Several years elapsed before this wish was gratified ; but at length, on the 13th December 1677, he was enabled to set sail from Plymouth with a fleet of five vessels, bearing 164 men. He made the eastern inlet to the Straits of Magellan on the 20th of August, and in seventeen days after entered the Pacific. Here he encountered a succession of storms, during one of which he was driven far to the southward, when, it is probable, he discovered Cape Horn. " He fell in," says an old narrator, " with the uttermost part of land towards the South Pole ; w^hich uttermost cape or headland of all these islands, stands near in the 56*^^Ii degree, without which there is no main nor island to be seen to the southwards, but the Atlantic Ocean and the South Sea meet in a large and free scope." When the weather became fair, Drake stood to the northward, and cruised along tlie coasts of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, cap- turing the vessels of the Spaniards and plundering their towns. In the hope of finding a north-east passage or strait, he still conttiued his course, and explored a country, which he named New Albion, to the 48th de- gree of north latitude. It was then determined to run westward, and return to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope. After sailing sixty-eight days, he discovered some islands, to which he gave the name of the Thieves, and which have been conjectured to be identical with some of those called the Pelew in the Carolina archi- pelago.* From these ae proceeded to the Philippines ; * ** Drake dfecouvrit des i!es, qii'il nomina Islands of Thieves, et qui paroisspnt etre les iles sitiiees au sud de Yap. Ellee portent Bur lu carte No. 7 de notre Atlas h^'droj^rajjliique, le nom d'iles ^ . i't m % ^' ■■ 'Vi- I u 1 n.., l.ar>Ji •:V JIV' ' K ■■■ P.ij?o 74. OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 75 and after touching at Java and other places, set sail for England. On the loth June 1680, he passed the southern point of Africa, which, says an old author, " is a most stately thing, and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth ;" * and on the 26th of Sep- tember anchored safely at Plymouth, after an absence of two years and nearly ten months. In geographical dis- covery Drake's voyage was barren, but it gave a new spirit to the maritime enterprise of Britain, and brought wealth and fame to its commander. Queen Elizabetl: honoured him by dining on board his ship, where she also conferred the distinction of knighthood ; for many yea'o his vessel was preserved at Deptford ; and a chair, made from one of her planks and presented to the Uni- versity of Oxford, has been celebrated oy the muse of Cowley.t The unexpected appearance of Drake in the South Sea was a matter of serious alarm to the Spaniards. Their exclusive navigation of that ocean was now gone • and instead of gathering in peace the treasures which the islands in its bosom, and the opulent empires on its margin, might afford, they perceived that henceforth they would have to contend for their riches with a powerful and ambitious enemy. In fact, they soon saw the English successfully penetratiig the Magellanic Straits, — a channel so difficult as to ha\'e given rise to a saying, " that the passage had closed up." It had, lanic straits. indeed, been little frequented by the Spaniards, who, it ma}' be conjectured, found a more profitable employ- ment in the colonization of their recent conquests. But the havoc which Drake carried along their coasts once more attracted their attention to the Straits, and, in 1679, Pedro Sarmiento de Gambod was despatched CHAP. III. Passage of the Crpe of Gooa Hope. i 1 IIonoiirnMe reception of Drake. Alarm of tlie Spaniurds. Ken owed attention to Lamoleao Qurou. L'ile Yap est nonamee aussi Eup par qiielques auteurs." — Frevcinet, tome ii. p. 77- • Hakluyt, vol. iii. p. 742. \- A copious narrative of the Life and Voyages of Drake has alriady appeared in tlie Edinhurgh Cuhinet Lihrary, No. V. Lives and Voyages of Drake, Cavendish, and Dampier. J!! Mr 7« FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END CHAP. III. Expedition of De Gam- boa. I I: Sufferings and fiultre ot the colony. Expedition ofCavendisli. Plundering ot the Spaui- ards. from Lima to survey them, and report the result of his observations. In pursuance of his advice, it was deter- mined to fit out a powerful armament, with a design of fortifying the narrows, and thus closing against hostile intrusion what they considered the only portal of the Pacific. The fate of this expedition was singularly disastrous; nor was it until after making repeated attempts and sustaining much loss that they effected an entrance. Two cities were founded, named Nombre de Jesus and San Felipe, and peopled by Europeans, who had a supply of provisions for only eight months. On his voyage to Spain, the captain was taken prisoner by an English cruiser belonging to Sir Walter Raleigh. His unfortunate colony was speedily reduced to the greatest miseries ; no attempt was made to send them succours from home ; and, being thus abandoned to want and the frightful inclemencies of the weather, sad ravages were made among them. Only two who sur- vived these dreadful sufferings returned to their native country. The path to the South Sea once laid open, no long time elapsed ere it again became the scene of English adventure. In 1686, Mr Thomas Cavendish, a gentle- man of the county of Suffolk, fitted out, at his own expense, an expedition to the Pacific, and sailed from Plymouth on the 21st July. He reached the Straits of Magellan on the 6th January following, and cleared their farther outlet on the 24th of February. Like Drake, the object he had in view was plunder ; and, like that navigator too, be stood along the western coast of America, carrying fire and sword wherever he went. At length, in November, glutted with spoil, he steered across the ocean, and in January 1688 made the Ladrone Islands. In the passage homeward he touched at St Helena, and first communicated to England its capabilities and advantages. He arrived at Plymouth on the t)th September, having circumnavigated the globe in tv70 years and fifty days, — a period shorter than that required by eivher of his predecessors. OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 77 The chief contribution which this voyage made to chap. hi. geography was the discovery of Port Desire on the east Rcjuitsof tjoast of Patagonia. In a lucrative point of view it was ihe voyage. 80 successful, that Cavendish resolved to engage in another expedition to the same quarter of the globe. Accordingly, he again left England, and, after a voyage of seven months, he entered the Strait of Magellan, on the 14th of April 1592. Dispirited by the storms which he encountered there, he determined, on the 16th of May, to retrace his course towards the coast of Brazil, and soon afterwards died on his passage home. The voyage, though its results were not very gratify- Discovery of ing, was marked by an incident of some importance, the FiUkiand After repassing the Straits, one of the vessels under the ** * command of Captain Davis, was separated from the squadron, and having met with adverse gales, was " driven in among certaine Isles never before discovered by any knowen relation, lying fiftie leagues or better from the shoare, east and northerly from the Streights, in which place, unlesse it had pleased God of his won- derfuU mercie to have ceased the winde, wee must ot necessitie have perished." * On this group he seems to have bestowed no name ; but they are now known by the designation of the Falkland Islands.t After this occurrence Davis succeeded in reaching the South Sea ; but, returning almost immediately, his ship eventually captalii° arrived at Bearhaven in Ireland, in June 1593, with Davis. only sixteen persons remaining of seventy-six who left England. Of the expeditions now briefly noticed, which constitute so important an era in the naval history of this country, and abound with spirit-stirring adventures, a copious narrative has been given in a preceding volume of the Edinburgh Cabinet Libiary.;}; • Hakluyt, vol. iii. p 846. •)• Burney seems to Imve been amon? the first to vindicate Davis* claim to the discovery of tliisj^roiip, which it vas supposed was for- merly seen by Sir Richard Hawkins. — Chron. Hist. Discov.,vol. ii. II. I OS. J Lives and Voyages of Drake, Cavendish, and Dampier. For a larther account of Davis, one of En^^land's most intrepid seamen, 7^ FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END Sir Richard Hawkins. Taptnre of bis vessel. CT1AP. III. We have shortly to mention yet another expedition fitted out in the reign of Elizabeth. This was under- Expedition of taken by Sir Richard Hawkins, who sailed from Ply- mouth on the 12th of June 1693. In his passage towards the Strait, he observed the islands formerly seen by Davis, though he appears to have considered them as altogether unknown. "The land," he says, " for that it was discovered in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth, my souereigne lad}' and mistris, and a mayden queene, and at my cost and aduenture, in a perpetuall memory of her chastitie, and remembrance of my ende- vours, I gave it the name of Hawkins' Maiden- land."* Sir Richard reached the South Sea, and began to follow the exainple of his more illustrious predecessors, Drake and Cavendish ; but his fortune proved very different. On the 22d of June 1594, his ship was captured near Cape de San Francisco, and carried into Panama, in honour of which event thrt city was illuminated. This was the last voyage in the Pacific made by English navigators for many years. The course of our narrative accordingly turns again to the expeditions of the Spaniards. In 1694, Philip II., in a letter to the Viceroy of Peru, recommended ** the encouragement of enterprises for new discoveries and settlements, as the best means to disembarrass the land from many idle gentry ;" and in compliance with this suggestion, an armament was prepared next year to effect a settlement in the island of San Christoval, one of the Solomon archipelago, visited, as has been already narrated, in 1667. The fleet con- sisted of four vessels supplied with 378 men, of whom 280 were soldiers ; it was commanded by Alvaro de Mendana, by whom the islands had been discovered, under the title of Adelantado, and the chief pilot was plans of riiiltp II who, having- I'lVt'cted discoveries in the extreme ragions of the north and the south which have immortalized !iis name, was doomed to uerish in a quarrel in the East Indies, the reader is refeired to the Narrative of Discovery and Adventure in the Polar Seas and Regions • rurohas, vol. iv. p. 1384. OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 70 Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, — a name which afterwards cilAP. Ilf. became famous in the annals of nautical adventure. „. The adelantado was accompanied by his wife, the Donna for coionizu Ysabel Berreto, and, as was usual in those days, a cer- *'°°* tain number of priests sailed on board the armadn. On the 16th of June 1605, Mendana, leaving Payta, pursued a course nearly due west until the 21 at July, when he was in latitude 10° 60' S., and, by the reckon- ing of Q,uiros, 1000 leagues distant from Lima. On that day an island was discovered and namyd La Madalena ; Discnycry of and the adelantado, believing it to be the land he sought, ^'"'^ ^^^^'' there was much rejoicing among the crew, arid Te Deiim laudamus was sung with great devotion. Next day, when they drew near the shore, there sallied forth in rude procession about seventy canoes, and at the same time many of the inhabitants made towards the ships by swimming. They were in complexion nearly white, of good stature, and finely formed ; and on their faces and bodies were delineated representations of fishes and other devices. The Spanish chroniclers extol the gentle manners and the beauty of these natives very highly. ** There came," sa^SlJ-Figueroa,* " amo^g others, two lads paddling their canoe, whose eyes were fixed on the ship ; they had beautiful faces, and the most promising animation of countenance ; and were in all things so becoming, that the pilot-mayor (Quiros) affirmed nothing in his life ever caused him so much regret as the leaving such fine creatures to be lost in that country." Short Trcnhncnt of as was the intercourse which the Spaniards had witli these gentle savages, it was marked by bloodshed and * " Hcchos de Don Garcia Iliirtado de Mendoza Quarto Mar ques de Canete, per Hi Doctor Cliristoval Siiarez de Figiieroa Madrid, 1613." An almost literal translation of so niiicli of this IS work as relates to Mendana's voya{j;e will be found in Daliymnle's Hist. Coll., vol i. pp. 67-94 and 1H5-203. This translation I "as been used in the present account. There has beeu preserved another narrative of ilie vo^'age in a letter written by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, tlie pilot-mayor, to Don Antonio Merga, and published by him in " Sucesos de las Philipinas. Mexico, IGOy." This is also to be (buud in Dalryniple's excellent work. 80 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END m 1^ N ' ^m , Wi 1 M 'i M i CHAP. III. Names of the group of Islands. Ceremony of taking pos- bession. New course pursued. Dissatisfac- tion of Hie crew. violence. When Mendana had passed the south end of lia Madalena, he descried three other islands, and this circumstance for the first time convinced him that he waa not among the Solomon group. He named these newly discovered ones La Dominica, Santa Christina, and San Pedro, and gave to the whole cluster the title of Las Marquesas de Mendoza. A spacious harbour was soon observed in Santa Christina, and named Port Madro de Dios ; and the fleet having been safely anchored, the adelantado and the Lady Ysabel landed. On this occa- sion mass was performed with much ceremony, the natives standing silently by, kneeling when the strangers knelt, and endeavouring generally to imitate their ges- tures. Prayers were then said, and in the name of the King of Spain possession was taken of the islands, — a formality which was completed by the sowing of some maize. A large party of soldiers being left on shore, soon fell into hostilities with the natives, drove them from their houses, and hunted them with slaughter into the woods. 1 At length, on the 6th of August, the adelantado set sail from Las Marquesas, assurMg the crews that on the third or fourth day they would reach the Solomons. More than a fortnight passed, however, and no land was seen, till on the 20th they discovered four small and low islands with sandy beaches, and covered with palms and other trees. These were named San Bernardo, and a similar one, descried nine days after, was, from its lonely situation, called La Solitaria. It has been conjectured to be identical with one of the Desventuradas of Magel- lan.* The ships passed on, pursuing the same course, but discontent and disappointment soon broke out on board. Of the land, long since predicted by the adelan- tado as near at hand, no signs had yet appeared ; and some of the crew scrupled not to say that they were going no one knew whither. Amid these murmurs of dissatisfaction, Mendana, we are told, went about with * Burney, Chron. Hist Liiscov., vol. ii. d. 175. OP THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 81 a rosary ever in his hand, wearing an air of devotion chap hi and severely reprehending all profaneness of speech. On the night of the 7th of September, land was at Santa Ci mz length perceived ; and on that same night one of the '^'*'^''^*^'"''- vessels disappeared and was no more seen. At sunrise the land was ascertained to be an island of large extent ; and was forthwith named Santa Cruz. Another was seen to the northward, on which there was a volcano in great activity. When first observed, it had a regularly formed peak ; but this was destroyed a few days after by an eruption of such violence as to be felt on board the ships, though at the distance of ten leagues. The natives were immediately recognised by Mendana as of a kindred race with the inhabitants of the Solomons, yet they appeared to speak a different language. Their hair was woolly, and frequently stained white, red, and other colours; they had ornaments of bone or teeth round their necks, and used bows and arrows. Their Warfare with warlike disposition was evinced by tlieir commencing an attack on the Spaniards. This was, indeed", quickly repelled ; but the ferocity of the savages and the cruelty of the voyagers kept up a continued warfare during their stay. The adelantado at length determined to form a settlement on the margin of a bay, which from its goodly aspect was named La Graciosa. The ground was soon cleared and several houses built. Sedition and mutiny, however, now made their appearance, and it Mutiny and was found necessary to punish three of the conspirators ^^^ ^' with death. The inhumanity of his people towards the natives reached at the same time a height altogether unprecedented, A chief, Malipe, whom Quiros calls " our greatest friend and lord of the island," was mur- dered by some of the crew, apparently without the slightest cause or pretext ; though, to the honour of Mendana, it should be mentioned that he inflicted death on the perp>?trators of this cruel outrage. But this was among tixe last of his acts, disease and care having already reduced him to the utmost extremity. On the 17th of Octol;er, which was marked by a total eclipse of the SS>, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I Ui l&i |22 :^ 1^ 12.0 ik L25 j|,.4 |,.6 < 6" ► cS ^ VQ v: '/ Photographjc Sciences Corporation 23 W?ST MAIN STRUT V^EZSTIR.N.Y. 145M (71«)t73-4S03 J 82 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END CHAP. IIL Death of Mendana. His chsi'ii I ter. li ,« Vll»H . Death of the new captaln- generaL tnut' 7;i;':> I moon, he made his will, leaving his authority to his wife, Donna Ysabel, and constituting her brother, Don Lorenzo Berrcto, captain-general under her. He was so weak that he could scarcely subscribe his name to this document, and he only survived till midnight. His character may be given in the words of Figueroa : : ** He was known to be very eager to accompli^ what- ' ever he put hand to ; he was zealous for the honour of God and the service of the king ; of high mind, which had engaged him in the former voyages and discoveries ; good actions gave him pleasui'e, and he detested bad ; he was very courteous and sweet-tempered ; not too apt to give reasons, and therefore not desirous of them ; more solicitous of works than words. He appeared to be well in regard to his own conscience. He never passed for high, so that it was the opinion that ho knew more than he perfoimed."* The melancholy rites of burial were celebrated with suitable pomp. The coffin was borne on the shoulders of eight officers, and the soldiers marched with muskets reversed, and dragging their colours in the dust. Shortly after, the new captain-general was wounded in a skirmish w^ith the natives, and died on the 2d November. The vicar soon followed him, — '*a loss," says Figueroa, " such as the sins of these unfortunate pilgrims deserved ; it served as a stroke to tell them ;, they were displeasing to God, wlien, after so many cor- a poreal afflictions, he took from them their spiritual * Burney seems to have been disposed to Inok only on the dark side of Mendana's character: *^ His merits," it is obserred, *'a8 a . navigator, or as a commander, have not contributed towards ren- dering him conspicuous; and it is remtirked in Figueroa that his death was lamented ONLY bu his relations and his favourites.** ■i>-Chron. Hist. Oi-scov., vol. h. p. 162. This certainly is not a fair representation of Furueroa's statement, which runs thus: — ^'The governess and her friends were much afiiscted by his death, others were glad of it It is to be tupposed these were the worst people in the company, to whom his goodness gavr offence; for it is impossible ror one who lives in dread to love that which occasions his fear; »iid particularly when the wicked have the good to jndge uf their evil works." — Dalrymple, Hist Coll., vui. i. p. lUO* i OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 83 If comfort." Continued misfortunes had now reduced the CIUP. III. settlement to a state so helpless that twenty detennined i>),e ^^y savages could have destroyed it without danger ; and abandoaed. the Donna Ysahel, hereft of her husband and brother, and discoun^ned by so many evils, resolved to abandon the projected colony. Having accordingly embarked all the setUen^ and taken on board the eorpse of the addantado, the three vesMls which now composed the fleet set sail on the 18th of November, after a stay at S&nta Cruz of two months and eight daysi It was intended to seek the island of San Christoval ; J^^f^^g;'^ ** but," says Quiros, ** wheli' we continued on the Oeurse Caroiinea. two days ^nd saw nothing, on the petition of aH the people, who spoke aloud, the governess commanded me to take the route for the cit\ of Manilla," In their voyage thither, on island wca discovered about thirty ki^^nes m circuit, and clothed widi trees and herbage. No name seems at that time to have been assigned to it, and though its position is very imperfectly indicated, it may be conjectured to be one of tiie Carolines.* Two of the vessels reached the Philippines after much priva< tion ; the third was found stranded on the coast with all her sails set, but her people were dead.f Shortly after this disastrous expedition, the Spaniards Appearanca were alarmed by the appearance of a new foe in the rurdTin^iio oc«an which they had ever regarded as their own. This South Sea& unexpected enemy was the' Dutch, who, fired alike by the hatred of the nation which had so long oppressed them, and stimulated by hopes of gain, determined to carry the hostilities, hitherto confined to the plaitia of the Low Countries, fiir beyond the bounds of Europe, and to attack the possessions of their former tyrants in India and the South Seas. * It is thus noticed by M. de Freycinet, apparently on the au- thority of Texeira : — " En 1096, Qniros, successeur de M endan^^ 6t la deoouverte de I'ile Hogohu, qui d'abord re7nt des Espagnols le ngm de Quirosa^ puis celui deTorr^, d'un capitaine de cette natioic." •p-Yoyqffe autpor du Monde. HiHtorione) tome iL pi 77* • "t* Dalrymple, Hist Coll., vol. L p^ 6u, note. ■ i Pi m^^mm^^^^t^^^^m^m ^^P^^^^^^ ippwnpnpi 84 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END FInit Datch expedition. Jo vT-jVO' A w CHAP. IIL In June 1598, five vessels left Holland for the pufw pose of sailing to the East Indies by the Straits of Magellan, and cruising against the Spaniards on the coasts of Chili and Peru. On the 6th of the following April, they entered the Straits ; but in consequence of some unforeseen difficulties, they were obliged to winter in Green Bay, where they suiiered much from cold and want, many of the men dying of hunger. They had also repeated conflicts with the natives, who are de- scribed as being of formidable stature, with red bodies and long hair, and animated with such implacable hatred against the Dutch, that they tore from their graves the bodies of some sailors, which they mangled Disperaton of or altogether removed. On the 3d of September, the uroiu**^ squadron reached the South Sea, but was soon dispersed in a storm, and never again met. Sibald de Weert re- passed the Straitsy and after seeing some of the islands discovered by Davis, and which now received the name of Sibald de Weert, brought home to tK? Maes, in July 1600, the only ship that returned to Holland. Dirck Gherritz, in the yacht commanded by him, was driven to 64° south latitude, where he got sight of land, sup- posed to be the South Shetland Isles.* An English- man, named William Adams, acted as chief pilot in the squadron, and the vessel in which he sailed stood over to the coast of Japan, where they wera detained, but kindly treated. Adams built two ships for the emperor, and became so great a favourite, that he granted him a living ** like unto a lordship in England, with eightie or ninetie husbandmen " for servants ; but he failed to ob- tain permission to return home, though he greatly desired to ** see his poore wife and children, according to con- science and naturet"t Finding that he could not pre- vail for himself, he interceded for his companions, who, William Ailumt tlie citief pilot * This fact seems to have been little regarded, and does not af- fect the merit of Captain Smith's d''scovery in 1818. •f- ** William Af'ams,— his Voyage by the Magellan Str^ to Japan, written in two letters by himselfe." — Ptirchas, vol. u p. 128. / OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. m lot af- voL k being allowed to depart^ joined a Dutch fleet under chap. in. Greneral Matelief. Their captain was killed in an en- „,. r~7. .. gagement with the Portuguese off Malacca, after which Finndo. all trace of them is lost. News of the death of Adams, at Firando in Japan, was brought to this country in 1621. Almost contemporaneously witli this expedition, some Second Dutch merchants fitted out four ships under Olivier Van ^u^^^'^'*^ Noort, who sailed from Goree on the 13th September 1598, with objects similar to those contemplated by De Weert. A voyage of a year and seven days brought them to Port Desire, where they careened their three vessels, having previously burned one as unserviceable ; and, according to Purchas, they took in this place pen- : guins to the number of '* 50,000, being as bigge as r geese, with egges innumerable, which proved very re- r freshing to the dipeased."* Some natives being ob- >. served on the north shore, the general landed with ^ twenty men, and as the savages had disappeared they | proceeded into the country. Five sailors left in charge of the boats straggled to some distance ; upon which Conflict about thirty Patagonians, tall, fierce, tawny, and ** paint- ]2|^[^res!" cd to the degree of terror," attacked them, murdered three, and wounded another with an arrow. By the time the general and his party returned, the assailants had all fled, and none were again seen near the place. After entering the Straits, the ships were approached from the south coast by a single man, who was pursued and ineffectually fired at. A more convenient oppor- ^ tunity, as the Dutchmen conceived, for revenging the death of their three comrades occurred at the smaller of Occmrpnce the Penguin Islands. As the boats neared the land, ^^q^u^H^ about forty natives, thinking they came in search of the birds which abound there, threw some from the top of a cliff, made signs for them not to land, and discharged arrows when these intimations were disregarded. The Hollanders were not slow to retaliate with musketry ; •t, ^1 * Purchas, vol. i. p. 7^ .a" 86 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END CHAP. IIL Slan^bter of the Uitttveai •'M;^ ,Uil Citiel exter- mination. till I- VXfAt to the Pliilippines. Theft of the Diitive& which soon drove the savages from the rock. They again rallied, however, on the side of a hill at the mouth of a cavern, and fought with the utmost determination until the destructive fire of the Dutch left not one man alive. In the interior of the grotto were found huddled together the women and children ; mothers had placed their own bodies as a protection before their oflfspring, and many of both were wounded. The invaders com- mitted no farther outrage, except carrying off four boys and two girls. One of the former having been taught to speak Dutch, afterwards informed his captors that they had exterminated the males of a whole tribe, — a deed which, as it is related without any expressions of regret or pity,'wa8 probably never regained by the per- petrators as being in the least more atrocious than if they had 6ut down so many trees for the use of their squadron. ' Sibald de Weert's ship was seen in the Straits, and that commander made a request to be sup- plied with some biscuit ; but his countryman coolly answered, that he had no more than was sufficient for his own use, and if he should exhaust his stores, this was not a part of the world where bread could be pur- chased. .*\'ii" ;•• wji-.^'i^ 'li-^.v/.. - . Along the west coast of South America som^i -prittn of little consequence were made, and when near the equator they stood across towards the Philippines. At Guahan, in the Ladrones, about 2oOv canoes came off to barter, the people in them shouting, ** Hierro, hierro ! " (iron, iron 1) and in their eagerness oversetting each other's boats, — a catastrophe which occasioned much confiiaon, but no loss of life, as they were all expert swimmers. The Dutch did not find them honourable in their transactions, as they covered baskets of shells with a thin layer of rice at top, and if they had an op- portunity, pulled a sword from the scabbard, and leap- ing into tile sea, eluded, by diving, the bullets of the enraged owners. The women were no less expert in such exercises than the men, as was ascertained by dropping bits of iron, which they fetched up from the OF THE SIXTEENTn CENTURY. 87 bottom. Thence Van Nooit proceeded in a leisurely chap. in. manner, capturing trading vessels, burning villages, and captoresMd carrying off provisions as occasion served. His forci- spoiiatioo. was now reduced to two ships, the Mauritius and Een- —•t-' - dracht. He learnt from some Chinese that the capital of the Spanish settlements was well fortified, and the harbour sufficiently protected. He therefore anchored off the entrance of the bay, to intercept the craft bound thither. After some time, the colonists sailed out to attack them ; when their admiral, De Morga, con- fident in a large superiority of numbers, ran directly aboard of the Mauritius, and, getting possession of the deck, pulled down the flag. The Hollanders, however, FiRht with continued to fight, though in a skulking manner, when ^i^dT ' Van Noort, tired of this tedious and ineffectual warfare, told his men, that if they did not come out and ep- counter the enemy more vigorously, he would set fire to the magazine and blow up the ship. They did so accordingly, and drove the Spaniards back into their own vessel, which, having been damaged in boarding, soon after went down. Most of the seamen were saved by the country-boats; but numbers also were shot,^ knocked on the head, or killed with pikes by the Dutch, who refused quarter. The Eendracht, seeing the colours of the Mauritius lowered, and thinking the captain-general had surrendered, took to flight, but was pursued and captured; upon which the pri- ^. „ , soners being conveyed to Manilla, were immediately executed as pirates. Without any farther adventure Return to of consequence, and having added nothing to the know- '^"'^"^^ ledge of the South Sea, Van Noort brought his ship to anchor before the city of Amsterdam on the 26th of August 1601. This was the first circumnavigation performed by thei Dutch, and was remarkable for the rigour with which discipline wajs enforced. In many of the Spanish ex- peditions mutinies broke out which could not be sub- dued without the sacrifice of several lives ; but here, although a spirit of insubordination was repeatedly ^•fRPI 88 FROM MAGELLAN TO THE END Kigorons severity of dLiCipliiie. Sammary of the proKress of discovery. f^HAP. IIL displayed, it seems to have been uniformly checked before spreading to any considerable extent. Indi- viduals who had been found guilty were put ashore at various points ; and, among others, the second in com- mand was left in Patagonia with a little bread and wine. Every thing of this nature was done with the sanction of a council of war,* whose sentences were occasionally marked by no little severity : in one case they caused a seaman's hand to be pinned to the mast with a knife, where he was condemned to remain till he could release himself by slitting it open. This cruel punishment was formerly usuad in cases where an assault had been committed upon the pilot or com- mander. The voyage of Van Noort closes the long list of enter- prises made in the sixteenth century ; and, before passing on to the events of the seventeenth, it may not be improper briefly to glance at the progress of discovery among the islands and along the coasts of the South Sea since the time when Vastto Nunez, from the mountain- peak of Darien, beheld ** below him extended a vast chaos of rock and forest, and green savannas and wander- ing streams, while at a distance the waters of the promised ocean glittered in the morning sun." t * Burney (Chron. Hut Discov., vol. ii. p. 209) says, it does not appear who composed this tribunal ; but the ori^pnal account of the voyage mentions that the ^council of war" gave a judgment which it also attributes to the " general and his officers'." This makes it sufficiently plain of whom the council in a Dutch fleet consisted ; and further, one of the letters of William Adams states, that all the pilots in the squadron expressed in the council an opinion which so displeased the captains that they excluded them for the future from their deliberations. — ^Purchas, vol. i. p. 129. *|* Voyages of the Companions of Columbus, p. 173. Washing- ton Irving nas described this event, ** one of the most beautiful and striking mcidents in the history of the New World," with even more than his usual el^ance. It is in itself so [ucturesque as to be barely susceptible of farther embellishment from poetry, though Mr Irving considers that the fate of Nunez ^ miffht turnish a theme of wonderful interest for a poetn or a dranuu'' His great dis- covery has been happily alluded to in a brantiful sonnet by a youn^ poet, who, however, has confounded him with the 2Con(^^9rpr OF THE SIXTBENTH CBMTUllY. 89 " ' The continent of America, constituting the western boundary of this vast ocean, had already been explor- ed from the white clifis of New Albion, in 48° north latitude, to Cape Pilares on Tierra del Fuego, in 54° south. Some imperfect knowledge had been obtained of lands even still farther south : Drake had seen the promontory which afterwards received the dreaded name of Cape Horn, and the Dutch had descried the b)eak islands now called New South Shetland. Magellan had laid open the strait which bears his name, and was then looked on as the only entrance from the Atlantic into the South Sea. Along the coast had been dis- covered several islands, the principal of which were Chiloe, Mocha, Mas-afuera, Juan Fernandez, San Felix, San Amber or Ambrosio, Lobos, Los Galapagos, Cocos, San Tomas, and the Pearl Islands. The eastern bound- ary of the South Sea was less accurately known. Yet on that side the Japan Islands, Formosa, the Phi- lippines or Archipelago of St Lazarus, Borneo, the Moluccas, Papua or New Guinea, had all been more or less minutely e^tuunined, and might be held to define with sufficient accuracy the eastern limits of the Pacific, from the latitude of 40° north to that of 10° on the opposite side of the equator. Southward of this all was unknown and unexplored ; and the geographers of the period, bold in their ignorance, delineated the capes, the gulfs, the promontories, bays, islands, and coast of a great continent extending from the vicmity of New Guinea to the neighbourhood of Tierra del Fuego, under the name of Tbbiia Australis nondum qoqvitjU' Of the innumerable clusters of islands with whicE the South Sea is studded, very few liad been at thia time discovered. Las Desventuradas, the Ladrones or Mo- CHAP. IIL Extent (>r land ex- plored. rJinmifjiia Islands dis« covered. Imaginary southern continent. <* Then felt I like some watcher of the skies When a new planet swims into his ker. Or like stout CorteZf when with eagle eyes He fltared at the Pacific, and all his men Looked at each other with a wild surmise, Silent, upon a {leak in Darien." 90 FROM MAGELLAN, 4co. <> CHAT. IIL riansy the Sequeiro or Pelew, and several others of the Carolinee ; the islands of San Bernardo, Las Marquesas, Solitaria, the Solomons, Santa Cruz, and a few smaller ^oups, were all that were known of those countries and islands, the extent and number of which have at length claimed for them the rank of a fifth division of the globe. ,y^q During this period the earth had been sailed round four times. Of these circumnavigations, the first was effected by Spaniards under a Portuguese commander ; the second and the third by the English; and the fourth by the Dutch. Islands dl8- covered in tiie Sooth Sea. Gireamnarl' gations of the globe. JiVt -A': ■•"nit;l fF«^ ?«<■; .'»■*« •■- — '*" *• -'/.la « mil ^u, '^iii io LfflMk!j : 85>t4*,«itt %>,1f» CIRCVMNAVIOATIONS AND DI6C0YBRIB8, «e. 91 'jii ^•■.. m ,i- i.» "fT'i". *'h'^ ■♦;;' .1 .; CHAPTER IV. fi C¥rctimtMivf0faTSC0VBUIE8 CHAP. IV. 8ap< rsUtlotiB Pedro Fer- nandez de Quiros. Argumentii for the exist- ence of a ■outhern couiiuent. ■me. an impious intrusion into the secrets of nature. The untimely &te of all who had been principally concerned in this great event was now recollected. It was told, that Vosco Nunez had been beheaded, — that Magellan had fallen by the hands of the infidels, — that his com- panitti, the astrologer Ruy Falero, had died raving mad, — and that the seaman De Lepe, who had first descried ^he Strait from the topmast, had abandoned Christ to follow Mohammed. But the spirit which had glowed so long was not wholly dead, and we have yet to record the actions of one of the most distinguished navigators whom Spain has produced. ,, , Undaunted by the liardships and ill success of the last voyage of Alvaro de Mendana, the pilot, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, returned to Peru, eager to engage in fresh adventures, and, as one of his memorials cxpres'ies it, ** to plough up the waters of the unknown sea, Sbnd to seek out the undiscovered lands around the ttutarctic pole — ^the centre of that horizon."* Arguing upon grounds which were received by many, even down to our own day, he asserted the existence of a vast southern continent, or at least of a mass of islands, the antipodes of the greater part of Europe, Afirica, and Asia. The viceroy, to whom he detailed his views, heartily approved of the project ; but the limits of his authority hindered him from furnishing means for Its execution, and he therefore s6nt him to Spain with letters of recommendation to the king and his ministers. These were successful. Q,uiros left the court ** with the most honourable schedules which had ever passed the * Dalrymple, Hist. Coll., vnl. i. p. 98. The chief authorities for the voyage of Quiros are hw own meiuarials (which are inserted in Dalrymple, vol. L p. 145-174; and in Purcnas, vol. iv. p. 1427), together with the relations of Fiirueroa and Torquemada (Monar- chia Indiana, Seville, 1615, and Madrid, 1723), both translated by Dalrymple, vol. i. p. 95-144. In Burney's Cliron. Hist Disoov., vol. li. p. 467-478, Appendix, No. i. was printed, for the first time, the "■ Relation of Luis Vaez de Torres, concernini; the discov- eries <^ Quiros as his alroirante. Dated Manilla, I2th July lfiU7t" trunsiated by Mr Dalrymple from a Spanish MS. in hb possessiun. OF THB SBVENTRENTlt CEMTUHY. 93 council of state/' and arriving at Lima and '* throwing into oblivion all that he had endured for eleven years in the pursuit of so important an object," * he began to prepare for his long-cherished enterprise. Having built two vessels and a zabra (a kind of launch), the strongest and the best armed, says Torque- mada, of any that had been seen on either sea, on the 2l8t of December 1605, he set sail from the port of Callao, liaving under him, as second in command, Luis Vaez de Torres.t Six Grey or Fran- ciscan Friars accompanied the expedition ; ai; ^ in con- formity with their wonted respoct for religion, guns were fired on the 25th during the day, '\nil the ships were illuminated during the night, in 'onour of the solemn festival of the Nativity. On reaching the lati- tude of 26° sout!i, Quiros cousidered it proper to pursue a more northerly track, in opposition to the advice of Torres, who thought that by advancing to 80^ south there was greater probability of finding the desired continent. On the 26th of January 1606, between the parallels of 24° and 25° south latitude, and 1000 leagues west from Peru, land was seen. It was a low flat island, with a sandy surface, here and there diversified by a few trees, though apparently without inhabitants, and it received the name of La Encarnacion. Three days after another island was discovered ; it was ** plain and even a-top," might contain about twelve leagues, and was called San Juan Bautista.;^ From this Quiros sailed in a north-westerly direction, and on the 4th of February saw an island or group of islands, encircled by CHAP. iv. Preparatlom lor new di»> covery. Veasels pro- vided for tho exp«diUoiL ,r'l!Vl'«l A.I Pint dis- covery «»f lund. * Torquemada. Dalrymple, Hist Coll., voL i. p. 104. fi Cook, in the introduction to his second voyage^ falls into the sin|fular mistake of representing Torres as commander of the expe- dition, and Quiros uni^ as pilot Vovakre towards the Soutli Pole^ and round the World, in the Years 177^1776< 8d edition. London, 177tt"Gen. Introd. p. zii. j: It may be proper here to state, tliat the memorial of Torres has preserved a totally different nomenclature of Ihe lands from that given by Quiros, and that for obvious reasons we hare adopted the names beotowed by the latter, i mntiJ' ,^oa^au ^ i-;i 'I^IRCUMNAYIOATIONS AND DISCOVERIES CHAP. IV. Gronp of Island! dis- covered. La Decena. AppeRrancQ of the natiTes. Reception of the voyagers. a reef and having a lagoon in the centre. Thjs land, which was about thirty leagues in circuit, received the name of Santelmo. The next day four other islands were seen ; they were barren and uniidiabited, and resembled in all respects those previously discovered. They were called Los Quatros Coronadas ; and two of u similar character, observed in the vicinity, were named San Miguel Archangel and Conversion de San Pablo. On the 9th of February an island was seen in the north-east, and, from the circumstance of being the tenth which had met their eyes, received the appellation of La Decena. It appeared to be like those previously in- spected, and the ^ips passed on. The next day a sailor on the topmast gave the cry of " Land a-head 1" to the great joy of all on board. " It was,** says Torres, ** a low island, with a point to the south-east which was covered with palm-trees ;'* * and the columns of smoke which rose from different parts showed that it was in- habited. The zabra was directed to search for an an- chorage, and having found it in ten &thoms the boats were sent to effect a landing. About 100 Indians were seen upon the beach making signs of joy ; but so great was the surf which broke upon the rocks, that thn crews, with heavy hearts, abandoned their intention of landing and resolved to row back to the ships. ** They were thus returning quite disconsolate,'* says Torque- raada, " when a brave-spirited young man, Francisco Ponce, a native of Triana, slighting the danger, got up, saying, that if they should thus turn their faces from the first perils which their fate presented, what hope could there be of success in the event !** and with this threw himself into the sea and swam ashore. The islanders welcomed him with much apparent affection, frequently kissing his forehead, and encouraged by the example now set them, some others leapt into the sea and swam to land. The natives were in colour mulat- toes, well limbed, and of good carriage ; they were * Burnny, Cliron. Hist. Diecov., vol. ii. p. 468. OP THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 95 naked, and armed, some with lances of thick wood, burnt at the ends and about twenty-seven palms in length, some with swords of the wood of the palm-tree, and not a few with great clubs. They lived in thatched houses, situated by the margin o^ the sea among groves of palms. A person who appeared co be a chief had on his head a kind of crown made of small black feathers, but so fine and soft that they looked like silk. In one of the woods was discovered what seemed to be an altar, rudely folined of stones ; and *' our people," says the Spanish chronicler, ** solicitous where the Prince of Darkness had dwelt to place the royal standard whereby the Prince of Light gave life to us, with Christian zeal cut down a tree with their knives, which they formed into a cross and fixed in the middle of the place."* The island was found to be divided by a narrow isthmus which was overflowed at high water ; its latitude *was between 17° 40' and 18° 30' south, and its longitude, as computed fr&m the different accounts, has been fixed by Burney at 147° 2' west from Greenwich, t This dis- covery was named La Sagitaria, and ha.«, by the most eminent geographers, been generally considered as iden- tical with Otaheite. This opinion has been founded on the coincidence of position, on the similarity of the isthmus, on the resemblance in extent and form, and, above all, on the circumstance that no other island, widely as the Pacific has now been searched, is known to which the description will at all apply. But it must not be concealed that there are many and material ob- jections to this theory. Torres expressly describes it as a " low island," — a remark which is quite irreconcilable with the mountain-peaks of Otaheite ; andeven the account of the i&t! mus, in so far as regards its being overflowed at high water, does not agree. The other discrepancies are, that the shores of Sagitaria afforded no anchorage, and that its smaller peninsula must have been at least CHAP. IV. Arms and (IwelllnKa of thelslandera. .h'illluii-il Christian zeal of the voyagers. Yi'f «?/! rid: .t.itM'Mj; Supposed to be Otaheite. :--,..„;,...;,;f, Discrepan- cits now ob- servable. * Torquemada. Dalrymple, Hist. Coll., vol. i. p. 113. f Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. ii. pb 2U2. mmmmn mmm m CIRCUMNAYIOATIONS AND DISCOVERIES CHAP. IV. Litter con- clusions. Voyage resumed. Mniny among the stiumen. New land discovered. /•itJfeV I' eight Spanish leagues in extent, — facts which are alto- gether inapplicable to Otaheite. * Little weight, how- ever, has been given to these remarks, and the identity of the two islands is now generally admitted ; though, when all circumstances are considered, doubts may stU)L be entertained as to the soundness of the conclusion. On the 12th of February, Quiros resumed his voyage, and, while yet in sight of La Sagitaria, saw a very low ioland, which he named La Fugitiva. On the 21st, an- other discovery was made of a plain and uninhabited spot, which was called El Peregrino. About this time a mutiny broke out on board his ship, headed by the chief pilot ; it being the intention of the disaiFectsd to make themselves masters of the vessel and sail in a direct course to the Philippines. The only punishment which Quiros inflicted, was to send the pilot as a pri- soner on board the vessel commanded by Torres. On the 2d of March, a level island was seen to the west- ward ; and on a nearer approach it was found to be inhabited. The intercourse with the natives was unfor- tunately hostile, and much blood was shed ; but the beauty of their forms so struck the Spaniards, that they gave them the appellation of La Gente Hermosa. There is reason to believe that this is the same with the San Bernardo of Mendana. Quiros continued to sail westward in the parallel of 10° south upwards of thirty days. Towards the end of that period frequent signs of land were observed, and on the afternoon of the 7(h of April a high and black coast was discovered. They failed to reach it, however, be- fore the 9th, when it was found to be inhabited : many houses were descried on the beach and among the woods ; and on a small islet, which had been converted into a i*ude fort, were about seventy dwellings. This island-fortress was taken possession of by the Spaniards Wales' Remarks on Mr Foster's Account of Captain Conk's Lust Voyage round the World in the Years 1772-1775. London, . — p 1778. Pp. 24» 25, 26. OF THE SRYENTEBNTH CENTURY. 97 fi.'! without opposition, — ^the vicinity of Santa Cruz, and a knowledge of Mendana*s transactions there, having taught the savages the fatal efficacy of fire-arms. The appellation of this country was Taumaco, and its inhab- itants were apparently of different races, — some having a light copper-colour, with long hair, — others resem- bling mulattoes, — while a third class had the black skin and frizzled hair of the Oceanic negro. Their arms were bows and arrows, and they had large sailing canoes. From the chief, whose name was Tnmay, Quiros obtained information of upwards of sixty islands, and, among others, of a large country called Manicolo. He determined to sail in quest of these, and on the 19th quitted Taumaco ; and, changing his course to the southward, reached an island, which in appearance and in inhabitants resembled the one he had just left, and was by the natives denominated Tucopia. The voy- agers still proceeded southward till they passed the lati- tude of 14% at which point they pursued a westerly direction ; and after one day's sailing, discovered a vol- cano surrounded by land, about three leagues in circuit, well wooded, and inhabited by black people with large beards. When near this ii^and, which was named Nuestra Senora de la Luz, land was perceived to the westward ; while in the south, and ** towards the S.E." was seen *' other land still larger, which seemed to have no end, and was full of great mountains.'' After some deliberation it was resolved to make for the island in the west, which received the name of Santa Maria ; but, after touching there, Quiros determined to steer towards the high regions that lay to the south. On the 2d of May, he moved the vessels into a large bay, and, believing that he had at length discovered the great southern con- tinent, gave it the name of Australia del Espiritu Santo. The bay, in honour of the festival on which they had entered it, was named San Felipe y Santiago ; while a port far within, where they anchored, was called La Vera Cruz. This liarbour, which could have con- chap. IV. Appearance oi the natives. Information obtained of other Islanda Snpposed discoTery of tlie Southern continent , 98 CIRCUMNAriOATIONS AND DISCOVERIES CHAP. IV Harbour and rivers. nigh ettitno- tion of the new ]ancL '1 Collision with the uativea tained above a thousand ships, was situated between two streams, one of which was named Jordan and the other Salvador. Of these rivers one was equal in size to the Guadalquivir at Seville. ** The strands of this hay" says Torquemada, < 99 it. >peaT itly re- |ther, rers. IrDan- From this time all peace was at an end ; the savages re- chap. iv. jected every offer of conciliation, and by sadden ambas- j^|,g,j^. cade and open attack sought revenge for the blood of ment of the their leader. This ceaseless enmity, and the failure of ~'*°*^* provisions, determined Quiros to quit the place before a month had elapsed. He had, however, previously taken possession of the country in the name of the king, and founded a city under the title of La Nueva Jerusalen. The natives are described as black, cor- pulent, and strong. Their houses are built of wood and thatched, and they have plantations enclosed with pali- sades. They are possessed of musical instruments re- sembling the flute and drum ; they manufacture some sort of earthen vessels, and build large canoes adapted to long voyages. iftff m^^ ot fms^-y wi p^v^umo In endeavouring to quit the harbour of San Felipe y Depiirtm-e ^• Santiago, much stormy weather was encountered, and *"'' *'**'<^ for some reasons, which cannot now be ascertained, Quiros parted company with his consort. After a vain search for the island of Santa Cruz, he agreed, in com- pliance with the opinion of hb officers, to sail for Mexico, .^ „ where he arrived in the middle of October. . ,i-; i Ji'tur. >» Still thirsting after discovery and adventure, he once Retnrn to '''' more repaired to the court of Spain, and continued ^p^ there several years, beseeching the throne for assistance to pursue the search of new lands. So great was his importunity that he is said to have presented no fewer than fifty memorials. One of these, after discussing in glowing language the beauty and fertility of the Australia, thus concludes :— ** Acquire, sire, since you Rngernem of can, acquire heaven, eternal fame, and that new world renewed "^ vita all its promises. And since there is none who *»*^*n*»>"« -nn solicits of your majesty the rewards for the glad tidings of so great and signal a blessing of God, reserved for your happy time, I, sire, supplicate them, and as such my despatch, for the galleons are ready, and I have many places to go to, and much to provide and to do. If Cluistoval Colon's conjectures did make him perti- nacious, what I have seen, what I have felt, and what I G 1 100 CIRCUBINAYIOAT1ON0 AND DISCOVERIES OHAP. ly. Death of QuinMk Proceeding of Torreai Position occupied by tbeDutcb. lilt- Recondle- inent and niiiun of Spain and Portugul. ofl^r, must make me ao importunate." * The solicita* tioDs of Quiros were, at last crowned with success^ and ii^ 1614 he set out on his way to Lima, in order to arrange another expedition. But this gratification he was Roomed never to enjoy ; he died, whUe on his journey, at Panama. We. now return to Torres, who, during two weeks after the departure of Quiros, remained in the Bay of San Felipe y Santiago. On leaving this he sailed along the west side of the Australia del Espiritu Santo, which he found to be well watered and possessed of many ports. He also ascertained that it was no continent, but an island. He continued to steer to the south-westward, till he reached the 21^ of south latitude, when he changed his course to the north-east, and in 11 1° en- countered what he believed to be the eastern extremity of New Guinea. Being unable to weather this point, he directed hiscourae. to the westward, along the southern coasts, and having staled through the strait between New Holland and New Guinea, which he was the first to penetrate, arrived at Manilla in May 1607. Holland was now rising fast in the scale of maritime importance, and gradually assuming that station which the Spaniards had so long occupied. Following the example first set by the English, the Dutch had already sent two fleets into the South Sea, as is related in the preceding chapter ; and, in pursuing the course of the narrative, we now reach a period at which they hold the most distinguished place in the history of navigation and discovery. The cession of the Moluccas by Spain to Portugal put an end for some time to the disputes between these powers in the Pacific, end the union of the two crowns in 1581 prevented any renewal of the contests. The islands themselves, however, never wholly submitted to the dominion of either of those masters ; and when the Dutch, in 1599, first visited Temate, they found encouragement to establish a fac- Palrymple, Hist. Coll., vol. pp. 173, 174. 19 OF THE BEYBNTBBNTH CENTURY. 101 tary ; where, fi'om that time, they steadily panued plans for securing an exclusive trade. Their Elast India Company (established in 1602) fitted out six vessels, which, under George Spilbergen, sailed from the Texel on the 8th of Augnst 1614, destined to penetrate through the Straits of Magellan to the South Sea, there to oruise against the Spaniards, and to strengthen the power of their countrymen in the Spice Iskmds. They were furnished equally for war or for trade ; and so ably was the expedition conducted, that the five largest vessels reached the Moluccas in safety, after defeating Roderigo de Mendoza with a greatly superior force near the American coast. The Peruvian admiral had boasted that he would make prisoners or slay the whole of his enemies : — ** Two of my ships," he said, ** would take all England ; how much more those Hens of Holland, after so long a journey has spent and wasted them !" * In the encounter, the Low Country warriors betrayed nothing of the q>irit of the fowl to which they were insult- ingly compared ; but the arrogant governor did not sur- vive to encounter the ridicule which he had justly merited, for his vessel, after escaping from the conflict went down at sea. It was not to be expected that a Dutchman, whose orders were to employ himself in fighting and traific, should deviate from the accustomed track in search of new lands, or spend much time in investigating the character and manners of the people ; his voyage accordingly presents nothing that is now in- teresting in either of these respects, though the survey of the Straits of Magellan and of Manilla furnished to mariners better charts of these channels than any before executed. On the 29th March 1616, Spilbergen arrived at the Moluccas, and till the end of the year continued occupied with the afiairs of his employers. He seems then to have left his own vessels, and, coming home in command of the Amsterdam and Zealand, arrived on the Ist July 1617. CHAP. IV. Dutch Ea^t India oouk. pur. Vain boast of the I'ernvlau adminU. Resnitsof the Toyaga •^ ui'n^Srtr] t! • l^urchas, vol. i. p. 81. ^^„ j^^,„ ^,,,,^ ,,„, CHAP. IV, ExeluaiTe charter of the Dutch East India com- pany. Soathem comimny furmed. The cold bbekera. 102 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS AND DISCOVERIES By the charter of the Dutch East India Company, no other merchants were allowed to pass round the Cape of Good Hope or through the Straits of Magellan to the Moluccas, — a prohibition supposed to be sufficient to secure to that body an exclusive trade in the spices. Many English pilots were, however, about this time in the service of the United Provinces ; and by their means, it is probable, was the fact made known, that Drake had discovered an open sea to the south of Tieirs del Fuego. Accordingly, about the year l^'S, some merchants, proceeding on this ground, imr . >,d that a new passage might be found to India, ana that they might thus acquire a right to participate in the gainful traffic to these regions. An expedition was accordingly planned, chiefly, as appears, by Isaac le Maire, a wealthy citizen of Amsterdam, and by William Schouten, a native of Hoom, and an experienced mariner. Their object was not openly avowed : they obtained from the States-general the privilege of making the first four voyages to the places which they might discover, and formed themselves into an association under the name of the Southern Company ; but as the destination of the vessels was not disclosed to the seamen, who were engaged to sail whithersoever their commanders chose, the other merchants were displeased because they could not penetrate the designs of their neighbours^ and those who engaged in the enterprise were derisively denomi- nated Gold Seekers.* * It is proper to observe, that the details of the voyage of Schouteo and Le Maire are in many instances involved in doubt. Two accoants of their voya^^e were published shortly after its com- pletion, written by the respective friends of the two navigators, and the discrepancies between these narratives, though they do not affect the more important events of the voyage, involve the minuter details in much perplexity. There is sometimes a difference between their reckonings of from twenty-five to forty-five minutes of latitude; they vary in their dates to the extent of eight or nine days ; and even while they agree as to the substance of events, they diner as to the order of their occurrence. In the following account, we have en- deavoured to reconcile their conflicting statements so far as possible ; and where that was not practicable, have generally given preference OF THE SEVBNTBBNTn CENTURY. >ni 103 Schouten, accompanied by Jacob le Maire, the son chap. iv. of Isaac, in the capacity of supercargo, sailed from the s,iiijjl ^j ♦,,, Texel on the 14th of June 1615, with two ships, the aoothern Eendracht and Hoorn. It was not till the 26th of**P«""<>°- October, after they had crossed the line, that the crews were informed of the intentions of their leaders ; and when told that they were steering by a new passage to the south of the Straits of Magellan, for tlie ** Terra ;;n<<.) Australis " (probably the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros), some of them, that they might not forget the name, wrote it in their caps with chalk. The ships were conducted into Port Desire, where, during the Disaster at process of careening, the Hoorn was accidentally burnt. "' ** ** On shore were found multitudes of birds like lapwings. A man, standing in one spot, could with his hands reach fifty-four nests, each containing three or four eggs. Thousands of these were carried on board and to the authority of the first-published account, the Journal of the Voyage of fVtlliatn Schouten, which appeared at ATiSterdam in 1617, in the Dutch and French languau^s, bearinff iu the latter the title of "Journal on Description du Merveilleux voyaee de Guil- laume Schouten.** It was translated into Latin by De Bry in 1619, and an En^rlish translation appeared at London in the same year, and afterwards in Purchas, vol. i. p. 88-107. The second narra- tive of the voyage was printed at Amsterdam in 1622, under the title of ** Journal et Miroir de la Navigation Australe de Jacques Le Maire^ Chef et Conducteur de deux Navires." In addition to these have appeared various other relations, to which it is not ne. cessans to advert, as they are of no authority, and contain nothing but what will be found in the two original authorities. But one ex- <'eption must be made from this judgment, — the **NaTigation Aus- trale par Jac. le Maire et par W. Corn. Schonteo," said to be compiled firam the Journal of Adrian Claesz, and published in the **• Recueil des Voyages i I'Etablissement de la Comp. des Indes Orient '' Translationsof the Journals of Schouten and of Le Maire, andof parts of that attributed to Claesz, are inserted in Dalrymple's Hist. Coll., vol. ii. p 1-64. An able and critical narrative will be found in Barney's valuable work. This author, though he seems fre- quently to have preferred the account given by the friends of Le Maire, states with much candour that "on comparison^ the fact appears that the greater portion of the Navigation Australe de Le Maire is taken from the Journal du Merveilleux Voyage de W. SchouteHy and that the editor has endeavoured to disguise the plagiarism by verbal alterations." — Chron. Hist. Discor, vol. ii. p. 36U. 'r^^^W CHAP. IV. Game tmi pl'OVUiOIUk Sepulchral piles of ■tonea. 104 CIRCCMNAYI6ATI0NB AND DISCOVERIES used as food, to the no small saving, doubtless, of the five cheeses, and other provisions, which had been ap- portioned to each sailor for the voyage.* On the- main- land some pools of fresh water were found, by following the direction in which certain animals with long necks, supposed to be harts, but probably horses, were ob- served daily to repair for the purpose, as was rightly conjectured, of drinking. On the summits of hills and on elevated rocks were observed piles of stones, which some of the people had the curiosity to remove ; and beneath, without any pit being dug, were found human skeletons, several of which, it is alleged, measured ten or eleven feet in length, and ** the skulls," it is said in the description which accompanies the plates inserted in the " Journal du Merveilleux Voyage de Schouten," ** we could put on our heads in the manner of helmets." • On the Idth of January 1616, the Eendracht left Port Desire,t and stood to the southward. On the 18th * *( It was ordered that every man diould have a can of beere a day, foure pound of bisket, and haUe a pound of butter (besides sweet suetj a weeke, and five cht;' -is for the whole voya^. — Pur- clias, vol. 1. p. 88. f When Sir John Naiboroueh lay at Port Desire in 1670, he discovered a relic of the visit of Schouten and Le Maire. " One of my men," he writes, <* found a piece of sheet lead, which had this inscription engraved on it : — < MDCXV. EEK SCHIP EKDE EEK JACHT OEKAEMT EEK. -; DRACHT EK HOORK OEARRIVEERT DEEK VIII I>ECEM< BER VERTROKEK MET EEK 8CHIP D^EEKDRACUT DEN X. JANUARY : MDCXVI. C I. LE MAIRE. S. W. C. SCHOVTS. An. CLASSEN. I. C. SCHOVTS. CL. IAK8EN BAN.* (t e. MDCXV. A ship and a yacht, named Eendracht and Hoom, arrived here on the 8th December. Departed with the ship Een- dracht 10th Januaiv MDCxvi. In a hole of the post lay a tin box, with a sheet of written paper enclosed in it, but so eaten by the rust of the box that it coula not be read. We found several pieces <^ board of tlie wreck of some ship that had been humed.'* — Journal ke|)t by Captain John Narborough. Bumey, Chron. Hist* Disoov., voL iii. pp. 334, 336. These fragments must have belmig- ed to the Hoorn, which, as has been mentioned, accidentally took fire while being careened. There is « discrepancy of three days between the date of departure in Uie inscription and in tlie accounts of the voyage. mm *' OP THE SCSVENTEENTH CENTURY. 105 *> I 'ii'l they saw the islands of Sibald de Wcert (the Falk- chap.iv. lands), and two days after, at noon, passed the latitude ^ 't~ of the entrance of the Straits of Mt^llan. It was now entnmce of that the most critical part of their voyage commenced, ^"^^ ^ and the winds, soundings, and appearances of the land and water, were observed and noted with the greatest minuteness. On the 24th, they came to the most easterly point of Tierra del Fuego, and saw another country still farther in the same direction, which they named Staten Land, in honour of the States of Holland. Passing through the channel, which afterwards in a meeting- of their council was entitled the Strait of Le Maire, the coast on the left was found to diverge towards the east, while that on the right turned west- south-west ; and the mariners knew they had a wide sea before them, the colour of the water being bliiie, and long waves coming from the south-west. At last, on the 30th, they passed the most southerly point of J»"»gs of Tierra del Fuego, which was named Cape Horn Or *^ '*™*' Hoom, in honour of the town of Hoom in West Fries- land, the birthplace of Schouten. The land was Mgh and hilly, covered with snow. In some parts of this ocean, whales were so numerous that the pilots were incessantly obliged to alter their course in order to avoid running against them, while in others the sea- wiiaics utd birds, unused to the sight of human beings, alighted in '*^~^*'^ . the ship and sufifered themselves to be taken by tl sailors. The weather was frequently tempestuous, and they never wanted rain or mist, snow or hdl. On the 3d of February, they were in 69° 30', their greatest southern latitude, horn which, standing nori^h-west, they reckoned on the 12th that they had again attained the parallel of the Straits of Magellan, and consequently had effected a new passage into the Pacific Ocean ; for joy of which, an allowance of three cups of wine was dealt out to all the ihen. > »" 4i«.-i .>./♦> .«i At Juan Fernandez they missed the ahchorage, but ^/j^ obtained a little water, and were most successfiil incemandcx. their fishing, the bait being caught the moment it was nwnpupwjw" Snccessfal Hailing. ]OfS CIRCUMNAVI0ATX0N8 AND DISCOVERIES CHAiMV. dropt, SO that those employed "continually without ceasing did nothing but draw up" bream and corcobadoB. From this island, in a course north-west by north, they crossed the southern tropic, then stood north>west as far as IS"* of south latitude. On the 10th of April was discovered a circular strip of land full of trees, with sea-birds perched on the branches, the interior having the appearance of being overflowed at high water. No marks of inhabitants could be perceived, but three dogs were seen, which, as the Dutchmen allege, could neither bark nor growl ; and from this circumstance it was Dor Island, denominated Honden or Dog Island. On the 14tli, they came to another narrow border well covered with wood, surrounding a salt-water lake in the middle, and styled it Sohder-grondt, or Bottomless, because they failed to obtain soundings. A great number of natives, of a copper colour, with long black hair fastened up behind, were seen ; some of whom pushed off in a canoe, . ' > u . and addressed themselves to the Dutch by signs and speeches, in which they became so emphatic as to over- set their bark. Those on shore waved their garments and branches of trees, thereby inviting, as was supposed, the strangers to land. By and by their skifis ventured nearer the ship, and one of them getting into the gallery, showed that he knew the value of iron, by within^nii fA-i On the 29th, Le Maire, accompanied by three of the seamen, made an excursion into the interior of the country, having a son and a brother of the ariki for ri- ;.!. iJjt? ^j • Purchas, vol. i. pp. 9U, 100. iTJoL -^ift OF THE 8BVENTEBNTH OENTtTRY. 113 guides. They saw nothing worthy of remark, except a red earth used by the natives for pair.t, and several caves and holes in the mountains, with divers thickets and groves where they lay in ambush in time of war. On their return, the young nobles went with the cap- tain on board his vessel, and evinced much satisiBction on being informed, that if a few hogs and yams could be obtained the ship would sail in two days. In the afternoon, the monarch, with sixteen of his attendants, appeared on deek with the donation of a hog and a bas- ket of cocoa-nuts. He delivered these with much cere- mony : haiving placed the basket on his neck^ he pros- trated himself, and in this posture offered his gifts to Le Maire, who raised him up, and sat down beside him. At the command of the ariki, his people lifted the Dutch officer. and another, and placed them upon their shoulders as a token of reverence. The chief was then conducted through the various parts of the ship, expressing his wonder at what he saw. When led into the hold, ** he fell down upon his face and prayed," — a ceremony which he performed when he first came on board. His atten- dants kissed the feet of the seamen, and placed them on their own heads and necks, in sign of an entire submis- sion. In the evening, one of the Europeans having been successful in taking a quantity of fish, went to present some to the king, when he found a number H)f girls dancing to the music of a hollow piece of wood like a pump, ** which made a noyse, whereat the yong wenches danced after their manner, very finely, and with a good grace, according to the measure of the noyse of the instrument."* The king, on the morning of the dOth, sent to the ship two small hogs. On the afternoon of the same day he received a visit from a neighbouring ariki, who was accompanied by 300 men, bringing with them sixteen hogs. As the stranger chief drew near to his brother CHAP. IV. Application for provi- , J i.'M?. ,;-iit.y. Exhibitionof the aliip to the king. Present uf- hORS. * Furchas, toI. i. p. 100. CHAP. IV. Interview t>«tween the kinff and a cbiel Kara feast Mode of cooking. Further pre- sents of hogs. 114 CIROUMNAYIQATIONS AND DISCOVERIES sovereign, he began at some distance to perform strange ceremonies, and bowing down his body, fell to the ground on his face, and remained there ** praying" with a loud voice, and apparently with great fervour. The native prince advanced to meet his visiter, and went through the same forms. " After much adoe, they both rose up on their feete, and went and sate together under the king's behy, and there were assembled together at least 900 men." In the afternoon the Dutch witnessed a kava-feast. A number of the people having chewed the kava (a sort of green herb) in their mouths for some time, deposited it in a wooden vessel ; they then poured water on it, and having stirred it, the liquor was par- taken of by the arlkis and their attendants. The islanders, says the Journal of Schouten, ** presented that notaUe drinke (as a speciall and a goodly present) to our men ; but they had enough, and more than enough, of the sight thereof."* On this occasion, like- wise, the discoverers observed the manner in which these savages cooked their hogs. Sixteen were pre- pared for the present banquet as follows : being ripped up, the entrails removed, and the hair singed off, they were roasted by means of hot stones placed in the in - temal cavity. Each of the arikis presented to the foreigners one of the hogs thus dressed, along with a number of the same animals alive ; receiving in return ** three copper beak- ers, foure knives, twelve old nayles, and some beades, wherewith they were well pleased." E^rly on the morning of the Slst, preparations were made for sailing. After breakfast, the two chiefs came on board with six additional hogs. On this occasion they wore green cocoa-tree-leaves round their necks, which it was presumed was customary with them in taking leave of friends. They were entertained with wine, and received presents of various articles ; while a • Purchas, vol. i. p. 100. OF THE SETBNTEENTH CENTDRY. 115 nail was bestowed on each of their attendants. Le Maire accompanied them on shore, when gifts were once more exchanged. At noon the ship proceeded on her voyage, and the Hollanders bade adieu to the natives, on whose island they bestowed the i\ame of Hoom, in honour of the birthplace of Schouten. The inhabitants are described as of large stature and well-proportioned limbs. They ran swiftly, and were very expert in swimming and diving. Their complexion was a tawny yellow, approaching to the hue of bronze. Much care was bestowed on the dressing of their hair, and they arranged it in several different manners. The ariki had a long lock hanging down to his thighs, and twisted into knots ; his attendants wore two such locks, one on each side ; and some of the islanders had four or live. The females are described as having a very repulsive appear- ance and being of small stature ; they wore their hair cut closely to their heads. Such of the habitations as were seen along the margin of the land, were of nearly a conical form, about twenty-five feet in circumference, ten or twelve in height, and covered with leaves. Their furniture consisted of a bundle of dried herbs resembling hay, which served for a couch, one or two fishing-rods, and sometimes a wooden club or staff. The hut of the ariki himself could boast no further decorations. ** We could not perceive," says the Journal of Schouten, " that they worshipped God, or any gods, or used any devotion, neither the one nor the other, but lived with- out care like birds in the wood." * It appeared to them also that the inhabitants subsisted on the spontaneous fruits of the soil : " They neither sowe nor reape, nor doe any worke ; there the earth of itselfe yeelds all that they need to sustaine their lives, .... so that CHAP. IV. Dcpartnro of the ship. Appearance ofthe(eniHl(!!i and their bnbltationa. Mode of BUbaisteiico. * Purchas, vol. i. p. 101. On this passage it must be remarked, that the ranij^ of their observation was very limited, and can by no ro'- ins be admitted as proof that these islanders had no reli^on ; though the << prayers,'^ which the ariki is so often described as using, apparently meant, not devotional adorations, but words of ceremony. -> Hi 1 16 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS AND DISCOVERIES New ffroap ut' ialundiii CHAP. IV. there men may plainly behold and see the golden world whereof the poets write." * On leaving Hoom, the csd venturers pursued a north- westerly course, and on the 21st of June fell in with a group of small islands covered with trees. Some of the natives came off to the ship in canoes : they are de- scribed as in all respects resembling the inhabitants of the former place, except in their complexion, which was of a more dusky hue, and in their arms^ which were bows and arrows, the first that the voyagers had seen in the South Sea. Some beads and nails were presented to them, who, having nothing to give in recompense, pointed to the west to signify that their king dwelt there, in a country abounding with every species of w^ealth. The next day, sailing in the same course, they passed at least twelve or thirteen islands grouped to- gether; and on the 24th discovered three low ones, which, from their being " very green and full of trees," they named the Green. Another was in sight, on which were discerned seven or eight hovels. This they named St John's, from their having seen it on the 24th of June, the nativity of the Baptbt. On the morning of the 26th, they obtained a view towards the south-west of a high land, which they conjectured to be the point of Coast «>f New New Guinea, but which in reality was the country since called New Ireland. About noon they drew near to it, and sailed along the shore in a north-westerly direction. The coast is described as very high and green, and of a pleasant aspect. The inhabitants spoke a language totally different from that used by the natives of all the other places at which the vessel had touched. The 'v^f'.r' ^•-it * Purchas, vol. i. pb 101. This passage may perhaps remind the reader of some lines in Lord Byron's poem of '< The Island :** ** The bread-tree, which without the ploughshare yields The unreap'd harvest of unfiirrow'd fields. ... lands .... I Where all partake the earth without dispute, And bread itself is gather'd as a fruit; Where none contest the fields, the woods, the streams :— Thu goldless age* where gold disturbs no dreams ! *' . , in OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. J17 /I II k ir«> remind la jDi;. A ■.'n»t ship's boat, when employed in sounding for an anchor- chap iv. age, was attacked by a party in canoes with volleys of — stones thrown from slings ; but a fire of musketry the*n»tivL. speedily put the savages to flight. In the evening, after the vessel had anchored, some others ccme off, and addressed the sailors in a dialect which they did not un- derstand. They remained watching the ship all night, and the Europeans perceived signal-fires lighted along the shore. In the morning eight skifi^s arranged them- selves round her ; one of them containing eleven, and the others from four to seven men each. The Dutch threw beads to them, and made friendly signs ; but the savages all at once commenced an attack with their slings and other weapons. The assault was returned with discharges of cannon and muskets, whereby ten or twelve were killed. At the same time they captured four canoes, and made three prisoners, one of whom died shortly after he was taken ; and at noon the two others were carried towards the land in order to be ex- changed for provisions. A pig and a bunch of bananas 3^^^^^ f^^ were thus procured, and one of the captives was set at rausuuv liberty. Two days after, some of them came to the ship, but refused to ransom their countryman ; and on the evening of that day the Eendracht proceeded along the coast in a north-westerly direction. Several islands were seen to the northwards ; and on the 1st of July she again came to anchor, having an island about two leagues long on the north, and the coast of New Ireland on the south. Here twenty- five canoes commenced an attack, attack of but were repulsed, a number of the natives being killed, caQoea. . and one taken. Here, too, one of the Hollanders was wounded, "being," says the Journal, "the first that was hurt in all our voyage ;" and after him the captive was named Moses. They continued to sail along this coast till the 3d, when they lost sight of it : and having passed several small Islands, on the 6th they came in sight of the northern coast of New Guinea. About the middle of September, they arrived at the Moluccas, whence, in the end of that month, they sailed to Java, CHAP. IV. Confldcation of the Eenibncht Alarm of tlie SpaniardB. New Spanish expedition. piscovcTy of New Holland ] 18 CIROUMNAVIOATIONS AND DISCOVERIES On the 1st of November, while lying ofF Jacatra, the Eendracht was confiscated by the Dutch East India Company, on the ground that the owners were not partners of that body, and had made the voyage with- out their leave. Their ship being thus taken from them, several of the seamen entered into the service of the Company, and the remainder embarked for Europe on board the Amsterdam and Zealand, which sailed from Bantam on the 14th of December. Le Maire died a few days after leaving Java ; but the rest of the voyagers arrived safely on the 1st of July 16l7» having been absent from their native country two years and seventeen days. The finding of this new passage into the Pacific ex- cited much interest in Europe. To Spain it caused more alarm than any of the hostile armaments which Hol- land had sent forth against her South Sea possessions, and no time was lost in fitting out an expedition to ex- plore the new discoveries of Schouten and Le Maire. The command was intrusted to two brothers, Bartolome Gracia de Nodal and Gon9alo de Nodal, who, having engaged several Dutch pilots, set sail from Lisbon 27th September 1G18. They followed the track of the late adventurers, and in passing Cape Horn saw some small rocky islands lying to the south-westward of that pro- montx)ry, and named them the Isles of Diego Ramirez. They then steered northward, and, penetrating the Straits of Magellan, completed the circumnavigation of Tierra del Fuego, and arrived at Spain in July 1619. Contemporaneously with the discovery of Cape Horn, the Dutch effected another of still greater importance, — that of the vast island or rather continent of New Hol- land or Australia. It does not fall within the limits of this work to enter on the difficult question how far this country was known to the early Portuguese voyagers. Neither is it in our province to decide whether the honour of its discovery is not due to Luis Vaez de Torres, who, in sailing between New Holland and New Guinea, saw land on the south, which must have been part of this OF TUE BEVBNTEBNTU CENTURY. J 10 obaervationa II. )■.! great island.* It may be doubted if tlie Portuguese chap. iv. were aware of the nature of the lands they are said to gg^'j^^of have visited ; it is certain, moreover, that Torres con- previous ceived them to be parts of a large archipelago ; and, at all events, these visits led to no beneficial result, and had passed into oblivion. The honour of discovering New Holland, therefore, so far as utility and the advance- ment of science are concerned, may be safely awarded to the Dutch. In October 1616, the ship Eendracht, commanded by Dirck Hatichs (or, as it has been more commonly, but less correctly written, Hertoge), in her passage from Holland to the East Indies, discovered, in latitude 25°, the western coast of Australia, and called it Land Eendracht, — a name which it still retains. Only a few years elapsed after the completion of the Kew i>nt«h Toyage of Schouten and Le Maire before another arma- 8*P*<***'""" meut left Holland for the South Sea. The truce which for twelve years had subsisted between Spain and the United Provinces having expired in 1621, both pai-ties hastened to resume active hostilities. Among other measures^ the Dutch, early in the year 1623, fitted out a naval armament against Peru ; and it is to the pro- jf ceedings of this fleet that we have now to direct the reader's attention. It consisted of eleven ships, mount- ing 2d4 camion, and supplied with 1637 men, of whom 600 were soldiers. The command was intrusted to Jacob PHermite, an officer who had acquired celebrity in the service of their East India Company ; and the squadron, which, in honour of Prince Maurice of Nassau, one of its chief promoters, was named the Nassau Fleet, sailed from Goree on the 29th April 1623. On the 11th August, they anchored off Sierra Leone, stayati^crra and remained there till the beginning of September. °°^ During their stay they experienced the fatal effects of that pestilential climate, from which Europeans have since suffered so much. They buried forty-two men, and many more suffered severely, among whom was VI n ,>-rqflY,tj*;. h' • See above, p. 100. » •' ' •^v*^" i." 120 CIRCUMNAYIOATIONS AND DISOOVBRIKS Fntal effects «)f the cliinutu. Passaee of tlie Strait LeMaire. CHAP. IV. the Admiral rHermite^ who contracted a disease frain which he never recovered. After leaving this coast, they visited the islands of San Tonias and Annabon, at the latter of which they remained till the beginning of November. It was in their instructions, that they should not touch at any part of the South American coLitinent nortliward of the Rio de la Plata, and that they should penetrate into the South Sea by the newly- discovered Strait of Le Maire, which was considered to afford a more certain passage than the Straits of Magel- lan. It was the 1st of February before they made the Cape de Penas on Tierra del Fuego, and on tlie 2d they entered Strait Le Maire, which the Journal of the Voy- age says they would not have known, had not one of the pilots who had previously passed through it recognised the high mountains of Tierra del Fuego. Some of the ships anchored in two bays near the northern entrance, which they named Verschoor and Valentine, and are the same with the Port Mauritius of modem maps and the Bay of Good Success. Although the whole fleet had passed through the strait just described on the evening of the 2d of February, yet, owing to contrary winds, they were on the 14th still seven leagues eastward of Cape Horn. The next day they doubled that promontory, and saw ** a great gulf between that cape and the cape next to the west," which they were prevented from entering by bad weather. On the 16th, Cape Horn lay to the eastward, and they disco- vered two islands, which, arc: rding to their reckoning, were distant to the westward fourteen or fifteen leagues. The following morning, tl»ey perceived that they had lost ground, and fearing that they should still foil to leeward, they entered a large bay and cast anchor. In Nassau Bay. ^jjjg harbour, which was afterwards named Nassau Bay, they remained ten days. On the 23d, some boats, which were sent to procure water, were compelled by a sudden and violent storm to return, leaving nineteen of the crew on shore wholly destitute of arms, of whom next day only two were found alive. The savages, it Delay from contrary winds. i"ar /^, OF THK 8BVENTEBNTH CBNTUIIY. J21 appeared, as soon as night came on, attacked them with Ciur. rv. clubs and slings, and killed, all except the two, who had FAtauttnck contrived to conceal themselves. Only five bodies were"''*'^*^'* discovered, some of which wera out into quarters, and others strangely mangled. Not a single native was seen after this unfortunate event. A party which had been sent to examine the neighbouring coast, reported that the Tierra del Fuego was divided into several islands ; that without doubling Cape Horn a passage into the South Sea might be effected, tlirough the Bay or rather Gulf of Nassau, which was open to the east as well as to the west ; and that through some of these numerous open- ings it was presumed ships might penetrate into the Strait of Magellan. Such parts of the Tierra del Fuego Arvpearanco as were seen, ap^ared decidedly mountainous, though dei'pjj^o '** not wanting in many fine valleys and watered meadows. The hills were clad with trees, all of which were bent eastward, owing to the strong westerly winds which pre- vail in these parts. Spacious harbours, capable of shel- tering the largest fleets, were frequently observed be- tween the islands. The natives are described as differ- ing little in stature from the people of Europe, and as being well proportioned in their limbs. Their hair is long, black, and thick, their teeth ** as sharp as the Appmranoe blade of a knife." They paint their bodies of different ^[ives. colours and with fanciful devices; their natural com- plexion, however, seemed to be as fitir as that of a European. Some of them were observed to have one side of their body altogether white, and the opposite entirely red ; others were remarked with the trunks of their bodies white, and the face, arms, and legs coloured red. The males were perfectly naked ; the females, D«»s« who were painted like the men, wore only a little piece of skin about the waist, and a string of shells round their neck. Their huts were constructed of trees, in a conical form, having an opening at the top to let the smoke escape ; the floor was iSunk two or three feet below the level of the ground ; and the sides of the walls were covered with earth. Their fishing-tackle consisted of lines, stone hooks, and harpoons, niid wore «*'>f'TiJ!'{^^f 122 CIUCUMNAVIQATIONS AND DISCO VGRIiiia CHAP. ly. Arms and canoeSi Departnrp from MufiMUl Bay. it.' Man of Tlcrra del Fuago. generally fabricated with some degree of neatnipss. For arms they had sharp knives made of stone ; slings, bows, and arrows with stone heeds ; lances pointed with bone, and ulxibs. Their canoes measured in length from ten to sixteen feet, and about two in width ; they were built of the bark of large trees, resembling in shape the gondolas of Venice. In regard to their manners and habits, the report is very unfavourable : They more resemble beasts than human beings ; " for besides that they tear men to pieces, and devour the flesh raw and bloody, there was not perceived among them the smallest indication cf a religion or government ; on the contrary, they live together like b*»Kst8." * The fleet left Nassau Bay on the 27tb February, anu for some time met with westerly winds, so that they * Burney, Chron. Kint. Oiscov., vol. iii. p. I A. fi ')' fr,n J .ii' in ii--i>' ."■ im I't ft I .M- u '.i OP THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 123 did not reach the island of Juan Fernandez till the chap, i v. beginning of April. Having taken in water here, they i8]n„'^f sailed on the 13th for the coast of Peru, and on the 8th Juan of May were oflF Callao, where they remained until the ®*'""*^*=*' 14th of August. On the 2d of June, Jacob PHermite, the admiral, died of thf; lingering illness contracted at Sierra Leone, and which was aggravated by the hard- ships and misfortunes of the expedition. He was buried Jy^^^^ ^^ ^j^^ on the island of Lima, the Isla de San Lorenzo of adminu. modern charts ; and the vice-admiral, Hugo Schappen- ham, succeeded to the command. On leaving Callao, • , . , ,^i. they proceeded northward, and after various delays */'. ; arrived at Acapulco on the 28th of October. Here they remained some time, and having at last finally resolved to proceed westwards to reach the East Indies, on the 29th of November they bade adieu to the shores of Mexico, and directed their course across the Pacific. On the evening of the 25th January 1625, they came Guahan. in sight of Guahan, one of the Ladrones or Marians, .? . j ,; . ., having on the 15th passed some islands supposed by them to be those of Gaspar Rico, but which more pro- bably belonged to the group San Bartolome, discovered in 1626 by Loyasa.* They left Guahan on the 11th of February, and in the beginning of March arrived at the Moluccas, where the fleet having been broken up. Breaking up the expedition may be said to have terminated. The ** "*^ admiral, Schappenham, embarked in the Eendracht for Holland, but died whi'e off the coast of Java. The vessel proceeded on her voyage, and en the 9th of July 1626 anchored in the Texel ; having the first journalist of the expedition on boa:rd, who thus reached his native country after an absence of three years and seventy days. This armament failed in effecting the hostile designs with which it was undertaken, and was nearly as unsuccessful in adding to maritime science. It con- tribuLed little or nothing to geography but the know- ledge of Nassau Bay, and a more accurate examination of the southern shares of Tierra del Fuego. * See above, p. 64 ; and Burney, Cbron. HLst Disoor., voL iiL ii. ys. and vol. i. o. 138. "«''»'W(Pp»W^ .«'"'■: CHAP. IV. Prosecution of Uie discovery of New Holland , , , f ' ■ DiMonrery of Van Die- uien'it Land. Stnten Land, or New Zealand. 124 CIRCUMNAVIQATICNS AND DISCOVERIES The discovery of New Holland, which had been commenced by Dirck Hr.tichs, continued for many years to be occasionally prosecuted by the Dutch ; but not before 1642 was it ascertained what were its south- ern limits, or bow far it extended to the eastward. This was effected, at least vdthin a rude degree of accu- racy, by Abel Jansen Tasman, one of the most illustrious of the Dutch navigators, and who found a generous and liberal patron in Anthony "Van Diemen, the governor of Batavia.* The expedition, which was fitted out by him and his council, sailed from Batavia on the 14th August 1642. On the 24th November, they discovered Anthony Van Diemen*s Land, so named, says Tabman, ** in honour of our high magistrate, the governor-general, who sent us out to make discovcx-ies :" they continued to coast along that island till ^he 5th December, when they directed their course to the eastward. On the 13th, a shore was discovered, to which Tasman gave the name of Staats or Staten Land, from a belief that it was a part of the country of the same name discovered by Schouten and Le Maire, to the east of Tierra del Fuego ; but the name was afterwards changed into New Zealand. Dur- ing his progress along the coast, he was attacked by the savages with that courage and ferocity which later navigators have so fatally experienced. For some time after leaving New Zealand the ships pursued a north-easterly course, till, on the 19th of January, they reached a high island, two or three miles * For many years the only account of Tasman's Toyap^e was to be found in a curtailed abridgment of his journal, published at Am- sterdam in 1674, and a more copious relation inserted in Valentyn's East Indian Descriptions. About 1771; however, a MS., journal of Tasman (supposed to be the original) fell into the hands ot Sir Joseph Banks, and was found to be much more complete than any previous narrative. An English translation, executed in 177^ by he Rev. C. G. Wnide, was published by B'uney, — Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. iii. p. 630 10. The journal thi\s commences : — *' Journal or Description by me, Abel Jansz Tasman, of a Voyau^e from Ba- tavia for making Discoveries of the unknown South Land, in the Year 1642. May God Almighty be pleased to give His Blessing to this Voyage I Amen. OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. i25 in circumference, on which they bestowed the name of Pylstaart or Tropic-bird, from the number of these fowls which frequented it. On the 21st, two more were dis- covered, distant from each other about a mile and a half. The northern was named Amsterdam, because, says Tasman, " we found plenty of provisions there ;" and to the southern they gave the title of Middleburgh. By the natives, the latter is called Eooa, and the former Tongataboo ; and the one last mentioned is the principal of the '^l^acer now called the Friendly Islands. Some of the savages approached in a canoe : the y are described as exceeding the common stature of Europeans, of a brown complexion, and wearing no other dress than a slight covering round the waist. They called out loudly to the voyagers, who shouted in return, and after show- ing them some white linen, threw a piece overboard. Before the cance reached the spot, the cloth had begun to sink ; but one of the natives dived in pursuit of it, and after remaining a long time under water brought up the linen, and, in token of his gratitude, placed it several times on his head. They also gave them some beads, nails, and looking-glasses ; these the Islanders ap- plied in like manner, and in return presented a small line, and a fishing-hook made of shell like an anchovy. The Dqtch in vain tried to make them understand that they w'> ited fresh water and hogs. In the afternoon, how- ♦ ver. they were obseivuu in great numbers running iJoO', the shore displaying white flags : these were con- s\ri;,t'i fs signs of peace, and returned by a similar token hoi ?.1 ^n the stern. On this, a canoe bearing white colours came off to the ship. It contained four individuals with coverings of leaves round their necks, and with their bodies painted black from the waist to the thigh. From the nature of their present, which consisted of soirie cloth made of the bark of a tree, and from the superior- ity of their vessel, it was conceived that they came from ■^he chief or sovereign. The officers bestowed upon ?' f >:n a mirror, a knife, spikes, and a piece of linen ; a ^1 t8s was also filled with wine, and having been drank CHAP. IV. Further discovery oC land. Natives of tlie Friendly Islands. Presents made to the natives. ■t Gifts sent in return. 126 CIllCUMNAVIOATIONS AND DISCOVERIES the King. CHAP. IV. off, was again filled and offered to the natives ; but they itititeTwUh poured the liquor out, and carried the glass on shore. tiiu uativeit. Shortly after, many canoes arrived to barter cocoa-nuts for nails. A grave old man, who, from the great respect paid to him, seemed to be a leader, also came on board, and saluted the strangers by placing his head upon their feet. He was presented with a piece of linen and several other articles, and conducted into the cabin. On being shown a cup of fresh water, he made signs that there was some on the island. In the evening, one of the natives was detected in the act of stealing a pistol and a pair of ; '' -e" : but the mariners contented themselves with taki . , things from him " without anger." To- wards sunset, about twenty canoes came from the shore and drew up in regular order near the ship ; the people that were in them called out several times in a loud voice. Present from " Woo, WOO, WOO !" upon which those who were on board sat down, and one of the skiffs came alongside with a present from the king, consisting of a hog, cocoa- nuts, and yams. A plate and some brass wire were given in return. The exchange of provisions for nails continued until night, when the savages went back to the shore, leaving only on ; of their number. The following morning, they resumed their station, and the barter was renewed. This day, several females appeared, and it was observed that the elder women had the little finger cut o£P from both hands. The meaning of this custom the Dutch could not discover ; but, as appeared to them, it was confined to the more aged individuals.* * Later voyagers have found that this is bv no means the case< **■ The most smgular circumstance which we observsd among these people was, that many of them wanted the little finger on one and sometimes on both hands; the difference of sex or age did not exempt them from this amputation ; for even amongst the few children whom we saw runnmg about naked, the greater part had alr^^y suffered this loss. Only a few grown people, who had pre- ser ed both their little fingers, were an exception to the general rule." — Forster's Voyage round the World, vol. L p. 435. Of the origin of this remarkable usage, Forster speaks in the following sen* tence: — *'The native told us that a man lay buried there, and, pointing to the place where his little finger liad formerly been cut SinG:aIar native custom. OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, i J 27 Ives caso< these and not iew had pre- neral r the sen- and) n cut The wonders of the ship were shown to the natives ; ''CHAP. iv. and one of the great guns was fired, which at first ocea- TerroTof sioned a considerable panic among them ; but, on per- tire-arma. eeiving that no harm followed, they quickly recovered their courage. The men sent on shore to procure water, found the wells so small that they were obliged to take it up in cocoa-nut shells. Next day, they made signs to the chief that the fountains must be made larger. He instantly ordered this to be done by his attendants, and in the mean time conducted the sailors into a pleasant valley, where they were seated on mats, and supplied with cocoa-nuts, Ash, and several kinds of fruit. The people of Amsterdam Island, says the captain, *^ have no idea of tobacco, or of smoking. We saw no arms among them ; so that here was altogether peace and friendship. The women wear a covering of mat- work • that reaches from the middle to the knees : the rest of their body is naked. They cut their hair shorter than that of the men."* Between the islanders and these Friendly their first Europeaii vLiters there seems to have existed J^'^'th* an uninterrupted feeling;' of kindly good-will. Before natives. departing, Tasman records, that he *' ordered a white flag to be brought, and we went with it to three of their chiefs, to whom we explamed that we wished it to be set up in that valley (where they had been entertained with cocoa-nuts, fish, and fruits), and that it might remain there as a sign of peace between us ; at which they were much pleased, and the flag was fixed there." A display of the same kindness on the part of the natives led Captain Cook, a century afterwards, to bestow on away, he plainly signified, that when his maduas or parents died they mutilated their hands." — Ibid. vol. i. p. 451. The accnracy of this view ia donbttul ; it is more probable that the mutilation is made as a propitiatory sacrifice to avert death. — J. 6. DalyelPs Darker Superstitions of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1834, \k 180, and authori- ties there quoted. It may be added, that the rite is not confined to the natives of the Friendly Isles, but has been observed among the Hottentots of the Cape of Good Hope, the Guaranos of Paraguay, and the natives of California. * Bumey, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. iii. p. 84. 128 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS AND DISCOVERIES 'AliilA New cluster of iaiandfl * discovered. CHAP. IV. their country the name of the Friendly Islands. This visit of the Dutch was brought prematurely to a close, by the winds having driven one of their vessels from her anchorage. » ,jj,,i^ ■^^u/f^y. A few hours' sail in a north-easterly direction brought the voyagers to a cluster of islands, the largest of which, called by the natives Annamooka, they named Rotter- dam. They remained here some days, maintaining an amicable intercoui'se with the savages. During an ex- curaion into the interior, they "saw several pieces of cultivated ground or gardens, where the beds were re- gularly laid out into squares, and planted with different plants and fruits, bananas, and other trees, placed in straight lines, which made a pleasant show, and spread round about a very agreeable and fine odour.*'. The inhabitants are represented as resembling those of Am- stei-dam Island, and so addicted to thieving that they stole every thing within their reach. They appeared to possess no form uf government, and to be without a king or chief; but one of them detected in stealings was punished by being beaten with an old cocoa-nut on the back until the nut broke.* They are represented as entirely ignorant of any religion ; they practise no worship ; and are without idols, relics, or priests, though they seem to observe some singular supersti- tions. " I saw one of them," says Tasman, " take up a Tlilerlsh propenaitlcB of the natives. * With re^rd to the government of these island jrs, tliere is a discrepancy in the Journal of Tasman, which hii' translators and comraentators have overlooked. Ingiving a general description of the natives, he expressly says,- -' tracted by the great civil war and other events, had £,'","'4 neglected to follow up the career so boldly begun by Drake and Cavendish ; and, with the exception of Dam- pier's voyage to New Holland, her only adventurers in the Pacific were the lawless Buccaneers. To the United Provinces is due the honour of having, during this period, kept up the spirit of investigation, and widely extended the limits of geographical knowledge. * We have followed Burney and Bougainville in not assigning the title of circumnavi^tions to the expeditions of the Buccaneers between 1683 and 1691, above narrated. We may here also state, that we can neither rank Gemelli Careri (1697) nor M. de Pages (1767- 1776) among circumnavi^tors, hecause that word can hardly be applied to travellers who, indeed, encircled the globe, but did so by crossing the Isthmus of Darien and several parts of Asia. M. de Pages can have been styled a circumnavigator only by those who had read no farther than the titlepage of his book, and were , '^;.J:^:^ ignorant of the meaning attached by the h ranch to the word voya^. -"Voyages autour du Monde et vers les deux Poles. Par M- -r:!-: de Pages?' Paris, 1782, 2 vols 8vo. » of . .i, (' nany I .if-j 8 ex- •X.'-' linea !t^ }■ acci- ment geo- ' the >•■.•••,-.'' >dby ) space f the New }- )und. •'■'} rse of 134 FROM THE BEOINNINO OP TUB -i>j(ri »l; ' "• n .'If .'. ,.*. j-i '■. !i ;i ' ,/• M , ',t \ . ■■•, : If:.! 'i . -,,-.... -Kit. .i,.t ' \ ;,,'•■■ 'I- .•): :it' •■•,■;,!;{ /j ;- -it.il -^fUl , ,; • I i>,'J ,>■{.■' CHAPTER V. Circumnavigations from the Beginning of the Eighteenth -'r.\ i >!H 11, tCfe« * Circumnavi)|ration of Dampier and Funnel, of Woodes Rogers, of Clipperton and Shelvocke, of Rog^wein — EaAter Island — Pernicious Islands — Circumna vibration of Anson — Objects of the Expedition— Passa^ of Cape Horn — Severe Soiferings of the Crevr — Juan Fernandez — Cruise on the American Coants— Burn- ing^ of Payta— Loss of the Gloucester — ^Tinian — Capture of the Manilla Galleon — Return of the Centurion to England — Fate of the Wajfer. CHAP. V. The early part of the eighteenth century was market — by numerous privateering voyages to the South Sea, privateering generally undertaken by English merchants; expedi- voyagcsto the South Sea. pampler. tions which, indeed, served little to advance either ma- ritime science or the reputation of British oeamen. The principle which almost Invariably regulated them was, *^ No prizes no pay," and this led to continual disorder and insubordination. The commanders, too frequently, were men of no education, of dissipated habits, and of violent and avaricious dispositions. Altogether, the narrative of these buccaneering adventures is one of the least creditable in the naval annals of our country. The first of them which we have to notice, was directed by one whom Captain Basil Hall has not unjustly styled ** the prince of voyagers," — William Dampier. This skilful navigator sailed from Kinsale in Ireland, on the 11th September 1703, in command of two ships, the St George and the Cinque Forts galley, and entered the South Sea in the beginning of the fol- irket Sea, :pedi- |r ma- The was, lorder intly, indof the »fthe was not lUiam Insale id of ^Uey, fol- EIOHTBENTn CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 185 •I «... lowing year. But even his talents and resolution were chap. v. unable to preserve order among his boisterous crews, DiMenainn and the history of their proceedings accordingly is an •«>'i tumnit unbroken series of dissension and tumult. On the 10th ^^J^ of May, these disputes had reached such a height that the vessels agreed to part company. The Cinque Ports, which- sailed to the southward, was eventually run ashore, and the people taken prisoners by the Spaniards. In September, another quarrel broke out on board the St George, which led to the desertion of the chief mate, John Clipperton, with twenty-one of the seamen. In January 1705, differences again occurred, and the re- mainder separated into two parties. One of these im- mediately sailed for the East Indies, and, returning to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope, arrived in the Texel in July 1706 : a narrative of their voyage has been left by Funnel. Shortly after this secession, Dampier was HisfbrtanM forced to abandon the St George, and to embark in a "* ^*"P*'''- pri;je which had been taken from the Spaniards. In this he proceeded to the East Indies ; but being unable to produce his commission, which had been stolen from him, it is said, by his mate Clipperton, his vessel was seized by the Dutch, and he himself detained some time a prisoner. In 1708, we again meet this bold seaman as a cir- Rogers and cumnavigator, in the capacity of pilot to Woodes Rogers, ""^ "' who sailed from Cork on the 1st September, in the com- mand of two ships, fitted out by the merchants of Bristol to cruise against the Spaniards in the South Sea. In December, the squadron reached the Falkland Islands, and after being driven to the latitude of 62'' south in doubling Cape Horn, arrived in January 1709, at Juan Fernandez, the well-known rendezvous of the Buccaneers. Their visit was the means of restoring to Delivery rf civilized life the celebrated Alexander Selkirk, whose seUdrk. residence on this island upwards of four years became, as has been already hinted, the groundwork of Defoe's romance of Robinson Crusoe. After this nearly a twelvemonth was spent in ciTiising on the coasts of 136 FROM THE BEGINNING OP THE CHAP. V. Success of the expedition. New expedi- tion planaed. Commission from tliti emperor. Peru, Mexico, and California. In January 1710 they sailed across the Pacific, and in March made the Ladrone Islands. They arrived in the Thames on the 14th of October I7ll, loaded with a booty which rendered the enterprise highly lucrative lo the owners. With this voyage closed the Lng and checkered life of Dampier ; on his return to England he sunk into an obscurity which none of his biographers has yet succeeded in ie- moving.* The success of this expedition led soon afterwards to another of a similar description. In 1718, the war which was then waged between Spain and the German empire appeared to some " worthy gentlemen of London, and persons of distinction," to afiFord a favourable op- portunity of cruising against the subjects of the former country in the South Sea, under commissions from Charles VI. Accordingly, two ships, the Success of thirty-six guns and the Speedwell of twcuty-four, were fitted out in the river Thames. To give some colour to the design, their names were changed into the Prince Eugene and the Staremberg ; and this Irtter vessel was despatched to Ostend, under the command of Captain George Shelvocke, to take on board some Flemish officers and seumen, and to receive the commission from the emperor. The conduct of this gentleman, while en- gaged in these preparations, was by the owners con- sidered imprudent, and, on his return to England, he was superseded in his office of commander-in-chief by Clipperton (who had sailed as mate with Dampier in the St George), though he was allowed to continue in charge of the Staremberg. During the course of these arrangements. Great Britain declared war against Spain j the imperial authority was in consequence laid aside, and the Flemish officers r^nd seamen discharged ; the • For an account of the v«n'aj';es and circumnavi^tions in which Dampier boie a part, more full and detailed than was compatible with the plan of the present volume, the reader is referred to " Lives and Voyages of Drake, Cavendish, and Dampier." KIGUTEENTH CENTUKY TO OEORQE III. J 37 which mtible Lives ships recovered their original names, and were manned with English crews. Thus fitted out, the Success and Speedwell sailed from Plymouth on the 13th February 1719. Six days after, a violent storm arose, and both ships were obliged to pass the night under bare poles. The gale abated on the following evening, when they again proceeded, the former under Clipperton holding a south-easterly di- rection, while Captain Shelvccke in the latter stood to the north-west, — a difference of course which so eflfec- tually disjoined them, " that from that day they never saw each other till they met in the South Seas by mere accident." It will be necessary, therefore, in the notice of this expedition, to give distinct narratives of the pro- ceedings of the two commanders. When they parted company, tlie whole stock of wine, brandy, and other liquors, designed for the supply of both ships, was on board the Speedwell ; and this cir- cumstance has generally l^een admitted as evidence in favour of Clipperton, that the separation could not be designed on his part. It is certain that, after losing sight of his consort, he immediately set sail for the Canary Islands, the firat rendezvous which had been agreed on in case of losing each other. He arrived there on the 6th March, and, after haviiig waited ten days in vain, set sail for the Cape de Verd Islands, the second place appointed for their meeting. Having cruised here also an equal period, and hearing nothing of Shelvocke, iie directed his s and privi^ tions. 138 FROM THB UEQINNINO OF THE CHAP. V. Csptnre of prtzeih Loss of Ilia booty. •■} n.i: Meeting of the contiurtSi Fate of Clipperton. departed for the coast of Peru, which he reached in October. Although he had lost upwards of thirty of his men prior to the time of his quitting the island just named, he was so successful as, in the course of little more than four weeks, to have taken five prizes, some of them of considerable value, besides one which he captured, but which subsequently made her escape. On the 27th of November, he despatched a vessel to Brazil, loaded with booty valued at more than £10,000; but she never reached her destination, having, there is reason to think, been intercepted by the Spaniards. From this time to the 1 ?ginning of 1721, he continued to cruise on the Ameri- can coast with indifferent success. On the 25th Janu>> ary in that year, he met with Shelvocke near the island of Quibo, and, after exchanging a few stores, parted company on the succeecfing day. During their stay on the Mexican shore, they again met on four different oc- casions. On three of these, they passed each other without speaking ; and on the fourth, a proposal made by Clipperton, that they should sail in company, met with no success. This took place on the 13th of March ; and, four days afterwards, the last-named officer sailed for China. About the middle of May, he made Guahan, one of the Ladrones, his departure from which was hastened by an unfortunate quarrel, which ter- minated to his disadvantage. On the 2d of July, he arrived in China, when the disputes which ensued re- garding the division of plunder were referred to the judgment of the native authorities. These awarded to the proprietors £6000, to the common seamen £97, 15s. 4d. each, and to the captain £146t^, 10s. The owners* share was committed to a Portuguese ship, which took fire in the harbour of Rio Janeiro, and not more than £1800 of the property was saved. Clipperton's vessel was sold at Macao, and her crew returned home. The unfo* tu- nate commander reached Gal way in T: eland, in the be- ginning of June 1722, where he dfed within a week after his arrival. On parting with his consort, Shelvocke contrived so to EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO OEORQE III. iH9 manage his course that he did not reach the Canaries .CHAP. v. until the I7th of March, two days after the other had proceedings departed. Having remained there more than a week, of Shelvocko. he proceeded to the Cape de Verd Islands, where he also waited some time for Clipperton. After plunder- ing a Portuguese vessel on the coast of Brazil, he passed Strait Le M aire, and in rounding Cape Horn experienced such tempestuous weather, that he was driven to a high southern latitude. He seems to have been much struck Driven into with the bleakness of these cold and steril regions : '***^^,'^'ii^" " We had not," he says, " the sight of one fish of any kind since we were come to tlie southward of the Streights of Le Mai^e, nor one seabird, except a discon- solate black albatross, which accompanied us for several » i days, hovering about us as if it had lost itself ; till Mr Hatley, observing in one of his melancholy fits that this bird was always hovering near us, imagined from its colour that it might be an ill omen ; and so, after some fruitless attempts, at length shot the albatross, not '"*®*'^**''°*^ doubting that we should have a fair wind after it." * * This incident is believed to have given rise to the late Mr Samuel Taylor Coleridge's wild and beautiful poem of "The Rime of the Aaoient Mariner." '' And now there came both mist and sno*^ And it grew wond'roui cold, Ar ' ice mast high came floating bj, As green as emerald. ♦ • • « « Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken. The ice was all between. An !(i'T At length did cross an albat''Oss, Thorough the fog it came. « • • « « And a good south wind sprung up behind, The albatross did follow ; . , .. And every day for food or play. Came to the mariner's hollo ! In mbt or cloud, on mast or shroud It perch'dfor vespers nine. ri'.' ; 1'. I shot the albatross. * * with my cro88-bo\r 140 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAP. V. Arrival at die lalaiid of Chiloe. Wrecked on the island of Juan Fernandez. Capture of a Spanish sliip At length, about the middle of November, he made the western coast, and on the 30th of the same month aii< chored at the Island of Chiloe. His instructions were, that on entering the South Sea he should immediately proceed to Juan Fernandez ; but it was not until the 11th of January 1720 that he repaired thither to inquire about his colleague, who l*ad be^n there about three months previously. He remained only four days, and then steered towards the shores of Peru, along which he cruised till tiie beginning of May, capturing several vessels, and burning the town of Payta. On the lltli of the same month he returned to Juan Fernandez, oif which, partly for the purposes of watering and partly detained by bad weather, he remained until the 25th. when his ship was driven on shore and became a wreck. With the loss of one man, the crew succeeded in gain- ing the land, carrying along with them a few of their stores. Little unanimity subsisted araor^f the seamen ; and hence tlie building of a new vessel in which they were employed proceeded but slowly. It was not until the 6th of October tliat their rude bark was launched, which even then was considered so insufficient, that twenty-four of them chose rather to remain on the island than trust themselves to the ocean in such a feeble structure. On the 6th, Shelvocke and forty-six others put to sea, and stood eastward for the shores of the continent. After two ineffectual attempts on different vessels, he succeeded in capturing a Spanish ship of 200 tons bur- den, into which he transferred his crew, and abandoned the sloop. Being once mor( in a condition to commit hostilities, he continued to cruise along the coast, from Chili northward to California, until about the middle of the year 1721. During this period, as has been al- Then all averr'd I had kill'd the bird That brought the fojp and mist ; 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay That bring the fog and mist." Coleridges Foetical Works. Lend. IJJli^, vol. il. p. 3-5. imm mm EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. IJl ,'1 (••... V t-.i ready mentioned, l»c met Clipperton, with whom he chap.v, finally parted towards the end of March. On the 18th - - of August he sailed from California for China, and on from' the 2l8t discovered an island to which his own name J^^c"^^* was given, though there seems good reason for suppos- ing it to be the same with Roca Partida, one of the Revillagfgedo Isles, seen by Spilbergen and other early voyagers.* On the 11th November he reached his des- tination, and anchored in the river of Canton, where he sold his prize, dividing the plunder which he had acquired among his crew. On this occasion, the able seamen received £440, 7s. 2d. each, and the commander's share amounted to £2642, 10s. He soon afterwards ^nivai m procured a passage to England in an East Indiaman, Eiir1>)i>(1 mA and landed at Dover on the 30th July 1722. He was **^'^'* arrested, and two prosecutions instituted against him, — the one for piracy, and the other for defrauding his proprietors. Of these the first was abandoned for want of evidence, and the second was interrupted by his escape from prison and flight from the kingdom. He afterwards succeeded in compounding with the owners, and having returned he published an account of his voyage. The next circumnavigation was that accomplished by Jacob Jacob Roggewein, a Dutchrnan.t An injunction to ^^'^Kf^^^'^^"* prosecute the search for southern lands had, it is said, ,> . been laid upon him by his father a short time before " " his death. This last had, in the year 1669, presented a memorial to the Dutch West India Company, con- .,..-. taining a scheme for discovery in the South Sea, and ' ' * Rurney, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. iv. p. 661, ■f- Two accounts of Rog^ewein's voyafjje exist. The first appear- ed without the author's name at Port, in 172B, under tlie title of " Twee Jaarige Reyze rondom de Wereld," — A Two Years' Voyage round the World. The second, written in German, was printed at Leipsic in 1738 ;— a French translation was published at the Hague in 1739. This work was written by Charles Frederick Behrens, a native of Mecklenburg, who was sergeant and commander of tlie troops in Roggewein's fleet. Both accounts have boen translated by Mr Dalrymple (Hist. Coll., vol. ii. p. ti6-12U), who terminates his valuable work with this voyage ■"^ ^im 142 FROM THE BEGINNING OP THE ^* > CHAP.V. Plan of the elder Boggewein. Expeditious preparation of vessels.. Arrival at Juan Fernandez. Assumed discoveries. his proposals were so well received, that some vessels were equipped for the purpose ; but the disturbances between the United Provinces and Spain put a stop to the project. In 1721, it was renewed by his son, in an application to the same association, which bore a refer- ence to the memorial of his father. It has been in- sinuated, that the readiness with which the request of Roggewein was conceded, had its origin, less in a desire for the advancement of science than in interested mo- tives. No time, it is certain, was lost in preparing the expedition, which consisted of three vessels, the largest carrying 36 guns, and manned by 111 men. These sailed from the Texel on the 2l8t August 1721, and in November were off the coast of Brazil, from which they " went in quest of the island of Auke*s Magdeland (Hawkins* Maiden-land), but could find no such place."* They were equally unsuccessful in another attempt to identify the same island under the different name of St Louis ; but on the 21st December they had the good fortune to see one, to which they gave the appellation of Belgia Australis, and in which, though they chose not to perceive it, they only re-discovered the Maiden-land and Isles of St Louis. On the same day, one of the vessels was separated from her consorts in a violent storm. On the 10th March, Roggewein came in sight of the coast of Chili, and on the eighteenth anchored at Juan Fernandez, where he remained three weeks. On leaving this port he directed his course for Davis* Land, which, like Hawkins' Maiden-land, he failed to trace, or at least affected not to recognise : pretending that he had made a new discovery, he exercised the privilege of a first visiter in bestowing on it a name, that of Paaschen, Oster or Easter Island. While they were sailing along the shore in search of anchorage, u native came off in his canoe, who was kindly treated, and presented with a piece of cloth and a variety oi" Dulrymple, Hist. Cull , vol. ii. p. Bi{. EIOHTEfiNTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 143 the line, hey e, u ,ted, oi baubles. He was naturally of a dark-brown complex- chap v ion, but his body was painted all over w^ith figures, and — - his ears were of a size so unnatural " that they hung ap^S^ce ' down upon his shoulders,*' occasioned, as the Europeans of • native conjectured, by the use of large and heavy earrings. ** A glass of wine," says one of the journals of the voyage, *^ was given to him ; he took it, but instead of drinking it, he threw it in his eyes, which surprised us very much." He seemed so fascinated with the strangers that it was with difficulty he was prevailed on to depart ; — ** he looked at them with regret ; he held up both his hands towards his native island, and cried out in a very audible and distinct voice, *Odorroga! odorroga!'"* — exclamations which were supposed to be addressed to his god, from the many idols observed along the coast. The succeeding day the discoverers anchored close to interview the island, and were immediately surrounded by many ^*'MyejJ_° thousands of the inhabitants, some of whom brought ^.,r,'^v^ with them fowls and provisions, while others " remained on the shore, running to and fro from one place to another like wild beasts." They were also observed to make fires at the feet of their idols, as if to offer up their prayers and sacrifices before them. On the following day, as the Hollanders were preparing to land, the savages were seen to prostrate themselves with their faces towards the rising sun, and to light many fires, apparently to present burnt -offerings to their divinities. Several of them went on board the ship, Native priest. among whom one man quite white was conjectured, from his devout and solemn gestures, to be a priest, and i was distinguished by wearing white earrings of a round shape and of size equal to a man's fist. Tlie sailors, upon returning this visit, commenced an attack, ap- parently unprovoked, on the natives, and by a heavy slaughter taught them the deadly efhcacy of the musket. They are described as having " made the most surpris- /» vJ Dairyraple, Hist Coll., vol. ii. pp 90, 91. 141 FROM THB BEGINNING OP'THE *J CHAP. V. Unprovoked (Slaughter of the natlven Reprcfs of their ussailanta Appearance of the Easter IslaiidcrB ing motions and gestures in the world, and viewed their fallen companions with the utmost astonishment, wonder- ing at the wounds the hullets had made in their bodies." Though dismayed, they again rallied and advanced to within ten paces of their enemies, under an impression of safety, which a second discharge of fire-arms too fatally dissipated. Among those who fell was the in- dividual that first came on board, — a circumstance, says the journalist, ** which chagrined us much." Shortly after, the vanquished returned and endeavoured to redeem the dead bodies of their countrymen. They approached in procession, carrying palm-branches and a sort of red and white flag, and uttering doleful cries and sounds of lamentation ; they then thi-ew themselves on their knees, tendered their presents of plantains, nuts, roots, and fowls, and sought, by the most earnest and humble attitudes, to deprecate the wrath of the strangers. The historian represents his companions as so affected with all these demonstrations of humility nnd submission, that they made the islanders a present '* of a whole piece of painted cloth, fifty or sixty yards long, beads, small looking-glasses, &c." They returned to their ships in tlie evening with the intention to revisit the island on the succeeding day ; but this design was frustrated by a storm, whicli drove them from their anchors and obliged them to stand out into the open sea. The inhabitants of Easter Island are described as being of a well-proportioned stature, though rather slender, of complexions generally brown, but, in some instances, of European whiteness. They delineate on their bodies figures of birds and other animals ; and a great proportion of the females were ** painted with a rouge, very bright, which much surpasses that known to us ;" and had dresses of red and white cloth, soft to the touch like silk, with a small hat made of straw or rushes. They were generally of a mild disposition, witli a soft and pleasing expression of countenance, and 80 timid, that when they brought presents to the and the EIOTITRENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 145 CIIAP. V. voyagers, they threw the gift at their feet and made a Extreme precipitate retreat. Their ears, as already noticed, timidity. were so elongated as to hang down to their shoulders, and were sometimes ornamented with large white rings of a glohular form. Their huts were about fifty feet Tlioii Imte long and seven broad, built of a number of poles cemented with a fat earth or clay, and covered with the leaves of the palm-tree. They had earthen vessels for preparing their victuals, but possessed few other articles of furniture. No arms were perceived among them, and their sole defence from the cruel hostilities of their visiters appeared to be reposed in their idols. These were gigantic pillars of stone, having on the top the figure of a human head adorned with a crown or ? k mf 146 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAP. V. Names of their idola. Nature of their govciD' ment Gigantic size. Conmc of the voyaKci-8. garland, formed of small stones inlaid with considerable skill. The names of two of these idols have been pre- served, — Taurico and Dago ; and the Hollanders thought they perceived indications of a priesthood, the membera of which were distinguished by their ponderous ear* rings, by having their heads shaven, and by wearing a bonnet of black and white feathers. The food of the inhabitants consisted entirely of the fruits of their land, which was carefully cultivated and divided into en- closures. No traces were found of a supreme chief or ruler, nor was any distinction of ranks observed, except that the aged bore staves, and had plumes on their heads, jmd thfit in families the oldest member appeared to exercise authority. It would be improper to pass without notice the fabulous account of the immense stature of the natives, given, in one of the accounts of the voyage, with the strongest protestations of its truth : — ** All these savages are of more than gigantic size ; for the men, being twice as tall and thick as the largest of our people, they measured, one with another, the height of twelve feet, so that we could easily — who will not wonder at it ! — without stooping, have passed betwixt the legs of these sons of Goliah. According to their height, so is their thickness, and all are, one with another, very well proportioned, so that each could have passed for a Hercules." It is added, that the females do not altogether come up to these formidable dimensions, " being commonly not above ten or eleven feet!"* From Easter Island the Dutchman pursued a course nearly north-west, and about the middle of May came in sight of an island, to which he gave the name of • Dalrymple, vol. ii. p. 113. «I doubt not," adds the journal- ist, " but most people who read this voyage will give no credit to what I now relate, and that this account of the height of these giants will probably pass with them for a mere fable or fiction; but this I declare, that I have put down nothing but the real truth, and that this people, upon the nicest inspection, were in fact of such a surpassing height as I have liere described.^ ill) ten I to pse tut nd a EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 147 Carls-hofF, which it still retains. After leaving this, one of his vessels suddenly ran aground and was wrecked, on a cluster of low islands, which he distinguished hy the epithet of Schaadelyk or Pernicious. These arc generally supposed to be identical with Palliser*s Islands ; and modem voyagers seem to have observed in the vicinity traces of Roggewein's visit and shipwreck.* Among these he sailed five days, and on the 25th May discovered two small ones, probably the Bottomless and Fly Island of Schouten and Le Maire.-j- A few days later, he perceived a group, to which he gave the appellation of Irrigen or the Labyrinth ; and, continu- ing in the same westerly course, on the 1st of June reached an island which he denominated Yerquikking or Recreation, and which is supposed to be Uliatea, one of the Society cluster, — a conjecture rendered more probable by the tradition prevalent among the natives, of their having been visited by Europeans. The navi- gators found their landing opposed by the inhabitants, who were armed with pikes, and who did not withdraw their opposition until they were overpowered by fire- arms. On the succeeding day another conflict ensued, when the event was different ; the invaders were ob- liged to retreat, after having some of their men killed and many severely wounded. The people are described as robust and tall, their hair long and black, their bodies painted, and their dress consisting of a kind of network round the waist. Shortly after quitting Recreation Island, it was de- termined in a general council of officers, that to sail back by the course which they had traversed was im- possible, and that they were therefore under the neces- sity of going home by the East Indies. In accordance with this resolution, they continued to steer westward, and on the 16th of June reached a cluster of islands, which they called Bauman, supposed to be the Navi- CHAP. V. Wreck of one of the shipa. Recreation Island. Conflict n-ith the nativQii. , vi.-'jil Further route deter- mined JU. W' w^ ^ -M :' ^^L s 1 i • Buniey, Chroa. Hist. Discov., vol. iv. p- 6J0. •j" See above, pp. 106, 107. 1^ fj( 148 FROM THE BEGINNING OP THE CHAP. V. Safferlnfct of (heerew. Arriralat JtntL Appeal to tlie States GeneraL War between Spain and Britain. gatoiV Isles of the present maps. From this point tho track of Roggewein coincided too closely with that o Schouten and other discoverers, to offer much of novelty or interest ; nor has this part of his voyage been very clearly narrated. The scurvy broke out among his crew and committed frightful ravages : ** There was nothing," says a journalist of the voyage, " to be seen on board, but sick people struggling with inexpressible pain.1, and dead carcasses that were just released from them, and from which arose so intolerable a smell, that such as yet remained sound were not able to endure, but frequently swooned with it. Cries and groans were perpetually ringing in their ears, and the very sight of the people moving about was sufficient to excite at once terror and compassion." In the month of Sep- tember, he arrived at Java, with the loss of not fewer than seventy men by uckness, besides those killed in his conflicts with the islanders ; and in October proceeded to Batavia, where his ships were arrested by the Dutch East India Company, condemned, and sold by public auction. The crews were sent home free of expense, and landed at Amsterdam on the 28th July, ** the veiy same day two years that they sailed on this voyage." Against these proceedings, the West India Company sought redress in an appeal to the States General, who ordained the East India Company to iiiake full com- pensation for the vessels, — a deci^on which, when the judgment in the more favourable case of Schouten and Le Maire is considered, it may be not uncandid to sup. pose, proceeded more from the superior influence of the appellants than from the array of legal arguments on their side. After the voyage of Roggewein, twenty years passed without witnessing one expedition to the Pacific of the slightest importance. When war broke out between this country and tho Spaniards in 1739, among other measures adopted by the British administration, it was resolved to send au armament into the South Seas to attack their trade and settlements in that part of the world, in the hope )in- the land the on ^nty the tlio by an rade lOpe EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE TIT. 14D of cutting ofF the supplies which they derived from chap, v their colonies. The original plan of this expedition yi^~ was as magnificent as the actuirl equipment of it was equipment mean. It was intended that two squadrons should be 2j^lJ{[Ji despatched, the one to proceed directly by the Cape ot Good Hope to Manilla, in the Philippines ; the other to double Cape Horn, and, after cruising along the western coast of South America, to join the former, when both were to act in concert. But of this romantic scheme only one-half was put in execution ; and that, too, in a spirit of petty economy quite inconsistent with the success of the enterprise. The attack on Manilla was abandoned, and the design limited to the fitting out of a few ships to cruise in the South Seas, under the com- mand of Captain George Anson. This officer received his commission early in January CaptHin 1740 ; but so tardy were the proceedings of the govern. A^nT ment, that his instructions were not delivered to him until the end of June ; and when in virtue of these he repaired to his squadron, in the expectation of being able to sail with the first fair wind, he found that he iiad to encounter difficulties which detained him nearly three months longer. Three hundred able seamen were wanting to complete the crews ; and in place of these, Commodore Anson, after a tedious delay, was able to ineffldcnt obtain only 170 men, of whom thirty-two were drafted Sbeve»ciifc from sick-rooms and hospitals, ninety-eight were marines, and three were infantry officers ; the remainder, amount- ing to thirty-seven, were regular sailors. It was part of the original plan to furnish the squadron with an entire regiment, tCbd three Independent companies of 100 men each ; but this design was laid aside, and the ships were ordered to be supplied with 600 invalids collected from the out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital. These consisted of such soldiers as, from their age, wounds, or other in- firmities, were incapable of serving ; and Anson re- monstrated against the absurdity of sending them on nn expedition of so great length, and which must be utt&nded by so many hardships and priv.itions ; but ■m IpO PROM THE BEGINNING OF THE Unsuccess--- fill reinon- Btrance of Ansoa Dissatisfac- tion of the crews.. CHAP. V. bis representations, though supported by those of Sif Charles Wager, only drew forth the answer, "that persons who were supposed to be better judges ot soldiers than he or Mr Anson, thought them the pro- perest men that could be employed on this occasion." * This admitted '^■. no reply, and the veterans were ac- cordingly ordered on board the squadron. Instead, however, of SCKX, there appeared no more than 269 ; for all who were able to walk away had deserted, leav- ing behind them only the very dregs of the?r corps, men for the most part sixty years of age, and some of them upwards of seventy. The embarkation ;; F.R.S., author of Mathematiral Tracts, London, 1761, 2 vols 8vo, and other works. This question has been amply dip- cussed; li>ut there appears no decisive evidence of Robins claim. Those who are anxious to enter into the discussion may be refisr- red to the preface, by ^araes Wilson, to the Mathematical Tracts above mentioned ; to Nicol':, l-iterary Anecdotes of the Eig-h- teenth Century, vol. ii. p. 20H; to the Biographia Britannica, voce AnsGii ; and to the Corrigenda and Addenda to that Article inserted in the 4th volume of the wnrk. Besides Walter's narrative, therw appeared "A True and Im|)artial Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, and round the Globe, in his Majesty's Ship the Centurion, under the Command of Commodore George Anson. By I'ascoe Tlionias, Teacher of the Mathematics on bosnd tlia Centurioiu London, 174.').'' 8vo. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 151 too probably doomed to perish. To expose the cruelty chap, v of this measure, it need only be stated, that not one of — these unhappy men who reached the South Sea lived to procced'ogi return to his native shores.* To supply the room of the 241 invalids who had de?/^rted, r«w and undisciplin- ed m wines, amounting to nearly the same number, were selected from different ships and sent on board ; upon which the squadron sailed from Spithead to St Helens, to await a favourable wind. It consisted of eight vessels of the vessels, the Centurion of sixty guns ; the Gloucester and squadron. the Severn of fifty each ; the Pearl of forty ; the Wager of twenty-eight ;t the Tryal sloop of eight ; and two store-ships ; and, exclusive of the crews of these last, contained about 2000 men. After being thrice forced back by adverse winds, they finally sailed from St Helens on the 18th September 1740; and, having touched at Madeira, anchored on the 18th December at the island of Santa Catalina, on the coast of Brazil, »;> -u>i. where they remained about a month. They arrived at Port San Julian in the middle of Entrance of February 1741 ; and on the 7th March entered Strait ^^y^^f^^ Le Maire where, tiiough winter was advancing apace, they experienced a brightness of sky and serenity of weather which inspired them with high hopes that the greatest difficulties of their voyage were past. ** Thus animated by these delusions," says Mr Walter, " we traversed these memorable straits, ignorant of the dread- ... i ful calamities that were then impending and just ready \ .' '_ to burst upon us ; ignorant that the time drew near . .i when the squadron would be separated never to unite again, and tiiat this day of our passage was the last cheerful day that the greatest part of us would ever live to enjoy." | The last of the ships Iiad scarcely cleared Cimnpe of the straits, when the sky sixddenly changed, and px- iiibited all the appearances of an approaching storm, which soon buret with such violence, that two of them * Buriiey, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. v. p. 40. f Accoriling v'o Thomas (p. 2) the Wager carried but 20 guns. i Walter, p. 75 « uutner. mm 152 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAP. V. Dreailfal storm. Injuries to tlie seamen. •4^ SnfTerinffs and extreme mortality of the crew. with difficulty escaped being run ashore on Staten Land. From this time to the 26th May, the expedition en- countered a succession of the most tempestuous weather. The oldest mariners confessed that the fury of the winds and the mountainous waves surpassed any thing they had ever witnessed. " Our ship," says Thomas, who sailed in the Centurion, " was nothing to them ; but, notwithstanding her large bulk and deep hold in the water, was tossed and bandied as if she had been no more than a little pitiful wherry."* The sails were frequently split in tatters, and blown from the yards ; the yards themselves were often snapped across ; and the ihrouds and other rigging were repeatedly blown to pieces. The upper a> orks were rendered so loose as to admit water at every seam ; the beds were almost continually wet, and the men were often driven from them by the rushing in of the waves. The rolling of the vessel was so great, that the seamen were in danger of being dashed to pieces against her decks or sides ; they were often forced from the objects they bad taken hold of to secure themselves from falling, and, in spite of every precaution, met numerous accidents ; one had his neck dislocated, another, who was pitched below, had his thigh fractured, and a boatswain's mate had his collar-bone twice seriously injured. To add to their misery, the scurvy broke out with great violence ; at first carrying off two or three a- day, but increasing in virulence till the mortality amounted to eight or ten. Few of the crew escaped its attacks, and on these the labour of managing the ship fell so heavilly, *' that," says Thomas, " I have on that account seen four or five dead bodies at a time, some sewn up in their hammocks, and others not, washing about the decks for want of help to bury them in the sea." t The disease at last attained such a height that we are inforned there were not above twelve or fourteen men, and a few officers capable of doing duty. On the invalids, who had been Thomas, p. 21. t Ibid. p. 22. in ten. the EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO QEORaE III. 153 BO cruelly sent on this expedition, the disease produced CHAP. V. the most extraordinary eflfects ; wounds which had been PedUUtf suf- healed many years now opened, and appeared as if they feringsofthe had never been closed, and fractures of bones which had "*^ been long consolidated now again appeared, as if the cal- lus of the broken bone had been dissolved by the disease. The wounds of one aged veteran, which had been re- u » ceived mere than fifty yeare previous, at the battle of the Boyne, broke out afresh, and seemed as if they had never been healed.* At length, after a period of intense suffering, on the morning of the 8th of May, the crew of Anson's own ship, the Centurion, saw the west- ern coast of Patagonia, the high mountains of which were for the most part covered with snow. The island island of of Nuestra Senora del Socorro, which had been appointed senwrdei as the rendezvous of the fleet, was also visible ; but, Socorra from the weak condition of his crew, the commodore waited here two days, when lie set sail for Juan Fer- nandez, abandoning the design which had been formed of attacking Baldivia. Short as was Anson's delay on this occasion, he has been severely censured for it by , '^ '' Thomas, who declares, — "I verily believe that our touching on this coast, the small stay we made here, and our hinderance by cross winds, which we should have avoided in a direct course to Juan Fernandez, lost us at least sixty or seventy of as stout and able men as any in the navy." t It was not until daybreak of the ^J^'^*^ 9th of June that they descried the island now named, Fernaudei. which, notwithstanding its rugged and mountainous aspect, says Walter, " was to us a most agreeable sight." ^ An anecdote which has been preserved by Dr Beattie may perhaps present a livelier idea of the distress en- • ' dured than a lengthened description : " One who was on board the Centurion in Lord Anson's voyage, having got some money in that expedition, purchased a small estate about three miles from this town (Aberdeen). I have had several conversation s with him on the subject of the Vf. R Irk ,1 ,1 Walter, p. 102. f Thomas, p. 27. 154 FROM THE BROINNING OF THE Appearance of land. .•.■) ' ,i ij'i.. ,' •:• ■•7. CHAP. V. voyage, and once asked him whether he had ever read — the history of it. He told me he had read all the of extreme history, except the description of their sufferings during •ulTering. ^j^g ^un from Cape Horn to Juan Fernandez, which he said were so great that he durst not recollect or think of them."* On the succeeding day they coasted along the shore, at ahout the distance of two miles, in search of an an- chorage. The mountains, which at first view had ap- peared bare and steril, they now perceived to be covered with luxuriant woods, and between them they could see fertile valleys of the freshest verdure, watered by clear streams, frequently broken into waterfalls. " Those only," says Walter, " who have endured a long series of thirst, and who can readily recall the desire and agita- tion which the ideas alone of springs and brooks have at that time raised in them, can judge of the emotion with which we eyed a large cascade of the most transparent water, which poured itself from a rock near 100 feet high into the sea, at a small distance from the ship. Even those amongst the diseased, who were not in the very last stages of the distemper, though they had been long confined in their hammocks, exerted the small re- mains of strength that was left them, and crawled up to the deck to feast themselves with this reviving pros- pect." t The succeeding day, the Centurion anchored on the north-eastern side of the island ; in the passage from Brazil 200 of her men having died, and 130 of the remainder being on the sick-list. No time was lost in erecting tents and conveying the sick on shore, — a labour in which Anson assisted in person, and exacted the aid of his officers, lie continued here some months to recruit the health of his crew, and to wait the arrival of the rest of the squadron. Of the seven vessels which accompanied him from England only three, the Glou- cester, the Tryal sloop, and the Anna store-ship, suc- Delight of the Bufferera. Time spent at Juan FernandtiXi * Sir William Forbes' Life of Beattie, vol. ii p. 36. t Walter, p. 111. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 155 ,— a cted iths rival ilch [lou- Isuc- ceeded in reaching Juan Fernandez. The Industry had chap, v, been dismissed on the cc ast of Brazil, while the Severn and RetuTirof Pearl, which had separated from the commodore in the tiie Severn passage round Cape Hora, returned homewards without ^^ ^*^**''* having entered the South Seas. The Wager, the only remaining one, reached the western coast of Patagonia, where i^he experienced disasters and sufferings which will be hereafter noticed Before leaving Juan Fernan- dez the Anna was broken up, and her crew distributed among the other vessels, which stood much in need of this aid ; for, since leaving St Helens, the Centunon Q^eat had lost 292 men out of her complement of 606 ; in the mortality. Gloucester there remained only 82 out ol 374 ; and in the Tryal, out of 81 there survived but 39.* In short, of upwards of 900 persons who had left England on board these three vesseb, more than 600 were dead. On the 8th of September, while the expedition was Rich prize still at anchor, a strange sail was discovered and chased, *^'^^"'^*' and though she escaped, the English, during the pursuit, were fortunate enough to capture another, which proved to be a rich merchantman, bound from Callao to Val- paraiso, and having on board dollars and plate to the amount of about £18,000 sterling. Intelligence was obtained from this prize, that there were several such vessels on their voyage from Callao to Valparaiso, and, accordingly, no time was lost in despatching the Tryal sloop to cruise oflF the latter port. In a few days the j^"'"'^'* *' Centurion sailed, along with the captured ship, to join the Tryal, leaving the Cloucester at Juan Fernandez, with orders to proceed to Payta, and cruise there until • These statements are made as the nearest approach to accu- racy which is now attainable. The numbers of the crews are so h)()sely mentioned, that, accordinjr to Walter, in one place (p. 14) the Tryal had 100 men, and in another (p. 160) only 81. With him the men on board the Centurion are at one time 525, and at another (p. 169) 606 ; and Pascoe Thomas rates them in different places (p. 42) 618, 512, and (Appendix, p. 8) 510. The latter author makes the number alive m the Gloucester considerably higher than Walter, *' We found," he says, " in a miserable condition, not many above one hundred poph alive."— P. 31. t-^J i 156 PROM THE BEGINNING OP THE •CHAP. V. TheTiyal'B pria& Attack on Puyta. Capture of tUtt towu. re-€nforced by the othera. When the commodore fell in with the sloop, he found that she had taken a prize ; but, being herself in a shattered condition, she^was sunk, and her crew transferred to the foreigner, which was now commissioned under the name of the Tryal's Prize. Having disposed his fleet so as best to command the different cities and their trade, Anson continued to cruise along the coasts of Chili and Peru, until nearly the middle of November, when, from information he obtained from a vessel which he had captured, he determined to make an attempt on Payta. Fifty-eight men* were selected for this purpose, who embarked in three boats, and rowed for the harbour, which they had just entered when they were discovered by a 8hip*8 crew, who manned their barges, and pulled towards the town shouting, "The English! the English dogs!" In a few minutes, the hurrying of lights to and fro, and 'other signs of preparation, gave notice that the inhabit- ants were alarmed, and before the assailants could reach the landing-place a cannon-ball from the fort whistled over their heada. But ere a second discharge could take place the seamen had landed, and, forming into a body, marched in the direction of the governor's house. The noise of the drums which they carried, " the shouts and clamours of threescore sailors confined so long on shipboard, and now for the first time on shore in an enemy's country, joyous, as they always are when they land, and animated in the present case with the hopes of an immense pillage," joined to the sudden nature of the attack and the darkness of the night, struck such a panic into the inhabitants, that in less than a quarter of an hour, and with the loss of one killed and two wounded, the assailants were masters of the town, the governor fleeing from it half-naked and with such precipitation that he most ungallantly left « • According to Thomas (p. 55) there were only forty-nine ; and this is confirmed by the description of" the " plan of Payta," which accompanies Walter's voyage, p. 189. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 157 behind him his lady, to whom he had been but three or chap. v. four days married, and who afterwards made her escape Complete tlie assail- anta obtained. " with no other clothes to cover her but her shift." * snccess of ^ Two days were occupied in conveying the plunder to the vessels ; and this being effected the town was set on fire, and, with the exception of two churches, burned to tlie ground ; and, of the six ships in the bay five having been sunkf and one carried off, " we weighed and came to sea," says Thomas, *' with all our prizes, being six sail, and left this place entirely ruined." The value of the silver coin and plate taken in Payta was reported to immense exceed £30,000,;j: and to this there were to be added booty rings, gold watches, and jewels, besides what pillage fell into the hands of the individuals engaged in the attack. Walter mentions a report, that the inhabitants, in their representations to the Spanish court, estimated their loss at a million and a half of dollai*s. Two days after Success this exploit, Anson was joined by the Gloucester, which Gloucester. he found had also captured several prizes, having on board bullion to the amount of about £18,000. It was now resolved to cmise off Cape San Lucas or Cape Corrientes for the Manilla galleon, and the squadron accordingly sailed in that direction. On the 6th De- cember, they anchored at the island of Quibo, where 1 . • Thomas, p. 66. Walter, p 194. From a note in Burney, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. v. p. 57^ we learn that this lady was alive in 1791* and acknowledged to an Enp^lish seaman 'Hhe liberal con- duct observed towards prisoners in Commodore Anson's expedition." •Y Burney, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. v. p. 58, states that the five ships were burned; but both Walter ("p. 202) and Thomas (p. 63) mention their being' sunk. Indeed, one of the illustrations in Wal- ter's voyage (plate 24, p. 201) represents the vessels in the act of going down. J This is probably above the truth. Mr Thoma." gives a spe- cific account of the number of ounces of bullion captured, and of their value, by which he " makes the whole amount £24,415, 16s. 4d." He adds, however, as a reason for his estimating the value at about £32,000, that though <« I know not certainly whether there was any thing in specie farther in this capture, yet I know thatt^ was generally esteemed to he near £'32,000 sterling" (Ap- pendix, p. 4). The exaggerating effects of a common rumour like this are too well known to be valued as of any high authority. 158 FROM THE BEGINNING OP THE CHAP. V. Missing the Disappoint* ment oi Ans >n. Sottinp sail for Cliiiiu. they took in a supply of water, and remained about three days, when they resumed their voyage to the northwards. A succession of unfavourable weather rendered their progress so extremely slow, that they did not make the Mexican coast, a little to the north-west of Acapulco, till the end of January. This was past the usual time of the galleon's appearance ; but Anson con- tinued to sail along the coast in hopes of intercepting her till a late period in February, when he received information that she had arrived the previous month, about twenty days before he had reached the coast. This intelligence, however, was accompanied with the more gratifying information, that she was to leave Acapulco to return to Manilla in the beginning of March, and with a cargo infinitely more valuable than that which she had brought from the Philippines. The cruise w^as therefore continued, and with increased strict- ness, every precaution being taken, and the most scru- pulous vigilance observed, until long after the period fixed for her sailing, when the search was abandoned on the supposition, which afterwards proved to be correct, that her departure was delayed for that year, on account of the English fleet. Thus disappointed, Anson formed the resolution of attacking Acapulco, and by that means possessing him- self of the object of his wishes ; but this plan fell to the ground, and, leaving his cutter to watch the Manilla ship, he sailed for tlie harbour of Chequetan, about thirty leagues westward, to obtain a supply of water. During his stay there, the different vessels which had been cap- tured were destroyed ; and it was resolved that the squadron, which now consisted of only two ships, the Centurion and Gloucester, should quit the South Seas and sail for China. Various accidents, however, contri- buted to postpone their departure, and it was not until the 6th of May that they lost sight of the moun- tains of Mexico. They experienced much diflSculty in getting into the track of the trade- winds, which they expected to reach in a few days, but did not meet until boun- ty in [they intil EtaHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 159 rewa. U.-.J seven or eight weeks after leaving the coast. This dis- char v. appointment pressed on them the more severely, owing to the crazy condition into which their ships had now «4 fallen, more particularly the Gloucester, which sailed very heavily. The scurvy, too, again made its appear. Renewed ance, and raged with a violence little less fatal than that "ho a'"*^ **^ which had marked its attacks in the passage round Cape Horn. Though the trade- wind had constantly favoured them from the end of June to the latter part of July, their progress, owing to the distressed condition of the crevfBf had been so very slow, that by their reckoning* they were still 300 leagues from the Ladrones. At this tune they met with a westerly breeze, succeeded by a violent storm, which so damaged the Gloucester as to Abandon- render her abandonment necessary. Two days wereQ,y^p°gj[l^* employed in removing her crew and part of her stores on board the Centurion ; and, on the 16th of August, ' ' ' ' ^ she was set on fire, to prevent her falling into the hands i ' of the Spaniards, to whom the valuable prize.goods on board would have rendered her a welcome acquisition. " She burned," says Walter, " very fiercely the whole night, her guns firing successively as the flames reached them ; and it was six in the morning, when we were about four leagues distant, before she blew up ; the re. port she made upon this occasion was but a small one, but there was an exceeding black pillar of smoke, which shot up into the air to a very considerable height."* Though re-enforced by the additional crew, Anson had ^^*i||"^* still to struggle with difficulty and distress. The late and disticsa. storm had drifted him from his course ; there was a leak ' in his vessel which it was found impossible to stop; and the scurvy raged with such violence, that no day passed in which he did not L le eight or ten, and some- times twelve of the ship's company. At length, at daybreak of the 23(1, two islands were ' discovered to the westward, — " a sight which," says Walter, " gave us all great joy, and raised our drooping , * Walter, p. 300. ^::i i] 160 FROM THE BEOINMINQ OF THE CHAP. V. spirits ; for before this a universal dejection had seized Dixcovcry of US, and we almost despaired of ever seeing land again/* land. These proved to be two of the Ladrones ; but the ex- hausted seamen remained in sight of them three days , .,^, without being able to come to an anchor. On the 2Gth • ' three "Others were discovered, and the ship's course was directed towards the one in the centre, which was ascer. tained to be the island of Tinian. They moored here on the evening of the 28th, and the next day proceeded to Landing tho land their sick, — a labour in which Anson here, as at ^'^ Juan Fernandez, personally assisted. The accounts which the journalists have left us of this island repre. sent it in the most favourable colours ; they dwell on its sunny slopes and gentle declivities, — the beauty ot its lawns,— -the luxuriance of its flowers and vegetation, — the grandeur of its forests, and the richness and variety Description of its fruit-trees. " The fortunate animals, too," it is 2l TiSin?"^ added, « which for the greatest part of the year are the sole lords of this happy soil, partake in some measure of the romantic cast of the island, and are no small addi. tion to its wonderful scenery ; for the cattle, of which it is not uncommon to see herds of some thousands feed- ing together in a large meadow, are certainly the most remarkable in the world ; for they are all of them milk- white, except their ears, which are generally black. And though there are no inhabitants here, yet the cla- mour and frequent parading of domestic poultry, which range the woods in great numbers, perpetually excite the ideas of the neighbourhood of farms and villages, and greatly contribute to the cheerfulness and beauty of the place." * , . «-,• ; t? * Walter, p. 309. After the lapse of nearly a century, a memo- rial of Anson's sojourn at Tinian has been lately brought to light. By the Nautical Magazine for July 1834 (vol. iii. p. 429), it appears that " a whaler lately, on weighing her anchor at the island of Tinian, hooked up the anchor of the Centurion of 64 guns, which was lost by that ship in the year 1742, when Commodore Anson touched there to refresh his crew. It was comparatively little cor- roded, having on a thick coat of rust ; the wooden stock was com- I>letelv rotted off." EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. \6l At this pleasant island Anson remained until the 2l8t cuap v of October, when, the health of his crew having been y^rriaTat restored and the vessel supplied with fresh provisions, Macn«> in he set sail for Macao n China, where he arrived on tho ^'**""' 12th of No\ mber. The five months which he passed here Were' employed in refitting his shattered ship and still farther confirming the health of his men. lie added also to their number some Lascars and Dutch, and was once more in a condition to resume hostilitiesi. On leaving Macao, he gave out that he was bound Designs of for Batavia, on his homeward voyage for England ; but ^"'*""- his real design was very different. From the sailing ot the Manilla galleon of the previous year having been prevented by his appearance off Acapulco, he calculated > > that this season there would be two ; and he resolved to cruise off the island of Samal, in the hope of intercept- ing 80 rich a prize. This design he had entertained ever since he left the coast of Mexico, but had prudently abstained from revealing it. When his ship, however, was once fairly at sea, he summoned the whole crew . n deck, and informed them of his intentions. In allusion to some absurd fables which prevailed regarding the strength of the Manilla ships, and their being impene- trable to cannon-shot, he said he trusted there was none present so weak as to believe such a ridiculous fiction ; " for his own part, he did assure them upon his word, that whenever he met with them, he would fight them so near, that they should find his bullets, instead of be. ing stopped by one of their sides, should go through them both."* The station on which Anson had determined to cruise Station was the Cape Espiritu Santo, part of the island of Samal, JJ'^!!^!;^ and he arrived there on the 20th of May. After a month spent in the greatest impatience and anxiety, a general joy was diffused among the crew by the sight of a sail at sunrise of the 20th June. They instantly stood towards it, and by mid-day were within a league's * Walter, p. 371. 1()2 ,t!i FROM THE DEOINNINO OF THE CHAP. V. FiRht Willi u Spantnh gallflon. DIsoi'tler amon); the Spanish crew. ImmensQ booty obtainvU. IIowcHnrJ voyage. distance, — the galleon, to their surprise, continuing ii\ her course, and bearing down upon them. The fight was commenced by Anson, who, in order to embarrass the Spaniards, whom he observed busy in clearing their decks, gave directions to fire, though his previous orders had been not to engage till within pistol-shot. Immedi- ately after he took up an advantageous position, by which he was able to traverse the most of his guns on the enemy, who could only bring part of theirs to bear. At the commencement of the battle, part of the netting and mats of the galleon took fire ; but, upon being ex- tinguished, the fight continued with unabated deter- mination. Symptoms of disorder, however, were soon observed on board the merchantman ; their general, " who was the life of the action," was disabled, and the men could hardly be prevailed on to remain at their posts. Their last effort was marked by the discharge of five or six guns with more skill than usual ; when, as a signal that the contest was abandoned, the st'indard of Spain was struck from the mast-head, — the ship's colours having been burned in the engagement. The treasure in specie found on board the prize has been estimated at upwards of £300,000 sterling. Anson at the same time learned that the other had set sail much earlier than usual, and was most probably moored in the port of Manilla long before he had reached Samal. As nothing was now to be gained by remaining among the Philippines, he at once set sail for the river of Canton, where he arrived about the middle of July, and remained until the beginning of December. The homeward passage was not attended with any remark- able event, and on the 1.5th June 1744, after an absence of three years and nine months, the Centurion anchored at Spithead. General joy was diffused through the nation hy the return of the expedition, diminished though it was both in men and ships ; and the treasure taken from the galleon was carried through the streets to the Tower in thirty-two waggons, in the same man- ner as the silver taken by Blake. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 163 in g The distress which was experienced on board this squadron is to be ascribed solely to the ill-judged measures which were adopted in its equipment ; while the unflinching perseverance and couittge displayed by the seaipen, and the intrepidity and prudence of the commander, are worthy of a place in the brightest page of the naval annals of our country.* The disastrous fate of the Wager, one of the ships which put to sea under Lord Anson, has been already alluded to. In addition to the sufferings endured by the rest of the fleet in their stormy passage round Cape Horn, her crew were dispirited by evil omens and superstitious fears. The captain who commanded them when they left England died ere they reached the Straits of Le Maire, and it was currently rumoured, both among officers and seamen, that shortly before his death he had predicted, *^ that this voyage, which both officers and sailors had engaged in with so much cheerfulness and alacrity, would prove, in the end, very far from their expectations, notwithstanding the vast treasure they imagined to gain by it ; that it would end in poverty, vermin, famine, death, and destruction." -j^ These gloomy forebodings appear to have deeply im- pressed all on board, more especially as the defective equipment of the vessel rendered their fulfilment too * A curious illustration of the high o[Mnion entertained of the conduct of Anson's expedition will ra found in the <* Journal of a Cruise made to the Pacific Ocean, by Captain David Porter, in the United States frigate Essex, in the Years 1812, 1813, and 1814. 2 vols SvOi Philadelphia, 1815." Captain Porter informs us, that the fame of Anson served only to " rouse his ambition," and as an incentive " to make the name of the Essex as well known in the Pacific Ocean as that of the Centurion ;" and he i^ivps it as his opinion, that *' the voyage of the Essex ought not to yield the palm to those of Anson and Cook." The gallant captain, his vessel, and all her prizes but one, were captured oy a British frigate of inferior force; yet he cannot refrain from summing up his fancied triumph over Anson by the reproach that ''he had no trophies of his success to exhibit!" + A Voyage to the South Seas, in the Years 1740-1. By John Bulkel}', ana John Cummins, late gunner and carpenter of the Wager. Second edition. London, 1757) p- 5. CHAP. V. OansMoftha suffering endoxcf , Fate of the rest 01 the fleet SnperstitioTis apprehen* sions. 16 i PROM THE BEGINNING OP THE CHAP. V. The Wajrer separated from the squadron. Driven on ehoio. Sufferlnp;* of the sliip- wrecked crew. probable. She was separated from the squadron in the end of April ; upon which Captain Cheap, in obedience to his orders, immediately proceeded to search for the appointed rendezvous, — the Isle of Socorro. On the 14th of May, it was discovered that the vessel was driving right on shore, and though her course was instantly altered and every precaution used, the next morning at daybreak she struck on a hidden rock, and grounded between two small islands about a gunshot from the beach. The scene which ensued was of the moHt revolting nature, and the description which has been left of it by the Honourable John Byron, then a midshipman on board, is perliaps little inferior in real horror and sublimity to the most imaginative concep- tions of his noble grandson.* The ship held together for a considerable period, and the whole crew might have got to the land in safety, had not many, in the phrensy of despair and intoxication, obstinately refused to quit her. Among the miserable beings who reached the shore heart-burnings and dissensions speedily appeared ; and the history of their abode on this desolate coast is one wearisome succession of insubordination^ discord, and crime. After five months thus cor-^umed, d'ning which, out of about 140^- who were shipwrecked, no fewer * l>larrative of the Hon. Jnhn Byron, being an Account of the Shipwreck of the Waeer, and the subsequent Adventures of her Crew. Written by Himself. — The editor of the late edition of By- ron's works, in tracing the poet's imitations, appears to have over- looked a passage in tne Narrative which may have suggested the lines — " Then shriek'd the timid, and stood still the brave, — Then some leaped overboard with dreadful ^•»'/, An eager to anticipate their grave.'''' Don Juan^ canto ii. st. 52. Tii<^ followintr sentence occurs in Commodore Byron's Narrative : — • " So terrible was the scene of foaming; breaker"* around us, that one of t'le bravest men we had could not lielp expressing his dismay at it, saying it was too shocking a sight to bear, and would have in- own himself over the mils of the quarter-deck into the sea J.ad he not been prevented." — Second edition, p. 12. + These numlxjrs arc stated as the nearest approximation to the I EIGUTEENTU CENTURY TO GEORGE III. 165 than fifty died, the iong-boat was at last converted into CHAP. V. a schooner; and on- board of her and the ship's cut- Attempt to ter, seventy-one of the survivors departed, in order f*''"^^^*^^ to proceed to Brazil by the Straits of Magellan. Thirty entto-. survived to reach Rio Grande, about the end of January 1742 ; nineteen were abandoned to their fate on diflFer- ent parts of the coast, only three of whom survived to reach Europe ; and twenty-two perished, chiefly through hunger and fatigue. Among the twer.ty who remained on tlie coast where the Wager was "recked was the captain, who had been made prisoner by part of his crew, and was left there at his own desire. Cheap and Proceedincs his unfortunate companions determined to proceed north- cheau '^'^ w ards in the barge and yawl, which had been left to them. The hardships they experienced made frightful havoc among their little band ; only six of whom, after a series of almost unparalleled sufferings, iirriyed at the island of Chiloe.* The melancholy fate of the Wager led to an import- ant alteration in the laws of our naval service. Much of the crime and misery was justly attributed to the circumstance that the pay of a ship's company ceased immediately upon her wreck ; and a rule was in conse- quence established " that, in future, every person enter- ing into the service of his majesty's navy should be truth which can be made. The different narratives give very con- tradictory accounts of the numbers. Burney (Chron. Hist. Dis- cov., vol. V. p. 91) makes the number on boari at the date of the shipwreck 130, and states (vol. v. p. 101) that it 24th June forty- five had died and seven deserted, which reduces the whole at that time to seventy-eiglit. Yet afterwards (vol. v. p. 106), he states that in October the number remaining, including tlie seven desert- ers, was ninety-two. Bulkely makes the number shipwrecked 162. Byron rates them at 145. * Captain King, in the course of the survey wliich he made of the southern extremity of the American continert in the years 1 {526-7-8-11-30, discovered, near the west end of the easternmost of the Guaineco Islands, the beam of a vessel, whicli there is reason to believe was a .elic of the unfort\mate Wager. F-om this circum- stanco, he bestowed upon the island the name of that ship.— Journal of the Itoyal Geographical Society, vol. i. p. 15M. illteration In the naval lie 166 FROM THE BEGINNING, &c. CHAP. V, held tttached to that service, and be entitled to the pay, maintenance, or emoluments belonging to his station, until such time as he should be regularly discharged by an order of the Admiralty or of his superior officer." * HcRTilar dischiirjje requu'ed. • Burney, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. ii. pp. 127, 128. We have now to take leave of this valuable and important work, and cannot do so without an acknowledgment of the threat assistance whTish it bas afforded us. Cit Voyagt Discc of "W Walli Island and O for Til Queen and N £NOLA^ tha annj which t discover] and the At the e; deep pas career, tl continuec when it « and lustn liberal pr< superior i times. We ha^ period whj extent of i marked, " or the ext CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OF DYRON, tc. 167 CHAPTER VI. Circumnavigations of Byron, Wallis, and Carteret. Voyaffe of Byron — Its Objects — Vain Search for Pepys' Island — Discovery of the Islands of Disappointment, King George, Prince of Wales, Danger, and Duke of York — Circumnavigations of Wallis and Jarteret — Their Separation — Wallis discovers the Islands of Whitsunday, Queen Charlotte, Egmont, Cumberland, and Osnaburg — Arrives at Otaheite — Transactions tliere— Sails for Tinian — Carteret discovers Pitcairn's Island — Santa Cruz or Queen Charlotte's Islands — The Solomons — St George'p Channel and New Ireland — New Hanover— Arrives at SjritheaJ. England had hitherto held only a secondary place in CHA?. vi. tha annals of maritime enterprise. Spain and Portugal, Revived which first occupied the field, had ichieved the gi-eat spirit of discoveries of the American continent, the Pacific Ocean, tnglani* ° and the passage to India hy the Cape of Good Hope. At the end of the sixteenth century, the empin of the deep passed to Holland. After a short and h-illiant career, the spirit of adventure began to languish and continued nearly 100 years almost entirely dormant, when it again broke forth in Britain with a strength / and lustre which have procured for our country, a? the liberal promoter of geographical science, an equal, if not superior rank to any nation of ancient or of modern times. We have now arrived at the reign of George III.. — a neign of period which will ever be memorable for the value and "'^'"f® ^^* extent of its discoveries, effected, as has been justly re- marked, " not with a view to the acquisition of treasure or the extent of dominion, but the improvement of 168 CUICUMNAVIGATIONS OP CHAP. VI. Scientific tastes and ac- quirements of the king. Liberal views entertained. Pepys' and Ptilkland's Islands. commerce and the increase and diffusion of knowledge." The love of science, and the geographical learning which the young monarch himself possessed, secured a favour- able hearing to every undertaking for exploring new lands ; and the design wliich for this purpose he had formed immediately after his accession, he proceeded to put in execution so soon as the peace of 1763 left his mind free from the cares of war. The views which were entertained in the equipment of his first expedi- tion are briefly expressed in the instructions delivered to the commodore, — a document which deserves to be quoted for its elevated sentiments : " Whereas nothing can redound more to the honour of this nation, as a maritime power, to the dignity of the crown of Great Britain, and to the advancement of the trade and navi- gation thereof, than to make discoveries of countries hitherto unknown ; and whereas there is reason to be- lieve that lands and islands of great extent, hitherto un- visited by any European power, may be found in the Atlantic Ocean, between the Cape of Good Hope and the Magellanic Streight, within the latitudes convenient for navigation, and in climates adapted to the produce of commodities useful in commerce ; and whereas his majesty's islands called Pepys* Island and Falkland's Islands, lying within the said tract, notwithstanding their having been. first discovered and visited by British navigators, have never yet been so sufficiently surveyed, as that an accurate judgment may be formed of their coasts and product ; his majesty, taking the premises into consideration, and conceiving no conjuncture so proper for an enterprise of this nature as a time of profound peace, which his kingdoms at present happily enjoy, has thought fit that it should now be under- taken."* " An Acco'jnt of the Voyag'es undertaken by the Order of his present Majesty for makinjif Discoveries in the Southern Hemi- sphere. Drawn up from the Journals of the Commanders, and from - Uie Papers of Josepli Banks, Fs<: By John Hawkesworth, LL.D. T and mou twei offic( crew first bette been The ( Hono midsh allude to his having now a secrecj and sc engage undece. Octobej called c voyage all to I received course t< arrived c mained London, i; work is th< present oh acter. Th tuitous lub Hccnracv, a perisheci all if^s. He Voyage;" no respect h iTdged to »m Ihe Admirali sum oi 4;60l of BYIION, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. These instructions we-e dated the l7th of June 17C4, and on the 3d of July the squadron sailed from Ply- mouth. It consisted of two ships, — the Dolphin ol twenty-four guns, manned by 160 men and forty-one officers ; tind the Tamar, carrying sixteen guns, with a crew of ninety seamen and twenty-six officers. The first of these vessels was sheathed with copper, better to prepare her for the voyage, and is said to have been the first ship so furnished in the British navy. The command of the expedition was intrusted to the Honourable John Byron, whose sufferings, when a midshipman on board of the Wager, have been already alluded to. From that disastrous enterprise he returned to his native country at the age of twenty-two, and having gone through the various steps of promotion, had now attained the rank of post-captain. The greatest secrecy was preserved as to the precise object in view ; and so far was this carried, that the seamen were engaged to sail for the East Indies. They were not undeceived as to their real destination until the 22d of October, when, after leaving Rio Janeiro, they were called on deck and informed that they were bound on a voyage of discovery, in consequence of which they were all to be allowed double pay. This intelligence was received with the greatest joy imaginable, and their course was shaped towards the coast of Patagonia, They arrived at Port Desire on the 21st of November, and re- mained there until the 6th of the next month, when. US li- London, 1773. 3 vols 4to. General Introduction, pp. i. ii. This work is the chief authority for the three voyages narrated in the present chapter. Its publication was fatal to the author's char- acter. The dangerous tendency of his views on religion, the gra- tuitous lubricity oi" his descriptions, and his gross and slovenlv in- accumcv, at once excited a storm of" popular indignation, in i»liicli perishefl all the honour and reputation gained by his previous writ- ings. He was ambitious to make his book " another Anson's Voyage ;" but he has imitated that lively and spirited narrative in no respH'Ct but in inattention to the strictness of truth. He was en- gaged to undertake the work by Lord Sandwich, the first lord of the Admiralty, and his services were reivunerated by the munificent sum of i.'60U0. Great secrecy maintained. CHAP.VL Search for Pepys' Island. Look out for the islands of Sihald de Weert. Horsemen at Cape de les Virgenes. 170 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP having completed their supplies, they sailed in search of Pepys* Island, — one of the chief objects set forth in their instructions. The land, to which this name was given in honour of the celebrated Secretary Pepys, was sup- posed to have been discovered, as has been already stated, in 1684, by the Buccaneers under Cook, in the latitude of forty-seven degrees and forty minutes.* After ciniis- ing in search of it six days, Byron, being now certain that no such land existed in the situation laid down by the editor of Cowley's Journal, determined again to re- turn to the Amer'can continent, keeping a look-out for the islands of Sibald de Weert, which, by all the charts he had on board, could not be far from his track.t The ]iopes w^hich seem to have been cherished of finding in these regions a mild climate were now dissipated, and it was agreed by all, that, except in the length of the day, there was no difference between the height of summer here and the deptli of winter in England. After a storm, whicli, the commodore declares, surpassed any he experienced in weathering Cape Horn with Anson, he arrived at the entrance of the Straits of Magellan, where he anchored in the vicinity of Cape de las Virgenes. A number of horsemen were perceived riding back- wards and forwards on the coast opposite the ship, and waving something of a white colour, as if inviting the voyagers to land. Two boats were accordingly manned, and as they drew near the shore, they observed about 600 people, th(> greater part of whom were on horse- back, waiting their approach, still making signals and hallooing with great vociferation. No weapons were seen among them ; but Byron, notwithstanding, con- sidered it prudent to intimate by signs that they should retire to some distance, — a request with which they instantly complied. As soon as he landed, he drew up the boats' crews on the beach, and havmg given orders that none of them should leave their ranks until he called or beckoned on them to do so, he advanced alone * See above, p. 130. f Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 26. BYRONj WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 171 towards the savages. These continuing to retreat as he chap. VL approached, he made signs that one of them should intei^^ come near, when an individual from among their leaders with the walked towards him. " This chief," says he, " was of a ""^'^^'^ gigantic stature, and seemed to realize the tales of mon- sters in a human shape ; he had the skin of some wild beast thrown over his shoulders, as a Scotch Highlander weal's his plaid, and was painted so as to make the most hideous appearance I ever beheld ; round one eye was a large circle of white^, a circle of black surrounded the other, and the rest of his face was streaked with paint of different colours. I did not measure him, but if I may judge of his height by the proportion of his sta- ture to my own, it could not be much less than seven feet." * With " this frightful colossus," as the com- Gigantic modore terms him, he walked towards the natives, who, size ot tho at his request intimated by signs, sat down, when he presented them with beads, ribands, and other trinkets, — all which they received with becoming composure. He describes the whole of them as " enormous goblins," and adds, that " few of the men were less than the chief who had come forward to meet me." His lieutenant, Mr Gumming, " though six feet two inches high^, became at once a pigmy among giants ; for these people may indeed more properly be called giants than tall men." Another account of the voyage, professing to be written by an officer of the Dolphin,+ says of these savages, such was their extraordinary size, that when sitting they were almost as high as the commodore when standing ; and adds, that Byron, though he measured fully six feet, " and stood on tiptoe, could but just reach the crown of one of the Indians' heads, who was not by far the tallest among them." — "The women," it is said, " seemed AT)pearar.ce to be from seven and a half to eight feet high ; but the ^q^Ij^ men were for the most part about nine feet in height, ♦ Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p 28. •f- A Voyage round the World in his Majesty's Ship the Dolphin, commanded by the Honourable Commodore Byron. By an Officer on board the said Ship. London, 17^7« P> 4d.53. I * r J 72 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP CHAP. VI. and some more." The stature of Lieutenant Gumming Probable oeems to have recommended him to the favour of these exHggeration savages, some of whom, we are told, " patted him on uttiiativa *he shoulder ; but their hands fell with such force that it affected his whole frame." That these statements much exaggerate the size of the people on the Magel- lanic Straits there can be little doubt, while it is equally certain, on the other hand, that they are not without some foundation.* Byron's own statem.ent makes them less than seven feet, and even this he does not give as the result of actual measurement, but as the conclusion he came to from comparing his own figure with that of the chief. Making allowance for the uncertainty at- tending such a mode of computation, there seems to be no ground for questioning the veracity of the commo- dore, though the stories in the anonymous account are evidently fabulous. Lieutenant Gumming, who acts so prominent a part in these relations, when afterwards questioned on the subject, evinced some reluctance to enter on the discussion ; " but at length it was partly gathered and partly extorted from him, that had the occurrence taken place any where else than at Patagonia, they should have set them down as good sturdy savages, and thought no farther about them."t to Lieutenant Cuniming's account * See Lives and Voyaees of Drake, Cavendish, and Dampier, p. 101, note. Mr Weddel (Voyage towards the South Pole, in the Years 1822-24, London, 1825) thinks " that tJiose with whom Commodore Byron communicated were probably chiefs ; but it is more than pro- bable that this tribe, of whatever size, were not inhabitants of the shore, but of the interior, and from tlie country farther to the north- ward, and of course seldom, perhaps never, on the shores of the Straits when any vessels touched there, since that time." He adds, that more northern Pataj^onians had bpen seen by his officers, " who described them to be {generally about six feet high, well proportioned, and appearing upon the whole above ihe ordinary size. "-^ P. 206. •f" This anecdote appears in a Memoir of the Honourable John Byron, prefixed to an edition of his Narrative published at Edin- burgh in 1812 by John Rallantyne & Co. Mr Cumming's statement was made to the luto Cnptuin Robert Scott of Rosebank, uncle of Sir Walter Scott. " The writer of this Memoir," it is said, " had the pleasure of Captain Scott's personal acquaintance, from whom he had this anecdote."— P. 36. BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 173 Byron now sailed up the Straits as far as Port Famine, chap, vt, to procure a supply of wood and water before he ~~T~ proceeded to search for the Falkland Islands. It was and beauty the month of December, the midsummer of these re- c'^'fry. gions, and their wild shores wete clothed with a luxuriance of vegetation. The voyagers observed the ground covered with flowers of various hues, which loaded the air with their fragrance ; innumerable clusters of berries glistened on the bushes ; amid the rich grass and pea-blossoms there were seen feeding large flocks of birds of uncommon beauty ; and forests grew by the binks of the rivers, abounding with trees fit to be masts for the largest ships in the British navy. Woods spread up the sides of the hills from the water's edge ; but the mountains farther inland were bleak and bare, and their rugged summits, covered with snow, were seen towering high above those nearest the shore. Drift- wood was also found in large quantities. After a short stay the vessels completed their stores, and on the 4th of January 1765 weighed anchor and steered back through che Straits. On the 11th, high, craggy, barren rocks were ob- Discovery served, much resembling Staten Land ; innumerable ^ ^^^ quantities of seals ard birds were remarked, and many islands. whales approached the ships, some of them of a very great size. On the 16th, a harbour was discovered, so capacious that the whole navy of England might ride in it ; to which, in honour of the first lord of the Ad- miralty, the name of Port Egmont was given. Byron now became convinced that the islands he had reached were the Pepys* Island of Cowley, the Maiden-land of Hawkins, and the Falklands of later geographers ; and under this last name he took possession of them for the British crown, — a ceremony Avhich, it has been remarked, the f^nor of his instructions rendered super- fluous. On leaving this group, he stood towards Port Desire, where he met the store-ship which had been despatched from England with provisions. He then returned to the Straits, to pass into the South Sea ; 174 CIRCUMNAVIQATIONS OP Wateriug |)l«ce selected. Disappoint- ineut lalaiida. CiiAP. VI. which, however, he did not reach till the beginning of April, the passage having occupied seven weeks and two days. With the view of preserving secrecy, the island of Mas-afuera had befen selected as a watering-place, in preference to that of Juan Fernandez ; but a heavy surf which broke on its rocky shore prevented him from obtaining a full supply. Hence Byron steered nearly due north, until he attained the latitude of 26® 46', when he changed his course to the westward, in order to bear down upon Davis* Land or Easter Island ; but, finding his progress slow, he sailed to the north- west, in order to profit by the trade-wind. On the morning of the 7th of June, he was in the latitude of 14° 6' south, and longitude 144° 68' west, when he dis- covered two islands, to the smaller of which he directed his prow. As he drew near, it presented the most beautiful appearance ; the sea broke upon a beach of the finest white sand, and the interior was covered with tall trees grouped into delightful groves. Many of the natives, armed with spears, appeared on the strand, where they lighted several fires, apparently as signals ; for similar tokens instantly blazed upon the other island. A boat was despatched to search for anchorage, but returned without having found any. The scurvy had by this time made dreadful havoc among the crews, and such of the sick as were able to crawl on deck " stood gazing at this little paradise, which nature had forbidden them to enter ; " where they saw cocoa-nuts hanging from the trees in large clusters, the shore strewed with the shells of turtle, while the wind wafted to them the fragrance of the finest fruits. As no anchoring-ground was found near the other island, the captain was compelled to quit these inaccessible shores, on which he bestowed the name of Disappointment. The natives were of a deep copper- colour, well proportioned in their limbs, and of great activity and vigour. On the evening of the 9th, land was again descried, Necessity of nbaiiJoning theialuDda. BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 175 and, on more minute examination, was ascertained to consist of two islands, which, in honour of his majesty, were called King George's. While the boats sailed along the coast of one of them in search of anchorage, the hostile intentions of the natives were so clearly manifested that it was deemed necessary to fire. Two or three of them were slain ; one of whom, after being pierced by three balls, seized a large stone, and died in the act of throwing it against his enemy. No anchorage was discovered ; but it was nevertheless thought expedient to land part of the crews, in order to procure a supply of cocoa-nuts and scurvy-grass. As the people had fled, their dwellings were totally deserted, except by their dogs, which kept up an inces- sant howling as long as the seamen continued on shore. In the neighbourhood of the huts, beneath the thick shade of lofty trees, were observed stone buildings, which, from their descriptif^n, seem to have somewhat resembled the eromkc..> oi the ancient Britons, and were conjectured to be burying-places. When the boats drew near to the shore of the other island, an old man of a venerable appearance, and wearing along white beard, accompanied by a youth, came forward from the crowd of savages. He appeared to be a chief, and in one hand held the green branch of a tree, while with the other he pressed his beard to his bosom, and in this attitude commenced a long oration, the periods of which had a musical cadence by no means disagreeable. During this speech the people in the boats threw him several presents, but these he would not sufter to be touched until he had finished his harangue ; upon which ad- vancing into the water, he threw the green branch to the seamen, and then picked up their gifts. Encouraged by these friendly signs, one of the midshipmen swam through the surf to 'he shore, and several of the natives came off to the boats, bringing with them cocoa-nuts and fresh-water. This Island lies in latitude 14° 41', and longitude 149° lb'. On quitting it Byron stood to the westward, and in CIIAP. VI King Geome's Islands. Landing of part of tliu crcwSi Friendly overtures of the islanders. Native supplies. F v»< .^.^a^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) C^/ '^ >* 1.0 I.I I^|2j8 12.5 us u 140 12.0 ' m m m -m ■ 6" ^ Photograpliic Sciences Corporation i3 WIST MAIN STRUT WiBSTiR.N.Y. 145S0 (716)S72-4S03 ^^1?/^ ^.V^ '^ n 4^ 176 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Prince of Wales' Iblond. Chance of coarse CHAP. vr. the afternoon of the next day discovered a small island, of a green and pleasant appearance, but surrounded by- many rocks and islets, which occasioned dreadful breakers. It appearing, however, to be inhabited, was named after the Prince of Wales ; and is now believed to be the same with the Fly Island of Schouten and Le Maire.^ While in this vicinity the commodore became impressed with the opinion that land existed not far to the south, as well from the discontinuance of a heavy swell which had prevailed for some time, as from the vast flocks of birds which, as evening closed m, always took their flight in that direction. The un- healthy state of his crew, however, prevented him from going in search of it ; and the discovery of Otaheite and the Society Isles was accordingly reserved for the more auspicious fortune of Wallis. Byron's course was now directed north-westwards ; and, after having sailed more than 300 leagues, he observed, on the 21st of June, a cluster probably identical with the San Bernardo of Mendana,t which, from the shoals and stormy sea that forbade approach to them, he denominated the Islands of Danger. Three days later, while pursuing his course in a westerly direction, he perceived another island, to which he gave the name of the Duke of York ; and on the 2d of July, in latitude 1° 18' south, longitude 173° 46' east, he approached one, low and flat, but well covered with wood. About 1000 natives appeared on the beach, and more than sixty canoes pulled ofi^ from the shore, and ranged themselves round the ships. The savages were tall and well formed ; their complexion a bright copper colour ; their hair long and black, in some tied up behind in a great bunch, in others arranged into three knots ; their features good, and marked by an expression of cheerful intrepidity. They were perfectly naked, wearing no- thing on tlieir persons but some ornaments of shells on their necks, wrists, and waists. One, who appeared to Intercourse with ilie natives. • See above, p. 107. t Ibid. p. 80. as the no- on to BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 177 be a chief, had a string of human teeth round his body. chap. vr. Their arms consisted of a kind of spear, broad at the p^^^^ end, and stuck full of shark's teeth as sharp as lancets, ot one oi Uie One of these savages swam to the ship and ran up the °****®* side like a cat, and having stepped over the gunwale sat down on it and burst into a violent fit of laughter, then started up and ran all over the ship, attempting to (teal every thing that came in his way. A jacket and trousers were put upon him, and his gestures, which were like those " of -a monkey newly dressed," pro- duced much merriment among the seamen ; and, after playing a thousand antic tricks, he leaped overboard, ^ " .! and swam in his new garments to his canoe. Finding ■ '< it impossible to procure refreshments for the sick, the ships were obliged to make s.ul from this place, which was named Byron's Island. On the 30th of June, the squadron came in sight of Diflierent Tinian, and on the 31st, anchored in the very same spot ^fj^^^"' where Lord Anson formerly lay with the Centurion. The aspect of things was to them, however, very dif- ferent from the high- wrought description of the former voyage. " I am indeed of opinion," says the commo- dore, " that this is one of the most unhealthy spots in the world, at least during the season in which we were here. The rains were violent and almost incessant, and the heat was so great as to threaten us with suffocation. . . . We were incessantly tormented by the flies in the day, and by the musquitoes in the night. The ' -■' island also swarms with centipedes and scorpions, and a large black ant scarcely inferior to either in the malig- nity of its bite. Besides these there were venomous insects without number, altogether unknown to us, by which many of us suffered so severely that we were . ,; afraid to lie down in our beds."* Till the period of his arrival there, not one of the crew had died ; but while at that island two were lost in a fever : those Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 118. 178 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OF CHAP. VI. Provisions and return home. Captain > WaUis's ezpedltioo. Straits of Magellan. Interview witli tlie natives. afflicted with the scurvy, indeed, recovered very quickly. He stayed nine weeks, \ 'hen, the health of his crew heing re-established and a stock of provisions laid in, he proceeded to Batavia, where he remained till the 10th of December, at which time he set sail for England. An accident having happened to the Tamar which ren- dered it necessary ihai she should run down to Antigua to be repaired, the vessels parted company on the Ist of April 1766 ; and on the 7th of May, the Dolphin made the islands of Scilly, after a voyage of something more than two and twenty months. In little more than three months after the return of Commodore Byron, another expedition was sent out to prosecute the same general design of making discoveries in the southern hemisphere. It consisted of the Dol> phin, which was equipped as before, and of the Swallow, a sloop mounting fourteen guns, with a complement of ninety men, besides twenty-four officers. The latter was commanded by Captain Philip Carteret ; while Captain Samuel Wallis, who hoisted his pendant in the Dolphin, was intrusted with the general superintend- ence of the enterprise. The vessels sailed from Ply- mouth on the 22d August 1766, attended by a store- ship which, after landing her cargo at Port Famine, proceeded with a load of drift-wood and young trees for the use of a British colony established that year at Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands. On the 16th of December, they anchored near Cape de las Virgenes, at the eastern entrance of the Straits of Magellan. Several of the natives were observed riding along the beach abreast of the ship, and during the night they made great fires and frequently shouted very loud. In the morning, some boats were manned and stood towards the shore, where, having landed, Wallis distributed several trinkets to the savages, and took an opportunity of ascertaining their height by actual measurement. One of them was six feet seven inches ; several reached six feet and a half ; and the average of their stature, les, fan. (the BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. m Anlval at Port Famine. Suffeiini^ endured by WaUls. according to him, was from five feet ten to six feet ; gftap. vi. wliile Carteret aays, '* they were in general all from six feet to six feet five inches.'** In the afternoon of the same day they entered the Straits, and on the 26th arrived at Port Famine, where they remained till the middle of January 1767 ; the sick heing sent on shore, and tents erected on the banks of the Sedger River. Their passage thence was so stormy and tedious that they did not reach the western mouth of the Straits till the 11th of April, "after," says the author, "having been for near four months in a dreary region, where we were in almost perpetual danger of shipwreck, and where in the midst of summer the weather was cold, gloomy, and tempestuous.*'t On the very day that they entered the South Sea the two vessels parted company, and did not again meet. Captain Wallis, who held his course to the north- west, suffered much from the severity of the climate and the attacks of the scurvy. At length, on the Sd of June, several gannets were seen, which, along with the variableness of the winds, led to the hope that land was not &r distant. The next day a turtle swam past the ship ; many birds were seen on the iith ; and on the succeeding noon the sight of a low island at the distance of five or six leagues diffused universal joy on board. As they drew near, a second was descried to the north-westward, and two canoes were seen paddling quickly from the one to the other. The shores were examined in vain for an anchorage ; but the boats which landed procured cocoa-nuts and scurvy-grass : no inhabitants were seen, though some hut» and skifis attested their recent presence. The captain gave it the name of Whitsunday Island. He describes it as about * *< A Letter from Philip Carteret, Esq., Captain of the Swallow Sloop, to Mathew Maty, Nf.D., Sec. R. S., on the Inhabitants of the Coast of Patagonia." — Philosophical Transactions, vol. Ix. p. 20-26. Carteret sailed with Commodore Byron, and expresses his chaiiprin that Captain Wallis neg-lected to acqnire a greater know. tedi(e of these sava^res. '-K- + Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 109. ..i I V\ni!t8ana:iy Island. 180 CIRCUMNAVJOATIONS OP Saeen harlotte'i CHAP. VL four miles in length and thi-ee in breadth ; but a later voyager has reduced its length to a mile and a half, and assigned to it a situation forty miles westward of that mentioned by his predecessor.* He now stood for the other island, and sent out the boats, which sailed along the beach until dark ; but, though they procured some water and cocoa-nuts, they returned to the ship without finding safe ground. Next morning, they were again despatched with instructions to effect a regular landing ; which they no sooner did than all the inhabitants em> barked, and sailed away to tho westward. This Island, where Wallis remained two days longer, he named after Queen Charlotte. It is estimated by him to be about six miles long and one broad, and is said to abound in cocoa-nut trees; but these appear to have been completely eradicated since the time of his visit.-}- Having directed his course to the westward, on the afternoon of the same day, which was the 10th Jupe, he discovered another island, on which he found congre- gated the savages who had fled from Queen Cliarlotte's, along with some others, amounting in all to about four- score. The men were armed with pikes and firebrands, and advanced before the women and children, making a great noise, and dancing in a strange manner. This island, which seems to have been selected as a place of retreat, for which its inaccessible shores rendered it well adapted. Captain Wallis denominated Egmont, in honour of the earl of that name, the first lord of the Admiralty.^ The next morning, another island was E^ffmont lalands. * Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beerin^'s Strait, io the Years 1825.26-27-28, to co-operate with the Polar ^Expeditions. By Capt. F. W. Beechey. 2 vols 8vo. London, 1831, vol. i. p. 20i3. Wallis placed it in latitude 19° 28' S., longitude I'dJ" 66' W. Cap. tain Beechey makes its latitude 19° 23' oQ" S., and its longitude 138" 86' 48" W. •(• Beeche}', vol. i. p. 207. No cause has been assigned for this lingular change. t The latitude assigned by Wallis is IR"* 20' S., the longitude 138° 30' W. Captain fieecliey's tables give the latitude of tlie north and south-west extremities, the former 19° 22' 59" S., tlie *. • BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 181 was I in the '• J.y Cap- ritude |>rthis i;itude l>t' Uie seen, resembling the one iust described in all respects except in breadth ; but a high sea which broke on its rocky beac)i rendered landing impossible. Sixteen natives were observed, armed like the others. It was called Gloucester ; and later navigators, while they assign to it a different position, bear testimony to the accuracy of his description, though its present form and extent are said to differ materially. On the 12th, an island was observed, which was denominated Cumber- land ; while the name of Prince William Henry was bestowed on a small low one descried at a distance on the daybreak of the 13th. The variety of longitudes assigned to these places has led succeeding observers to claim them as new discoveries ; and, exercising the privilege of a first visiter, the French officer Duperrey seems to have conferred on Prince William Henry's the new title of L'Ostange.* On the I7th, land was seen in the north-west : it was high, and covered with cocoa-trees; but as no anchorage could be found, Wallis, after procuring a few articles of refreshment, pursued his course, bestowing on the country the title of Osnaburg, —a name which has since given place to the native ap- pellation of Maitea. In about half an hour after, very lofty ground was discerned to the west-south-west ; but though the ship was immediately steered toward it, owing to adverse weather, she did not reach it that night. The next morning, which broke clear and fair, showed it at the distance of five leagues. At eight o'clock, they were close under it, when a thick fog obliged them to lie to, and for a time concealed from them the shores of Ota- heite. At length the mists rolled away, and they saw before them a country of " the most delightful and ro- mantic appearance that could be imagined ;" along the latter 19"'24'26", t>'e lonjritude of the same spots 139» 12 03" W., and 139° 14' 34''. Captain Beechey calls this <* the second dis- covery of Captain Wallis," vol. i. p. 210, apparently fbrgettin^; Queen Charlotte's Island. *.* Beechey, vol. i. pp. 249, 2,'iO. ' '-•' «■ = OHAP. vr. Gluucoster Island. Repeated cltilms to discovery. Bratt( Islau Discovery of Otaheite. 182 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Benaty and furtillry of the iidand. CHAP. vr. coast extended fertile plains covered witli fruit-trees of various kinds, and embosomed among these were seen the houses of the natives ; the interior rose into towering mountains crowned with wood, and large rivera were seen falling from the rocks in picturesque cascades. Around the ship, the water was studded with some hundreds of canoes of various sizes, containing about 800 individuals, who sat gazing at her in great astonish- ment, and by turns convei-sed one >vith another. Their wonder was excited by other circumstances besides the vast bulk and strange construction of the Faiflimentof Dolphin ; they beheld the fulfilment of a prophecy, ShlSl"**^"*" which had been handed down to them from remote times, but was of a nature so incredible, that they scarcely expected it would ever come to pass. One of their sages, named Maui, had in an inspired moment foretold, that ** in future ages a vaa ama ore, literally, an outriggcrless canoe," would come to their shores from a distant land. An outrigger being indispensable to keep their barks upright in the water, they could not believe that a vessel without one could live at sea, until, on looking on the magnificent structure before them, they unanimously declared that the prediction of Maui was fulfilled, and that the fated ship had arrived.* pheejr* * Polj'ncsian Researches, during^ a Residence of nearly Ei^rht Years in the Slociety and Sandwich Islands. By William lilllis. 2d edition, London, 1831, vol. i. p. 383. Mr EIHh* account of the native tradi- tions regarding the arrival of Wallis is hardly reconcileable with facts. He says, that when the people first saw the ships, they were induced to suppose them '^ islands inhabited by a supernatural order of beings, at whose direction lightnings flashed, thunders •■oared, and the de- stroying demon slew^ with instantaneous but invisible strokes the most daring and valiant of their warriors. But when they afterwards went alo7tgside, or ventured on huard^^ &c., they discovered them to be ships, and ** were confirmed in this interpretation when they saw the small boats belonging to the ships e^nployed tn pausing to and fro between the vessel and the shore.** — ^vol. i. p 384. But in point of fact, the natives came alongside, ventured on noard, and became familiar with the boats, before they knew any thing of the " lightning- flash and thunder-roar," or the deadly effects of fire arms. There are one or two smaller inaccuracies ia Mr Kllis' valuable work with regard to the early visiters. He BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERIiT. U13 After having consulted together for some time, they chai». vf. paddled thtir canoes round the vessel, making vaiiou FridTdj^ tiigna of friendship, and a person, holding in his hand i advunces of branch of the plantain-tree, spoke about fifteen minutes, **** natives. and concluded by throwing the bough into the sea. Soon after, one was prevailed on to come on board, but would not accept the presents offered to him until some of his companions, after " much talk," threw a few similar twigs on the deck. Several of the others soon imitated his example. One of them was attacked by Alarm at a a goat, which butted at him, and, on turning hastily e^^^ round, the appearance of an animal so new to him, raised on its hind legs preparing to repeat the blow, struck him with such terror that he instantly leapt into . . f , the water, and was followed by all his countrymen. In ^ a brief space, however, they again ventured on deck, and were presented with trinkets and nails ; their visit being terminated by one of them snatching a new laced hat from a midshipman's head, and springing with his plunder over the ship's side. No anchorage L'.ng found here, Wallis stood along Hostile pro. the shore, the boats keeping close to the land to sound, the na^ei In the afternoon, they reached a large bay, where a great number of canoes came around them ; and the captain, suspecting their hostile intentions, made a sig- nal for his people to join, while, to intimidate the savages, he fired a nine-pounder over their heads. Though startled by the report, they endeavoured to cut off the boats, and made an attack with stones, which wounded several seamen, when a musket was fired at V",' ! d seems almost to have forgotten that Wallis was expressly sent out to prosecute the discovery of new lands ; for lie attributes the arrival at Otaheite to ^ accident, so far as Captain Wallis was concerned." — Vol. ii. p. 1. The result of a concerted expedition can scarcely be called " accident ;" nor can we see the distinction on which the discoveries of Cook are attributed to a desire for " the advancement of knowledfre," and those of Wallis ascribed to chance. I'he discovery of Sagitaria by Quiros occurred in the beginning of the Mvenleenth^ not ** towards the end of the sixteenth century," as stated by Mr Ellis, vol. i. p. 6. .,, .iv'!'!/ ■■.riaaica:'- 184 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Alarm at lire-arms. Anchorage of the Dolpliin. CHAP. VI. the man who had commenced the assault. The shot pierced his shoulder, and as soon as the wound was perceived by his companions, they leapt into the sea ; while the others paddled away in great terror and con- fusion. Not long after, a canoe came off to the ship, and one of the natives having spoken about five minutes, threw a branch of the plantain-tree on board, — a token of peace which the English accepted, and gave him some trinkets, with wliich he departed apparently well pleased. Next morning, the search for anchoring-ground was renewed, and continued during all that day ; in tho evening, the Dolphin lay to abreast of a fine river, and a great number of lights were obr . ved along the shore throughout the night. At dawn, :inchorage was ob- tained ; and as soon as the vessel was secured, the boats were sent out to examine the coast and seek for a watering-place. When they approached the land, the canoes which were engaged in traffic with the crew sailed after them, and three of the largest ran at the cutter and staved in her quarter, while the islanders made themselves ready to board her. The party fired, and two of the natives fell into the sea ; on which the native*. ^ ' ° attack was instantly abandoned. Their companions pulled the men who had fallen overboard from the water and set them on their feet ; finding they could not stand, it was tried if they could sit upright ; one ot them, who was only wounded, was able when supported to retain this posture ; but the other, who was dead, they laid in the bottom of the canoe. Notwithstanding this affray, some of them speedily resumed their traffic, and an amicable intercouree was maintained during the time the Dolphin lay there. The men despatched to procure water, found the beach lined with inhabitants, who endeavoured to entice them on shore by every ex- pedient they could devise ; but, unwilling to trust those whose hostile dispositions they had so lately experienced, landing was postponed until the ship should be moored so as to cover them with her guns. At daybreak on the 28d June, while standing off to Renewed BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 185 to effect this object, a bay six or eight miles to leeward ghap.'VL was discovered from the mast-head, and Wallis Imme- d„,Z^!^ diately bore away for it. As he stood in to this harbour, coral net the Dolphin suddenly struck on a coral reef; but after beating against it about an hour, a fresh breeze springing up, she swung oif^ and shortly after came to an anchor within it. The next morning they proci eded to warp the ship farther in, when a great nun ber of people came off and engaged in traffic, by which hogs, fowls, Traffic with and fruit, were exchanged for knives, nails, and beads. *''® "•tJv«j«. As the day advanced, the canoes gradually increased ; and the captain observed with some anxiety the appear- ance of those which last arrived. They were double, and of a very large size, containing ittle else but round pebble- stones, and each was manned by twelve or fifteen stout fellows. From these circumstances, it was judged prudent to keep one of the watches constantly under arms, while tho rest of the crew were engaged in warp- ing the ship. Meanwhile more of the small craft continued to arrive ; although those which now moved from the shore presented any thing but a warlike aspect. They were filled with females, who tried every art to attract the attention of the sailors: while the double canoes wero closing round the Dolphin, some of the savages on board of them sung in a hoarse voice, others sounded the conch, and a third party played on an instrument resemblmg a flute. One, who sat on a Hostile de- «j i--iii.i 1 'J J monstratlona, canopy fixed on his small boat, now came alongside and handed up a bunch of red and yellow feathers. Wallis received this with expressions of friendship, and was preparing to present the donor with some trinkets in return, when the latter, having paddled ofi^ to a little distance, threw into the air a branch of a cocoa-nut- tree. At this signal a universal shout burst from the islanders ; all their canoes at once moved towards the man-of-war ; and a shower of stones was poured into her from all directions. The watch were instantly ordered to fire. and two of the quarter-deck swivels loaded with small shot were discharged nearly at the same time. The I 1 1' 186 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Fleet of natlv« veuela. Violent assault on the ship. CHAP. \'r. natives appeared to be thrown into oonAision, but in a few minutes renewed the attack. At this time there were about SOO of their vessels round the ship, with at least 2000 men on board ; many thousands were observed crowding the shore ; and others were paddling towards the Dolphin in the greatest haste from all sides. The crew having now got to their quarters, a fire was opened from the great guns, which soon put to flight those near the sliip, and also checked the embarkation of more warriors from the land. The savages, however, were not dispirited ; the firing having ceased, the canoes soon gathered together and lay for some time looking at their antagonist from the distance of about a quarter of a mile. Suddenly they were observed to hoist white streamers ; they then paddled towards the stem, and began a discharge of stones, each about two pounds in weight, and shmg with such force and an aim so true tliat rodny of the seamen were wounded. Several canoes, at the same time, were making towards the boW) and among these was one which appeared to have a chief on board. Two cannon were now run out abaft and pointed at tho assailants in that quarter, while others were run forward and fired from the stem. A shot from one of these struck the vessel which contained the supposed leader, and cut it asunder ; which was no sooner perceived than the others dispersed with such haste that in half an hour there was not a single canoe in sight. The people who lined the shore were observed running over the hills in great precipitation, and no farther token of hostility appearing, the English pro- ceed to moor the ship and to sound the bay. About noon of the succeeding day, it was ascertained that the beach afforded good landing in every part ; no canoes were visible, and Lieutenant Furneaux was ordered to go ashore. This was effected without oppo- sition ; and having erected a pole, on which he hoisted a pendant, and turned a turf, he took possession of the country by the name of King George the Third's Islard, title which has been superseded by the indigenous a w Taking pos- session ot th( isliuicL appellaUon of Ot.h.,t« ^' written. Tahiti.. Two old l^*" " '' """^ wmetimes chap v. Of Uiem complied and «dv»„™i , '' "^""o over, one ""•^• on hi. hand, ^a„d knee. He 1 """^^ "" ''>>"«"«" ti-mkel,. and aa «,on « the J^ '"**"'*^ *'"» «"»» f«Perroundthefla,t "rdth, 5' P"' off he began to others, who brought wllh o,/J^ ''■''^ ^" "' '"-elv, ♦% deposited at U,„ fit of thfj^r 'T ''"f^ "'»«•> oegan to dance Tj. , P"'*> ^nd. aftrr i m.,,.. _ "'^«; «nd, coming alonJs'denf.i?^^"^"'^ accompanied '"'"'"""-* ^al oration and prieS ll?^*^ '^'^* ^*^ '^ade r for- 7» each accomS brr/^""*''^-'^"-^' o^e by 8oIemIl^ spoken TT ^,* ^"^^ ^ords slowj- nJi '^riy pointed to the land ^' '"'""'* » '"turn, but e coX"; thf,:Cd""o?d™": '*'"l'^'"' «- «W - BH... •uments. w«o i. ^ "' arums, conchse. nnH n^k^, : * nend«r» " the co.aC«.d thtZ'„"d""oS: '«'"'-- «««> «■•»« ™. BH. „. — » """* *"e sound of driimp I '^®" aionc 2eth broke, tlie pendant w« 7? '^* morning of the •«'«/. ^ The 1 Jtent 'aZt„!f .'" """r ">-» oarrW «gWed in filling .he wato^lt fh' "^ "''''^ '"' "^ ■<«i«retoI,Sonh^ ",."""»'«'>n"eg over a hill at about the distance of a mile ; a great number of canoes were seen making towards the watering-place from behind the two points of the bay ; many thousands of the natives were perceived advancing through the woods in the same direction ; and a large party was discovered creeping behind the bushes close to the waterers. A boat was instantly despatched to warn them of their djinger ; but before it reached the shore they had seen the islanders lurking in the thicket and had embarked. The bay now exhibited a spectacle of singular interest. The canoes from both sides ad- vanced rapidly towards the same point, and, as they came near, stopped to take on board more warriors and great bags of stones. The margin of the beach was thronged with people all hastening to the river, and a hill which looked down on the harbour was crowded with women and children, who had seated themselves to view the approaching conflict. At length the preparations of the native armament were completed, and the whole flotilla made towards the Dolphin, which immediately opened a destructive fire. The rude armada was almost instantly dispersed ; the canoes on the east side of the bay paddled round the point, and were soon beyond the reach of shot ; while those on the west side were run on shore, and desei'tcd by their crews. The fire was now directed into dif- ferent parts of the wood, and the savages, driven from this shelter, ran up the eminence on which the women and children had taken their position. The hill was thronged with several thousand people, who considered themselves beyond the reach of danger, when, to im- press on them the tremendous power of his artillery, Wallis ordered some of the guns to be fired at this vast multitude. Two of the balls struck the ground near a tree where a great number were sitting in fancied security, and created such a consternation " that in less than two minutes not one of them was to be seen." To complote his victory, lie sent the carpenters to destroy BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 189 all the canoes which had been run aground. More than chap, vl fifty, some of them sixty feet in length, were demolish- ed in a few hours. These severe measures at length produced the desirc(? Thelsianders effect ; the islanders were now completely dispirited, dispirited, and submitted to keep ;ace with those strangers, whose terrible superiority made war hopeless. A few hours , . after the battle, about ten of them issued from the wood bearing green boughs, which they stuck up on the shore, and deposited beside them some hogs, dogs, and bundles of cloth. This peace-offering was accepted, and returned by a present of hatchets, nails, and some other articles ; and, from this time, a friendly feeling was displayed in all their transactions. The next day, the 27th June, the sick were landed. Landing the and a tent erected for their residence. A traffic was commenced for provisions, and coutinued to be carried on amicably, chiefly through the medium of the old man on behalf of the islanders, and the gunner on the part of the English. Iron was the object which the natives prized most highly, and for a small portion of it they willingly parted with every thing they had. " To discover what present would mpst gratify them," says Wallis, " I laid down before them a Johannes, a guinea, a crown- piece, a Spanish dollar, a few shillings, some new half- pence, and two large nails, making signs that they should take what they liked best. The nails were first seized Native Talat with great eagerness, and then a few of the halfpence, but the silver and gold lay neglected." * No event of importance occurred until the 11th July, when the gunner conducted on board a tall woman, apparently about forty-five years of age, and, says the captain, " of a pleasing coantenance and majestic deportment." She visit of ttie displayed a >:Veedom and ease of carriage which appeared Q"een. io have been formed by habitual command ; while she - accepted the presents which were given her with a very good grace. Urderstanding that the commander had • Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 24U. Ii)0 CIUCUMNAViaATIONS OP CHAP. VL Her residenca VIsJt by Wall is to Quueu. the Attention to the invalida. Presents of native dotii. been ill, she made signs inviting him to Innd. The gun- ner conducted her ashore, and, on his return, reported that her house was spacious, and furnished with many domestics and guards, and that another mansion which she possessed " was enclosed in lattice-work." The next morning, WuUis landed for the first time, and " my princess, or rather queen," says he, " for sucli by her authority she appeared to be, soon after came to me." She ordered her attendants to take him, and two of the officers who had been sick, in their arms and carry them to her house ; and when they approached it they were met by numbers of both sexes, whom she pre- sented to the captain as her relations, and taking hold of his hand she made them kiss it.* They were then ushered into the dwelling, which was large and commo- dious, and on the invalids being seated their arms and legs were gently chafed by young girls. During this operation, the surgeon, heated by his walk, took off his wig to cool himself ; " a sudden exclamation of one of the Indians who saw it, drew the attention of the rest, and in a moment every eye was fixed upon the prodigy, and every operation was suspended ; the whole assembly stood some time motionless in silent astonishment, which could not have b:en more strongly expressed if they had discovered that our friend's limbs had been screwed on to the trunk." f When the chafing was finished, their hospitable entertainer ordered bales of cloth to be brought, with which she dressed them after the native fashion. On their departure she accompanied them to the boats ; and Wallis having declined the honour of being again carried, the supposed queen, says he, ** took * An engraving- of this scene inserted in Hawkeaworth's Coll^ vol. i. p. 242, is entitled '* A Representation of the Surrender of the 'Island of Otaheite to Captain Wallis, by the supposed Queen, Obe- rea."— Description of the Cuts, p. xxxvi. It seems difficult to ac- count for the origin of this stranu^e title ; there is certainly nothing even hinted at in the text of such a *' surrender," nor had this imu- ginarv queen the power of giving away what was not her own. f Hawkeswortn's Coll., vol. i. p. 24S. BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. J. 01 on gieir be live to of Ithe lac- me by the arm, and whenever we came to a plash of chap.vi. water or dirt, she lifted me over with as little trouble uatiyTfeast AS it would have cost me to have lifted over a child." The next morning a present was sont to her of some hatchets, bill-hooks, and other things, and the gunner, who convoyed them, found her conducting an entertain- ment given to about 1000 people. She distributed the viands to the guests with her own hands, and when this was done, seated herself on a place elevated above the rest, and was fed by two female servants. On the 14th, the same officer observed an old woman Singular on the opposite side of the river weeping bitterly. A woman. young man who stood by her crossed, and, coming to the Englishman, made a long speech, and laid a plan- tain-bough at his feet. He then repassed the stream to l)ring over his aged friend and two large hogs. " The woman," says the captain, " looked round upon our people with great attention, fixing her eyes sometimes upon one, and sometimes upon another, and at last burst into tears. The young man who brought her over the river, perceiving the gunnei-'s concern and astonishment, made another speech longer than the first. Still, how- ever, the woman*s distress was a mystery ; but at length she made him undei'stand that her husband and three i of her sons had been killed in the attack on the ship During this explanation she was so affected that at last she sunk down unable to speak, and the two young men, who endeavoured to support her, appeared to be nearly in the same condition ; they were probably two more of her sons, or some very near relations. The gunner did all in his power to sooth and comfort her ; and when she had in some measure recovered her recol- lection, slie ordered the two hogs to be delivered to him, Jj'^ and gave him her hand in tokenof friendship, but would accept nothing in return, though he offered her ten .^ times as much as would have purchased the hogs at market."* < . .. i .., '.i; Pi-escnt of Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. pp. 244, 246, 192 1 I CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Exploring expedition. CHAP. VL On the 21st July, the queen again came on board, rteBenrfiom ^^^ brought several hogs as a pregent, for which, as tiieQueeu. usual, she would accept no recompense. On her de- parture, the captain accompanied her on shore, where he was very kindly treated, and remained during the day. As he was parting in the evening, he intimated that he w^ould leave the island in seven days, which she instantly comprehended, and expressed a desire that he would extend them to twenty. " I again," says the commander, " made signs that I must go in seven days, , ' ', upon which she burst into tears, and it was not without great difficulty that she was pacified." On the morning of the 26th, a party, consii'ting or forty seamen and all the marines, was sent out to explore the interior of the island. The instructions given to them would almost lead us to think that the expedition had been fitted out with the expectation of discovering regions abounding in gold and silver : They were directed to " examine the soil and produce of the country, not- ing the trees and plants which they should find, and when they sa^V j.iiy stream from the mountains, to trace it to its source, and observe whether it was tinctured with any mineral or ore." While they were absent an eclipse of the sun was observed, and the queen was shown the powers of the telescope, which excited in her " a mixture of wonder and delight which no language can describe." With a view to the security of the party, Wallis invited her and several of the chiefs on l)oard, to partake of a dinner which was prepared for the occasion ; but her majesty would neither eat nor drink. In the evening the men returned, and reported that they had " proceeded up the valley as far as they could, searching all the runs of water, and all the places where water had run, for appearances of metal or ore," but had found none. Shortly after, the great lady and her attendants departed, and on leaving, asked her host if he still pei-sisted in quitting the island at the time he had fixed ; " and when," says he, " I made her under- stand the*, it was impossible I should stay longer, she Eclipse of the Buu. Attention of the Queen. BYRON, WA.LLIS, AND CARTERET. 1911' ^age the on for Inov fted [hey ices ire," land host he lev- she expressed her regret by a flood of tears, which for a chap. vi. while took away her speech." * The next day, the ship being completely supplied Proparatinn with wood and water, preparations were made for sail- '<>' **«?**■*""'• lag. The island princess came on board with presents, and renewed her solicitations that Wallis would remain ten days longer, and on receiving a negative, burst as usual into tears. She then inquired when he would return, and on his intimating in fifty days, she tried to reduce the period to thirty. She remained in the Dol- phin till nighty and when told that the boat was ready to conduct her on shore, slie threw herself down on the arm-chest, and wept very passionately ; and it was with the greatest difficulty that she was prevailed on to quit the vessel. The next morning, that of the 27th July, she again came to see her friends, " but not being able Passionate to speak, she sat down and gave vent to her passion by oruie Queon. weeping ;" and it was not until they were under sail that she took her departure, " embracing us all," says the narrator, " in the most affectionate manner, and with many tears." Soon after, the ship was becalmed, when the queen again came off in her canoe, in the bow of which " she sat weeping with inconsolable sorrow." The captain gave her various articles which he thought would be of use to her, and others that were merely ornamental ; and, as he remarks, *' she silently accepted of all, but took little notice of any thing." About ten o'clock, a fresh breeze springing up, the ship cleared the reef, when the natives, and particularly the queen, once more bade them farewell, " with such tenderness of affection and grief," says the navigator, ^* as filled t ' my heart and my eyes."t To the harbour in which • Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 261. •)< Ibid. p. 2b9. The account of his interview with this lady has exposed Wallis to a good deal of ridicule. Mr Barrow (Eventnil History of the Mutiny of the Bounty, London, 1B3I, p. 16) remarks,—'' The tender passion had certainly rauy^ht hold of one or both of these worthies, and if her majesty's lan|rua^e bad been as well understood by Captain Wallis as that of Didu 196 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Vv: Island of Uimea CHAP. VL he had moored he gave the name of Port-Royal ; but it MfttaYafBay >^ better known by the native designation of Matavai Bay. t He now sailed along the shores of the neighbouring island of Eimeo, which he named after the Duke of York, and on the next morning discovered the one which he dedicated to Sir Charles Saunders, though the native appellation seems to be Tabuaemanu.* Another, about ten miles long and four broad, called after Lord Howe, was the next discovery ; while a dangerous group of shoals was denominated the Scilly. The ship's course was continued westward until ^e made the Traitors and Cocos Islands of Schouten and Le Maire, which the captain designated Keppel and Bos- cawen. The crazy state of the Dolphin now determined him to return to Europe by the west, instead of braving again the stormy climate of Cape Horn or the Straits, lie accordingly shaped his course for the Ladrones, and arrived at Tinian on the 19th of September, having discovered on the way two small islands enclosed within a coral reef, which his officers, in honour of him, called Crazy state nf tlie Dolphin. ' ii in was to iGneas, when pressinp^ Iiim to stay with her, there is no doubt it would have been fuuud not less pathetic, — *' Nee te noster amor nee te data dextera quondam " Nee moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido ? ' '' ' ' Nor could my kindness your compassion more, ; Nor plitrhted vows, nor dearer bands of love ? :■ .■ Or is tlie death of a despairing queen Not worth preventing, though too well foresean ? — Drtdek. Dalrymple has characterized Captain Waliis as « him who left the arms of a Calypso to amuse the European world with stories of enchantments in the New Cytherea, mistakin.cr the example of Ulysses, who never wished to return home till he had achieved that for which he went abroad." But it should be kept in view, that the narrative, though it runs in Waliis' name, was in reality the com- position of another ; and that the blunt and unsuspecting seaman may not have been very likely to discover the ridiculous colouring which the account was made to assume. * This is the name by which Mr Ellis usually calls Sir Charles Saunders' Island ; but he also uses that of « MainoltL"— Vol. i. p. 8. >EN. left lories pie of that that Icom- 3iman iring larles tol. i. BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 197 Wallis.* At Tinian he remained about a mouth, when he set sail for Batavia ; in his passage to which he en- countered many tempestuous gales. ** While one of these blasts was blowing with all its violence, and the darkness was so thick that we could not see from one part of the ship to the other, we suddenly discovered by a flash of lightning a large vessel close aboard of us. The steersman instantly put the helm a-lee, and the ship answering her rudder, we just cleared each other. This was the first ship we had seen since we parted with the Swallow.*' The remainder of this voyage was marked by no incident of any interest. The Dolphin anchored in the Downs on the 20th of May 1768, just 637 days from the time she had spread her sails in Plymouth Sound. The separation of Wallis and Carteret at the western mouth of the Straits of Magellan, however much re- gretted by the commanders at the time, cannot now be regarded as otherwise than fortunate. Had the vessels kept company, the knowledge of Otaheite and of a few small islands would, in all probability, have been the only acquisition ; but while the one was exploring its coasts, the other, by pursuing a track more to the south- ward, made discoveries of equal importance, and brought back to Europe tidings of the long-lost lands of Quiros and Mendana, as well as of a strait betwixt New Britain and New Ireland. As was formerly noticed, it was on the 11th April 1767, when the vessels had just come in sight of the South Sea, that the Dolphin caught a favourable breeze, before which she stood away and soon clealred Cape Pilares, leaving the Swallow in the narrows, where she * This) discovery is spoken of in the text as consistinp^ of only one island, while the accompanying^ chart shows two. It wpre cer- tainly to be wished that there had been no discrepancy ; bnt we have the authority of Hawkes worth for following the latter. " Great care," says he, " has been taken to make the charts and the nautical part of the narrative coincide ; if there should be any difference, which it is hoped will not be the rase, the charts "are to be confided in as of unquestionable authority." — General Introdt p. viii. N CHAP. VI Wallis^ Islandai Providential escape. Results of the separation of WaUia and Carteret. Parting of tlieir vessels. ^1^ 198 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OF CHAP. VI. Insiifacient snppUcai Coarse of Captain Carteret PI f calm's Peopled by the muti- neers uf tlie Luuuty. remained four days. Captain Carteret ascribes much of his detention to the crazy state of his ship and the want of proper supplies, — a subject to which he frequently recurs during his voyage. On leaving the Straits, he stood to the north for the island of Mas-afuera, where he stopped some time to procure a supply of water. He then sailed to the westward, and searched, though in vain, for the islands of San Felix, and for Davis* Land or Easter Island. His first discovery was that of a spot the romanti. Iiistory of which has attracted in later tim^* o much attention. On the 2d of July, he descried ' ad, which on a nearer approach appeared ** like a great rock rising out of the sea :" its circumference is described as not exceeding five^ miles ; and it is added, that it was covered with trees, but without any appearance of in- habitants. The surf, which broke with great violence on every side of it, forbade landing, and in honour of the young gentleman to whose eye it first appeared, it was called Pitcaim*s Island. It was a perusal of Carteret's description of this spot that led Christian and the mutineers of the Bounty to seek in it a retreat from the vengeance due to their guilt.t It was well adapted for their purpose ; approach was difficult ; it seemed to be uninhabited, afforded fresh water, and the trees with which it was covered showed it to be fertile. They found in it, indeed, every thing which they de- sired from external nature, and had no hinderance to their hopes of happiness but in their own evil passions, which in a short time brought down upon them punish- ments as deadly as those they sought to fly from, and stained this fair isle with crimes as dark as ever tragedy recorded. Pitcaim*s Island has been supposed to be the La Encarnacion of Quiros ; but the description which that navigator gives, — "low and flat, with a * Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 341. By the accompanying Ciiart the circumference ap[)ears to oe about nine miletk f Beechey, vol. i. p. 8U. BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 199 sandy surface, here and there diversified by a few trees," * — is quite inconsistent with the hilly land, the summits of which Beechey found to be 1109 feet above the sea. Captain Cook*s conjecture, that it is identical with Quiros' second discovery, — the island of San Juan Bautista, — seems also untenable. This last is described as '* plain and even a.top,*' and as containing about twelve leagues ; circumstances which are by no means applicable to the othcr.t Mr Barrow remarks, that ** we must look for La Encarnacion somewhere else ; and Ducies Island, in that vicinity, very low, and with- in 6° of longitude from Pitcairn's Island, answers pre- cisely to it." X About six days after his departure hence, Carteret discovered southward of his track a small, low, flat inland, almost level with the water's edge, and covered with green trees. He bestowed on it the name of the Bishop of Osnaburg, and, according to his calculation, its latitude was 22° south, its longitude 141° 34' west. Captain Beechey searched in this neighbourhood two days, but was unable to find it ; and he therefore imagines it to be identical with one on which he discovered the marks of a shipwreck, supposed to be that of the Matilda whaler, lost near this in 1792. This he pro- poses should be called Osnaburg and Matilda Island. We are reluctant to dissent from so able a navigator as the gallant captain ; but his theory appears irreconcil- able with the facts. Carteret speaks of Osnaburg Is- land as ** small, low, and flat, and covered with green trees ;"§ and, as Captain Beechey himself remarks, the crew of the Matilda " describe themselves to have been CHAP. VI. Snpposed AKreement with firmer dlBOOTeriefc Osnaburg lUttud. Wreck of the Miitilda Whaler. llDg • See above, p. 94. + A Voyage towards the South Pole and round the World, 1772- 1775, vol. 1., General Introduction, p. xii. Captain Cook has been led into an error from a misinterpretation of the Spani-h text, the meaning of which seems certainly rather ambigutms. But, however it may be construed, the " level top," on which all are agreed, makes it inapplicable to Pitcairn's Island. X Eventful History of the Mutiny of the Bountv, p. 28U, note^ § Hawkesworth's Cull., vol i. p. 342. 200 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP CHAP. VI Discrepan- cies in varioue accounUi O?oncester Islands Search for the islands Solomoik lost on a reef of rocks ; whereas the island on which these anchors are lying extends fourteen miles in length, and has one of its sides covered nearly the whole of the way with high trees, which, from tlie spot where the vessel was wrecked, are very conspicuous, and could not fail to be seen by persons in the situation of her crew." ^ In attempting to remove this striking dis- crepancy by the hypothesis " that a considerable al- teration has taken place in the island," he must have forgotten, that if this be Osnaburg, it was " small " and covered with trees in 1767, the date of its discovery. How improbable is it that it should have been wooded then, have become a bare reef of rocks in 1792, and again bear trees, and extend " fourteen miles in length," in 1826 ! The next day, Carteret saw two small islands, which he called after the Duke of Gloucester ; they were re- plenished with wood, but apparently uninhabited, and the long billows rolling from the southward convinced him that there existed no continent in that direction. He continued his course to the westward, until he had sailed, according to ^i«i reckoning, 1800 leagues from the shores of America ; when, finding his en- deavours to keep in a high southern latitude ineffectual, and his crew in a sickly condition, he determined to approach the equator, to get into the trade-wind. His object was to reach some island where he might procure refreshment ; after which he hoped to be able to resume his voyage towards the south. On the 26th of July, he was in latitude 10° south, " nud longitude 167° west, where he expected to fall in with the Islands of Solomon, and for that purpose kept in the same })aral]el until the 3d of August, when, having attained the latitude of 10° 18' south, and longi- tude of 177g° east, " five degrees to the westward of the situation of these islands in the charts," he came to the conclusion, "that if there are any such islands their • Beechey. vol » p. 217. BVnON, ,VALL,s. ANU CAHTEKET. of Peru ; and so imperfeetw wa !l^ ^^P^ '""^^ ^e^fc t'unecJ, that even theii d^ *^''"'^ «'*"«*'«« «scer. -ttempt to revisit the" ho e?r" ""'' ^««^^'^ in an At daybreak on the 79H? V a and so distressed Hx>re thf erefvtir' ' ^'"^ ^«« ^^^^> the sudden transport of hone A f^ ""^^ *''" '"^^^i"' «P'red, can, perhaps, be ecSf T i'^^ ^^"^^^ thi« in- <="n»nal feels who hears ho ' "i^^ '^^ *'^«* ^^hieh a PMce of „,j^^ ., ~^^^/ry of a reprieve at the of whieh seven were counted hhf''"'^^^''**^'«^«"d8, be Jieve that there were n^, .' ^ "'^'^ ^'«« '^ason to the ship anchored off th«^ ^ '"'''* ^" ^^^ evenW discovered to be black wL.TT''/"^ *^'^ natives were «ext morning, thTmi7r ^^^'^^^'^' «"^' ""ked. ^e to -P^orethf^l'eri'aTrin^f '^' ^'^ *^^ -'ttr boat was sent on shore in Tif Ift ^"^ ''" ' ""^ ^^^^ W- estabhsh a friendly int^r l^^^^^t^ '"^^^"^ These, however, either disregarded mi-i^ inhabitants, the amicable signs made tflhpl '?"^*""d«'^tand vanced within bowshot of fhl' ^"* resolutely ad- charged their arrowlni- i ' ,^^^*'' ^'hen the/dis f o harm ^asZ:^i:f,';ZV't '"l^ *^- -- - turned with a fire ofmil'll^^^^^^, ^^^'^^^ ^«« re- Shortly after, the cutSr .' "^ ^?^">^ unsuccessful ^naster mortally wounded bvthL'''"^"'^' ^''^ the still sticking in his body and fh/ ?T^'' ^^"*<^h were «ame condition. The ^VaLw .r' "^^ "'' ^^"«^«n in the received them with ma^ks of If 'ir '^^' ^'^^ «* «"' fenced an attack on Th f"endship, and only com -antonly cutttg^T^fj^-^hen they sa^^?;; Z___J^_^ of their cocoa-nut trees. p. :&. ■■»". p^ «^ -^^^^i^r^^i;:;;:;:^^ CHAP. vr. fndeflnite- ne«8 of former tliscoverera, f>ell/ylit of file crew at s'shtofJand. Attack of tlia nativc& 202 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP PfitermlnPfl liimtillty of the nttUves. CHAP. V(. The next, and sevei-nl succeeding days, were spent in ob- taining a sinnll supply of water ; but such was the deter- mined hostility of the people that the party were obliged to keep within sliclter of the guns. There was no hope of obtaining the refreshments required, and on the l7th, therefore, the anchor was weighed, and the vessel pro- ceeded to couiit the northern bide of the island. It ap- peared to be very populous, and numerous villages were observed, from some of which the inhabitants came out as the ship passed by, " holding something in their hands, which looked like a wisp of green grass, with which they seemed to stroke each other, at the same time dancing or running in a ring."* On arriving ut the west end of the island, the sickly condition of his crew, his own bad health, the frail state of his ship, and other considerations, determined Carteret immediately to stand to the north, abandoning all thoughts of southern discovery, or of more closely ex- amining the interesting group which he had reached* To the whole cluster he gave the general appellation of Queen Charlotte, and distinguished seven of them by individual titles. The largest was called Egmont or New Guernsey, — and, says he, " it certainly is the same to which tile Spaniards have given the name of Santa Cruz ; " — the native term seems to be Andany or Ni- tendy. One which exhibited volcanic appearances, and seems to have been remarked by Mendana,t was desig- nated Vulcano. The most northerly of the group was named Swallow or Keppel.;}; Three to the south and Qncjn Cliailntte Ulttuda. • Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. i. p. 359. . - . , • f See above, p. Rl. The identity of Queen Charlotte's Islands with the archipeia^ of Santa Cruz, discovered by Mendana in 159«% was triumphantly established by M. le Cointe de Fleurieu in a work entitled ** Decouvertes des Fran9ais dans le sud-est de la Nouvelle Guinee. • Paris, 179U," 4to. This volume is distinguished by the most laborious research, singular acuteness, and critical discrimi- nation. An English translation appeared at London in 1791. X In the chart, this Island is called Swallow — in the text, Kep- pel. M. Baibi (Abrege de Geographie, Paris, 1833, p 1267) conjectures it to oe identical with what he calls " le groupe de Fi- of Santa Cruz. The t»-> M V"° "orth-wcst corner ?"•"»' puny, modern geo«°heJ^f""''' "' !=''««"". C^ J "'"'^ fwnch writers to withdraTi'l, "" •»» Proposed by f"e « applied to hifX *! "tT."' **"-' Ch»^ "ve.',. The iU.li*"^. '""' « >«, which he . r. "iV". west wvered » email, flat andT. *• , "'* '""""I day, dis- a"S. Gowei'-s. The inh.i •. , ""^ '"'«»<'. which heJ^Jllj "" c.rt'- no «.oh„ra^'':;"'?lT^dT!"^'^ *"- »' ^^.^t S^'S^-' fent drifted'hi, shipTthe sfil""*.""* "'«■" '*>" ««r-' » ««ht of two othfr Wands 1? • I!"" '"'"'»'" "m denommated Simpson's .gL t„ t,™'"*'' "^^ "'«« was lo%aad of a stately^^^'^^^ ' '« »"'«. which wal own name, which he seems Th^' '''k "J""'" g""* l"s l^nkmg to his discoveriel M ll v™ '^" "»*''" f»n-; previous; for it i, complete," 1 f':?"''"" <><» t-ri™ «»I«nds are part of thrWh^^ ""'''"'' "» » »hese name of Solomon. GoweJ^ V*^*^" '^Wch bear, the With the Nomb«, deXl' ^f ^7"'^'%" '"'-"fied _ '"^ Spaniards, and with S^B^FSl^--aff,^.i^^^ ■^ 204 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP Carteret's nine islands. CHAP. VI. the Inattendue of the French navigator Surville ; and Carteret's is supposed to be the Malaiti of Mendana.*^ He now changed his course to the north-west, and on the 24th discovered nine islands, which he imagined to be the Ontong Java of Tasman, — an hypothesis which has not been adopted by all modern geographers, some of whom assign this to Carteret as an original discovery. M. d'Urvillo considers a group lately made known by the American captain, Morrell, and named by him the « Massacre, to be identical with Carteret's Nine Islands.f On that same night another was seen, and called after Sir Charles Hardy ; it was of considerable extent, flat, green, and of a pleasant appearance, and numerous fires which blazed upon its shores showed it to be well peopled. It is supposed to belong to ihe Green Islands visited by Schouten and Le Maire.ij: At daybreak of the 26th, they saw one to the southward, large and high, which was named Winchelsea's or Anson*8,§ and about ten o'clock next morning, they descried another to the northward, which was conjectured to be the St John's Anchoring in Island of Schouten. Soon after, the elevated land of Bay, New New Britain was visible, and light winds and a strong Britain current bore the Swallow next day into the gulf which Dampier had named St George's Bay. Here Carteret anchored, and remained several days for the purposes of refreshment ; during which time he visited some small islands and harbours, and took possession of the whole country, " for his majesty George the Third, king of Great P» Itain." While attempting to get off the land, in order to double Cape St Mary, he was met with a violent gale • See above, pp. 71, 7^. f ObserTations sur les Decouvertes du Capitaine Am6ricain, .T. Morrell. Par M. J. d'Urville. Bulletin de la Societe de tieogra- phie, tome xix. No. cxxi. p. 272. ± See above, p. 116; and Burney's Chi-on. Hist. Dlscov., vol. ii. p. 418 § Tills disccvery receives the name of Winchelsea in the text and of Anson in the chart. It seems to be the Bouca of Bou^invillev ■•KTIW >' f^^l^"*?^ BYRON, WALLIS, AND CARTERET. 205 of right a-head, and a strong current at the same time set CHAP. vi. the ship into St George's Bay. Finding it impossible pasa^of to get round the cape, he determined to attempt a pass- st George'n age through the inlet, which, from the flow of the sea, '^^*"° he was Induced to think must open to the westward. He accordingly stood in that direction, and passing a large island * which divided the channel, found, on the morning of the 11th September, that he had lost sight of New Britain, and that the supposed bay was indeed a strait. It was named by him St George's Channel, while the land on the north, which had been hitherto supposed a part of Nova Britai.. ^ was forthwith de- nominated New Ireland. Carteret pursued his course New Ireiaro. along the south side of this country, and on the same night discovered an island larger than the former, to which he gave the appellation of Sandwich. During his stay, some canoes, manned by the people of New Ireland, rowed towards the ship. These were black and woolly headed, and much resembled the people of Queen Charlotte's group. Like them, they were naked, e;x- Native cept a few shell ornaments on their arms and legs, adoimneiit " They had, however," says the navigator, " adopted a practice, without which none of our belles and beaux are supposed to be completely drest ; for the hair, or rather the wool upon their heads, was very abundantly powdered with white powder, and not only their heads but their' beards too." + Steering nearly w^estward, in a short time he came to the south-west extremity of New Ireland, which was named Cape Byron ; while to an island, divided frora the other by a narrow strait, he gave the title of New Hanover. This is described as 11 J. * The perplexini; discrepancies between the text and charts of this voj'aj^, render it almost impossible to present a clear account of the situation of these islands. The island, called in the chart *' I. Man," seems to be what in the text is called the Duke of York's Island ; and the Isle of Man of the text seems to be the small oblong island, north of the promontory named in the chart Cape Stepiien9. f Hawkeswurtli's Coll., vol. i. p. 37'J. 206 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS OP CHAP. VI. Portland Islaud. Artmlrnlty Islands. Evidences of a distinct race in the natives. AlTivftl Rt tlie IMiilippino Islands. high, ** finely covered with trees, among which are many plantations, and the whole has a most beautiful appearance.'* Next morning, six or seven Islands were perceived to the westward ; their extent was very con- siderable, and they were named after the Duke of Port- land. The swell of the sea now convinced Carteret that he had passed through the channel and was clear of all the land. On tlie 15th September, he reached some islands, of which the inhabitants resembled those of New Ireland ; but this cluster, called by him the Admiralty, he was obliged to leave after a very superficial and imperfect ex- amination. Four days later, he discovered two small ones, which he called Durour's and Maty's ; and on the 24th, ether two, to which he gave the name of Stephens* Islands.* The next day, he observed a group, consist- ing of three, surrour. "'« Bay of Vfnted him from rema^ „ Uh f""°''' ^''"■'•■'' ^ad p^. l"m considerable annovaZ ] • ''™" f'^'^' "rouKht extensive repaira before ., J 7 " ^'^l "nderwent ™yage. He stopped al .{"^'^'"S on her homewaJd 28th November »„ j *^ ^"P"* "^ G»od Hone on fh ""ary ,769. ^nloTsth "ofA"^ *'" «>« ^ oTj «:eeks after leaving the [sand J1™"'>>* "'"'^ 'l>«e discovered bearing French ™I° '^''=<'"«<»'. a ship wa, of the ship, inquiring Jt^ I f ""^ n«™e and that """ *'• '^«- that after the IS fZ^ ^^'^- »d telling „'*""""' Wieved we had sufferl. I •'*'"" '» Europe, it was Magellan, and that twrshiitrdT""" '"^ ^««ht of <■»■" The ofBcer he3,^d^ !"" """' »"' '"quest vdle, who h«l jnst sailed „ld'th ^.T *'• ^"8«in- ""^etmghis co„n« hon?ewatl'"'t l'"" ^"''»'' * ^^^ «t«er incident 208 CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS, &o. Return to Spitliead. Departure of Captain Cook. CHAP. VI. worthy of notice occurred during the voyage. On the 7th March, the Swallow made the Azores, or Western Islands, and passing between St Michael and Terceira,* dropped anchor on the 20th at Spithead. More than six months before the return of Carteret, Captain Cook had sailed from England on the first of those expeditions which brought him such imperishable honour, and so widely enlarged the bounds of science. But before we proceed to the relation of the life and actions of this illustrious navigator, we have to record the circumnavigation of the Frenchman just named, and the voyages of one or two less distinguished dis- coverers. * The Biblioth^qiie Universelie des Voyages, par M. Albert Montemont, Paris, 1833, translates this part of Carteret's Journal as follows : — '* Le 7 Mars nous arrivames aux lies Hehridea^ et nous passames entre Saint-Michel et Terche^'' — Vol. iii. p. 229. Who could have imagined that St Midiael and Terceira were among the number of the Hebrides ! CIBCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 209 CHAPTER VII. ^'"•^^^navigation of Bougainville. Project for colonising the Palklnn^ r i ^ -Disputes with 4'anStiLtf Y'^^''- ^^^^'^^ ^o Spain discovers the Dangerous A^i' . ***'*'''**»''«d--BougainS« Grand Cyclades or Australiadel P» • ^ « -Native with him^TJie ^'r"^-Bonca--Choru, a d B^r^^t^ to France-The Otaheitan in Parff T"''"' ^^'^''d^-Beturn ^inorr^j:::;^^^ ^^- -«o. to en. .i ^ almost in^possible to ZZ^f^llt "■'"''^''^ *^«* '' ^^^^^l !^hat IS doubtful, or to dS J k V' ^^''^'" ^^^ fiction. "^^^" between truth and In 1503, the Sieur Bfnot P«„i • ^ reported, in sailing to the^t I„.T''*^',^'""^^^'"« ".^"Pp«-<» a view of a southern land hT ^^' *° ^^^^« obtained « 7^^^^ Holland ; thougl^with ^ tiT' T^''""'^ *« ^« New Ho!£7 publication. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUOAINVILLB. 211 Is in dis- [her, teo- Icum- titte kse et Mliuu an d at iein> 4to. irhich grapher, a critic, an antiquary, and a poet. The early life of the former was marked more by activity than by steadiness of purpose. He passed through a variety of professions, and was, successively a barrister, secretary to an ambassador, an adjutant, a captain of dragoons, an aide-de-camp, and a colonel of infantry. In all these capacities he discharged his duties with great reputa- tion, and among other honours which he received, his sovereign conferred on him the order of Saint Louis. When the peace of 1763 deprived him of a field for the exertion of hb military talents, he turned his attention to naval affairs ; and, struck with the happy situation of the Falkland Islands as a place of refreshment for vessels sailing to the Pacific, he proposed to the French government the establishment of a settlement there. The expense of the expedition he undertook to dis- charge from his own private resources, aided by his relatives ; and having procured two vessels, the one of twenty,* the other of twelve guns, he set sail from St Malo on the 16th of September 1763. After touching at Santa Catalina and at Monte Video, to procure a stock of horses and homed cattle, he arrived at the Falklands on the 31st of January in the following year; and, having sailed along the northern coast in search of a harbour, came to a great bay in the eastern extremity of the cluster, which seemed to be well fitted for the proposed colony. On landing; he discovered the cause of an illusion which had deceived many of the early voyagers, to whom it appeared that these islands were covered with wood, — an effect produced by a gigantic rush, not less than five feet in height. He remarked, too, the singular fearlessness with which the animals, hitherto the only inhabitants of these bleak regions, approached the colonists ; and that the birds permitted • Burney, on what authority we know not, describes the larger of the ♦wo vessels as carrying twenty-four guns. — Chron. Hist. Discoy., vol. v. p. 143. M. de Bougainville's words are, — '' L'Aigle de vingt canons et ie Sphinx de douze." — Voyage autour du Monde, p. 48. CHAP. VII. Education of De Boa- gainville. Hononrs confeiTcd on him. Expedition nnder his guidance. Cansp of former illusions. 212 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUOAINVILLG. CHAl'. VIL Fearlessness of tiie native anlmali.. Pongaln- ville's colonists. Bl. de Nenrille. Retnrn of hout^ain- ▼lUe to the colonlstii themselves to be taken by the hand, and even voluntarily alighted on the persons of the new settlers. When the islands were lately visited by his majesty's ships Tyne and Clio, the British officers made a similar observa- tion. " The snipes were abundant in the marshy places, and so heedless of approach as almost to submit being trodden upon before taking to flight ;" and the wild geese are described as " standing goggling with out- stretched necks at their assailants, merely trying to get out of the way with feet, when wings would have served them better." * Bougainville's little establishment consisted of no more than twenty-seven individuals, five of whom were females, and three children. On the l7th of March, they commenced the construction of their future habi- tations, which were merely huts covered with rushes. They also erected a magazine capable of containing provisions for two years, and a small fort mounting fourteen pieces of cannon. To encourage this feeble community, M. ^e Nerville, cousin to the navigator, consented to remain in charge of their interests until his relative should return from France with supplies ; and, having made these arrangements, the latter so- lemnly took possession of the country in his sovereign!* name, and on the 8th of April set sail for France. In October, he n^^ain departed from St Malo, and reached the Falklands on the 6th January 1765, having during the voyage made a fruitless search for Pepys' Island. He found the settlers in perfect health, and, having landed those he had brought with him, he proceeded to the Straits of Magellan, in order to take in a cargo of wood for their use. From this voyage, in which he saw the fleet of Commodore Byron, he returned on the 29th of March ; and on the 27th April following, sailed again for his native country, leaving behind him no * Narrative of Visit to the Falkland Islands, by an Officer of the Tyne; published in the Athenaeum, Numbers 299 and 300,20th and 27th July 1833. Mme year h**r^ P«'*>n>.» In tliB I,» P«W^ id "•' ""^- There w,^ thi ''"'""*"'»' ^^ the 4.^ P"™«« Stores • of Vi. "° "nagazines for Buish c«>„„,^<, tt atn^ntr ""Wing to ,hi ^ i . to be executed • h^ threats did no* •„ and, having visited fh "^"^ Permitted to Jo «1 Peace R 5 ^'^"6" the ffovernov !«& ^l ^** «snope, ad^'ced^'r."^ I«'-Kho™:'Jthe 4 '"^■""'"^ "' ineCd * t""; "'>'«h the co^r 'f pi'^'*^ had * „ j^ - — °"«'» " CHAR^Vir. Provlaions *«nd«ni!nmii. tion sent to t'»e settle- •Tieut Wsputed claims betwe«-n *>ance and England. Spanish clairoaL 214 ClRCUMNAViaATIUN OF BOUGAINVILLE. CHAP. VII. the month of November 1766, the French administro- isJaiidsceded *^®^ acknowledged the right urged by Spain, and deter- to SiNiin. mined to cede the islands accordingly. M. de Bougain- ville has omitted to mention the grounds on which this demand was based ; but from the expression ** le droit primitif," and his attempt to give to the Spaniards the honour of first visiting the Falklands, it may be conjec- tui'ed that their claim was made on this footing. " It appears to me," says he, "that the first discovery of them may be attributed to the celebrated Amerigo Vespucci, who, during his third voyage for the discovery of America, in the year 1502, sailed along the northern coast. He was ignorant, indeed, if it belonged to an island or was part of a continent ; but it is easy to con- clude from the route which he followed, from the . ' latitude at which he arrived, and from his description of the coast, that it was the shore of the Malouines.** * But M. de Bougainville, in forming this theory, must have misunderstood the main facts on which he pro- ceeds. " We found this land, says Vespucci, " altogether barren, withottt harbours, and destitute of inhabitants." These remarks cannot apply to the Falkland Islands, which, says Burney, " in every quarter present goo»l harbours, where safe anchorage may be found." But even if the merit of making it known is to be attributed to Vespucci, still it confers no " droit primitif " on the Spanish crown, as that navigator, during the voyage in question, was in the service of Emanuel, king of Portugal.f Mistaken ideHs of .vf. de Bouffuiiw ville. * Voya^o, p. 47. The Malouines is the name commonly applieil by the French to this cluster, which to tlie grievous perplexity of geographers, has at different times received the names of Davis' Southern Island, Hawkins' Maiden-land, Sii)ald de Weert's Is'ands, Pepys' Island, Bel^^ia Australis, Isles of St Louis, Malouines, Isles Nouvelle.s, and Falkland Islands. •j" It has been already stated (above, p. 77) that these islands were discovered by Captain John Davis, and any lengthened discussion of Vespuci'i*s claim were here out of place. It may be mentioned, that his voyages are involved in much doubt, and that better evidence than iias yet l)een adduced must be brought forward before we can place implicit reliance on his alleged discoveries. The reader will CIRCUMNAVIOATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 215 France having, on whatever grounds, recognised the CHAP. vir. clahn now mentioned, M. do Bougainville received New^xpence of these popular voice was Io:dt"lern"^ Y'^> -^ ": pctofmjustice. Ministersunv i ^' ''^''•'^ss for this m tamely submitti,.? tl an ; ' '. '"'^'^ ''''^^' '"^«""ess several motions on tl^ ubio./ "^' "" *^'« "^tion, and arl: rf -^otiatbnr rZtT'"'" P«^^-»"^^^^ arranged, by a declaration of tb q"' '"^ «"^^*«'^bly that "he disavowed tlJZ'^ • ^P^"^^^ sovereign the same time i,e ' at ht^ '^'''"' enterpris J 1"' should be reinstated "in the ' ''"''"' *^^^* ^^e Englid „ /r ;/.^""^--»P^d LTeVVr'"^!-^^ - before^ ?pSS^""" that this concession shonn' ""''^h a reservation Ir^T"*^^ question of the pnCrig^t^fsr' '"^'"^'^^ " afFoItt "j '^ ""'"'^ reVo"'r' '^^ *hi/expJaS' Ton?'''' °' *^'^ ^'«^«"<^^^ restored to the British in c ^""^"^ ^^^s formallv settlement, which 1 ad lei .f^'""^^^ '^^' ^ buT th^ nearly involved the countrvl'" '""^'^^ ^'«^»^^'on, and P^fi^ble, that it was "a£ Ld"h "" '^""'^ ^ ^'- hi^^rt 'If '^'^' ««t«Wishment thtb '"'"''^''^^ ^^--• has recently made in these fslan^ ? i''"'^^''"'"'"^'"* part of our work. ''^^"^^ belongs to another We now return to M dp P • remained at the Falklands d.^"'"^'' T^^* having Course p„ April, and May, ] 767 I?,?? *^^ '"^nths of March "'^'^'^^S « or^ship that w^sVo'alo^tlS -r^r ^^^^ 'e S^- for R,o Janeiro in the beSnnW ?'/^ ^'"^*h set sail bad been appointed as a plafe of "^ ^^ •^""«- This port off'Etoile failing to reach tJ? r?'^"""« ^'" ^he eCt ^^•^al, he found that ll ^"^«"i«««; and on his harbour about a week u ''"''^'* had been in thp "Middle of July, Xn hJ^' '""''■'^"^^ there unti" tt -hei^ he was s"^' long deta nedT'^' '' ^^"te ^deo he did not resume hfs voyT^^^^^^^ ^'^^^^^ th^t ^<*oetiii the month of JVovem- ! pnr- 218 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. CHAP. VIL Interview with the natives of 'I'ierra Uel l:uega Size of the^ I'utagonians. Search for Davis' Laiid L'lle de la llurpe. bcr was far advanced. The Cape de las Virgenes was made on ihe 2d December, and on the 23d Df January 1768, he cleared the western entrance of the Straits of Magellan. During this passage, he had various inter- views with the tribes, both on Tierra del Fuego and on the continent. In a group of Patagonians which he describes, there was none taller than five feet ten inches, nor below five feet five, French measure ; which, being reduced to the English standard, gives as the greatest stature six feet 2*5704 inches, and as the f;»nallei:t, five feet 10*334 inches. We are told at the same tim^,- that the crew of L'Etoile had, on a previous voyage, seen several natives whose height exceeded by four inches that now stated. w,. i His first object, on entering the Pacific, was to search for Davis' Land, which, like many previous navigators, he did not find. He then directed his course in a more westerly direction, and, on the 22d of March, discovered four small islands, to which he gave the name of Les Quatre Facardins. The wind prevented him from approaching this e^^oup, and he therefore bore westward for a small island about four leagues distant. So heavy a sea broke on all sides, that it was found impossible to get ashore on tiiis little spot, which, from the appear- ance of its inhabitants, was named L*Ile des Lanciers. At daybreak on the 23d, land was again visil)le ; whichj, on examination, proved to be an islet in the shape of a horse-shoe very much elongated, whence he was induced to bestow on it the name of L'He de la Harpe. Captain Cook supposes Les Quatre Facardins to be identical with the Lagoon Island discovered In his first voyage, and L'lle des Lanciers and L'lle de la Harpe to be the same as his Thrum Cap and Bow Island.* In this hypothesis he has been followed by M. Fleurieu, Captain Beechey, and some other writers ; but much as we are disposed to respect his opinion, we cannot, in this instance, yield • General Introduction to Cook's Second Voyage, p xviii. below, pp. 2(>2, 2G3. See '» |d Id CIRCUiMNAVIOATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 21D our assent. Bow Island and L'lle de la Ilarpe are evi- ciiAr. vn. dontly one, and Les Quatre Facardins may with some j„pp^ probability be regarded as only another name for the joinddence Lagoon, though Cook's remark, that « the whole looked ''^'^^^^'^'^ like many islands," is rather opposed to M. de Bougain- ville's description of " qu itre ilots." But our chief ob- jection is to the identification of Thrum Cap with L*Ile des Lanciers. In the French officer's account of the latter, one of the most prominent features is the cocoa- tree. "Tout I'interieur," says he, "etoit convert de bois toufFus, au-dessus desquels s*ilevoient les tigesfecondes des oocoiiers;" and again, " Les cocotiers nous offroient ' partout kurs fruits, ct leur ombre sur un gazon imaill4 •' dejleurs"* Of Thrum Cap, Cook says, " Nor could Cook's we distinguish any coeoii-nut-trees, though we were i^^^l within half a mile of the shore."t There is a still more material discrepancy in the extent of these islands ; for while the one just named is described as " not much above a mile in compass,''^ we are told that L'lle des Lanciers is a league in diameter. Captain Beechey, in supporting the theory of Cook, mentions a circumstance which, had he attended to Bougainville's description, must have convinced him it could never apply to Thrum Cap. That island, the gallant captain remarked, was " well wooded, and steep all round." As we approached L'lle des Lanciers, says the Frenchman, " we perceived that it was surrounded by a very level shore of sand"§ These striking differences lead us to the conclusion, that Tiirum Cap is a discovery of which the honour is due to Cook, and that L'lle des Lanciers must be sought for in some other island of the same archipelago. On the 25th, La Boudeuse was near a very low island stretching from south-* ast to north-west, in length * Voyage, p. 179. f Hawkesworth's Coll., vol. ii. p. 73. t Hawkesworth*8 Coll., vol. ii. p. 73. Captain Beechey says, <* Thrum Cap is only 1700 yards lon^, by 120U broad."— -Voyage to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 255, et ibid. 'SlO. § *' NouD decouvrimes qu'elJe est borde d'une plage de sable treii unie." — Voyage, p. 179. Ii; ii 220 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 1/ Arcbipel iJangereax. The Tdand of Maitea. CHAP. VIL about twenty-four miles ;* tnd for two days lier course lay among several others, which, being partly over- flowed and surrounded by ro?ks and breakers, rendered the navigation very perilouu. To the whole, lying between Les Quatre Facardinsand these last, was given the general name of " L'Archipel Dangereux." Eleven were seen, but it was conjecti red that there were many more, and M. de Bougainville was of opinion that Quiros discovered the south part of the chain in 1606, and that it is the same to which, in 1722, Roggewein gave the nam'^ of the Labyrinth. The voyagers still pursued a westerly course, and, on the morning of the 2d of April, descried a high and very steep mountain, which they named Le Bovdoir or Le Pic de la Boudeuse. This is »he Mai tea of our modern maps, the Osnaburg Island of Wallis, and probably the La Decena of Quiros. As they drew near, they beheld land more to the westward, of wliich the extent was undefined. They immediately bore down for this ; but it was not until the morning of the 4th that they were sufficiently close to hold any communi- cation with the inhabitants. These came off in their skifls, and presented a small hog and a branch ot banana in token of amity ; and very soon after, the ships were surrounded with more than 100 canoes, engaged in a brisk traffic. The French voyager seems to have been as strongly impressed with 1 e beauty of Otaheite as was his predecessor Wallis. " The as- pect of the coast," says M. de Bougainville, " was very pleasing. The mountains rose to a great height, yet there was no appearance of barrenness, all parts were covered with woods. We could scarcely believe our eyes, when we beheld a peak clothed with trees, even to its solitary summit, which rose to the level of the mountains in the interior part of the isle. Its breadth grew grad- ually less towards the top, and at a distance it might Arriral at Otalieite. ♦ ** Vinjrt-quatre milles." — Voyajje, p. in2. Tills is translated by J. R. horater " twenty -four lefgnes." CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. :2i ^ have been taken for some pyramid of a vast height, which the hand of a tasteful decorator had enwreathed with garlands of foliage.. As we sailed along the coast, our eyes were struck with the sight of a beautiful cascade, which precipitated itself from the mountain- tops, and threw its foaming waters into tlie sea. A village was situated at the foot of the waterfall, and there appeared to be no breakers on the shores." * On landing he was received with mingled demon- strations '^f joy and curiosity ; and the c!iief of the dis- trict forthwith conducted him to his residence. Here he found several women, who saluted him by laying their hands on their breasts, and repeating several times the word tayo. An old man, also an inmate of the mansion, seemed to be displeased with the appearance of the strangers, and withdrew without answering their courtesies, bat h.e manifested neither fear, astonishment, nor curiosity. After having examined the house,-|- the navigator was invited to a repast of fruits, broiled fish, and water, on the grassy turf in front, and he receive-i several presents of cloth and ornaments. A proposal made by the stranger to erect a camp on shore was received with evident displeasure, and he was informed that though his crew were at liberty to stay on the island during the day, they must retire tc Mieir ships at night. On his wishes being farther n^'^<"l he was asked if he meant to remain for ever ; Iv 'J- • ,:h he answered that he would depart in eighteen dh i, fin ineffectual attempt was made by the natives to . ".ace the period to nine ; but they at last con- CHAP. VIT. Description of the Island. Reception by the Idandei'Sk Objections to the crew remaining on shore. ts • Voyage, pp. 187, 188. 't' During tliis examination, M. de Bougainville observed an image of one of the deities of tbe natives, ana has given a verv graphic deticription of it in his work. His translator, Mr J. R. Forster, In n note on this passage, denies the existence of idolatry in Oiaheitc, and with cool arrogance remarks, that <* had M. de Bongainville ?ooked upon many things with a mot e philosophical eye, his account ■ 3!i'd have proved less subject to mistakes." — P. 2^1. We neea r.oi s'>y, that in this instance the mistake exists only in the " more j>'i;.:--sophi(aI eye" of the trnuslator. 222 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE, CHAP. VI3. I {■■•> 1*' i; ,f. * ii'v^ « Diineing Woman ofOtahslU. Friendly at- sented, and at once resumed their former amicable the*8icfc*'* bearing. The chief set apart a large shed for the ac- commodation of the sick ; tl: e women and children brought antiscorbutic plants and shells, when they learn- ed that these were prized by the French ; and the males gave their cheerful assistance in supplying the vessels with wood and water. Every house was open to the strangers, and the natives vied with each other in excess of hospitality. They welcomed them with songs and feasts, and exhibited their dances and wrestling- matches before them. " Often, as I walked into the Fertility and interior," says Bougainville, " I thought I was trans- eountry. * ported into the garden of Eden ; we crossed grassy plains covered with fair fruit-trees, and watered by small rivul<^t8 which diffused a delicious coolness around. TTndt J the shade of the groves lay groups of the natives, all of whom gave us a friendly salutation ; those whom wc met in the paths stood aside that we might pass, and - I. Perfidy oi the Europeans. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 223 every where we beheld hospitality, peace, ca^m joy, chap, vil, and all signs of happiness." * But this paradise was }^.tttve~~ perfect only in appearance ; for the possessors of it were pilfering. such accomplished pilferers, that nothing was safe with- . ■ in their reach. ** We were obligee," says he, " to take care even of our pockets ; for the thieves of Europe are not more adroit than the inhabitants of this country." Murder, too, was soon introduced into this Elysium ; several of the islanders were found slain, and evidently by the arms of the Europeans ; though the efforts of the captain were in vain exerted to discover the culprits. The natives shortly after withdrew from the neighbour- hood of the camp, the houses were abandoned, no canoe was seen on the sea, and the whole island ap- peared like a desert. The Prince of Nassau, who was sent out with four or five men to search for the people, found a great number of them, with the chief Ereti, about a league distant. The leader approached the prince in gi'eat fear ; while the women, who were all in teal's, threw themselves on their knees and kissed his hands, weeping, and repeating several times, ** Tayo, mate I " (You are our friends, yet you kill us !) The prince succeeded in a short time in inspiring them with confidence, and their former intercourse was re- newed, even with gi'eater demonstrations of kindnera on the part of the savages. The bad ground, which in nine days cost him six anchors, proved a powerful reason for shortening his stay. When the chief perceived them setting sail, he leaped into the first canoe he could find on shore and rowed to the vessel, where he embraced his visiters, and bade them farewell in tears. He took by the hand an islander v.ho had come off in one of the skiffs, and pre- sented him to the commander, stating, that his name was Aotourou, that he desired to go with him, and beg- ging that his wish might be granted. The young man then embraced a handsome girl who seemed to be his Native appeal Interview at departure. * Voyage, p. 198. 224 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. Aotouron, a native's embarcation, Onmaitia Island. CHAP. VII. mistress, gave lier three pearls from his ears, kissed her once more, and, notwithstanding her grief, tore himself from her arms and leapt on hoard. " Thus,'* says Bou- gainville, " we quitted that good people ; and I was no less surprised at the sorrow which our departure occa- sioned to them, than at the affectionate confidence they showed on our arrival." The French navigator testified his sense of the heauty and enchantments of this coun- try by bestowing on it the name of Nouvelle Cythere, —-an appellation which, like that given by his prede- cessor Wallis, has been supplanted by the native title of Otaheite. As they continued their course westward, they disco- vered an island which Aotourou called Oumaitia, and which is, perhaps, identical with that of Sir Charles Saunders, one of the indigenous appellations of which is Maiaoiti.* It was now the 16th of April, and M. de Bougainville shaped his course so as to avoid the per- nicious Islands of Roggewein. One night when there waa not a cloud in the sky, and the constellations shone in all their tropical brilliancy, Aotourou, pointing to a star in the shoulder of Orion, bade them direct their progress by it, and in two days they would reach a fruit- ful country wh'ch he knew, and where he had friends. Finding that his suggestions were not complied with, he endeavoured to seize the helm and turn the vessel to- wards the desired point. It was with great ('ifficulty that he was quieted, and the refusal evidentlj gave him much sorrow. At daybreak he climbed to the topmast, a^^d remained there the whole morning, looking stead- fastly in the direction of the territory which he wished to reach. To the islands which he had passed since he quitted the Dangerous Archipelago, Bougainville gave the name of L'Archipel de Bourbon. On the 3d of May, land was seen to the north-west, Desired conrse of Aotourou. Ellis' Polynesian Researches, 2d edition, vol. i. p^ 8. The position assiprned to Oumaitia does not a^rree, however, with the situation of Maiaoiti. i d le le le CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 22o and, on a nearer approach, proved to be one of a cluster chap. viL of islands, among which the French captain sailed several ^1,^ Oilman days. The information which he has collected regard- islands ing this group (the Bauman Islands of Roggewein) is, however, very scanty, and he may be said, indeed, to have effected nothing more than to give an assurance of its existence. The inhabitants spoke a language distinct from that of Otaheite, and appeared to belong to a dif- ferent and more savage race. He named their abode L'Archipel des Navigateurs ; and to a small island which he saw shortly after, he gave the appellation of L'£nfant Perdu. At daybreak on the 22d, a long and high land was iiede la Pen- discovered to the westward, and when the sun rose two ^^^ and.iie islands were discerned and named He de la Pentecote and He Aurore. As they sailed along the eastern coast of the latter, a small but very lofty eminence was seen ; it resembled a sugar-loaf in shape, and was called Le , ' Pic de I'Etoile.* Shortly after, some mountains were ' perceived towering above Aurora Island, and at sunset the voyagers were full in view of the coast of a high and very extensive land. In the morning they sailed along its north-west shore, which was steep and covered with trees ; no huts were perceptible, but several canoes descried at a distance, and columns of smoke rising from the forest, showed that it was inhabited. About nine o'clock, a party was sent on sliore to procure wood ; Hostile «i>- they found the beach crowded with natives, who were jue nativel armed with bows and arrows, and made signs to forbid their landing. As the French continued to advance, the savages gradually drew back, but still in the attitude of attack, and the distribution of a few pieces of red cloth only produced among them a sort of sullen confidence ; . , .i they still kept to their arms and watched the voyagers with undisguised suspicion. M. de Bougainville landed • This peak, in Bougainville's chart, is called Pic de V Averdi,— a discrepancy we should not have noticed, had it not been trans- tbried to the excellent chart prefixed to Captain Cook's second voyage, and lluis apt to perplex ihe English reader. I 226 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUOAIiN VILLE. CHAP. Till in the afternoon to perform the ceremony of taking Attack br possession of the new territories, and the boats having tbe natives, completed their lading, the whole party received orders to return. Scarcely had they hft the shore, when the natives-advanced to the edge of the water and directed against them a shower of stones and arrows. A few muskets were fired into the air; but the savages still pressing on to the assault, a more deadly discharge was directed against them, and they fled into the woods with great cries. Bougainville divides these islanders into two classes, — black and mulatto. Their lips are thick ; their hair woolly and frizzled ; their bodies small, ugly, ,, ■■ ,! ., . and ill made ; and their language different from that of Otaheite. Their arms were bows and arrows, clubs of iron- wood, and slings for projecting stones; they wore ornaments in their nostrils, a sort of bracelets on their arms, and plates of turtle-shells on their necks. Their condition seemed to be very miserable ; they appeared to be engaged in intestine war ; and the harsh sound of a sort of drum was frequently heard in the interior of the woods calling them to the combat. From the pre- valence of the loathsome disease of leprosy, Bougain- ville named this L'Isle des Lepreux. For several days he continued to sail among numerous islands, the mha- bitants and general appearance of which exactly resem- bled that which he had visited. He was unable, however, to determine either the number in the cluster, or to examine any of them so closely as to warrant the im- posing of separate names. He had no doubt that this archipelago was the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Q.uiros, and even concluded that he had re- discovered the Bay of San Felipe y Santiago of that navigator.* Notwithstanding this conviction, he gave the group the title of L'Archipel des grandes Cyclades, — a name which has been superseded by that of New Hebrides, bestowed by Cook. A late French geographert has proposed a thin! Miserable conditio:: of the naUve& i;. i New Hebrides, * See above, p. 97. f A.brege de Geographic, par Adrien Baibi, p. 1267. •7==^ jr.' the iich iby CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 227 designation, that of Archipel de Quiros, in honour of chap. vti. the first visiter. ' While the voyagers were among the Grand Cyclades, Cnrona a singular discovery was made on board the Etoile. JJjJJ^^JJJ "* The figure, voice, and beardless chin of Bar^, the ser- CtoUa vant of M. de Commer^on the naturalist, had excited suspicions of his sex, which were removed only by the hardihood with which he endured toils and privations. The quick eyes of the Otaheitans, however, pierced his disgube the moment he set foot on shore ; and after this recognition, finding It vain to attempt concealment any longer. Bare confessed to the captain that she was a History of woman, and told him the tale of her life. At an early the ToUmteer age she became au orphan, and the loss of a lawsuit involved her in such distress as induced her to assume the dress of a man. She entered into the family of a , Genevese gentleman at Paris, and served him as valet for some time ; when, anxious to make the voyage of the world, she offered her services to M. de Commer^on at Rochefort, just as he was on the point of embarking. " Je lui dois la justice," says the commandant, ** qu*elle , , 8*est toujours conduite k bord avec la plus scrupuleuse sagesse. Elle n'est ni laide ni jolie, et n'a pas plus de vingt-six ou vingt-sept ans. II faut convenir que si les deux vaisseaux eussent fait naufrage sur quelque ile d^serte de ce vaste ocean, la chance eut ete fort singu* li^re pour Bare." * M. de Bougainville lost sight of the Grand Cyclades La Batnre on the 29th of May, and continued to bear nearly due west till the night of the 4th of June, when the moon enabled him to discover that he was in the vicinity of a low sandy coast. As morning advanced, he found it to be a f>mall islet, nearly level with the water ; he ' '• named it lia B4ture de Diane. Next day, several pieces of wood fiUd some unknown fruits floated by the ship, and on the 6th many shoals and rocks were perceived. These appearances induced him to alter his course to * Voya^je, p. 264. .,' .■: 228 CIUCUMNAVIGATIUN OF BOUGAINVILLE. Cul-de-sac do rOrangerie. Cape Deliver- ance. CHAP. VIL the north, in which direction he stood for three days without seeing land. Long before dawn, however, on the morning of the 10th, a delicious odour indicated that he was approaching a coast, and with the increase of light he found himself in a large and beautiful gulf^ to which he gave the name of Cul-de-sac de I'Orangerie. " I have seldom deen," says he, " a country of a feirer aspect. A low land, chequered with plains and groves, spread along the margin of the sea, and rose in an amphitheatre to the mountains in the interior, whose heads were hid in clouds. But the melancholy condi- tion to which we were brought, did not allow of our visiting this magnificent country." He once more altered his course, and steered to the eastward along the sliore of this new land, which he coasted until the 26th, when, having doubled its eastern point, which he named Cap de la Ddlivrance, he saw towaids the north an open sea, into which he gladly entered. He gave the name of Louisiade to this discovery, of which he ascer- tained little more than the existence, and which is still very imperfectly known. On the 28th, land was once more perceived in the north- west, which, on a closer approach next day, was found to consist of two islands. The inhabitants were perfectly black ; their hair was curled and long, and stained of various colours, white, yellow, and red ; they wore bracelets, and small plates of a white substance on their necks and foi'eheads ; they were armed with bows and spears ; and their cries and general demeanour in- dicated a warlike disposition. The boats, in searching for an anchorage, found a capacious bay, into which a river discharged itself; but, while engaged in examin- ing it, they were assailed by about 160 of the natives, embarked in ten canoes. These savages fought with much bravery, but were soon put to flight, and two of their skiffs captured. One of them had carved on it the head of a man, the eyes being mother-of-pearl, the ears of tortoise-shell, and the lips stained of a very bright scarlet ; the appearance on the whole, was that of a He Choisenl Attack by the uativea. CIRCUMNAVIQATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 229 mask with a very long beard. The jaw of a man, half chap. vil. broiled, was found in one of the canoes. In noticing indication of this affray, Bougainville makes an observation which eanniboUnn. has been amply verified by succeeding navigators r " We have observed throughout this voyage, that the savages of a black complexion are generally more barbarous than those tribes that approach more nearly to white." The bay where this attack took place, and the land to which it belonged, were named He et Bale Choiseul, and* the island has since been identified as one of the Solomons of Mendana, the Arsacides of Surville, and the New Georgia of Shortland. He now determined to seek a passage through the Bnut^ain- channel which seemed to divide the two islands, and X"'°'? soon had the satisfaction to find that it was a strait which gradually opened as he proceeded. It was named Bougainville's Straits, and a current at the southern en- trance received the appellation of Raz Denis. On the morning of the 3d July, the island of Choiseul was no longer visible, and he 8t9od along the shore of the west- em land just called after himself, which rose into very high mountains, and was terminated towards the south- west by a lofty promontory, denominated Cap I'Averdi. Land was again perceived still farther to the north-west, and distinctly separated from the cape just described by a strait or gulf. Some of the natives came near the ship, and continued to cry out, " Bouca I Boaca ! '^"aca Onelle !" from which the Frenchman designated their island Bouca. It is believed to be the same with the Anson or Winchelsea Island of Carteret, and is remark- able for the density of its population.* The inhabitants had their ears pierced and drawn down ; and many had their hair stained red, and white spots painted on differ- ent parts of their bodies. Their canoes were smaller, and of a different construction from those of Choiseul. On the afternoon of the 6th, two diminutive islands were perceived towards the north and north-west; * See above, p 204. 230 ClRCUftlNAVIOATION OP BOUOAINVILLE. CHAP. VTI. and almost at the same moment, a larger one between north-west and west, which also presented the appear- ance of several good bays. He immediately shaped his course in that direction, and on the evening of the 6th anchored in a capacious inlet. A few days after, a piece of a leaden plate was found, having Inscribed on it New frelaud CoomL w^i IIOR D HERB Standing to tlie nortli. llcnnifa Island. AiTival at Butavia. . . . . . ICK BIAJESTY S and curiosity having been thus awakened, a farther search discovered numerous and recent marks of the visit of an English vessel. In fact, Bougainville was now on the coast of New Ireland, and the harbour in which he was moored, and which he had called Port Praslin, was within two leagues of that which Carteret had examined, and distinguished by his own name. He remained here till the 24th, when, ignorant of the passage which had been discovered between New Britain and New Ireland, he stood to the north, and then sailed westward along the coast of the latter. He passed the north-western extremity of this country in the beginning of August, and on the 8th saw a low flat island about three leagues long, covered with trees. It was called Anachoret's or Hermit's Isle ; and a cluster of low islands, among which they were entangled the next day, received the name of L'Echiquier or the Chessboard. On leaving these they discovered the high shores of New Guinea, which they continued to coast till the end of the month, when they entered the group of the Moluccas; and early in September an- chored at the island of Boero, where they were hospitably received by the Dutch governor. From this they sailed on the 7th, and in three weeks reached Batavia, '^one of the finest colonies in the world," says Bougainville, " and where we looked on each other as having- terminated our voyage." The native of Otaheite who accompanied them, perhaps esti- mated that city more justly, when he described it as " enoua maU " — (the land which kills). On the 16th of October, they again set sail, and having touched at 1 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 231 the Isle of France and the Cape of Good Hope, reached CHAP. vn. the island of Ascension on the 4th of February 1769. isianToi They learned that Captain Carteret had departed hence Ascension. only five days before their arrival, and, as has been al- ready mentioned, they succeeded in overtaking him be- fore he reached Britain.* On the 16th of March, the Arrival discoverers entered the port of Saint Malo, " having," l^i^ij "(1,10^ says their commander, " lost only seven men during the * In the Memoirs of Dr Burney by his daughter, Madume D'Arblay, London, 1U32, 3 vols ovo, occurs this passage : — *< The following note upon Captain Cook is copied from a me. morandiim-book of Dr Durney's : — ' In February, I had the ho- nour of receiving the illustrious Captain Cook to dine with me in Queen Sc^nare, previously to his second voyage round tlie world. Observing upon a table Bougainville^ s f^oyuge autour du Monde, he turned it over, and made some curious remarks on the illiberal conduct of that circumnavigator towards himself wlmn they met and crossed each other, which made me desirous to Iviiow, in exa- mining the chart of M. de Dougainville, the several tracks of the two navigators, and exactly where they had crossed or approached each other. Captain Cook instantly took a pencil from his pocket-book, and said he would trace the route; which he did tn so clear and scientific a manner, that I would not take fifty pounds for the book I ' " — Vol. i. pp. 270, 271. While we admire the Doctor's enthusiastic adoration of this relic of Cook, we cannot help smiling at his ignorance. He must have totally misunder- stood his '^curious remarks," elucidated as they were by the pencil-sketch. Cook and Bougainville never ^*met or crossed each other," as the Doctor mignt have known if he had carefully read the book on which he put so high a value. The time during which Cook and Bougainville were at sea together extends from 26th August 1760, to leth March 1769. At the first of these dates the former left England, and on the same day the latter crossed the line in the neighbourhood of New Guinea. la September, Cook was at Madeira, and Bougainville at Batavia, where he remained till the lUth of October. On the 7th December, the Englishman left Rio Janeiro, and on the 12th the other departed from the Isle of France. On the 14th January 1769, Cook entered Strait Le Maire, and a few days after, the Frenchman doubled the Cape of Good Hope. He arrived in France on the 16th of March, at which time Cook was in the South Sea. At no time were tliey much nearer one another than half the circumference of the globe. Cook's remarks may have applied to the meeting of Carteret and Bougain- ville (above, p 207, 208) ; but the tale is so incorrectly told, that any further comment were useless. 232 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAIxNVILLE. Interest ex- cited by the Otaheitan in Europe. Aotonroii's Wtint of in- telligenca. CHAP. vii. two years and four months which had elapsed since we left Nantes : — *" Puppibus et laeti nautae itnposuere coronas.*** The interest excited in Paris by the appearance of the Otaheitan who I ad aceoiripanied the v^iyagers to Europe was very great ; and, says the leader of the ex- pedition, I spared neither money nor trouble to render his visit agreeable and useful to him. The account which has been left of his emotions and conduct, iij a scene and under circumstances to him so extraordinary, is unfortunately very defective and meagre. Mr Forster, the translator of Bougainville, tells us it cannot be denied, that A otourou " was one of the most stupid fellows ; which not only has been found by English- men who saw him at Paris during his stay there, and whose testimony would be decisive with the public were I at liberty to name them, but the very countrymen of A otourou were, without exception, all of the same opinion., that he had very moderate parts, if any at all."* The same opinion seems to have been enter- tained by many of the Parisians ; and thongh the com- manding officer combats it warmly, he has certainly failed to adduce any proof of even moderate intelligence or capability in his barbarian ward. The only sight which roused his curiosity was the opera. Of this we are told he was passionately fend, — knew well on what days the house was open, — and went there alone, paying at the door like any ordinary visiter. In March 1770, he left Paris, and embarked at Ro- chelle on board a vessel bound for the Isle of France, from which the government engaged to convey him to his native island. Bougainville very liberally contri- buted thir*,y-six thousand franco (about £1600 sterling), the third part of his fortune, towards the fitting out of this expedition ; and the Duchess of Choiseul expended a considerable sum in purchasing cattle, tools, and seeds, Forster's Translation, p. 265, note. Depp.rtv.i*e iVoin France. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 233 Arrival at tlie Isle of France. Death from sin all-pox. to be taken out to Otalieite. Aot.furou arrived in safety chap. vh. at the Isle of France, which he left on the 18th of October 1771, on board the Mascarin, commanded by M. Marion du Freshe, who had also under his orders a ship called the Marquis de Castries, conducted by M. du Clesmeur. Marion's instructions were to convey Aotou- rou (or, as he is called in the account cf this voyage, Mayoa) to Otaheite ; then to explore the Southern Pacific in search of new lands ; and, finally, to examine more closely the lately re-discovered islands of New Zea- land. At the island of Bourbon, tlio Otaheitan was at- tacked by the smallpox, of which disease he died shortly afterwards at Madagascar. Marion then pursued his voyage to the south-east ; and, in the course of it, he discovered a few small islands, of which the chief are Cavern, Marion, and Marion and Crozet. On the 10th of February 1772, he arrived at Van Diemen's Land ; on the 24th he made Capo Egmont, on New Zealand ; and shortly after anchored in the Bay of Islands. The horrible massacre, which took place here, of M. Marion and twenty-six of his crew, is too well known. After that catastrophe, the survivors steered for the islands of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, two of the Tonga or Frienv^ly group, and, without having made any dis- cover}', visited the Ladrones and the Philippines, and then returned to the Isle of France. Tills expedition was so closely connected with the re- cent enterprise from the same nation, that though a little inconsistent with strict chronological arrangement, we have given it a place here instead of inserting it after the first voyage of Cook. For a similar reaso ^ and to preserve uninterrupted the narrative of the <^5scoveries of our great countryman, we shall here notice the en- deavours of Surville and Shortland, both of which bear an intimate relation to the navigations of Carteret and Bougainville. The enterprise of Surville had for its object a com- mercial speculation, the nature of which it is not now easy to develop. M. de Fieurieu, to whom the publio Massacre df M. Marion tuid crew Order of successive expeditions. I Snrvllle's entci'pri!>& 234 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. Extravagant anticipatioD& CHAP. VIL are indebted for the most complete history of it,* hiis Supposed alluded to the motives with a haste and brevity which motives of seem to indicate a desire that something should be thevoyagat concealed or forgotten. This may be considered as a partial corroboration of the account of the Abbe Rochon,+ who maintains that this officer was sent out to discover a new El Dorado, — a marvellous island, abound- ing with gold, and riches, and fine cloths, and inhabited by Jews, — reported to have been lately seen by the English about seven hundred leagues west from the coa^t of Peru. The acute and learned author of the French Discoveries may well be supposed anxious not to promulgate that his countrymen, in the days of Cook, listened to a tale better fitted for the dark times and heated imaginations of the earliest adventurers ; when Juan Ponce de Leon sailed in search of the Fountain of Youth ; when golden regions were sought for every day ; and when the lost tribes of Israel were so often found in the islands of the Caribbean Sea, or on the shores .of Tierra Firme. Whatever was the aim of Surville, the results of his voyage, in a scientific point of view, were most important. If he found .not the fairy land he sought, he mainly contributed to restore to Europeans a knowledge of the Islands of Solomon, which, since their discovery by Mendana in 1667, had so often eluded the search of the most active navigators, that their very existence had become doubtful. Having completed his cargo, he sailed from Pon- dicherry on the 2d of June 1769, in the Saint Jean Buptiste, a vessel of seven hundred tons, carrying twenty-six twelve- pounders and six smaller cannons. He directed his course towards the Philippines, which he pass'^d, and, holding northward, arrived in the end of August at the Bashee Islands. On quitting these he steered towards the south-east, with the intention Arrival at the Bashco Islanda * Docouvertes des Fran9ais dans le sud-est de la Nouvelle Guinee. Paris, 1790. f Voyaj;es k Madagascar et aux Indes Oi ientales. Paris, IJUI. CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. 235 In lie de la Pi c- mieie Yuu. Violence towards tlio natives. of entering the South Sea in the neighbourhood of chap, vn, New Guinea. He crossed the Line on the 23d Septem- ber, and on the 6th October was in latitude 4° 38' south. Frequent signs of land had been perceived for some days; and on the 7th an island was seen, which was named He de la Premiere Vue, and on the succeeding day a country of great extent presented itself. He continued to sail along the coast till the 13th, when he reached an excellent harbour, which he called Port Praslin. Here he anchored, and remained nine days port riiisUa. in the expectation of getting a supply of water and refreshments, of which his crew, though the vessel had been victualled for three years, stood already much in need. These hopes, however, were in a great degree baffled by the treachery and hostility of the savages, which soon led to a battle in which Surville acted a part of questionable propriety. Not contented with having dispersed the natives by several murderous dis- charges of fire-arms, he formed the resolution of taking some of them prisoners ; and, in prosecution of this design, did not hesitate to fire into a canoe, although the people on board seemed inclined to peace. He killed one, and succeeded in securing anotlier, a lad about fifteen years of age, whom he named Lova ? e:a, and carried with '^im. Having procured a few net aijaries he left Port Praslin on the 21st, designating the country to which it belonged Terre des Arsacides, or Assassins, with a view to express the fierce character of the in- liabitants, who, in dress, arms, manners, and physical conformation^ resembled those described by Bougain. ville at Choiseul Island. The Land of the Assassins is, indeed, identified as belonging to the great archipelago of the Solomons, discovered by Mendana. It was the 6th of November before he cleared the southern point of this insular territory, of which the knowledge he obtained was very limited. The island which he named Inattendue is supposed to be the same that Carteret had seen, and called Gower. On the 80th of October, he observed another, which received I'crrc dc8 ArsucidcM. Siipposod Innd, nmncd Inattcnduo. CHAP. VII. Islands dis- covered. Arrival at Now Zealand. Sufferings of tUecrew. Observations of I^ieutcnant bhortluud. 236 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF BOUGAINVILLE. the appellation of L'lle des Contrarietes, and on the 3d of November, he descried three small ones, called by him Les Trois Soeurs. His other discoveries were, a diminutive island named He du Golfo ; two called lies de la Delivrance ; and the southern extremity of the Land of the Arsacides, on which he bestowed the appellation of Cap Oriental.* On the 7th, he lost sight of these shores, and directed his course to New Zealand, where he arrived on the 16th of December, at the very time that Cook was beating about the coast. Close, however, as they were to each other, the voyagers did not meet ; and, on the 1st January 1770, Surville left the island. All hopes of finding the fabled land were already abandoned ; death and disease had made sad havoc among his crew ; and the only object now entertained was to reach some European settlement to save the survivors, who were hardly able, even with the assistance of the officers, to hand the sails. In April, they arrived at Callao ; and the captain, anxious for an interview with the Spanish governor to solicit the assistance he so much needed, rashly put off in a small boat, and perished in the surf. Scanty as was the information regarding the archi- pelago of the Solomon Isles acquired by this commander and his predecessors. Carteret and Bougainville, their eastern coasts had, nevertheless, been delineated with some degree of accuracy ; and the voyage of Lieutenant Shortland, while guarding a fleet of transports from New South "Wales to England, served to deteiinine the leading features of the western shorcs.t This officer left Port Jackson on the 14th July 1788, and on the • It has been projwsed to call this cape after its discoverer, and it seems but reasonable that his name should be connected with some part of the archipela^ro. Cook, in his Second Voya|>re (3d edit vol. ii. p. 267), 'alls into an error in representing Surville to have given "his own name" to the land he discovered. "f* A narrative of this expedition will be found in " The Voyage of Governor Philip to Botanj Buv. London, IJUU," no, p. 183-221. J CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP BOUGAINVILLE. 237 3l8t, at noon, discove»'ed land nearly in the same lati- chap. VIL tude with Surville's Cap Oriental, and bestowed on it pigc^^^ of the appellation of Cape Sidney. He continued to sail Cape Sidney, along this cowit till the 7th of August, giving names to the more prominent capes and bays, but obtaining no certain intelligence of the nature or extent of the land. An interview with the natives showed, that they agreed in all points with the descriptions ( f the French navigators. On quitting this archipelago he sailed through Bougainville's Straits, and continuing his course to the north-west, visited the Pelew Islands, and arrived at Batavia on the 18th of November. Con- ceiving the lands he had seen to be a new discovery, he conferred on them the appellation of New Georgia, and bestowed on the channel through which he passed the name of Shortland's Straits. But in no long time, when their position was more minutely examined, it became evident that the countries observed by him be- longed to the same group with the Terre des Arsacides and the Isle Choiseul. The names imposed by the Name finally English were then dropped ; the absurd title given fJe sSJmJa by Surville was also abandoned ; and geographers now islands, recognise this cluster by the name of " The Solomons," bestowed by its first visiter, Mendana. Having traced the progress of discovery iii the Pacific Ocean during two centuries and a half, it may now be convenient to pause ; and, before proceeding to the history of the greatest navigator that eve sailed on its waters, survey what had been already accomplished, and what still remained to be done. Numerous as were the expeditions into the South Resnltsof Sea, by far the greater portion of it was yet unexplored, cxyauii^'^ Northwards of the Equator one track only was followed, — namely, that between Mexico, or New Spain, and the Philippines, about the latitude of 16° N. ; and from this line little voi'iation was made, nor was there any attempt 238 RETROSPECT. CHAP. Vil Limited ranfce of ob- servation. WalHs and Bonffain- ville's range. Mercenary viewBot utlier navigators. to examine the unknown sea on either side. The great expanse of the Pacific south of the Line had indeed been more extensively navigated ; yet, with one exception, the courses of the several voyagers lay within very nai-row limits. The discoveries of Quiros were between 10" and 26° of south latitude ; Schouten's route was nearly in the parallel of 16° S. ; Roggewein's was almost coin- cident ; and Mendana's never lay far from 10° S. The most distant land in that direction reached by Wallis was Whitsunday Island, in 19° S. ; Carteret attained a higher latitude, and saw Pitcairn's Island, in 26° ; but the remotest discovery of Byron was the group of the Disappointment Islands, in 14° S. To the north of the Equator, Carteret effected nothing ; Byron was equally unsuccessful ; and the most northerly position brought to light by Wallis, was the island, in 13° 18' S., which received his own name. Bougainville's range lay be- tween 19° S., the latitude of Les Quatre Facardins, and 6° S., the parallel of Bouca. These were the only voyagers (with the exception of Magellan) who followed new tracks ; and it will be sef n that they confined themselves to the space between the Line and the twenty-fifth degree of south latitude. • i i . , The many other navigatora whose exploits are re- counted in these pages, moro intent on the acquisition of Spanish gold than on the search for unknown re- gions, almost invariably pursued one common and well- frequented path. On entering the Pacific, they stood for Juan Fernandez, in order to recover their health or replace their stores ; they then coasted the American continent to California ; after which, they either re- traced their way to the Atlantic by Cape Horn or the Straits, or more usually crossed the South Sea in the track of the Manilla galleon. Such was the route of Drake, Cavendish, Van Noort, Spilbergen, the Nassau Fleet, the English Buccaneere, Dampier, Rogers, Clip- perton, Shelvocke, and Anson. The only adventurer into a high southern latitude was Tasman. Entering the Pacific from the Indian Ocean, RETROSPECT. 239 he advanced to about 44° and discovered Van Diemen't. Land. Thence, pursuuig nearly the same parallel, he stood eastvsrard till he encountered New Zealand, and, sailing along its western shores, bore northward till he got into the track of Schouten ; having discovered in his passage the Tonga Islands, on the confines of the Tropic. From this rccapitulatioil, it will be seen, that of the Southern Pacific there remained altogether unknown the great space bounded on the north by the twenty- fifth parallel of latitude, and by the meridians of longi- tude 86° W. and 170° E. No vessel had yet attempted to traverse this wide extent, and, consequently, with respect to it there prevailed the utmost uncertainty and ignorance. A learned geographer writes in 1771, "So far as to absolute experience, we continue ignorant whether the southern hemisphere be an immense mass of water, or whether it contains another continent and countries worthy of our search." * The portion of the Northern Pacific which remained unexplored was, per- haps, still more extensive. Such were the mighty tracts concerning which nothing had been ascertained. There were, besides, several spacious regions, of which certain navigators had indeed announced the existence, but who stopped short before the extent was brought to light. Of New Hol- land, only the western side was known ; the northern limit (the strait discovered by Torres in 1606) had passed into oblivion, and this great country was gen- erally represented as joining New Guinea ; on the south, there was no certainty whether it extended to Van Diemen's Land, or where its termination should be fixed ; to the east, it was involved in utter darkness ; one point only was clear, that it did not stretch beyond long. 170°, being nearly the meridian of Tasman*s track. The limits of New Zealand were still more indefinite. Only its western shores had been visited, and, for all * Dalrymple, Hist. Coll., vol. ii. — " Investigation of what may be farther e.\j)ected in the South Sea," p. 12. ciiAP. vri. discovery of Van Die man's Lund. Extent of nnexplorvd space. Imperfectly (rt)serve(l regions. #- New Uullnnd. i 2-10 RETROSPECT. I'untiucnt CHAP. VII. that was then known, it might have extended eastward Ideasregard- ^^ within 36° of Chili. Mr Dalrymple remarks, that it Ing New is " still a question if Staat's Land, or New Zealand, be part of a continent or only islands ; though it is most probably the former, as Tasman supposes it to be." Uncertainty In short, the great problem of geography, the exist- existenceofa ^"^® ^^ ^ ^^^^ SOUTHERN CONTINENT, WaS Still UUSolved . gontiierii The discoveries of succeeding years had no doubt much circumscribed the bounds assigned to it in the sixteenth century ; yet within the unvisited bosom of the Pacific there still remained ample space for a country exceeding Europe in dimensions, and surpassing, even in its most high and palmy state, the widest empire ever seen in either hemisphere. Nor with the believers in this land was its extent its only merit. Its fancied splendour and fertility were to cast into the shade all that had been told of Mexico or Peru ; for here was to be found the original fountain of their civilization, the parent country of the first Inca ! And to the nation that should dis- cover it there was promised an accession of wealth and power greater than had flowed to Spain from the con- quests of Cortes and Pizarro. I '. ■' COOK. CHAPTER VIII. Life of Cook previous to his First Voyage. Birth and Parents^ of Cook— His Education— His Indentures with a Draper — Apprenticeship on board a CoUier — Volunteers into the Navy — Appointed Master of t^ Mercury — His Services at Quebec — Hairbreadth Escape— He first studies Euclid — His Marria^ — Made Marine Surveyor of Newfoundland and Labra- dor — Communicates an Observation of an Eclipse to the Koyal Society — History of the Transits of Venus — Predicted in 1629 by Kepler — Discovery and Observation of Horrox— First Appre- ciation of its Uses — Professor James Gregory — Dr Edmund Halley — His Exhortation to future Astronomers — Transit of 1761 — Preparations for that of 1769— Proposal to send a Ship with Observers to the South Sea — Cook promoted to the Rank of Lieu- tenant, and appointed to conduct it — His Choice of a Vessel — Sir Joseph Banks determines to join the Expedition — Preparations and Instructions for the Voyage. James Cook was the son of humble parents. His CHAP. Vllf. father, also named James, and supposed from his dialect Birtiriind to be a Northumbrian, was a labourer or farm-servant, parentage of and his mother was of the same rank. Both of them were highly esteemed by their neighbours for their in- tegrity, temperance, and industry. They appear to have resided, first at the village of Morton, in the North Riding of Yorkshire ; afterwards at Marton in Cleve- land, a small place in the same county, situated between Gisborough and Stockton-upon-Tees. Here, in a mud- tottage, every vestige of which has long been swept 242 LIFE OF COOK CHAP. VIII Sister of Cijok. Early education. Orifrfnal (icsiination. Introtinctlou to a seafhrini; life. Ambitious views. away, the subject of tliis memoir was born on the 27th of October 1728. He was one of nine children, none of whom survived their parents, excepting himself and a daughter, of whose history nothing is recorded but that she was married to a fisherman at Redcar, and that her home became the abode of her father in the latter part of his life, which was extended to the long term of nearly eighty-five years. Cook was taught his letters by the village-school- mistress. Dame Walker. When he was eight years old, his father was appointed hind, head-servant, or bailiff, on the farm of Airy Holme, the property of Thomas Scottowe, Esq., near Great Ayton, at the foot of Roseberry Topping ; and in the school of this place, at the expense of his father' s employer, he learned writing and the rules of arithmetic. At the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to a draper, in the fishing-town of Staiths, about ten miles north of Whitby ; but this employment little accorded with the bent of his disposition, which now developed itself ia a strong passion for the sea. A quarrel having occurred between him and his master, his indentures were given up, and -he bound himself for seven years to Messrs John and Henry Walker, owners of two vessels in the coal-trade. These worthy Quakers early appreciated his good conduct and great anxiety to acquire skill in his profession ; and after he had served on board the Freelove, and for a short time in another ship, they promoted him to be mate of the Three Brothers. Pro- mises were made to him of farther preferment ; but to these, as his thoughts were already turned to a loftier sphere, he seems to have given little heed. Mr John Walker, one of his employers, remarked, that " he had always an ambition to go into the navy." * It was not observed by those who knew him at this period, that he • Memoir of Cook, by Edward Hawke Locker, Esq. in the « Gallery of Greenwich Hospital," (London, 1831) part i, With the amiable Quakers, his first friends, Cook " maintained a corre- sponilence to the last year of his existence." PREVIOUS TO HIS I^IRST VOyAGE. 243 was anywise distinguished for talent ; but no one can doubt that his active mind was then laying the founda- tions of future eminence, or that much of the skill in practical navigation, which he afterwards displayed, was acquired in that admirable nursery of seamen, — the i-oastingrtrade. Eurly in 17S5, on the commencement of hostilities with France, there was an active impressment in the Thames. Cook, then in his twenty-seventh year, hap- pened to be in a vessel on the river, and was at first desirous to conceal himself ; but, after some hesitation, he resolved to go into the service, and proceeded to Wapping, where he entered as a volunteer on board the Eagle of sixty guns. Captain Hamer. Shortly after- wards. Captain Hugh Palliser succeeded that officer ; and quickly discerning the young man's superior sea- manship, afforded him every encouragement, rated him quarter-master, and from that time continued to be his steady patron. Letters in his favour from friends in Yorkshire, — among whom was Mr Osbaldeston, the parliamentary representative of Scarborough, — arrived in the course of a few months, and his commander obtained for him a warrant as master of the Mercury frigate, dated the 15th of May 1759. In allusion to similar commissions for the Grampus and the Garland, both rendered abortive by unforeseen circumstances, Dv Kippis remarks, " These quick and successive appoint- ments show that his interest was strong, and that the intention to serve him was real and effectual." * The Mercury received orders to join the fleet, which, under Sir Charles Saunders, was in co-operation with General Wolfe, at that time engaged in the siege of Quebec. A combined attack on the fortified position at Montmorency and Beauport had been concerted ; but it was necessary, in the first place, to procure accurate soundings of the St Lawrence, between L'lle d'Orleans and the shore on which the French army lay. Tliis, a CHAP. vriL Acquire- ment of vnictical knowledge. Connnencti-' ment of hostilities with France. Friendship of Gaptuin PtUliser. Appointed msiater of tlic Mercury. Ordered to Canada. * Biographia Britannica (2d edition), voL iv. p. lOL i -^ 214 LIFE OP COOK CHAP. VIII. Dani^roa'i Rurvioo en- trusted to lilm. Narrow cscapo from the cnomy. (ividence of fupacity and porsovcrancu. service of great danger, which could only he performed during the night, was, on the recommendation of Captain Palliser, intrusted to Cook, who discharged it in the most complete manner. He had scarcely achieved his task when he was discovered hy the enemy, who launched a numhcr of canoes filled with Indians to sur- round and cut him ofF. He instantly made for the British encampment, but was so closely pursued that the savgcs entered the stern of his barge as he leapt from the bow under the protection of the English senti- nels. The boat was carried off in triumph ; but Cook was able, in the words of one of his biographers, " to furnish the admiral with as correct a draught of the channel and soundings as could have been made after our countrymen were in possession of Quebec." There was reason to suppose that before this period he was entirely ignorant of drawing, having seldom or never liandled a pencil ; and if this conjecture be well founded it affords a striking proof of his capacity and persever- ance. Not long afterwards he was employed to make a survey of the whole river below Quebec ; and his chart was executed with such skill and exactness that it was immediately published by orders of the Admiralty.* His merits now began to attract general attention, • Besides these important duties, if we could trust the companion of his last voyage, Cook was emploj^ed in others of still- greater consequence. " At the sie^e of Quebec," it is said, " Sir Charles Saunders committed to his charge the execution of services of the first importance in the naval department. He piloted the boats to the attack of Montmorency ; conducted the embarkation to the heights of Abraham ; examined the passage and laid buoys lor the security of tlie large ships in proceeding up the river." — Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, for making Discoveries in the North- em Hemisphere (2d edition, London, IT&5), vol. iii. p. 47. For this statement, no other authority has been observed than that of Captain King, whose sketch of Cook's life is meagre and defectivrt. No allusion is made to it in the minute narrative of Dr Kippis ; and, as he wrote from the information of Sir Hugh Palliser and other friends of our navigator, his silence must be regarded as con> elusive. The passage, mdeed, appears to be a vague exaggeration of the real services of Cook, — to which, it should be noted, tlicvo is no other reference made by Cuptain King ai ui ai {( 'i PREVIOUS TO niS FIltBT VOYAOK. 24r> .■■i and, on the 22d cf September 1759, Lord Colville ap chap. viii. pointed him master of his own ship, the Northumber- ^ppe the winter. He must have long felt the difficulties g^J''^^"" under which he laboured from his defective education ; and we learn that he now took advimtage of a little leisure, afforded by the season, to instruct himself in the branches of science most necessary to his profession. " It was here, as I have often heard him say," writes Maihcnmti- Captain King, « that during a hard winter, he first read *** »t"^'«* Euclid, and applied himself to the study of mathematics and astronomy, without any other assistance than what a few books and his own industry afforded him." * He accompanied his lordship to Newfoundland in September following ; aided in its recapture from the French ; and by the diligence which he exhibited in surveying the harbour and heights of Placentia, secured the favourable notice of the governor of the island. He returned to England about the close of the year ; Return to and, on the 2l8t December 1762, married Miss Eliza- maSfrgeT"'^ heth Batts, at Barking in Essex, — a woman of an ami- al)le and generous disposition, from whose society, how- ever, he was quickly called away.f In the beginning of 1763, Captain Graves, who, (japtnin during Cook's visit, had been governor of Newfound- Graves, land, was again appointed to that office ; and being * Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, vol. iii. p. 47. Captain Kinfj» places this event under the j'ear 17<38 ; but, as he mentions that Cook was at that time master of the Northumberland, the date of his appointment to that vessel shows that it must have been in the succeeding winter. At the time when the future discoverer thus began his second education he was in his thirty-first year. •f An absurd story is told by some of tlie biographers of Cook, that he *' was godfather to his wife ; and, at the very time she was christened, had determined, if she ^rew up, on the union which af- terwards took place between them. This tale, as we were assur- ed by the late Mr Isaac Cragg-Sniith, a relative of Mrs Cook, is with- out the slightest foundation ; the two families were at the time un- acquaintec^ — the one residing in the suburbs of the metropolis, the other in Yorkshire, where Cook, then only thirteen years old, was serving his apprenticeship. I I mmm 246 LIFE o?? COOK CHAP. VIII. Employed in ft survey ot Newfound- land. Viiluahle charts pubilsLcd. Obaerrations; of an eclips j cf th« sun. desirous to procure accurate surveys of the colony, he made proposals to our navigator, which were willingly accepted. Towards the close of the year he returned home ; but his ?tay on this occasion was as short as on the former, for his old friend, Sir Hugh Palliscr, behig selected to superintend that settlement, and Cook having agreed to resume }«!» situation, he was, on the 18th of April 1764, nominated marine surveyor. In the dis- charge of tills duty he continued four years, occasionally returning to England, and spending the winter there. The manner in which he executed his commissi Chester, — beheld a spectacle, of which, among all the learned men in Europe, they were the only witnesses. Horrox wrote an account of his observations, but dying within a few daye after (on 3d January 1640), more CHAP. vir. Important astronomical phenomeudu* Kepler on tlie transits of iho planets. Transit obsei'ved by Horrox uiid Crubtruc ise, of 'liis roin re- hat md. luth Sea. In reply to inquiries made in re^rd to this pamphlet, Af r Isaac Craij^Sraith, after consuItin|y with Mrs Cook, assured us she was entirely ignorant of it, and tliat her husband had never b&en in the Bay of Honduras. * The phenomenon was seen hy several astronomers; but Gap- senui was the only one who published an account of liis observations in a tract enlitled "De Mercurio in Sole Viso et Venere Jnvisa, raiibiis, lG31j pro adnioiiilioiie Ki-plori, &c. I'ar. 1(532," 4to. 248 LIFE OP COOK Uses of snch observatioos. CHAP. VIII. than twenty years elapsed before his work was pnb- lished.* As yet, however, no one had clearly discerned the uses to which this phenomenon has since been applied in the discovery of one of the most important truths in the range of science. By observations made at distant points on the globe, the astronomer obtains the means of dplermining the Sun's Parallax, or the angle which the earth's semidiameter subtends at the sun, by means of which he can ascertain the distance ot the one body from the other. The honour of first pointing out this important application has been commonly ascribed to Edm\md Halley, though it is certain that he was anticipated by one whos*^ name is no less distinguished, — James Gregory, the inventor of the reflecting teles- cope, and the first professor of mathematics in the University of Edinburgh. So early as 1663, this eminent mathematician, then about twenty-four years of age, proposed and solved the question, — " From the apparent conjunction of two planets to find out their parallaxes ;" to which he annexed the scholium : — " This problem, though attended with considerable labour, may be productive of the most admirable ad- vantages, by observing the passage of Venus or Mercury over the solar disk, for thereby the Parallaai of the Sun may be discovered." f This passage demonstraies that First dis- coverer of their practi- cal value. Grpfiory's Bcliuliiuo. • It was entitled, " Venus in Sole Visa, anno 1639," and first appeared in the " Mercurius in Sole Visus " of Hevelius, pub- lished at Dantzic in l()t)2. f " Prohlema Ex duorum Planetanim conjunctione corporali utriusque planetse Parallaxes investi^are. Scholium. — Hoc Prol"'ima pulcherrimum habet usuni, ped forsan laboriosum, in ob- ser\ a. lonibus Veneris, vel Mercurii purticulam Solis obscurantis : ex LalibuG enim Solis parallaxis investijj^ri poterit." — Optica I'ro- mota. Authore Jacobo Grer/orio, Abiedonensi Scoto. Lond. 1()63, p. 128-130. The claim of Grej^ory to this inipor'ant sug- gestion was first vindicated by the {gentleman whoafterwirds so ably tilled the same academical chair. Professor Wallace ( Archaeolojjja Scotica, vol. iii. p. 283). But several years previous to this, he observes, " I mentioned this passaji^e to the late Dr Hutton, and lie very properly noticed it in the Life of Gre^'ory, contained in the second edition of his Dictionary." (Lond. 1815, vol, L pp. <>0i, 602.) srali iHoc ob- His : ->o- \nd. ^bly kia this, land Ithe )2.) PREVIOUS TO HIS FIRST VOYAGE. 249 Its author was fullv aware of the henefits to be derived chap. Vin, from this rare occiiiTenee, and that Halley was not the jjajjey-g firet to appreciate them. Still, to that philosopher is theory of due the merit of satisfactorily elucidating the theory of *'"*"* '"■ transits, of directing attention towards them, and im- pressing upon astronomers the vast importance of the results to be obtained from a careful observation. His thoughts were called to the subject in the year 1677, during his residence at St Helena, for the purpose of examining the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. There happened at that period a transit of Mercury, Observatfon which he observed with the utmost care. Contrary to oJjiercuiyf his expectation, he was enabled to fix the very instant in which the planet, entering the sun's limb, seemed to touch it internally, as also that in which it went off. He thus ascertained the amount of time occupied by the passage of Mercury over the sun's disk, " without an error of a single second ;" for, as he informs us, " the thread of solar light intercepted between the obscure limb of the planet and the bright limb of the sun, though exceed- ingly slender, affected the sight ; and, in the twinkling of an eye, both the indenture made on the sun's limb by Mercury entering into it vanished, and that made by going ofiF appeared." He instantly perceived that, by such observations, the sun's parallax might be duly de- termined, provided Mercury were nearcj* to the earth, and had a greater parallax when seen from the sun. But this planet, thodgh it frequently traverses the solar disk, was, he saw, not very suitable for the pur- ])ose ; because the difference between its parallax and Greatervaino that of the sun is always less than the latter, which is of Venu^fc""^' the object of the inquiry. There remained, however, the transit of Venus, — a much rarer phenomenon, in- deed, but peculiarly appropriate ; because the parallax of that planet, being almost four times as great as that of the sun, occasions very sensible differences between the times in which she seems to be passing over the solar tiisk, at diflFerent parts of the earth. From due MP 250 LIFE OF COOK CHAP. vni. Simple re- nnisites for observation. Devdop- nient of H alley's views. Appeal to his astronomical successors. observations of these, he inferred that the sun's parallax might be detennined with extreme accuracy, and with- out any other instruments than good clocks and tele- scopes ; while, on the part of the observers, there were only required diligence, fidelity, and a moderate skill in astronomy. The parallax of Venus being once ascer- tained, that of the sun and thence the earth's distance from the sun may be found. And by Kepler's third law (that the squares of the periodical times are pro- portional to the cubes of their mean distances), the distances of all the other planets from the sun may be determined ; so that, from the observation of this one phenomenon, the transit of Venus, can be calculated the diameter of the planetary orbits, and the extent of the whole solar system. Halley briefly stated the result of his reflections in his " Catalogus Stellarum Australium," published in 1679. He developed them more clearly in an Essay, read to the Royal Society in 1691 ;* and in 1716, he again most earnestly recommended the subject to the attention of that body, and of men of science in general. From his advanced age, he could entertain no hopes of living to witness the next transit in 1761. He there- fore solemnly addressed himself to future astronomers, most impressively exhorting them, " moniti hujus nostri memores," to devote all their energies and to ase every endeavour to obtain accurate observations of so unusual an occurrence. With great fervour he de- precated such a state of the atmosphere as might ob- struct their view, and off^e^ed up the most ardent wishes for their complete and tri'.imphant success, — " Utque tandem," he concludes, " oibium celestium magnitu- dines intra arctiores limites coercitce in eorum gloriam famamque sempiternam cedant." + • " De visibili conjunctione Inf'eriorum Pianetarum cum Sole." — Philosophical Transactions, No. exciii. vol. xvii. p. 511-522. f *' Methodus sin^rularis qua Solis Parallaxis sive distantia a Terra, ope Veneris intra Solem conspiciendsB, tuto determinari po- tent." — Phi.^ Trans. No cccxlviii. vol. xxix. p. 454-464. James PREVIOUS TO HIS FIRST VOYAGE. 251 Halley died in 1742 ; but his affecting appeal to posterity was not maie in vain. About a twelve- month before the long expected event, the celebrated Boscovich addressed a communication to the Royal Society, warmly urging attention to the phenomenon ; and from the very next paper in the memoirs of that body, read on the 26th of June 1760., we learn that they had " come to a resolution to send persons of ability to proper places, in order to observe the approach- ing passage of Venus over the sun, the 6th of June next year."* Under their auspices, accordingly, and favoured by royal munificence, the Rev. Nevil Mas- kelyne, accompanied by Mr Waddington, repaired to St Helena, while Messrs Mason and Dixon were de- spatched to Bencoolen, in the island of Sumatra. Nu- merous preparations w^re likewise made at home, and methods devised for securing ample communications from observers abroad. The whole scientific world, indeed, as may be seen from the subjoined note, was alive to an occurrence which had been termed ** spec- taculum inter Astronomica longe nobilissimum," and individuals of the highest rank partook of the prevt*iling enthusiasm.t CHAP, viu Boscovlch'B Address to the Royal Society. Obsprvers Bent to dilVurent places. Ocneral Entliuslusm Ferguson's " Plain Method of finding the Distances of all the Planets from the Sun by the Transit of Venus," and Benjamin Martin's " Venus in the Sun," both published in J 761, were little more thau loose translations of this tract, with some notes and ad- ditions, partly popular and partly scientific. * Phil. Trans., vol. li. p. ^89. •j- In Britain, the observations at Saville House, by Mr Short and Drs Blair and Bevis, were made in presence of their Royal Highnesses the Duke of York (brother to George HI.), Princes William Henry and Frederick, and Princess Augusta; Lord Mac- clesfield's Observatory at Shirburn Castle was Supplied by Messrs Hornsby, Phelps, and Bartlett ; Mr Bliss attended the Royal Ob- servatory at Greenwich ; Mr Canton observed at Spittal Square ; Ellicott and Uollond at Hackney; Mr Dunn at Chelsea; and Mr Haydon at Liskeard, in Cornwall. In other parts of Europe there were De Lalande, Maraldi, and De Lisle, at the Royal Observatory in the Palace of Ltixembourg and at the Hotel de CItigny ; De la Caille, Le Monnier, and Ferner, 9* Cunflans, &c. ; Zunotti at Bologna ; Mayer at Schwezinga, near Heidelberg 252 LIFE OP COOK CHAP. VIIL Imperfect lesnlts of the concerted observations. Proposed astronomical expedition to tlie South Sea. Ooremment eld. These extensive arrangements were unfortunately in many cases baffled by untoward circumstances. Some observers failed to reach their appointed stations; a few were not in good health, and had to intrust the duty to subordinate assistants ; in other instances, the instruments were disordered, or not ready in time ; and, on the whole, the position of the planet and the state of the atmosphere proved generally inauspicious to nice examination. But, though the discrepancies in the results were considerable, the possibility of success on the next opportunity, on the 3d of June 1769, was as confidently expected as ever. Nearly two years previous to that period, the Royal Society resolved to send out observers to some part of the South Sea, between the longitudes of 140° and 180° west of Greenwich. They were, however, in no condition to defray the expense of such an undertaking ; and it was found necessary, in February 1768, to pre- sent a memorial to his majesty, setting forth the great advantages to be derived from it, and requesting the royal aid. This petition was at once granted, and on the 3d of April, Mr (afterwards Sir Philip) Stephens, the Secretary of the Admiralty, informed the society that a bark would be provided for the purpose. It was intended to intrust the charge of the expedition to an eminent geographer, whose name has been often mentioned in the preceding pages, — Alexander Dal- rymple, brother to that distinguished antiquary and scholar. Lord Hailes. Aware of the difficulty, in such Ijulofs at Leyden ; Eximenus at Madrid ; Mallet and Bero^mann at Upsal; Glister at He'-nosand; Planman at Cajaneburg; Wareentin and Klingenstierna at Stockholm ; Justander at Abo, in Finland ; Hellant at Tornea. In Asia, Chappe observed at Tobolsk in Sibe- ria; Porter, the English ambassaaor, at Constantinople; Hirst, chaplain of one of his majesty's ships, at Madras ; Magee at Cal- cutta ; Dollier at Peeking. In Afiiica may be enumerated, Ma« son and Dixon at the Cape of Good Hope, as they were prevented from reaching Bencoolen; Maskelyne at St Helena. In AME- RICA, it was observed by Winthrop at St John's, Newfoundland, and by others at Kingston and Port Royal, in Jamaica ; while Pin« gre was stationed at the island of Rodrigues, in the Indian Ocean. PREVIOUS TO niS FIRST VOYAGE. 253 a navigation, of securing the obedience of a crew wlio were not subjected to strict naval discipline, it was proposed that this gentleman should receive a brevet- commission to command the vessel ; and it was stated as a precedent, that William III. had, in 1698, appoint- ed Halley to be captain of the Paramour Pink, on a voyage of discovery to the South Atlantic. This was an unfortunate example to adduce ; for the officers and crews of the learned astronomer had slighted his au- thority, refused to obey his directions, and at last be- came so insolent and insubordinate, that, without having effected almost any thing, to use his own words, he " found it absolutely necessary " to return to England, and to incur the cost of a second expedition. These circumstances could not fail to be remembered by the Lords of the Admiralty ; and, when the representation of the society was laid before them, Sir Edward, after- svards Lord Hawke, then at the head of the board, declared, " that his conscience would not allow him to trust any ship of his majesty to a person who had not regularly been bred a seaman." On the matter being again urged, he replied, that he would rather have his right hand cut off than that it should sign any such commission ; and Mr Dairy m pie, on the other part, was found equally determined not to proceed without it. In this dilemma, Mr Stephens suggested that an- other individual should be employed. With a discri> mination which does him the highest honour, he had early appreciated the talents of Cook, who was now proposed by him as a person fully qualified for the undertaking, and one who had also been regularly edu- cated in the navy. He appealed for a confirmation of his views to Sir Hugh Palliser, and that gentle- man most warmly seconded the recommendation, which, fortunately for science, proved successful. Cook, then in his fortieth year, was appointed to conduct the expedition, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant by a commission dated the 26th of May 1768. The Admiralty having intrusted Sir Hugh with the selection of a suitable vessel, he called its future coni- CHAP. VIII. Proposoil brevet uoia« missioa. Obstaclea ori);inatinf> in the pro- posal. Selection of Cook. Promoted to the rank of 1 eutununU 254 LIFE OP COOK a TtbseL fisscnttnl liialities vcquisite. I> <» CHAP. VIII. niander to his assistance, and proceeded to examine a Selection of S^^oi number of ships in the Thames. Even in this first step in the enterprise, its conductor displayed the discernment and sagacity for which he was afterwards 80 remarkable. At that time there was much discus- sion regarding the size and kind of vessels most proper for such a voyage ; some recommending East India^ men, or heavy barks of forty guns ; while others pre- ferred large, good-sailing frigates, or three- decked ships, such as were then employed in the Jamaica trade. With that confidence in his own judgment, which is the result of a strong and sound-thinking mind. Cook dissented from the views of both parties, and chose a bark built for the coal-trade, of the burden of 370 tons. He at once saw that the qualities most essential were, that the ship should be of no great draught of water, yet of sufficient capacity to carry the requisite stores ; of a construction that would bear to take the ground ; and of such a size that she miglit, if necessary, be laid on shore for repair with safety and convenience. These properties, he remarks, are not to bo found in either of the two classes proposed, " nor indeed in any other but north-country-built ships, or such as are built for the coal- trade, which are peculiarly adapted to this purpose. In such a vessel, an able sea-officer will be most venturesome, and better enabled to fulfil his in- structions than he possibly can (or indeed than would be prudent for him to attempt) in one of any other sort or size." * He probably was not aware that his opin- conflimation. *®°^ ^^ *^^^® subject coincided with those of the illus- trious discoverer of the New World. Of the three fchips that first crossed the Atlantic, one only was full decked, the others were caravels or light barks, little superior to the small coasting-craft of the present day. "It was not," says Mr Irving, "for want of large vessels in the Spanish ports, that those of Columbus were of so small a size. He considered them best a348. - 256 LIFE OF COOK, &0. Efflcient assistants. Provisions, officers, aud ciavr. CTiAP. VIII. two of whom w^ere negroes, he took out two draughts* men, the one in the department of landscape, the other in natural history. The Endeavour was victualled for eighteen months, and had on board ten carriage and twelve swivel guns. Her crew, besides the commander and other officers, consisted of forty-one able seamen, twelve marines, and nine servants, — in all eighty-five persons. The instruc- tions given to Cook were, to proceed directly to Otaheite, and, after the astronomical observations should be com- pleted, to prosecute the general design for discovery in the Pacific, in which Byron, Wallis, and Carteret, had been employed. He was ordered to sail as far south as the latitude of 40° ; if no land was found, he was then to steer to the west, between the fortieth and thirty-fifth parallels, till he encountered New Zealand, and having explored that country, he was to return to England by such route as he might think proper. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 257 CHAPTER IX. First Circumnavigation of Cook. Departure— Adventure on Tierra del Fuego — Discovery of Lagoon, Thrum Cap, Bow, The Groups, and Chain Islands — Aivival at * Otaheite — Observation of the Transit and Incidents durinir their Stay — Discovery of the Islands of Tethuroa, Huaheine, Uliatea, Otaha, Tubai, Bolabola, Maurua, and Oheteroa — Makes the East Coast of New Zealand — Affrays with the Natives — Doubles the North Cape — Discovers Cook's Strait^, and circumnavigates the Islands— Sails for the East Coast of New Holland — Dis- covery of New South Wales — Botany Bay — Intercourse with the Natives — Port Jackson — Dangerous Position of the Ship — Reaches the most northerly Point of Australia — Re-discoN,iy of Torres' Strait — New Guinea — Timor — Batavia — Mortality among the Crew — Arrival in England. On the 27tli May 17C8, Lieutenant, Cook hoisted his chap, ix pendant on board the Endeavour, then lying in Dept- Depai tme 1 1 ford Yard, and on the 30th July bore down the river Lieutenant and proceeded to Plymouth, whence he finally set sail on the 26th of August. While at Madeira, which they reached on the 13th visit to September, the navigators visited the convent of Santa *^*^'*'*''^ Clara ; and the simple nuns, hearing that some of the strangers were great philosopher, asked among other questions, " When it would thunder ! " and " Whether a spring of fresh water was to be found any where within the walls of the cloister ! " The voyagers passed the island of TenerifFe on the 23d, and observed, after the sun had sunk below the horizon, that the lofty Peak still received his rays, and, while the rest of the island i .1 ! I » 258 PIUST CIRCUMNAVIOATION OF COOK. CHAP. IX. Luminonn appearnrco of the Bctk Tlena flol Fuego. Landing at Strait Lu Muirft. Suffering fiom coldk reposed in the darkest shades, glowed with a warmtii uf colour which no language could describe. As they pur-, sued their course to Brazil, they had an opportunity of observing that luminous appearance of the sea which has so often excited the admiration of mariners. They anchored at Rio de Janeiro on the 13th November, but the jealousy of the Portuguese governor would only allow refreshments to be procured under the most rigorous restrictions ; and his ignorance was such, that he could form no other notion of the purpose of the voyage than that it was to witness " the passing of the North Star through the South Pole !" On quittijg this port, Cook kept a look-out for Pepys* Island ; but nothing was perceived but a fog- bank, which at a distance closely resembled land. On the 11th January 1769, he was in sight of Tierra del Fuego, and three days afterwards entered Strait Le Maire. The morning of the 16th was fair and mild, much like one of our bright days in May, and Mr Banks landed with a party to explore the country. They commenced the ascent of a mountain, the lower region of which was covered with wood ; this was succeeded by what seemed a plain, while the top consisted of bare rocks. About three o'clock, they reached the second stage of the hill, which they discovered to be a swamp, overgrown with low bushes of birch, so interwoven and stiff that it was necessary to step over them, while at every exertion the foot sunk ankle-deep in the soil. The day now became cold and gloomy, and the wind swept down in sudden gusts accompanied with snow. They still pressed on in good spirits, and had crossed about two- thirds of the wooded morass, when Mr Buchan, the landscape-painter, was seized with a fit of epilepsy. A fire having been kindled, he was left in charge of those who were most fatigued, while Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and Messrs Green and Monkhouse, continued their ascent. By the time they reached the summit, the day was so far spent that it was hopeless ,' ■.'»•■ It' V, l.i '''<^ !■ 'n'AlMr'f Jf^JI^K!!^,;.^ ''j'O-'.;)^ f r FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 259 to think of regaining the ship before night ; it was re- ^cuap. ix. solved, therefore, to build a hut in a wood at some dis- „ — ,, Construe tiUn tance, and the gentlemen last named were despatched tc of u hut. conduct those who had remained below to a spot from which all might advance together. It was nearly eiglit o'clock before the whole party were assembled at this rendezvous, chilled with the intense cold, but cheerful and in health, — as Mr Buchan had sufficiently recovered to attempt the remainder of ih^, journey. There was still good daylight, and they set forward to reach the nearest valley, — Mr Banks walking ^ud to prevent any one from lingering behind. Dr Solander, in crossinji 'Fatal tcwl- the mountains of his native land, had learned that ^"'^^ ^ ^'^^' fatigue and extreme cold frequently produce an irre- sistible desire for sleep, against which he now cautioned his companions, earnestly exhorting them to keep in mo- tion, however painful the effort might be : "Whoever sits down," he warned them, " will sleep, and whoever sleeps will wake no more !" The doctor was himself the first that was affected with this inclination for repose ; and so powerful was it, that he insisted on being suffered to lie down, and, in spite of every expostulation and entreaty, stretched himself on the snow. Richmond, one of the black servants, had felt the same effects, and began to lag behind, when five of the party were sent forward to light a fire at the first convenient place. Mr Banks, and four others who remained with him, succeeded in drag- ging Solander and the negro almost to the edge of the wood, when both declared they could go no farther. Prayers and remonstrances were ( qually unavailing , Drowsim m tlie black, when told that if he aid not proceed he aar.^ °'*°* would be frozen to death, answered, that " he desired nothing but to lie down and die ; " while the naturalist expressed himself willing to go on, " but that he must first take some sleep." It being impossible to carry them, they were allowed to recline themselves, partly suppoxt"'! by the bushes, and in a few minutes both were in a profound sleep. Soon aftervirds, the welcome intelligence was received that a flame had bcjn kindled 200 FIRST CIKCUMNAVIQATION OF COOK. Rapid etf'.'Cts of the cold. CHAi*. IX about a quarter of a mile in advance. Soland^r was then wakened ; but though he had not slumbered quite five minutes, he was hardly able to move his limbs, and the muscles of his feet were so shrunk that his shoes fell off ; it was found impossible to make the negro stir, and he was left in charge of the other black and one of the seamen. With much difficulty Mr Banks got the doctor to the fire, when he despai jched two persons for Richmond, but they returned witl.out having been able ^ » Ahfintlon- ment of tlie Alricana. to find him. The snow agam came on, and fell in- cessantly for two hours, About midnight, those at the fire heard a distant shouting, and having proceeded a little way, found the seaman calling for help, and barely able to totter on. Farther off, Richmond was discover- ed standing, but unable to move, and his companion lay on the ground totally insensible. The united efforts of the whole party failed to bring them to the fire ; the night was extremely dark, the snow very deep, and it was with difficulty that they made their way through the bog, — floundering and stumbling among the bushes. An attempt to kindle a flame at the spot was equally unsuccessful, owing to the heavy fall of snow and the quantities of it which every blast shook from the trees. TJiere was no alternative but to cover the unhappy Africans with boughs, and resign them to their lot.* * In a narrative of the voj'age, compiled from the papers of one of the draughtsmen employed by Mr Banks, it is s, id that the sea- man, " toiic-hed with sympathy tor his companions, told the company of the condition in which lie left them; and they were disposed to have yielded them assistance, hut it bein^ almost dark, there was not any probability of finding them, and the attempt would have hopn attended with tlie risque of their own lives; they therefore declined t."— J ourniil of a Voyage to the South Seas, faitldully transcribed from the Papers of the late Sydney F*arkinson (London, 177S), p. 10. It will be seen that this statement is directly con- tradicted by that given in the text, on the authority of Sir Joseph Banks and Captaiu Cook, whidi is in every way preferable. Mr Parkinson was not of the party, and could .rily learn the details by hearsay in the ship ; liis papers were never pn-pared by him for publi- cation ; and the so-called Journal was given to the world afier his death, not Irum the original, but fioni various loose njemoranda and fragments. In such a work, it is evident, little faith can be placed. 00 a * w la FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 261 The cold to which the parly had been expoced in these CHAP. IX. endeavours nearly deprived some of them of sensation. Extreme and one suffered so severely that it was thought he JJ^**"*"^ would not live to reach the fire. The night was passed in great misery ; and when the morning dawned, the snow-blasts were so strong that it was found impossible to proceed. At six o'clock, they were able to perceive the place of the sun in the heavens ; but, although the clouds became thinner and began to break away, the snow still fell so thick that they could not venture to quit their fire. A party sei'.t out to ascertain the fate of the blacks found them both dead ; a dog which be- longed to one of them was sitting close to the corpse of his master, and it was with difficulty that he was pre- vailed on to forsake it. At eight, a breeze sprung upj the sky became at length clear, and the snow, dropping from the branches in large flakes, was considered a sure sign of an approaching thaw. They began to prepare for their departure, and made a meal on a vulture, which afforded each person about three mouthfuls. At ten they set out ; and, after walking three hours, found ^^^^^^ *°'^^ themselves on the beach, at no great distance from the vessel, where their absence during the night haJ oc- casioned much anxiety.* On the 22d, Cook resumed his voyage through the FaithfUlnesii ot a dog. t . * Hawkeswortli's (.^oll., vol. ii. p. 46-53. Sydney Paikinson's Joiirn., pp. 9, 10. "It is quite inevplicable to me," says a late author, '*h()w Dr Solander and his party could possibly feel the efFectvS of cold as they did. We are told that he was seized witli a torp«ir, and that two biack servants were actually frozen to death, asleep;— and yet, here plants flourished ! — they returned to tlie vessel with some hundred new specimens ! One would suppose that it would be needless to soarili for plants in a climate so rijj^or- ons in its effects." — Voyaj^e to ihe Southern Atlantic, in the years U;2«-9-30, in H. INI. sloop Chanticleer, by W. H. R Webster, .stirgeon (London, 1H34), vol. i. lu 200. The plants wliich were jjathered were ^^ Alpine plants, and Mr Webster's amaieraeal at their " flourishin^rin a climate so rigorous in its eflfects," is siarcely more misplaced than his astonishment that iwonegrnes should perish from exposure on a hillside during' a whole nij^ht to a severe snow- storm, acconi[)anied by a hard frost and a piercing wind. R ■ii r 262 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. Passage of Cape Horn. Discovery of Lagoon Island. CHAP. IX, strait, and, on the fourth day after, passed Cape Horn. On the 1st of March, he was in latitude 38° 44' S., and longitude 110° 33' W. A log of wood floated past the ship, the sea became suddenly smooth, and it was the general opinion that land lay to windward ; but none was discovered till the 4th of April, when an island was seen three or four leagues towards the south. It was little more than a border of land, broken in several places, and enclosing a large lagoon, the whole having the appearance of many islets covered with wood ; above which towered two cocoa-nut trees bearing a great res<;mblance to flags. Habitations were descried under the shade of some palms, and to the voyagers, " who for a long time had seen nothing but water and sky, except the dreary hills of Tierra del Fuego, these groves seemed a terrestrial paradise." Several natives were perceived on the shore, and appeared to be tall, of a copper colour, and with long black hair ; some of them held in their hands poles upwards of fourteen feet in length. To this spot was given the name of Lagoon Island ;* and Cook was afterwards of opinion that it was the same which Bougainville had visited the pre- ceding year, and called Les Quatre Facardins.+ About sunset, the Endeavour was close to a low woody island, of a circular form, and not much above a mile in comj ass. It was covered with verdure of many hues ; but no inhabitants were seen, nor could any cocoa-trees be discerned. It received the appella- tion of Thrum dp ; and though Cook believed it to be the He des Lanciers of his French predecessor, we have more reason to regard it as a discovery of his own.lj! With a gentle wind and pleasant weather, he pureued Thntm Cup Island. " Cook placed it in latitude 18° 47* S. and ion|;itude 139° 28' W. Beechey gives for its position lat. lU" 43' 19' S., and long. 138' 47' 13" W. The captain attests the accuracy of" the destription left by its discoverer, and adds, " Two cocoa-nut trees in the centre of the island, wliich Cook observes had the apjiearance of flags, are' siil! waving."— Voyage to Ute Pacific, vol. i. p. 208. t See above, p. 218. J See above, p. 219. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 263 1 n his course to the westward, and on the afternoon of the chap. ix. next day approached a hind of much larger extent than gowTsiaid, that previously visited. Several of the gentlemen re- oriiedeL\ mained at the mast-head the whole evening, admiring ^'^^ its singular shape, which was that of a bow, " the arch and cord of which were land, and the space between them water ; the cord was a flat beach, without any signs of vegetation, having nothing upon it but heaps of sea-wetd ; the horns or extremities of the bow were two large tufts of cocoa-nut trees, and much the greater part of the arch was covered with trees of different height, figure, and hue."* It was designated Bow Itjland, and is evidently the same with Bougainville's He de la Harpe, called by the natives He-ow ; the cir- cumference was estimated at ten or twelve leagues ; while smoke ascending from different parts showed that it was inhabited. About noon of the 6th, land was again seen to the Bird Wand, westward, and proved to be two islands, or rather clusters, covered with trees of various kinds. Many natives and canoes were observed, and the place received the name of The Groups. At daybreak of the 7th another was descried and called Bird Island, from the number of fowls which frequented its shores. It was thought to be not less than four miles round, had a lagoon in the centre, was partially wooded, and " looked green and pleasant, but we saw neither cocoa-trees nor inhabitants." About sunset of the succeeding day, the Endeavour was abreast of a double range of low and wooded islets, connected by reefs so as to form one island of an oval form, with a lake in the middle. From the appearance of the border, it received the J-^"'" appellation of Chain Island ; its length seemed to be about five leagues, its breadth nearly as many miles ; some of the trees were of a large size, and columns of smoke were seen to rise from sundry places. The night of the 9th was stormy, with thunder and .1 • Havvkcswortli's Coll., vol. ii, p. 75. 264 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. IX. Osnaburg, or At It i tea l:>luucL Ru'es for In- tercourse with tlio nutiveSi IntTvicw Willi two chiefs. rain, and a liaza enveloped the voyagers till the next morning was far advanced, when the weather having cleared up, they discovered Osnaburg or Maitea Island. About noon the high mountains of Otaheite were faintly discerned ; but calms and light winds so long delayed the approach of the vessel, that she did not anchor in Matavai Bay (the Port Royal of its discoverer) before the morning of the 13th. The islanders in their canoes immediately surrounded the ship, exchanging fruits and fish for beads and other trifles. A set of rules to be observed in conducting a legular trade, and for the maintenance of a good under- standing with the inhabitants, was now communicated to the crew by Cook, who afterwards went on shore with Messrs Banks and Solander, and a party of men under arms. They were received by the assembled hundreds with the greatest humility, — the first who approached crouchintf till he almost crept upon his hands and knees, while he presented a green branch, — an emblem of peace borne by each of his countrymen, — and which was accepted with marks of satisfaction. A short march brought the English to the spot where the Dolphin had formerly watered. The natives halted hero, cleared away the plants, threw down their boughs, and made a signal that the strangers should follow their exumple. This ceremony, it was conjectured, not only implied a treaty of friendship, but was preparatory to the cession of the watering-place. Cook, however, did not think it suitable for his purpose ; and the people whom he had as yet seen not being of the highest class, he resolved, after perambulating the adjoining country, to endeavour the next day to meet with some of the jhiefs. Two of these anticipated his wishes by paying a visit early in the nutrning, and inviting him to their residences, where he was received with much courtesy. In a short time, however, two of the En/^lish had the mortification to find that their pockets had been picked of a snuff-box and an opera-glass in a 'hagreen case. The announcement of this depredation pr )duced a panic 'n t ing» FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. SfJfl among the natives, and the chief offered a larn^e quantity cHAP. ix. of cloth as a compensation ; but on this being refused _ »r.^mv he set off, and eventually succeeded in recovering the of stoUn lost articles. ^''^P^'^^r A theft much more distressing in its consequences Theft of a was committed on the 16th, at the tent pitched on the ^||si^"e'^' site of the fortress which it was designed to erect, partly for defence and partly for astronomical purposes. One of the savages, watching an opportunity, snatched and carried off a sentinel's musket ; upon which (in the absence of Cook) the officer on duty, a young midship- man, ordered the marines to fire, but fortunately with- out effect, among a crowd of the natives, amounting to more than 100. The culprit was then pursued and shot dead. Having reprehended the conduct of the officer as equally barbarous and impolitic, the commander took measures for the restoration of harmony, and in a short time peace was re-established and tiaffic resumed. Hitherto the tender-hearted princess, who made so T^i" Prlnccsa distinguished a figure in the account of Wallis' voyage, had not l)eeii seen. She was at last recognised, appar- ently denuded of all an+hority, sitting with great com- posure among a r^ '***»•'•• to the setting of the sun, the whole passage of Venus over the sun's disk was observed with greaC advantage by Mr Green, Dr Solander, and myself." An atmo- sphere or dusky haze, which surrounded the body of the planet, rendered it difficult to fix the precise times of contact, and the observations made by different per- oh9cr?«Hon« sons varied considerably. According to Mr Green, of Mr. Qrcen. h. ' " The first external contact, or first appearance of Venus on the Sun, was . . . 9 25 42 The first internal contact or total immersion was 9 44 The second internal contact, or be,;innin)( of the emersion, was . . . . 3 14 The second external contact, or total emersion, 3 32 The latitude of the observatory was ascertained to be 17" 29' 16" S., and the longitude 149° 32' 30" W. of Greenwich.* 2^1 0)% * Hawkesworth's Coll.« vol. ii. p< 141. Part of the original ma- nuscript of Cook's observations has been preserved, and an en^i^ved fac-simile of this interesting relic has been iirocured for the present work. The result is thus given in the Philosophical Tratisactions, vol. Ixi. part ii. p. 410: — Time p. clock. 9 21 50 -^ "^^^ ^'^^ visible appearance of 9 on the 0*k limb, ( see fig. 1. 39 20 i ^'^'^^ internal contact, or th I ( coincide with the 0's, fig. Cookl the limb of 9 seemed to original notes. 40 20 ' ^ small thread of light seen below the penumbra, I i fig. 3. 8 10 15^ Second internal contact of the penumbr«» or the thread I ( ofliirht wholly broke. 10 47 i ^<^".° internal contact of the bodies, and appeared I ( as in the first 27 24Second external contact of the bodies. . ; , ,. « 28 04 Total egress of penumbra, dubious. The part of the MS. missing, seems to have contained tl^e times of the second contacts, and the first draught of some general ob- servations printed in the Pliil. Trans., as cited above, and ending nearly as in the engraving : — <* The breadth of the penumbra ap- peared to me to be nearly equal to pth of Venus' seinidiameter." 268 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. CHAP. IX. anxiety HI iitiiK Ktcn* title men. At Edin- burgli. In other parts of the .world, the approach of the phe- nomenon was watched with equal anxiety. A transient obscurity in the heavens and a gentle shower were more appalling on that forenoon than a hun'icane on another day. In some places philosophers had to deplore an evening black with thunder-clouds and heavy rain ; while in others the storm was over and the sky clear be- fore the hour for observation arrived.* At Edinburgh, Lord Alemoor, one of the Senators of the College of Justice, considered himself to be peculiarly favoured. *' The morning," says one of his party, " promised ill. About noon the day was teri'ible, with thick clouds, and like settled rain. You may imagine how we felt ! About two o'clock the wind began to change from the south to the westward ; about three it was west, and the clouds breaking. There was about four a very hard thunder-shower, and calm ; after which the wind began to blow briskly from the north-west ; the clonals blown away, and those near the horizon depressed and held down ; the sun shone clearer than I ever saw it, and not a cloud was to be seen in that quarter. It remained so till after both contacts, when, not half a minute af- * In the lapse of eight years several changes had occurred, and tlie list of imse who ubsenred this phenomenon is considembly diiFerent from the catalogue given in pages 251, 262. Lord Mac- clesfield, Messrs Hornsby and Bartlett, observed at Shirburn Castle ; Messrs Horsley, Cyril Jackson, Lucas, Sykes, and Shuck- burgh, at Oxford; Dr Bevis at Kew; Canton at Spittal Souare; Harris, of the Mathematical School in Christ's Hospital, at Wind- sor Castle ; Ludlam at Leicester ; Francis Wollaston at East Dere- ham, in Norfolk ; Drs Wilson, Irvine, ^nd Reid, at Glasgow; Lord Alemoor and Dr Lind at Hawkhill, near Edinburgh ; Rev. Mr Bryce at Kirknewton ; Mason at Cavan, in Ireland; Messier, Du Sejoun Cassini, De Fouchy, Baillv, De Bory, Maraldi, Le Mon- nier, Fouguere, the Duke de Chaufnes, and others in various parts of France ; Lieutenant Jardine at Gibraltar ; Femer at Stockholm ; Father Hell at Wardhuus ; Mallet at Ponoi, in Lapland ; Ru- monsky at Kola ; Bayley at the North Cape ; Wales and Dymnnd at Prince of Wales' Fort, Hudson's Bav; Wright near Quebec; Leeds in the province of Mr .ryland; Smith, Ritterhouse, and otliers, at Norriton, Pennsylvania ; Pingre at Cape Francis, St Domingo * Chappe in California ; Mohr at Batavia ; Degloss at Dinapoor, and Rose at Phesabad, in the East Indies ; Dr Solander, Mr Green, ond Captain Cook, at D'tuheite. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 2()9 terwards, small flying clouds passed over the sun ! " * chap. ix. The interest with which the unlearned watched the pojndaT event, appears to have been almost equal to that of the ^^""* ■* individuals who more fully understood its importance. At Gla^ow, ** it was apprehended that the smoke of the town might hurt the observations ; and, to prevent this as much as possible, an advertisement was put in the newspaper, begging the inhabitant43, in cases where it would not be very inconvenient, to put out their fires from three o'clock that afternoon till sunsetting." This request was cheerfully complied with, ** insomuch that there was not a spire of smoke to be perceived in that quarter from which the observations could be incom- moded." t At Philadelphia, Dr Smith was attended AtPhlladei. by a great concourse of people, and afraid that the curio- ^ ' * sity natural on such occasions might interrupt the ob- servations, he informed them that success depended on there not being the least noise till the contacts were over. ** And," says the doctor, ** during the twelve minutes that ensued before the first contact, there could not have been a more solemn pause of expectation and silence, if each individual had stood ready to receive the sentence that was to give him life or death." | On the whole, the numerous observations were satis- factory, and the results deduced from them scarcely difiiered more than the quarter of a second in the sun's parallax, which they determined to be 8.6''. This agrees with the calculations of La Place, deduced from the lunar equation in longitude ; but Professor Bessel having combined and recomputed the original observa- tions, has recently introduced a small correction, which makes the parallax to be only 8.676", and consequently the mean distance of the sun 95,168,440 English miles ; while, according to the calculations of Encke, the parallax is 8.6776", and the distance of the sun 96,180,640 miles. During Cook's observations on the transit at Otahcite, Satisfactory TcstUta. PhU. Trans., vol. liz. p. 340. f Ibid. p. 334. t Ibid. p. 3U9. 270 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. iT CHAP. IX. some of the crew broke into a storeroom and abstracted a Depredations 'hundredweight of spike-nails, — a theft of a serious of the craw, nature, as it could not fail greatly to depreciate the value of the coin circulated among the natives. One of the depredators was detected with part of the stolen goods in his possession, and punished with two dozen lashes ; but he refused to impeach his accomplices. Monday, the 5th of June, was celebrated as the anniver- sary of his majesty's birth, and several of the chiefs drank to the health of Kihiargo, as they pronounced King George. CircnmnaTi- ^^ ^^^ 26th, Cook, accompanied by Mr Banks, set p*'onof the out to circumnavigate the island, and that day visited the harbour in which Bougainville had lain, where they saw the chief Ereti or Oretti, mentioned by the French navigator, and were informed that Aotourou was his brother. At night they reached the isthmus which joins the two peninsulas of Otaheite, — the lesser of which, it was acertained, bore the appellation of Tiarra- bou or Otaheite Ete, and had a chief designated Waheatua for its ruler; while the other, called Opoureonu or Otaheite Nue, Was governed by a youth named Ootoo or Outou, the nephew of the regent Tootahah, and Oamo, the husband of Oberea. They completed the circuit of the whole on the 1st of July, and estimated its circumference at about thirty leagues. Soon afterwards, they began to dismantle their fort» on which they had bestowed the name of Venus, and to make preparations for their departure. On this occasion, we discover for the first time an Instance of that fasci- nation which this lovely island, its gentle people, and their manner of life, have so often exerted over the rude hearts of uncultivated men. Two of the marines stole from the fort on the night of the 8th of July, and, as was gathered from the natives, had taken refuge in the mountains, with the intention of remaining in the country, where they had attached themselves to wives. Cook resolved to recover them, but was loath to termin- ate, by any rigorous measures, the harmony which P-'eparatlons fjr departure. PIIIST OIRCUMNAVIOATION OF COOK. 271 Bubsisted between him and ^he islanders. He was com- c lAP. IX pelled, however, to detain several chiefs, among whom De^wtwi was Tootahah, till the deserters should be brought back, reclaimed. General alarm was the consequence ; and in retaliation two petty officers were seized, along with the arms of two more ; but quiet was at last restored through the intervention of Tootahah, who gave efTectual orders for the delivery of the fugitives. On the 12th, a native of the name of Tupia, a priest Tnpiaa who had been first minister to Oberea when in the native priest height of her power, came on board accompanied by a boy, who was his servant, and requested leave to sail with the voyagers, — a wish which was at once complied with. ** To have such a person on board," says the lieutenant, " was certainly desirable for many reasons ; by learning his language, and teaching him ours, we should be able to acquire a much better knowledge of the customs, policy, and religion of the people, than our short stay amongst them could give us." Early on the succeeding morning, the ship was crowded with chiefs, while the sea around was thronged with the canoes of the inferior classes. About noon, the anchor was Farewell of weighed, and the vessel getting under sail, the natives *^'® *»iandera. on board took their leave, " and wept with a decent and silent sorrow, in which there was something very striking and tender ; the people in the canoes, on the contrary, seemed to vie with each other in the loudness of their lamentations, which we considered rather as affectation than grief." * In this scene Tupia evinced great firm- ness ; he could not indeed restrain his tears, but he struggled to conceal them, and having sent his last present on shore, climbed to the mast-head, where he continued to make signals, till the winds had wafted him away from the friends he was never again to behold. Cook firet directed his course to a small island called Tethuroa, abort eight leagues to the north of Otaheite ; and on the 14th he passed two others, Eimeo and Ta- ,.,a * Flawkeswnrtli's Coll.» vol. ii. p. lUl. ^ •^WF^^mmmmi 272 FIRST CIRCUMNAYIOATION OF COOK. Islands discovered. Iluaheine. CHAP. IX. buaemnnu, assigned by Wallis to the honour of the Duke of York and Sir Charles Saunders. The 15th was hazy, with light and changeable winds, and little way was made ; Tupia frequently prayed to his god Tane for a favourable gale ; and as he never began his address till he perceived that a breeze was close at hand, he was enabled to boast of liis influence with his deity. At length a gentle wind sprang up, and, on the morning of the 16th, the voyagers were close to an island named Huaheine, about seven leagues in compass, and with a hilly and uneven surface. Several canoes came off, and in one of them was Oree, the sovereign, who, with fre- quent expressions of astonishment and wonder, ventured on board ; and, as a proof of amity, exchanged names with the chief officer, from whom he received several presents, among whicli was a small plate of pewter, with the inscription, "His Britannic Majesty's Ship Endea- vour, Lieutenant Cook, Commander, 16th July 1769. Huaheine." Two or three days were passed at this island, the inhabitants of which, though rather stouter and of larger make, in other respects very closely resembled the Otaheitans. A sail of a few hours brought the navigators to Ulietea or Raiatea, which was observed to be enclosed within the same reef that surrounded Otaha, and several lesser islets. A small low island seen to the north, was by the natives called Tubal, and contained only three families. Sailing a short distance to the north-west- ward, on the 29th, they were close under the high and craggy Peak of Bolabola or Borabora ; but, nnding the land inaccessible at that part, they stood off to weather the south end. The next morning, they got sight of the small island Maurua, and afterwards anchored on the west side of Ulietea, for the purpose of stopping a leak in the powder-room and taking in more ballast. The lieutenant embraced the opportunity of waiting on Opoony, the warlike sovereign of Bolabola, who had conquered this and some of the neighbouring countries. From the reports of his achievements and the terror in Raiatea. Opoony, Boverefgn of Bolulaoia. -g*- FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. S>73 which he was held, the English expected to behold a CHAP. IX. formidable personage ; but there appeared before them TheSoci'otv a poor weak creature, infirm, decrepit, and sluggish. Isiundi. half blind from age, and wholly stupid. To the six islands now visited, Ulietea, Otaha, Bolabola, Huaheine, Tubal, and Maurua, with their dependent islets. Cook gave the name of The Society Islands, by which they are still distinguished. They lie between 16° 10' and 16° 65' S. latitude, and 160° 67' and 162° W. longitude. Oheteroa, considerably to the south or south-west, was Ohcteroa. reached on the 18th August. The natives, splendidly dressed in coloured clotlis and feathers, stood on the shore with long lances and clubs, ready to oppose a landing. Attempts to conciliate them were fruitless ; and the commanding officer having satisfied himself that no safe anchorage could be found, determined to continue his course to the southward. On the 26th, the voyagers celebrated the anniversary of their de- parture from England, " by taking a Cheshire cheese from a locker, vhere it had been carefully treasured up for this occasion, and tapping a cask of porter, which proved to be very good, and in excellent order." * On the 29th, they saw the remarkable comet of 1769 ; and ^®"** ** Tupia, on observing it, exclaimed that as soon as it should be seen by the people of Bolabola, they would make war on those of Ulietea, and drive them to the mountains. The Endeavour was in latitude 40° 22^ S., ' and longitude 174° ?9' W., on the 1st of September, with a heavy sea from the westward, and no signs of land. She then stood northward, and on the 24th, a piece of seaweed and a bit of wood were observed in indic^ioas latitude 33° 18' S., and longitude 162° 61' W. A seal *" was seen asleep in the water on the 27th, and three days after innumerable flocks of birds were met with. On the 6th, it was thought that there was a change in the colour of the water ; and at lost, on the 6th, land was seen from the masthead ; in the evening, it could 11 awkes worth's Coll., vol. ii. p. 2U1. 274 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. CHAP. IX. be descried from the deck, and appeared to be of great extent. v Arrirol at As the voyagers slowly approached on the succeed- New Zcaiund ing day, its dimensions still increased as it was more distinctly seen. Four or five ranges of hills were dis- cerned rising one above another, while, far inland, a chain of mountains of vast height towered high over all. Speculation was busy in conjectures on this great country, and the general opinion on board was, that the Terra Australis Incognita was at length dis- covered. As they drew nearer, they couM see that the hills were clothed with wood, and t' *• the valleys sheltered some gigantic trees ; canoes were perceived crossing a narrow bay ; houses, small but neatly built, were descried ; beside one of them a crowd of people were sitting on the beach ; and much curiosity was excited by a high and regular paling which appeared to enclose the summit of a hill. In the evening, Cook, Banks, and Solander, went ashore with a party, and endeavoured to open a friendly communication with the islanders, but were obliged to shoot one of them in self-deience. On examining his dress, it was found to answer the representation given in an account of Tas- man*8 Voyage ; and, indeed, our navigators were now on the New 2iealand of that discoverer,^ but on the opposite coast to that which he had visited. On the morning of the next day, the 9th, the lieu- tenant again rowed to the beach, and found about fifty of the natives waiting his landing. They started from the ground, and brandished long pikes and short stone weapons ; nor did they desist from defiance although addressed by Tupia in the Otaheitan tongue, until ';hey saw the effect of a musket in striking the water at a distance. As soon as the marines were brought up, the English approached the savages, when their interpreter again spoke to them, " and it was with great pleasure," says Cook, " that we perceived he was perfectly under- Interview with tlie Datives. • See above, p. 124. "^ t'-rv t I -m I CANOE PUTTING OFF.— Pii,;,'o 275. m^^^-^^m^^^^mf •*C^ ^i^m^mmifmm'fi^i'"^ FIRST CmCUMNAVlOATlOM OF COOK. 27.'i stood." They expressed their willingness to trade for provisions and water, and desired the strangers to cross the river which flowed between ; but they would not lay down their arms, and Tupia saw good reason for advising his friends to be prepared for hostility. The islanders being in turn invited over, first one, then two and, soon after, twenty or thirty, almost all armed, swam across. They attempted to seize the weapons of the discoverers, and, though assured of death if they persisted, one of them snatched a hanger, with which he ran off, waving it round his head in exultation. The rest now grew more insolent, and others were bserved coming from the opposite bank to their assistnuce. It was judged necessary to take some measures to repress them, and Mr Banks accordingly fired at le thief, who was wornded, but still retreated, though more slowly, flourisiung the cutlass as before. Mr Monkhonse took -\ more fatal aim, and the savage dropped ; upon which the main body, who had previously retired a little, began to advance ; three pieces, loaded only with small- shot, were therefore discharged, when they again fell back, and went slowly up the country, — some of them evidently wounded. .... .-.- Cook, intent on establishing an amicable intercoui'sc with these intractable barbarians, determined to make some of them prisoners, and to treat them with kind- ness in the hope of inspiring general confidence. Two canoes were soon after observed coming in from sea, and boats were despatched to intercept them ; but they endeavoured to escape, regardless of the fair promises shouted after them by Tupia. A musket was then fired over their heads, in the hope that " it would either make them surrender or leap into the water ;*' but they stripped for the combat, and assailed their pursuers so vigorously with stones and other missiles, that the English were obliged to fire. Their discharge killed four men ; while the rest of the crew, consisting of three boys, one of whom offered a stout resistunoe, were made captives. Justice to the memory .of Cook requires us CHAP. I.X. Hoattle attitude of the New Z«aUQ(ien. 1 Tbelr retreat rnsaceessful attempt at amicable interoouracL '^^mmm 2/6 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CUAP. IX to give a place to his own remarks on this most un- Beneroient fortunate incident : — ** I am conscious," he says, " that reflections of the feeling of every reader of humanity will censure me for having fired upon these unhappy people ; and it is impossible that, upon a calm review, I should ap- prove it myself. They certainly did not deserve death for not choosing to confide in my promises, or not consenting to come on board my boat, even if they had apprehended no danger ; but the nature of my service required me to obtain a knowledge of their country, \vhich I could no otherwise effect than by forcing my way into it in a hostile manner, or gaining admission through the confidence and good-will of the people. I had already tried the power of presents without effect ; and I was now prompted^ by my desire to avoid further hostilities, to get some of them on board, as the only method left of convincing them that we intended them no harm, and had it in our power to contribute to their gratification and convenience. Thus far my intentions certainly were not criminal ; and tiiough in the contest, which I had not the least reason to expect, our victory might have been complete without so great an expense of life, yet, in such situations, when the command to fire has been given, no man can restrain its excess, or prescribe its effiBct."* BehaTionr of. On being brought into the boat, the prisonera, who e cap vea. j^^j squatted down in expectation of death, were clothed and amply fed. They soon became quite cheerful, and asked questions with every appearance of pleasure and curiosity ; but when night came on their spirits failed them, and they sighed often and loudly. When pacified in some measure by Tupia, they began to sing a slow mournful song to an air much resembling a psalm-tune. Daylight, however, and another copious meal roused them to cheerfulness ; they were dressed and decorated, and fell into transports of joy when assured that they would be restored to their friends. * Hawke8worlh'« Coll., toI. ii. p. 290. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIOATION OF COOK. 279 Being at first unwillingly put ashore on a point of the CHAP. ix. coast which they said belonged to their enemies, who Landing of would certainly kill and eat them, they had soon after- the captirea. wards to seek protection in the boat. When landed a second time, they waded into the .water, and earnestly re- quested to be again taken on board ; but the sailors had positive orders to leave '' em, and they were in a short time seen to join some of their associates. To the bay in which these transactions took place Cook gave the appellation of Poverty, — because nothing but wood could be obtained : according to his calculation, it was in Ut. 38° 42' S. and long. 181° 36' W. Leaving it on the 11th of October, he sailed south- cape Tom- ward along the shore for six days, till he reached, "S^iQ* m lat. 40° 84' S., a high bluff head with cliffs of a yellow tint, on which he bestowed the name of Cape Tumagain. Finding no suitable harbour, and perceiv- ing that the country manifestly rJtered for the worse, he changed his course to the northward, and in two days passed the spot where he first made the coast. Still pursuing its windings, on the 30th he doubled a high promontory of white rocks, which, from its position, he called East Cape. He now found the land trending East Cape, in a north-westerly direction ; and, as he ran along it, observed increasing signs of cultivation and fertility. The next day a number of skiffs came ofi^ crowded with warriors, who flourished their arms and uttered loud shouts of defiance, frequently repeating Haromaif haro- mat, harre uta a patoo-patoo oge I ** Come to us, come on shore, we will kill you all with our patoo-patoos [stone hatchets] !*' In the flotilla was a canoe, by far the largest which had yet been seen, having no fewer War Cano«. than sixteen paddles on each side, and containing in all about sixty men. It was making directly for the ship, when a gun, loaded with grape, was fired ahead of it ; this caused the rowers to stop, and a round shot, which was fired over them, falling in the water, filled them with such ter *>r that " they seized their paddles and made towards the shore so precipitately that they seemed 8 280 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. Cape Bniuwaf. Cape Brett CHAP. IX. scarcely to allow themselves time to breathe.*' The spot where this took place was named Cape Runaway ; and a creek, in which the Endeavour anchored three days after, was called Mercury Bay, from an observation of the transit of that planet here made. This harbour by in latitude 36° 47' S., longitude 184'* 4' W. ; and Cook did not quit it before the 15th of November, after taking formal possession in the name of his sovereign, and recording upon a tree the date of his visit to the country. The coast still trended north-westward, and as he sailed along, he kept as close to it as was consistent with safety. On the 26th, he passed a remarkable point, which he named Cape Brett, and three days after, anchored in a creek lying to the west of that promontory, which received the title of the Bay of Islands. Ha did not leave it till the 6th of December ; and passing, on the third day, a harbour on which he bestowed the appellation of Doubtless, he was informed by the natives, through the medium of Tupia, that, ** at the distance of three days* rowing in their canoes, the land would take a short turn to the southward, and from thence extend no more to the west." The same tribe also said that there was to the north-west a large country, called Ulimaroa,* to which some people had once sailed in a very large canoe, and found that its inhabitants eat hogs. On the l7th, after encountering much adverse weather. Cook made the northern extremity of the island, which he named North Cape, m latitude 34'» 22' S. and longitude 186° 66' W.t He stood off and on this promontory till the 24th, when he discovered the Three Kings' Ishmds of Tasman ; and. * ** Ulimaraa — qu'il faut lire sans doute Oudi-Mara, peuple d'un lieu expose & lachaleur dii soleil." — Voyage autour du Monde, par M. J. Dumont D'Urville (8vo, Paris, 1832), tome ii. p. 291. f Another European vessel was at this time oW the coast of New Zealand,— that of M. de Surville (see above, p. 2361 Tlie Doubt- less Bay of Cook seems to be the same with tnat which the French uavigator, in honour of Law the celebrated projector, designated Lauriston. Nortli Cape. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 281 on the 30th, perceived the Cape Maria Van Diemen of chap. ix. the same navigator, — the north-western point of the pj^pg"^^j^ country. Two remarkahle circumstances are recorded VaaDieman. by Cook as occurring while he bailed round the ex- tremity of New Zealand, namely, that in latitude 35® south, in the midst of summer, there was a gale of wind, such as, for strength and continuance, he had scarcely ever experienced before ; and that five weeks were spent in getting fifty leagues to the westward, — no less than three of them in making only ten. Happily, during the storm, his ship was far from land, — ** otherwise," he says, ** it is highly probable that we should never have returned to relate our adventures." From Cape Maria, the coast was found to stretch Monnt nearly south-east by south, and to present every where Es™*"**- a barren shore, consisting of banks of white sand. In proceeding along it, Cook sailed in the track of Tasman, though in an opposite direction. On the 10th January 1770, he came in sight of a lofty mountain, in latitude 39" 16' S., longitude 186" 16' W., which, in honour of the earl of that name, he designated Mount Egmont. In appearance it resembled the Peak of Teneriffe ; and its summit, when occasionally seen toweringabove the clouds which almost constantly enveloped it, was observed to be covered with snow. The country at its base was level, of a pleasant appearance, and thickly clothed with wood and verdure. On doubling a cape, which received the same title, he found himself in a large bay or opening, the southern end of which he could not distinguish. He sailed into it as far as latitude 40° 27' S., longitude 1 84** 39' W. In this position, besides the continuance of the same coast, there appeared an island towards the south, with several inlets, in one of which he resolved to careen the ship and take in a stock of wood and water. On the 16th, accordingly, he anchored in a Native convenient harbour, about four long cannon shot from a *^**"*** fortified village, the inhabitants of which came off in canoes, and, after surveying the ship, made signs of defiance, and began the assault by a shower of stones. 282 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. Cook's Straits. f 1 CHAP. IX. Tupia having expostulated with them, an old man Reception of came on board, in spite of his countrymen's remon- a native. strances. He was kindly received, and dismissed with presents, and on rejoining his companions, they imme- diately commenced dancing, in token of peace. The Otaheitan was sufficiently understood by them, and learned that they had never before seen or heard of such a vessel as the Endeavour ; from which it was con- cluded that no recollection was preserved of the visit of Tasman, in 1642, though this must have been near the place which he termed Murderers* Bay. During his stay here. Cook, having ascended oae of the neighbouring hills, beheld, to his surprise, the sea on each side of the island communicating by a passage or strait, on the south side of which his ship now lay. He soon after learned, what he had never before sus- pected, that the country was divided into two islands, the southern of which was called by the natives Tavai Poenammoo, and the northern Eaheinomauwe.* Having taken possession of the country in name of his sovereign, he left the inlet (on which he bestowed the appellation of Queen Charlotte's Sound) on the 6th of February, and soon found himself rapidly borne through the channel, which, in honour of its discoverer, geographers have unanimously recognised by the name of Cook's Straits. To the two capes which marked its eastern outlet, he gave the titles of Falliser and Campbell, and on doubling the former he stood to the northward, to determine a question on which there were some doubts, whether Su?""*^* Eaheinomauwe was really an island. On the 9th, he NewZeuland. came in sight of Cape Turnagain (termed by the natives Topolo-Polo), and the point being thus clearly esta- blished, he resumed his course to the south-east ; and running quickly along the shores of Tavai Poenammoo, * M. Dumont D'Urville, in January iy27» was assured by two natives, that the southern island bore indifferently the title ot Ka'i- Kuhoura or Tavai- Pounamou ; and that the northern was called Ika-'Na-Mawi.— \'^oyauce autour du Mond** ^me ii. p. 80. n FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 283 on the 9th of Mavch reached its farthest extremity, in CHAP. ix. latitude 47° 19' S., longitude 192" 12' W., which he — named Cape South.* A sail of three days brought liiin to Cape West, in latitude 46° 64' S. and longitude 193° 17' W., from which, along a coast trending towards the north east, he proceeded so rapidly, that on the 26th he reached a small island at the entrance of Queen Char- lotte's Sound. Having now completely circumnavigated New Zea- Homeward land, and being resolved to return home. Cook considered "*"*•• it proper to take the opinion of his officers on the route to be pursued. His own wish was to go back by Cape Horn, and tlius determine the question of a southern continent ; but, to effect this, it would have been neces- sary to keep in a high southern latitude in the very depth of winter, — an undertaking for which the vessel was insufficient. The same objection was urged against proceeding directly to the Cape of Good Hope ; and " it was therefore resolved," says our navigator, " that we should return by the East Indies, and that with this view we should, upon leaving the coast, steer westward till we should fall in with the east coast of New Holland, and then follow the direction of that coast to the north- ward till we should arrive at its northern extremity ; but if that should be found impracticable, it was farther resolved that we should endeavour to fall in with the land or islands said to have been discovered by Quiros." t With this view, at dawn of the 31st March, Cook put Cape to sea with a fresh gale, and took his departure tt*om a **** point which he named Cape Farewell. His course, which lay almost due west, between the latitudes of 38° and 40°, was nearly coincident with that of Tasman from Van Diemen's Land to New Zealand. On the 16th * " Le cap Slid cle Cook forme aujourd'hui la pointe la plus aus- trale d'une tie qui a pris le nom cle Stewart, et qui s'est trouv^e d6tachee de Tavai-Pounamou par la deconverte du detroit ds Fo- veaux."— D'Urville, tome ii. p. 339; M. Balbi, Abrege de Geo- graph ie, p. 1269. t Ilawkesworth's Coll , vol. iii. p. 29. See above, p. 9R-10(). MpaVN 284 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIQATION OF COOK. Sifrns of vicinity of laud. IIlclu*FoInt CHAP. IX. of April, the voyagers observed an egg-bird and a gannet, and on the next day a small land bird alighted on the rigging, but no bottom was found with 120 fathoms. A pintado-bird and two Port Egmont hens were seen on the succeeding morning, and were con- sidered certain signs of the vicinity of land, which indeed was discovered on the following day, the 19th, stretching from north-east to west. The most southerly point, which received the name of Lieutenant Hicks, who first descried it, was estimated to lie in latitude 38° S. and longitude 211° 7' W. ; but Cook could not determine whether it joined Van Die- :ijen*3 Land. He instantly made sail to the northward, and on the 28th was in latitude S4° S., when he dis- covered a bay, in which he remained eight days. The coast, so far as yet visited, was of a pleasing aspect, di- versified by hills, valleys, and lawns, and almost every where clothed with lofty trees. Smoke arose from the woods in several places, and some inhabitants, four oi whom carried a small canoe upon their shoulders, were observed walking briskly along the shore ; but, ow'ng to the surf which broke on every part of the beach, it was impossible to approach them. On entering the bay, a few huts and several natives were seen ; four small canoes were likewise discerned, with one man in each, so busily occupied in striking fish with a long spear that they scarcely turned their eyes towards the ship, w^hich passed them within a quarter of a mile. The anchor being cast in front of a village, preparation was made for hoisting out a boat ; during which an aged female, followed by three children, issued from a wood. They were loaded with boughs, and on approach- ing a hut, three younger infants advanced to meet them ; but though they often looked at the ship, they expressed neither fear nor wonder. The same want of interest was shown by the four fishermen, who hauled up their canoes, and began to dress their food at the fire which the old woman had kindled. A party were sent out to effect a landing ; but no sooner had they ap* Native fishers. Indifference oftlienative& FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 285 proached some rocks than two of the men, armed with chap. ix. lances about ten feet long, and short sticks, which it Thniitof was supposed they employed in throwing their spears, hustUitieai came down and called aloud in a harsh language quite unknown to Tupia, brandishing their weapons in evi- dence of their determination to defend the coast. The rest ran off, abandoning their countrymen to an odds of forty to two. Having ordered his boat to lie on her , l oars. Cook made signs of friendship, and offered presents of nails and other trifles, with which the savages seemed to be pleased ; but, on the first symptom of a nearer approach to the shore, they again assumed a hostile bearing. A musket was fired between them, the report of which caused the younger to drop a bundle of lances, which he again snatched up, and a stone was thrown at the English. Cook now directed small shot to be used ; Effect of when the elder, being struck on the leg, ran to a hut, "'■*"»™>»- from which, however, he instantly returned, bearing a sort of shield ; when he and his comrade threw each a lance, but without inflicting injury. The fire of a third musket was followed by the discharge of another spear ; after which the savages ran off. It was found that the children had hid themselves in one of the huts ; and, without disturbing them. Cook, having left some beads and other articles, retired with all the lances he could find. Next morning, not one of the trinkets had been moved, nor was a single native to be seen near the spot. Small parties were met with at other places during Appearance the excursions m search of water, provisions, and na- tural curiosities. The people were perfectly naked, very dark coloured, but not black ; their hair was bushy, and some very old men were observed with long beards, while the aged females had their locks cropt short. They subsisted chiefly on fish, dressed at fires both on shore and in their canoes. The country was stocked with ; '' wood, of which, however, only two kinds were thought i worthy the appellation of timber ; shrubs, palms, man- groves, and a variety of plants, — many unknown to the naturalists, — were plentiful ; birds, some of great beauty, 286 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. IX. fiotanj Bay. Cape riibulatiotb abounded ; and there were several strange quadrupeds. Such, to its first European visiters, appeared the charac- teristics of Botany Bay, so called from the profusion ot plants with which, through the industry of Messrs Banks and Solander, that department of natural history was enriched. To a harbour about three miles farther north, ** in which there appeared to be good anchorage,*' Port Jackson. Cook gave the title of Port Jackson, — a name which has since become familiar in every quarter of the world. On the banks of this noble inlet have risen the towns of Sydney and Paramatta, and its waters, on whic^ DOO ships of the line might ride in safety, are white* A by the sails of almost every people of £urope. On the 6th May, our navigator resumed his progress northward along the coast, and in about a month had advanced nearly 1300 miles. On the 10th of June, ho was off a point which he afterwards named Cape Tribu- lation, in latitude 1G° 6' S., and longitude 214° 39' W. near the position assigned to some of the discoveries of Quiros, which certain geographers were of opinion formed part of some great mainland. With a view to see whether there were any in the offing, and to avoid two low woody islets ahead, he hauled from the shore, intending to stretch out all night, with the prospect of a fine breeze and clear moonlight. About nine o'clock, the water, which had deepened from fourteen to twenty- one fathoms, suddenly shoaled, and, within the space of a few minutes, fell to twelve, ten, and eight. Prepara- tion was immediately made for putting about and com- ing to anchor ; but the next cast of the line showing deep water, it was thought the vessel had got over the shoals. Full twenty fathoms were next sounded, and the depth continued to increase ; so that the gentlemen who had been summoned on deck retired to bed in perfect security. A few minutes before eleven o'clock, how- ever, the water shallowed suddenly to seventeen fathoms, and, before the lead could be again cast, the Endeavour struck on a rock, and remained immovable except by the heaving of the surge. Boats being immediately llie Enclea< vour on a rock. PIIiST CIUrUMNAVIOATION OF COOK. 287 hoisted out, it was found that she had been lifted over a ledge, and now lay in a sort of basin, with only from three to four fathoms of water in some places, and in others not so many feet. An anchor was carried out from the stem, in hopes that it would take ground with sufficient firmness to resist the action of the cap- stan, so that the ship might be moved into deep water ; but every sxertion to effect this was fruitless. Mean- while the vessel beat on the rocks with such violence, that the crew could scarcely keep their footing ; and to increase their dismay the light of the moon showed them that the sheathing-boards had been separated from the bottom, and were floating around. The false keel followed, so that the only chance of safety seemed to lie in lightening the ship. But she had struck at the height of the tide, which was now fallen considerably, and the next flow must return before that process could be of any advantage. That all might be in readiness, however, the water was started in the hold and pumped up ; all the guns on deck, the iron and stone ballast, casks, and many other articles, were thrown overboard ; while the crew became so impressed with their danger tliat not an oath was heard, — " the habit of profaneness, however strong, being instantly subdued by the dread of incurring guilt when death seemed to be so near." At daybreak land was seen about eight leagues ofl^ ; the ship still held together ; and the wind having hap- pily fallen, and a dead calm ensuing, anchors were got out and every thing prepared for heaving her off the rock ; but, though lightened to nearly fifty tons, she did not float by a foot and a half, so far short was the tide of the day to that of the night. Greatly discouraged, the crew proceeded to diminish her weight still more, by throwing overboard every thing that could be spared ; but now the water, hitherto nearly excluded, rushed in so fast, that two pumps, incessantly working, could barely keep her afloat ; and about two o'clock she lay heeling to starboard, while the pinnace, which was under her bows, touched the ground. There could, CHAP. IX Frnitless exertions. CriHcal poMUioiu Preparations ibr lieavine off tbe rock. Kash of water into tiie liol'L •Nan 288 FIRST CinCUMMAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. IX. Tho Endea- ▼ourafloftt Pothering Buccessrully employed. Providential escape. EnacAVOur Itiver. therefore, be no hope of getting her off till the mid- night-tide, which began to rise by five p. m. About that time the leak was observed to be rapidly increas- ing ; and though by nine the ship righted, the water, notwithstanding the action of three pumps, gained con- siderably. Shortly after ten she floated, and was heaved clear from the ledge into deep water. The labour at the pumps had now totally exhausted the men, none of whom could work beyond a few minutes, when, falling down on the deck, their places were sup. plied by others. Still they gained so considerably on the water, that, by the following morning, no doubt was entertained of the ship's ultimate safety. As the leak, however, continued, and the toil of pumping was excessive, Mr Monkhouse, who had formerly been in like danger, suggested the expedient ot fothering the vessel, — that is, girthing round the bottom a sail pro- perly covered with oakum, and kept stretched by means of ropes. It was tried, and answered so well, that the use of two pumps could now be dispensed with. On the evening of the 12th, they cast anchor about seven leagues from the land ; but it wc not till the 17th, that, a safe harbour having been found, the ship was hauled ashore to undergo repairs. It was then discovered that her preservation was due to a very singular circum- stance. " One of the holes," says the commander, " which was big enough to have sunk us if we had had eight pumps instead of four, and had been able to keep them incessantly going, was in grea't measure plugged up by a fragment of the rock, which, after having made the wound, was left sticking in it ; so that the water v/hich at first had gained upon our pumps was what came in at the interstices between the stone and the edges of the hole that received it." * i : > A small stream near the spot where the vessel was refitted received the name of Endeavour River. Here, for the first time. Cook himself obtained a sight of the Hawkeswortirs Coll., vol. iii. p. \bb. i -ux.'i; FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 280 Perllons course. kangaroo,— >a species of quadruped before that time un- chap, ix: known to European naturalists. It had previously been .^^^ — observed by some of his companions, and astonished Kangaroa them by its extraordinary leaps, the speed of which set a greyhound belonging to Mr Banks at defiance. It was described by one of the sailors, who almost took it for the devil, to be " as large as a one-gallon keg, and very like it ; he had horns and wings, yet he crept so slowly through the grass, that if I had not been a/eard I might have touched him." The navigators left this spot on the 6th August, with the resolution of pursuing a north-east course, and keep- ing the pinnace in front to guide them by signals ; but they were speedily compelled to cast anchor by sudden shoal-water. On the followhig day, nothing was in view but breakers extending on all sides, and far out to the open sea, into which there seemed no entrance, ex- cept through a labyrinth of coral rocks, in some parts as steep as a wall, at others edged with patches of sand, covered only at high water. Nearly a week passed among these and other perils, when, getting between the mainland and three small islands, they thought they had discovered a clear opening. But the appellation Cape Flattery denotes its deceptive promise, and they still found themselves obliged to keep near the shore. After a few days, they reached a channel which con- ducted them beyond the breakers. Early on the morning of the 16th, they were alarm., by the roaring of the surf, which at dawn they saw foaming to a vast height at about a mile's distance ; while the depth was so great, that they could not reach the ground with an anchor. In the absence of wind to fill a sail, the waves drove them rapidly towards the reef. Boats were immediately sent ahead to tow the vessel ofl', but they would have failed to save her had not a light breeze moved her obliquely from the reel when she was within 100 yards of it. In less than ten minutes the wind again fell, and the ship was driven towards the breakers ; it once more sprung up, and a Dangerous reet 200 FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. Critical position. York Cope, New SouUi WalM CRAP. IX. short space was gained. Monnwhilc an opt- ning appeared in the reef, by whicli, though not broader than the length of the vohscI, it was di'torniined to attempt a passage into the smooth water b( hind. But, before it could be readied, the tide of ebb rushed out of it like a miil-stream, and drove her off. This, though a consi- derable disappointment, enabled the navigators, with much exertion, to make an offing of nearly two miles. Their situation was nevertheless critical in the extreme, till another narrow opening was seen to the west, through which they were hurried with amazing rapidity ; and shortly afterwards cast anchor within the reef in nine- teen fathoms, gratefully naming the passage through which they had escaped Providential Channel. On the 21st, Cook made York Cape, the most north- erly point of the coast, in latitude 10° 37' S., longitude 218" 24' W. ; and having landed on a small island, he hoisted the English colours, and took possession of the whole eastern coast of New Holland, from latitude 38° to latitude lO^** S., by the name of New South Wales. The discovery made by the companion of Quiros, in 1606, of the strait between Papua and Australia, was, it has been already mentioned, at this time entirely for- gotten ;* and Cook, in sailing between them, settled the much-agitated question, " Whether New Holland and New Guinea were separate islands ?" To the channel which divides them he gave the name of his ship, by which it is sometimes recognised, although more com- monly known by the name of its first explorer, Torres. Its length, from north-east to south-west, was reckoned ten leagues ; and its breadth five, except at the north- east entrance, where it was contracted to less than two miles by certain islands. The voyagers left it on the 23d of August, and two days after had a narrow escape from some shoals, which they approached within half- a-cable's length. On the 3d of September, they landed Torres Straita * See above, pp. 97, 109, 119, 132, 239, and 240. PinST CmCUMNAVIOATION OP COOK. 291 CHAP. IX. Kcw Gttincil. on New Guinea, near the Cape de la Colta St Bonaven- tura, in latitude G** 16^ S. Tlie natives resembled those of Australia, but their skin was not so dark ; they were equally naked, quite as hostile, and in possession of a species of fire-arms wliich emitted ilame and sn.oke like a musket ; but the short sticks from which these sinimlnr na- issu'u, and which were swung sideways from the bearer, ♦'^"■"°* nia'b no report. It was uncertain if they projected any thing that could do mischief at a distance ; for the whole phenomenon, though it excited wonder at the time, was imperfectly observed ; nor are we aware that it has since been satisfactorily explained. Our navigator now determined to proceed westward Arrival at towards the Straits of Sunda. On the 9th, he came in s*vu. sight of Timor, and six days u,fter anchored at Savu, or Sou, an island to the west-south-west, colonized by ^he Dutch, who succeeded the Portuguese in its occupation, but at the time so little known to Europeans, that Cook considered it as a new discovery. Leaving it on the 21st of September, he came to anchor on the 9th of the following month in the road of Batavia, where it was intend d to repair the vessel. On their arrival, all the ship's company, except the Otaheitan, were in good health, and even he, delighted with every thing he saw, ' continued for a few days to improve in strength and spirits. But, soon after, Tupia and others became Sickness alarmingly indisposed, and in a short space the sickness crew, spread so much that only a very small number could per- form duty. Mr Monkhouse, the surgeon, was the first vic- tim to this pestilential spot ; Dr Solander was barely able to attend his funeral ; Mr Banks lay confined to bed ; some of his servants were dangerously aflFected ; Tupia and his boy were evidently sinking apace ; Cook himself was taken ill: i»? short, the work of death had com- ^ • ; menced, and threatened, if not speedily arrested, to overtake the whole. Before the Endeavour took her departure, on the 26th of December, seven of her com- plement had died, and the number of sick amounted to forty. Among the deceased were Tayeto and his kind ;house and square deck, and without considering whether she could bear it, manned and equipped her for the voyage. Mr Banks, Dr Solander, &c., examined lier a second time ; found her convenient tf'she could sail, of which they doubted, and reported her top-heavy. Their observations were disregarded; but a gale of wind ai'ising, laid her on her side without her having a single sail unreefed, and she could not for some time recover ; tliey ordered the long-boat to save the crew, when unexpectedly she recovered. Notwithstanding this accident, she was reported good, and fit for the voyage, and was ordered to Plymouth. The pilot obeyed these orders, sending' word he could not ensure her out of the river. At last it was found the farce could not be carried on longer, and the reports on wtiich the Navy Board proceeded were found false; expresses were sent along the coast to Deal, &c., to order her into the nearest 8EC0ND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 297 ster * and his son were employed as naturalists. Parlia- CHAP. X. ment made a grant of £4000, " as an encouragement for p„ii^n. the more effectually prosecuting the discoveries towards tary grant. Jolin Rdn- hoia foster. dock to Sheemess, if they could overtake her: this was no difficult task, tor whilf the other ships cleared the Downs, she did not make one knot an hour. She was put into dock ; they cut oiF her round-house and part of her deck, reduced the cabin, and put her in the same unfit situation she was in when first objected to ; and then the question was politely put to Mr Banks, Take this or none. Mr Banks has laid out several thousand pounds for instruments, &c., preparatory for the voyage ; Mr Zoffani (a well-kuown painter) near £1000 for necessaries, and the other gentlemen very consider- able sums on that account." * This voluminous author was born at Dirschau, in Polish Prus- sia, on the 22d October 1729. He came to England in 1766, and was engaged by the Admiralty as naturalist to Cook's expedition at the brief warning often days. His unfortunate temper involved him in continual broils with his shipmates, one of whom informs us, that Korster in these disputes so often used the threat, "I will complain to the king !" that the expression became proverbial among the seamen, and was jocularly employed by them on the most trifling occasions. He took with him in this expedition his son John George Adam (more commonly called George), then 17 years old, who published an account of the circumnavigation uni!t>r the title of *' A Voyage round the World in his Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution," London*, 1777, 2 vols 4to. A translation into German appeared at Berlin in 1779-1780. The numerous and of- fensive attacks upon thd conduct of the oflicers and crew called forth a cutting pamphlet from the astronomer, entitled, " Remarks on Mr Forster s Account of Captain Cook's Last Voyage. By Wm. Wales, F.R.S.," London, l77o, Ovo; which occasioned a "Reply to Mr Wales' Remarks, by Mr Forster," London, 1778, Uvo. In the succeeding year, he published "A Letter to the Earl of Sand- His work* wich," London, 1779) 4to, in which he attempted to prove that he and his father were not rewarded sufficiently, nor agreeably to the contract, for their services. It was commonly supfxised at the time, that the account of the voyage was the Joint production of both; but this was denied by George. The style is inflated and pompous, the reflections are for the most part in a very false taste, and the work is disfigured throughout by that superficial and fanci- ful philosophy which the writings of Lord Kaimes have rendered well known in Scotland. John Reinhold gave to the public '* Ob- servations made during a Voyage round the World on Physical . Geography, Natural History, and Ethical Philosophy," London, 1778, 4to. He died at Halle in Germany, on the 9tli December 179H, aged 70 ; his son deceased at Paris on the 12th January 1794, in the 40tli year of his life. — Memoirs by Eyries, in Biographie Universelle, vol. xv. p. 282-290. Nichols' Literary Anecdotes, vol. iii. p. 90 92, note. 298 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. Stiilini^ of the expedition. CHAP. X. the South Pole ;'* and, by agreement with the Board of Longitude, two gentlemen of distinguished acquire- ments, Messrs Wales and Bayly, furnished with the best instruments and timepieces, undertook the astronomical department. The ships thus equipped joined in Pl^'mouth Sound, on the 3d of July 1772 ; and, after a farewell visit from Lord Sandwich and Sir Hugh Palliser, Cook received his instructions, dated the 25th of the preceding month. They directed him to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, where he was to refresh his crews, and take in provi- sions. He was then to sail to the southward in quest of a point of land named Circoncision, said to have been discovered in latitude 54:° 20' S., and between nine and eleven degrees of east longitude. In the event of oimed^at" ^^ falling in with it, he was to satisfy himself whether it belonged to an island, or formed part of the Terra Aus- tralis so long sought and to explore it as diligently and extensively as possible. This being accomplished, or in case he should not find the cape, he was to proceed to the southward, so long as he thought there was a likeli- hood of falling in with a continent, and thence towards tlie east with the same view : and-, generally, he was instructed to discover such islands as might exist in the unexplored part of the southern hemisphere, keeping in high latitudes, and prosecuting his inquiries as near the pole as possible, until he had circumnavigated the globe. The cape mentioned in the instructions had beeu visited, it was reported, by a French officer, M. Lozier Bouvet, who, on the 19th July 1738, sailed from Port I'Orient in command of two frigates, to search for land about the latitude of 44° S., longitude 355° eastward from TenerifFe, where some ancient charts had placed a promontory of the Southern Continent. On the 1st January 1739, in latitude 64° 20' S., longitude 25° 47' east from the same meridian, he got sight of land, which, in honour of the day, was named Cape de la Circonci- sion. It was high and steep, the mountains were for the most part covered with snow, an I the coast was Reported French discoveries. SECOND CIUCIIMNAVIOATION DP- COOK. 299 bordered with ice. From the state of the weather no chap. x. boat could prudently attempt to reacli it ; and the navi- gators left it without being able to determine whether it was part of a continent or an island.* Cook took his departure from England on the 13th July ; made the Cape of Good Hope on the 29th Octo- Anchoring in her ; and next morning anchored in Table Bay, where ''*^'® **y* he remained till the 22d of November. Before sailing, he was induced, by the solicitation of Mr Forster, to receive on board, as an assistant to the naturalists, Dr Sparrmann, by birth a Swede, and a disciple of Linneeus. The course was first directed towards the discovery of Bouvet ; but adverse and stormy winds drove the navi- Severe^ gators far to the eastward of their intended track, and ^** °" left them no hopes of reaching the desired promontory. They likewise lost the greater part of their live stock, and underwent no little inconvenience by the rapid transition from the warm climate of the Cape to that incident to the latitude of 48° 41' S., which, in the lon- gitude of 18° 24' E., they had attained on the 6th of December. On the 10th, they found themselves two degrees farther south, and for the first time descried islands of ice, some of which were upwards of fifty feet in height ; while such was the fury of the waves, that the sea broke quite over them. The latitude of Point Lowtem- Circoncision was attained on the 13 th ; but the voyagers J^^*'*^® ^^ considered themselves about 118 leagues to the eastward of its position. On the morning of the next day, their course to the south was arrested by an immense field of ice, to which they could see no end, either in the east, west, or south. Some of them, and Cook himself at one time, thought land was discernible over it ; but this de- lusive appearance, it was soon discovered, had been occa- sioned by ice-hills observed through a hazy atmosphei-e. Several days were spent in sailing along this impene- trable mass, or in clearing various islands which were floating near it. The weather, meanwhile, was gcu- • Burney, Chron. Hi>t. Discov., ?ol. v. p. i}0«37. 300 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. CHAP. X. Symptoms ot scurvy. St-nrch for a simllK'm continoiit Crossing the Aiitarlic circle. Field ice. erally foggy, with sleet and snow, from which the whole crew suffered much, though the thermometer did not descend below 30°. Symptoms of scurvy in both vessels, at the same sime, excited some uneasiness ; but by the copious use of fresh wort, these were removed. On the supposition that the ice which had been en- countered was formed in bays and rivers, it seemed pro- bable that, as land could not be far distant, it might lie beyond the large field which alone barred the approach to it. Cook determined to run thirty or forty leagues to the east, then endeavour to steer southwards, and, by getting behind the ice, set the question at rest. But, though he proceeded in this direction for some time, and afterwards sailed both to the south and the west of the alleged position of Bouvet's discovery, he neither fell in with it nor observed any certain indication of land. Penguins, indeed, were seen in abundance, birds which, as is commonly believed, never go far from shore. On the 4th of January 1773, he quitted a part of the sea which he had amply explored, and took a course more to the south. On the l7th, he crossed the antarc- tic circle in the longitude of 39° 36'; but about six o'clock the same evening, in latitude 67° 16' S., he found that farther progress in that direction was imprac- ticable, " the ice being entirely closed to the south, in the whole extent from east to west-south-west, without the least appearance of any opening." This vast body was composed of masses in the various forms of high hills, loose or broken pieces packed closely together, and what the Greenlandmen call field-ice. One floating portion of this last kind, to the south-east, was of such size, that no end to it could be seen from the mast-head ; it was sixteen or eighteen feet in height, and pretty equal on the surface. In this situation many whales were observed ; the brown, white, and blue petrels were met with in considerable numbei's, together with a few dark-gray albatrosses ; but the pintados, so common in lower latitudes, had wholly disappeared. Amid the dangers and privations to which the discoverers had bcea SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 301 80 long exposed, they were enabled to command an in- chap. IL exhaustible supply of fresh water, by dissolving portions snpp"i^f of ice which had been allowed to remain on deck afreanwater. short time, for the purpose of draining off the salt which adhered to the surface ; and in this manner, in the space of a few hours, no less than fifteen tuns were obtained. It was perfectly sweet and well tasted. The summer of those southern regions was already Change o( half spent, and Cook did not consider it prudent to pfer- w*""* severe in the attempt to reach a higher latitude, espe- cially as some time would be consumed in getting round the ice, even if this were practicable, which he doubted. He therefore resolved to proceed in search of lands said to have been lately discovered by some French officers, of whose enterprises he had received a meagre report at the Cape of Good Hope. In prosecution of this object, . he first sailed north over part of the sea already tra- versed, and then north-east, till, on the Ist of February, he reached latitude 48° 30', nearly in the meridian of the Mauritius ; but though he used the precaution of keeping some miles distant from the Adventure, with a view to more extensive seaich, neither that vessel nor his own got sight of land. On the day last mentioned, ^"*®'Jf '/^^ indeed. Captain Furneaux pointed out circumstances which seemed to indicate its vicinity ; but there was no possibility of determining whether it lay to the east or the west ; and the state of the winds prevented com- plete investigation. Other signs of a similar kind were subsequently noticed ; but they led to no result; and ' '.' ,| our navigator, when in latitude 48° 6', and longitude 68° 22' £., being satisfied that if there was any land near him it could only be an island of inconsiderable extent, bore away to the east-south-east. A separation -^ „ - between the two vessels took place on the 8th, " though,*' tiie veweifc** says Cook, *' we were at a loss to tell how it had been effected." He continued to pursue a south-east course, and was tantalized by some indications of land, espe- cially the appearance of penguins and other birds, but found them deceptive. On the I7th, for the first time, 302 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. Aarora AuttnUb Lnmlnoua arcli. CUAP. X. lie saw luminous appearances in the heavens similar to those in the other hemisphere, which have heen named Aurora Borealis or Northern Streamers. ** The natural state of the heavens/' says Mr Wales, ** except in the south-east quarter, and for about 10° of altitude all round the horizon, was a whitish haze, through which stars of the third magnitude were just discernible. All round, the horizon was covered with thick clouds, out of which arose many streams of a pale reddish light that ascended towards the zenith. These streams bad not that motion which they are sometimes seen to have in England, but were perfectly steady, except a small tremulous motion which some of them had near their edges." This remarkable phenomenon recurred several times ; and on one occasion, writes the astr jnomer, ** the evening was very clear, and the Southern Lights were exceeding bright and beautiful, and appeared of a semi- circular or raip.bo.v-like form, whose two extremities were nearly in the east and west points of the horizon. This bow, when it first made its appearance, passed a considerable way to the north of the zenith ; but rose by degrees, turning, as it were, on its diameter, and, passing through the zenith, settled at length towards the southern horizon. These lights were at one time so bright that we could discern our shadows on the deck.*' * On board the Adventure, as we are assured by Mr Bayly, " they were so bright that large print might have been read by their light." Cook had intended again to penetrate beyond the an- tarctic circle, notwithstanding the advanced season of the year and the severity of the weather ; but huge masses of ice, broken and driven about by a heavy sea, and with which, during dark nights, it was scarcely possible to avoid coming in contact, deterred him from the de- sign. He therefore stood to the north-eastward, and on ' s 8th of March attained latitude 69° 44' S., in longi- Dangora firjm loOi * Astronomical Observations made in a Voyage towards the South Pole, I^nd. 1777 4to, po. 343, 344. BECOND CinCUMNAVlGATION OF COOK. 303 Severe storm Dusky Bay, New Zealimd tudc 121° 9' K., whei-e, besides the pleasure of a briglit CIIAP. x, sky and an atniosphcro as serene and mild as had oc- curred since leaving the Cape of Good Hope, there was that of having not a single island of ice in sight. In the afternoon, however, the heavens portended a storm, which speedily came on, and lasted till the evening of the 10th, attended by a very high sen, and followed by a long hollow swell from S.S.E. and S.E. by S. " Who- ever attentively considers this," says Cook, " must con- clude that there can be no land to the south but what must be at a great distance." A return of moderate weather would have inclined him to venture in that direction ; but he was soon convinced that he had gone fur enough, and that the time was approaching when those seas could not be navigated. On the 17th, he was in latitude 59" 7' S., and longitude 146° 53' E., when, having determined to quit the high southern latitudes, he bore away north-east and north, and on the 25th of March came in sight of New Zealand. The next day he anchored in Dusky Bay, after being 117 days at sea, and having in that time sailed 8660 leagues without once seeing land. It might have been apprehended that a voyage of such length, in a region so inclement, could not be performed without the prevalence of scurvy ; but only one man suffered much by that disease, to which he was predis- posed by a bad habit of body and by a complication of other disorders. The general good health of his crew was by Cook attributed mainly to the liberal use of sweet wort, and to the frequent airing of the ship by fires. A more commodious harbour having been discovered J^j^J^*"* by Lieutenant Pickersgill, whose name was given to it, the ship was removed thither on the 28tli, and all hands were speedily busied in obtaining water, cutting down wood, setting up the observatory, forge, and tents, brewing beer from the branches or leaves of the spruce- fir, seeking provisions, botanizing, and exploring the country. The transition from their late wearisome CHAP. X. General (lellKlit of tlie crew. Description of the ■ceiicry. Water spouta 304 SECOND CIRCITMNAVIOATION OP COOK. monotony of life to such employments was made with general delight. For a long time the crew had been en- gnged in continual struggles to evade masses of ico which threatened destruction every moment, amid storms and mists, and without either refreshment or sight of land. They now found themselves in a genial climate and a fertile country, the woods of which were mellowed by the tints of approaching autumn, and re- sounded with the songs of strange birds. " The view of rude sceneries in the style of Rosa," writes Mr Forster, "of antediluvian forests which clothed the rock, and of numerous rills of water which every where rolled down the steep declivity, altogether conspired to complete our joy ; and so apt is mankind, after a long absence from land, to be prejudiced in favour of the wildest shore, that we looked upon the country at that time as one of the most beautiful which nature, un- assisted by art, could produce." * The more sober- minded Cook tranquilly "hoped to enjoy with ease what in our situation might be called the luxuries of life." An examination of the bay convinced him that there were few places in New Zealand yet visited which afforded the necessary refreshments so plenteously ; and w^e are informed, that notwithstanding the rains, which were frequent at this season, " such as were sick and ailing recovered daily, and the whole crew soon became strong and vigorous, which can only be attributed to the healthiness of the place and the ^esh provisions it af- forded." The navigators left Dusky Bay on the 11th May, and proceeded along the shore towards Queen Charlotte's Sound, meeting with nothing v/orthy of remark till the l7th, when a gentle gale having sunk into a calm, and a clear sky becoming suddenly obscured by dense clouds, several waterspouts were seen. Four of them rose and spent themselves between the ship and the land ; the fifth was outside the vessel ; while the sixth, which * Kor&ter's Voyage, vol. i. p. 124. 8KC0ND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 305 first flppenred in the south-west at the distnnce of two CHAP. x. or three miles, and had a progressive motion in an DanReTtobo irregular line to the north-east, passed harmlessly with- •pprehended in fifty yards of the stern. " I was then below looking at the barometer," says Mr Wales ; " when I got upon deck it was about 100 yards from the ship. It is im- possible to say what would have been the consequences if it had gone over her ; but I believe they would have been very dreadful. . , , I think that none of these spouts continued entire more than ten minutes, perhaps not quite so long. I saw four complete at one ' time ; but there were great numbers which began to fonn, and were dispersed, by what cause I know not, before the cloud and water joined." * Queen Charlotte's Sound was reached at dawn of the Qneen ^ following day, and general satisfaction was diffused by sountL the tidings thau the Adventure was in the harbour. Captain Fumeaux had lost sight of his consort in a thick fog, and after firing a gun every half hour as a signal without receiving an answer, and having passed * three days, according to agreement, in a cruise as near as possible to the same place, he bore away several degrees north of Cook's track towards Van Diemen's Land. He made the farther extremity of this island on Rennlon of the 10th March, and having examined its southern and timi ami eastern shores, came to the opinion, " that there are no Endeavour, straits between New Holland and Van Diemen's Land, but a very deep bay," On the 19th, when in about 39 degrees of latitude, with land in view, finding "the ground very uneven and shoal- water some distance off," he discontinued his northerly course and stood away for New Zealand. A passage of fifteen days having brought him to the coast of that country, he entered Ship Cove on the 7th April, from which period till the arrival of the Resolution he had held a peaceable intercourse with the natives. - ■ '■ ^ •' ' < . . .^> No long stay was made in the sound after the junction * Astronotnical ObservationR, p. 346. 30G SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. CHAP. X. Pi'osecution of the voyage. Benevolent proceediuj{& Uneuccessful search for laud of the vessels, Cook resolving, notwithstanding the season of winter, rather to traveree the ocean as far as the longi- tude of 136° or 140° W. between the latitudes of 41° and 46°, than to remain idle, and thus increase the work to be performed in the ensuing summer. He had in- tended to visit Van Diemen's Land, in order to deter- mine whether or not it made a part of New Holland ; but he remarks, " as Captain Furneaux had now in a great measure cleared up that point, I could have no business there." * Before leaving New Zealand, ne en- deavoured to benefit it as far as possible by sending two goats on shore, and by sowing or planting many seeds and roots of useful vegetables. The voyage to the eastward commenced on tbe 7th June. It was prosecuted till the 17th July, when, in latitude 39° 44', longitude 133° 32' W., and nearly in the middle between his own track to the north in 1769, and his return to the south in the same year. Cook, seeing no signs of land, steered north-easterly, with a view to explore the ser* down to latitude 27°, — "a space," he says, "thrt had not been visited by any preceding navigator that I knew of." On the 1st August, he was neai- the situation assigned by Carteret to Pitcairn*s Island ; but, failing in his hope of finding it, without a delay which the sickly state of his consort's crew rendered inexpedient, and being convinced there could be no continent between the meridian of America and New Zealand, unless in a very high southern lati- tude, he turned his course towards Otaheite. Daybreak of the 11th revealed land in the south. It proved lo be an island about two lengues in extent, and • It is to be regretted that Cook, in his reliance on Captain Fur- neaux. at>andonen his design of |)ersonally investigating tiiis point: had he done so, without over-estimating his skill or sagacity, we may express our confidence that he would have anticipated the im- portant discovery, made by Messrs Flinders and Bass in 1798, of the channel named Bass's Strait, separating Van Diemen's Land from Australia. An interesting accoui.* of this gallant expedition will be found in Flinders' Vov'age to Terra Australis (Lond. 1814, 4to), vol. i in 138-193. Ill I wsm SECOND CmCUMNAVWATIOX OP COOK. H07 covered with wood, " above which the cocoa-nut trees CHAP X showed their lofty heads." It was reckoned to be in i^go^+rnn latitude 17" 24' S. and longitude 14P 39' W., and and Doubuui received the name of Resolution. The same day, ^''*"'** another was discovered, and called Doubtful. One which was seen the next morning was entitled Fur- neaux ; and the designation of that ofRcer's ship, the Adventure, was given to i third descried in the morning of the 13th, ** I must here observe," says Cook, " that amongst these low and half-drowned isles (which are numerous in this part of the ocean) M, Bougainville's discoveries cannot be known to that degree of accuracy which is necessary to distinguish them from others. We were obliged to have recourse to his chart for the latitudes and longitudes, as neither the one nor the other is mentioned in his narrative. . . . He very pro- perly calls this cluster the Dangerous Archipelago. The smoothness of the sea sufficiently convinced us that we were surrounded by these isles, and how necessary it was to proceed with tho utmost caution, especially in the night." * At length, on the 16th August, he came in sight of Ma'twi Osnaburg Isla.id or Maitea, when he apprized Captain Furneaux of his intention to put into Oaitipiha Bay, near tho south-east end of Otaheite, to get what refresh- ments he could before resuming his old station at Mata- vai. But in this attempt, which was made early next day, he barely escaped total shipwreck on the coral reefs, in presence of many of the natives, w ho, probably from ignorance of his dangc!, showed not the slightest con- cern. When safely within the harbour, few of them byTifa inquired after Tupia, but many for Mr Banks, and nativei others whom tiiey had known during the previous visit. The cause of their covin try man's demise, as explained to them, was deemed quite satisfactory ; and, " indeed," says Cook, " it did not appear to me that it would have caused a moment's uneasiness in the breast of any one, * Voyajije towards tho South I'olc, vol. i. p. 142. Islaod. Recflfcnitioi: 308 SECOND CIBCUMNAVIOAIION OP COOK. niAP. X. Native cupidity. Visit and gifts to kina Otoo. Grid of the deceased regent's uiotlicr. Kulive enter taiuiueaU. had his death been occasioned by any other means than by sickness." The captain's rigid system of policy, for the protection or recovery of stolen goods was soon found to be as necessary and as efficacious as on the former occasion. The vessels removed to Matavai on the 26th, by which time the crew of the Adventure had greatly .re- covered. The voyagers met with many acquaintances among the crowd who speedily thronged the decks ; and next day Cook visited Otoo, then sovereign of part of the island, whose friendship was essential in obtaining a supply of provisions. Suitable presents were accord- ingly oflFered and accepted, and, in return, his majesty promised some hogs, but was loath to go on board, being, as he said, " mataou no te paupoue ;" that is, afraid of the guns. Indeed, all his actions showed timidity ; though he at last ventured to visit the ship, attended by a numerous train. A more touching interview took place with the mother of the regent Tootahah, who, seizing the commander by both hands, burst into tears, and told him his friend was dead. " I was so much affected with her behaviour," he writes, " that it would have been impossible for me to have refrained mingling my tears with hers, had not Otoo come and taken me from her." He afterwards learned that Tootahah had fallen in battle, and that his remains, after being exposed on a tupapow or open shed, wh« e they were honoured with the customary rites of mourning, were deposited in the family marai at Oparee. The good understanding thus commenced was kept up by reciprocal acts of kindness and attention. The island- monarch and his people were gratified by the music of the bagpipe, their favourite instrument, and by the dances of the seamen ; while the English were enter- tained with a dramatic play, or heava, a medley of dancing and comedy. All the fruits which the country produces they obtained abundantly, except that of the bread-tree, which was not then in season ; but owing to intestine wars and other circumstances, hogs and fowls BE( OND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 300 CHAP. X. Huulieinei , , . , Tupnpow and Chtet Mourner. were procured with difficulty,— only twenty-four of the Tupapow. former liaving been received during a residence of sevn- teen days. On the Ist of September, our navigator set sail for the Reception at island of Huaheine, which he made the next day. Bf fore landing, the king, his ancient friend Oree, sent to the ships the piece of pewter which had been left -wifh liim in July 1769. Cook wished to go to this kind- '..,ts red prince; "but I was told," he says, ** that he ^vfis-iii come to me ; which he accordingly did, fell upon m^ 3^r k, and embraced me. This was by no means ceremonious ; the tears which trickled plentifully down his venerable cheeks sufficiently bespoke the larg;'age of his heart." During their short stay the English ro- ceived every mark of friendship, and procured no fever iriondiiiiipi. than 300 hogs, besides fowls and fruits. On thp /th. Cook bade adieu to this gentle monarch, leaving with him a small copper plate, with the inscription, " An- » iio'ed here, his Britannic Majesty's Ships Resolution Murk of .-J 310 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. CHAP. X. Omla re- ceived oil Ouard. Ohamancno liarbour. Native dramatic skilL Vovflffa pursuttd. and Adventure, September 1773.** Before his depar- ture, Captain Furncaux consented to take on board a young man named Omai, a native of a neighbouring island. In the opinion of Cook at that time, " he was not a proper sample of the inhabitants of these happy islands, not having any advantage of birth, or acquired rank, nor being eminent in shape, figure, or complexion.*' The ships reached Ulietea the same evening, and spent the night in beating off and on the island, guided by the lights of the fishers on the reefs and sliores. On the morning of the 8th, they anchored in the harbour of Ohamanenc ^ >^tbe natives immediately crowded around them, eager t ^er hogs and fruit. The chief, Oreo, displayed a grea iFection for the Europeans, and grati- fied them with the performance of a heava* The scenes which most interested them in this rude drama repre- sented a theft, which was accomplished in so dexterous a manner as clearly to indicate the genius of the people. Cook looked for the termination of the piece with some curiosity, — anticipating the death, or at least hearty beating of the culprits ; but in this ho was disappointed, both principal and accomplices escaping in triumph with their booty. At this place he took on board a youth of about seventeen or eighteen yeaio of age, named Oedidee or Mahine, a native of Bolabola, and nearly related to Opoony, the warlike sovereign of that island. The discoverers departed from Ulietea on the l7th, and steered to the west, inclining to the south, that they might avoid the tracks of former voyagers, and get into the latitude of the islands discovered by Tasman and named Middleburgh and Amsterdam,^ but now known as two of the principal of the Friendly or Tonga archipelago. On the 23d, in latitude 19"^ 18' S., longi- tuge 168° 64' W., they fell in with two or three small islets, surrounded by breakers, like most of the low isles in tl s sea, and gave them the appellation of Hervey. On the 2d October, they got abreast of Middle burgb • See abote, p. 125-128. SECOND Circumnavigation op cook. 311 (called by the inliaby;ants Eooa), where an immense CHAP. X. crowd gave them welcome with loud shouts, thronged pg<.g7^n ,^^ round the boats, in which they rowed towards the land, Middieburgh. offered native cloth and other articles in exchange for beads, and seemed more anxious to give than to receive. A chief conducted them to his dwelling, which was built on the shore, ** at the head of a fine lawn, and under the sliade of some shaddock-trees, in a situation which was most delightful." Here they were enter- Native cava tained with songs, and invited to join in a cava feast ; '^^^ but, says Cook, " I was the only one who tasted it ; the manner of brewing it having quenched the thirst of every one else." The unceasing kindness of the people, who vied with each other in their endeavours to please, made our countrymen regret that the season of the year precluded a longer stay. On the 3d, they weighed anchor, and bore down for Tongataboa Amsterdam or Tongataboo, when they were met r».id- way by some canoes. As they sailed along the coast, they observed the natives running on the shore, and displaying small wh'te flags, which, being looked on as tokens of peace, were answered by hoisting a St George's ensign. Cook landed on the 4th, and was conducted over part of the country by a chief called Attago. He was much surprised by the aspect of the island, and Fertile could have fancied himself transported into the most fjmd^ **' *''*' fertile plains of Europe. Not a spot of waste ground was to be seen, — the roads took up the least possible space, the fences were not above four inches in breadth, and were often formed of some useful plants. ** It was," he writes, " every where the same ; change of place altered not. the scene. Nature, assisted by a little art, nowhere appears in more splendour than at this isle. In these delightful walks we met numbei'S of people : some travelling down to the ships with their burdens of fruit ; others returning back empty. They all gave ua the road, by turning either to the right or left, and sitting down or standing with their backs to the fences> u 312 SECOND CIRCUMNAViaATION OF COOK. CHAP. X. NAtive confidence. Return to New Zealand. Separation ol the Resolu- tion tind Adventure. Prospects of. the voyage. till we had passed/'* They showed neither distrust nor suspicion of their visiters^ whom they permitted freely to ramble wherever curiosity or pleasure invited. In physical peculiarities, in language, and in many arts and customs, political and religious, they bore a striking resemblance to the Society Islanders. As the period for prosecuting his researches in the high southern latitudes now approached, the commander judged it advisable to revisit New Zealand, where wood and water could be procured for the next portion of the voyage. The vessels accordingly quitted Amsterdam on the 7th October, and on the next day made the Pylstaai-t or Tropic- bird Island of Tasman, in latitude 22° 26' S., and longitude 176" 69' W. On the 21st, they descried the land of New Zealand ; but, in consequence of baffling winds and dangerous gales, in one of which the Adventure was lost sight of, Ck>ok did not reach the rendezvous in Queen Charlotte's Sound till the Sd November. Here he remained more than three weeks without any tidings of his consort ; and henceforward, as they did not again meet, our at- tention must be confined to the solitary course of the Resolution. Notwithstanding the absence of their former attendant^, the commander assures us that his crew, far from being dejected, looked as cheerfully on their expedition to the south " as if the Adventure, or even more ships, had been in company." According to Mr Forster, however, as the expectation of meet'ng with new lands had become faint, a cruise to the south, once !E!0 fall of promise, appeared no longer inviting. ** If any thing," says he, ** alleviated the dreariness of the prospect with a great part of our shipmates, it was the hope of completing the circle round the South Pole, in a high latitude, during the next inhospitable summer, and of returning to England within the space of eight months." -j- * Voyage towards tlie South Pole, vol. i. p. 201. f Forster's Voyage, vol. L p. 626b SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 313 This navigation was perhaps one of the dullest evei CHAP. X. performed. The voyagers left New Zealand on the Retnrnto 26th November, and steered to the south, inclining to *•*« """''»• the east, with a favourable wind. On the evening of the 6th December, they calculated themselves to be at the antipodes of London.* Ice was first seen on the 12th, in latitude 62° 10' S., longitude 172° W., being 11° 30' farther south than that first met with in the pre- ceding year ; and on the same day an antarctic petrel, gray albatrosses, and some other birds, were observed. On the 14th, several ice-islands and a quantity of loose ^*® isiamiK. ice occurred ; and these became more numerous as the course to the south-east by east was pursued. Next morning, there appeared an immense field, through the partitions of which it was not deemed safe to venture into " a clear sea beyond," as the wind would not have permitted return. A stretch to the north, with some tacks, was therefore made, but not without very great risk from the floating islands. On the 22d, they had attained a higher parallel than they had before reached, 67° 31' S., in longitude 142° 54' W. ; but next day, in a little lower latitude, another quantity of ice wholly obstructed the passage to the south. At this time the cold was most intense, and there was a strong gale at intense c^id, north, attended with snow and sleet, which froze to the ^^^ *"** rigging as it fell, and made the ropes like wires. Ad- vancing to the north-east, the ice-islands were found to increase in number, nearly a hundred of them being seen at noon of the 24th, besides an immense quantity of small pieces ; but, by taking advantage of every light • *' We are the first Europeans," says Mr Forster, " and, I be- lieve I may add, the first human beings who have reached this point, where it is probable none will come after us. A common report pre- vails, indeed, in England, concerninij^ Sir Francis Drake, who is said to have visited tlie antipodes, which the legend expresses, by < his having passed under the middle arch of London Bridge;' but this is a mistake, as his track lay along the coast of America, and probably originates from his having passed the periaci, or the point in 100'^ longitude, on the same circle of north latitude, on the coast ot California." — Voyage, vol. i. p. 527. ■■■i CHAP. X. A Christinas feast Sickness of the caew. Abandon- ment of fiutlier lescui'clL '^PHfc' 314 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. air to drift along with them, a tolerably easy berth was obtained, in which, nearly in the same manner as during the voyage of the previous year, our navigators held their Christmas feast. They were fortunate at this time in having continual daylight and clear weather, for " had it been as foggy as on some of the preceding days, nothing less than a miracle," says Cook, " could have saved us from being dashed to pieces." Still the dangers of the situation were so great, that on the 26th, in lati- tude 66° 15', it was judged prudent to make another trip towards the north, and, by the 9th January 1774, he found himself m latitude 48° 17', in longitude 127° 10' W. At this period most of his crew were becoming diseased, though not seriously. " A general languor and sickly look were manifested in almost every face," says Mr Forster, '* and the captain himself was pale and lean, and had lost all appetite." On the lUh, the course to the south was resumed, and, on the seventh day after, the voyagers were in latitude 61° 9' S., longi- tude 116° 7' W. They crossed for the third time the antarctic circle on the 26th, and on the 30th reached the highest southern latitude which had been then at- tained by any discoverer, namely, 7l° 10', in west longi- tude 106° 54'.* The obstacles which arrested Cook's farther progress, and the reasons which induced him to abandon any at- tempt in other directions, cannot be better stated than in his own words : — " At four o'clock in the morning, we perceived the clouds, over the horizon to the south, to be of an unusual snow-white brightness, which we knew announced our approach to field-ice. Soon after it was seen from the top-mast-head, and at eight o'clock we were close to its edge. It extended east and west, * Only one navigator has penetrated beyond this point. On the 20th February 1822, Captain Weddei reached the latitude of 74° 15', in the longitude of M° 16' 46" W. In this situation no land was visible, and only four ice-islands were in sight ; but the wind blowing fresh at south prevented his farther progress, and he was reluctantly constrained to return. — WeddcPs Voyage towards th» Si>uth Fole, p. 37. SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 315 fur beyond the reach of our sight. . . . Ninety- seven ice-hills were distinctly seen within the field, besides those on the outside ; many of them very large, and looking like a ridge of mountains, rising one above another till they were lost in the clouds. The outer or northern edge of this immense field was com- posed of loose or broken ice close packed together, so that it was not possible for any thing to enter it. This was about a mile broad, within which was solid ice in one continued compact body. It was rather low and flat (except the hills), but seemed to increase in height as you traced it to the south, in which direction it extended beyond our sight. I will not say it was im- possible any where to get farther to the south ; but the attempting it would have been a dangerous and rash enterprise, and what, I believe, no man in my situation would have thought of. It was, indeed, my opinion, as well as the opinion of most on board, that this ice ex- tended quite to the pole, or perhaps joined to some land, to which it had been fixed from the earliest time ; and that it is here, that is to the south of this parallel, where all the ice we find scattered up and down to the north, is first formed, and afterwards broken oflF by gales ot wind or other causes, and brought to the north by the currents, which we always found to set in that direction in the high latitudes. As we drew near this ice some penguins were heard, but none seen ; and but few other birds, or any other thing that could induce us to think any land was near. And yet I think there must be some to the south behind this ice : but if there is, it can afibrd no better retreat for birds, or any other animals, than the ice itself, with which it must be wholly covered. I, who had ambition not only to go farther than any one had been before, but as far as it was possible for man to go, was not sorry at meeting with this interrup- tion, as it, in some measure, relieved us, at least shortened the dangers and hardships inseparable from the naviga- tion of the southern polar regions. Since, therefore, we could not proceed one inch farther to the south, no CHAP. X. Appearance of the ice. Supposed source of southern icebergs. (mpoBsibility of furtlier progress. 316 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X. Opinions as to the pro- Hpcct of discovery. Search of new land. Dangerous illness of Cook. other reason need be assigned for my tacking and stand- ing back to the north." * On the 4th of February, he found himself in latitude 66° 42' S. and longitude OD** 44' W., and though now convinced that there was no continent except in ex- tremely high latitudes, ho was of opinion that " there remained, nevertheless, room for very large islands in places wholly unexamined ; and that many of those which were formerly discovered are but imperfectly ex- plored, and their situations as imperfectly known. For me," he continues, ** at this time, to have quitted this sea, with a good ship expressly sent out on discoveries, a healthy crew, and not in want either of stores or of provisions, would have been betraying, not only a want of perseverance, but of judgment, in supposing the South Pacific Ocean to have been so well explored that nothing remained to be done in it." He therefore resolved to proceed in search, fii'st, of the land said to have been discovered by Juan Fernandez towards the end of the sixteenth century, then of Davis* Land or Easter Island of Roggewein ; and, finally, of the Aus- tralia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros.f ' ! Cook had for some time concealed from every person on board a dangerous obstruction of his bowels, and en* deavoured to overcome it by taking hardly any sus- tenance ; but this treatment aggravated rather than removed the malady, the symptoms of which at length, when he had reached a more northern latitude, were so alarming that his life was in danger. The disease fortu- nately abated after a week's confinement to his couch ; but still so great was his debility, that no one could doubt the urgency of hastening to a place of refreshment as the only chance of preserving his existence. He speaks of his own condition at this time very briefly. " I was now taken ill of the bilious colic, which was so violent as to confine me to my bed ; so that the man- * Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. i. pp. 267, 268. t See above, pp. 72, 73 1 pp. 131 and 142-147; and p. 97-911. ,. SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 317 agement of the ship was left to Mr Cooper, the first officer, who conducted her very much to my satisfaction. It was several days before the most dangerous symptoms of my disorder were removed When I began to recover, a favourite dog belonging to Mr Forster fell a sacrifice to my tender stomach ; and I could eat of this flesh, as well as broth made of it, when I could taste nothing else." * On the 26th February he was in latitude 37° 62' S., and west longitude 101° 10' ; and having now crossed hia track to Otaheite in 1769, he was satisfied that the large and fertile land, " richer than Peru," said to have been visited by Fernandez, could be no more than a small island, if indeed any such discovery was ever made. He then stood away to the north to get into the latitude of Easter Island, which had been unsuccess- fully sought by Byron, Carteret, and Bougainville. On the morning of the 11th of March, in latitude 27° 6' 30" S., longitude 109° 46' 20" W., land was descried from the mast-head, and by noon Cook had no doubt it was that discovered by Edward Davis in 1687. " The joy," says Forster, ** which this fortunate event spread on every countenance is scarcely to be described. We had been a hundred and three days out of signt of land ; and the rigorous weather to the south, the fatigues of con- tinual attendance during storms, or amidst dangerous masses of ice, the sudden changes of climate, and the long continuance of a noxious diet, all together had emaciated and worn out our crew."+ A landing was e£fected on the 14th, and the natives behaved in a peaceable manner, though expert and daring thieves ; they appeared to know the fatal powers of the musket, which they regarded with much awe,— - arising probably from traditionary accounts of Rogge- wein's visit. The commander was, however, disappointed to find, that though there were several plantations of CHAP. X RecoTeiy ottho commander. Discovery ot land. Interrietr tt'Uinfttive& • Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. i. p. 274. f Forster's Voyage, vok i. p. 652. 318 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIOATION OP COOK. CHAP. X. Inferior ac- comrooda- tiun. Scarcity of provisions. Native tttutwu Sinffolar Monomentflk sweet potatoes, plantiiinS) and lugar-cancs, few places could afford less accommodation. There was no secure anchoring-ground, no wood, and only a scanty supply of fresh water of the most wretched quality ; even fmh were so rare that none could be caught, at least with hook and line ; while both land and sea birds were very scarce, and except a few small fowls and some rats, sup- posed to be eaten by the natives, no animal food was to be had. In his opinion, nothing will ever induce ships to touch at this island but the utmost distress. The inhabitants, whose numbers he estimated at 600 or 700, resembled in many respects those of the isles towards the west, but had made less progress in some of the arts, and were worse provided with huts and household uten- sils. Their affinity to the other tribes of Polynesia at the same time was so striking, " that,'' we are assured, " no one will doubt that they have had the same origin." It was not observed that any man reached the stature of six feet ; *' so far are they from being giants, as one of the authors of Roggewein's voyage asserts." Only three or four canoes, very mean, and built of many pieces sewed together with small line, were seen in the island. They had outriggers, in the manner so common in the South Sea, but were small, and by no means fit for distant navigation. Cook saw only two or three of the statues described by the Dutch, but some of his companions who travelled over the country observed many more. They were from fifteen to twenty-seven feet in height, and from six to nine in breadth over the shoulders ; and each had on its head a lai-ge cylindric block of a red colour, wrought perfectly round. The stone of which they were made was gray, and seemingly di£Perent from any naturally belonging to the island. The carving at the upper part, which conimonly represented a sort of human head and bust, was rude but not altogether con- temptible : in particular, the nose and chin were pretty fairly delineated, while the ears were long beyond pro- portion ; and, in the bodies, there was liardly any re« SECOND CIRCUMNAVIQATION OF COOK. 319 CHAP. X. ' ^ ilonumenU on Eaiter Tiland Hemblance to the human figure. Their magnitude was supposed such as to make their erection a subject of perplexity, a",i'^er"'cfc especially wlien it was considered how little the natives were acquainted with the mechanical powers. In the opinion of Cook, the present inhabitants had no con- cern in rearing them, as even the foundations of some were carelessly suffered to fall into ruin. Besides these monuments of antiquity, many little heaps of stones were piled up along the coast, and some of the savages possessed human figures carved with considerable neat- ness from narrow pieces of wood about two feet long. Of these images, the native of Bolabola, Oedidee, pur- chased several, conceiving they would be much valued in his own country, the workmanship of which they surpassed. The navigators sailed thence on the 16th March, and. Voyage to favoured by a pleasant breeze, steered to the north-west ^eau to make the islands Las Marquesas, which had not been visited since their discovery in 1695. Shortly after putting to sea, the commander was afflicted with a re- »>* 820 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X. Uoodlsland. Fleet of na- tive cauoe& Unforttmate collision with tlie natives. currence of his bilious disortler ; but its attack was less violent than formerly. On the 6th of April, in latitude 9'' 26' S., and longitude 138« 14' W., an island was seen, and named Hood, in honour of the gentleman who first perceived it. Two hours after another appeared ; and w^hen a third was discerned the next morning, every one was satisfied that the cluster was that explored by Mendana.* Cook coasted the south-eastern shore of La Dominica, and, passing through the channel which divides it from Santa Christina, ran along that island in search of the port Madre de Dlosof hi& Spanish predecessor, in the entrance of which he anchored on the 7th. Ten or twelve canoes i^nmediately approached from the shore, but some address was required to get them along- side of the vessel. At length, a few presents brought one of them under the quarter-gallery, when the rest followed ; and, after exchanging bread-fruit and fish for nails, they retired peaceably. Kach canoe was observed to have a heap of stones on its bow and every man had a sling tied round his hand. Many more appeared next morn- ing, bringing similar provisions and one pig, whi'>;h were bartered as before ; but not with perfect honesty, till a musket-ball was fired over the head of one man whose unfairness was conspicuous. A great many of the natives were at this time on board, and the commander, who was then in one of the boats, having been informed of the theft of an iron stanchion, gave orders to fire over the canoe in which the plunderer was making off, but not to kill any one. In the tumult which ensued, his commands, unfortunately, were not distinctly heard, and the depredator was shot dead at the third discharge. The iron was instantly thrown overboard, and the two other persons i i the skiff leapt into the sea, though in a short time they clambered again into their vessel. " One of them/' says Coc4c> " a man grown, sat baling the blood and water out of the canoe in a kind of hys- teric laugh ; the other, a youth about fourteen or fifteen w ft 09 * See above, pp. 79, 80. w ^1 11 -^ ' years ( dejectc believe lowed fears \ for a ti ously,- on exc some g cially ] This e and all in the maine< was a been 1 to a 88 antisco was sci On Besok had h wind, the mo and as Anoth on the observ Buccee convin on wh he bor • Ap them -t on boj Forste many in the • of ver - SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 321 years of age, looked on the deceased with a serious and chap. x. dejected countenance ; we had afterwards reason to rj-g^T^ believe he was his son." This unhappy event was fol- sumed with lowed by the precipitate retr iat of all the savages. Their "'® »«l««»der» fears were, however, after a short space, allayed, and for a time barter was carried on with them advantage- ously, — various fruits, pigs, and fowls, being obtained on exceedingly reasonable terms^ till the indiscretion of some gentlemen introduced new aiiicles of trade, espe- cially red feathers, collected at the island of Amsterdam. This effectually put an end to the intercourse ; nails and all other things were despised in comparison ; and, in the absence of a sufficient stock of feathers, there re- mained no alternative but to quit the country. This was a serious mortification to the crew, who had now been nineteen weeks at sea, and confined all that time to a salt diet. So serviceable, however, had the many antiscorbutic articles proved, that at this period there was scarcely one sick person in the ship. On the afternoon of the 11th, Cook departed from Departure Resolution Bay, as he named the harbour where he [[o^Bay.^*'^'*" had lain, and steered nearly south-west, with a fine wind, till the morning of the l7th, when he fell in with the most easterly of the King George's Islands of Byron, and ascertained its native appellation to be " okea. Another of the k vae group was seen the next day and on the 19th, four small and half-overflowed islands were observed, and named after Sir Hugh Palliser. The succeeding evening, a great swell rolling from the south, convinced him that he was now clear of those low lands , on which account, and being favoured by a strong gale, he bore down for Otaheite. A pleasant voyage, of little more than a day, brought Arrival at them within view of that island, and" spread general joy t^tai^e't* on board. " The forests on the mountains," says Mr Forster, " were all clad in fresh foliage, and glowed in many variegated huas. . . . The plains shone forth in the greatest luxuriance of colours, the brightest tints of verdure being profusely lavished upon their fertile 322 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X. Anchor in Matavai Bay. Abnndanoe of liogs uud fruit Departure from Otiilieite. groves ; in short, the whole called to our mind the de- scription of Calypso's enchanted island." The Resolu- tion anchored in Matavai Bay on the 22d ; and no sooner was her arrival known, than the friendly natives visit'^d their old acquaintances with every demonstration of gladness. Provisions had become very plentiful dur- ing the eighteen months' absence of the discoverers, and the desire to possess the red feathers, which had been obtained at the Tonga Islands, rose almost to a phrensy among the people. The improvement in the general state of the country surprised even those who had thought most highly of its capabilities, and induced Cook to pro- tract his stay much longer than he originally intended. Hogs were now abundant, fruits of every kind equally so, and industry had displayed itself in the erection of habitations and the construction of an immense number of canoes. Many of the latter were destined for an ex- pedition against Eimeo, wliich had thrown off the yoke of Otaheite ; and our countrymen had an opportunity of witnessing a grand naval review of the larger part of the island-forces. The war-canoes, each from fifty to ninety feet long, and double or joined together by strong transverse beams, amounted to 160 ; and of smaller craft, designed, it was supposed, to serve as transports or victuallers, there were 170 ; in all 330 vessels, carrying, by Cook's calculation, 7760 men, warriors and rowers. The former wore Vca^st quantities of cloth, turbans, breastplates, and helmets; and their weapons were clubs, spears, and stones. Having executed those repairs on his vessel which the tempestuous weather of the high southern latitudes had rendered necessary, he again set sail from Otaheite on the 14th of May. As the ship was clearing the bay, one of the gunner's mates, who had determined to re- main in the island, slipped overboard with tho intention of swimming to the shore, but was instantly taken up. ** When," says the commander, " I considered this man's situation in life, I did not think the resolution he had taken so extraordinary as it may at first apj^ear. . , SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. 323 up. an*8 had I never learnt that he had either friends or connexions to confine him to any particular part of the world ; all nations were alike to him. Where, then, could such a man be more happy, than at one of these isles, where, in one of the finest climates in the world, he could en- joy, not only the necessaries, but the luxuries of life, in case and plenty : '* On the afternoon of the next day, the English an. chored at Huaheine, where they found the old chief Oree as kind as ever. When paying him a farewell visit, Cook told him that they would meet no more ; on which he burst into tears, and said, *' Let your sons come ; we will treat them well." The commander esteemed him as '* a good man, in the utmost sense of the word," but surrounded by pei-sons of less worth, some of whom took advantage of his old age, and, en- couraged by the carelessness of many of our voyagers, committed acts of violence, " which no man at Otaheito ever durst attempt." Leaving this on the 23d, a few hours brought the vessel to Ulietea, where she anchored on the following morning. Cook speaks with great feeling of the hospi- table manner in which he was treated at this island, more especially by Oreo and his family. At parting, he writes, " the chief, his wife, and daughter, but especially the two latter, scarcely ever ceased weeping His last request was for me to return : when he saw he * Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. i. p. 345. These re- flections may perhaps recall to the recollection of the reader a pass* age in The Island : — " Men without Ct 'intry, who, too lonj^ estrar-.^ed, Had found no native home, or found it chan^. d, ' And, half uncivilized, preferred the cave Of some soft savajje to the uncertain wave, — The gushing fruits that nature gave untill'd ; The wood without a path but where they will'd; • The field o'er which promiscuous Plenty pour'd , Her horn ; the equal land without a lord ; The earth, whose mine was on its face, unsold. The glowing sun and produce all its gold." Byron's Wurks, vol. xiv. p. itU2. CHAP. X. Attempted desertion of a Runner's mate. Reception at Huaheine. Hospitable treatment at Ulietea. 324 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X cuuld not obtain that promise, he asked the name of my SinBuiw marai (burying-place). As strange a question as thb inquiry. was, I hesitated not a moment to tell him Stepney, the parish in which I live when in London. I was made to repeat it several times over till they could pronounce it ; then, * Stepney marai no TootCy was echoed through a hundred mouths at once. I afterwards found the same question had been put to Mr Forster by a man on shore ; but he gave a different, and indeed more proper answer, by saying, no man who used the sea could say where he should be buried. What greater proof could we have of these people esteeming us as friends, than their wishing to remember us even beyond the period of our lives ! They had been repeatedly told that we should see them no more ; they then wanted to know where we were to mingle with our parent dust." * He quitted Ulictea on the 5th June, leaving Oedideo behind him, to their mutual regret. Final dcpar. At one time he intended to visit Bolabola, but this SM?e'^'" *'" design was abandoned for want of leisure ; and " taking iBiunUs. a final leave of these happy isles, on which benevolent Nature has spread her luxuriant sweets with a lavish hand," he directed his course to the west. On the next morning, he fell in with the Howe Island of Wallis, and following a track a little more to the south, in ten days he found another insular reef, which he named after Lord Palmerston. On the 20th, he saw one that was inhabited, and from the indomitable fierceness of the people, through which even his life was in danger, denominated it Savage. It lies in lati- tude 19° 1' S., longitude 169° 37' W., is about eleven leagues in compass, of a circular form, and has deep water close to its shores. Favoured by a gentle trade- wind, the Resolution pursued her route to the south- west, and passing, on the 25th, through various islets, several of which were connected by breakers or reefs of rocks, anchored on the succeeding day about a mile • Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. i. p, 373. SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 325 from the northern shore of Annamooka or Rotterdam, chap. x. one of the Friendly or Tonga group. Here the gallant ^g^^(^ officer experienced no small trouble from the dishonesty diahoneiitr. of the natives, which he was obliged to check by prompt and severe measures, — seizing some of their canoes, and firing small shot at one of the most resolute of the culprits, who, besides trifling articles, had pos- sessed themselves of two muskets. These were forth- with given up, and mutual good feelings restored. The productions of this place were found to be the same as those of Eooa or Amsterdam ; but hogs and fowls, with some kinds of fruit, were not so plentiful : there seemed also to be more waste land, and the people generally were poorer. He departed from Annamooka on the 29th, and steered to the south-west, passing between two islands of the same group, of which the native titles are Kao and Tofooa. Continuing his course to the Turtle island, west, on the 1st of July he fell in with an island about a league in length and half that extent in width, situated in latitude 19° 48' S., and longitude 178° 2' W. He named it Turtle Island, and its few inhabitants, though armed with clubs and spears, fled at the approach of a boat. For thirteen days the Resolution held on her westerly Discovery of track, followed by strong and steady gales. On 16th July, the weather changed, the sky became foggy, the wind blew in heavy squalls, and was attended with rain, signs which, within the tropics, generally indicate the neighbourhood of some mountainous country. On the same afternoon, high land was seen bearing south-west, and " no one doubted that this was the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros," — L'Archipel des Grandes Cyclades of Bougainville.* Cook sailed round the north end of the He Aurore of his French predecessor ; and during the 18th continued to ply bt'- tween it and L'Isle des Lepreux. On the 20th, he stretched across to He de la Pentccote, and passing an- i.u the lie ^"® Aurore. * See above, p. 224-227. mmmmmm ff 326 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. Appearance of the natives* • CHAP. X. other called by the natives Ambrym, anchored the next Maiiicdio ^^y ^^ *^® north-east side of an island, of which he iidund. discovered the name to be Mallicollo.* The natives were evidently of a race in every respect different from the inhabitants of any of the countries he had yet visited. " They were," says he, " the most ugly ill- proportioned people I ever saw ;" their stature was di- minutive ; they had " flat faces and monkey counten- ances ;" their complexion was very dark, and their hair short and curly. But few women were seen, and these had their heads, shoulders, and faces, painted of a red colour. The language spoken was distinct from that of the other South Sea Islands : " Of eighty words," writes Cook, " which Mr Forster collected, hardly one bears any affinity to the tongue of any other place I had ever been at." From hence, on the 23d, he pro- ceeded towards the south, inclining eastwards, till, hav- ing passed Ambrym, Paoom, Apee, Monument, Three Hills, Shepherd's, Montagu, Hinchinbrook, and Sand- wich Islands, he anchored on the Sd of August on the south-east side of Erromango. The treachery of the natives led to a skirmish, in which some of them lost their lives ; and the following evening, he sailed for the neighbouring island of Tanna, where he found an anchor- age on the 6th. The next day, the ship was moored close to the shore, so as to afford to the landing-place and to the whole harbour the protection of her artillery. Some thousand ; of the inhabitants were drawn up on the beach, evidently with hostile intentions ; but the dis- charge of a few guns speedily dispersed them, and the voyagers, though watched with strict jealousy, were allowed to explore the country in peace. The natives were considered as a distinct race from those of Malli- coUo or of Erromango ; they were of the middle size, • " Some of our people," it is added, " pronounced it Manico!rs were, pt-ihaps, the first that ever set foot upon its shores. On the I7th, they came in sight of Now Zealand, and NewZeaiund. could distinguish the summit of Mount Egmont ** covered with everlasting snow." The next day, they anchored in Queen Charlotte's Sound, for the third time, nearly eleven months after their former visit. Immediately on landing, they looked for a bottle, containing a me- morandum which had been left for Captain Furneaux. It was removed, and circumstances soon occurred which showed that the Adventure had been here ; while, from conversing with the natives, of whom only a few ap- peared, and those in a state of unusual timidity, it was inferred that some calamity had befallen her crew. On the 10th of November, Cook departed from New Course deter- Zealand, and with all sails set steered south by east, °>l'»*"^ on. to get into the latitude of 64° or 65° S., with the view of crossing the Pacific nearly in these parallels, and thus exploring those parts left unnavigated in the pre- vious summer. On the 27th, he was in latitude 66° 6' and longitude 138° 66' W., when, abandoning all hope of finding land, he determined to steer directly for the western mouth of the Straits of Magellan, which he reached on the 18th of December. With the ex- ception of that achieved by his colleague, of which he was then ignorant, this was the first run directly across Rnn directly the Pacific in a high southern latitude. " And I must ^^ciflc!^^ observe," he writes, " that I never made a passage any where of such length, or even much shorter, where so few interesting circumstances occurred ; for, if I except the variation of the compass, I know of nothing else worth notice I have now done with the Southern Pacific Ocean, and flatter myself that no one will think that I have left it unexplored ; or that more could have been done in one voyage, towards obtaining that end, than has been done in this." * * Voyages towards the South Pole, vol. ii. pp. 170, 171> 332 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X The Routhem shores of Tierra del Fuego, and the Chrfstmas Strait of Le Maire, being still very imperfectly known, duyutTiemhe now resolved to survey them. On the 20th, he ae. -uegu. anchored in a largj harbour, vdiich received the name of Christmas, from his keeping that festival there. " Roast and boiled ge-'^s'e," he remarks, " and goose-pie, vas a treat little ki»own to us, and we had yet some Madeira wine left ; so that our friends in England did not perhaps celebrate the day more cheerfully than we did." Cape Horn was doubled on the 29th, and, two days after, the Resolution anchored off Staten Land. Survey of the Having explored those dreary regions. Cool: oroceed- AtLutic! ^^ ^^ examine the soiithern part of the Atlantic, in search of an extensive country, laid down in Mr Dai- ry m pie's chait of the ocean between Africa and America. This new enterprise commenced on the 3d January 1775. On the 6th, he found himself in latitude 68° 9' S., longitude 53° 14' W., nearly In the situation assigned to the south-western point of tb j Gulf of St Sebastian in this supposed shore. Perceiving no sign of land, he altered his course to the north, looking out for the coast discovered by La Roche in 1675,* and revisited by the Spanish ship Leon in 1750. On the 12th, in latitude 54° 28' S., longitude 42° 8' W., nearly three degrees east of the north-eastern point of the fancied gulf, he experienced a swell from east-soutii-east, which he deemed sufficient proof that no considerable land existed in that direction. On the 14th, a small rocky islet was seen, and the next day a more extensive region presented itself at the distance of eight leagues. It was covered with snow, and offered several bays or inlets, in which large masses ol ice were observed. New Sonth Georgia. ■ See above, p. 130. It has been already incidentally stated (p. 215, note), that tlie French navigator, Diiperrey, is of opinion that La Iloche was anticipated in his discovery by Amerigo Ves- pucci; but titis hypothesis seems more unfounded even than that stated by Bougainville. With much moie probability savi Don M. V. de Navarrete, " Esta tierra pudo ser alguna de las islas Ut> Tristan de Acuna, de Diego Alvarez 6 la de Gouhs." — Coleccion de Viaaf^csy DescubiimientoH T Madrid. IU29), vol. iii. p. 27U, note. SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 333 He landed on the l7th, and, displaying the ship's colours chap. x. amid a discharge of small-arms, took possession of the Dggoiiite island by the title of New South Georgia. It was appearance found to be about seventy leagues in circuit, but utterly '^^ ^^^ *'^"*' desolate, covered with frozen snow, and without a stream of water. Quitting this " poor apology for a continent " on the southern 26th, ho stood to the south-east, and on the 27th had '^^^ attained the latitude of 60° S., where he met with a long hollow swell from the west, — a decisive sign of an open sea in that direction. Four days later, land was discovered at the distance of three or four miles ; it proved to be three rocky islets, and over the outer- most there appeared **an elevated shore, whose lofty snow-clad summits were seen above the clouds." A coast of the same nature which was shortly after per- ceived still farther to the south, received the appellation of Southern Thule, and was considered to be in latitude 69'' 13' 30" S., longitude 27" 46' W. On the next morning, a new territory was descried to the north, and other portions were observed on succeeding days. Cook gave to his discovery the name of Sandwich Land, Sandwich though he was uncertain whether the whole were a^*'*°*^^ group of i'^ lands or the point of a continent ; " for I firmly believe," he says, " that there is a tract of land near the Pole, which is the source of most of the ice that is spread over this vast Southern Ocean." He was anxious to clear up this question ; but he felt that he could not justify himself in now encountering the hazards of thick fogs, snow-storms, intense cold, islands or mountains of ice, a sea unknown and almost un- navigable, and risking all that he had done for the sake of exploring so dreary a country, " which, when dis- covered, would have answered no end whatever, or been of the least use either to navigation or geography." * Tho condition of his ship and company, after thei. * Modern discovery has shown that Sandwich Land is a cluster ni' ijnial) islands. If 334 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOKr 1 arrived at CHAP. X. lengthened voyage, almost precluded the hope of success, even had the inducement been greater. Search for On the 6th February, accordingly, he made sail Ch^cision towards the east, in order to renew his search for the Cape de la Circoncision. He held on in the same direction till the 22d of February, when he fouud that he had run down thirteen degrees of longitude in the very latitude assigned to Bouvet*s discovery, and had crossed his own track of 1772. Being now only about forty miles from his route to the south when he departed from Table Bay, he considered it unnecessary to pro- ceed any farther eastwards, as he had already satisfied himself in that quarter. "Having now,** he says, Coneinsions " run Over the place where the land was supposed to lie, without seeing the least signs of any, it was no longer to be doubted but that the ice-islands had de- ceived M. Bouvet ;*' * and he accordingly determined to yield to the general wish of his companions and get • Voyajye towards the Sonth Pole, vol. ii. p. 238. The oviuion Jiere expressed by Cook, though not unopposed by some I* rench writers, received the general sanction of geo^rapliers ; but, after a lapse of more than thirty years, the cape seen by Bouvet was a^in accidentally discovered. On the 6th October 1808, two Engiinh whalers, in latitude 53" 5h' S., and about the longitude of 3" 55^ £., came in si^ht of an island about five leagues in length. It was covered with snow and surrounded by ice, and no doubt could be entertained of its identity with Cape de la Circoncision. — Buraey, Chron. Hist. Discov., vol. v. p. 35-37. Cook's nearest approach to it was on the 17th February 1773, in the latitude of 54*^ 2©' S., and longitude of 6" 33' E., when he Itad ^ a prodigious high sea front the south, which assured us no land was near in that direC' Hon.** — Voyage, p. 235. In fact, at this time Bouvet's discovery lay to the northward. It may be remarked, that, on another occa- r'on, Cook was in the vicinity of land in the South Atlantic Ocean 7»\hout perceiving any signs of its exiutence. On the 17th of Jan< aary 1773, he was in latitude 67 M 5' S., and longitude 39" 35' E., not far to the south-east of Enderby's Land, discovered on *He 27th February 1831, by Captain Biscoe, in the brig Tula, in latitude 65" 67' S , and longitude 47° 20' E. Eight days previous to his dis. covery. Captain Biscoe informs iis that he " crosse'^ Cook's track Subsequent discovery of Cape de la Circoncision. in 17/3, and found the field-ioe precisely in the position in which he left it." — Journal of the Royal (jeographical Society, vol. iii. p. 108. Bulletin de la Societe de Geographie, tome xx. No. cxxiv. (Aoiit 1833), p. 71- — Nouvelles Annates des Voyages, tome xxix, p- 303. SECOND CmCUMNAVlGATlON OP COOK. 335 iccess, e sail or the same ,d that in the id had J about jparted to pro- latisfied e says, osed to was no tiad de- jrmined and get e trench Lit, after a was a^rain EngtiRl) of 3^ 6y It was could be _Burae;» approach i4'^2»' S., high sea hat dUreC' discovery ther occa- itic Ocean th of Jan- 9" 35' E., HI the 27th ititnde tJd' to his dis- ok's track which he iii. p. U^8. iv. (Aoiit ix, p 303. Into port as soon as possible. From latitude 38° 38' S., chap. x. in longitude 23° 37' E., on the 13th March, he steered — for the Cape of Good Hope, which he made after a voyage of eight days. Here he found a letter from his colleague, who had ArrJvni at reached this colony about a year before. It cleared up Good Hop& the mystery which had pei-plexed Cook on his last visit to New Zealand, by acquainting him that a boat's crew, ten in number, had been massacred at Queen Charlotte's Sound by the savages, who, not content with an indis- criminate butchery, had feasted on the mangled remains of their victims. After this unfortunate calamity, Captain Furneaux, despairing to meet his consort, ran eastward across the Pacific,* and, doubling Cape Horn, reached Table Bay on the 19th March 1774. The anchorage at the Cape may be regarded as the Extent and termination of Cook's second voyage, during which, J^e*voyaee. reckoning from his departure to his return to this place, he had sailed over no less than 20,000 leagues, — an extent nearly equal to thrice the equatorial circumfer- ence of the earth. In this navigation only four men had been lost out of the whole company, and but one of them by sickness, — a j roportion considerably below that fihown by the bills of mortality in Europe. Many, indeed, were weakly, and all, it may well be imagined, in need of refreshment ; but only three required to be sent on shore for the recovery of health, and the rest, state of the by an improvement in diet, speedily regained their usual ^^^' strength. Almost all the sails and tackling of the Re- solution were worn out, though the standing rigging * During this navipition, he narrowly missed seeinj^ the islands called SouUi Shettanti (seen by Dirck Gherritz in 1599, rediscovered in 1818 h\ Mr William Smith, in the brig William, and fifteen months au»'rwards by the U. S brij^ Hersilia — see Voyajres by Edmund Fanning, New York, 1833, p. 428-434) and South OrTineys. •'* He passed," says Captain Weddel, " within forty-five miles of the east end of Shetland, and seventy-five miles of the South Orkneys; hence twenty miles, we may presume, of a more southerly course would have given us a knowledge ofSonth Shetland fifty years ago." — Voyajfe towards the South Pole in 1822-24, p. 28. See Bulletin de la oociete de Geographie, tu.ne xvii. p. 58. 336 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF COOK. CHAP. X. Condition of the M&itei, i\ Reception of Cook at liome. ! Honours and rew.irds conftrred on him. was still of service. " In all this great run," he states, '* which had been made in all latitudes between 9*^ and 71°, we sprung neither low-masts, top-mast, lower nor top-sail yard, nor so much as broke a lower or top-mast shroud ; which, with the great care and abilities of my officers, must be owing to the good properties of our dhip." He left the Cape on the 27th of April, and, on the 30th of July 1775, anchored at Spithead, having been absent from England three years and eighteen days. The design of the voyage now completed was, in vast- ness and grandeur, without a parallel in the history of maritime enterprise ; and never, perhaps, had any expe- dition been conducted with greater skill, perseverance, or success. Cook was received with every mark of approbation and honour ; he was raised to the rank of post-captain, by a commission dated the 9th of August, and three days thereafter he was named captain in Greenwich Hospital, — an appointment which aflforded him the means of spending the rest of his days in hon- ourable and easy retirement. In February 1776, he was unanimously elected a Fellow of the Royal Society ; and on the 7th March, the evening of his admission, a communication was read, in which he detailed the means he had employed to preserve the health of his crew in their long and . perilous navigation.* For this most * Phil. Trans., vol. Ixvi. p. 402, et sea. In addition to a liberal use of the various antiscorbutics furnished by the Navy and Vic- tualling' Boards (see above, p. 295), Cook had recourse to various other arrangements, which he thus details : — <* The crew were at three watches, except upon some extraordi- nary occasions. By this mi ans they were not so much exposed to the weather aa if they had bee.^ at watch and watch ; and they had generally dry clothes to shift themselves when they happened to get wet. Care was also taken to expose them as little as possible. Proper methods were employed to keep their persons, hammocks, bedaing, clothes, &&, constantly clean and dry. Equal pains were taken to keep the ship clean and dry between decks. Once or twice a-week she was aired with fires; and, when this could not Le done, she was smoked with gunpowder, moistened with vinegar or water. I had also frequentiv a fire made in an iron pot at the bot. torn of the well, which greatly purified the air in the lower parts of SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. 337 a valuable and important essry, the council awarded to chap. x. him the Copley Medal ; and on the occasion of its de- Reception at livery, the president, Sir Jo'in Pringle, delivered a dis- the Royal course highly encomiastic •>f the great discoverer: — ***^' " If " concluded the worthy baronet, " Rome decreed the civic crown to him who >^ved the life of a single citizen, what wreaths are due to that man, who, having himself saved many, perpetuates in your Transactions the means by which Britain may now, on the most dis- tant voyages, save numbers of her intrepid mariners, who, braving every danger, have so liberally contributed to the fame, to the opulence, and to the maritime em- pire of their country l" The account of his first voyage, along with the Account of narrative of the expeditions of Byron, Wallis, andJJl'IJ^^ Carteret, had been prepared for publication by Dr Hawkesworth. The manner in which that gentleman executed the charge intrusted to him gave little satis- the ship. To this and cleanliness, as well in the ship as amongst the people, too great attention cannot be paid. The least neglect occasions a putrid offensive smell below, which nothing but fires will remove ; and if these be not used in time, those smells will he attended with bad consequences. "Proper care was taken of the ship's coppers, so that they were Means for kept constantly clean. The fat, which boiled out of the salt beef and securing tlie pork, I never suffered to be given to the people, as is customary; health of ilia being of opinion that it promotes the scurvy. I never failed to take ^^^^' In water wherever it was to be procured, even when we did not seem to want it ; because I looked upon ft-esh water from on shore to be much mor? wholesome than that which has been kept some time on board. Of this essential article we were never at an allowance, but had always an abundance for every necessary purpose. I am convinced, that with plenty of fi* 3sh water, and a close attention to cleanliness, a ship's company will seldom be much afflicted with the scurvy, though they should not be provided with any of the anti- scorbutics mentioned. " We came to few places where either the art of man or nature did not afford some sort of refireshmcnt or other, either of the animal or vegetable kind. It was my first care to procure what could be met with of either by every means In my power, and to oblige our people to make use thereof; both by my example and authority; but the benefits arising from such refreshments soon became so obvious, timt I had ' .ttle occa- sion to employ either the one or the other." 9 838 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. t CHAP. X. Preparation of the narra- tive of the second voyage. Modesty of the author. Omal. Moderate knowledge or English. faction ; and on this occasion it was deemed more advisable that the history of the enterpi'ise should be written by him who had so ably conducted it. In submitting his work to the public, Cook considered it necessary to plead in excuse for any inaccuracies of composition, or deficiencies in the elegance of style, which might be observed in his narrative, " that it was the production of a man who had not had the advan- tage of much school-education, but who had been con- stantly at sea since his youth ; and though, with the assistance of a few good friends, he had passed through all the stations belonging to a seaman, from an apprentice- boy in the coal-trade to a post-(;aptain in the royal navy, he had had no opportunity of cultivating letters." But, in truth, the " Voyage towards the South Pole" stands in no need of such an apology. The sentiments and reflections are in every instance just, manly, and saga- cious ; the descriptions are clear and graphic ; and the style is free from affectation, — plain, flowing, and ex- pressive. Oraai, the native of Ulietea whom Captain Fumeaux took on board at Huaheine, was the first inhabitant of tlie South Sea Islands seen in Britain, where his presence naturally excited intense curiosity. He was at once introduced into the highest circles, and patronised by the rank, fashion, and beauty of the metropolis. He was honoured by an interview with his Majesty George III., who settled on him a pension during his residence in this country, and made him several presents. He does not seem to have attained to great proficiency in the English language ; but, by the aid of signs and gestures, he was able to make himself generally under- stood, and in a short time acquired such a knowledge of the town, that he could traverse it without guide or in- terpreter. For the opera, which had so many charms for the Otaheitan brought to Paris by Bougainville, he appears to have cared little. But we are assured by Madame D'Arblay, that nothing could be more curious or less pleasing than one of the songs of his native land. SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COUg;. 339 which he chanted in the presence of her father : "Voice chap x. he had none ; and tune or air did not seem to be even unmusical aimed at, either by composer or performer ; 'twas a "ongg. mere queer, wild, and strange rumbling of uncouth sounds. His music, Dr Biirney declared, was all that he had about him of savage."* The ease and grace of his manners, indeed, excited much wonder. With the talent for mimicry which is characteristic of his nation, he readily copied the forms of the society in which he mixed ; and as his intercourse was with the most re- fined circles, he imitated only admired and elegant models. Dr Johnson, whose vision, however, was none nr. Johnson's of the keenest, tells us, that dining at Streatham with *'^'"^*"^"* Lord Mulgrave and the Ulietean, " they sat with their backs to the light fronting me, so that I could not see distinctly ; and there was so little of the savage in Omai, that I was eifraid to speak to either, lest I should mistake one for the other." t We are informed by another writer, that the island- barbarian was frequently contrasted with Mr Stanhope (the son of Lord Chester- field), who, after all that could be effected for him by the care and knowledge of a fond father, by the best teachers, and the most advantageous circumstances, was far surpassed, at least in the outward graces of personal demeanour, by the rude and ignorant native of a remote island of the Pacific. But unfortunately his acquirements were limited to fp^^^gn"' the superficial observances of social life. No greater oi OmaL proof of his intelligence has been recorded than his knowledge of the game of chess, in which he became singularly proficient. With that zeal in good works for which he was so distinguished, the benevolent Granville Sharp laboured to instruct the Ulietean in the principles of writing, in which, it is said, lie acquired such skill as to be able to pen one letter to Dr Solander. Mr Sharp * Memoirs of Dr Burney, by his Daiigliter, Madame D'Arblay, vol. ii p. 7. f Boswell's Life of 'Johnson (Mr Croker's edition), vol. iii p. 374. r ruAP. X. Benevolent i-fiurts of Granville Sharp. Motives of Omai's visit to England. \' I Distinguish- ed favours. 310 SECOND CIRCUMNAVIGATION OP COOK. endeavoured likewise to impart to him a knowledge of religious principles; but the attempt met with little success. He appears, indeed, to have possessed a very ordinary intellect, and was far inferior in genius and observation to the unfortunate Tupia, who embarked in the Endeavour, and died at Batavia. The opinion which Cook at first expressed as to the talents of Omai was un- questionably just, although partiality for his savage ward afterwards induced him to think differently. The rank which he held in his own country was by no means elevated ; he belonged to neither of the dominant classes, — ^the chiefs or the priests. His object in ac- companying Captain Fumeaux to England appears to have been, a desire to obtain the means of successfully waging wav with the men of Bolabola, expelling them from Ulietea, and regaining possession of his paternal domains. It has been remarked, that few savages have enjoyed so distinguished a destiny as Omai ; he was painted by Reynolds, sung by Cowper, and befriended by Cook ; while he enjoyed the society of Johnson, Banks, Lord Sandwich, Burney, Solander, Sharp, Lord Mulgrave, and many others illustrious for their rank or their learning. In his own estimation, perhaps, he was more fortunate, in having been favoured with the notice of the most celebrated beauties of the day, the Crewes, the Cravens, and the Townshends of the last century. cook's third voyage. 341 CHAPTER XI. . Cook* 8 Third Voyage. Objects of the Expedition — Kerg;ue1en's or Desolation Tsland— Van Diemen*s Land — New Zealand — Mangeea, Wenooa-ette and Wateeoo — Palmerston Island — Transactions at the Friendly Islands — the Society Islands— Otaheite — Eimeo — Huaheine — Settlement of Omai there, and Notice of his Life — UHetea — Bola- bola — Cook sails northward — Christmas Island — Discovers the Sandwich Archipelago— Makes the Coast of New Albion — Nootka Sound — Cook^s River — Behring*3 Strait — Icy Cape — Prog^ss to the North arrested — Revisits the Sandwich Islands —Reception by the Natives — Cook is worshipped as their God Orono— Sails from Karakaooa Bay, but is obliged to return to it — Hostile Disposition of the Natives — The Discovery's Cutter is stolen — Cook goes on Shore to recover it — Interview with tlie King — A Chief slain — Attack by the Natives — Death of Cook — Recovery and Burial of Part of his Remains — The Voyage is resumed — Death of Captiun Clerke — The Ships reach China — Fur-trade — Arrival in England. While Cook was exploring the depths of the Southern chap, xi. Hemisphere, the British government prepared an expe- Northern dition to investigate the seas and regions of the Arctic ®f ?,®^t*]^ Circle. In 1773, Captain John Phipps, afterwards Lord ruipps. Mulgrave, sailed from England in order to determine how far navigation was practicable towards the North Pole ;* and, though the general result of his lordship's enterprise could not be regarded as very favourable, * A notice of this expedition will be found in the Edinburt^h Cabinet Library, No. I.^ Narrative of Discovery and Adventure in the Polar Seas and Regions (3d edition)^ p. 326-335. r 342 cook's third voyage. JTopes of further discovery. Enthusiasm of Cook 'J\ CHAP. XI hopes were still clierished that a channel between the Atlantic and the Pacific might be discovered on the northern verge of the American continent, and it was resolved that a voyage for this purpose should be under- taken. Lord Sandwich, anxious to consult Cook as to the management of the enterprise, invited him to dine at his house, along with Sir Hugh Palliser, and Mr Stephens, the secretary to the Admiralty. In the discussion that followed, the importance of the design, the advantages which it would confer on science and navigation, and the fair field which it opened for honour and distinction, were so strongly represented, that the great discoverer, becoming exceedingly animated, at length started to his feet, and declared that he himself would take the com- mand of it. His active and restless spirit seems to have looked with impatience on retirement and repose, how- ever honourable ; and scarcely had he returned from his second voyage when we find him longing to engage in a new expedition,* The offer which he now made * We are indebted to Mr Locker (Gallery of Greenwich Hospi. tal, part i.) for tlie following; letter from Cook, addressed within a week after his appointment in Greenwich Hospital to one of his earliest friends and patrons, — the worthy Quaker to whom he was apprenticed at Whitby : — « Mile End, Awgust 19th, 1776. Letter of " Dear, Sir, — As I have not now time to draw up an account ot Cook. such occurrences of the voyage as I wish to communicate to you, I (!an only thank you for your obliging letter and kind inquiries after me during my absence. I must, however, tell you, that the Reso- lution was found to answer on all occasions even beyond my expecta- tions, and is so little injured by the voyage that she will soon be sent out again. But I shall not command her: my fate drives me from one extream.to another. A few montJis ago, tlie whole South- ern Hemisphere was hardly big enoiigh for me, and now I am going to be confined within the limits of Greenwich Hospital, which are far too small for an active mind like mine. I must, however, con- fess it is a fine retreat, and a pretty income ; but whether I can bring myself to like ease and retirement time will show. Mrs Cook joins with me in best respects to you and all your family, and be- lieve me to be, dear Sir, your most affectionate friend, and humble ervant, "James Cook." « To Captain John Walker, at Whitby, in Yorkshire." f] COOK S THIRD VOYAGl!. 343 , con- I can Cook ind be- lurabk - »» gratified Uie secret wishes of his noble entertainer, and was most willingly and joyfully accepted. On the 9tli of Februaify 1776, he was accordingly re-appointed to the Resolution ; Captain Gierke being placed under his orders in command of the Discovery, a vessel of 300' tons, fitted out exactly is the Adventure had been in the former voy..ge. ' .. The instructions for conducting this expedition wei^e dated on the 6th of July 1776. They directed the cap- tain to maike his way to the Cape of Good Hope, and thence "proceed southward in search of some islands said to have been lately seen by the French, in the latitude of 48' S., and About the meridian of Mauritius," that is, 67° 28' 30" E. He was then to steer for Otff- heite, with power to touch, if he judged it necessrtry, at New Zealand ; and having refreshed his crews there, to run directly for the shores of New Albion, about the parallel of 46° north. Having sailed along the coast till he reached the latitude of 65", he was ordered " vei'y carefully to search for and to explore such rivers, or inlets, as may appear to be of a considerable extent, and pointing towards Hudson's or Baffiil's Bays, and if ther^ should appear to be a ceiiainty, or even a probability, of a water- passage into the afore-mentioned bays, to tise his utmost endeavours to pass through." Failing in this, he was to winter in the port of St Peter and St Paul, in Kamtschatka, and in the spring to renew the search for a north-east passagie into the Atlantic* '^' ' By an act of the legislature passed in 1746, a reward of j£20,000 w^as held out to any ship not in liis majesty's service, which should discover a channel leading from Hudson's Bay into the Pacific ; and, with a vieW of en- couraging the crews, the statute \vas now amended, so * Voyage to the Pacific Ocean for itiakin{^ Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere ("A vols 4td, 2d edition, London 17^5), Intro- duction, p. xxxi-xxiv. Of this Work, the first and second volumes were wrUten by Cook, the third by Captain Kinjf, wliile the lonjjf and valuable introduction, and the erudite notes and illustrations, were from the pen of Dr Douglas, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury CHAP. XL Tliird voyace determined on. Iiistnictlona for the voyage. I Kxploratlon tor a north- east passugc Kcwanl offered. 844 COOK 8 THIllD VOYAGE. Depnrtare 01 the UeNlation. iii \t CHAP. XL as to bring this noble premium witliin the reach of the Co-opentlre P'^sent enterprise. To co-operate with Cook, a vessel expedition, was despatched to Baffin's Bay to examine its western shores for an opening into the sume ocean ; but Lieu- tenant Young, to whom the command was intrusted, returned without having effected any thing. The Resolution, with Omai on board, sailed from Plymouth Sound on the 12th July 1776, and was joined by the Discovery at the Cape of Good Hope on the lOtli of November. They put to sea on the 3d December, and proceeded south-east, according to their instructions, in search of the alleged French discoveries, the position of which was by no means fully determined.* On the 12th, they fell in with the islands seen by Marion and Crozet in 1772. Leaving these, they shaped their course to the southward, and on the 24th, got sight of some small ones about the latitude of 48° 29' S., and longitude 68° 40' E., which had been visited and named by Ker- guelen in December 1773. On the same day, standing to the south-south-east in search of land seen in the morning, they reached a more extensive coast indented by several bays, among which they expected to find a good harbour. This proved to be the true Kerguelen*s Land of which our navigator was in quest ; but, in place of being a continent, as was at one time supposed, he found it an inconsiderable and steril island, worthy of the name of Desolation, if delicacy to the discoverer had permitted a change of title. No spot in either hemi- sphere under the same parallel of latitude according to the report of Mr Anderson, the surgeon, who officiated * The discoveries so vaguely mentioned in the instructions were those made by M. Kerguelen, who sailed from the Isle of France in January 1772, and on the 12th of February, in lat 60" 5' S., dis- covered a high land to which he i^ave his own name. On his re- turn to France he represented his discovery in such glowing co- lours, that Louis X v. gave him the cross of St Louis, and sent him out to complete its survey. He reached it in December 1773, and continued to explore its coasts till the 6th of January follow- ing. _ On reaching France he was accused of misconduct, deprived of his rank, and thrown into prison. Kerfruelen'i cook's third voyage. 345 as naturalist, presented less employment to the botanist ; chap. XT. und its only living creatures were of the marine species, — chiefly ursine seals, and birds, as penguins ai d alba-KauoTand trosses. The hills, though of moderate height, were^'®™- covered with snow, even at this season, which corre- sponded with the month of June in England ; and the land, where not frozen, was for the most part a mere bog, which yielded at every step. The voyagers quitted this bleak shore on the 30th \nivni nt of December, and steered east bv north for New Zea-^l^.]^\\', , land. On the 24th of January, they descried the coast of Van Diemen's Land, and two days after, anchored in the bay formerly visited by Captain Fumeaux, and by him named Adventure. Here wood and water were procured in abundance ; but fodder for the animaU on board was not so readily obtained. While some of the crew were engaged in procuring these supplies, others carried on a successful fishery, and a party was employed in surveying the bay. The natives, who ap- Native* proached without fear, had no weapons of oflfcnce except pointed sticks about two feet long, occasionally used as darts. They were destitute of clothes or ornaments •, ; v of any kind, but small punctures were observed on dif- ferent part of their bodies, some in straight lines and others in curves. They v»'ere of the common stature, bmt rather slender ; their skins wero black, as also their hair, which was w^oolly ; but they were not re- markable for the other peculiaiities of the negro race, — thick lips, or flat noses. On the 30th, the ships weighed anchor and put to Arrivni «t sea, pursuing their course to the east, till the 10th ot *** February, when they came in sight of New Zealand, ' and on the 12th, anchored in the well-known station of Queen Charlotte's Sound. Several canoes in no long time made their appearance, but very few of those who occupied them would venture on board. Their shy and timid behaviour Cook considered to arise from a dread of punishment for the murder of the boat's crew belong- ing to tho Adventure, and used every means to reassure 346 cook's third voyage CHAP. XL > li 1 "Weapons of New Zealand* Restoration of iiiitive confiileiicu. Cim^e of foriiier col'l sion wi natives. them of his friendly intentions. In this he was suc- cessful ; their distrust gradually gave way, every sign of fear vanished, and as amieable on understanding vvaa established as if no evil had ever happened to n.ar it. The inquiries which he made, as to the melancholy fate of his former companions, were readily answered, though considerable discrepancies appeared in the accounts which he received from different individuals. The party, it should seem, left their boat in charge ^h the ^^ ^ black servant, and, unsuspicious of danger, sat dowu to dinner about 200 yards off, surrounded by the natives, who, at that period, there is reason to believe, entertrined no unfriendly designs. During the repast, some of the savages snatched away a portion of the bread ano fish, for which they were punished with blows ; vv'hile, about the same time, one of them de- tected in pilfering from the boat received a severe stroke from the keeper. His cries alarmed his countrymen, the cook's tuird voyage. 347 who imagined he was mortally wounded ; and as tJieir chap. xi. resentment had been «;xcited by the usage which they FatalquarrcL themselves experienced, they readily yielded to the desire of revenge. A quarrel instantly ensued, in which two of them were shot dead by the only muskets dia^ charged ; more would probably have fallen, had they not rushed upon the English, armed with their stone weapons, and, overpowering them by numbers, left not one alive. Kahoora, one of the chiel's, acknowledged Kahoora. that he attacked the commander of the party ; but en- deavoured to justify himself on the grnnd that one of the muskets fired was levelled at him, and that he only escaped by skulking behind the boat. Whatever truth there might be in his vindication, the natives frequently importuned Cook to kill him, and were surprised tiiat he did not comply with their request. " But if I had followed the advice of all our pretended friends," says he, " I might have extirpated the whole race ; for the people of each hamlet, or village, by turns applied to me to destroy the other." * The voyagers left Queen Charlotte's Sound on the sail for the 25th February, carrying with them two native youths, fj!^^^^/ and stood for the Society Islands. On the 29th of March, they came in sight of one, small but inhabited, called by the natives Mangeea, situated in latitude 21° 57' S. and longitude 201° 63' E. Its appearance was very pleasing, and indicated a fertile soil. The people, who seemed a fine and vigorous race, were of a tawny colour, and had strong, straight black hair and long beards ; the insides of their arms weis tattooed in the manner adopted by several of the other islanders of Polynesia ; their language was a dialect of that which is * Voyai^e to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 124. In 1827, Mr Earle met with an aged savage who, in answer to inquiries put to him, said lie did not reincniber Cook, but " well rerollf cted Captain FurncaM.\, and was one of the party which cut off and massacred liis boat's crew; and, from other infbroiation," adds the autlior, "which I received, 1 Oelieve his assertion to have been correct." — Narrative of a Nine JNIonths' Residence in New Zealand, Ij Aujjustus Karle, •(London, lt!a2), p. 23. 8- ii ' CHAP. XI. Waieeoo Island cUiicoveru(L i Inlercourso witli llie natives. 318 cook's third voyage. common throughout the South Sea. One of them, who ventured on board, happening to stumble over a goat, asked Omai what bird it was. Leaving this island on the afternoon of the 30th, the next day brought the navigators in sight of another similar in appearance and extent, and situated only a few leagues farther to the north. On approaching its shores, a third was observed right ahead ; but as it was much smaller. Cook sent boats to look for anchorage and a landing-place on the one first discovered. As they were putting off, some natives rowed to the ships in their canoes, and, when asked, gave a few cocoa-nuts, seemingly without any Lotion of barter or care for the value of the presents made in return. Soon after their departure, another party arrived, whose conductor brought a bunch of plantains, — a donation which was afterwards undei*stood to be from the chief of the island, and wai acknowledged by an axe and a piece oi red cloth. In a short time, there came alongside a double canoe, in which were twelve men, who, as they drew near, recited some words in concert, one of them first standing up, and giving note of preparation. This ceremony over, they asked for the commander, to whom they offered a pig, a few cocoa-nuts, and a piece of matting. They were then led through the ship, some of the contents of which surprised them considerably, though none fixed their attention for a moment. They were afraid of the cows and horses, but the sheep and goats did not seem wholly strange to them, though, like the native of Mangeea, they supposed these animals to l)e birds. In most points they resembled the inhabit- ants of that island, although several of them were of darker complexion. No landing having been effected on this day, the attempt was renewed the next morn- ing by Messrs Gore, Burney, and Anderson, who, ac- companied by Oinai, at length reached the shore, but amid dangers which occasioned iuucii anxiety to their companions. Having anchored within 100 yards of the Uind, two cook's third voyage. 349 canoes came off to give assistance, which tl.ey thought qukv. XI. proper to accept ; and their conductors, v atching the — movements of the surf, caught a fit opportunity to push j,hOT^^ through, and placed them on the reef. On the heach, they were met by several natives, bearing green branches in their hands, who led them among a crowd whose curiosity was so troublesome that it was necessary to repress it by blows from some persons in authority. The party were then guided through an avenue of cocoa-palms, to a number of men, arranged in two rows, armed with clubs, among whom sat a chief cross-legged on the ground, and cooling himself with a leaf used as a fan. After saluting this personage, who was distin- guished by large bunches of red feathers placed in his ears, the party approached two others seated in the same posture, and wearing similar ornaments ; one of them was remarkable for size and corpulence, though not above thirty years of age ; the second, who was ap- parently older than either, desired the strar gers to sit down. The people were then directed to siand aside, panpe of and make room for the performance of a dance by about women, twenty young women, adorned like the chiefs. Their motions, which were dictated by a prompter, or master of the ceremonies, were accompanied by a slow and serious air sung by all the danceis. This entertainment was followed by a mock club fight. The island, though never before visited by Europeans, Evidence of was found to contain three countrymen of Omai, natives ^^^ ^.^^^ "' of the Society Isles. They were the sole survivors of islands. about twenty persons of both sexes, who, ii\ a voyage from Otaheite to Ulietea, were driven by contrary winds to this spot, — a distance of nearly 200 leagues. They had been here probably twelve years, and were so thoroughly satisfied as to have no wish to return. This incident, says the intelligent navigator, " will serve to explain, better than a thousand conjectures of specu- lative reasoners, how the detached parts of the earth, and, in particular, how the islands of the South Sea, may have been first peopled, especially those that lie 350 cook's third voyage. Fine cliarac- tei- of the peojile; 1 C)fakootfiia. CHAP. XI. remo<.e from any inhabited continent, or from each othev." * The native name of the island was ascertained to be Wateeoo ; it is described as a place of great beauty, agreeably diversified by hills and plains, and covered with verdure of many hues ; it lies in latitude 20« 1' S. and longitude 20P 46' E., and is about six leagues in circumference. Mr Anderson pronounces the inhabitants a well-made race, jnore especially those of rank. Many of the young were perfect models in point of shape, and had delicate complexions. Accord- ing to the report of Omai, their manners and religion were nearly the same with those of the Society Islands ; and their language was equally intelligible to the Ota- hcitan and to the New Zealanders. On the morning of the 4th April, Cook proceeded to visit tlie neighbouring island, which the natives of that which he had left termed indifferently Wenooa-ette and Otakootaia. It lay in latitude 19" 51' S., and did not /exceed threa miles in circuit. No human beings were seen ; but many traces occurred to show that it was occasionally visited ; some deserted huts were observed, and under the shade of trees were found monuments of stone, and enclosed spots which had perhaps been used as sepulchres. The voyagers now shaped their course towards Hervey Island, observed in the preceding voyage.t To the great surprise of the captain, who had believed the place to be without inhabitants, several canoes put off from the shore. From three to six men were in each, but not one of them could be persuaded to venture on board. Although they differed much in appearance from the natives of Mangeea, — tlieir complexion being of a darker hue, and their aspect more fierce and warlike, — no 4oubt could be entertained that they were of the same race. The name of their isdand was Terouggemou Atooa, and they acknowledged that they were subject to the King of Wateeoo ; their language was very Hcrvoy Titj'a^e to the Paciiic, vol. i. p. 202 f See al>ove, p. 310. I COOK S THIRD VOYAGE. 351 similar to that of Otaheite. They said they had seen chap, xi, two great ships sail past, but did not speak with them ; these must have been the Resolution and Adventure during the former voyage. Cook resolved, on the 6th, to bear away for the paimerstoa Friendly Islands, at which he was sure to obtain the isiaud. supplies which the groups he just passed had been found to deny. On the 13th, when in danger of losing his cattle from want of food, he readied Palmerston Island, which he had discovered in 1774.* Here he fortunately procured scurvy-grass, palm-cabbag(>s, and young cocoa- ^rees for the animals on boa/d ; while his crew fared * sumptuously on birds, fish, and cocoa-nuts. This cluster, which is uninhabited and without water, com- prehends nine or ten low islets, which are prol)ably the summits of the coral-reef that connects them together. One, on which a landing was made, was scarcely a mile ill circuit, and not more than three feet above the level of tlie sea ; its surface appeared to be merely a coral- sand, with a small mixture of blackish mould ; but notwithstanding the poverty and thinness of this soil, trees and bushes were both numerous and varied. Several small brown rats were seen, conveyed thither, it was conjectured, in a canoe, a fragment of which still re- mained on the beach.t From this position, wh».ch he left on the l7th, the Frionrtiy navigator proceided westward. On the night of the "'^'^^^ 24th, he passed Savage Island, discovered in his second voyage ; 4, on the fourth day after, he came in sight of some of the Friendly group, and moored about five miles off Koniango or Mango, the natives of which brought cocoa-nuts, plantains, and other articles, in ex- change for nails. * See above, p, 324. •}• By some continental ^ou^rapbers tlie name of CkA's Arciii. polago has been applied to Manj^eea, Otakootaia, Hurveytlslano, tinil their dependencies. See Baibi, Abrego de Geographie, p. I277» J\!iirray's Kncyclop«;4ia of Geograpliy, p. 1523. i See above, p. i'24. 352 COOK S THIRD VOYAGE. Punishment of native thefU CHAP. XI. On the 1st of May, he dropped anchor at Anna- Ann^ooka mooka (the Rotterdam of Tasman), in the same spot which he had occupied three years before. A few days after his arrival, he met with a chief, whose name has since acquired a European renown, — Feenou or Finow, — who was then only tributary lord of Hapai, but was introduced to Cook as king of all the Friendly Islands, one hundred and fifty-three in number. This individual was found very serviceable in forwarding the object of the voyagers, who experienced no little annoyance from the thievish disposition of the common people, and even some of the chiefs. After punishing!|jtf one of the latter by inflicting a dozen lashes and tem- porary confinement, the nobles no longer pilfered in person, but depredations were continued by their slaves, on whom, we a.e told, a flogging appeared to make no greater impression than it would have done on the main-mast. The only means by which they could be effectually restrained from pillage was shaving their heads; which at once exposed them to the ridicule of their countrymen, and enabled the English to keep them at a distance. Finding the supply of provisions almost exhausted in little more than a week, Cook meant to visit Ton- gataboo ; but, by the advice of the king, he proceeded to a group of islands called Hapai, lying to the north- east, of which the principal are Lefooga, Foa, Haano, Wilia, and Hooaleva. After a dangerous passage through a sea studded with shoals, rocks, and small islands, the ships came to u,i anchor on the l7th May, and soon after, Feenou and Omai undertook the task of formally introducing the captain to the natives of the island. He was conducted to a house on the margin of the sea, where he was seated beside his patrons ; while the chiefs and a multitude of people were ranged in a circle outside and in front of the erection. Taipa, a friendly noble, then addressing his countrymen by order of Feenou, exhorted them to behave with kindness and honesty to their visiters, and bring to them supplies of Hapa! Islands. mf *j 1 1 1 ^ 1 ^ m wS « l)ei con Wll the of loa< rec V>0( thii see] of mu of 1 laid - low and coir • mei on « TOI. tion part head * inter islan to be dime COOK'S THIRD VOYAGE. 353 provisions, for which they would receive valuable articles chap. xi. in exchange. — Early next morning, the latter chief came on board, Native and persuaded the discoverer to accompany him to iiospitaiity. the shore, where they found a great concourse of the inhabitants. A large quantity of yams and other ar- ticles having been presented with much pomp, the spectators formed themselves into a ring to witness a succession of single combats, in which the parties fought with clubs. Wrestling and pugilistic matches were also l>erformed, and the voyagers saw with surprise " a couple of lusty wenches step forth and begin boxing, without the least ceremony, and with as much art as the men," These diversions took place in the presence of 3000 people ; and the gifts offered on the occasion loaded four boats, and far surpassed any donation yet received in the islands of the Pacific. On first landing, Cook's quick and sagacious eye perceived " that some- thing more than ordinary was in agitation ;" but he eeemi? afterwards to have considered that the magnitude of the preparations was sufliciently explained by the munificence of the present. How little was he aware of the dangers which surrounded him ! Snares were Treacherotra laid for his destruction ; and the chiefs and their fol- '^^S"* lowers, who seemed to outvie each other in kindness and hospitality, only awaited a token from Feenou to commence a general massacre. Fortunately, disputes arose among the conspii'ators which led to the abandon- ment of the treacherous design, and the games passed on without the expected signal being made.* The ! I • Mariner's Tonga Islands (3d edition), Edinburgh, 1827, vol. ii. pp. 71j 72. *' Mr Mariner," it is said, " had this informa- tion at different times from several chiefs who were present, and in E articular from Feenou himself, the son of the chief who was at the ead of the conspiracy." Had Cook discovered their treacherous intentions, he would have probably hesitated to apply to these islanders the epithet Friendly, which so many events have shown to be singularly undeserved. A witty Frenchman writes, " Nous dimes adieu aux habitant des iles des Amis^ dont le nom, ainsi que Iff 3:>4 cook's third VoyAGE. CllAl'. XI Friendly pro- lo8til(m8 Inter- changed. Pcvlow mul fli'uwurks. lllnpof 'lungataboo. treacherous chief, on whose nod the lives of the strangers had depended, accompanied them on board, and liaving been entertained at their table, was dismissed with re- newed marks of their liberality and friendship, " As soon as he got ashore," says Cook, " he sent me a fresh present, consisting of two large hogs, a considerable quantity of cloth, and some yams." It would be dif- ficult to determine the feelings by which the savage was actuated in this step ; whether he was swayed by remorse or by gratitude ; if his generosity was a cunning device to obviate suspicion, or if it flowed from a heart softened into penitence by unmerited kindness, and anxious to expiate the crime which it had meditated. Two days after, the islanders were gratified by wit- nessing a review of the marines, and by a display of fireworks. The music, performed for their amusement, obtained no praise ; the French horns were absolutely despised ; and even the drum, which they most ad- mired, was not thought equal to their own. The natives on their part exhibited numerous dances and other en- tertainments, which were prolonged through a great portion of the niglit. On the 27th, a large canoe ap- peared, having a personage on board not previously seen, who was said to be the real king of Tongataboo and all the neighbouring islands. It was with difficulty the commander could be persuaded that Feenou was a sub- ordinate chief; and it was only from the urgent repre- sentation of the natives, that he was induced to acknow- ledge the supremacy of this new visiter. Futtafaihe or Poulaho, for he went by both names, was accordingly invited into the ship, which he was desirous to inspect ; and he brought with him a present of two fat hogs. " If weight of body could give weight in rank or power," says the captain, " his majesty was certainly the most eminent man we had seen." When introduced into his |ps bienvei Mantes dispositions, nous lappeilaient si bien nos amis de 1(115." — D Urville, Voyajfe autour du Monde, tome iv. p. 392. cook's third voyage. 355 Obeisance to the cbieC presence, Feenou paid precisely the usual obeisance, chai'. xr, saluting the sovereign's foot with his head and hands, and retiring when the monarch sat down to eat.* Poulaho invited Cook to Tongataboo, whicli they reach- ed on the 10th June, after a passage dangerous from the number of coral rocics, on which both vessels struck, fortunately without receiving damage. Their reception was friendly in the extreme, a house r,.iendiv was set apart for their use, and they were welcomed leceptiim t-.t witli the acclamations of the people. Feenou proved TmiKataboix very serviceable, and the treatment experienced from other chiefs, though a little capricious and mercenary, lield forth every hope of an amicable intercourse. Feasting occupied a considerable portion of the time, both in the ships and on the shore. It was frequently troublesome in the former, owing to the number who Troublesome thronged into the cabin, provided neither the spiritual ""^'^^ ^^^^^ sovereign nor Feenou was there, — the presence of either generally operating as an exclusion to all the rest. His majesty's visits were, consequently, much prized by his host, and appeared to be far from disagreeable to him- self. He was soon reconciled to English fare : " But still, I. believe," sa;s the former, " he dined thus fre- quently with me, m > -^ or the sake of what we gave him to drink, than for what we set before him to eat. hogs, ower," amis de 392. * Cook failed to acquire a correct knowledge of the peculiar gov- ernment of the Tonga Arcliipelago* Poulaho was Ti.uitongn^ that Cliiei priest, is, a divine chief of supreme rank, and of ahsolute power in religious affairs, hut of little authority in secular matters. His person is con>- sidered sacred, and the highest chiefs must perform towards him the humiliating ceremony of saluting his feet. " Dans les attribu- tions du toui-tonga," says D'Urville, "il est difficile de no pas saisir sur-le-champ une ressemhiance arjsez frappante avec le caractere et les honnevirs dont les chretiens cathoHques avaient environne la per- sonne dn chef de leur religion : puissance spirituelle sanS' boriies, une demi-divinite, autorite temporelle plus ou moins etendue, baise- mens de pieds et tributs universeis." — Voyage, tome iv. p. 236. Feenou was in possGss'ou of the temporal and executive power of the state, in virtue of an officts f^omewhat analogous to that of the Maire du Palais in FiLnce' and his family eventually succeeded in deposing Touitonga. ii« s^. ^ \^ ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /, 1.0 1.1 11.25 |50 ^^" S? lift 2.5 2.2 11^ iim i^ <^ V %^i^ '^iV'^ Kiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STMiT WEBSTCR.N.Y. U5S0 (716) S72-4S03 .^# f3 V ;\ '<^ \ ^ 366 cook's third voyage. CHAP. XL Continued native depredationa Rewlnte measures otCook. ;i<»hq »;}i VIrit by the kinff on board. For he had taken a liking to our wine, could empty his bottle as well as most men, and was as cheerful over it.*' This social communication did not prevent many depredations by the lower orden^ whose re- peated and daring offences became at length so serious, that it was necessary they should be effectually checked. On the disappearance of a kid and two turkey-cocks. Cook hady recourse to a measure, which he had found not unsuccessful on former occasions. ** I could not be so simple," he says, " as to suppose that this was merely an accidental loss ; and I was determined to have them again. The first step I took was to seize on three canoes that happened to be alongside the ships. I then went ashore, and, having found the king, his brother, Feenou, and son'^; other chiefs, in the house that we occupied, I immediately put a guard over them, and gave them to understand, that they must remain under restraint, till not only the kid and the turkeys, but the other things that had been stolen from us at different times were restored. They concealed as well as they could their feelings on finding themselves prisoners ; and, having assured me that every thing should be restored as I desired, sat down to drink their kava, seemingly much at their ease. It was not long before an axe and an iron wedge were brought to me. In the mean time, some armed natives began to gather behind the house ; but, on a part of our guard marching against them, they dispersed, and I advised the chiefs to give orders that no more should appear. Such orders were accordingly given by them, and they were obeyed. On asking them to go aboard with me to dinner, they readily con- sented ; but some having afterwards objected to the king's going, he instantly rose up, and declared he would be the first man. Accordingly, we came on board. I kept them there till four o'clock, when I conducted them ashore, and soon after the kid and one of the turk'^y-cocks were brought back. The other, they said, should be restored the next morning. I believed this would happen, and released both them and C00K*8 THIRD VOYAGE. 357 the canoes."* This confidence was verified by the result ; the remaining fowl and most of the articles that had beeii stolen were soon after returned, and the expe- dient which had been adopted had not the slightest prejudicial effect on the friendly dispositions of the king or his nobles. A few days before his departure, Cook entertained Poulaho at dmner. The monarch was observed to take particular notice of the plates, and having obtauied one of pewter, mentioned two remarkable purposes to which he meant to apply it. When he had occasion to visit any other island, he would leave the dish at Tongataboo as a representative, to which the people would pay the same obeisance as to his own person ; and, on being asked what had performed this service before, he re- plied, " \ wooden bowl in which he washed his hands." The other use was for a species of ordeal : when a theft was committed, and the guilty person could not be discovered, the people were assembled before him, and when he had washed his hands in the plate, they ad- ^vanced one after another to touch it, iia the same manner as they touched his foot on other occasions. If the robber ventured to lay his hands on the sacred vessel, he was overtaken by instant death, not by violence, but by the finger of Providence ; if, on the contrary, he declined the test, his refusal was considered a clear proof of his guilt.t tj^ ,^v CHAP. Zf. Rettontion of stolen property. Parting en- tertainment ofPoalaba -r..> .•'. .n't Singular natireordCMl (.» 'Itlf; i.\)mu'i iuy'-iy'if\iii * Voyaf^e to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 804. ' •)• Voyay^ to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 2)26. More than thirty years Natire taboo afterwards, Mr Mariner saw this dish in the possession of louitun- (m's son. Cook does not seem to have been made fully aware of the purposes to which it was destined, which are thus explained by the other : — '< If any one is tabooed [consecrated or set apart] by touching the person or garments of Touitonga, there is no other chief can relieve him from his taboo, because no chief is equal to him in rank ; and to avoid the inconvenience arising from his absence, a consecrated bnwl (or some such thing) belonging to Touitonga is applied to and touched instead of his feet. In Mr Mariner's time, Touitonga always left a pewter dish for this purpose, which dish was given to his father by Captain Cook." — Mariner's Tongu Islands, vol. ii. p. 18H. This ceremony is termed moi'-mde, and 358 cook's XHillD voyaOb. CHAP. XI. Departure fhim the Tongii lalandML Todbniini Island. Reception of Omal. 'mpi-ndent extriiva- girce. After a sojourn of nearly three monthf^ during which time the most eordial friendship was maintained, our countrymaiii-bade adieu to the Tonga Islands on the l7th of July. The time which he passed amott)^ them wad by no means unprofitably spent, as the season for pro^ ceeding to the north had gone by before he resolved tO Visit them, and more especidlly ais the abundance of fresh provisions enabled him to spare hia sea-stock. He like- wise benefited the people^ hy leaving with them several useful animals, while he retruited those which were destined for Otaheite. On the 8th of Augttdt, in latitude 23° 25' S., longi- tude 210° 87' E., the voyagets discovered a small island, called by the natives Toobduai, and surrounded by a coral reef, on which there was a violent surf. The inhabitants, who spoke the laAgtiage of thd Society Islands, appeared to be unarmed.* • " ^'' ' "" From this he steered northwards^ find, on the fourth day after, came in sight of the S E. end of Otaheite, whence several caiioes came off. Those on board seem- ed scarcely to recogniso thei travelled Ulitetean, and the ' meeting even with his brother- in-law was cold and dis- tant, until he presented him tvith a fetv ried feathers ;f upon which the hd^ of the latter watmed, and Ke" begged that Omai and he mighti be tctyo* or friends, and Exchange names* The crimson pl'umes produced an alteration equally favourable on the rest of his country- men. Our navigator counselled him to economize the treasures with which he had been loaded iu Britain, so that he might be respected in his own land ; but the advice was little regarded, and he allowed himself to be cheated by every euAning flatterer. ** His first in>^ until H is perTormed no person whoio ^aooo«(f Will' clare to feedhiirf* self with his own hands. The ** wooden bowl," which was formerly used in this rite, it w said, was given to the ancestor of Poulbho by Tasnian, in 1^43.— Quarter iy Review, vol. ii. p. 32. * Thijr place, where Chrlstiun and the mutineers of the Bounty en- deavoufefl to effect a settlement in 1789, Lord Byron has selected ns the scene of his poem of The Island, altering the name for tho sake of eupJiony into Toohonai. ^ COOK'S TBIRD VOYAGE. 350 which J, ottr Bl7th T pro* ivedtd f fresh e likc- sevetal li were , lorigi- i iisland, d by a r. The Society. 9 fourth >taheite, ■d seem- and the • and di(h Bathers; and fife" nds, and iiced an ountry- nize the ritain, so but the mself to first in- I fe^d hilrf* 8 fonnerljf f Poultkho Jduntyen- 8 pelected nc for tho terview with his sister,** we are told, ** was marked with cRktlit expreasions of the t^nderest affection, eaaer to be con- ]{^^~j7~ ceived than to be described ;'* and an old woman, sister bisaiiter. to his mother, equally fervent in her joy, fell at his feet and bedewed them with her tears. Having an- u, .i, <; ' chored in Oaitipiha Bay,* Cook proceeded to inspect * On gtnng ashore at this plaoe» Cook foand a wooden hoose gpsnish erected on the margin of the sea} and near it a cross, with the ia- Toyaga scriptlon, («CURI8TUS VIVCIT-ICaROLVB III. IMPERAT. VJJV* They had beea raised, he was told, by the crews of two vesseTs, which had recently irisited the island, and which he rightly conjee- tnred had been despatched from the Spanish settlements in South America. He was not able, however, to obtain any certain infor- mation regarding the voyage ; and it is only within the last year that an account of its transaction's has been brought to light, oy a mantkscript presented to the Geographical Society of Pans by M. H. Ternailz. An abstract of this interesting document, by M. D*Urville, is inserted in the Bulletin of the Society for March 18^4 (2nd serie, tome i p. 145-164) ; and some farther detdls of the enterprise have apprared in the Journal rfthe Royal Geographical Society of London (vol. iv. p. 182-191). In October 1771* the court of Spain, alarmed at tlie late visits of tlie English to the Sonth Sea, gave oitlers to the Vicerov oT Lima to prepare, without delay, an expedition to examine tne Society Archipelago^ and particularly Otaheite, and to report upon the capa- Ulities, population, and resources of these islands. The viceroy in consequence fitted out the Aguila fri^te; which, under the coran&and of Don Domingo BonMhea, sailed from Callao on the 26th of September 1?72. She reached Otaheite on the lUth of November, and on the 26th 6f March 1773 arrived at Va'pa- raicia The commander made a very favourable representation of the countries he had been sent to explore ; and, in conveying his ^umals and observations to the king, " I could not,*' says the viM- roy, **but ait the same time strongly express my own opinion io his majesty, as to the great prejudice wh'rch would result to his dbmin- ions in these seas if any other power were permitted to take pre- vious possession of them." Thesb views met the approbation of the court of Madrid, and Dlaeovery of Captain Bonechea was again despatched to the Society group, the Society He sailed from Callao on the 20th September 177'<, having oh I>l«°da board two monks of the order of St Francis, a portable house, sheep and cattle, seeds and implements, two natives brought away in the previous voyage, and a linguist, to be left at Otaheite with th? mis- sionaries. On the 30th October, he discovered an island, whlc! ~ie named San Narcisso, and which is believed to be the same with He Daugier of Duperrey. The next day, he descried another, which he called LaS Animas (the Moller of Billinghausen, and the Frey- ciuet of Duperrey). On tlie 1st of November, he discerned one :4 1 « ,■»*.■ ■.'■.f.= !!U' «^p 860 COOK 8 TUIBD \ OYAOE. GQAF. XI. his provisions^ caulk the vessels, and make other neces^ ^^' sary arrangements. Knowing the excellence of the Spanish naming of the Society Islands. Death of Bonochea. nnsnceessfiil mission of Spanish monk& lo ■rTWf I'i- Jttahk which he had seen in liis previous voyag^ and denominated San Simon et Judes ; it is supposed to be identic»] with the Reaolotion of Cook (see above, p. SUy). On the morning of the Sd» he saw a low isle (the Doubtnil of the ^'''eat English navigator), which he entitled IjOs Martines ; and, in the eveniiw of the same day, an- othen which he designated San Qumtin ; the latter seems to he that on which Beechey, in 11)26, bestowed the appellation of Croker, in honour of the very learned and talented Secretary to the Admi- ralty. The following afternoon, he observed a thira, on which he conferred the title of Todos Santos, and which is apparently the Chain Island of Cook. At sunset of the 8th, the summits of Ota* heite (or, as he designs it,'Amat) came in siji^t ; and on the 27th, he anchored in the Jiarlbour of Oaitipiha. The building of the wooden mansion was completed towaras the end of the year ; and on tlie ] St of January 177o, the symbol of Christianity seen by Cook was erected on the shore with great pomp^ amid the chanting of masses and discharges of muskets and artillery. Having landed the cattle, the captain set sail on the 7th, and passing by Eimeo and Huaheine, touched at Ulietea ; and having descried Uolabola, Tabu- aemanu, Tethuroa, and MMpote or Naurua, returned to Ota- heite ou the 20th. Six days after, Bonechea died, and was interred with becoming ceremony at the foot of the cross. The command now devolved on Don Tomas Gayangos, who on the 28th made sail for Jiima, where he arrived in April, having seen and named in his route the islands Santa Rosa (the Ravavsui or Vavitou of modem maps), San Juan (the Melville of Beechey), San Julian (the Adventure of Cook), and San Bias (the TchitsHagoff of Billinghausen). « The result of this voyage," we are told, *< was the examination of twenty-one islands, nine of which we're low, and the others lofty. A particular account of them, as well as the track of the frigate correctly laid down, and all the details of the interesting expedi- tion, were immediately forwarded to Spain." Anxiety for the fate of the missionaries left at Otaheite prompted a third visit; and, on the 27th September 177^, the Aguila, under the command of Don Cayetano de Langara, once more set sail from Callao. After a voyage of thirty-six days, the captain an- chored in the harbour of Oaitipiha. He found that the mis- sionaries, who were determined to abandon their task, had made no progress in the conversion of the natives, and were so alarmed by the human sacrifices prevalent '.r the island, that nothing but a Spanish garrison would have induced them to remain. It was in vain that the commander called to their recollection their hi^ and holy vocation, and exhorted them to persist in the glorious work they had begun. Having embarked in the Aguila, they returned to Callao on the 17th of February 1776. ** II est remarquable," writes M. D*(Jrville, " qa'k I'epoijue des deux expeditions en 1772 et 1774 les Espagnols n'aient point benti ni mSme soup9onne que ••>•■ necefl^ of the atedSan esolntion he saw a irhich he dayi an- to be that r Crokert he AdmU which he ently the 8 of Ota* the 27th, Dg of the ^ear; and D by Cook liantingaf landed the i^imeoand ola,Taba. d to Ota- 18 interred imandnow de sul for II his route >m maps), venture of j. « the ination of lers lofty, he frigate ig ez^di< uiIB) under re eet sail sptain an* , the mis- had made to alarmed hing but a It was in it high and rious work iy returned larquable,*' ns en 177*i xjonne que ■'>4 I* •>v p COOK a THIRD VOYAOB. 36] cocoa-nut liquor, he was desirous of prevailing on hiii chap. xt. seamen to exchange for it part of their allowance of ^^^^^^^^^ spirits during their stay at the island ; and having as- iiqoor. sembled the ship's company, he represented the advan- tages of this measure, in an address so clear and judicious, that his own crew first, and afterwards that of Captain Gierke, readily concurred in the proposal. ,, On the 2dd, tlie vessels were removed to Matavai, prioidiy " where the caulking and other operations could be more r[^?^ ** conveniently carried on. Cook found the sovereign, his ancient friend Otoo, as anxious as ever to relieve his wants by ample supplies of provisions, and to contribute to his amusement by sports and entertainments. In return for these important services, the Englishman - .1 made him various presents of poultry and other animals. v Omai here conducted himself with such imprudence, that he soon lost the friendship and respect of the king and every chief of rank : *' He associated,** says Cook, Impradence ** with none but vagabonds and strangers, whose sole views °* ^"*** were to plunder him ; and if I liad not interfered, they would not have left him a single article worth the carrying from the island.'* The voyagers here met with their former companion, Oedidee, who, in 1773, had « accompanied them from Ulietea and visited the Tonga Archipelago, New Zealand, and the Marquesas, and who now took pains to evince his superior civilisation ts^ftrTr by constant repetitions of " Yes, sir,** or " If you please, sir." He entertained his ancient shipmates at a dinner Sf?^**^'*^ "^ of fish and pork, — ^the latter consisting of a hog weigh- ing thirty pounds, which was killed and served up at table within an hour. wj jiu^iiit iKfjwnKnq s.amy/ On the fourteenth of September, the two captains S!fl°I°°"* mounted on horseback, and rode round the whole plain of Matavai, *' to the very great surprise of a great train of people who attended on the occasion, gazing on them with as much astonishment as if they had been TaTti (Otalieite) et Maltea (Maitea or Osnabur^) pouvaient se rap- porter aux lies Sagittaria et Dezena, decouvertes au commence- utent du xvii sidcle par leur compatriote Quiros." MaUvaL 1 ■ »ii-.: 362 C00k*8 THitiD tOYAQB. CHAP. Xt. Curiosity of th«nfttiTML Katlre treatment of rlioaquitini. j/iVb). •»'»r('if)ina'Ml throughout the islands. For some time no remon- cuAP.Zf. Btrances could dispel these delusions, and ** he flew into a passion if more moderate and reasonable counsels were proposed for his advantage ;" but, as he drew nearer to his home, his sanguine hopes sank into despondence, and he would have willingly remained at Tonga under the protection of Feenou. He appears, however, still to have cherished some expectations that the English would employ their arms to replace him in his father's lands ; and it was not until Cook peremptorily declared, that he would neither assist in such an enterprise nor allow it to be undertaken, that the Ulietean consented to take up his abode in Huaheine, along with the youths who had cot 'e on board at New Zealand. The grant of a piece of gx'ound on the seashore having been obtained from the chiefs by the influence of our country- man, the carf ' .ters ot both ships proceeded to erect a house. A small garden was enclosed, and stocked with shaddocks, vines, piae-apples, melons, and the seeds of several other vegetables. The European arms which Omai possessed were a musket, bayonet, and cartouche- box, a fowling-piece, two pairs of pistols, and several swords or cutlaases ; besides these he was furnished with a helmet and coat of mail, numerous toys and trinkets^ a portable organ, an electrical machine, fire- works, hatchets^ iron tools, and kitchen utensils ; and there were left with him a horse and mare, a boar and two sows^ and a male and female kid. To conciliate the chiefs and secure their protection, he made them valuable presents ; while Cook threatened them with the weight of his resentment if his friend were injured. On the second of November, a fietvourable breeze springing up, the vessels got under weigh. Long after the other jslanders had taken their departure, Omai, melancholy and dejected, lingered on deck. It is related by a journalist of the voyage, that he so much dreaded lest, after the departure of the squadron, he should be despoiled of his wealth, and reduced to his -former in- significance, that he earnestly entreated to be taken back European acqaLiitioiia Fears of OmaL ih;: t ?,i Of eauipage, our gardens, and our sports, And heard our music ; are thy simple friends, Thy simple fare, and all thy plain aeli^hts. As dear to thee as once ? Apd have Uiy joys Lost nothing by comparison with ours ? Rude as thou art (for we returned thee rude And ignorant, except of outward show), I'flOt /• ^XOd I cannot think thee yet so dull of heart And spiritless, as never to regret Sweets tasted here, and left as soon as known. Methinks I see thee straying on the oeach. And asking of the surge, that btithcs thy foot. If ever it has wash'd our distant shore. I see thee weep, and thine are honest tears, A patriot's for his country ; thou art sad m>U'' -^t thought of her forlorn and abjeet state^ . , From which no power of thine can raise her up. mil i I Thus Fancy paints thee, and, though apt to err, ' Perhaps errs little, when she pints thee thus. She tells me, too, that duly every pnom Thou climyst the mountain-top, with eager eye Exploring far and vridis the wat'ry waste For sight of ship from Engpland. Every speck Seen in the dim hoiiion turns thee pale nifi:'..,mf;-t 'l.J *J ban 91 .ieaiO ., ^ Journal of Captain Cook*8 last Voyage to the f adfic bithfully narrated from the or^ipal MS. Lend. I78I, iBvo. Ijcad b th*'GcBtleman*8 Magaxine, vol. li. pp. 281-2S4, 27 ij QceaO) , Ana- pp. 281-284, 278, 279. ^x^. HUAHEINE, SOCIETY ISLANDS,— Pjige 36" '^ . ■'^^ " ■ — !. -■ •'.■■> < 1. ''■', mmm^ •wmm cook's third voyaqe. 367 TJ.Ifi With conflict of conteadiiifir hopes and fears. , ^ '3t9ii ' But comes at last the dull and dusky eve, ^ A , ^ .. . And sends thee to thy cabin, well prepared ^-^ ja'^l >3^> To dream ail night or what the day denied.** * CUAP. XL How different from this was the real lifo of Omai ! netnm to Speedily abandoning his European dress, and adopting jtouu the costume of the islanders, he sank into their indolence^ barbarism, and vice. The- horses which were left with him, he regarded only as means of exciting the fear or the wonder of his countrymen ; and, far from lamenting their forlorn state with the tears of a patriot, his childish Tanity found constant gratification in' the superiority which the English presents enabled him to assume. His fire-arms rendered him a powerful subject, and secured ^^""^ ^^^^ for him the hand of his sovereign's daughter, with the inflaence. dignity or title of Paari (wise or instructed). Hence- , forth he continued the inglorious tool of the king's cruel and wanton humour, assisting him with his musket in time of war, and in peace frequently amusing the monarch by shooting at his subjects at a distance, ot gratifying his revenge by despatching with a pistol in the royal presence those who had incurred his wrath. He died within three years after his celebrated voyage, and the New Zealanders did not long outlive him. It was expected by many that, by imparting the arts and civilisation of Europe, he would acquire the title of his country's benefactor ; but his name is now rarely men tioned except with contempt or execration. The site u^'ntim& of his dwelling is by the natives still called Beritani (Britain) ; and amid the ruins of the garden, they show a dark and glossy-leaved shaddock-tree, which they love to tell was planted by the hands of Cook. The horses which he left did not loi^ survive, but the breed of goats and pigs yet remains ; many of the trinkets, part of the armour, and some of the cutlasses, are also preserved, and the numerous coloured engravings of a large quarto Bible are objects of general attraction. Exeemtion of tetq dvi)«St • The Task, book I ^li^^^^H *,'.';'.v ■:,;r. :;;s=»;wCT»m«i ^m^i^ ■CF m^ mmm^m 368 COOK'S THIRD VOYAGE. CHAP. XI. InterestlDK Maodations. Arrival at Ulieteft ..ijit'juilai , ( Attempted recovery of deserters. There is, perhaps, no place in the island to which greater interest is attached ; for, besides its associations with the names just mentioned, on this spot was reared the first building in which the true God was publicly worshipped in Uuaheine ; and here also was erected the first school for the instruction of the benighted inhabitants in the knowledge of letters and the principles of Christianity.* Cook now stood over for Ulietea, wheie he moored on the 4th of November. A few days afterwards^ a marine, yielding to the enticements of the natives, deserted with his musket and accoutrements. He was speedily apprehended ; but httle more than a week had elapsed when a midshipman and a sailor were missing from the Discovery. Captain Clerke set out in quest of the fugitives, but returned after a fruitless day's toil, impressed with the belief that the inhabitants were desirous to conceal them. The commander resolved to undertake the search in person ; but he proved not more fortunate than his colleague ; and, as a last resort, he determined to detain the chiefs son, daughter, and son-in-law, till the deserters were delivered up. Oreo, deeply alarmed for the safety of his family, lost no tima in making every exertion for the recovery of the runa- gates ; while the common people bewailed the captivity of such eminent personages with long and loud excla- mations of sorrow. Not trusting for their release to the stipulated condition, or too impatient to await its fulfil- ment, they formed a conspiracy to secure the person of Cook and that of his second in command. The former had been accustomed to bathe every evening, often alone, and always without arms; but, after confining Native plots, the chiefs family, he deemed such exposure imprudent ; and, at the same time, cautioned his officers '^'^'^inst going far from the ships. Oreo betrayed his knowledge of the design by repeatedly asking him, if he would not go to the bathing-place. Being thus disappointed, it was determined to seize on Messrs Clerke and Gore, * FJlis, Polynesian Researches, vol. iL p. 364 372. i-iiijj.— <;.-,.--i' ..J" ■■.ii.::.^.,rf ^^> <9"^P" PWV cook's thibd voyage. 369 *. who had landed ; and accordingly, a party of the natives chap. xr. armed with clubs advanced against them, while eome — canoes were preparing to intercept their retreat to the Recovery of ship. A few shots, though they fortunately wounded thedeaertera no one, dispersed these assailants ; and the next night, the deserters having been recovered, the prisoners were set at liberty. On the seventh December, the voyagers quitted Barter at Ulietea and steered for Bolabola, in order to purchase ^J*^*^ an anchor which had been lost by Bougainville at Otaheite, and brought hither by the natives as a present to the warlike Opoony. Cook's wish to possess it arose, ^ not from his being in want of such an implement, but from the necessity of having iron tools to trade with, i and from his original stock being exhausted. He lost no time, therefore, in offering for it a night-gown, a shirt, some gauze handkerchiefs, a looking-glass, some beads, with other toys, and six axes. At the sight of these last articles there was a general shout, and the chief refused to accept the commodities till the English were put in possession of the anchor. It was found to be so greatly mutilated, that Opoony probably considered it quite inadequate to the value of the goods proposed in exchange ; but our navigator, gratified by the fair conduct of the chief, took it, and sent in return all the articles originally intended. The Bolabola men were Estimation of esteemed invincible by their neighbours, and had ex- ^^^'*'^^ tended the fame, if not the terror of their arms, as far as to Otaheite. The present of the anchor was a proof of the awe in which they were held ; nor was this the only gift which they had acquired, for a ram, left by the Spaniards, had been transported hither from the same island. The captain, on being informed of this fact, put a ewe on shore, in hopes of producing a breed of sheep. At Ulietea he left pigs and goats, and from the numerous presents which he had dispensed, he was of opinion, that in a few years this archipelago would be stocked with all the valuable domestic animals of £urope. '* When once this comes to pass,'' he remarks, .*^- 370 COOK*S TUIBD VOYAGE. CHAP. XL Hopes of a bitHBdot' domestie aniioalai Departure on » northward course. Tanal Island dlscoTci-ed " no part of the world will equal these islands in variety and ahundance of refreshments for navigators. Indeed, even in their present state, I know no place that excels them. After repeated trials in the course of several voyages, we find, when they are not disturbed by intes- tine broils, but live in amity with one another, which has been the case for some years past, that their produc- tions are in the greatest plenty ; and particularly the most valuable of all the articles, their hogs." * On the eighth of December, he took his departure from Bolabola, and made sail to the northward. Seven- teen months had elapsed since he left England, yet he was aware, " that with regard to the principal object of his instructions, the voyage was at this time only b&> ginning." He had now reached the limits of his former navigation, and entered upon a region rarely traversed, and never thoroughly explored. In the night between the 22d and 23d, he crossed the equator in longitude 203° 15' E. ; and, soon after daybreak on the 24th, saw a low island, of a very barren appearance, on which he bestowed the title of Christmas. It was uninhabited, was about fifteen or twenty leagues in circumference, and of semicircular form. No fresh water could be found on it, and only a few low trees ; but it abounded with turtle, of which about 300 were caight, "of the green kind, and perhaps as good as any in the world." The voyagers weighed anchor on the 2d January 1778, and resumed their course towards the north, favoured by serene skies and gentle breezes. On reaching the latitude of 10° 30' N., various birds and turtles were seen every day, and regarded as indications of the vicinity of land. None, however, was discovered till the morning of the 18th, when an island appeared bear- ing north-east by east; soon after, another was seen bearing north ; and, on the 19th, a third, in a west- north-west direction. Doubts were entertained whether the second, which lay most convenient for approach, had n) jSieJ »•-**,) .*• Un * Voyage to tl)e Pacific, toL iL p. 134, — 7T : K'..Twa-.**-**»< '■%i# COOK'8 THIRD VOYAGE. any inhabitants till ar.^ ' ^'^ of their idMd w«, .«e^"'7L^^- ™«''™e 'hoy we« of . b«>^'^r'> "« At<«i or Tauai ; *verritywa.ol«rv«WefaXrZ';"'^ ' **»"*™''le were notveqrdiftrentXm 2.0^*5":^ "-"^rf which ■ «««terM„berhadthSh2 ^v^^J^^^ The Hack, but dved of a 1>^^ i ' '""'' *« natnnUlv Pemitted it i Sow «nS^ta"lSr:'" *»'* ' "S ""3^" "ore it tied in i bunch on ^h. ^*' '""" ' ""J « few "«»'» genenU they had d?!*!""" "^ «'• head, fo "■owed pnnctnr^ on thTJ^h^.? ™" •*■*<» .• «ome »d the piece, of cloth wLbwh" """ *« 8~m j stained of T«riou,hne^ orce^;**" """' """W wore . kind of mast; made?/^^ ™* **"'<"" thoy P^rt-titlon for the ey4 S.dnl ? 1!^ «"»"'> ""t « »wne„ ,e«iily f/^^j ^"'^ «»« Potatoe,, which the ^ ' them. Seve«,I viliag^^^t^ ^'"'«7«* '"« o""'""! to the inhabitants were pereciv^dlh " """"''y ! ">« fof the purpose of vieS the i^"^'?? to the shore -ght standing oiT ZZ I^^ "'""='• !»»«<' the weremovingtowardstlieSd ive^%r"""* ■" ^h^y «»d jome of the natives Zdth!^"''"PP'««hed, oti.- .LT« •«?-. » th'^iter r i" I-l- ™ «« ".vigator witn";^'tch S'^-f'^oy^^had^^mW. «<'<«e» disDl«v-«i rrtT '"''h "stonishment « ♦!,.>.„ ""'P'ofUie M'sges displayed Th!S ""tonishment as these ?5r'°* to.anotheriJ^^iJ^^y^^-^deredf^^oneoyS"""" -- eveiy thing they camr^^^ t/r ^S ^^ S72 COOK^g THIRD TOTAOE. CHAP. XI. rrUfiYi. a;. duidrf '\o ')ri; •rlT .sn!;«. Man of Sandwich Island* in a Masa Ideas ofiroa their looks and actions proved them to be totally un- used to European visiters, and ignorant of all their commodities, — iron alone excepted ; and of this it was evident that they had merely heard, or obtained a small ' quantity at a distant period. When asked what it was, they replied, " We do not know ; we only understand it as toe or hamaite," — the former signifying a liatchet, and the latter, probably referring to some native instru- ment, in the construction of which iron might be ad- : vantf^j^eously substituted for stone or bone. When Indifference beads were shown to them, they inquired *' Whether for YHtiOa. they should eat them V* When their use was explained, they were given back as of no value, and a looking-glass " was regarded with equal indifference. Plates of earthen- ware and china-cups were so new to their eyes, that they asked if they were made of wood, wtj •;:'.";; r ri^Of-^^hdt cook's third toyaob. 373 About three o'clock, the vessels succeeded in anchor- cuap. xi. , ing, and Cook rowed to the land with three armed boats ReoepUoi oo and a party of marines. ''The rery infttant," he say8»>iMi«> '* I leaped on shore, the collected body of the natives all fell flat upon their faces, and remained in that very humble posture till by expressive signs I prevailed upon them to rise. They then brought a great many small pigs, which they presented to me, with plantain-trees, praMQt& using much the same ceremonies that ve had seen .,^^^, r practised on such occasior«8 at the Society and other jivfiuAw j islands; and a long prayer being spoken by a single person, in which others of the assembly sometimes joined. I exprened my acceptance of their proffered friendship, by gVing them in return such presents as I had brought with me from the ship for that purpose.*'* The same deferential obeisance was afterwards paid to i>eferenttai him during an excursion which he made through the^° ^ country ; and he believed it to be the mode in which the natives manifested respect to their own chiefs. The people assisted his men in rolling casks to and from the watering-place, readily performed whatever was required of them, and merited the commendations of their visiters by fair dealing ; there having been no attempt to cheat or to steal after the first interview. f On the morning of the 23d, a breeze sprung up atJjJJ^JJJjJj north-east, when, to avoid being driven on shore, it be- on Onee- came necessary to stand out to procure sea-room ; and ^^^' the adverse winds and currents having drifted the vessels £u"from the harbour, after several unsuccessful attempts to regain it, they anchored off the neighbouring island of Oneeheow or Ni-Hau. Here the captain deposited some goats, pigs of the English breed, and various useful seeds, which he had intended for Atooi. The provisions ^ , . obtained at these islands were reckoned sufficient for nearly four weeks' consumption ; and, having thus re* cruited his stores, on the 2d of February he made sail with a gentle breeze to the northward. " Of what * Voyage to the Pacific, vol. ii. p. 108. liji vtwjj' ,^^- f IBI LW I tmmm 874 COblR's THIRD VOtAOB.' f>lRCOTery of Ktiw Albioa CHAP. Xt number," he says, ** this newly-discovered archipelago rhe &nd- consists, must be left for future investigation." Besides wf'.h isianda those visited, three others were seen, Woahoo or Oahu, Oreehoua, Tahoora orTaura. This group, lying between the latitudes of 21° 30" and 22° 16' N., and 190° 20' and 201° 30^ east longitude, received, in honour of the first lord of the Admiralty, the name of Tbb SAm>wtoH '^1 >;'»««' Islands. On the 7th, the wind, having veered to south-east, enabled the voyagers to steer north-east and east till the 12th, when another change induced them to stand to the northward. About a fortnight after, when proceeding more towards the east, they met with rockweed or sea- loek, and now and then a piece of wood floated past. During the whole of this course, scarcely a bird or living creature was Seen ; but, on the 6th of March, two large fowls settled near the ships. The next day, two s^als and several whales were observed ; and the dawn of the 7th revealed the anxiously-expected coast of New Albion, in latitude 44° 83' N., longitude 235° 20' £. It was iiichly Wooded, of moderate height, and diversified with hills and valleys. To its northern extremity Cook gave the nantie of Cape Foulweather, from the gales which he experienced in its vicinity, and which obliged him to tack off and on several days. At length, after various liazards, a large opening was observed on the 29th, in latitude 49° 15' N., longitude 233° 20" E., and from its promising appearance received the title of Hope Bay. Into this inlet he sailed four miles, when the night closing in, he came to anchor in deep water, within a hawser^s length of the shore. It was certain that the country was inhabited ; a village was observed on the western side of the sound ; and three canoes shaped like Norway yawls came ofi; When they drew near, a native rose and made a long oration, apparently inviting the strangers to land, and at the same time he continued strewing feathers to- wards them, while some of his companions scattered handfuls of red powder. The speaker, who was dressed . W-Kl. ArP^flrnnee oftnhabit- cook's TUIBO VOYAQK. 37& elago 3ahii, bween )° 20' of the DWICH f» r'-'i ih-c«i*t, till the i to the ceeding or eea- ed past* ar living wro large wo s^als vn of the ff Albion, It was fied with Jook gave les which [ed him to >r various 29th, in from its lope Bay. Ithe night within a CHAP. XL Man or Nuotka Sound. in the skin of an animal, held in each hand a kind cf Native rattle ; and when he sat down, another began to declaim v«««:i>«>k in his turn, in a language wholly unintelligible to their visiters. They then quietly conversed among them>- selves, betraying neither distrust nor surprise ; some of them occasionally stood u md made harangues; and one sang a very pleasant air, with a softness quite un- expected. The next day, the vessels were removed to a safer Friendly anchorage, amid a great concourse of the inhabitants. Their disposition was quiet and friendly, and they will- ingly supplied the voyagers with such provisions as they possessed, though their refusal to accept any thing but metal in excliange gave rise to some perplexity. They preferred brass to iron ; and we are told that, to gratify their demands, ** whole suits of clothes were stripped of every button, bureaux of their furniture, imd copper-kettles tin-canisters, candlesticks, and the 2 A ..a diapottUion. 376 C00K*8 THIRD VOYAOB. OlIAP. XI. NstlTMOf Nootka Soands Woman of Nootka Sou&dU • J' nj like, all went to wreck." The name of the sound was Nootka ; and the natives are described as being under the common size, with full round visages and small black eyes. In many individuals the ears were per- forated in two or three places, for the purpose of sus^ pending bits of bone, quills fixed on a thong of leather^ shells, bunches of woollen tassels, or pieces of thin copper. Ornaments of iron, brass, or copper, shaped like a horse's shoe, were frequently introduced into the eeptum of the nose, from which they dangled over the upper lip. The sexes so nearly resembled each other in dress and stature, that it was difficult to distinguish them ; the females, it is said, " possess no natural deli- cacies sufficient to render their persons agreeable."* * Voyase to the Pacific, vol. ii. p. 303. The reader will find ome detaus of Cook's proceedings on the American shores in tlie -f s COOK*8 THIRD VOYAGE. 377 sound was (ing under and small were per- )Se of 8U8- )f leather, IB of thin ;r, shaped d into the d over the h other in Istinguish lural deli- eeable/'* ier will find thores in tiie Nearly a month was passed in uninterrupted friendship ckap. xr. among these savages ; and when the ships weighed Friemiiy anchor, they followed the strangers to the mouth of the P*rt*n* sound, importuning them to repeat their visit, and pro* mising an ample supply of skins. The voyagers reached the open sea on the 26th of storm at uik April ; but scarcely had they cleared the land, when a storm coming on, accompanied with Ruch darkness that they could not see beyond the ship's length, they were obliged to stand out from the shore with all the sail which the vessels could carry. They did not regain the coast till the Ist of May, in the parallel of 66° 20^ ; on the 4th they saw Mount St Elias, in latitude 58° 52', and nine days after came to anchor in an inlet two degrees towards the noiih, on which they bestowed the name of Prince Williem's Sound. The natives were Pr'n^a , strong chested, with thick stout necks, and heads dispro- sotmo."* portionately large ; their hair was black and straight ; and their beards, which were generally thin, were in many altogether wanting. ** A mark," says Admiral Burney, ** which distinguished these people from every other known, was their under lips being perforated or slit through in a Ime parallel to the mouth, and about three quarters of an inch lower, through which they wore pieces of carved bone ; and sometimes, which had a hideous effect, they would remove the bone-omftraent,S'"sn''»^ and thrust as much as they could of their tongue deformitj. through the opening." * This incision, indeed, was not universally adopted, and the sailor who first noticed it, called out that the man had two mouths. The ears, however, were generally pierced, and bunches of beads suspended from them ; while the nose was ornamented by thrusting through the septum a quill of three or four inches in length. They wore high truncated caps of straw or wood, like those observed at Nootka. The Edinbni^li Cabinet Library, No. IX., Progress of Discovery on ihe more Northern Coasts of America, p. IU4-110. • Bumev'g Chronological History of North- Eastern Voyages of Discovery (London, 1819), p. 222. 378 cook's third voyage. Fomalo ornamcuta Cook's ItlTcr. ut Alaska CHAP. XI. females allovred their hair to grow long, and the majority tied a small lock of it on the crown. In some the lower lip was bored in several places, to admit the introduc- tion of strings of shells or beads of such length as oc- casionally to hang below the point of the chin. The comn^ander sailed hence on the 20th, and pur- sued his course along the coast, which now trended to the southward. On the 23d, he reached an opening to the north, into which he steered the ships, in the expec- tation of finding the desired termination of the Ameri- can continent. It was, however, soon discovered to be only an inlet or an arm of the sea leading to the mouths of two rapid streams : no name was bestowed on it at the time, but the Earl of Sandwich afterwards directed that it shouid be called Cook's River. Eleven days were spent in its examination, and the vessels did not clear its entrance before the 6th of June. They now sailed south-westward along the great promontory of Promnntor/ Alaska, passing several islands in their course, till the 19th, when some natives came off and delivered a wooden box, containing a note written in Russian characters. Unfortunately these were unintelligible to the voyagers, but they deciphered the dates 1776 and 1778 ; and the captain was of opinion that it was a paper left by Russian traders to be delivered to any of th^ir countrymen who should next visit these regions. On the 26th, the vessels reached a large island, which was found to be one of the Aleoutian or Fox Archipelago, called Nowan Al- sacha or Oonalaska ; and two days after they came to an anchor in the small bay of Samgonoodha, on its south- eastern shore. On the 2d of July, they again made sail, and doub- ling Cape Oonamak, coi;«ited the northern side of the peninsula till they arrived at a large bay, which re- ceived the name of Bristol, while its northern point was called Cape Newenham. On the 3d of August, they had attained the latitude of 62° 34' N., and on that day died Mr Anderson, the surgeon of the Resolution. - The reader of this journal," says Cook, " will have observed Cape Ooitatnrk. cook's third voyage. 379 CHAP. XL Man of Prince WilUam't Sound; - how useful an assistant I had found him in the course Death of Mr. of the voyage ; and had it pleased God to have spared ■^°'*®™*°- his life, the public, I make no doubt, might have re- ceived from him such communications on the natural history of the several peaces we visited, as would have abundantly shown that he was not unworth}'' of this commendation. Soon after he had breathed his last, land was seen to the westward ; it was supposed to be an island ; and lo perpetuate the memory of the de- ceased, for whom I had a very great regard, I named it AndencVa Anderson's Island." * ^^^ • Voyage to the Pacific, vol. ii. pp. 439, 440. Burney's Chron. Hist of North-East. Voyages of Discovery, p. 232-234. From the circumstance tliat Anderson's Island has not been seen by subseqaent visiters, there might have been some grounds for questioning Cook's accuracy i but Beechey has informed us, that he ** discovered a note by Captain Bli^rh, who was the master with Captain Cook, written in pencil on the margin of the Admiralty copy of Cook's Third Defective cliurta 380 cook's third voyage. CFTAP. XI. Woman of Prince William ■ Sound. The discjverers were now at the southern entrance of Behring*8 Strait, though, from the defective nature of the charts then in use, they were not aware of this important fact. On the 5th, they anchored near a small island ofip the continent, and Cook, after landing, gave it the name of Sledge, from having found one on the shore, though no inhabitants were seen.* Four Voyage, by which it is evident that the compilers of the chart have overlooked certain data collected off the eastern end of St Law- rence Island, on the return of the expedition from Norton Sound, and ';hat the land named Anderson's Island was the eastern end ot the island of St Lawrence. Had Cook's life been spared, he would no doubt have made the necessary correction in his chart." — Voyage to the Pacific, vol. ii. p. 293. * The native name has since been ascertained to be Ayak ; and Captain Beechey remarks the singular coincidence, that Uiis word« in the language of the Esquimaux, signifies a »ledg»» — Voya^ to U)t! Pacific, vol. I. p. 400. cook's third voyage. 381 days after, in the latitude of 66° 46' N., and longitude ciiAP. Xf. 168° IS' W., he reached a remarkable promontory, the — most westerly point of America yet known, to which he of w«ie& gave the title of Cape Prince of Wales. In the even- ing, the coast of Asia came in view, when he stood ■■■■■.'■■' across the strait, and having passed three islands,* an- chored on the following morning in a harbour of the Tschuktschi territories, where the natives, though much alarmed, received the voyagers with unexpected polite- ness, taking off their caps and making low bows. From this port, which he named the Bay of St Lawrence, ^^fg^ he stood over to the north-east to prosecute his ex- Luwrence. amiuation of the American consl^. On the i4th, he was . . in latitude 67° 46', near a cape which was named Point > Mulgrave, and three days after he encountered a field of ice, dense and impenetrable, extending from west by south to east by north, as far as the eye could wander. The foUoiving day, he reached the parallel of 70° 44' N., when his progress was arrested by the ice, which was ten or twelve feet in height, and com- pact as a wall. The remotest point in sight towards icy Capa the east, named, from the glaciers which surrounded it, Icy Cape, lay in latitude 70° 29^ N., and longitude 161® 42' W., and nearly half a century elapsed before the limits of European discovery were carried beyond this dreary headland.t * When in Behring^s Straits, in 1816, the Russian commander, Behrlnit'a Kotzebue, fancied that he saw four islands ; and as that which he Stnita. conceived himself to have discovered considerably exceeded the others in size, he was surprised "that neither Cook nor Gierke should have seen it, as both their courses led them close by it ; and," he adds, "it has occurred to me that it may have since risen from the sea." — Voyage of Discovery into the South Sea and fiehring's Straits, in the years 1815-1818 (London, 1821), vol. i. p. 198. But Captain Beechey subsequently found that Kotzebue*s supposed discovery has no existence, and that " the islands in the strait are onl^ three in number, and occupying nearly the same situations in which they were placed in the chart of Captain Cook." — Voyage to the PaciHc, vol. i. p 335-938, and pa 399, 400. •\' In 1826, the expedition of Beecney extended our knowledge of the American coast 126 miles norlh-east of Icy Cape, to a promon- tury named Point Barrow, in latitude 71° 23' 31" N., longitud* _ 382 COOK*S THIRD VOYAGE. Abandon- ment of northern exploratioa Natives of Oonalaska. CHAP. XL The season was now too far advanced to leave any hope that the great object of the voyage could be ac- complished before winter. Abandoning, therefore, all attempts to find a passage into the Atlantic, Cook turned his course to the southward, and, on the 2d September, passed the most eastern promontory of Asia, ascertain- ing the breadth of the strait, where narrowest, to be thirteen leagues. He coasted its western shores till he made the point called Tschukotzkoi Noss, when he again crossed to the American continent ; and having explored the large gulf named Norton Sound, anchored on the 8d of October in Samgonoodha Harbour, in the inland of Oonalaska.* The natives of this place were the most peaceable and inoffensive people he had met with. Their stature was rather low ; their necks short ; their faces swarthy and chubby, with black eyes and small beards. Their houses were large oblong pits in the ground, covered with a foof, which was thatched with grass and earth, so that, in external appearance, they resembled dunghills. Towards each end a square opening was left, one of which served as a window, while the other was used as a door, the ascent or de. scent being facilitated by a post with steps cut in it. ; ; A few days after their arrival, the captains were sur- prised by the present of a salmon-pie, baked in rye- flour, which, with a note in the Russian language, was delivered to them by two natives from a distant part of the island. John Ledyard, afterw&rds distinguished as a 'Graveller, then a corporal of marines, volunteered his s(irvices to proceed with the messengers, and discover Present of A mlmon-pie. 166' W. — Voyage to the Pacific, vol. i. p. 425. Pmeress of Dis- covery on the more Northern Coasts of America, p. 2o9« * "Here," says Burney, "closed our first season of northern discovery, — a season of unremitting activity. The ability and dili- gence exercised will best abpear by comparing the map of the world, as it stood previous to tiiis voyage, with the map of the world drawn immediately after ; and by keeping in mind, that the addi- tion of so large an extent of intricate coast, before unknown, was effected by the labour of a single expedition, in little more than haira-year."_Chron. Hist of North-East. Discov., p. 261 cook's third toy age. 385 by whom the friendly gift had I>3en sent. He returned chap. xi. after two days, along with three Russian traders, whose y,^^ visit was shortly followed by that of Mr Ismyloff, the Russian principal person in the island, Ivith whom, as far «is t™*^^"' signs and figures permitted, mutual cc/mmunication of geographical knowledge and kindly intercourse took place. To this hospitable and excellent individual. Cook intrusted a letter to the Admiralty, enclosing a chart of his discoveries, which was faithfully transmit- ted. On the 26th, our navigator set sail for the Sand- wich Islands, where he now proposed to pass the winter^ if he should find sufficient supplies of provisions. On the 26th of November, nearly in the latitude of Discovery of 20® 59' N., he discovered Mowee or Maui, one of the }JjJ«^ Sandwich group, lying farther west than those visited in his voyage towards the north. The country seemed ' well wooded and watered, and the inhabitants were evidently of the same nation with the tribes to leeward. On the evening of tlie 30th, another and a much lai^'jr island, Owhyhee or Hawaii, was discovered to windward ; and as he drew near its northern shores, the captain saw with surprise that the tops of the mountains were covered with snow to a considerable depth. Nearly seven weeks were passed in sailing round it in search of a harbour ; but at length a large bay named Kara- kaooa was observed on the western side, and he came to _ ^^ anchor on the morning of the I7th January 1779. ** I Bay, had nowhere," says he, " in the course of my voyages, Owhyhee. seen so numerous a body of people assembled at one place ;" the ships were covered with the natives ; vast multitudes came off in canoes ; many hundreds were swimming around ** like shoals of fish," and even the shores of the bay were thronged with spectators. One feeling of pleasure seemed to pervade this great crowd, and was expressed in shouts, in songs, and a variety of wild and extravagant motions. In gazing' on the lofty vessels of the English, the people of Owhyhee beheld the fulfilment of an ancient prophecy. At an early period of their history, when s^HP 386 cook's third voyage. I'rophecy fulfilled. ill Dhine hououiVi ! CHAP. XL the peace and plenty of the golden age prevailed amongf Native^ them, there lived, near Karakaooa, a^od named Rono, The beautiful goddess Opuna having proved unfaithful to his bed, he threw her from the summit of a precipice ; but soon becoming frantic with remorse, he roamed throughout the islands, boxing and wrestling with every one he could meet. Having deposited the mangled body of his consort in a moral, near the bay, he remained there for a long time in the deepest dejection and sorrow, and at length determined to quit the country where so many objects reminded him of his loss and of his crime. He accordingly set sail for a foreign land in a strangely shaped canoe, having promised that he would one day come back on a floating island, furnished with all that man could desire.* , . -.i" >f'ri>f>rt?J^ After his departure, he was worshipped as a god, and annual games were established in his honour. The fulfilment of his assurance to return was eagerly looked for ; and when the vessels under Cook arrived, it was believed that the prediction had come to pass ; the ships Native 8i)ng. * The American missionaries have preserved one of the songs in which this tradition is embodied, entitled, O RoNO Akua. 1 . Rono, Etooah [or Akua, that is, God] of Hawaii, in ancient times resided with his wife at Karakaooa. 2. The name of the goddess, his love, was Eaikiranee-Aree- Opnnii. They dwelt beneath the steep rock. 3. A man ascended to the summit, and, from the height, thus ad- dressed the spouse of Rono : — 4. ^ O Kaikiranee-Aree-Opuna, your lover salutes you. Keep this — remove ^hat : one will still remain." 6. Rono, overhearing this artful speech, killed his wife with a hasty stroke. a. Sorry for this rash deed, he carried to a morai the lifeless body of his wife, and made great wail over it. 7* He travelled through Hawaii in a state of phrensy, bozinjif ■ •« with every man he met. 8. The people, astouislied, said, " Is Rono entirely mad ?" Ho replied, ** I am frantic on her account, I am frantic with my great love." 9. Having instituted games to commemorate her death, he em- barked in a triangular boat [piama lau] and sailed to^. ^breign land. 10. Ere he departed he prophesied, <* I will return m after-times, on an island bearing cocoa-nut-trees, and swine, and dogs. ** — Voyage oi H. M. S. Bloncfeto the Sandwich Islands (London, 182H), p. m COOK S THIRD VOYAGE. 387 imong Rono, lithful uipice ; oamed I every dbody mained sorrow, here so \ crime, rangely me day all that ;od, and r. The f looked , it w«»9 Lhe ships e songs in A. in ancient nee-Aree- t, thus ad- Keep rife with a he lifeless ly, boxing lad?" Ho my great th, he em- reign land. ifter-times, ^ — Voyage (2B),p.2C». ves. were regarded as motus or islands, and their commander chap, xt^ was hailed as the long-absent Rono, who had at length supi^ re-appeared to restore the reign of content and happi- cimracter of ness.* It is to be regretted that this belief was not ^^°'*' known to the English ; and in perusing the following details of the divine honours and worship with which Cook was received, the reader must, in justice to our great countryman, bear in mind that he was ignorant of their true intent. Shortly after the Resolution was moored, two chiefs His worship brought on board a priest named Koah, who, approaching natim the captain with much veneration, threw over his shoulders a piece of red cloth, and having retired a few paces, made an offering of a small pig, while he pro- nounced a long oration. This ceremony performed, the holy sage sat down to table, eating freely of the viands before him ; and, in the evening, the commander, with Messrs King and Bayly, accompanied him on shore. On landing, they were met by four men, bearing wands tipped with dog*s hair, who advanced before them shouting a few words, among which Rono, or Orono, was very distinguishable. Of the immense crowd pre- viously collected the whole had now retired, except a few who lay prostrate on the ground beside the adjoining Moral village. Near the beach there stood a moral, consisting of a pile of stones, fourteen yards in height, twenty in breadth, and forty in length ; the summit of this erection was well paved, and surrounded by a wooden rail, on which were fixed several skulls. In the centre was an old wooden building ; at one side, five poles, more than twenty feet high, supported an irregular scaffold ; and on the other were two small houses, between which there was a covered communication. The voyagers were conducted to this spot by an easy ascent, and at the * Ellis* Polynesian Researches, vol. it. p. 134. Kotzebue'g Voyage round lhe World in 1823-1826, (London, 1830), vol. I p. 161-166, and p. 179-184. Voyage of the Blonde, p. 24 28. Frey- cinet, Voyage autour du Monde, tome ii. p. 596. «)', r 388 cook's third voyage. Ceremonial presents. CHAr. XI. entrance, where they saw two large idols with distorted Kativeidoia. features, they were met by Kaireekeea, a tall young man with a long beard, who presented Cook to the statues, and having chanted a hymn, in which Koah joined, led him to that part of the morai where the poles were erected. Under these stood twelve images ranged in a semicircle, and before the idol in the centre was a high table, containing a putrid hog, pieces of sugar-cane, cocoa-nuts, and other fruit. The priest, placing the captain under this stand, took down the carcass, and held it towards him ; then, addressing him in a long speech delivered with great fervour and rapidity, he dropped the animal, and led him to the scaffold, which both ascended, not without great hazard. At this time appeared in solemn procession ten men, who bore a live hog and a large piece of red cloth, and, advancing a few paces, prostrated themselves and delivered the latter to Kaireekeea. He earned it to Koah, who, having wrapped it round the Englishman, offered him the pig, which was brought with like ceremony. These two personages now began to chant, sometimes together, and sometimes alternately, while the navigator remained on the scaffold, swathed in red. When the song was over, the priest threw^ down the hog, and having descended Proceedings with Gook, led him before the images, each of which he addressed, seemingly in a sneering tone, snapping his fingers as he passed, till, coming in front of that in the centre, supposed to be of higher estimation than the others, he threw himself prostrate and kissed it. The commander was desired to do the same, and, we are told, " suffered himself to be directed by Koah through- out the whole of this ceremony." The party was next conducted to another division of the morai, sunk about three feet below the level of the area, where Cook was seated between two idols, the sacred functionary sup- porting one of his arms, and Captain King the other. When in this position a second procession drew near, bearing a baked pig, with bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, the first of which Kaireekeea presented to him, and betore the i(lol& COUK*S THIRD VOYAGE. 3»9 again began to chant ; while his companions made Ciur. xr. regular responses, in which they frequently used the rrepimit^oni word Orono. On the conclusion of this ritual, which ^'^ *> <^eiwu occupied the fourth pai-t of an hour, the natives, sitting down in front of the strangers, began to cut up the hog, peel the vegetables, and prepare ava, by the same pro- cess as that practised in Tonga and elsewhere. Part of a cocoa-nut was taken by Kaireekeva, and having been . ,, i chewed by him and wrapped in cloth, was rubbed on the navigator's face, head, hands, arms, and shoulders. Then the ava was handed round ; after which the priest and another chief began to feed their visiters by putting pieces of the ilesh into their mouths. '* I had no great Unpalatable objection," says Captain King, " to being fed by Pareea, ''*'*"^ who was very cleanly in his person ; but Captain Cook, who was served by Koah, recollecting the putrid hog, could not swallow a morsel ; and his reluctance, as may be supposed, was not diminished, when the old man, according to his own mode of civility, had chewed it for him." * This was the last part of the ceremony, and the English, after distributing iron and other articles, quitted the moral, and were conducted to the boats by men bearing wands as before, — the people again retiring, and the few who remained falling down before them as they walked along the beach. Several days passed without any event of interest : ©^""'wy the observatory was erected, supplies of provisions were procured, and the necessary repairs executed on the ships. Whenever the commander landed, a sacred henJd marched before him, proclaiming the approach of Orono, and desmng the people to prostrate themselves. Offerings were made to him ; and, in a temple called Harre-no-OronOf he was subjected to a repetition of the various rites with which he was woi-shipptd on his first landing. The priests daily supplied both the ships and the party which was stationed on shore with hogs and vegetables beyond what was really needed, and not only '! ,.f •ii-! Si t'fl^ * Vuyage to the Pacific, vol. iii. p. Q. 360 cook's third voyaqb. CHAP. XL Liberal mipply Oi pro- fbloni. TabOA Reception of Cook by the king. without an expectation of ratum, but in a manner which betokened the discharge of a religious duty. When asked at whose instance these presents were made, the answer was, at that of Kaoo, their chief, and grandfather to Kaireekeea. This dignitary was then absent, attend- ing on Tcrreeoboo, the sovereign of Owhyhee and its dependencies. On the morning of the 24th, the navigators found that the whole bay had been tahooedy which had the effect of cutting off all communication between them and the natives. This ceremony was occasioned by the arrival of the king, who privately inspected the ships, preparatory to a public visit on the 26th, which was at- tended with great state. In one canoe was the monarch with his chieirs, dressed in red feather cloaks and helmets, and armed with daggers and long spears ; a second was filled with hogs and vegetables, and a third was occupied by Kaoo, his priests, and their idols, — gigantic images made of wicker-work and covered with small feathers of various hues. The canoes having paddled round the ships amid the solemn chanting of the priesthood, made toward the shore, whither Cook soon followed. When he came into the royal presence, the king rose up, and gracefully threw his own mantle over the captain's shoulders, put a feathered helmet on his head, and a curious fan into his hand ; and lastly, spread five or six cloaks, all of great beauty and value, at his feet. The attendants then brought four large hogs, with sugar- canes and other vegetables ; and this part of the pageant closed with an exchange of names, the strongest pledge of friendship. Shortly after appeared a sacerdotal pro- cession, and a lengthened train of men bearing hogs and fruits, led by Kaoo, who, having wrapped some red cloth round the person of the commander, gave him a small pig, and took his seat next the king. Kaireekeea and his followers then began chanting, while all the other grandees joined in the responses. When these formalities were over, the commander invited the monarch and several nobles on board his vessel, where they were re- 0OOK*S THIRD VOYAOR. 391 and oeiTed with every mark of respect. Kaoo and some old chiefs still remained on shore ; while throughout the whole bay not a canoe was to be seen, and the people either kept within their dwellings or lay prostrate on the ground, — the taboo still continuing in full force. The submissive demeanour of the natives had removed every apprehension of danger, and the officers freely mingled with them on all occasions. Wherever they went, refreshments, games, and recreations, were pre- sented, and even the boys and girls formed themselves into groups, and endeavoured to please their visiters by exhibiting their skill in dancing. The sole interruption to this amicable intercourse arose from the thieving disposition of the islanders, which sometimes compelled the English to have recourse to acts of severity. ' Towards the end of January, the sovereign and his chiefs began to manifest an impatience for the departure of their guests. They imagined, it seems, that the strangers had come from a country where food was scarce, and that their principal object was to obtain a supply of provisions. — " Indeed," says Captain King, ** the meagre appearance of some of our crew, the hearty appetites with which we sat down to their fresh provisions, and our great anxiety to purchase and carry off as much as we were able, led them, naturally enough, to such a conclusion. To these may be added a circum- stance which puzzled them exceedingly, our having no women with us ; together with our quiet conduct and unwarlike appearance. It was ridiculous enough to see them stroking the sides, and patting the bellies of the sailors (who were certainly much improved in the sleek- ness of their looks duiing our short stay in the island), and telling them, pai-tly by signs and partly by words, that it was time for them to go ; but if they would come again the next bread-fruit season, they should be better able to supply their wants." * The navigators had now been sixteen days in the bay ; and, considering the CHAP. XI. Entertain* ment nf Kaireekeea by Cook. Free hifor- course wttli the natlveik SymptoiTW of laipatienc& LiKlicrous signs. ■ -oi i 'C * Voj'age to the Pacific, vol. iii. p. 2^ >f 3i>2 cook's third voyage. CHAP. XI. rreparotlont for • purtlniC Valiuible donations. Deparfnro from Kam- kaooa Bay great consumption of hogs and vegetables, the desire expressed for their absence can excite little surprise ; but, so far was the monarch from entertaining any hostile feeling towards them, when he made inquiry as to the day of sailing, that it is manifest he was actuated only by a wish to prepare suitable gifts for the occasion. He was told that the voyagers would leave the island in two days, and a proclamation was immediately made throughout the villages, commanding the inhabitants to bring hogs and vegetables to be offered to Orono on his departure. At the time fixed, Terreeoboo invited the two commanders to visit him ; and, on arriving at his residence, they saw tlie ground covered with parcels of cloth, a vast quantity of red and yellow feathers, and a great number of hatchets and other instruments of iron, procured in barter wiih the ships ; while at a little distance they observed a large herd of hogs, with an immense quantity of vegetables of every kind. The king, having set apart about a third of the iron-ware, feathers, and a few pieces of cloth, ordered the remainder of the robes, with all the hogs and vegetables, to be presented to the English, who were astonished at the value and magnitude of the donation, " which far ex- ceeded every thing of the kind they had seen, either at the Friendly or Society Islands." Captain King was among the last to quit the island, and the natives crowded round him, lamenting his approaching departure. They urged him to remain among them, and even made offers of the most flattering kind ; and when he informed them thai Captain Cook, whose son they supposed him to be, would not quit the bay without him, Terreeoboo and Iv.oo waited on the commander, and requested that his colleague might be left behind. Unwilling to give a direct refusal, he parted from them with a promise, that he would revisit the island the succeeding year, and en- deavour to gratify their wishes. 7. . :.. He sailed from Karakaooa Bay on the 4th of Feb- ruary, with the intention of completing his survey of the archi(»elago. On tlie 8th, he was still in sight'of C00K*8 THIRD TOTAOE. 893 Owhyhee, Tvhen it was perceived that the foremast of the onxp. XL Resolution had given way during a gale which spTang,j^;^jj^ up at midnight. Before this injury could be repaired, tlMB«y. it was necessary to take out the mast, — an operation which could only be performed in ck>me secure anchor- age ; and no other harbour having been discovered, it was determined to return to that which had been so ' ^tely quitted ; and on the 11th, the vessels came to moorings nearly in the same place as before. That, and part of the following day, were employed in sending workmen and materials on shore, together with the as- tronomical apparatus, under guard of a corporal and six marines ; and the friendly priests tabooed the posi- tion against annoyance from the inhabitants. The voyagers were struck with the altered appear- Chsng«d ance of the bay, which was now silent and deserted, JfJJJJ'Bliy? '. except by one or two canoes. Some individuals, indeed, came off with provisions, but they were few in number, and the vast multitude which had been assembled on t/he former visit seemed to have dispersed on the depar« ture of the ships. ■'* -y"" ^ On the evening of the 13th, sisveral chiefs interfer-warltlce de- ed to prevent the natives from assisting the sailors in rooubU-ationit rolling the water-casks ; and shortly afterwards, the islanders armed themselves with stones, and became Insolent and tumultuous. Alarmed by these indications. Captain King went to the spot ; and on his remonstrat- ing with the leaders, they dispersed the mob, and allowed the casks to be filled in quietness. He then went to meet Cook, who was rowing towards the land in the pinnace, and having communicated to him what had just passed, was directed, in the event of any attack on the part of the people, to fire on them with ball. In a short time after, they were alarmed by a continued dis- charge of muskets from the Discovery, against a canoe which was seen paddling hastily towards the shore, pursued by a small boat. The commander, concluding that a theft had been committed, ordered King to follow him with an armed marine, in order to seize the delin- 2b CHAP. XL AfTray with the naUveSi *'ii n if!; Apprehen- sions of tlie chiel i Jiegxets of CuOJL 394 cook's third voyagr. qucnts as they landed. These, however, escaped into the country, and Cook, having pursued them about three miles without success, returned to the beach, ignorant that the stolen articles had been recovered. Meanwhile, the officer in the small boat, not content with this success, seized the canoe of the offender, when Pareea, one of the principal nobles, claimed the skiff as his property. A violent affray ensued, in which the chief was knocked down by a blow from an oar. This was no sooner r!>servcd by his followers than they at- tacked the English with a shower of stones, and forcing them to retreat, began to ransack a pinnace belonging to the Resolution, which would have been forthwith demolished, had not Pareea driven away the crowd. He made signs to the voyagers to return and take pos- session of their boat, which they did, while he promised to use his endeavours to get bock the rest of their pro- perty. As they were proceeding to the ships, he fol. lowed them, and restored the cap of Mr Vancouver, one of the midshipmen, and some other trifling articles. He appeared much concerned at what had happened, and inquired ** if Orono woul*^ kill him, and whether he would permit him to come on board the next day !** Being assured that he should suffer no harm, he joined noses with the officers, the usual token of friendship, and paddled off towards the village of Kowrowa. On learning these events, which had occurred during his pursuit of the fugitives, Cook appeared deeply mor- tified at their unfortunate result, and said ,;o Captain King, *'^ I am afraid that these people will oblige me to use bome violent measures ; for they must not be left to imagine that they have gained an advantage over us." It was too late to take any steps that evening ; and this officer, having executed the orders he received to re- move all the natives from the vessels, returned to the shore. Feeling less confidence in the barbarians, he also posted a double guard on the moral where his ^'arty was lodged. About eleven o'clock, five men were observed creeping round the building, who, on finding them- cook's third voyage. 395 selves discovered, retired out of sight ; and, aboul; an hour afterwards, one of them, having ventured up close to the observatory, a musket was fired over him by the sentinel, which put the whole to flight. No other interruption was offered, but " those who were on duty," '3ays Mr Samwell, " were disturbed during the night with shrill and melancholy sounds, issuing from the adjacent villages, which they took to be the lamenta- tions of the women. Perhaps the quarrel between us might have filled their minds with apprehensions for the safety of their husbands ; but, be that as it may, their mournful cries struck the sentinels with unusual awe." * With daylight of the next morning, Sunday the 14th, it was discovered that the six-oared cutter of the Dis- covery had been stolen. It was moored to a buoy close by the ship, in such a manner that its gunwale was level with the surface of the sea, and though under the eye of the watch, it had been cut from its fastenings and carried off without observation. On being informed of this theft. Cook desired his colleague to go on shore and endeavour to persuade the kmg, Terreeoboo, to exert his authority for the recovery of the boat. Unfortunately, Captain Gierke was so * Narrative of tlie Death of CaptFiiii James Cook, &c., by David Samwell, Surgeon of the Discovery (Lond. 17BC), p. 8. It may be pmper here to indicate the sources from which the account given in the present work of the unfortunate transactions which took place during this and the following day has been drawn. They are, ]«/, The relation of Captain King in the Voyage to the Pacific ' 3I. iii. p. 35-52. Si, The narrative of Mr Sainweil, quoted auove. 'ddy That of the late Admiral Burney, in his Chron. Hist, of North< East Voy. of Discov., p. 255-266. [These writers wei-e eyewitnesses of the whole or part ot the events which they describe-.] 4thy The anecdotes collected from a resident in and natives of tl.e Sandwich Islands, by Mr Mariner, in his Account of the Tonga Archipelago, vol. i. 1). 72-74. 5lh, The account gatliered from the natives uy Mr Ellis, Polynesian Researches, vi>l. iv. p. I'M KH8. Gthy The narrative of Kotzebue, Nevr Voyage round the World, vol. i. p. 179-186. As might be expected, these authorities exhibit various discrepancies, which it has been our endeavour to reconcile as far as possible. The account given by Kotzebue has been U8e■> t. »ints of the bay, with directions to give no molestfc.ao:> to the small skiffs, but to prevent the departure of any large canoe. A little before eight o'clock, Cook left the Resolution ▼isitthe.kinp. and rowed towards the village of Kowrowa, where the king resided. He landed along with Lieutenant Philips, a sergeant, two corporals, and six private marines, and as he proceeded towards the hamlet, he was received with all accustomed "respect, the people prostrating themselves at his approach, fcnd presenting him with small hogs. On inquiring for Terreeoboo and his sons, the latter, two yciths who had been his consign! guests on board ship, came to him in a short time, a^; :. iii^tantly conducted him towards the house wher'^ ibei' father Offers of pro- was. On his way, he was joined by jv »'y^ chiefs, some of whom more than once asked if he *. ..ed any hogs or other provisions; to which he replied, t it; he did not, and that his business was to see the king. On reaching the royal residence, he ordered some of the natives to inform the monarch of his desire to speak with him ; but these, returning without an answer, only presented pieces of red cloth ; when he, suspecting from this circumstance that his majesty vaa not there, Vi*iun& ♦ See above, pp. 271, 356, 368. I IP COOK S THIRD VOYAGE. 397 directed Lieutenant Philips to enter. This gentleman chap, xl found the prince newly wakened from sleep, who, confidence of though apparently alarmed at the message, at once came Terreeoboo. out. The captain took him by the hand, and invited him to spend the day on board the Resolution, to which he at once consented, and the party proceeded towards the boats, — Terreeoboo leaning on the shoulder of the lieutenant, while his youngest son, Kaoowa, had reached the shore and taken his seat in the pinnace. Cook was perfectly satis.ied from what he had learned that the cutter had beon stolen without the knowledge of the king. It was while these things were passing, that the boats Unfortunnte placed near the south point of the harbour, observing a "ith'tiie'*^'^ large canoe endeavouring to leave the bay, fired several natives, muskets over the heads of her crew, with the view of preventing their escape. One of the balls unfortunately killed a chief who happened to be on the shore ; and two islanders immediately proceeded to the ships to complain to the commander, and finding that he was at Kowrowa, followed him thither. Terreeoboo, accompanied by his English friend, had Warlike pr*- already advanced almost to the water's edge, when his p*'**'°"'*' people, conscious of transgression, began to put on their war-mats, and to equip themselves with spears, clubs, and daggers. One of his favourite wives came after him, and throwing her arms about his neck, with many tears and entreaties besought him to go no farther ; and with the help of two chiefs, she even forced him to sit down by the side of a canoe, telling him he would be put to death if he M^ent into the ship. No ardour of expostulations could v'^vercome their fears; and the natives, in the mean wlule, collecting in great force along the shore, began to throng around their sovereign. While they did so, an old priest advanced towards the captain holding out a cocoa-nut as a present, and, in spite of all entreaty or remonstrance, singing aloud, with the purpose, it was thought, of diverting attention from his countrymen, who were every moment growing BHB !■■ 398 cook's third votagb. Daii(irnrou3 |iositlon of the party. Moderation of Cook. CHAP. XI. more tumultuous. Perceiving the dangerous position in which the voyagers were now placed, and that hia men were too much crowded together to use their arms with effect, the marine officer proposed to withdraw his party to some rocks close to the water-side, at the dis- tance of about thirty yards, — a measure which was promptly adopted, the crowd making way without re- luctance. Previously to this, it is related by Mr Samwell that Koah was observed lurking near with an iron dagger partly concealed under his cloak, with the intention apparently of stabbing Captain Cook or Lieu- tenant Philips. The Litter proposed to fire at him, but was forbidden by his commander ; the savage, however, still pressing nearer, the officer struck him with his piece, on which he retired ; another islander seized on the musket of the sergeant, and attempted to wrench it from his grasp, but a blow fiom the lieutenant forced him to abandon his hold. Terreeoboo remained seated, Aiarai of the in a state of alarm and dejection, while our navigator urged him in the most pressing manner to proceed, and such was the irresolution of the monarch, that his per- suasions might have prevailed, if the chiefs had net interposed, first with earnest entreaties, afterwards with threats of violence. The captain held the timid prince by the hand ; but seeing the general alarm of the natives, he let go his grasp, observing to Lieutenant Philips, that it would be impossible to force him on board without much bloodshed, and that other means must be employed to recover the boat. The perplexed ruler was immediately taken away, and was no more seen ; while Cook, in company with the lieutenant, slowly turned his steps towards the beach. At this moment, a native from the opposite shore of the bay rushed into the crowd, almost breathless, ex- claiming, " It is war I The foreigners have commenced hostilities,— have fired on a canoe from one of their boats, and killed a chief I" * This announcement occa- king. War declared. * Ellis* Polynesian Researches, vol. iv. p. 131. cook's third voyage. 399 position that Ilia leir arim draw his the dis- lich was ihout re- by Mr with an with the or Lieu- him, but however, with his seized on wrench it nt forced id seated, navigator ceed, and t his per- had not ards with lid prince m of the lieutenant e him on ler means perplexed no more ieutenant, B shore of hless, ex- >mmenced i of their lent occa- 1. ■.i>'i- Bioned a violent ferment; the women and children chap. xi. immediately dif^appeared ; while such of the men as coliiiiion had not already armed themselves, hastened to put on witii the their war-mats and seize their spears. One of them "****''^* advanced towards Cook, flourishing a long iron spike or fHthooOf by way of defiance, and threatening to throw a stone which he held in his hand. Although called on to keep back, he continued to draw nearer, when our navigator considered it necessary to fire on him with * '' small shot. The savage received the full discharge on his thick mat, which he held up in derision, crying out " Matteemanoo !" — The gun is only fit to kill birds, — and poised his spear as if to hurl it at his antagonist, who, unwilling to take away his life, knocked him down with the butt-end of his musket. The only object now contemplated by the discoverer was the safety of his party ; but the remonstrances which he addressed to the islanders on their turbulence were answered by a volley of stones, which brought do^vn one of the marines. A native was observed in the act of darting a spear at him, when, in self-defence, he discharged his piece, but, missing his aim, killed another near the assailant, who was equally engaged in the tumult. This was instantly General followed by a general aitfxjk with stones, which was ^'t***^ answered by musketry from the marines, succeeded by that of the people in the boats. The captain, expressing his astonishment at the conduct of the latter, waved his hand towards them, and called on them to ceaso firing and pull close in to receive the marines. The pinnace accordingly approached as near as it could witlmnt touching the ground ; but the launch, apparently from misunderstanding the signal, was unfortunately drawn farther off. There was on that morning a considerable swell in the bay, and the surf on the shore was greater than usual, so that the boats were obliged to lie off on their oars ; and from the noise of the waves on the rocks and the uproar of the multitude, it was impossible for them to hear their commander's orders with dis- tinctness. li 400 cook's third voyage. Conraf^e of tbe natives. • Retreat to the boats. CHAP. XL The natives, contrary to expectation, had stood tho fire with great firmness, and though they fell back at first, they advanced before the marines had time to reload, and broke in upon them with frightftil yells. After this all was horror and confusion. The soldiers were borne down and forced into the water, where four of them were slain and three dangerously hurt. Among the latter was the lieutenant, who, after he had gained the pinnace, perceiving one of his men left on the shore, gallantly leapt overboard, and, swimming to the .rocks, succeeded in bringing him off in safety.* Cook, who had lingered behind, was now observed walking towards the boats ; he held his musket in one hand, and the other was placed against the back of his head, to protect it from the stones showered by the natives. A man followed him, but cautiously and timidly, stopping once or twice, irresolute whether to strike or not ; and it was remarked that, when the captain's face was towards the barbarians, none of them offered any violence. On reaching the water's edge, he turned about to give orders to the boats, when his pursuer, advancing una- wares, struck him on the back of the head with a club or stave, and immediately retreated .t Stunned by the * Burney compares this with a similar exploit performed during tlie cruise of the Nassau Fleet off the coast of New Spain in No- vember 1624. A boat's crew, who had landed to procure water, fell into an ambuscade I'ud by the Spaniards, in which four of them lost their lives, whili Itie rest were forced to embark in ^reat con- fusion. " In the haste made, one man was left behind on the beach ; but his captain, Cornelys de Witte, who had gone himself Co«k WOHCdcA Hist. Discov., vol. iiL pp. 31, 32, note. Hist of North-Eastern Discov., p. 265. >f* Mr Mariner was informed that this individual was a native carpenter, and that he struck Cook, ^< either in the apprehension that he was at that moment ordering his men to increase their fire, or not knowing him to be the extraordinary being (Rono) of whom he had heard so much ; for he lived a considerable distance up the country, and was not personally acquainted with him. The natives COOK*S TDIRD VOYAGE. 401 blow, he tottered forward a few paces, and then fell on CHAP. XL his hand and knee, letting his musket drop, while a Thefiita) . great shout burst from the islanders. As he was rising, blow. and before he could regain his footing, another savage stabbed him in the back of the neck with an iron spike, on which he again fell into a pool among the shelves, scarcely more than knee-deep. Unable to swim, and dizzy from the wounds he had received, he turned to- ,r: ; wards the rocks, and was immediately surrounded by j the natives, who crowded about him and endeavoured to keep him under the water. He struggled violently against them, and succeeded in raising his head, when he turned his eyes towards the pinnace, as if beseeching that aid which, in the confusion of the scene, it was impossible to afford. Though again forced under water deeper than before, he was once more able to lift his head above it, and, almost exhausted, had laid hold of a rock for support, when a savage struck him with a club, and he was seen alive no more. They then dragged lnd!frr:*ien his body from the water, and were observed to snatch *** **** ^ "^^^ the daggers from each other's hands in order to pierce the corpse ; nor did they desist for some time, though ' . ..>■.-* a fire was directed against them from the boats, and several were seen to fall by the side of their victim.* had no idea that Cook could possibly be killed, as thev considered him a supernatural being, and were astonbhed when they saw him fall." — Tonga Islands. toI. ii. p. 74. SamwelPs Narrative, p. 16. • The anxiety manifested by the islanders to mangle the body of Cause of the our great countryman was, at the time, commonly attributed to " a ?***/**' *'^'*" savage eagerness to have a share in his destruction." But it has ^ been remarked by Dr Martin, that, " in all probability, this eager- ness to seize the dagger was prompted in each by the wish to be possessed of an instrument which had become consecrated, as it were, bv the death of so great a man ; at least, thb is presumed from what would have been the sentiment had it happened at the Tonga Islands." — Mariner's Tonga Islands, vol. ii. pp. 74. 7fi. That the seeming barbarity exhibited on this occasion arose from some superstitious notion, such as that mentioned by Dr Martin, is a supposition which derives confirmation from the belief which the islanders entertained with regard to Cook, from the honours after- wards rendered to his remains, and from the t-xi/ressions used hy the natives to Mr Ellis,—" After he was dead, we all wailed I"— Polynesian Researches, vol. iv. p. 132. 402 CHAP. XL Sorrow and dittuiay. Danger of Captain King. Unsuecessrul attempt to recover CooIl's body. ll i! M ■1 COOK*S THIRD VOYAGE. When they at last gave way, a small skiff, manned by five young midshipmen, pulled to the shore, where they saw the bodies of their companions lying on the ground without any signs of life ; but considering it dangerous to land with so small a force, they returned to the vessels, where the tidings of this great calamity spread universal sorrow and dismay. Animated by their success, the natives began to gather round the moral in another part of the harbour, where Captain King with some men had been left in charge of the astronomical instruments, the foremast of the Re- solution, and the greater portion of the sails of both vessels ; but after a brief conflict, a truce was agreed to, and the voyagers were permitted to withdraw, carrying their effects with them, without molestation. The savages, however, seemed to be still bent on hostilities ; an immense concourse was drawn up on the shore, and several went off in their canoes till within pistol-shot of the ships, challenging the people on board with marks of defiance and contempt. In the afternoon. King rowed towards the land, where he had an interview with some of the chiefs ; and, in answer to his inquiries after the body of his late commander, was assured that it had been carried up the country, but would be restored the next morning. This promise was not fulfilled ; but, after nightfall of the 1 5th, a person who had constantly attended Cook when on shore, came off to the ship and presented to Captain King a small bundle wrapped up in cloth, containing a piece of flesh about ten pounds in weight. This, he said, was all that remained of the body of the unfortunate navigator ; — that the rest had been cut off and burned ; and tliat the head and all the bones, except those of the trunk, were in the possession of the king and the chiefs. Before departing, he asked with great anxiety, " When Orono would come again i" and ** What he would do to them on his return V* — questions which were frequf^ntly repeated by others. The impression of the islanders that the murdered leader was their ancient deity was not even yet wholly dig- CUOK*S THIRD VOYAQE. 403 '.!»> ripated ; and although some, when tliey saw his blood chap. xr. streaming and heard his groanM, exclaimed, ** This is BeitefTn hii not Bono 1" others still believed in his divinity, and divinity, cherished the hope that he would once more appear among them. On the I7th, a party, who landed to procure water, AssAnit on experienced so much annoyance from the inhabitants, 'b« n»tivo«, that it was necessary to bum down a few straggling huts which afforded them shelter. Those to whom this order was intrusted carried it far beyond the proper limits : the whole village was set on fire and consumed, along with the houses of the priests, at whose hands nothing but friendship had been experienced. This act, \ ' followed by the death of several of the savages, who . • were shot in attempting to escape from the flames, con- veyed a suitable terror of the English power ; and, on the evening of the 18th, a chief came with presents from Terreeoboo to sue for peace. I On the morning of the 20th, the mast of the Resoln- Mangipd tion was replaced, and the same day the remains of the "ook!"" ^ lamented commander were delivered up to his successor, wrapped in a large quantity of fine cloth, and covered with a cloak of black and white feathers. " We found in this bundle," says Captain King, ''both the hands of Captain Cook entire, which were well known from a remarkable scar on one of them, that divided the thumb from the fore-finger, the whole length of the metacarpal bone ; the skull, but with the scalp separat- ed from it, and the bones that form the face wanting ; the scalp, with the hair upon it cut short, and the ears adhering to it ; the bones of both arms, with the skin of the fore-ainns hanging to them, the thigh and leg bones joined together, but without the feet. The liga- ments of the joints were entire ; and the whole bore evident marks of having been in the fire, except the hands, which had the flesh left upon them, and were cut in several places and crammed with salt, apparently with an intention of preserving them. The scalp had a cut on the back part of it, but the skull was free from 404 COOK 6 TUIKD VOYAGE. to the deep. CRAP. XL any fracture." * The lower jawbone and the feet were CommiTtcd restored on the morning of the 21st ; and in the after- noon, these remains having been enclosed in a coffin, the burial-service was read over them, and, with the usual military honours, they were committed to the deep. " What our feelings were on this occasion," says Captain King, " I leave the world to conceive ; those who were present know that it is not in my power to express them." Part of the bones, it may be observed, were retained by the natives ; and several of them, held sacred as those of the god Rono, were de- posited in a temple dedicated to that deity. They were preserved in a basket of wicker-work, covered with red feathers ; religious homage was paid to them, and they were annually borne in procession tlirough the island by the votaries of Rono, when gathering offerings for the maintenance of their worship. They were thus pre- served and honoured for a period of forty years, until the abolition of idolatry, and the establishment of the Christian faith in 1819. At that date they disappeared, having probably been carried off by some of the priests, and the English missionaries have hitherto failed to dis- cover their destination. ■{• By the next day all was ready for sea, and on the Sanctity attached to Cook's remaina T.Kf'-: Worship of Rono. • Voyage to the Paci6c, vol. iii. p. 80. 't' " All those," says Mr P.llis, ** of whom inquiry has been made, have uniformly asserted, that they were formerly kept by the priests of Rono^ and worshipped, but have never given any satisfactory information as to where they ^re now. Whenever we have asked the king, or Hevaheva the chief priest, or any of the chiefs, they have either told us they were under the care of those who bad them- selves said they knew nothing about them, or that they were now lost" — Polynesian Researches, vol. iv. p. l37. Mariner's Tonga Islands, voL ii. p. 7'i- The last-quoted author was informed ^ that the natives of Owhyhee returned very few of the bones of Captain Cook, but chiefly substituted the bones of some other Englishman that was killed on that melancholy occasion." But this statement seems to require corroboration — ^ Not only," says Mr Ellis, « were the bones of Cook worshipped, but almost every relic left with them ; amon{r other thin^, a sledge from the north-west coast of America, which they called Opaitauariit a crab or shrimp for a chief to rest on." — Vol. iv. p. l33. * ,^ COOK*S THIRD VOYAGE. 405 22d of February our navigators stood out of the bay ; CHAP. xi. while the islanders, collected in great numbers on the *"" shore, received their last farewell with every mark of affection and good-will. After visiting, other islands of the Sandwich group, Return to about the middle of March they proceeded once more *^® nortli. to the northward, and came to anchor in Awatska Bay in Kamtschatka near the end of April. They were most hospitably treated by the commander of that re- mote province, the celebrated Major Behm, who refused any remuneration for the liberal supplies with which he furnished them. They did not quit this friendly har- bour till the 16th of June, " at least a month later," says Burney, ** than should have been desired, as, in a pur- suit like ours, it was our business to have been early in the year to the north." They reached Behring's Readi Strait on the 5th July, and on the 19th, attained the f^'J"*'' latitude of 70° 33'. Beyond this point, which was five leagues slioii of that which had been attained the pre- vious season, they were not able to penetrate, nor did they succeed in advancing so far along the coast of either continent. On the 27th, all farther attempts were abandoned, and the course bent to the southward. " I will not," says Captain King, " endeavour to conceal the joy that brightened the countenance of every indi- vidual, as soon as this resolution was made known. We , , , ; . were all heartily sick of a navigation full of danger, and ; ; -;.. in which the utmost perseverance had not been repaid with the smallest probability of success. We there- fore turned our faces toward home, after an absence JJjlJJf^"^ of three years, with a delight and satisfaction which, notwithstanding the tedious voyage we had still to make, and the immense distanc ' vte had to run, were as freely entertained, and perhaps as fully enjoyed, as if we had been already in sight of the Land's End." * Three days after, they repassed the strait, and on the 21st of August, came in sight of the mountains of * Voyage to the Pacific, vol. iii. p. 260. 406 cook's third voyage. Death of C«pUin Cl«rk«. Cnptalni Gore and King. i CHAP. XL Kamtschatka. Captain Gierke had been long and seri- ously indisposed, and all hopes of his recovery had been for some time relinquished by every one but himself. He died on the 22d, in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and was luterred on the north side of the harbour of St Peter and St Paul, where the vessels arrived two days after his demise, liis body was attended to the grave by the officers and crews of the ships, and by the Russian garrison ; the service was read by the priest of the settlement, amid the firing of minute-guns ; and the melancholy ceremony was concluded by the discharge of three volleys from tho marines. An escutcheon was placed in the neighbouring church, setting forth his age and rank, and an inscription of the same purport was affixed to the tree under which he was buried.* Captain Gore now assumed the command of the ex- pedition, on board the Resolution, while Captain King removed to the Discovery. The instructions from the Admiralty directed that, if the vessels failed to find a passage into the Atlantic, they uld return to Eng- land by such course as seemed t likely to advance geographical knowledge. On this point Captain Gore requested the opinions of his officers, who unanimously thought that tho largest field for discovery, the sea between Japan and Asia, could not be safely explored in the present condition of the vessels, and that it was Conrse deter- therefore advisable to keep to the eastward, along the Kuriles, and examine the islands lying nearest the northern coast of Japan ; then to survey the shores of that country ; and, lastly, to make the coast of China at as northerly a point as possible, and run along it to Macao. Of this judicious plan only a smaH part could foe carried into e£foct. The attempt to reach the islands * In 1787, the unfortunate La Perouse placed a brass plate on the tomb of Captain Gierke; and more lately the Russian admiral, Krusenstern, erected a monument to his memory; which, before Captain Beechey's visit in 1827, had, for better preservation, been removed to the governor's garden. — Voyage to tne Pacific, voU ii. P- 245. mined on. cook's third voyage. 407 north of Japan proved fruitless ; and the ships, driven chap, xl ; from those latitudes by contrary winds^ anchored ftt^,.^^^^ Macao early in December. Macau The discoverers here received information of the public events which had occurred in Europe since the commencement of their voyage ; and, in consequence of tlie war which had arisen between Great Britain and France, they prepared their vessels for meeting theQ^p,,,.,^ enemy. Fortunately their precautions were rendered conduct unnecessary by the generous conduct of their adversaries. " """'^ In March 1779, thje court of Versailles issued orders to the captains of their ships, stating the objects of the ex- pedition, and the advantages which would result from it to all nations, and directing that Cook should be treated as the commander of a neutral or allied power. This measure, so honourable to the French character, was, we are informed by the Marquis de Condorcet, adopted on the advice of the enMghteped Turgot. Benjamin Frank- lin, then in Paris as the plenipotentiary of the United Different States, addressed to the officers of the American navy an ^^ by ^^' earnest recommendation to spare the ships of ** that ^'^'* ■"* most celebrated discoverer Captain Cook ; " but the ^*^ noble feelings which dictated this letter found no re- sponse in Congress, who instantly issued orders that especial care should be taken to seize our voyagers. The same mean policy was pursued by the government of Spain. While lying at Macao, the sailors engaged m an active Trade with trade with the Chinese for the furs of the sea-otter, *^* ^'''''*^ which they had procured, without any view to sale, at Cook's River on the North American coast. ** One of our seamen,*' says King, " sold his stock for 800 dollars ; and a few prime skins, which were clean and had been well preserved, were sold for 120 each. The whole amount of the value, in specie and goods, that was got for the furs in both ships, I am confident, did not fall short of j£2000 sterling ; and it was generally supposed, that at least two-thirds of the quantity we had originally got from the Americans were spoiled and worn out, or i 1 I 408 cook's third voyage. IndicAtlons of successful trading. Tlireat of mutiny. :| CHAP. XI had been given away and otherwise disposed of in Kamtschatka. When, in addition to these facts, it ia ji-emembered that the furs were at first collected without our having any idea of their real value ; that the great- est pirt had been worn by the savages, from whom we purchased them ; that they were afterwards preserved with little care, and frequently used for bed-clothes and other purposes, during our cruise to the north ; and that probably we had never got the full value for them in China ; the advantages that might be derived from a voyage to that part of the American 'coast, undertaken with commercial views, appear to me of a degree of importance sufficient to call for the attention of the public." * The seamen were astonished at the high prices which they received for an article they had so (easily procured ; and their eagerness to return to Cook's Inlet, and by another cargo make their fortunes, led them to the brink of mutiny. The profits of the barter produced a whimsical alteration in the appearance of the crews, who, on their entry into the river, were clad in a motley mixture of rags, skins, and the rude cloth of the savage countries t)key had visited — ^garments which they soon exchanged for the gaudiest silks and cottons of China. Return home. The ships took their departure from Macao on ihe 1 3th January 1780, and touched at the Cape of Good Hope on the 13th of April They made tht western coast of Ireland on the 12 th August, anchored on the 22d at Stromness in Orkney, and arrived at the Nore on the 4th of October, after an absence of four years, two months, and twenty- two Uays. During this long period the Resolution lost only five men by sickness, while no death had taken place in the Discovery .t Another cir- * Vo3'age io the Pacific, vol. iii. p. 435. •{ "J'he bark whicli bore Magellan in his eventful voyage became a favourite theme with the poets and romancers of Spain ; and the snin in which Drake sailed round tl.e globe received equal honours.* * One of the uses to which • ' the sliip of famous Draco *' was applied, ia pointed out in the olr! play of " Eastward Hoe," (by Chapman, Ben Jon- Mju, and Marston), whore Sir Petronel Flash is introduced, saying, cook's third voyage. 409 {mmstance, attended this voyage, which, if we consider its chap. xi. duration, and the nature of the service on which they unintemipt- were engaged, will appear scarcely less singular, namely, e^ co-o5e,a- that the two ships never lost sight of each other for a ahips. whole day together except twice. The destiny of the vessel of a greater circumnavigator than cither may be seen from the following notice : — ^ Cook's old ship, the Dis- covery, was, some tinn since, removed from Woolwich, and if now moored off Deptford an a receiving ship for convicts," — London Newspipers, Au^pist 20, 1834. "We'll have our proided supper brought aboard Sir Francis Drakes ship, that hath compassed tlie world, where, with fiikl cups aud banquets, we will do sacrifice for a prosperous voyage. My mind gives me that some good spirit of the waters should haimtthe desart ribs of her, and be aus- picious to all that honour her memory, and will with like orgies enter their voyage*."— Act iii ^^^^JSt-^ I became ind the Inours.* [plied, is |en Jon- sayingt wmm 410 OBSERVATIONS ON THE "■■' ,'■"'■ ■I'r i CHAP. XIL Sorrow at the deatli of CkMdL Pension and lionours to hU fiunily. Monnments to his memory. CHAPTER XIT. , ,., Ohaervaiions on the Character of Cook, Honours paid to him— Personal Appearance — Temper and Habitt —His Children and Wid6w — Energy and Perseverance — Self- education — His vast Contributions to Geography— Skill in deli* neating and fixing his Discoveries— Discovery of the Means of preservhig the Health of Seamen — Advantages derived from hia Voyages— Progress of Civilisation in Polynesia — Conclusion. The tidingg of the melancholy fate of Cook excited & deep and general sorrow throughout Europe, and distin- guished honours were rendered to his name alike by foreigners and by his countrymen. The Royal Society caused a medal to be struck, containing on one side the head of tlieir late associate, with the inscription Jao. Cook, Oceani Investigator Acerrimus ; on the other, the figure of Britannia holding a globe, with the words Nui Intentatum nostui Liquere ; and on the exergue, Reo. Soo. Lond. Socio suo, and Auspiciis Georoii IIx. His majesty conferred on the widow of Cook a pension of two hundred pounds a-year, and on each of his sons an annnal sum of twenty-five pounds. Honourable armorial bearings, symbolical of his acliievementsi wero assigned to his family, . Sir Hugh Palliser, on his estate in Buckinghamshire} erected a monument to the memory of his old and dear friend ; in 1812, the parishioners of Marton placed a marble tableli to his memory in the church wliere he was baptized ; a handsome obelisk, fifty- one feet in height, w;is built on the hill of Easby, near Rosberry Topping, in 1827 ; and the officers of the Blonde raised on the place where the body of the distinguished voyager CHARACTER OF COOK. nr id dear aced a ere he nfeet in Uberry raised loyager 411 was burned a cross of oak, ten feet in height, with this chap. yjF. inscription,— ■ • /' Sacred to the memory of Capt. James Cook, R.N. who discovered .hese Islands in the year of our Lord 1778. This humble monument is erected Monument at Owbyhee. by his countrymen in the vear of our Lord 1825. Few visiters leave Owhyhee without making a pilgrim- age to the spot where its discoverer met his untimely end, and many carry away pieces of the dark lava-rock on which he stood when he received his death-wound. The place is marked by the ruins of a morai, and by some stunted cocoa-trees, in which the natives show perforations, produced by the balls fired on the fatal morning of the 14th February 1779. In person, Cook was of a robust frame, and upwards of six feet in height. His head w^as small, and his face Personal animated and expressive, though his prominent eye- "f coot"''^ brows imparted to it an appearance of austerity. His eyes, of a brown colour, though not large, were quick and piercing : his hair, which was of a dark-brown hue, he wore tied ' ^hind, after the fashion of the day. His constitution was strong, and capable of sustaining great labour ; he was exce* Mngly temperate, and his stomach bore without difficulty the coarse t viands. In his address he was unaffected and retiring, even to bash- fulness : his conversation was modest, lively, a d agree- Address and able ; although at times he appeared thoughtful, wrapped ™«"»»w- up in his own pursuits, and apparently under a pressure of mental fatigue when called on to speak upon any other. Like Columbus, he seems to have een some- what passionate ; yet of him, as of th( iscoverer of America, it may be said, that the quickness of his tem- per was counteracted by the benevolence and generosity of his heart. The calumny that his disposition was harsh, gloomy, and morose, has been already disproved. '* He was beloved by his pcoi»lc," says Mr Samwcll, I i 412 OBSERVATIONS ON TBB Attachment ot hia crew. Portraits ofC!uok. I ■M I i * \ CHAP. XIL ** who looked up to him as to a father, and obeyed his commands with alacrity : the confidence we placed in nim was unremitting ; our admiration of his great talents unbounded ; our esteem for his good qualities affection- ate and Sincere." Two representations of his features have been pre- served ; cae by Hodges, the artist who accompanied him in his second voyage ; another, which was executed by Dance, is now in Greenwich Hospital, and an engraving from this fine portrait is prefixed to the pre- sent Work. It was at the pressing request of Sir Joseph. Banks that Cc -k sat for this picture, on the eve of his departure to ( :plore the southern hemisphere, when all his thoughts were devoted to his a^uous undertaking ; and his activiP! mind impatiently regretted every hour that he was absent from his duties. These circumstances may account for the deep thoughtfulness and the stern expression visible in this delineation of his countenance ; for, while the painter :vas busy with his features, doubtless his mind was ** occupied in great waters." * Few of his days were passed in the quiet scenes of private life ; but though his fortunes called him too often from the society of his family, not many men present a more amiable character a:, a husband and a father. His hours were divided between the instruction and amusement of his children, and the study of his favourite sciences,— navigation, astronomy, and mathe- matics. He was fond of drawing; but did not take much delight in music or poetry, or in any of the pur- suits of rural life. Captain Cook had six children, of whom three died in infancy. Nathaniel, when sixteen years old, was lost in 1780 ^yith Commodore Walsingham, in the Thunderer; Hugh, who was educated at Cambridge • Memoir of Cook in Gallery of Greenwich Hospital. " His widow," says Mr Locker, "has more than mce expressed her re- ffret that a portr it, in all other respects so jierf'ect, should convey this erroneous expression to the eye of a 8tra.iger." Domestic character. Family. CHARACTER OF COOK. 413 Death of hli last surviv- ing sou. .;, for the church, died in 1793, in his seventeenth year. chap, xil James, who, at the age of thirty-one, was drowned in 1794, the only son who attained to manhood, displayed much of his father's intrepidity. When pushing ofif from Poole to join the Spitfire sloop of war, of which he was the commander, he was advised to wait till the storm which was raging should abate : — " It is blowing liard," he replied, " but my boat is well manned, and has weathered a strongeji gale ; we shall make the ship very well, and I am anxious to be on board." He perished in the attempt, along with the whole of his crew. nv ReslAence at Claphatn. The widow of the great voyager survived him for His widow, more than half a century. To the last she cherished the most devoted affection for his memory ; and even after the lapse of so many years, could not speak of his fate without emotion. Such was her sensibility, that on receiving tidings of the death of her son James, in the vain hope of banishing from her mind the recollec- tion of her losses, she committed to the flames almost all the letters she had received from his father. For a long period she resided at Clapham, where her unaiFected goodness and generosity secured universal love and respect. Her latter years passed away m intercourse with her friends, and in the discharge of those offices of charity and kindness in which her benevolent mind de- lighted. The afflicting loss of her husband ::ind children, though borne with submissive resignation, was never .ffiaced from her memory ; and we are informed that there were certain melancholy anni /^ersaries which, to the end of her days, she devoted to seclusion and pious jbservance. SI died on the 13th May 1836, in the ninety-fourth year of her age. Her body was deposited in a vault in the church of St Andrew the Great, at Cambridge, where her sons James and Hugh were interred. To the parish in which she was buried she assigned £1000, under the conditions, that, from the interest of that sum, the monument she had erected to the memory of her family shall be kept in perfect Interment at CuuiMdge. I 414 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHAP. XII BeqaestB to the parish of St Andrew the Qreat Legacies. Mental characterid- tlcs of Cook. : Parents < f Cook. repair; that the parochial clergyman shall receive a small annual remuneration for liis attention to the due discharge of the trust ; and that the remainder shall he equally divided yearly, on St Thomas* Day, among five poor and aged women residing in the parish, but deriving no relief therefrom. Besides many legacies to her rela- tives and servants, she left to the poor of Clapham ^760, and to the Schools for the Indigent Blind and the Royal Maternity Charity about £1000. The Copley Medal awarded to her husband, and one of the gold medals struck in his honour by the Royal Society she be- queathed to the British Museum.* The great characteristics of Cook's mind were energy and perseverance. By the aid of these properties, autl stimulated by an honourable ambition, he was able, amid the bustle and toil of active service, not only to acquire a knowledge of his profession rarely equalled, but to Eupply the deficiencies of a very imperfect edu- cation, and raise himself to an eminent station among men of literature and science. After he had reached his thirty-first year, with no assistance from teachers, he mastered, in the few leisure hours which his situa- tion afforded, the study of mathematics and astronomy. * Gentleman*s Magazine, July 1835. — Nautical Magazine, July 1835 and February 1836. Cook's mother died in 1765, aged 63; <* the tombstone which records her death, and that of two sons and , three daughters, most of whom died in infancy, is understood to have been carved by her husband; who about ten years after re- moved from Ayton to Redcar to spend the evening of his days with his daughter Margaret, the wife of Mr James Fleck, a respectable fisherman and shopkeeper. . . . The father of Cook outlived his son only a tew weeks ; and never heard of his untimely end. He was interred at Marske, April 1, 177i^> in the eighty-fifth year of his age. His son-in-law died a few years ago. The captain's Kister had three sons, all master mariners, and tour daughters; her descendants are numerous. One only of Cook's nephews is living ; but three of his nieces yet survive." — Life and Voyages of Cook, by the Rev. George Young (Lond. 1836), pp. 16, 456. From the same source we learn that the elder Cook is said to have been Iwrn at Ednara on the Tweed. About the time that his son entered the nav^ he became a mason, and a house which he built for his MWD residence at A^ton is still in existence. Here he was visited by his son in the brief interval between his second and third voyages. -- K CHARACTER OF COOK. 415 Una3r similar circumstances, he attained great profi- ciency in drawing. Tlie literary talent and information displayed in the narratives of his second and third cir- cumnavigations will ever excite astonishment in those who reflect on the few opportunites for the cultivation of letters which their author enjoyed. His mental ac- tivity was conspicuous throughout all his voyages, ** No incidental temptation," says Captain King, ** could detain him fgr a moment ; even those intervals of re- creation which sometimes unavoidably occurred, and w^ere looked for by us with a longing, that persons who have experienced the fatigues of service will readily excuse, were submitted to by him with impatience." The immovable constancy with which he pursued his objects was equally remarkable i and there are perhaps few instances of perseverance on record more worthy of note than his survey of the coast of New Holland, car- ried on by him amid continual dangers ; or his search for a Southern Continent, in which he persisted in spite of every privation, concealing from all a dangerous ill- ness that brought him to the brink of the grave. His courage and resolution were invincible, yet unaccom- panied with temerity ; his self-possession never failed ; and we are told, that ** in the most perilous situations, when he had given the proper directions concerning what was to be done while he went to rest, he could sleep during the hours he had allotted to himself with perfect composure and soundness." His mind was equally ready and copious in resources ; and his designs were marked by a boldness and originality which evinced a consciousness of great powers. These characteristics were demonstrated in the very outset of his first expe- dition, when, differing from the opinions of every one, he selected his vessel upon principles which the result most amply vindicated. It may be justly said, that no other navigator extended the bounds of geographical knowledge so widely as he did. The great question of a Southern Continent, which had been agitated for more than two centuries^ CHAP. xir. Literary u- qolnmenU. Remarkabia conatancji ,. Ready reaourceA Ur>eqnaned as a navi- gator. f 416 OBSEUVATIOr*S ON THE CHAP. XIl. Extent of his dlecoverie& Kxploratlon vithin the A iiturctic sircle. I .1 Observations on the nortU- iirest coast oi America. he completely set at rest. He first made known the eastern coast of New Holland, more than 2000 miles in extent, and presenting perils of the most formidable nature. He ascertained the northern limit of Australia, and restored to Europeans the knowledge of the long- lost Strait of Torres. He dissipated the belief that New Zealand was a part of the Ten'a Australis Incognita, brought to light its eastern boundary previously un- known, and circumnavigated its shores. He completed the labours of Quiros and later voyagers in the archi- pelago of the New Hebrides, and first delineated an ac- curate chart of their coasts. He discovered New Cale- donia, with one exception the largest island in the Austral Ocean. He investigated the depths of the Southern Atlantic, made us acquainted with Sandwich Land, fixed the position of Kerguelen's Island, visited the almost-forgotten Isla Grande of La Roche, and sur- veyed the southern shores of Tierra del Fuego with a fidelity at that time unprecedented. During this navi- gation, he twice crossed the antarctic circle, and attained a higher latitude than had been react '. by any fonner voyager. He explored the Tonga Arcmpelago and that of Las Marquesas, neither of which had been visited since the days of Tasman and Mendana, and added greatly to our knowledge of their situation and pro- ductions, their inhabitants, manners, and customs. Easter, or Edward Davis' Island, which had been sought in vain by Byron, Wallis, Carteret, and Bougainville, did not elude his researches. He greatly increased our acquaintance with the Low or Coral Archipelago, and completed the discovery of the Society Islands. In other parts of the South Sea, he brought to light the islands of Norfolk, Botany, Pines, Palmerston, Savage, Hervey, Mangeea, Wateeoo, Otakootaia, Turtle, Toubouai, and Christmas. Along the north-west coast of America, he effected more in one season than the Spaniards had ac- complished in two centuries. Besides rectifying many mistakes of former explorers, he ascertained the breadth of the strait which separates Asia from the New World — CHARACTER OF COOK. 417 a point which Behring had left unsettled. Passing thr chap. xn. arctic, as he had crossed the antarctic circle, h© P«ne- ^^.^.^J^ j^„, trated farther than any preceding navigator; and as exploration. ; more than half a century expired without a nearer ap- proach being made to the Southern Pole than he had achieved, a like period elapsed before our knowledge of the American coast was extended beyond the point to which he attained. Among the latest and greatest of his discoveries were the Sandwich Islands, — which, in sandwich the sentence wherewith his journal abruptly terminates, ^*^*"*^*' he truly characterizes as " though the last, in many respects the most important that has hitherto been made by Europeans throughout the extent of the Pacific Ocean." * But it would be injustice to him if we were to esti- influence on mate his merif s only by the extent, number, or import- SJJce?** ance of the countries which he added to the map of the - t world. It has been remarked by a distinguished cir- cumnavigator of a neighbouring nation, that his labours created a new era in geographical science.t Unlike his precursors, he was not content with being able to An- nounce the existence of new lands, but delineated the bearing and figure of their coasts, and fixed their position with an exactness which can hardly be surpassed even by means of the improved instruments of our own days. While great errors have been detected in the longitudes Errors of hi« of Byron and his successors, and still greater in those of the earlier voyagers, every succeeding navigator has borne testimony to the accuracy of Cook's determina- tions. So late as 1815, his chart of the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego was characterized by Admiral Bumey as the best guide which the seaman possessed to that region. Of a more juvenile performance, his map of the shores of Newfoundland, the late tturveyor of the island. Captain Bullock, speaks in terms of warm commendation. Praise equally high has been awarded to his representation of * Voyaee to the Pacific, voL iL p. 548. •)• M. ErUrville, Voyage autour du Monde, tome I p. xii. 418 OBSERVATIONS ON THE ii CHAP. XII. the coasts of New Zealand, by M. Crozet, the companion Aeenrai^ of ®^ *^® unfortunate Marion. " As soon," says he, " as I his ciuute had got hold of the voyage of the English, I compared with care the chart which I had drawn with that taken by Captain Cook and his officers. I found it to possess an exactness and minuteness which astonished me beyond all expression. I doubt whether our own coasts of France have been delineated with more precision." La Perouse never mentions the name of the great seaman without expressing warm admiration of his accuracy ; and M. D'Urville assigns him the title of " fondateur de la veritable geographic dans I'Oc^an-Pacifique : ceux," he adds, ** qui sont venus apres lui sur les memes lieux n*ont pu pr^tendre qu'au merite d'avoir plus ou moins perfectionne ses travaux." * Testimony of no less weight has been borne to the correctness of his delineations of people, manners, and countries. " A residence of eight years in the Society and Sandwich Islands," says Mr Ellis, ** has afforded me an opportunity of becoming familiar with many of the scenes and usages described in his voyages, and I have often been struck with the fidelity with which they are uniformly portrayed. In the inferences he draws, and the reasons he assigns, he is sometimes mistaken ; but in the description of what he saw and heard, there is throughout a degree of ac- curacy, seldom if ever exceeded in accounts equally minute and extended." f Great as are the contributions which Cook made to geographical science, they are perhaps surpassed in utility and importance by his discovery of the art of preserving the health of seamen in long expeditions. The reader Testimony of Mr. £Ui& Discoveries relative to tlie health 01 U'ewa , * Voyage autour da Monde, tome i. p. xiit •f I*olynesian Researches, vol. iv. p. 3. See also Mariner*8 Tonga Islands, vol. i. p. xv. A later voyager. Captain Walde(^ve« who visited the Friendly Archipelago in 1830, writes, ^ In our tour through these islands we had great reason to admire the general accuracy of Captain Cook ; his description of the houses, fences, manners of the Hapai Islands, is correct to the present day."— Journ. of the Roy. Geog. Soc., vol. iii. p. 186. '^' > CHARACTER OF COOK. 419 who has perused the details which have been given of chap, xii the sufferings of Anson's expedition, will not be at asaireliii^on loss to appreciate what praise is due to him who re- lormer exp*- raoved the scurvy from the list of diseases incident to a °"* nautical life, and first showed that a voyage of three years' duration might be performed with the loss of but one man by sickness. To use the words with which he concludes the narrative of his second circumnavigation, — " Whatever may be the public judgment about other matters, it is with real satisfaction, and without claiming any merit but that of attention to my duty, that I can conclude this account with an observation which facts enable me to make, that our having discovered the pos- sibility of preserving health amongst a numerous ship's company for such a length of time, in such varieties of climate, and amidst such continued hardships and far tigues, will make this voyage remarkable in the opinion of every benevolent person, when the disputes about a Southern Continent shall have ceased to engage the at- tention and to divide the judgment of philosophers."* Indeed, had he made no other discovery but this, he would have been justly entitled to the praise and grati- tude of mankind. There still remains one important view in which his New fleidi of voyages must be regarded, namely, as having added to enteiprisa. the power and riches of his country, by laying open new fields of commercial enterprise, disclosing sources of wealth previously unknown, and extending the limits of her territorial possessions. The shores of New South Wales, which he was the first to explore, have become the seat of a vast and flourishing colony, whose wealth and resources are daily increasing. The poi*ts of New Zealand are frequented by British shipping ; settlements of our countrymen have been formed on its bays ; and its vegetable treasures — its trees and flax — have been rendered available to the wants of our navy. His dis- coveries on the northern 'ioast of America gave rise to a * Voyage towards the South Pole, vol. ii. p. 293. 420 CHAP. XII. Trade result- ing from his discoveriesL 8<>nth Sea tiahciy. Advantafrcto Uie natives. OBSERVATIONS ON THE valuable and extensive trade in furs. The Sandwich Islands have become so great a mart of traffic, that it has been found necessary to establish an English con- sulate at their capital. The Southern Pacific is every where the resoi-t of whaling- vessels, engaged in a lucra- tive fishery, and deriving their supplies of sea-stores from those fertile islands, the various ports and harbours of which he was the first to make known.* Even the barren rocks of New South Georgia, which he visited in his second voyage, have been far from unprofitable ; it is believed that, besides the skins of the fur-seal, they have yielded no less than 20,000 tons of the sea-elephant oil for the London market. Kerguelen's, or Desolation Island, has proved a scarcely less fruitful buurce of ad- vantage ; and it is calculated ** that, during the time these two islands have been resorted to for the purpose of trade, more than 2000 tons of shipping, and from two to three hundred seamen, have been employed annually in this traffic." t While so many advantages have accrued to the civil- ized w^orld from the voyages of the illustrioi j navigator whose history has just been narrated, the "ovitries and nations which he made known have likewise reaped a rich harvest of benefit ; and it is consolatory to reflect, that the fears which troubled his benevolent mind lest the islanders of ihe Austral Ocean might have "just cause to lament that our ships had ever found them out," have not been realized. The labours of the good and pious men who sailed in the ship Duff to spread the glad tidings of salvation among " the isles of the sea," though long unsuccessful, have at length been crowned with a prosperous issue. Throughout the principal groups of the Pacific idolatry has been overthrown, and * <* Le nombre des navires Anglais et Am^ricains, principale- ment de baleiniers, qui abordent ^Tahiti, est de 20U h 25U, terme moyen en six mois. Ou dit que la population blanche y est de 200 a 300 personnes, et au^ente chanue jour." — Singapore Clironicle, quoted in Nouvelles Annales des Voyages (1833), tome xxx. p. 111. + Weddel's Voyage towanls the South Pole, pp 63, 64, CHARACTER OF COOK. 42] it along with it the darker crimes and more brutal vices of chap. XII. the natives. Those desolating wars, in which mercy DewuitinK was altogether unknov7> , and neither sex nor age was a native wan protect! jn from the exterminating fury of the victors, have ceased. The barbarous sacrifices of human beings, and the still more sanguinary usage of infanticide, which prevailed to an extent almost incredible, have been abolished. Peace, order, and tranquillity are estab- lished ; not a few of the customs and comforts of Europe Introduced ; schools and churches erected ; and a know ledge of letters extensively diffused. A printing-press ■*.'*?.®' , has been established in the Society Islands, from which a translation of the New Testament into the native language, a number of initiatory treatises, and a code of laws ratified by the nation, have already issued. Many of the inhabitants have made so great progress in learn- ing, that they have been able to take on themselves the character of missionaries, and go forth to preach the ,/' ' ;^ Gospel to their benighted brethren in less favoured places. Others have acquired the arts of the smith, the mason, the weaver, the cotton-spinner, the turner, the agriculturist, or the carpenter. In the trade last men- tioned they have made such proficiency as to build, after the English style, vessels of seventy tons burden, for commercial enterprises to different parts of Polynesia. The people of the Sandwich Archipelago have ad- Bay of vanced still farther in civilisation. The Bay of Hon- ororn, in the island of Woahoo, almost resembles a European harbour. Fifty foreign vessels have been seen in it at one time. In the latter part of the year 1833, it was resorted to by more than 26,000 tons of shipping, employing upwards of 2000 seamen, and bearing the flags of England, Prussia, Spain, America, and Otaheite.* It is defended by a fortress mounting forty guns, over which, and from the masts of the native barks, is sus- pended the national ensign, t which has already been * Canton Register, Hth May 1834, quoted in the Asiatic Journal (March 1835), vol. xvi. p. 191. f " Le pavilion Sandwichien, se composoit d'un yacht Anglais, 422 OBSERVATIONS ON THE t Town of Uonororo. iii CHAP. XIL seen in the ports of China, the Philippines, America, Kamtschatka, the New Hebrides, and Australia. The town is regularly laid out in squares, the streets are care- fully fenced, and numbers of the houses are neatly built of wood. It possesses a regular police, contains two hotels, the same number of billiard-rooms, and nearly a dozen taverns, bearing such inscriptions as ** An Or ii- nary at One o'Clock," "The Britannia," and "The Jolly Tar." It is the residence of a British and of an American consul, and of several respectablo merchants of the United States.* Education and a knowledge of religion are widely spread throughout the islands ; nine hundred seminaries, conducted by native teachers, are esiabiished, and fifty thousand children receive instruc- tion in reading.t Witliin a little distance of the very spot where Cook was killed, a school has been opened, and a buildmg erected for the worship of the true God. The fortune of some others of the countries explored by hiir. has hitherto been less auspicious ; but in most of them missions are already planted with every pro- spect of success, and we may confidently look forward to the day when teachers of Christianity shall be estab- lished in all. sur un fond raye horizontalemenl de neuf bandes alternatives, blanches, rou^res et bleues : le b)c>nc etoit. place le plus haut et le yacht a I'anH^le siiperieur, pres la ralingue." — Freycinet, Voyage autour du Monde, tome ii. p. 621. * " Dans cette ville naissante, f'undee dp.ns un pays dont les ha- bitans, il y a dix ans, etaient tout-a-fait sauva^es, on trouve deja pres(|ue toutes les comraodites des villes d'Europe."— Observations sur les Habitans des J les Sandwich, |-«r M. P. E. Botia. — No velies Annates des Voyajjes, tome xxii, p. 135. + Quarterly Journal ol" Education, vol. iii. p, '^76. Mimions established. ,^ 1 I ■ CHAPTER XIV. EJhrta made by Spairiy England, and France in the Northern Pacific and on the North-western Shores oj America. Spirit of Enterprise excited by Success of Captain Cook — Voyages of Portlock and Dixon — Their Account of the Falkland Islands — Commercial and Nautical Advantages — The Shi[)s reach the north-western Coast of America — Description of the Country — Winter in the Sandwich Islands — Renewed Exertions on the American Shore — Discovery of Norfolk Sound and the Queen Charlotte Islands — Number and Lang;uage of the Inhabitants- Return to Owhyhee — Proceed to China and finally to England- Supposed Motives whii'h led to the Voyage of La Perouse — Boussole and Astrolabe sail from Brest — Visit the western Shore of South America — Miserable State of Spanish Colonies — Supposed Voyages of Maldonado and Fuentes — I /a Perouse ex- amines the North American Coast — Desolate Aspect of Countrj — State of the Missions — Proceeds to the eastern Shores of China and Tartary— Discovers the Strait which bears his Name — — Massacre of De Langle and eleven Men at Maouna — Arrives at New Holland— His future Projects. The first fruits of the successful voyage performed by CHAP. xiv. Captain Cook on the north-western shores of America, «„„""", , appeared in a very general spirit of enterprise, both cai enter- amorg political rulers and mercantile men, who re^solved ^"^^ to combine, a; far as might be practicable, the honours of discovery with the advantages ol trade. During the repeated visits made by European navigators to those 2d 424 PORTLOCir, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. CHAP, XIV Emulation nf Spain, JYance, and BriUin. Spanish Rquadron under Do la Bodega. remote waters which separate the two great continents, it was observed that the natives of the adjoining coasts were in possession of valuable furs, for which a ready market has always been found in China, Russia, England, and France. In addition to these views, in which commercial in- terest might be considered the predominant motive, Spain felt herself influenced by a jealousy, far from unreasonable, in regard to her right of property and dominion i^ that portion of the New World to which adventure was now directed. On the other hand, the ministers of Louis the Sixteenth, sensible that Great Britain, by the exertions of her seamen in every section of the globe, had gained at once a high reputation and a vast accession of power, determined to imitate her ambition in the same path and by the use of similar means. Meanwhile, the merchants of London, less re- stricted in their operations than even the cabinet of a despotic monarch, perceived that a portion of their capi- tal might be profitably invested in the purchase of fiirs ; and, in pursuance of this object, certain individuals of their number procured a charter from the South Sea Company, to whom belonged the exclusive privilege of trading in that part of the world, investing them with the sole right of carrying on this traffic to whatever extent they might deem expedient. As the principal movements began from the three sources just men- tioned, we shall consider them separately ; having satis- fied ourselves that, both as to their respective intentions and the manner in which they were gradually developed, they will throw light on one another. The Spaniards, about the year 1775, sent out a small squadron under the command of Francisco de la Bodega, ill order to protect their interests in the higher latitudes of the American coast, and at the same time to watch the proceedings of the English in the Pacific, who had recently made extensive discoveries in that quarter. The only account of this expedition which has reached our days was drawn up by Maurelie, who sailed in the PORTLOOK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 425 capacity of pilot — an office at that period not destitute chap, xiv of a certain degree of rank and respectability in the navies of foreign states. Two years later, the same in- dividual undertook a similar voyage, of which some voyages of details have been preserved ; and in 1780 he was again M*"*""®^ employed by the governor of the Philippines to carry despatches from Manilla to Mexico, in the execution of • , ;-'; which order he resolved to add a more general import- L \ ance to his voyage, by proceeding in an unusual track where he might possibly make some accessions to the dependencies of the Spanish crown. The particulars of this mission, bequeathed to the public through the medium of La Perouse, are not of much interest ; and would not, perhaps, have been noticed at this stage of our progress, were it not that they contain statements, the accuracy of v^hich has been called in question by subsequent navigators, whose strictures could not other- wise be fully understood. Owing to the vague manner in which the position of certcdn groups is determined, and more especially the indistinctness which marks all his entries of longitude, the most careful reader finds it very difficult to arrive at the conclusion whether Maurelle really detected the existence of unknown lands, or has merely given new names to clusters which had been formerly visited. We shall therefore proceed at once to the volumes of Portlock and Dixon, who about the same time effected a voyage round the world. Both the officers just named, who had sailed under Voyages of the command of Captain Cook, were selected on account ^^J Dhion. of their experience as seamen, as well as for their know- ledge of the coast towards which their main exertions were to be directed. It has been already mentioned that a body of merchants in the metropolis had procured a charter from the South Sea Company, authorizing them to carry on trade in the northern Pacific ; and in pursuance of this object two vessels, the King George and the Queen Charlotte, were fitted out in the spring of the year 1786, the former being committed to the charge of Captain Portlock, the latter to that of Mr 426 PORTLOCK, DIXON^ AND LA PEROUSB. 11 CHAP. XIV. Dixon. The principal object of this enterprise, it is candidly admitted, was not discovery, but the establish- ment of commercial relations with the native tribes on ^ f the western shores of North America, th« value of whose furs, as already noticed, was no longer unknown in the great mans of Europe and of Asia. Arrival at The adventurers left England in the month of August ; iiUands!^""** *"^> without encountering any accident or making a single observation worthy of notice, they arrived in January 1786 at the Falkland Islands. As this settle- ment, now rising into some degree of importance, is re- cognised as a regular colony, subject to the laws and placed under the protection of the Biitish government, the reader will not be displeased if furnished with some details relative to the history and capabilities of the little group of which it is composed. It is well known that they are situated between latitude 51° 40^ and 52° 10' S., and longitude 57** 30' and 60° W. The two larger islands, which are distinguished by their position as East and West Falkland, are separated by Carlisle Strait, which is about ten miles in width ; and the sur- face of both, taken as a whole, is estimated at not less than three thousand four hundred square miles. The islets by which they are surroundtd are numerous, but not of much value ; being the retreat only of sea-birds, and of those amphibious animals which seem to delight Surface and equally in the land and in the water. The northern iaUnda districts in both the principal islands have a moun- tfiinous character, though the highest ground, we are assured, does not much exceed two thousand feet abov6 the surface of the ocean. At the foot of the hills the plain stretches in some places to the extent of fifteen miles along the margin of the sea ; and the southern districts are in general level. The coast being much indented, the harbours are numerous and excellent ; among which may be mentioned Berkeley Sound in the western island, and Port Egmont in the eastern, both having sufficient depth of water for ships of the line, t.'nd a safe anchoring-ground. The climate, it is said, PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 427 docs not differ much from that of Great Britain, though CHAP. xiy. it is admitted that the weather is still more unsteady. Fogs darken the atmosphere in the mornings throughout spring and autumn ; but in winter snow usually disap- pears in the course of a few hours, and the frost is never intense. The soil of East Falkland is well adapted to cultiva- Their agri. tion, couvsisting generally of a black vegetable mouldj^p^fm^g^ from six to eight inches in depth. Wheat and flax have been raised with considerable success ; and potatoes, cab- bages, turnips, and similar productions, are obtained of an excellent quality. It is not doubted that all the crops which cover the fields in England might be brought to maturity, and that even fruit-trees would succeed in sheltered places, though the progress of horticulture has not hitherto been marked by any signal triumph over the disadvantages of nature. Domestic animals from Britain would find the climate not at all unfavourable to their increase. The Europeans who occupied these islands about a hundred years ago, left behind them, when their settlements were broken up, several species of quadrupeds ; the greater part of which, though they have not improved thei:* qualities, continue to enlarge their numbers. There are herds of cattle and of hogs in a wild state ; the horses are small, but very hardy ; and the rabbits, which are numerous and large in body, present a very fine fur. The history of these islands is not destitute of import- Tiielr ance ; though their value as a colony must be confined, "''*"'7* perhaps, to tlieir position, and not extended to their fepontaneous productions, which, taken by themselves, can never constitute the basis of c lucrative trade. They were first discovered, in 1694, by Hawkins, who, in compliment to his sovereign, it may be presumed, called them the Maiden Islands ; and nearly a hundred years afterwards they were seen by Strong, who, not aware that their existence had been formerly made known, gave them the name which they now bear. In 1764, the Flench formed on Berkeley Sound a settlemeiit 428 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROITSE. ^ CHAP. XIV. which they called St Louis ; but after the lapse of three Establish- years it was given up to the Spaniards, by whom it was ment at Port subsequently abandoned. In 1766, the English esta- *^"° blished themselves at Port Egmont, from whence, in 1770, they were expelled by a body of warriors from Spain ; an act of violence which nearly involved the two monarchies in war. Our countrymen, when restored to ' ' their possessions, finding little inducement to remain, voluntarily relinquished the station after an occupation of only four years ; but about the beginning of the present century, when the whale-fishery in those seas assumed a new importance, the Falkland Islands again attracted attention, and drew to their principal harbours a more resolute class of settlers. Port Egmont was once more supplied with people, as well from among those who were interested in the great fishing establishments in the Antarctic Ocean, as by the adventurers who wished to profit by the flourishing trade on the western coast of South America, now laid open, by the revolution in the Spanish colonies, to all the nations of the world. It is related that, in a brief space after this facility was pro- vided, nearly a hundred large ships touched at the islands, and availed themselves of the ample accommodation pro- vided for the seamen of all friendly states.* The author of the volume which passes under the name of Dixon was altogether ignorant of navigation, and his book accordingly is more interesting to the general reader than that of Portlock, which, besides being full of professional terms, displays little acquaint- Feversesof ance with the ordinary pursuits of life. At the period WMment ^^^^^ *^® King George and the Queen Chai-lotte reached Port Egmont, hardly any thing met the eye which was • Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. iii. p 94. The Falkland Islands, about the year 1771) derived from the spirit of party in England an importance which they could not in any other way have obtained. The celebrated Junius attacked the ministry for their tame submission to the supposed insult inflicted by Spain; and Dr John, in an able pamphlet, defended the conduct of ffovem- ment, whose motives, he maintained, were not understood. See John's Works, and the Letters of Junius, Nos. 42 and 43. PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8B. 429 m seas not c&lculated to excite regret and even some degree of ciiap. xiv. resentment. The town was in ruins, but near the place which it had occupied were some small pieces of ground enclosed with turf, which, no doubt, were intended for gardens, as it might easily be perceived tliat they had once been in a cultivated state. In one of them were found several sorts of flowers and some fine horse-radish. It is said that the soil near the port is of a light free state of tiie nature, and well calculated for meadow or pasture-land ; vegetation, but it is added that in many places it is no easy matter to tell of what it is composed, for the various plants have grown and rotted and grown again, till numbers of large hillocks are formed, from the tops of which spring rank blades of grass, which, naturally inclining to each other, form a kind of arch, and afibrd an occasional re- ti-eat to the seal, the sea-lion, penguin, and to such other animals as abound on the coast. On the beach were great numbers of geese and ducks, but much smaller and of a different species from the English : they are tame and easily run down. The sailors were much elated on seeing them, imagining that they should live luxuriously during their stay ; but in this they were grievously dis- appointed, for both were found exceedingly rank and fishy, owing no doubt to their constantly feeding on marine productions. Besides these were observed the Port Egmont hen and the albatross ; the former of Tiie Port which is a very ravenous bird, resembling a hawk, but a^t*he *'^" somewhat larger; the latter belongs to the species albatross. which Pennant has characterized as the " wandering," although no token of its migratory habits luis yet been discovered. It is manifest that it breeds in the Falk- land Islands ; for while Portlock and Dixon were there, hundreds of them were seen sitting on their nests, and great numbers of young were scarcely fledged.* m ree * Voyage round the World by Captain George Dixon, 1 vol. 4to. 1789, p> 42. Mr Darwin, in iiis interesting work on the natural hititory of these islands, states that their geological structure is in most respects simple. ** The lower country consists of clay-slate and sandstone associated together, and tlie hills of white granular quarU 430 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. CHAP. XIV i^lfects of tliu South American Some years passed before any particular attention was pqid to this colony, the value of which had been not a Qttle depreciated in the controversy tliat followed the attack by Junius on the policy of the British cabinet. It was not till the emancipation of South America from the Spanish dominion gave rise to new prospects of wuh^F^ik ^'ommerce on the shores of Chili and Peru, that the luud laiunda maritime powers on both continents manifested an un- equivocal desire to possess so convenient a station, unit- ing, in some degree, the Pacific with the Atlantic. After the event just noticed, the Argentine government made a grant of East Falkland to John Louis Vernet, who, having surmounted many difficulties, was advanc- ing prosperously in his attempt at colonization, when he unwisely seized two vessels belonging io Buenos Ayres, the crews of which were engaged in catching «eals. In consequence of this aggression, the republicans landed a body of men from a ship of war, who broke up his gardens, razed his buildings, and carried away all his servants as prisoners. The result of this outrage was the entire annihilation of Vernet's settlement ; and the islands tliemselves were for a time the common property of all seafaring persons, whom the want of supplies or the desire of relaxation might induce to enter the harbours. rock ; the strata of the latter are frequently arched with perfect symmetry, and the appearance of some of the masses is in conse- quence most singular. As a passage between the quartz and sandstone can be traced, it seems probable that the former owes its oriti^in to the sandstone having been heated to such an excess that it bicame viscid, and upon cooling crystallized ; while in the soft state it must have been pushed up through the overlying beds. In many parts of the islands, the bottoms of tlie valleys are covered in an extraordinary manner with myriads of great angular fragments of the quartz rock. These have been mentioned with surprise by every vojajrer since the time of Pernety. The whole may be called a stream ot' stones; the blocks vary in size from that of a man's chest to ten or twenty times as large, and occasionally they alto- gether exceed such measures." — P. ad4. It appears that the subsoil in some parts is a yellow earth, being the surface of the yellow sandstone partially decomposed: but the true soil consists of vegetable matter, and is, as might be expected, sufficiently fertile. PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUBE. 431 National disputes respecting the islandi. It now became a question between the rulers of the chap. xiv. United States and the masters of the rising common- wealth on the banks of La Plata, which of the two governments had the better right to the Falkland group. In the discussion which ensued, the representative of the former observed, that if any nation in the world had a better claim to them than his own, it was Great Britain ; a concession which afterwards shut the mouth of the President when the English sent out a force to secure possession. There cannot be any doubt that if our ministers had not taken this decisive step the rival republics would have gone to war; and considering their relative power on the ocean, the issue of the con- test could not have been long in suspense. On all accounts, therefore, the policy of this measure must be pronounced at once seasonable and wise, inasmuch as it prevented those islands from falling into the hands of an ambitious foe, -who, in the event of hostilities, would have used them as the key of the Pacific, and dictated the conditions on which trade should be enjoyed with the numerous tribes beyond the verge of Cape Horn. Great advantages, in a commercial point of view, will probably arise now that the Falklands are formed into a regular settlement, with an enterpricing officer as governor. It is well known that our homeward- bound ships from New South Wales and the republics of Chili, Peru, and Western Colombia, are often obliged to put into some port in the Brazils for water and pro- visions ; but there can be no doubt that as soon as it shall be generally known they can procure both in Berkeley Sound, they will prefer it, particularly be- cause it is quite in their track, whereas they must run far to leeward in sailing to any harbour on the mainland. As our mercantile relations with the rising states on the western shores of America increase, the beneficial efifects of having a regular colony at the Falklands will be- come more apparent ; for besides Port Louis being moie convenient to our merchantmen than any station in Brazil, the certainty of procuring supplies at a much Their commercial importance to Britain. 432 PORTLOcir, dixon, and la peruuse. CHAP. XIV. lower rate than in any other country, will be a great inducement to touch at a British settlement. They will also escape the various lighthouse and harbour dues, ir. which are rather high on the American continent. The English whalers will, in like manner, derive consider- able benefit from colonization in this quarter ; but in a Their nayal naval point of view, more especially, the advantages po "ce. ^j,^ obvious whether for attack or defence. Few vessels in time of war could sail to Australia, New Zealand, or the numerous clusters near the Equator, except under the English flag, without manifest risk of capture. The ex- treme anxiety of the Spaniards, as long as they had any territorial interest in the Naw World, the violence they used, the arts and negotiations they employed, to wrest these islands from us, show the importance they attached to them, with reference to the navigation of the Pacific, in days too when the commercial capabilities of that ocean were little known. A small depot under the auspices of the Admiralty will secure an essential con- venience to our smaller ships of war, as the nearest naval station, the Cape of Good Hope, is some thousand miles distant. At present our officers are dependent for aid, in that quarter of the globe, on foreigners, who, if from policy tliey do not refuse supplies, charge for them an exorbitant price. British rigiit It was in December 1832 that the British admiral at Rio de Janeiro received orders to send without delay an armed vessel to re-hoist the national colours on the Falklands. The attention of our government was drawn to the subject, in consequence of the dispute already noticed between the cabinets of Washington and Buenos Ayres ; and hence the resolution, now adopted, of as- serting the prior claim of the English crown to the exercise of sovereignty in that remote part of the world. The sloop Clio was immediately despatched under the command of Captain Onslow, who forthwith planted the royal standard both at Port Egmont in the western, and at Port Louis in the eastern island. The ship Tyne was shortly afterwards sent on the same duty, lest the PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 433 other should have encountered any formidable resistance chap. \iv. from the Buenos Ayreans, who had been some time es- tabiished there, in the form of a garrison ; but it was found that the Clio had already taken peaceable posses- sion, owing chiefly to the fact that the foreign governor British had been previously murdered by some of his own i'"«?e«»'"n troops, and the assassins taken into custody by the crew of a French merchantman. Lieutenant Smith, with four seamen of the Tyne who had volunteered to accompany him, assumed the duties of commandant, which he dis- charged with great zeal in circumstances extremely un- favourable to the exercise of regular authority. Some Indian gauchos, or natives of America, wrre allowed to remain when tlie British landed ; and these barbarians, insensible to the protection they enjoyed, availed them- selves so far of the temporary absence of this officer, as to plunder his house and put to death six Europeans Such evils can no longer occur, because, in order to con- trol the proceedings of whalers and such strangers ns may happen to visit the coast, a ship of war is regularly stationed in the sound, where the imperial flag is always displayed, and to the commanler of which all offenders are amenable.* Still it appears that the Falkland Islands, so far from being fully colonized, are, generally Their speaking, allowed to lie waste. From the erroneous ^^n^tJ,^ impressions which continue to prevail throughout the merchant service, of the boisterous climate and the danger attending the approach to the harbours, very few ships enter the bays ; but when it is known that the ports are at once accessible and sate, and that abundant supplies may be obtained on moderate terms, the prejudice, we may hope, will altogether cease.t * United Service Journal, 1834, part iii. p. 337, where is in- serted a communication from a *' Comniissi(Hiea Officer in the Royal Navy," together with "Extracts from a Private Journal;" both obviously written by individuals who must have resided in the islands. f Some Account of the Falkland Islands, from a Six Months' Residence in 1838 and 1839. By L. B. Mackinnon, R. N. London. 1840. " The climate of these islands," says this author, '' may b« 434 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. Rnssian settlement on Cook's Rirer. CHAP. XIV. Upon leaving the Falklands, Portlock and Dixon Portiock and shaped their course for the Sandwich Isles, where they ti'e I'jlcilio."** expected to find a supply of provisions, wood, and water. In these respects they enjoyed not the full measure of success which they had been led to anticipate ; where- fore, after procuring some yams and a few hogs, they again weighed anchor, standing to the north-west under the influence of moderate breezes. On the Idth July 1786, they entered Cook's River, leaving the Barren Islands to the southward and eastward. Both wind and tide being in their favour, they proceeded along the eastern shore, with the view of reaching Anchor Point, where they meant to pass the night ; but about seven in the evening they were surprised by the report of a gun, which issued from a bay about four miles distant. Upon inquiry, it was discovered that a party of Rus- sians had formed a temporary settlement on the coast, for the purpose of trading with the natives, whom they were pleased to describe as at once very quarrelsome and vindictive. To this recess the English gave the name of Coal Harbour, from the circumstance of their dis- covering a small vein of that mineral near the south- eastern point. said to resemble that of Ireland in its mildness, without bein^ mo damp; perhaps even it may be more like that of the western isles of Scotland, eijually mild and more dry, and as healthy. When drained and cultivated, the produce must be beyond calculation great, and the hardy peasants of Connauglit or of the Hebrides, mijrht there iind, in a climate congenial to their own, all the bene- fits of cultivation. One thing is certain : in parts of the British Islands the population rather exceeds the means of subsistence; in the Falklands the means of subsistence are ready for thousands, and might be extended for millions. In most countries the settlers have to clear woods, to turn up land, and to sow and reap, and a year may elapse before any return from the soil can be obtained : in the Falklands, the wildf cattle, and the multitude of other ani- mals fit for man's use, are ready at liand, and the means of living in plenty are secured to the settlers to the fullest extent.** — P. 71* Dixon, pp. 60, 61. In reference to the Falkland group this author observes, that " we need not wonder at the Spaniards envying us the possession of these islands, as their situation com- mands the passage to the Spanish settlements in the South Sea;'* an opinion held by later and more experienced navigators. PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0V8B. 435 The historian of this voyage remarks that the adjacent chap. Xiv. country is very mountainous : the hills which slope The coontiy down to the shore are quite encumbered with pines, in- ^'J/I*'„, termixed with birch, aldor, and various other trees and shrubs, whilst the moie distant ridges, whose summits outreach the clouds, are completely covered with snow, and have the appearance of everlasting winter. Though it was the latter end of July, the weather was cold, damp, and disagreeable, with frequent showers of sleet ; and the surrounding prospect, it need not be added, was most dreary and uncomfortable. At this period the natives were friendly, and brought what furs they happened to possess, having already sold the best to the Russians, who considered them as slaves bound to obey their commands. Salmon was in such abundance, that a good fish was obtained for a single bead : they were indeed so plentiful, that, if the sailors refused to purchase, the generous savages threw them on board without demanding any price. On the fifth of August, the ofRcera resolved to leave Cook's River, being convinced, from the poverty which every where prevailed, that the materials for a cargo no longer existed. The appearance and manners of the inhabitants are so The state of well described by the great navigator whose name this |*' '"''^bi- inlet bears, that it would be quite superfluous to add any details in regai'd to their aspect or the usages of life. They seem not to have fixed on any particular spot for their residence, but remove from place to place as best suits their convenience or inclination. It is probable that they are divided into clans or tribes ; for in every canoe which approached the ships there was at least one person who appeared to have an authority superior to the rest, and who, in virtue of his station, not only directed their traffic but also maintained a certain degree of subordination. Upon leaving Cook's River the adventurers attempted to enter Prince William's Sound, but, owing to bad w^eather, were altogether unsuccessful. Nor were the elements more propitious when they endeavoured to force tauU. i 1 ■ ij:.- i SI i ! i ' HI < Hli 430 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. CHAP. XIV. a passage into King George's Sound ; their path being encumbered by shoals and small islands, which, towards the close of September, proved exceedingly dangerous, particularly during the night. It was therefore resolved to return to the Sandwich archipelago, where they hoped to find at once a good supply of provisions and a com- fortabliti asylum till the season for action should again call them to the American coast.* Tiie Island of On the passage towards their winter quarters, consid- LTGorta.*^ "^ erable pains were taken to discover an island jailed Santa Maria la Gorta, which is laid down in Cook's chart in lat. 27° 30' N. and long. 149° W. Being aware of the source of error in this case, as well as in respect to certain other clusters mentioned by the early Spanish navigators, Dixon and his colleagi e were not in any degree disappointed, though they sailed over the very spot indicated by their predecessors without perceiving any trace of land. This inaccuracy has led to certain remarks, and even confirmed some conclusions, touching the loose method of reckoning longitude followed by the seamen of the sixteenth century, to v'hich we shall invite the attention of the reader when we come to analyze the voyage of La Perouse, About the middle of November, the ships reached a safe harbour in Oahu, finding that they could not obtain a good anchorage at the larger island of Owhyhee or Hawaii. Seven years had elapsed since the murder of Captain Cook, but the principles and usages of the inhabi- tants were not in any measure clianged. Nor was their dexterity in thieving at all diminished ; for, though they parted with their hogs, fowls, plantains, and bread-fruit at a moderate price, they failed not to seek ample compensation by abstracting, even in the presence of ■ Poi tlock*s Voyage round the World, p. 130-150. It is admitted that the trade in furs had liitherto been a faiUire, and that the crews of both ships were greatly disappointed; a result which may be ascribed to their late arrival in the country, and the prior visit o*" the Russians. T^.e liarbour and people of Oalm. PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 437 their visitera, every thing that admitted of concealment chap. x:v or easy removal. The taboo, or sacred prohibition, was continued imposed, for no other reason, perhaps, than to enhance ""perstition the value of their produce, for which the appearance of '"* two English ships secured an extensive demand. A seasonable application to the cupidity of the king and chief priest procured the removal of this restraint, upon which an active trade commenced ; but soon afterwards, a woman being convicted of eating pork on board the King George, it was again imposed with greater strict- ness, and enforced until her crime was expiated by the sacrifice of her life in the presence of the offended idol . It is hence maaifest that the same sanguinary supersti- tion, which so much appalled the first Europeans who visited these fine islands, still retained its full influence over tht minds of the people ; and that the chiefs, whose power had no firm basis in the principles of abstract justice or of public .jood, were as yet permitted to en- force the maxims of an irresponsible government by an appeal to terror founded on the credulity of their de- pendants. Roused by the love of gain, the original motives of the expedition, the Englishmen once more put to sea ; and on the 24th April 1787 descried the American coast near Montague Island, at the entrance to Prince William's PHnce Sound. Next day a number of the natives surrounded ^''^'^"''^ the ships in their canoes, and upon seeing some dogs on board who barked at them, they called out " Towzer, Towzer, here, here I" whistling at the same time after the manner of our own country. The inference drawn from this cir:!umstance was at once natural and con- solatory, namely, that a vessel from Gicr.t Britain must either be in the sound at present or had been there very lately. Di :on accordingly, in one of the long boats, proceeded into tlie creek, where he found the Nootka from Bengal, commanded by Captain Meares, who had wintered in the inlet, and who was indeed atill fast in the ice. The scurvy had made dreadful havoc among his men, several of whom had fallen 438 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. King George's Sound. CHAP. XIV. victims to it ; and the remainder at one time were so enfeebled, that he himself was the only person abl ) to walk the deck. On tlie 16th May, according to a previous arrange- ment, the two English ships parted company, and Captain Dixon steered towards King George's Sound, in the hope of collecting a large quantity of furs. Proceeding on an easterly couree, he entered a bay, to which, supposing himself the first discoverer, he gave the name of Port Mulgrave. The extent of the recess could not be ascertained on account of the incessant fogs ; but, at the apparent distance of ten miles, high mountains were observed in a north-western direction, entirely covered with snow. The number of inhabit- ants dwelling on the shores of this sound appeared not to exceed seventy, including women and children. They were in general about the middle size, their limbs straight and well-shaped ; but, like the other natives along the coast, so much addicted to the painting of their faces with a variety of colours, that it was not ''7 to discover their real complexion. A woman was r!> 'uced by a trifling present to wash her face, and the alteration it made in her appearance was absolutely surprising. Her countenance had all the cheerful glow of an English milkmaid ; the healthy red which flushed her cheek Tlie beanty was even beautifully contrasted with the. whiteness of of the ^^^^ neck ; her eyes were black and sparkling ; her eye- brows the same colour, and finely arched : her forehead so remarkably clear that the translucent veins were seen meandering in their minutest branches. But this symmetry of features, it is added, is destroyed by a custom extremely singular, of which the voyagers had never seen any example, and were even ignorant that any former traveller had mentioned it. The author here alludes to the practice which prevails at Nootka Sound of making an aperture in the thick part of the under lip, parallel to the mouth, in which a piece of wood is constantly worn. This ornament is not, how- ever, used indiscriminately, but only by the women, and and bad taste women. Tl PCRTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 439 and especially by such as arrogate to themselves a station chap. xiv. superior to the othor females of the tribe.* The account hero given corresponds with that supplied by Maurelle, when second captain of the Spanish frigate Favorita. After mentioning that the women evince in The coutumo their dress the modesty and decorum of their manners, ^^. |^° he observes that their countenances are pleasing, their complexion tolerably clear, their cheeks rosy, and their hair, which they wear braided, of great length. Their principal garment is a long rol)e of smooth fur, girded about the loins, and not unlike that of monks, covering them from the neck to the feet, and with sleeves reaching down to the wrists ; and over this they wear several skins of otters or other animals, to protect them from the cold. Were they better dressed, he continues, "many might dispute the prize of beauty with the handsomest of our women in Spain ; but not content with their native charms, they have recourse to art, which, far from embellishing, serves only to disfigure them." He states, j,lao, that it is only the married women who have th"j large opening in the lower lip, filled up with the oval-shaped piece of wood ; while the young ones use a copper needle, which crosses the lip where the ornament is afterwards to be placed. + When the crew of the Queen Charlotte entered tlie harbour, .heir attention was attracted by the sight of i> number of white rails, on a piece of level groi nd, which, though at the distance of a mile and a hal /, appeared constructed with su( h a degree of order and regularity as to suggest the notion that they must have been erected by a civilized people. Upon a minuter exa- A Cemetery. mination, it was found to be a " kind of burying-place where dead bodies are not deposited in the earth ;" and the manner in which the funeral-rites are perfovmcd is • Dixon's Voyajj;e to the North-wost Coast of America, p. 172. t"E?;tract from the Acoimt of a Voj'ajjfe made in 17731- by Lkm Francisco Antonio Maurelle, eu'^ij.'-n of a frigate in the sfrrice of the King of Spain, to explore the N\ estern Coast of North America." This "extract" is inserted in '.he first vohime of the Enj:;hsh trans- lation of the Voyage round tiie World bv Lu I'erotise, p. 242. 2 E m Hi i .' 440 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AMD LA PER0U8E. The rites of sepulture. I i CHAP^xiv. worthy of being described. The relations separate the head from the body of the deceased, and, wrapping them both in furs, put the former into a square box, the latter into a species of oblong chest. At each end of this case, a pole about ten feet long is driven into the earth in a slanting position, so that the points meet together, and are firmly fastened with a rope prepared for the purpose. About two feet from the top of tho arch so formed, a small piece of timber is laid across, and neatly fitted to either pole ; and on this the box contain- ing the head is placed, strongly secured with a thick cord. The box itself is frequently decorated with two or three rows of small shells, and sometimes teeth, which are indented in the wood with much neatness and ingenuity ; the whole being ornamented with a great variety ot colours, suited perhaps to the age or character of the defunct. The poles are uniformly painted white ; and hence the appearance which struck the eyes of our countrymen at a distance. In this respect, as well as in some others having an immediate reference to the habits, enjoyments, and Similarity of opinions of the natives of King George's Sound, it is J;"j iy'p^'jyfnot difficult to trace a resemblance to the usages of the several tribes who are scattered ovtr the islands of the Southern Pacific. For example, we find that the savages of the north dress their victuals by putting heated stones into a kind of wicker-basket among pieces of fish. no&iu. seal, and porpoise, and covering it up very closely. This method they always prefer to boiling, even when furnished with pans, and instructed in the use of them. They are also particulcrly fond of chewing a plant pos- sessing a narcotic quality ; and, not content with the leai in its simple state, they usually add a little lime, and frequently the inner rind of the pine-tree, together with a resinous substance extracted from it.* • The captain was particularly struck by vtie ex|iertness of the natives in fislijng ; acknowledj^injj that " we wtre ♦airly beat at our own woapons, and our boat was never sent on this bu^ine^s aller* wards."— P. 174, ! 1 ' PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROU»E. 441 e the them c, the nd of the meet spared of the 3S, and intain- ic cord. r three ch are nuity ; iety ot of the white ; of our vmg an ts, and id, it is i of the 3 of the at the heated of fish, closely, when them, nt po8- the leal ne, and er with tss of the ?at at oiir pss allei- About the middle of Jane, after proceeding some days chap. xiv. in a south-easterly course, Captain Dixon added to our knowledge of the western co.ist of America by entering a sound which he named in honour of the Duke of The Duke of Norfolk. It is almost certain that two ships, under the ^"J^^"* * flag of Spain, had already visited this inlet ; but as no authentic record is preserved whereby the precise time and extent of their discovery could be fixed, the Eng- lishman claimed the merit of first making known to the curiosity of Europeans the nature of the shore and the character of the inhabitants. The manners of the people, we are assured, approach nearer to those in Cook's River and Prince William's Sound, than to the more unsophisticated dwellers at Port Mulgrave. Their traffic seems to be conducted with great order and regularity : they constantly appeared alongside the Queen Charlotte at daybreak, and nevei- failed to spend more than half an hour in singing before the trade commenced. The chief, on all occasions, as- sumed the management of the whole property belonging to his subjects, and took infinite pains to dispose of their furs advantageously. Should a different tribe arrive while he is trading, they wait with patience till he has concluded the negotiatioi; : and if in their opinion he has made a good bargain, they frequently employ him to sell their commodities. One day the captain was endeavouring to get the dartre Weaa meaning of some words in their language from a chief, when, on pointing to the sun, the latter took great pains to make his visiter understand that, notwithstanding the apparent superiority of the strangers in the know- ledge of arts and possession of useful articles, their origin was the same ; that all mankind came from above ; and that the solar orb at once animated and supported every creature in the universe. Besides their ordina y dress, the natives have a pet- diar kind of cloaks ruu^de pur- posely to defend them from the intense inclemency of the weather, composed, it was imagined, of reeds sewed very closely tos^ethcr. ' I m ■i • A gentleman on board, whj h;id t i 1 i 1 i ■M I II 442 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8B. CHAP. XIV. accompanied Captain Cook in his last voyage, remarked """' that they were exactly the same with those worn by the inhabitants of New Zealand. Proceeding still towards the south, with the ultimate intention of casting anchor in King George's Sound, the pilot discovered a bay which, from its favourable situa- tion, seemed to afford some prospect of success in trading with the natives. A convenient harbour, completely land-locked, and having a depth of water extending to Port Banks, upwards of twenty fathoms, was named Port Banks, as a token of respect to the distinguished naturalist, who at that period gave his countenance to every attempt made for the extension of geographical knowledge. It is situated in long. 136° W., and lat. 66° 36' N. The prospect, thougli rather confined, had something in it more pleasing and romantic than any yet seen on the coast. Tlie land on either side, no doubt, rises to an elevation sufficiently great to convey the most distinct idea of winter even on the 24th of June ; but, though the mountains at that season w^ere covered with snow, the numerous pines which every where project their bushy tops on the declivities, contribute greatly to di- vest the scene of that dreary aspect wjiich belongs to the barren hills on the northern side of Cook's River. We have now to mention the principal discovery made during this voyage, that, namely, of the group It was some time towards the east was not part of the continent ; but Captain Dixon at length decided this question by sailing between the group and und ; Irn by I to see lie that In, vltA |re, an*l iround re feet the women only in that part of the coast which extends chap. xi\' from Port Mulgrave to Queen Charlotte's Islands. — There are at least two or three different languages Tiicir spoken on the coast, or rather, perhaps, so many dia- *""*»'*"6'^* lects of one mother-tongue. When written, they all appear uncouth and diflicult to pronounce ; and yet, though they abound in consonants, the sounds when uttered by a native are not disagreeable, proceeding from the lips and teeth rather than from the throat. It is superfluous to observe that they have no literature, and, so far as there were any means of judging, no form of divine worship. Maurelle remarks, that he could not perceive any trace of religion among them, except that they sometimes made an inclinition towards the sun ; 6ut that it was an act of devotional reverence it was impossible for him to determine. Whether or not they make use of any species of hieroglyph to perpetuate the memory of events, is a point that remained doubtful, notwithstanding the inquiries of our people. The nu- merous drawings of birds and fishes which every where met their eyes, as well as the graven images of animals, and even of men, led them to conjecture that the arts were called in to aid the recollection of the passing age, or to hand down to posterity a knowledge of occurrences iniportant to the tribe in days which had gone by. Not a lew of these carvings were executed with a degree of correctness and ingenuity which could not but appear extraordinary among a class of men so remote from civilized life. It is true that this art is not in its in- fancy on the wild shores of North America : a fondness for sculpture and design was remarked by Captain Cook ; iron implements were in use when he first visited the '^■'" Jmpltv natives of the western coast ; and their knives are so thin and flexible that they can be bent into a variety of forms, which suit their purposes nearly as well as if they ha(^ recourse to the tool-chest of a European car- penter. The only instruments observed in their hands, not made of iron, were formed of jasper, the same as those used by the rude artists of New Zealand, But, as mcnts. 'SI IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I lis ■12 Ul ■ 4.0 iU ■ 2.0 il'-2^ 1 '-^ Ii4 ^ 6" ► / f' / w Photographic Sciences Corporation 4^ ?3 WEST ffiAIN STRiET W«a;.ER,N.Y. U5M (716)172 4503 448 PORTLO'^K, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8R. The weapon with » hkli ('(Xik was ■loin. ciTAP. XIV. we shall have occasion to accompany subsequent travel- lers to the same part of the world, we abstain from entering into further details, wliich may be brought for- ward more seasonably hereafter. 7*ortlock, who, as already noticed, sailed under the command of Cook in his last voyage, and was present when that distinguished navigator was murdered at Owhyhee, recognised, while in that island on his return homewards in October 1787, a person who stood on the shore when the tragedy took place. He asked whether the great captain was killed with a pahoa : the other replied that it was a different weapon, the point of which entered at the shoulders and came out at the breast. He hunted about the cabin till he found a bayonet, and asserted that the Orono was slain with an instrument of that kind. This statement is the more probable, because it was known that the natives had procured some of these weapons, either by steaith or by trading with the crews. The islander added that a great number of the in- bubitants were wounded by the repeated discharges ot musketry, the majority of whom died ; and he did not conceal that the reason why the present sovereign and other chiefs declined to come on board the King Geoi^e, was the apprehension that the death of a leader so much venerated might be visited on their heads, even though they had no immediate share in its perpetration.* Thevoyanreof '^^^ circumnavigator who comes next in order is the La Perouse. unfortunate La Perouse, whose fate, a long time doubt- ful, excited much anxiety throughout Europe ; a feel- ing which, when hope could be no longer entertained, was succeeded by the profouudest grief. Various mo- tives have been assigned for the interest manifested by the French government in the voyage of discovery com- mitted to his care, some of which do little honour to those writers in whose minds they originated. It has been asserted, for example, that, at the time when the ex- pedition departed to make new acquisitions forphilosophy * PorUock, p. 309. Nt i, 'iy, «.d give them U ?" .r"'?..*'"" *")> new nely of whioh would ™ufv II JT ""' ''<"'". 'ho yZ ».«d^ « They h,«i bS " ^'a r""'""' '"'"Of the^ 'h«n m following the Lh"n f.f *'" Chine* " 'h«»to«,„i«,h^,„;^^'onof^^^^^ Ihe v,ew, of the public VJ„'^''™'''^E"8''»d."* «u«en.w,U.ted; for.^^^nj^X'ii: T""^' '">"> '*"«■«. would interrupt the pro«^ S 5^ ^^ ^™"» "^ Cook °*«'«S "•anners of Great Britata^ Ascovery among the »vfmg he«elf of U," tf' '' ''*™."' P«>per that fVci ^ jast concludei'^.dtvin??^''"''" "'« P'«^*e "he now held amoL m«?« "^^ "*"" ™S«"' <» the «nk «>nio.hip,f„,the,«^"""ne power^ ah,„,j ^"^^ eontribut her 8ha«,twXonr *'";'''• ""> "'«■*''/ of that globe which has C„T, "'"u'''"' ^nowledi ■njn. But the eoveZn^H.""* 'he habitation!? •"ioor for the progre« f?„K-, ""t «> ^^ yield to hi «^»t inte«sts of S 2i^ '^P''y » «« »"riook th^ Pomted out. in » f^ii bj"™,"' ""'""'^'ion. He tho* objects of p„*S ^d^ "' P''^'"« instructiol ;»hed the attention rthTcr"'"*"* *" ""-ich D ^•'ected at the different pte^ ^ »« Particular?, «• »top, in „rt„ j,,^ the e^.i^^ " ""^ ""Kht happen 450 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. ObjMtsin Fol}ueuu CHAP. XIV. commanded also to ascertain whether the British had — entirely quitted the island of Trinidad ; wliether any na- tives of Portugal had settled there ; and what might be the establishment they have formed since its evacuation. If he should find Isle Grande, he was instructed to exa- mine whether it affords any safe and commodious har- bour ; what conveniences it offers for a settlement, sup- posing the whale-fishery were to induce French mer- chant-ships to visit the southern part of the Atlantic ; and whether there be any place, capable of being foi'tified with advantage and maintained by a small force, suit- able for a colony so remote from the protection of the mother- country. It was not expected that the islands of the great equa- torial ocean could furnish many observations under the interesting heads of commerce and political relations. When in that part of the world, therefore, his instruc- tions required no more than that he should study their climate and productions, the manners and cusif>ms of the natives, their religion, government, mode of making war, arms, and vessels ; the distinguishing character of each tribe, what they have in common with other sa- vage nations, and especially what is peculiar to each. In such of the islands as have already been visited by Europeans, he was required to leaim whether the in- habitants have been able to distinguish the different countries of the navigators, and what opinion they have formed of each in particular ; to examine into the use they have made of the various commodities, metals, tools, stufiv, and other things, with which they have been furnished from time to time ; to obtain informa- tion whether the cattle, fowls, and other animals left on some of the islands by Captain Cook have bred ; what grain and pulse from Europe have succeeded best ; what methods have been employed in cultivating them ; and what use has been made of their produce. Upon La Perouse it was particularly enjoined that in his visit to New Caledon^ Queen Charlotte's Islands, the land of the Arsacides, and Louisiada, he should Objedi at the iiitertro- picul groups. "\ y- iai'm inds, PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PBROUSE. 451 examine carefully the productions of those countries, chap. xiv. which, lying under the torrid zone and the same lati- "'"' tudes as Peru, might he expected to open a new field for commercial speculation ; and, without trusting to the reports of the Spanish navigators relative to the fertility of some of the islands which they discovered in the Pacific, to ascertain, if possible, whether those seen ' • by Bougainville in 1768, and by Surville the year follow- , . ' \ ing, are not the same which were brought to light by ' ' ' Mendana in 15G7, and since known by the name of the Solomons. New Zealand having been minutely Objects at described by the English, he was not desired to make New Zealand any researches there. But during his stay in Queen Charlotte's Sound, says the card of instructions put into his hand, ** he will endeavour to gain intelligence whether the English have formed, or entertain the pro- ject of forming, any settlement in these islands ; and if he should hear that they have actually formed a settle- ment, he will repair thither. In order to learn all par- ticulars respecting its object, strength, and condition.* In regard to the north-western shores of America, and the establishments formed there by the Spaniards, the navigator was commanded, in the name of his royal master, to infornr. himself touching their present stato and to find out whether those at San Diego and Mon- terey were the only settlements they had in that part of the world ; to inquire also in what latitude furs be- gan to be procured ; what quantity can be furnished ; 2^^^' '" ' what commodities are best adapted to the trade ; and Padfia what conveniences might be found for making a settle- ment on the coast. With respect to the Kurile Isles and Seso, he was told to survey them with prudence and circumspection, both as to the navigation of a sea • A Vojrage rotind the World, performed in the years 17R«'5» 178B, 1787, and 17B8, by the Boussole and Astrolabe, under the command of J. F. G. de la Perouse, &c Two vohimes 4to, Lon- don, 1799. The French edition of this narrative, on which we have chiefly relied, is that pnblished at Paris, in the year 1834, by Armand Aabr6e, and superintended bv M. Albert Mont^mont. 452 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PBRODSE. CHAP. XIV. unknown to Europeans, and also as to the intercouiw he might have with the natives, whose character and manners must, it was supposed, have some resem- blance to those of the Japanese, by whom part of thorn are said to have been subjected. He was likewise in- structed to visit the north-eastern provinces of Japan ; Objects on to land at one of its harbours to satisfy himself whether rad chijD'ir ***® government oppose insuperable obstacles to a cova- mercial intercourse with Europeans. He was reminded that the examination of C!orea and Chinese Tartary must be conducted with great vigilance and caution, there being many Japanese pirates in the sea which divides these countries ; and, because the government ot Pe-king is very jealous, he was not to hoist his colours when on the coast, nor in any way to make himself known to the local authorities. The royal directions are summed up by imposing upon the commodore as a primary duty, that, in all the islands and harbours of the continent, occupied or fre- quented by Europeans, at which he should happen to touch, he shall make every inquiry with the view ot ascertaining, with some minuteness, the nature and ex- tent of the trade of every nation ; the naval and military force which they maintain there ; the ties of interest or friendship whicli subsist between them and the chiefs of the country where they have settlements ; and, in gen- eral, every thing which concerns politics or commerce. From tlie details now produced, it must be manifest that the object of the voyage conducted by La Perouse was not exclusively scientific ; though, upon reference to the same authorities, it will be found that on no former occasion were more ample means provided for the extension of knowledge in all the branches to which human curiosity is attracted, whether physical, moral, or antiquarian. The spirit of vain-glory or of an envi- ous ambition was not allowed to mingle with the wish to add new provinces to the empire of man. The patrons of the French enterprise frankly admitted that the li^g- lish navigators had merited the just admiration of iih'i Great scope of I lie voy- PORTLOCK, DIXON» AMD LA PBROUSE. 453 fCOUlM ter and reaem- of thorn wise in- Japan ; whether > a covn- "eminded Tartary caution, >a which •nment oi is colours e himself imposing in all the e AND LA PBR0U8B. CHAP. XIV. the western shore of America, and formerly subject to the government of Chili. By means of a powerful glass he endeavoured to obtain a view of the buildings, but Destrnction saw no traces of any liabitation. In the course of the CoacepUuo!'' evening some pilots appeared, who informed him that the town had been destroyed by an earthquake in the year 1761, and that a new one had been built at the distance of three leagues from the sea, on the banks oi the river Biobio. It was not till 1763 that the people made choice of the site now mentioned, on which they >, renewed the bishop's palace, the cathedral, and all the other religious houses. The inhabitants were said to amount to ten thousand ; a small number compared to the wide country by which they were surrounded, and the ample means of subsistence thereby afforded, at the expense of little labour. Their territory extended to the Cordilleras on the east, and southwards to the Straits oi Magellan. The lands beyond the river, it is true, be- longed to the Indians, with the exception of the island of Chiloe and a small district around Valdivia. Nor could these people be properly held as subjects of the King of Spain, with whom they were almost constantly in a state of war ; and hence the governor had at his disposal a large body of troops, both regulars and militia. In no part of the world is the soil more productive thaii in this section of Chili. Com yields a return of sixty- fold, and the vines are equally productive. The plains, too, were covered with innumerable flocks and herds, whicii multiplied immensely, though left entirely to themselves, without cither watch or feeder. The usual price of a fat ox was about eight dollars, that of a sheep not more than three shillings and ninepence ; but there were no purchasers, and on this account the inhabitants were accustomed every year to kill a great number of cattle, the hides and tallow of which were alone pre- served.* ' ■ V. * With ree^rd to the city of the Conception, La Perouse observes that **le vilWe de Talcag|uana est aujoiird'hui le seiil etablisse- ineut EspagnoT de cettc baie. On voit encore, dcuns ia direction de ThofiBftUlty of the sui-- ronnding country. eci to il glass ^ but of the n that in the at the onksoi people :h they all the said to [)ared to led, and 1, at the sd to the Itraits 01 rue, be- le island ia. Nor ;8 of the tnstantly id at his militia, live thaii .f sixty- le plains, d herds, lirely to |he usual a sheep »ut there labitantf" imber of me pre- > observes I etablisse- Irection de PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PBROUSB. 455 But it is in vain that nature lavishes he;: gifts, if the CHAP. xiv. social institutions are unfavourable to the development of industrious habits ; and accordingly, notwithstanding all the advantages now mentioned, the colony did not advance either in wealth or population. The genial in- Disaitroas fluence of the climate was counteracted by that of the^^^^^^S^ government; prohibitory regulations were extended from one end of the province to the other ; and hence, though the productions of the soil, if increased to the full extent, would have been sufficient to maintain the half of Europe, though its wool would have supplied all the manufactories of France and England, and its salted meat would have produced a vast revenue, it had no commerce. Four or five vessels, indeed, arrived annu- ally from Lima, with sugar, tobacco, and a few manu- factured articles, which the unfortunate inhabitants could only obtain from the second or third hand, and after immense duties had been paid both in the Spanish and American ports. All that they had to give in ex- change was wheat, the value of which was so depressed that the agriculturist found :.j encouragement to culti- vate his waste lands, together with tallow, hides, a few planks, and a trifling portion of gold. It is unnecessary to add that, the balance of trade being always against the settlers, their condition received no improvement, and admitted little hope. One of the evils under which this colony groaned arose CMamitoiM from a circumstance which most men would deem ^d-fl^Utfr highly favourable, namely, that it produces a small quantity of gold. As nearly all the rivers contain grains 6f this metal, a native, by merely washing the earth, could earn half a dollar a-day ; but as provisions were very plentiful, he was not excited to labour by any real Test, les niines de Tancienne ville de la Conception, aui ne dureront van autant que ceiles de Palmyre, tons les batiments an pays n^itant Katis qu*en torchis on en briques cuites au soleil : les couTertures sont en tuiles creuses, comme dans plusieures provinces m^ridionales de la Prance.** — Bihliothi^ut Unioerselle dea Voyages, toma Aii. p. 71* ^9|Ff«Vi!n|R«im^m)flfPir CHAP. XIV MlMtable ronditton of thererjrrieh- Character Mid condition of the aative lodlaiui 456 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PBB0U8B. want. Deprived of communication with foreigfneTS, and unacquainted with European luxury and arts, his detire could not be fixed on any object with sufficient intensity to overcome his love of ease. Tlie houses evto of the most opulent were, on this account^ wretehedly fur- nished ; their gardens were uncultivated ; and their wholo eBtablishment bore marks of indifference, lazinets, and neglect. The same indolence, it was thought, still more thim credulity or superstition, has contributed to fill the country with monks and nuns, the fotmer of whom it is sud enjoyed a greater degree of liberty than elsewhere ; and the disadvantages of having nothing to do, the want of family attachments, a stete of celibacy w ..out being separated fi^m the world, seemed to have ^^'oduced a very unfiivourable effect upon their characters. The natives of Conception, generally, did not sustain a high reputation, viewed in reference at least to Our standard of morab ; and being of a mixed descent, with a large portion of Indian blood, they were considered on all hands in the light of a degenerate race, having no qua- lity to inspire confidence or self-respect. A much higher estimate was formed of the Indians themselves, who are no longer those anicient Americans who were struck with terror by the atrms of the Span- iards. The increase of horses^ now dispersed over all the immense deserts of the interior, as Well as of Oxen atad sheep which seem to own no proprietor, have l-^idered these people real Arabs in the usages of life. Continu- fdly mounted, a journey of five hundred miles is to thbm only a short excursion. They travel accompanied by their flocks, feed on their flesh, their milk, and even their blood ; clothing themselves also with their skins, of which they make helmets, cuirasses, and bucklers. Thus, the introduction of two domestic animals into America has had the most striking influence upon the manners of all the tribes who dwell between St Jago and the extremity of Patagonia. They no longer fi>llow any of their ancient customs ; they nO longer liV^e upon tlie same fruits nor wear the same garments ; and they POUTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEItUl BE. 457 his detire ', intetisit/ rbn of the ledly f«- lieirwhold sinets, and , still more I to fill the whom it is elsewhere ; >, the want ^ out heing ^i-oduced a cteis. The (tain a high ur standard aih a large ered on all ing no qu»- the Indians ; Americans >f the Sl?an- 1 over all tho |of oxen aind bve tendered Continu- js b to thbm mpanicd by :, and even their skins, id bucklers, ^imals into ice upon the [een St Jago longer follow ^er liVe iipon and they have a much more considerable resemblance to the Tar- chap. XIV. tars, or to those nomade freebooters who infest the eastern shores of the Red Sea, than to their own ancestors as they existed two centuries ago. It cannot be surprising, therefore, that such men soon learned to contemn the *' Spaniards, and at no time yielded more than a nominal subjection. i ' '■' ' ' 'tT .tvi < . On the 0th April, La Perouse with part of his follow- Eutor Idand era landed on Easter Island, discovered by Roggewein bitaiitii! ^"''*^ in the year 1722. It soon appeared that the natives had not in any respect improved mnce they were visited by Captain Cook, and that the various gifts conferred on them by this navigator had not been turned to any advantage. The Frenchmen had hardly touched the shore when their hats were taken from their heads, and their handkerchiefs stolen from their pockets. The whole multitude appeared to be accomplices ih these thefts, for upon the commission of each individual act they all fled like a flock of birds when suddenly alarmed. Some among them indeed seemed to exercise a small de- gree of authority over the others ; but it was perceived that their pre-eminence consisted in nothing beyond their greater dexterity in stealing, and their ingenuity in hiding the pillage already achieved. Though they pretended to shield their guests, and actually ran after those who had abstracted their goods, it was very eAisy to perceive that they had not the most disttot intention of overtaking the delinquents. The impiression made on the minds of the French The busts in voyagere by the busts in Easter Island, did not corre- Easterisiaud. spend to that received by the companions of Cook. Mr Forster thought them the work of a people much more advanced in civilisation than the present natives; an opinion which the philosophers of the Boussole and As- trolabe consider to be ill founded. The largest of them was not found by actual measurement to be more than fourteen fbet six inches in height, seven feet and a half broad at the shoulders, and about five feet square at the base. Upon the whole, they appeared to present no ■ill ■" 458 POHTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. 1! i i:.: CHAP. XIV. difficulty in the execution which might not be overcome by the ingenuity of the men now exbting. All the monuments, indeed, had an air of antiquity ; but it is remarked that the actual form of government has ren- Theoriffin dered the condition of the inhabitants so equal, that tL«) bual^ °^ there is no chief among them of sufficient consideration to merit a statue with the view of preserving his mem- ory. Instead, therefore, of colossal structures, they have substituted small pyramidal heaps of stones, the summit of which is whitewashed with lime. To ex- plain the use of these last, one of the islanders extended himself on the ground ; and afterwards, by raising his hands towards the sky, appeared desirous of expressing to the foreigners his belief in another life. But no dis- tinct traces of religion could be observed, if certain tokens of reverence for thenc sepulchral stones did not intimate a feeling of respect cr fear towards the dead, the basis of most 'iuperstitions in the savage state. Perhaps La Pcrouse was too hasty when he concluded that the form of society is democratical ; imagining that a man m^ist find little temptation to become king of a people who live on yams, and who, as they cannot make war for want of neighbours, have no need of a leader. The form 0/ It is admitted, notwithstanding these tokens of equality, LiufnidLnii. ^^^ there is a chief in each district, who looks more particularly after the crops, and superintends the sale or distribution of the produce. Captain Cook regarded this< person as the proprietor of the whole; but the ^ Frenchman remarks, that if the celebrated navigator found any difficulty in procuring a sufficient quantity of potatoes and other roots, it must be attributed less to the want of these vegetables than to the necessity of ob- taining an almost general consent for selling them.* * Monsieur de Langle, during the time the expedition remained in Cook*8 Bay, made an excursion into the interior parts of the inland, an account of which is published in the narrative of La Perouse. In regard to the statues or monuments, he remarks, that the lai^st of those which he measured was sixteen feet hitfh, iududiD^ tlie capital. Upon different Mtuues composing the plat- rORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA fEROUSE 459 emained df the of La sinarkH, et hitfhf plut> It is impossible to conceive a lower degree of deroor- chap. xiv. alizat?oTi than that into which the occupants of Kasteryhegrnuim. Island have fallen. They are not only as much addicted '?°''*\'*L"'. to theft as the other natives of the South Sea Islands, anu but the manner in which they commit the crime betrays their consciousness that it is an act of injustice and deserving of punishment. The most daring swindlers ^^, of Europe are less hypocritical than these barbarians. All tkebr caresses are false : their countenances do not express a single sentiment of truth ; and the individual most to be suspected is he who has just received a present, or who appeal's to be most in earnest in oflPerinp hb service. De I^ngle, the commander of the Astrolabe, made a gift of two goats to a kind of chief, who received them with one hand, and with the other stole the har. !• kerchief of his benefactor. The care which they took to measure the French ships showed that they did not contemplate the arts of Europe v :ih stupidity. They examined the cables, the anchors, the compass, and the steering-wheel ; and in the evening, as if to correct their impressions, they re- turned to take the measures over again. But the proofs which they gave that they possessed talent and reflec- tion rendered them still more unworthy of esteem. Their visiters supplied them with one subject of medi- tation which could not fail to recur to Uieir minds, — that they did not use their overwhelming power against the transgressors, however much provoked by insolence and fraud — a forbearance which they seemed perfectly to understand, for the mere motion of a musket levelled in sport put them to flight in the greatest trepidation. In proceeding towards the north. La Perouse followed j^ prronsc's a course nearly parallel to that which Cook pursued course tu tiia in 1777 when he sailed from the Society Isles to the "*"*^ north-western coast of America, though more than Ibmis he observed the rude outlines of skeletons, and certain open injrs closed with stones, which he imagined might communicate with eaves containing the dead. ; . .^ . 460 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. Erroni In the early charts of the Pacific. I ■■! I I it!' r CHAP. XIV. two thousand mPes farther east. His daily calculation of longitude was so much disturbed by the action of the currents which sweep in all directions throughout the North Pacific, that he was led to suspect the accu- racy of the position assigned to certain groups by the early navigators. It is undoubtedly from the cause now mentioned that the errors which disfigure the Spanish charts have arisen ; and it is remarkable that most of the islands discovered by Quiros, Mendana, and other navigators of the same nation, have been re- discovered in modem times, owing to their being placed too near the coast of America. Hence was the French commodore led to doubt the existence of a cluster called by the Spaniards La Mesa, Los Majos, and La Disgraciada; for, finding that they are laid down in one of their maps in the precise latitude of the Sand- wich Islands, but nearly seventeen degrees more to the eastward, he concluded they must be the same, and that the difiercnce of longitude ought to be ascribed to the imperfect manner in which the reckoning was kept in those days, and more especially to the action of the currents, the power of which was quite unknown. It is worthy of notice that in the same year Captain Dixon, from the same process of reasoning, arrived at a similar result ; and also subsequently fortified his con- clusion by a minute research in that part of the ocean where the Spanish navigator had placed the supposed islands. The discovery of the Sandwich group by Cook is therefore a mistake ; for they had been visited by Mendana in 1667, and named by him, as already stated. La Mesa — understood to be Owhyhee — and Los Majos It is proper to add, for the information of the less expe- rienced reader, that the error now mentioned has been perpetuated by the map prefixed to the volume of plates which usually accompanies the voyages of the great English seaman. This chart was iramed after the final return of the ships from the Pacific by Lieutenant Roberts, who placed too much confidence en a manu- script draft, found on board a Spanish ship captured by Thedl«wr- cry of the Sandwich Islanda. PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. 461 Admiral Anson. The same corrections must be applied CHAP. XIV. tc other islands of which the discovery is related in the maritime annals of the sixteenth century, more espe- cially Santa Maria la Gloria, Rosa Partida, and La Neublada.* If the arts and enjoyments of civilized life could be Efbctioftreo. introduced among rude tribes wit'.* ut sowing in their ^J^^*^*]!^ families the seeds of dissolution, it would be pleasant tovage natiou maik the progress of discovery, by land and by water, on all parts of the earth. But as there is no example of such union between the European and the barbarian as would justify the hope that the Sandwich islander will be allowed to retain the inheritance of his lathers, and at the same time receive the gifts of knowledge and refine- ment, we share in the &ientiments of La Perouse as to the ambiguous nature of the benefit which has been usually * Dixon says, ** from the llth to the 14th we lay to every mght, and when we made sail in the morning, spread at the distance of n a manu- their longitude. But our latitude on the 15th at noon being 90° 9' north and 140" 1' west longitude* which is considerably to the westward of any island laid down by the Spaniards, we concluded, and with reason, that there must be a gross mistalie in the chart.** —P. 49. La Perouse deems it necessary to awAogize fojr having detecjt^ the error of the old charts, as he might tnerebv appear to detract from the merit of Iiis Englbh predecessor. ** Those who know my diaracter," says he, ** will not suspect that in this research I ooold be guided bv any wish to rob Captain Cook of the honour of this discovery. Full of respect and admiraljion for the memory of this great man, he will ever be considered by me as the first of naviga> tors, — as the individnal who has determmed the exact situation of th«se viands, explored their coasts, ascertained the manners, usages, and relis^on of the inhabitants, and who has paid with his life for ail the information we at present possess respecting them. *^— Vol. i. p. aSB, English Translation. It is munUuned by the tiitor of the work just quoted, that the Sandwidi Islands were discovered by Gaetan in 1542, who, sailing from the coast of Mexico, i^tood westward into the Pacific nine hundred leagues, where he fell in with a group inhabited by sava^a almost nidted. But the bistor^'in, either nmntentiomtlly or by de- sign, gives a wrong statement as to the latitude; in other respeetw his description suits Owhyhee and the adjobing islets. ■■t Chap. xiv. Opinions re- •pectini; the ri|tht8 of dia covery. Conroefrom the SMndwich Islands to Noith-West- •lu America, 462 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. offered to the natives of the South Sea. When he landed at Maui, he refused to take possession of it in the name of the king ; not so much because the English had already planted their standard in the group with- out any attempt at appropriation, as because he consid- ered the practice as on all occasions unjust and even ridiculous. Persons who are capable of thinking must doubtless lament to see that men, for no better reason than because they have firearms and bayonets, should make no estimation of sixty thousand of their fellow- creatures, and consider as an object of conquest a land fertilized by the painful exertions of its inhabitants, and for many years the tomb of their ancestors. He claims - for modem navigators such a purity of motive as to de- clare, in their name, that they have no other object in describing the manners of remote nations than that of completing the hbtory of man ; and that the knowledge they endeavour to diffuse has for its sole aim to render the people they visit more happy, and to augment the means of their subsistence. On the first of June 1786, the Boussole and her com- panion left the Sandwich group with their prows turned towards the coast of America. The fishes which had followed them from the vicinity of Easter Island to their anchoring-place at Maui, only now disappeared. It is a fact unquestionably worthy of attention, that the same shoal had accompanied the frigates more than four thousand miles. Several bonetas, wounded by the har- poons of the seamen, carried on their backs a mark which it was impossible to mistake, and thus, day after day, they recognised the same individual they had seen the evening before. But for the interruption occasioned by the short stay among the islands, it is probable that they would have continued the pursuit three hundred leagues farther, and till they had arrived at a tempera- ture too cold for them to bear.* * La Perouse does not enter into details respecting the Sandwich Islands, Tor the reasons stated in these words : " Le lecteur ne doit pas s'attendre & trouver ici des details siir un [leuple que les re- I ' ' ii PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND Li^ 7ER0U8E. 463 Steering a northerly course, the expedition soon found CHAP. xiv. themselves involved in mist and dampness, accompanied The ft«s or by most, of the inconveniences which such a cha^ige ol^* Northern climate occasions to the mariners. In these circum- stances the commander bespeaks the sympathy of those who may peruse with pleasure the events of his voyage, trusting that they will not think with indifference of those who have undergone the fatigue ; and who, at the verge of the earth, incessantly struggling amidst fogs and storms, have explored an unknown coast, the theatre of all the geographical fictions too readily embraced by modem geographers. The fictions to which an allusion is here made are the voyage of Maldonado, supposed to have taken place in 1688, and that of Fuentes or De Fonte, referred to the year 1640. There are, besides these, certain enterprises of the Chinese and of the merchants of Japan, who are saic" to have reached the American shore ; but the dates are so vague, and the facts related so little worthy of credit, that no reliance can be placed on the narratives in which they are contained. Maldonado is said to have Fictitioite discovered a north-west passage from the Atlantic into «^'i*®^'^ the Pacific, by entering a strait in Hudson's Bay, which afforded him a channel into the latter ocean. The open- ing in question, which has since been repeatedly exa- mined with the greatest care, now bears the name of Repulse Bay, and is well known to supply no com- munication with the South Sea. Fuentes, on the other hand, is described as having made his way from the opposite coast in an eastern direction towards Labrador, and to have accomplished a passage across the American continent from the vicinity of Prince William's Sound to the bay already mentioned.* iations Ane^laises nous ont si bien fait connattre : ces navi^teurs ont passi oans ces ties qoatre mois, et nous n*y cionimes rest6s que plusieurs heures ; iU avaient de plus ravanla^^ d'entendre la lan^i^iie au pays: nous devons done nous borner k raconter notre protire histoire." — Bibliothique Universelle des Voyages, tome xii. p. IHit. * The works in which allusion is made totlie voyages mentioned CHAP XIV. La Peronie's opinion of the Morth-west Passage. Jmaglnaiy fliscuveries of PeFuca. r;r 4G4 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. In reference to these triumphs of navigation at so early a period, La Perouse expresses his opinion very boldly, tliat neither the pretended channel of St Lazarus n^r the Spanish admiral Fuentes ever had an existence. Nay, he maintains that a voyage into the interior of America, through laJkes and rivers, and performed in the course of one season, is so absurd, that» but for the spirit of system^ which is injurious to all the sciencca, geographers of a certain degree of reputation would have rejected a story destitute of all probability, ant fabricated in England at a time when the question of a north-west passage was discussed with a vehemence which closed the minds of the several partisans against the approach of truth. The nan-ative, therefore, of the adventurer Fuentes must, he concludes, be ranked with those pious frauds which sound reason has since rejected with contempt, and which cannot bear the weight of argument. But it is not improbable that the mistake in this caae may have had a similar basis with ihe imaginary dis- coveries of De Fufa, who, after passing the mouth of the Columbia river, entered the Straits of Georgia, through which he passed till he came to Queen Char- lotte's Sound. Having accomplished this achievement, the Spanish pilot imagined, not unnatundly, considering the imperfect state of geographical knowledge, that he had sailed through the fabulous Strait of ^ian ; and that, instead of being still in the Pacific, as he actually was, he had conducted his vessel into the spacious waten of the Atlantic. This voyage, however, as well as that of Fuentes, rests on an authority which has not ceased to be questioned by the accurate historian.* above are, ** Explication de la Carte des nouvelles D^couTertes au Nord de la Mer du Sud. Par M. De Lisle, Paris, 1752. Consi' derations G6ogi-aphiqnes et Physiques, &c Par Philip Basclie, Paris, 1753. Nouvelles Cartes des D6couvertes de TAniiral De Font«, &c. Par De Lisle, Paris, 1753< Observations critiaues sur les nouvelles Decouvertes de TAaiiral Fuentes. Par Rodeit de Vaujj^ondy, Paris, 176'i. ♦ See ** Historical View of the Progress ol Discovery on the PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 465 On the 23d June 1786, the French commodore oh- CHAP xiv. tained a view of the American coast about the latitude of fifty-nine and a half. A long chain of mountains covered with snow burst upon the sight, among which was the St Elias of Behring, with its summit rising Mount St above the clouds. The ridge appeared to be at a very ^^^^^^ little distance from the ocean, which broke against the cliffs of a table-land apparently three or four hundred yards in height and totally destitute of verdure. Dis- appointed la his expectation of a suitable anchorage, he bent his course towards the south-east, and on the second July discovered an inlet which appeared to lead to a very commodious bay. A mole of rocks was per- ceived stretching six or eight hundred yards in length, and leaving a pretty wide opening ; *' so that nature seemed to have constructed in the remotest part of America a harbour resembling that of Toulon, but on a gigantic scale, adapted to her ampler powers." It ex- tended about twelve miles into the land, having a good bottom with more than ten fathoms of water. To it the discoverer gave the name of "Port des Fran9ois ;" port des mamtaining, with some show of reason, that it had never *'«"€«'»• been entered by any previous navigator. It is situated thirty-three leagues south-west from that of Los Re- medios, the extreme boundary of the Spanish voyages ; about two hundred and twenty-four from Nootka, and about a hundred from Prince William's Sound. Hence, says the narrator, ** it appears to me that if the French government entertained any project of founding a factory on this part of the coast, no nation could have the least pretext for opposing it.'* The Indians, who were no strangers to European traffic — a circumstance which might have shaken the confidence of La Perouse as to the originality of his dis- covery — ^presented a variety of skins in return for iron, and exercised their ingenuity as usual in committing more Northern Coasts of America/ Library, No. IX. : ! . p. 78. Edinbui^h Cabinet The head of I'ort des Francois 460 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8E. CHAP. XIV. the most shameless depredations. They crept like snakes through the thickest wood, almost without stir- ring a leaf, and stole valuable eflfects under the eyes of the sentries. They had even the address to enter in the night a tent where two officers slept, and removed their clothes, which they had used the precaution to put under their pillows, without either awaking the gentle- men themselves, or being perceived by the guard who surrounded the place of their repose. A party visited the head of this bay, which they de- scribed as being perhaps the most extraordinary place in the world. To form an idea of it, the reader must con- ceive a basin of water, unfathomable in the middle, bor- dered by peaked mountains of great height covered with snow, and without one blade of grass to decorate this vast heap of rocks, condemned by nature to eternal sterility. Nothing disturbs the dark surface of this salt lake which they encompass but the fall of enormoM masses of ice, frequently separated from the different heights, and causing a sound that is re-echoed by the distant caverns. The air is so calm, and the silence so profound, that the human voice can be heard at the dis- tance of half a league ; and it was in this recess that they hoped to find a channel by which they might penetrate into the interior of America through connected rivers and lakes. But they soon found the passage terminated by two huge glaciers which stopped all further progress. An island, conveniently situated near Port di Francois, had created in the mind of the captain t j strong desire for its acquisition, either with the view to future colonization, or merely to secure an asyhm from the impertinent curiosity of the natives. In return for this territory, to which no one among the Indians could prefer any individual right, the chief accepted a few yards of red cloth, with some hatchet8> adzes, and nails. The bargain being thus concluded, and the equivalent duty paid. La Perouse took posses- j sion of the little spot with the usual formalities ; bury- ing at the foot of a rock several bronze medals, which I Pnrchiise o( au iiiland. ifc,^. .j.^inji*'.^" PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 467 had been struck before his departure from France, with chap. xiv. a bottle containing a memorial recording the claim of his country to this portion of the American coast. But this harbour was destined to be associated with lom of two a melancholy accident, — the loss of two boats employed {^g^'c^^j in sounding, and having on board twenty-one indi> viduals, including officers, all of whom perished. No means could be used to save them, although another pinnace was in sight ; and every care which was after- wards employed to discover the bodies on the beach proved unavailing. Nothing remained to the survivors but to raise, as a token of affection and regret, a monu- ment to their unfortunate companions on an island in the middle of the bay, at the foot of which was lodged an account of the painful catastrophe, with the names of the sufferers.* The picture given of the country cannot recommend I it to any settler who has higher views than mere traffic with the natives for furs and fish. The mountains, formed of granite or slate, present acclivities so steep I that even the wild goats cannot climb above five or six hundred yards; and the gullies which separate them I were, in the middle of July, immense glaciers, the summits of which could not be seen, while their bases were washed by the sea. At the distance of only a I cable's length from the shore, no bottom could be found with a line of a hundred and fifty fathoms. For a land The natives 80 repulsive, long usage has provided inhabitants differ- S^'prancoL ing as widely from civilized nations as their soil differs from our cultivated plains. They seem to possess those wild regions only to extirpate every thing which lives and moves upon them ; carrying on against the animals a continual war, and despising the few vegetables which spontaneously spring up around their paths. They are not without arts, but in every thing that softens [ferocity of manners, they are yet in their infancy ; * Biblioth^ue Universelle, tome xii. p. 1 76. "A I'entree du p<»rt Int |)eri vingt-un braves marins : qui que vous soyez, melez vou [Iwnies aux n6tre« •* ^.v... ; ,■ -If • ' ->• j ! ; i 468 PORTLOCK, DIXON) AND LA PEROUSE. CHAP. XIV. Brutality of tliH autivca Coincidences between La, reroiue and Dixon. while the mode in which they live, excluding everj kind of subordination, renders them continually exposed to the impulses of vengeance or of fear. Passionate and ever ready to take offence, their poniards are usually unsheathed against one another. In winter, when the chase cannot be had, they are menaced with the dreadjfiil fate of perishing by hunger ; while during the remain- ing portion of the year they wallow in a gross abund- ance, accompanied with entire idleness. They seem to olccupy on the earth the place which thie vulture holds in the air, and the tiger in the forest. Nothing is Wi^nt- ing but the use of intoxicating liquord to endi^- le utter extirpation of their race; an evil to whi.u the Russians, who may be regarded as the only European people with whom they could have had any intercourse, did not subject them. La Perouse spent the greater part of August in ex- amining a portion of the coast, of which the general outline had been marked by Captain Cook, though he did not survey it with his usual minuteness. Dixon, who happened to be in the Northern Pacific at the same period with the French navigator, made dls* coveries and formed conclusions that coincide remark- ably with those which appear in the journal of the latter. The descriptions, indeed, differ in nothing but name ; and, in some cases, it is difficult to decide to which of the two commanders the priority beilongs. For example, on the 7th day of the month, the Boussole made a group of five islets, separated from the continent by a channel of at least four leagues in width, and men- tioned neither by Cook nor Maurelle. These little islands were named by the commodore, " Les isles de la Croyere," in memory of the geographer whg sailed with Tschirikow, a Russian officer, and died during the voyage. To the same cluster Dixon applied the epithet ** Hazy," by which they are distinguished in some English maps. Both navigators were satisfied that much laud which had been regarded by earlier voyagers as part of the continent really belonged to insular groups, the limits of PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. 469 which were not determined. The port Buccarelli of chap. xiv. Maurelle, and the volcanoes he describes, instead of being situated on the main, must be sought in islands not less than forty leagues from it. **I own," says La Perouse, ** that I Should not be surprised to learn that we hM coasted along nothing but islands since we left Cross Sound.'* Dixon had, in Similar circumstances, arrived at the same opinion. From indications per- fectly satisfactoi'y to the mind of a seaman, he concluded t^t ** the iJEind we had been coasting along for near a iionth must be a group of islands."* We follow the adventurers of the BouSsole and Astro- Monterey in labe to Monterey, the chief town of a Spanish settlement c*^"**'* in California. A lieutenant-colonel was intrusted with the government of the province, extending in circum« ference to not less than two thousand four hundred miles, and having about fifty thousand inhabitants, most cf whom led a wandering life, according to the vicissitude of the seasons. The military force on which he relied for sdd in supporting his authority did not aihount to quite three hundred horsemen, who supply g.*i7risons to five small forts, and furnish a detachment to each of the twenty-five ihissions or parishes into which the colony is divided. The natives are described as The natives being generally of diminutive size, and exhibiting none tere^^ **""' of that love of independence which characterizes the tribes of the north, to whose arts and activity they are equally strangei^. Their colour very nearly approaches that of the negroes whose hair is not woolly ; and a great number of them were without beards, either because they are denied by nature, 6r considered incon- venient, and thefisfore removed by au artificial process. Their ibgehuity in hunting is very remarkable. One of them was seen with a stag's head fastened on his own, walking on aU-fours and pretending to graze ; and he played this pantomime with such truth, that the sailors, when within thirty yards, would have fired at him if they * La [*erouse, vol. i. p. 4I9> Dixon^s Voyage, p 21 C. 470 PORTLOCK, DIXON AND LA PBR0U8B. The Romish misslnnaries iu California CHAP. XIV. had not been forewarned. In this manner they approach a herd of deer withui a short distance, and kill them with their arrows. The rule exercised by the missionaries over the con- verted natives seems to have been neither wise nor humane. In return for the instruction they communi- cated, the holy fathers demanded constant labour in the field or at their establishments ; and the colour of the people, which is that of negroes, their storehouses built of brick, the appearance of the ground on which the grain is trodden out, the cattle and horses, every thing, in short, brought to the recollection of the navi- gators a plantation in some West India island. The proselytes were collected by the sound of a bell ; and it was observed, not without concern, that both men and women were occasionally loaded with irons, or placed in the stocks ; the sound of the whip from time to time completing the resemblance which the general outline had suggested. Corporal punishment used to be inflicted on the Indians of both sexes who neglected the exercise of piety ; and many sins which in Europe are left to the divine justice, were checked or avenged by the endurance of bodily suffering. To a convert the effect of baptism was the same as if he had pronounced a vow for life. If he withdrew fron the station to reside with his relations in one of the in- dependent villages, he was summoned three times to return ; and if he refused, the missionaries applied to the governor, who sent soldiers to seize him in the midst of his family, and conduct him to a monastery, where he was condemned to receive a certain number of lashes. It was suggested by the civil authorities, that the pro- gress of the faith might be more rapid, and the devotions of the catechumens equally sincere, if they were relieved from some degree of this restraint ; but the priests i-eplied that they could not conscientiously administer one of the sacraments to men so inconstant, unless the government would take the place of sponsors, and become bound for their perseverance in the christian Tliclr treat- ment of renegade converts. PORTLOCK, DIXON. AND LA PRltOUSB. 471 course. Having no confidence either in their intol- oiiap. xiv. ligence or constancy, they admitted very few of their pupils to the holy communion ; but there was reason to lament that the plan pursued by their instructors was ' little calculated to remove the ignorance which proved an obstacle to their wishes on a point so important. In all respects, indeed, nothing but a better system was wanting to render the Califomias a most valuable ac- Theeommcr. quiMtion to a European crown ; the soil being unoom- CiUifomitk" monly fertile, the mines at no inconvenient distance, and the Air-trade accessible to merchants at a moderate expense of capital. Events comparatively recent have established the truth of these remarks. About the end of September, the French frigates left the American coast, and, bound to Manilla, steered such a coune as might afford every chance of discovering new lands. In latitude 23° 34' N. and long. 164o 62' W. they came in sight of an island of very small dimensions, to which La Perouse gave the name of " Necker ;" and at the distance of twenty-three leagues they encountered a shoal, which had nearly proved fatal to both. On the ^ f *'??'*'' 2d January 1787, they cast anchor at Macao, whence, china, after receiving supplies, they were destined to proceed to the MStem shores of China, to examine the maritime borders of Tartary, and to ascertain the position of certun territories belonging to the sovereign of Japan.* * When at Macao, the French disposed of their otter skins ; a cir- cumstance to which Dixon alludes (p. 320} in a spirit which has given offence to the countrymen of the unfortunate commander, whormain- tain that he traded solely for the benefit of his seamen. The offensitre remark is aa follows: — "The Astrolabe and Boussole, commanded by MM. Peruiise and De Langle, sailed from France in 178i5. They are said to have traced the north-west cuast of America from the Spanish settlement of Monterey to 60° north latitude; but this seems improU^ble, for though these vessels were professedly fitted out on discovery, yet the commanders did not forget that furs were a valuable article ; and, accordingly, whilst on the American coast, they procured about six hundred sea-otter skins, chiefly in pieces, of a very inferior quality, and evidently the same as those imported by the Spaniards, whereas had these gentlemen befia well in with the coast to the northward, they undoubtedly must have met with bea-olter skins of a quality far superior to what they procured/*'— 472 POUTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PER0U8B. Th« Plsea- duru IiUnds. CHAP. XIV It was not till April that they left the island of Lu^on, and when, sailing through the channel of Formosa, they encountered a bank not marked in any chart. The Plscadore Islands attracted the notice of the commodore, who has bequeathed to navigators such a description of them as must prove very useful. His remarks on the Bashee and Loo Choo groups present nothing definite, because he did not land, nor even approach so near the shore as to hold any intercourse with the people, whose fears in every instance seemed to overpower their cu- riosity. On the 25th May, he passed the Strait of Corea ; and in directing his course towards the south-western point of Niphon, he discovered an island which is not found mentioned in the journal of any former seaman. It bears the name of Dagelet, the astronomer of the expedition ; is about nine miles in circumference ; and, though thinly inhabited, is well covered with trees, whence supplies of timber are conveyed to Corea, which is not more than twenty leagues distant. But La Pe- rouso was less desirous to visit the inhospitable people of Japan, who, while they reject all acquaintance with the rest of the world, wish also to remain unknown, than the Tartars on the western side of the gulf, who are not so hostile to strangers. Their country, besides, was the only part of the globe which had escaped the indefati- gable activity of Cook ; on which account the French officers were exceedingly impatient to effect a landing, in order that thuy might associate their names with the knowledge of a distant region, the inhabitants and pro- ductions of which were as yet only subjects of conjecture even to the most enlightened individuals in Europe. The landscape, we are assured, presented the most inviting appearance to the eyes of the sailors as the ships moved along the coast. The freshest spring never exhibited in France such vivid and variegated sliades of The const of ' hinciie lurtary. It appears, however, that the skins in question were purchased at Port des Franfois, and were not of very interior quality ; and also that by tradinu^ to this extent La Perouse simply fulfilled the in- •tructicns put into his hands by command of the kin|(. PORTLOOK, PIXON, AND LA PER0U8K. 478 green. Every where was thr.* ground carpeted with the CHAP. XIY. same plants which grow in our climates, but more bright — and vigorous. At every step were seen roses, lilies, and all the flowers common in our meadows. The summits rhe iirLiiitni of the mountains, too, were crowned with pines, and the ^['mm*. lower declivities with oaks. On the border of the rivers were willows, birch, and maple; and on the skirts of the forests appeared apple-trees in blossom, with clumps of hazel, the fruit of which was just be- ginning to set. The astonishment of the strangers could not fail to be increased, when they considered that there is in the neighbourhood a vast empire, overburdened with an excessive population, the rulers of which, whoso polity had obtained praise for the wisdcn supposed to be manifested in it, dare not extend themselves beyond their wall to seek subsistence from a soil where vegeta- tion requires rather to be checked than promoted. La Perouse was now about to achieve the discovery which has associated with his name the highest honour procured to France by the expedition he commanded. The several islandp which stretch northward from Japan The idaiids were, in the year 1787, so imperfectly known to the Jj''*'"' ^"^^ geographers of Europe, that it still remained doubtful whether Jesso, called by the natives Chika, was not at- tached to the Asiatic continent ; whether, in short, it were not a peninsula, bearing the same relation to u Chinese Tartary that Kamtschatka bears to the eastern extremity of the Russian dominions. It therefore be- came an object of the greatest interest to ascertain whether the strait, which appeared to separate it from the mainland, actually extended to the Sea of Ochotsk, or was merely a gulf running into the interior of the country. ' ' ,, > ' ■ i . t o v In his endeavours to solve this question, one of the chief purposes of his voyage, he was gratified on the ]2th July with a sight of Sagalien, or Tchoka, in the latitude of 48** 05' north, and landed on it the following day. From the inhabitants, whose descent may perhaps be ascribed to a union of Chinese and Tartars, he learned 474 PORTLOCK, DIXONj AND LA PEROUSB. QffAP. ^IV. the important fact, that the strait which divides theif ' country from the continent does not terminate in the coast, but, at a considerable distance northwardiLi, joins the great ocean. To prove the accuracy of this state- ment, he proceeded as high as the fifty-sscond degree, The strait of and thereby dispelled all doubt as well in regard to the SagaUen. insular character of the land he had just visited, as with respect to the imaginary gulf which was supposed to penetrate the coast of Tartary. He found, indeed, that the strait of Sagalien was not navigable for large vessels, and was even obliged to admit the probability forced upon him by circumstances, that it will soon be so much filled up with mud as to render the island almost a pen- insula. This change, it is apprehended, will arise from the great quantity of earth brought down by the Amour, which, rising in an alpine region of Ash, runs through a space of more than fifteen hundred miles, re- ceives numerous streams in its course, and at length falls into the narrowest part of a long channel ; a state of things which is known ♦o contribute powerfully to the formation of new land. The soundings, indeed, dimin- ished so rapidly that the captain of the Boussole could not venture to sail farther into the strait, though he was extremely desirous to reach the open sea in that direc- tion. It is true he had not surveyed the southern parts The aonthern of Sagalien, having seen nothing of it in a lower latitude Su*^ °a ^***" ^^° ■*^' » ^^* ^® confesses that he would willingly have left this honour to some future navigator, could he have escaped from the narrows of Japan by pursuing a course along the '.ventern margin of the island into the ocean beyond it. Returning to the south, he continued to run along the coast at the distance of two leagues, when, on the 10th August, he discovered, towards the 8outh>west, a small flat island which formed a channel of about six leagues in width with the shore of Sagalien. Steering his course between these two islands, he soon saw a peak, not less than three thousand feet in height, consisting of a bare rock, and having snow on its summit. Sagalien was SB. POllTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PRR0U8E. 476 ivides tlieif nate in the Mrardii, joins f this state- ond degree, ;gard to the ted, as with supposed to indeed, that arge vessels, jility forced I be so much Iniost a pen- II arise irom iwn by the if kah., runs ed miles, re- : length foils ; a state of pfuUy to the deed, dimin- ussole could ough he was 1 that direc- uthern parts iwer latitude lid willingly or, could he r pursuing a md into the iin along the on the 10th est, a small six leagues )g his course »ak, not less ag of a bare ■agalien was now observed to end in a point ; every thing indicated chap. xiv. that he was approaching its southern extremity, and that the peak belonged to another island still farther south. To the extreme point just mentioned, which is in lat. 45° 67' N., and long 142° 84' E., he assigned the name of Cape Crillun. We give the result in his own Cape CrUiooi words, which, to the professional reader, will be more intelligible than any we could substitute. " The Cape,*' he remarks, ** terminates this island, which is one of the longest from north to south on the globe, separated from Tartary by a channel, in the upper portion of which, owing to banks and seaweed^, there is no passage for ships, though there still is for canoes. Thin 'sland is the Oku-Jesso of the Japanese ; and their Jesso is the island of Chika, which was abreast of us, separated from that of Sagalien by a channel of twelve leagues, and from Japan by the Strait of Sangaar, which is its boun- dary towards the south. The chain of the Kuriles lies farther east, and forms with Jesso and Oku-Jesso a second sea communicating with that of Ochotsk, and The. sea of from which to the coast of Tartary there is no passage O^^hotak. except through the strait we have just discovered, or that of Sangaar, after sailing out between the Kuriles. This point in geography, the most important of all that modern navigators have left to their successors to eluci- date, cost us much fatigue, and required many precau- tions, as the survey of those unknown seas was rendered extremely difficult by incessant fogs."* The French have been unanimous in the resolution to connect the memory of their favourite nav'.gator with the strait between the northern and southern Jesso, the Tchoka and Chika of the indigenous geographers. This name, says tht? editor of his voyage, " connected with ♦ Sagalien is kiiovm by a variety of names, — Tchoka, Sahalien, Ulahata, Saghalien, Angahata, and Amur. The Chinese call it Ta-han. Subsequent voyagers, it will be found, have thrown doubt nn the fact, rather assumed than proved by La Perouse, that the Gulf cf Tartary joins the sea of Ochotsk. For the details in the text, see Voyage' rounu liie World, vol. iL pp. 66, fij. 476 PORTLCCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSE. fitiuit. CHAP. xiv. the globe by his discoveries and misfortunes, is in no danger of falling into oblivion. Obliged, however, in order to prevent confusion, to change the designation of the channel he brought to light, I did not think I could act more conformably to the national opinion than by Ta Peronse's naming it La Perouse's Strait." It is admitted, at the same time, that this opening was not quite unknown to the framers of maritime charts, though no one had just notions concerning it. A map of Asia, without date and w^ithout a name, but which must have been published subsequently to the adventure of the Dutch in the ship Kastricum, represents Jesso. as separated from Sagalien by a strait in the latitude of 44° ; and hence, it is con- ceded by the writer just quoted, that the channel dis- covered by La Perouse, conjectured by Father Dohalde, adopted and afterwards abandoned by D*Anville, was by the anonymous author of the chart supposed to have an existence, however doubtfully established. From the Kurile Isles the two frigates proceeded to the Russian settlement of St Peter and St Paul in the Kamtschat- sterll region of Kamtschatka, where the crews were received with the utmost kindness, and whence the offi- cers despatched a variety of communications to Trance. The voyage of Cook having been so recently performed, and the information supplied by Captain King being at onc'j minute and authentic, it is quite unnecessary to select any notices relative to this country or people from the posthumous pages now before us. We cannot, how- ever, refrain from repeating an observation, which has been confirmed by all who have touched at the remote station where the Resolution and the Boussole sought supplies for their wearied seamen, that, though the Rus- sians have established a despotic government in those rude climes, it is tempered by principles of mildness ;ind equity which render its inconveniences unfelt.* lUL ♦ See Edinburgh Cabinet Library, No. XXI. p. 470,_An Hia- tnrical Account o? the Circumniivigation of the Globe. It is known (hut among the papers sent by La Peronse from the harbour of Avutsha, was the manuscript of his voyagr down to the date «t PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUBE. 477 In his return towards the equator, La Perouse ran chap. xiv. nbout a thousand miles in the parallel of 37° N., hoping — (0 rediscover some of the islands said to have been de- cmise tected by the Spaniards in former days ; but he was jl'^""*;'*. not rewarded by any degree of success. On the 21st November, he crossed the line with the view of adding to the discoveries which from time to time had been made in Polynesia, since the various groups which com- pose it were first visited by Quiros, Mendana, Tasman, and the more early of the English navigatoi's. In the following month, he arrived at Maouna, an island cele- brated for its beauty and the fierce character of the in- habitants, and which must for ever bring painful asso- ciations to the mind of a Frenchman, on account of the massacre perpetrated upon Captain De Langle and eleven of his followers. The boats of both ships had been sent ashore to procure water, well manned and armed ; but the chief officer, dreading no danger, allowed the savages to obtain such an advantage before he had recourse to his weapons, that all his efforts to save his people or his own life proved unavailing. His humanity occasioned his death, and the eminent hazard of more than sixty individuals whom he had under his command^ many ol' whom, besides those who fell, were severely wounded before they could be rescued from the hands of the san- guinary barbarians. Maouna, it is scarcely necessary to mention, belongs jhe Naviji:*. to the cluster to which Bougainville gave the name of i"»' '»J»»»«** the Navigators* Islands; and that, with Oyolava and Pola, it deserves to rank with the finest in the South Sea. From this vicinity, which haunted him with the moat depressing recollections, the commodore proceeded to the Friendly Islands, whence, after correcting some mis- takes in the charts, and holding a distant communication with the natives, he directed his course to New Holland, which he reached Kamtschatka. From New Holland he fonxrartled to France the continuation of it, describing his course in the Facific, tl)e massacre at Maouna, and his reception in the English colony. Hnce of La Peiouao. I 478 PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROUSB. CHAP. XIV. where, in the month of January 1788, he found himself under the protection of the British flag. All Europeans, he remarks, are countrymen at such a distance from home ; and the moment, accordingly, he entered the hay, a midshipman and lieutenant were sent on board his ship, offering, on the part of Captain Hunter, who commanded the Sirius frigate, all the services in his power. It is well known tliat, after his communications from this colony, nothing was ever heard respecUlig the proceed ings or fate of La Perouse. On the 7th February, he wrote, stating his intention to proceed to the Friendly Islands, and do every thing enjoined in his instructions relative to the southern part of New Caledonia, the island of Santa Cruz, the land of the Arsacides, and the Louisiade of Bougainville ; and endeavour to ascertain whether the latter constitutes a part of New Guinea or Is separated from it. " Towards the end of July," says he, " I shall pass between New Guinea and New Holland by another channel than Endeavour Straits, if any exist ; and during the month of September and part of October, I shall visit the Gulf of Carpentaria and all the coast of New Holland as far as Van Diemen's Land, but in such a manner that it may be possible for me to stretch north- wards time enough to arrive at the Isle of France in the beginning of December."* As no trace of the wrecks was found, either on the shores of the South Sea or of any of the islands which he proposed to visit, it was concluded that both ships must have been swallowed up in a tempest, involving the loss of every life on board. At a later period, however, certain facts were collected which seemed to warrant the conclusion that the catastrophe must hhve taken place at one of the islands of the Queen Charlotte group, known in England by the name of Yanisoro, and in France as the Isle de Recherche. To these circumstances v/e shall afterwards have occasion to revert, when de- Facts respecting Ilia fate * This letter is in«:erte(I in the appendix to vol. ii. p. 4/9 of the Voyage round tlie World. u :. . i PORTLOCK, DIXON, AND LA PEROU8E. 479 Bcribing the efforts made by his countrymen to obtain CHAP. xiv. intelligence respecting the fetal termination of his voy- age, the progress of which they had viewed with the greatest interest. The acquisitions attained by maritime geography. Estimate through the medium of Maurclle, Dixon, Portlock, and SiJSSreriet La Perouse, might be restricted to very narrow bounds, around were we to omit the discoveries of the Frenchman on fn South" the coast of Tartary and in the Japan Sea. There he ^®'*®''" examined a part of the world altogether unknown to £ur(4>eans ; and removed doubts which had perplexed the views of the practical navigator as well as the de- lineations of the ^eculative cosmographer, neither of whom knew the precise position of the principal islands which line the eastern borders of Asia. Maurelle, with- out any Reason, has been called the Cook of modern Spain : his details are confused, and lead to no valuable result. The two English captains did throw some light on the north-western parts of America, and thereby ren- dered the fur trade at once safer and more profitable ; bat, even according to their own statements, their re- searches were so limited that they had not acquiired the means of detettnining whether they actually reached Hie continent, or were inerely embayed among successive groups of islands. Nor in this respect was La Perouse more successful ; for though he boasts that he examined the coast from Mount Elias down to Nootka Sound, his conclusions are not more satisfactory, and therefore fail to secure the confidence of his reftdier* 480 D'ENTRECASTEAUX, MARCHAND, CHAPTER XV. Voyageg of D^EntrecasteauXf Marchand, and Vancouver. French Government resolve to send two Fri^tes, La Recherche and L'Espirance, under D'Entrecasteaux, in search of La Perouse— Account of Van Diemen's Land — The Captain surveys New Caledonia— Researches in the Solomon and Admiralty Islands — Touches at New Guinea — Examines the western Coast of New Holland— Proceeds to Friendly Isles — Hostile Spirit of the Inha- bitants — Visits New Hebrides —Discovers the Islets of Beaupri — Stretches along the Coast of Louisiade — His Death, and Com- mand assumed by M. D'Auribeau— Expedition breaks up at Java on political Grounds — Marchand seuIs in 1790 on a mer- cantile Speculation — Touches at the Marquesas — Discovers some small Islands — He anchors in Norfolk Sound — Sails for the Sand- wich Islands, and returning^ by the Cape of Good Hope, completes a Voyage round the World — Vancouver sent out by the British Government to make Inquiries respecting Nootka Sound — Sup> posed Channels of De Fuca and De Fonte — Discoveries on the Coast of New Holland — State of Inhabitants — Geology — He proceeds to New Zealand. — Discovers the "Snares" — Island of Oparo — The two Ships meet at Otahcite — Vancouver Steers for New Albion, and surveys the Coast— Remarks on Channel of De Fnca — Admiralty Inlet — Gulf of Georgia — Arrival at Nootka, and diplomatic Difficulties— Port St Francisco — Monterey — State of Missions — Columbia River— Lieutenant Hergestand Daedalus — His Discoveries — American Coast again examined — Quarrel with Natives — Cook's Inlet— Prince William's Sound — Port Con- clusion — Return Home after a Voyage of four Years — Amount of Discoveries — Remarks on the Sandwich Islands — Murder oi Hergest — Concluding Observations. CHAP. XV. Two years passed in deep anxiety, relieved by occasional Arjxiety gleams of liope, before the French government came to Hiiont La the resolution of sending out ships in search of La Pe* FuKiuse. * AND VANCOUVKR. 481 f. Vancouver. rouse. The voice of soitow and entreaty first reached the public ear through the Society of Natural History, whose interests were closely connected with the success of his enterprise. Some of the members appeared at the bar of the National Assembly, where, calling to the re- collection of the audience that it was not for trifling objects nor for private emolument he had braved all kinds of danger, they demanded from the public, who would have reaped the fruit of his labours, an expres- sion of sympathy, and an effort to save him should he be still alive. He may now, siid they, be enduring sufferings more dreadful than the death we apprehend ; he may have escaped shipwreck only to sustain the agony of a hope continually reviving to be continu- ally disappointed ; perhaps he has been cast on one of the South Sea Islands, where he stretches forth his hands towards his country and vainly expects a deliverer. The assembly, having listened to the committees of other public bodies, decreed that the king should be re- quested to give orders to all the ambassadors, residents, and consuls of France in foreign countries, to entreat, in the name of humanity and the sciences, the different sovereigns in whose dominions they were, to enjoin all their navigators, wherever they might be employed, but particularly in the southern latitudes of the Pacific Ocean, to make the most careful search for the Boussole and Astrolabe ; to pursue every inquiry which might serve to determine the question whether the officers and crews had perished ; and, if La Perouse and his com- panions should any where be found, to furnish them with the means of returning to their native land. His majesty was further solicited to equip one or more ves- sels ; to place on board men of science, naturalists, and draftsmen ; and to confer on the commander the double duty of searching for the chief of the late expedition, and, at the same time, of making such investigations respecting commerc' , and the productions of different climates, as might render the voyage advantageous to CHAP. XV. Appeal to the Natioiml Assembly respecting him. Decree of the National A«sentibly respecting hiiu. 482 d'entrecasteaux, march and, CHAP. XV. navigation, geogmphy, trade, the arts, and all the prac* tical branches of philosophy.* D'Entracas- Two frigates. La Recherche and L'Esp^rance, of six- to* wSi for *®®^ &"'*" *"<^ 11^ ""^^ each, were accordingly fitted out Lim. for sea, and placed under the command of Rear-admiral D'Entrecasteanx, who, sailing from Brest on the 29tli September 1791, reached the Cape of Good Hope about the middle of the following January. But scarcely had he cast anchor in Table Bay when he received a despatch from the officer to whose care was committed the French squadron then stationed in the Indian Ocean, conveying to him the important information that La Perouse had be^n wrecked on one of the Admiralty Islands. Al- though the apparent contradictions connected with the intelligence thus forwarded left little ground for hope that he should find his countrymen in any of thosie isles, he resolved instantly to proceed thither ; hereby avail- ing himself of the discretionary power with which the government had intrusted him, to alter the plan of his Toyage according as circumstances might seem to favour the accomplishment of its principal object.^ Mistake u The resolution adopted by the rear-admiral on this Uneof^'^^**' occasion must appear somewhat surprising, when we March. call to mind that La Perouse in his last letter states distinctly that he should proceed from Botany Bay to the Friendly Islands, and carry into execution his in- structions relative to the southern part of New Cale- * Voyage round the World by M. De la Perouse, volume I p xxxvii. Introduction. Vox'aee by M. De la Perouse, p. xv. Paris, 1834, 8vo. •|* The despatch mentioned above contained the deposition of the master of a Dutch merchant vessel, who had been at Batavia when Cafrtain Hunter and the other officers of the Sirius frigate, after being wrecktJ on Norfolk Island, arrived there. He deponed that th«se Englishmen, when near the Admiralty Islands, had seen ■oine of the natives wearing pieces of the uniform and even the sword-belts of the French marines. Hunter and his friends posi- tively assured the commander of the forces at Cape Town that they had not communicated any such intelligence. D^Entrecasteaox, though still in Table Bay when the officers of the Sirius were there, nevertheless considered it his duty to act on the information received from his superior, however little worthy of credit. AND VANCOUVER. 483 donia, the island of Santa Cruz of Mendana, the south CRAP. XV. coast of the Arsaoides of Surville, and the Louisiade of Bougainville, and endeavour to discover whether this last be connected with New Guinea or separated from it. There is no mention made of the Admiralty Islands. But supposing that the infoimation he had obtained injurimtn was so free from challenge as to justify the path on ^it^^L'of which he now entered, it must still be difficult to ac- AtMca. count for his cruising along the eastern coast of Africa, within a few leagues of the shore, instead of pushing towards the south, where only he could expect to find a wind which would carry him to New Holland. After spending twenty days in a lower latitude than that of the Cape, he discovered his error, and saw that it would be impossible for him, on account of the monsoon, to reach Timor, as he had intended. Upon consulting with M. Huon, the captain of the Esp^rance, it was agreed that they should stand to the southward, and shape a course for the island of St Paul or Amsterdam, and from thence round the remoter extremity of Van Diemen's Land. In this manner nearly a month was lost, at a very important period of the season, and the confidence of the crews in the skill of their officers not a little shaken. The first aspect of the island whither they were bound Tiiejsiand of created a feeling of curiosity mixed with fear. The summit was enveloped in clouds which, on a neai jr approach, were found to consist of smoke, whence flame was presently observed to issue. This conflagration, oni uninhabited land, gave rise to a conjecture that it might be a signal made by some unfortunate persons, who had escaped from shipwreck, to obtain assistance. But it soon became obvious that the mass of fire was too con- siderable to allow them to suppose that it had been lighted or.ly on the first appearance of the ships, and therefore they passed along without so much as sending a single boat ashore in order to determine the real character of the phenomenon. On the 20th April, they arrived in the Bay of Storms, at the south-eastern point of Van StPuuL 484 I>*ENTRECA8TEAUX, MARCHANH, The Bay Of Stnrm In Van liiiiinaii'a Land. CHAP. xv. Diemen's Land, on the north side of which the frigates were brought to anchor in a commodious recess, where the water was smooth in the most tempestuous weather, and the shores covered with beautiful trees. The adm iral says it would be in vain for him to attempt to describe the emotions with which the first aspect of this solitary retreat inspired the minds of his people, placed as it were in the extremity of the earth, and closed in so completely that they might easily have considered them- selves shut out from the rest of the world. Every thing seemed to partake of the wildness of uncultivated nature. On one hand were trees of vast height, without a branch on the lower parts, but having their summits crowned with evergreen foliage : on the other were shrubs so interlaced as to be nearly impenetrable, seeV- ing a support from those aged stems, whic^: were about to fertilize the earth whence they had sprung, by their ruins reduced to a state of corruption. It was remarked that a great numbe* of the largest trees had their trunks hollowed out, apparently by means of fire, and were intended as huts to shelter the natives from the inclem- ency of the weather. The hollow side invariably faced the east, which is the quarter towards which the strongest vkinds generally blow.* It wat» during his continuance in this bay that the Thfl simit of admiral discovered the passage between Van Diemen's Land and the islands which lie at some distance from its southern shore. To this strait was given the name of the commander, who was not aware that its importance would be diminished by the knowledge of that larger channel which was brought to light by the surgeon Bass. On each side of the opening of D* &itrecastcaux a few natives were occasionally seen, whose appearance indicated that they were still strangers to all the bless* I>'l'°.ntrecaj tuaux * Voyage de D'Entrecasteaux, eitToyi it la Rncherche de La P^ronse, public par ordre de sa Majeste rEmpereur et Roi, sous le iVJinistere de S. E. le Vioe-Amirai Decres, Cnmpte de I'Empire. Redige par M. de Rossel, Ancien Capitaine de Vaisseau. 2 tomes, •vec iin Atlt^s. a Pariis 18U8, tome i. d. 54-7B. AND VANCOUVER, 485 ings of social life. At one place were found some bones, CllAP. XV. which it was supposed must have belonged to the body of a very young girl. Certain fragments of broiled flesh were attached to these bones ; affording some ground saspected for the suspicion which arose in the minds of the na- cMaaibttUsm. vigatore that the inhabitants were addicted to canni- balism, more especially as they were discovered at a station where the savages usually cooked their victuals. But the author of the volumes which record this fact does not admit the justness of the conclusion embraced by some of his countrymen. He maintains that a single instance, separated from all other indications of an appetite so unnatural, is not sufficient to justify an in- ference than which none could be more reproachful to human nature ; sinking it below the most ferocious beasts of prey, which, even when most pressed by hunger, gpare their own species. He is therefore disposed to conclude that the aborigines of those remote islands are charged with a crime which has no other foundation than the probable practice of consuming by fire the last remains of the human body. Perhaps a more in- timate acquaintance with the inhabitants of the South Sea would have shaken his belief in their abstinence from the most revolting of all food. It may indeed be doubtful whether the bones examined by the naturalist were those of a human being or of a kangaroo ; but as to the practice, which excited his disgust and thereby supported his incredulity, the more recent annals of Polynesia deprive us of the satisfaction of entertaining any reasonable scepticism.* After spending nearly a month in the luxury of Now their anchorage, they set sail, and on the 16th June C*''^*'*"'* reached the Island of Pines on the southern extremity of New Caledonia. From hence to its northern point they assure us that they examined with minute atten- tion the whole of the western coast, standing in with both frigates close to the reef of coral rock which is * See Qoartorly Revievr, vul. iii. p. 30. 486 D*£NTRECA8TBAUX, MARCHAND, The cwn to navigators as Port St Vincent, the name given to it by the discoverer, who has laid it down in laC. 2^^"-' 0' 10" S. and long. 165*^ 65' 20" E. Tho passage into it is three quarters of a mile in width, the anchorage well sheltered, the water perfectly smooth, and the depth from four to twelve fathoms. During a stay of six weeks, the Bufialo was frequently visited by the natives, who took on board fish, yams, sugar-canes, spears, clubs, and nets, neatly Port St. ViiiCttuL AND VANCODVER. 487 it were with ) the surface iher, a rip. y aMert that i opening as ate to reach ) nor oanoes, revent them the peculiar cribea to the Bteaux, how- , they did at Dn approach- g with great he Deceitful ras rather an id it with th« would havf , the world. Wd anchored •nee beautiful elands, numy re about four Tew intervals, distant off [rably finrther land is out of verge of the ion of New made ; the whole of which they were happy to exchange chap. xv. for such things as might be offered. Red cloth particu- larly struck their fancy, and was in great request ; but iron, the commodity most highly prized in the Pacific, as they knew not its use, they showed no inclination to possess. On the whole, they were a superior race of black people, answering the description given by Captain Cook of the inhabitants of Balade, on the north-eastern > side of the island. Leaving New Caledonia, the Recherche and her con- ^^ Solomon sort proceeded in the direction of the Solomon Islands, isUnda. all of which are surrounded with reefs similar to those already described ; some of them, it is stated, being as steep as the wall of a house, and rising in tliat perpendi- cular form from an unfathomable depth of water. It is to be regretted that D'Entrecasteaux was not led, either by curiosity or the love of scie/ioe, to examine into their structure, whence might be derived some know- ledge in regard to the operation of the wonderful ani- malcules whose productions extend thousands of miles, and cover a large expanse in the Pacific Ocean. On the 17th July, the frigates reached New Ireland, where they lay at anchor till the 24th, oppressed with incessant torrents of rain which prevented the officers from mak- ing a single observation. Passing through St George'a Channel as defined by Carteret, they arrived at Vendola, «a • one of the Admiralty group, which was supposed to be aity bUudi near the spot where, according to the depositions made by the merchantmen, the traces of La Perouse*s expedi- tion had been seen. A boat being sent ashore, the na- tives flocked to the beach in great numbers ; and the air of confidence with which they advanced, as well as their open and pleasing countenances, were highly prepossess- ing. Many of them had strings of shells round their waists, which the admiral supposes may have been mis- taken by the crew of the Dutch vessels for French belts, while the peculiar colour of their skin might have given the idea of a naval uniform. A similar decep- tion, arising from the dominion of fancy over the senses^ i&i^tj^- 488 D ENTRECASTEAUX, MARCH AND, riuslrm n»- tv irtis <(f La CTTAP. XV. hftd nearly imposed upon himself and the other officers, — who thought th^^y perceived, long before they were near enough to see objects distinctly, men covered witi: red cloth ; while the branches and roots of a tree tumbling about in the breakers on the edge of the reef were at once converted into the wreck of the Boussole and Astrolabe ! A short residence satisfied D*Entvecasteaux thai La Ferouse had not perished among the Admiralty Islands, nor left a single trace of having touched at any of the cluster after his residence at Botany Bay. He thorefon) directed his course towards the shores of New Guinea, wheie he dropped anchor on the l7ih August. Shortly afterwards, he proceeded to Amboyna, a settlement long occupied by Dutch colonists^ whose industry had con- ferr&A on it a degree of importance which it could never have derived from its natural qualities. Having re- paired his ships and refreshed his crews, he set sail for the western coast of New Holland, which he surveyed with a considerable degree of attention. Doubling Cape Leuwin, he discovered a buy which still bears the name of one of his frigates, thi Esp^raace ; and he advanced 80 far with his face towards the east that a little more perseverance would have secured to him the honour of making known Bass's Strait. The whole line of coast which bounds Australia on the south-west is the most dreary that can he imagined, consisting of small sand- hills, salt- lakes, and stagnant marshes. It still appears in our maps as Nuyt*8 Land, the name of a Dutch sea- man, whose report first rendered it iamiliar to the ears of cosmographers.* In January 1793, the navigatorii, whose thoughts seem now to have been more sedulously directed to maritime adventure than to the recovery of their lost countrymen, steered once more for Van Diemen*s Land, and anchored in the Bay of Storms. On this occasion • Bibliotheque Universelle des Vovr^.'*, tome xv. p. 92. " C'etait Sartoiit la m£nie aridite : on ne voyait que des rochers (»ii des dunei d sable, qui bissaient peu d'espoiV de trouver de l*cau.** The sotith- Vfvat coast of Auntcalia. AND VANCOUVER. 489 they enjoyed a less restricted intercourse with the na- chap, xv tives, whom they found to be a mild inoffensive people, — and not in any degree chargeable with the revolting usages of cannibalism. Each family appeared to live apart in great harmony and affection, being content The natives with the simple food supplied by the se/\, such as shell- mau^Llui fish, lobsters, slugs, and similar productions. They re- fused to taste the victuals presented to them by the sailors, and turned away with aversion from strong drink, whether wine or spirituous liquors. Having not the least desire for trinkets, iron, or red cloth, they had uo propensity to thieving. In Adventure Bay, the ad- miral searched for the fmit-trees which had been planted by Captain Cook, some of which were still in existence, but so weak and languishing as to hold out no hope of their ever bearing fruit : no traces were found of the hogs left there. From Van Diemen*s Land the expedition steered a direct course for the Friendly Islands, and on the 23d March touched at Tongataboo. The Inhabitants, whose character deceived even the penetration and vigilance of 'riie mimM. the English navigator, conducted themselves in such a i'ol,'^aiaboo manner as to lead first to disputes and afterwards to actual hostilities. To repress their petulance and rouse their fears, the officers deemed it advisable to make them acquainted with the power of firearms. For this pur- pose two birds were suspended from the branch of a tree at a little distance, and one of the best marksmen presented himself in full confidence of bringing them down at the first shot, but he missed them twice ; a second marine renewed the attempt with still smaller success, for his musket would not go off; and these failures caused peals of laughter to b' rst forth on every side, especially among the natives who themselves car- ried arms. One of them drew his bow, and pierce d one of the birds ; an exploit which was followed by the loudebt applause, nnd contrasted in a manner sufficiently mortifying with the deficient expertness of the Euro- peans. A third musketeer indeed came forward, and 490 D'ENTRECASTEAUX, MAaCHAND, Tnwlonce of tii« uativea. cif AP. XV. brought down the second bird ; but the first impression remained, and it was remarked thtt the confidence of the savages in their own strength wis augmented, and their fear of the French weakened i a proportion. The insulting air now perceptible among them made D'En- trecasteaux conclude tliat his means of defence were too weak, and that it would be necesst ry for one of the frigates, without loss of time, to approach the island, and overawe the people by the appearanct; of his cannon.* It soon appeared that the precautions thus adopted were not unnecessary, for the same night one of his sentinels was knocked down at his post and his musket taken from him. A conflict now appeared inevitable, and the natives seemed willing to try the fortune of war ; but the chiefs, more prudent than their foUowei-s, and appreciating at a higher rate the value of a free intercourse with the strangers, carried the culprit on board, whom, at the same time, they pronounced worthy of death. Justice on this occasion was satisfied with a more gentle punishment : the assailant was flogged and dismissed. At a later period a more serious afiray took place, attended with the loss of life on the part of the islanders ; but even this misfortune did not materially interrupt the friendly disposition which continued to be professed by the principal inhabitants, f The people of Tongataboo still cherished the recoKec^ tion of Cook, especially the family of Fatafe, by whom his memory was regarded with much afiViction. There was reason to believe, though all classes seemed desirous to conceal the fact, that the horses and cows left by the English were dead or destroyed ; but their pigs were most abundant, and had greatly improved in quality by the introduction of the European species. No token was found at any of the Friendly Islands that the cap- Recollections of Cwik. :-)r-;i ♦ Bibliotheqne Universelle, tome xv. p. I50r •f* Ibid. p. 169. "Cet 6venement n'a pas parn trouWer la bonne intelligence qui avoit alors regae entre les liabitans de Tongatabou et noua.' AND VANCOUVER. 491 Ilebride& tain of the Boussole had been known to the natives, chap. XV either in traffic or in war. No trace could be discovered - — of any thing that had belonged to him ; no French manufacture or commodity ; neither clothes nor trink- ets ; and when the admiral showed copies of the medal which La Perouse had carried out with him, the chiefs declared that they had never seen any thing similar. He therefore resolved to leave that archipelago, and, steering towards the north-west, he passed the islands The New of Tanna, Annatom, and Erroniango, three of the New Hebrides, without finding a vestige of ship or crew. At length he came to :.xictioY in the harbour of Balade, <»n the north-eastern extremity of New Caledonia, where 1 le found the natives to resemble in their persons those of Vnn Diemen's Land, but to differ from them in their haL -, inasmuch as they are exceedingly ferocious and o^'f i.Jdicted to stealing. He asserts, besides, that they are undisguised cannibals, and manifest a ravenous avidity foi* human flesh. On this head, as is well known, intelligent navigators and historians hold dif- ferent opinions ; some of them continuing to deny, even in the face of incontestable facts, that any of the South Sea Islanders are anthropophagi, while others maintain that the propensity, if not the usage, is established upon the clearest evidence. No attentive reader of the latest missionary records can any longer console himself by the persuasion fhat voyagers have done injustice to the indigenous trj! > 3 of the New Hebrides, and especially to the blood+'iret; families who occupy Erromango. It YfoViV b ; v>;( rious to the fame of D*Entrecasteaux not to mciit^v ( ' tti on his passage from Tongataboo to New Caledonia ii^ discovered some islets apparently uninhabited, to which he assigned the appellation of "Beaupre," and ascertained their position to be lat. 20° 16' 30" S., and long. 163° 60' E.* Tlie Bi-an- pre ibluiik • " line tei re tres basse 8*offrit a la vue ; on vit cette terre en- teiiree de brisans sur iesquels nous eussions donne, sans la precaution de I'officier '"■■ quart. Cet ecueil dangereux fut reconnu de tres pr^s. li peut am!: ■>■.» neuf'a onze milles de longueur du nord au sud, et 492 d'entrecasteaux, marchand, New Uebii CHAP. XV. Taking leave of a people who had nothing to recom- mend them, ihe admiral proceeded in a course due north till he reached Santa Cruz, one of the New Hebrides, Afffay at tiie having lost M. Huon, his second in command, before he "" "°*"'" commenced this part of the voyage. After anchoring near the island just named, he had the misfortune to witness a quarrel between his men and the natives, which terminated in the death of one of the latter, who was shot when leading the assault against the strangers. On passing the Solomon group, his ships were attacked by a number of proas, which, both in their construction and ornament, indicated an advanced state of certain of the arts. It is true that the men in them were naked, but their bodies r v decorated with plumes, bracelets, and necklaces con., 1 of mother of pearl. He next stretched along the i.^i-thern coast of the Louisiade, an archipelago discovered by Bougainville in 1768 ; and after examining the south-eastern side of New Guinea, he passed the Straits of Dampier, having on his left hand the northern verge of New Britain. The natives of the first-mentioned cluster appeared to be more civil- ized than those of any islands he had recently visited. Not only were they more attentive to dress than the inhabitants of the Solomons or of New Caledonia, but they aliso used shields as weapons of defence ; they had large boats with masts ; and they showed a taste for Eu- ropean manufactures, though they were perfectly indif- ferent to iron. This last circumstance, so rare among uncivilized nations, taken in connexion with the equip- ment of their vessels and their personal finery, seems to justify the conclusion that they must have found out a substitute for that metal, which, as an aid to mechanical operations, is more valuable than any other. On the 20th July, the commander of the expedition, The natlvp-i ot Louisiada sejlt a huit milles de lameur de Test a Ponest. Nous vtmes deux petites ilea boisees, placees a la partie oiientale de ce recif, et une troisieme p' s grande que les deux autres au milieu ; nous les avions nominees ties Beaupre." — Dibliotheque Universelle, tome xt. pp. 189tiy0. AND VANCOUVER. 493 g to recom- 'se due north jw Hebrides, id, before he er anchoring (lisfortune to the natives, e latter, who he strangers. rere attacked construction of certain of were naked, as, bracelets, rl. He next [iOuisiade, an a. 1768; and New Guinea, ■on his left The natives »e more civil- lently visited. ress than the laledonia, but ce ; they had taste for £u- jrfectly indif- } rare among th the equip- ery, seems to I found out a ;o mechanical p. e expedition, ous vtmes deux ce recif, et une nous les avions le, tocie XT. pp. whose health had been gradual!/ giving way, sunk chap. xv. under the load of care, and perhaps of disappointment, d.vT to which his long voyage had subjected him. It had tcaux aud already been resolved to proceed to Java, with the in- ^'-^"fibft » tention of renewing their stores and checking the pro« gress of disease among the men. M. D'Auribeau, to whom the command now descended, adopted the ^iews of his predecessor, and proceeded to act upon them with* out delay In pursuance of this object, he sailed past tlie Admiralty Islands a second time, and coasting New Guinea, Waijoo, and Boero, he entered the Strait of Booton ; and at length, on the 27th October, he an- chored at Sourabaya on the shores of Java, the point at which the history of the expedition in search of La Perouse found its termination. It is not meant that the main purpose of the voyage was attained, or that the means of discovery were exhausted, for in neither point had the ends accomplished corresponded to the magnitude of preparation, and to the hopes connected with the high character of those to whose hands the enterprise was confided. But on the arrival of the fri- gates at the Dutch settlement, the officers had the mortification to learn that their native country was desolated by the sanguinary proceedin^-s of the revolu- tionists ; that the king had been beheaded ; and that a war had begun with England, in which Holland also ,.l was involved. Having no government to acknowledge, they determined to leave every individual to take the ^.'"J?'*'"* "' side to which his principles or inclination might lead diuoo.^'^'^*^ him. The ships were dismantled ; the engagement of the crews was declared to be at an end ; two parties were formed, one espousing the cause of the royalists, the other that of the republicans ; and as D'Auribeau died almost immediately after landing, the keeping of the journals, charts, and astronomical observations was intrusted to M. Rossel, now become senior officer. The greater number obtained a passage to Europe in certain Dutch Indiamen, then about to sail ; several of which were taken by English cruisers, including those on 494 D*ENTPECASTBAUX, MARCH AND, Estimate of ])*Enrrecas> teaux's re- searches. CHAP. XV. board of which were the journals, naturalists, their — whole collection of specimens, and all the materials of their his^^^^ry, nautical and scieutific. Copies, however, were supplied to Rossel as soon as he was permitted to return home ; a privilege which, as being a royalist, was not conceded to him till after the accession of Na- poleon, under whose auspices the voyage was published in the year 1808.* The editor observes, that we must not expect to find in the narrative of D'Entrecasteaux's expedition any important discoveries, such as those of the ancient navi- gators who made us acquainted with countries of vast extent, or with new channels to reach those previously known. All the great masses of land were already brought to light, and hence nothing remained for him but the task of visiting with more minujte attention the various coasts of which a knowledge had formerly reached Europe. As a proof of his unremitting care and the success which followed it, the reader is referred to the detailed description given of the southern shore of Van Diemen*s Land, and the discovery of the strait which separates it from the contiguous islands. It is main- tained, in short, that his labours were deserving of all praise ; though it lias been asserted on another authority more worthy of reliance, that even his own journal furnishes incontestable proofs of inaction and a total absence of curiosity. Satisfied with idle conjectures founded on the reports of his ofiicers, he seldom gave himself the trouble of setting his foot on shore. The reader has seen his want of skill on leaving the Ca;>e of * TliP ^ians and papers drawn by M. Beautemps Beaupre* hydro««pber-in-chi«tj were amon|r those captured on board the " Esperance," and placed with the otiiers in the hands of the Ad- miralty ; and though they were all put into the possession of M. Uossel, ^'corome Pofficierle plus ancien de Texpeoition" — it is said that the English board ** sans doute a pu (aire usage des reseif^nmens Su^elle en a tires, lorsqu'en 171^7 et ll^fi elle a envuye reconnaitre les 6couvertes f'aites i la terre de Van Diemen." The editor after* wards confessed that he had fallen into error, as no such expedition •s he describes sailed from England in either of those years.— Biblioth^que Universelle, tome xv. pp. 6, 7* u ,.|;,s }! - It had been the intention of the captain to proceed at once flrom the Cape de Verd Islands to the north-west- ern coast of America, and without touching at any port on either side of the continent. The health of his crew it is admitted, was so little impaired either by fatigue or change of food, that no obstacle on this head presented itself to defeat the design of accomplishing a voyage of four thousand leagues without entering a harbour, whe- ther for intelligence or supplies. This project is said to have had a seducing aspect in the eyes of the ship's company, because it put in their power the merit of overcoming a difiiculty, — a triumph which seamen are always willing to remember. But the love of fpine on Proposed run of 4000 AND VANCOUVER. 497 their jiart, and the desire of economy entertained by chap. xv. their employers, were at length compelled to yield to — the necessity of obtaining a supply of fresh water ; and with this view, about the middle of May, he directed his course towards the Marquesas. The group now mentioned, it is well known, wasThe Mar- discovered by Mendana in 1695, and visited in 1773 by gjjy^ Cook, to whose account of the inhabitants and produc- tions nothing material has since been added. Marchand found the people very little changed, and in no respect improved by their intercourse with Europeans. They displayed the same desire for glittering toys, the same propensity to thieving, and the same undisguised licen- tiousness which had marked their character in former days. It did nrmer navigator, n honour it did er islands were could not reach npliment to his les. A couple, the water, were to which may AND VANCOUVER. 499 XV. p. 392. Speak- -"llenaremarqiie llabares; mais pl«« ci&sse du peuple, et imes, quoique por- Imes, ne 8ont (ruerei be specified the Plate Island, the Obelisk Point, the chap. xv. Peak Rock, and the Bay of Welcome. The whole of """• these .mattered spots were denominated, with reference to the events which had recently taken place in France, the Revolution Islands ; and these, we are assured, occupy one degree and forty-two minutes in latitude, though only forty-four minutes in longitude. The hbtorian of this voyage finds fault with Captain nesoiution Cook for substituting the namQ "Resolution Bay" in^^* place of the title of Madre de Dios, given to the port by Mendana. He maintains that our countryman not only knew but proclaimed the identity of the two bays ; but not being able to escape the influence of the national genius, and wishing that the Marquesas should in some form bear the seal of England, he suppressed the appel- lation the harbour had received from the original discov- erer, and which it had borne during the long period of two centuries, in order that he might introduce the name of his own ship. He is unwilling to suspect that Cook had resolved to make reprisals upon the Spaniards, who imposed without remorse the titles of their saints on places which the heretics discovered ; and he admits that in restoring their own names to isles, capes, and bays, he proved in many cases his respect for their ancient denominations. There is uo one who will not assent to the truth of the remark with which the French author concludes his observations on this head ; namely, that however much it may gratify self-love to associate. Changing of by means of a new term, one s own memory with cer- namen tain places long before discovered by others, it is a prac- tice which cannot fail to introduce into the nomenclature of geography a degree of confusion that must sometimes embarrass navigators, and even open the door to a multi- tude of anachronisms. These attempts will in the end prove fruitless ; for sooner or later history will avenge herself on such substitutions, and restore to each locality the name it ought to bear, and the discovery to him who made it. But even this justice, however vigilant and impartial it may prove, will not, we fear, place M. Mar- 500 ])'kNTUECA8TBAUX, MAHCIIANU, Fltt Island In Norl'ulk Suuad. •'I CHAP. xv. chand high on the roll of those distinguished seamen — who have added to the boundafies of the world, and extended our acquaintance with the physical history of the human race. About the 7tli August, the Solide was anc!\ored near Pitt Island in Norfolk Sound, called by the natives Tchinkitan^. In the traflfic which ensued, the Indiana showed that they were not ignorant of the value now set by Europeans on the commodities peculiar to those desert shores. They displayed their articles to the best advantage, and examined with the greatest care such as were o^^ered to them in return. Woollen cloths of English manufacture were in the highest request ; iwtmy of the people being entirely clothed with them, in pre- ference to the furs now so much prized by the most civilized nations of the earth. The sea-otter, for the skin of which the Chinese give an exorbitant price, is about three feet in length ; the hair is exceedingly beau- tiful, and a good specimen has been known to sell at Canton for nearly a hundred dollars. The French had no opportunity of learning more in regard to the opinions and usages oF the Americans than is to be found in the volumes of Cook, Dixon, and La Perouse. The dwellers on Pitt Island were rather short in stature, having small deeply sunk eyes, snubbed noses, high cheek-bones, and a brown colour varying from a Hght to a very dark tint. They treat their women with attention, never exposing them to the painful labour to which females on other parts of the coast are com- monly subjected. But the climate and aspect of the country itself presented the same repulsive qualities which impressed so deeply the imagination of former navigators. The bay is nearly encompassed with moun- tains, the summits of which are covered with perennial snow, and the lower slopes with a wild species of wooJ neither used nor tended. The cove in which the ship lay was in lat. 67° 4' N., and in long. 137° 69^ W. Finding little encouragement in the way of barter among a people who had learned all the artifices of iliu natives of Pitt Island. AND VANCOUVKR. 601 commerce without its honour, Marchand proceeded to chap, xv Queen Charlotte's Islands, where to his great mortifica- — tion he learned that a vessel had been recently on the coast which carried oflf nearly all the skins. The few that re- mained unsold seemed reserved for En(?lishmen, whose terms of dealing the native merchants insinuated were more liberal, or whose goods were more suitable to their market. After some attempts equally fruitless on other Marchand'i parts of the American shore, the captain set sail for the j!|^,],]^'^^ Sandwich Islands, on his way to China ; whence, having disposed of his furs at a very low price, he dirocted his course to the Isle of France, the Cape of Good Hope, St Helena, and Toulon, thereby accomplishing a voyage round the world in the short period of twenty months. To the mercantile speculators at Marseilles the trip was an unfortunate one, being attended with a heavy loss ; and the chief officer, little gratified by the reception he met with at home, returned forthwith to the Mauritius, in possession of his journal and other papers. It appears, h ?ver, that Chenal, the second in command, kept a \\ record of all proceedings on board, more especially Buvii as respected the main incidents of the voyage, the discoveries supposed to have been made in the neigh- * * bourhood of the Marquesas, and the astronomical obser- •: Tstions which form the basis of nautical science. When it was resolved to publish, the literary part of the work was committed to the charge of Fleurieu, whose attention had been much directed to maritime subjects. The reader must have observed that the only interesting portion of the narrative is confined to the description of the islands and other prominent points, which, during a rather hazy state of the weather, seemed to present themselves to the eye of the captain when he left Santa Christina, with his face towards the north.* .. ' The voyage of Vancouver, of which we are now to _ ^^ present an outline, had its origin in a misunderstanding ot Van- which took place in the year 1790 between Great «>»**». * The Voyage of Marchand was published at Paris ia l7iM> ftud afterwards in England in two volumes quarto. 502 D ENTRECASTEAUX, MARCH AND, CHAP. XV. The object of Vancouver's voyage. Instructions respecting the noi tli- vcst coast i( America. Britain and Spain relative to Nootka Sound. The two governments were on the point of declaring war against each other, nearly on the same principle which gave so much importance to the dispute touching the Falkland Islands, about twenty ^eors before. On either side a feeling prevailed that national honour was implicated ; and in this country especially, the public voice would have loudly declared against any compromise which might seem to have even the remotest connexion with the fear of consequences, should an appeal be made to arms. But wisdom at length prevailed, and claims, which might have involved the whole of Europe in a sanguinary strugp-le, were adjusted by the balancing power of a little negotiation. It nevertheless seemed expedient to tlie English cabinet to send out an officer to secure possession of the settlement, and also to de- termine, if possible, the geographical question respecting the existence of a navigable passage between the Atlan- tic and Pacific oceans.* For the purposes now mentioned Captain Vancouvei was selected ; and his instructions were, after accom- plishing the mission at Nootka Sound, to examine that part of the coast occupied by the chain of islands dis' covered by the several vessels engaged in the fur-trade, and " to ascertain with the greatest exactitude, the nature and extent of every communication by water which might seem to tend to facilitate commercial re- lations between the north-west coast and the countries on the east of the continent inhabited by British sub- jects or claimed by Great Britain ; and in particular, to • Voyage of Discovery to the North Piicific Ocean and round the World, &c, performed in the years 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, in the Dircovery Sloop of War, and Armed Tender Chatham, under the command of Captain Geory:^j Vancouver, 3 vols 4to, London, 179H. In the Introduction it is mentioned that the Spaniards had roinmitted depredations on different branches of the British commerce on the north-west coast of America, and that they had seized on the Kn^lish vessels and factories in Nootka Sound. It was therefore deemed expedient that an officer should be sent to obtain, in form, a restitution of the territories of which tlw Spaniards hud taken possession. AND VANCOUVER. 503 \meiica. search for the strait of John de Fuca, and to examine if CiiAP. xv. Cook's River have not its source in some of the lakes — frequented by the Canadian traders, or by the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company. The question to which allusion is made in the latter coufnscii part of these instructions was revived by the discoverie-^ ideas re.sj"ci. of Dixon and other adventurers on the western coast of Avesteru North America. Once more the archipelago of St Lazarus was called into existence, as well on their au- thority as on that of the famous Admiral de Fonte and of Mr Shapely, a skipper from the United States, who was said to have sailed through a mediterranean sea, where he actually met the Spanish navigator just named. The channel of De Fuca, an opening not less imaginary, was also referred' to by those who nade bold to condemn the haste of Captain Cook, and to rank him among the pursuers ofpeltryy solely because he held the opinion, in which a minute examination of the coast strengthened his conviction, that there exists not a channel in a lower panllel than sixty degrees, through whic.i a communi- cavion could take place between the Psuiiic Ocean aijld any part of the northern Atlantic. Besides ihe usual instructions issued on such occasions, the captain received a copy of an order addressed by the Spanish minister to the governor of Port St Lawrence, directing the latter to put into the hands of his Britan- nic Majesty's officer full possession of the "buildings and districts, or parcels of land, which were occupied by the subjects of chat sovereign in April 1789, bs well in the port of Nootka as in the ot* ei said to be called Port Cox, and to be situated about sixteen leagues distant from the former to the southward." The Discovery, to the command of which Vancouver was appointed, was a vessel of about three hundred and shipi- fifty tons burden, carrying ten guns of various siT^es, and a hundred and thirty men inCiUding officers. The Chatham, described as an armed tender, mounted tea small cannon, and had on board forty-live seamen ; the charge of her being intrusted to Lieutenant Broughtoii, Vfincon/cr's 504 d'entrecasteaux, marchand, CHAP. XV. whose character amply justified the selection. After — repeated delays, the two ships left England in the be- ginning of April 1791. On the 10th July, they arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where the necessity of mak- ing some repairs detained them more than a month. Tiie coast of Bearing towards the coast of New Holland, they pur- NewHoUand. sued an unfrequented tract, between those which had been adopted by Dampier and Marian. On the 27th September, they made land, and in latitude 36* 3' S., and in longitude 160' 35' 30" E., passed a lofty promon- tory, to which was given the name of Cape Chatham, in hon( -ir of the earl who at that period presided at the Admiralty. Other points successively presented them- selves, and were distinguished by the descriptive terms of Baldhead, Breaksea Island, Michaelmas, and Seal Island. Want of fuel induced some of the officers to go ashore, and there they found the most miserable human habitation that ever their eyes beheld. The shape of the dwelling was that of a beehive, vertically divided into two equal parts, one of which fonned the hut, in height about three feet, and in diameter about four and a half. It was not, however, constructed with- out some degree of uniformity, with slight twigs of no greater substance than those used for making bakers' baskets, which were again covered with the bark of trees and small green boughs. Nor did the aspect of the country exhibit any thing more inviting. The shore consisted either of naked rocks or of white barren sand ; beyond which dreary boundary the surface of the ground seemed covered with a sickly herbage, diversified by a few dwarf trees and stunted shrubs. But the interior presented a far more fertile and pleasing appearance. In the centre of the harbou r was an island adorned with the most beau- tiful grass ; and instead of the sterile clifia which com- pose the borders of the sound, the distant hills delighted the eye with the view of luxuriant forefits and other tokens of a generous .:oil. It was therefo:;e resolved to tiike possession cf the country in the nanu of the king, Appearance of the country. \ / AND VANCOUVER. 505 lind to honour the port just discovered by the titles of chap, xv George the Third and of his eldest daughter the Princess Royal. Near the sound was observed a small stream of Kini? excellent water ; and on tracing its meanders through a ^^^T * copse, the captain found himself in a deserted village, consisting of about two dozen miserable huts, chiefly of the same construction and materials as that already described. This spot had probably been the residence of a considerable tribe ; and the form as well as arrange- ment of the dwellings, mean as they were, justified the conclusion that the inhabitants were not altogether un- acquainted with the distinctions of rank. Besides the little station now mentioned, and which was visited by Vancouver himself, Mr Broughton dis- covered one at the distance of two n^ilcs. It was of the same magnitude, but appeared of much later date, as the huts were comparatively new, and must have been recently occupied. The choice of situation might have excited some surprise, had it not occurred to the recol- lection of the Englishman that a swamp is convenient to those who are unwilling to put themselves to the fatigue of carrying water from a great distance. It is remarked that the larger trees in the vicinity of both villages had been hollowed out by means of lire, so as to afford to the people that shelter which, during incle- ment weather, they hav*. no other means of obtaining. No species of furniture or utensil was seen in any of the Honses «nd houses ; and the only articles which seemed to have at-of thena- tracted a little ingenuity and labour were some pieces of ^v®^ stick in the form of a spear. The bark was stripped off, and the thicker end, after having been exposed some tune to the action of flame, had been scraped into a point capable of inflicting a wound by stabbing. On one of the weapons the marks of blood were still per- ceptible. Fire, indeed, appears to be their principal instrument, whether for clearing their lands, destroying wild beasts, securing food, or pursuing their simple manufactures. This is an expedient to which recourse is frequently made by rude nations, who know the 506 d'eKTRECASIEAUX, MARCIIANn, CHAP. XV. Perloflical burnings of the forest Rocks and «)il 01 south western Australia. power of the element they employ, but understand not how to direct its operations. When the forest is set on fire in a dry season, the ravages produced cannot fail to be very extensive ; and the navigators remark accordingly that, duiing their excursions on shore, they did not see a spot, even under the rudest cultivation, which had not been previously scorched by those periodical burnings. Where the country was well wooded, the loftiest trees had the topmost branches consumed, yet none of the trunks seemed totally destroyed by it ; but even in places where the luxuriance of the soil had obliterated its effects among the more hardy shrubs, the ground was perceived to be strewed over with the remains of stumps which could not resist the force of the confla- gration. The climate on the south-western shores of New Holland was pronoimced extremely favourable, so far as any judgment could be formed from the short resi- dence to which the captain found it convenient to restrict himself. Fahrenheit's thermometer, at the time of year answering to the beginning of April in the northern hemispheic, stood at fifty-three degrees, and it after- wards rose as high as sixty-four. The health of the crews bore testimon^'^ to the salubrity of the atmo- sphere ; while the heat was sufficiently great to bring to maturity all the productions necessary to a comfortable subsistence, as well as those which contribute to the luxuries of life in a more advanced condition of society. With reference to its geological qualities, the appearance of the country along the coast is said to resemble in most respects that of Africa near the Cape of Good Hope. The surface seemed to be diiefly composed of sand mixed with decayed vegetables, varying exceed- ingly in point of richness, but on the whole superior to that of the other colony. The principal rock j,artakes much of the nature of coral ; and it would seem, says Vancouver, that its elevation above the ocean is of mo- dern date, both because the bank which extends along shore is, generally speaking, formed of that ingredient, AND VANCOUVER. .'^O? and also because it is found on the highest hills, espe- chap. w. daily on the summit of Baldhead, which is sufficiently raised above the level of the sea to be distinctly seen at the distance of fourteen leagues. Here the coral was The coral of entirely in its original staie, particularly in one level Baidhead. spot comprehending about eight acres, which produced not the slightest degree of iiei'bage on the white sand that occupied the whole of this space. The branches of coral protruded through the surface, and were seen standing exactly like those which are beneath the waves in ail parts of the tropical ocean, with ramifications of different sizes, some not half an inch, others four or five inches in circumference. In these elevated masses and fields of coralline substance, sea-shells were observed in great abundance ; some nearly in a perfect state still ad- hering to the original rock on which they had grown, and others in different stages of decay. The coral was friable in various degrees, the extremities of the branches being easily reduced to powder, while those which were close to the surface, or under it, required some force to separate them from the base whence they appeared to spring. In examiningthesouth- western coast of Australia, Van- couver preceded D'Entrecasteaux, but did not advance quite so far to the eastward, nor make himself acquainted with the cluster of islands which bear the name of the Recherche. Being not less ignorant than the French Course navigator respecting the channel which divides New ]Die"nuu'«" Holland from Van Dicmen*s Land, he directed his course Land, in nearly a straight line from King George's Sound to Dusky Bay in New Zealand, passing at some distance southward the former island, ixltliough the captain of the Discovery had been on tliis coast with Cook in the year 1773, he found it necessary to survey the shores with some attention, more especially the approach to Facile Harbour, and the whole northern bosom of the lay, which the great English seaman could not thor- oughly investigate. The pains bestowed by the officers of both nhips on the present occasion were rewarded by 508 d'entrecasteaux, marchand, CHAP. XV. some discoveries which, though not of much importance in themselves, must be highly valued by the numerous merchantmen who every season frequent that stormy - sea, when trading between our rising colonies in tlie DuskvBay Southern Pacific. The harbours in Dusky Bay were In New zea- described by Captain Cook himself as " numerous, safe, and convenient ;" and it was now ascertained that while refreshments can be had in abundance, the climate is extremely salubrious. It is not concealed that the higher latitudes of New Zealand are exposed to occa- sional bursts of tempestuous weather, and that the north wind sometimes blows with incredible fury. Such gales, too, even when summer has made a considerable advance, are followed by falls of snow, which cover the surrounding mountains down to the edge of the valleys Vancouver and his followers witnessed a storm of this nature in 1791 ; and in reference to it he remarks that, though it was his fifth visit to the southern island, he had never before to contend with so violent a tempest. Summer ^"* ^^ occurred to him that, if such showers of snow hap- snow Jn New pened frequently, vegetation must be severely checked, ^ and that the productions of the soil would not be found to flourish, as they certainly do, in a most luxuriant manner. A few days' fine weather soon removed the greater part of the snow ; and that which remained on the high, distant, barren mountains, which for some days had been entirely free from clouds, was observed to be greatly diminished.* From New Zealand the expedition, whose ultimate object was the coast of north-western America, set sail for Otaheite, the two commanders having agreed, in case of separation, to meet in Matavai Bay. On the 24th November, much to the astonishment of every one on board the Discovery, land was seen in a south-easterly direction, and, when approaching nearer to it, they * Voyaife of Discovery to tlie Pacific Ocean and round the World, &C. vol. i. p. 67. It was the month of November when Vancouver was in Dusky Bay ; a season of the year which in the southern hemisphere correauonds, it is well known, to June in the nortiiern. AND VANCOUVER. 509 observed the waves breaking on its shores ■«vith great chap. xv. violence. At length it was ascertained to consist of — seven rocky islands, extending to about six miles from north-east to south-west. It was at first matter of sur- The Snares prise that they had escaped the watchful eye of Captain •*i'*"i''»' Cook, but, upon examining his charts, it was found that he had not at any time passed within ten leagues of them. The discoverer named them the " Snares," be- cause, both from their situation and the sort of weather likely to be experienced in their vicinity, they can hardly fail to draw unguarded mariners into great diffi- culties. On the 22d of December, when on his progress towards the north, Vancouver again perceived land where it was not expected, having the appearance of three small islands, one of which greatly resembled a The Anstrai ship under sail. Being considerably distant from the ^=*'""*^* track of former navigators, some curiosity was excited as to its name, inhabitants, and geological properties; and accordingly, though at the expense of a little delay, he resolved to approach the group. Several canoes were noticed advancing from a cove, filled with natives, who invited the strangers to go nearer the coast, with the view, it might be, of establishing a more friendly inter- course, or perhaps of enriching themselves with plun- der. At length one of them was induced to go on board the Discovery, who no sooner found himself on deck than he trembled as if under the deepest appre- hension : fear, astonishment, and admiration seized his mind at the same moment; and though on receiving some presents his countenance became more serene and cheerful, he still appeared to suffer from intense anxiety. His reception, however, as well as the gifts lavished visit from upon him by the foreigners, encouraged several others to ^ "* "*** mount the sides of the ship ; and the crew had soon as many visiters as it was convenient to entertain. They all seemed perfectly acquainted with the uses to which they could apply iron, and how to estimate its compara- tive value, both according to their own scale of priceg I 510 1>*ENTRECASTKAUX, MARCH AND, Rnmnntic Mirfuce of Oparo Island CHAP. XV. and tliat of Europeans. Two or three i-emained on " — board nearly an hour ; but so unfixed and unsteady was their attention, that it was impossible to obtain any intelligence either respecting themselves or the group to which their families belonged. At length, indeed, it was gathered from their replies that the name of their island was Oparo, the chief of which, whose authority they all seemed to acknowledge, was called Korie. In short, it is one of the Austral cluster, now rendered familiar by the visits of more recent voyagers, as well as by the investigations of the several orders of mission- aries, who have introduced among the natives the seeds of useful knowledge and of the true faith. Oparo, when viewed from the sea, exhibited the as- pect of a great mass of rocks rising to a considerable height, and forming in several places most romantic pinnacles with perpendicular cliffs from their summits to the beach. The vacancies between the mountains re- sembled chasms rather than valleys, crowded with shrubs, but without any appearance of cultivation. Neither the plantain nor any other of those spontaneous produc- tions common to the inhabited islands of the Pacific presented themselves. The arts which minister to com- fort and improvement seemed indeed every whei-e un- known ; while the genius of the savage appeared to have exhausted its powers in fabricating bow^s, spears, and canoes, or in constructing houses of defence against the inroad of an enemy. On the highest hills there were fortified places resembling redoubts, having in the centre of each a small barrack, with rows of pallisades down the sides of the declivity, planted nearly at equal distances. These, which were obviously intended for advanced works, were capable, in the hands of a few resolute warriors, of defending the citadel against a nu- merous host of assailants. On all of them persons were seen walking about like sentinels, as if employed on a constant and regulated duty ; an arrangement so far superior to the usual habits of military life among a rude people, as to excite some degree of scepticism In Rude mili- tary works. ■i-r t AND VANCOUVER. :t I 511 regard to the strict accuracy of the details with which chap, xv the navigator supplies us. The Chatham, which had separated from the Dis- covery soon after their departure from New Zealand, discovered a small group, the principal islet of which continues to bear her name. They are situated in lati- tude 44" S., and longitude 176*» W. About the end of December, the two ships met at Otaheite, when Van- Tahiti couver had the mortification to find that most of the friends whom he had left there in 1777 were dead. Otoo, now called Pomare, had retired to Eimeo, leaving his eldest son in the larger island, possessed of the sove- reign power as well as the royal name. The young monarch, whose age did not exceed ten years, consented to meet the strangers, having arrived on the shoulders of a man, whose duty it was to carry him, in order to prevent the inconvenience which arises from the con- tact of his sacred feet with any property not already devoted to the use of the reigning prince. Etiquette requires that until the introduction shall have been comp^ ed, the King of the Society Isles must assume a cool. Hi Jifixerent, nay, a stern expression of countenance ; and the boy performed this part of the ceremony with great command of feature. But no sooner was the rati- fication of mutual friendship completed than his looks became cheerful, and he received the English deputation with the utmost cordial ity . Each of them was presented with a quantity of cloth, a large hog, and some vege- tables; the natives meanwhile manifesting an instant compliance with all their wishes, and the utmost eager- ness to perform every little office of civility. < >i On the 2d January 1792, Pomare arrived from Ktrnr Eimeo ; and going on board the Discovery, he showed P«™ara a perfect recollection of the commander, indicating, at the same time, the sincerest happiness at their meeting. " He frequently observed," says the latter, ** that I had grown very much, and looked very old since last we had parted.** Among the chiefs who visited the English crews, was Poeco of Matavai, who brought with him a ' S9 512 D*ENTRECASTEAUX, MARCHAND, CHAP. XV. portrait of Captain Cook, drawn by Mr Webber in the Portrait of y^^^ 1777. This picture is always exhibited in the house Couk. of the governor of that district, and is become the public register. On the back of it was written that the Pan- dora had left this island on the eighth day of May 1791. It is known to every reader that Captain Edwards, in the vessel just named, had sailed from England a few months before Vancouver, in search of the mutineers who had risen against Lieutenant Bligh of the Bounty, and finding thirteen of the unfortunate criminals at Otaheite, he carried them home for trial. It is some- what singular that this fact should have been recorded on the same paper which represented the likeness of the renowned seaman who first conveyed to the civilized world an intimate acquaintance with this interesting archipelago. The historian of this voyage mentions an incident, without seeming to be aware of its importance, though closely connected with the superstitions of the South Sea. When a number of the royal family honoured the captains with their company at dinner, the wives ot Pomare and Mahow were permitted to sit at table, and partake of the repast. It is added, indeed, that this in- dulgence is by no means common, and granted perhaps to no other women on the island. But we know that at a later period, such a freedom would have disturbed the equanimity of all the priests in the Society group, and led, it is probable, to a general insurrection. The aged chief, it is true, was not very rigid either in his opinions or his practice. " Our attention," says the commander of the Discovery, " was particularly at- tracted by the great desire which the generality of them, both male and female, exhibited, in their endea- vours to adopt our manners and customs, and the avidity with which they sought spirituous liquors. Pomare, in the course of dinner and afterwards, drank a bottle of brandy without diluting it ; an excess which ended in violent convulsions. It was in vain to expostulate with him on the ground that inebriety was highly pvr- Tmttation ol Eunipfan numuers. A Nil VANCOUVER. r>i3 nicious, and must affect his health. In return to such chap. xv. remonstrances, he insinuated that the captain was a stingy fellow, and wished to save his drink ; nor was it until experience convinced him of the danger he in- . : curred by such indulgences, that he was brought to acknowledge all he had heard of the British * ava' was quite true." The grandfather of the reigning prince, formerly The a^rcd known to the English under the name of Happi, at Prince"appt length made his appearance on the scene, chiefly with the view of paying his respects to the subaltern of the great Cook. It may be necessary at this stage to men- tion that, in the Society Islands, it is customary for the sovereign to resign the supreme power the moment that his eldest son is bom ; after which period, the father acts only as regent in the name and behalf of his successor. On the occasion now alluded to, the venerable Happi proceeded to perform an act of homage to his grandson, in whose person were concentrated all the dignity, honour, and divine right, which belonged to the royal house of Otaheite. It being announced that Otoo was approaching, the old man, having pro- cured a pig and a plantain leaf, stripped himself to the waist, and advanced on tottering limbs to meet the child. Acknowledging his own inferiority, he presented His homape on his knees the two tokens of his submission, uniting ^^'* 8>and- with this emblematical offering a mixture of profound respect and parental regard. This ceremony, though aifecting to those who witnessed it, seemed to produce little impression on the young ruler, who appeared to notice the humble attitude of his grandsire with the most perfect indifference ; his demeanour being regu- lated according to those fantastic notions which identify unconcern with high feeling, and associate the possession of rank with an absence of all the tender emotions inci- dent to human nature. The death of Mahow supplied an opportunity for witnessing on a large scale the funeral ceremonies which distinguished the ritual of the South Sea before Chris- 614 D ENTllECASTEAtTX, MAllCHANI), bionieab CHAP. XV. tianity was introduced amon^ the natives. One of the principal parts consisted in the embalming of the body, which was performed in great secrecy, and with much Funeral cere- religious veneration. The priests taught that the bowels are the immediate organ of sensation, where all impres* sions are Arst received, and by means of which all the functions of the soul are carried on ; and hence they maintair^^d, as a first principle in the philosophy of mind, that the intestines bear tlie greatest affinity to the im- mortal part of man. The officers, who occasionally entered into conversation with the leading persons at Matavai, endeavoured to convince them that all intel- lectual operations took place in the head. They usually answered with a smile of incredulity, remarking that they had often seen men recover whose skulls had been fractured, and whose heads had been otherwise much injured ; but that in all cases where the intestines were wounded, the patient died whatever means might he used to restore health. Other arguments they also advanced in support of their belief, especially the effect of fear or any violent passion, which caused great agita- tion in the heart and even in the stomach. The reader must have anticipated the observation, that in these views they shared a belief very common in the western parts of Asia, and of which we find some traces in the sacred writings. From the Southern Pacific, where the necessity of wicii isknda. extensive repairs detained him longer than he had in- tended, Vancouver proceeded about the end of January to the Sandwich Islands, whence he expected a favour- able nan to the coast of America. We shall at once accompany him to the shores of New Albion, deeming it more convenient to condense the observations made by him during his repeated visits to the dominions of Tamehameha, than to state them in a separate and un- connected form. With reference to his duty on the Verge of the great continent towards which his course was now turned, it may be mentioned as a singular coincidence that, when approaching the entrauce which Tlie Sard- AND VANCOUVER. 515 fonns the imaginary Strait of Dc Fuca, he met Captain Ciur. xv. Gray, who formerly commanded the sloop Washington, and was said, wlien in charge of that vessel, to have made a remarkable voyage behind Nootku. He frankly com- pictitions municated to the English officers the amount of his discovery in supposed discovery ; and it was soon found that his America, narrative differed very materially from that published in London. He was exceedingly astonbhed on being informed that his authority had been quoted, not only for the existence of an inland sea connecting the Pacific with Hudson's Bay, but that he had actually sailed through it. In contradiction to a statement at once improbable in itself, and altogether j^rroundless so far as his relation was concerned, he assured them that he had penetrated only fifty miles into the strait in question ; that he found the passage five leagues wide ; that he understood from the natives the opening extended a considerable distance to the northward ; and that he returned into ttie ocean by the same way he had left it. He indeed supposed that the inlet was the same which is usually asb^.ciated with the name of De Fuca ; an opinion uii'"ci. ally held by all navigators who had examined the coast. He likewise mentioned tliat he Captain had been at the mouth of a river in lat. 46° 10' N., pSSo^ where the current, or perhaps reflux of the tide, was so strong as to prevent his entering it for nine days. There was also, he said, another inlet to the northward, in lat. 54° 80', in which he had sailed more than a hun- dred miles without discovering its termination. His statement was concluded by an assurance that the south- ern point of De Fuca's channel is in lat. 48° 24', and that their distance from it did not exceed eight leagues. On a nearer approach Vancouver recognised an island and a headland that had attracted the notice of Captain Cook, to the latter of which, owing to the deceitful promise of a safe harbour, he gave the name of Cape Flattery. Upon entering the bay, they observed that the shores on each side had such an ambiguous appear- ance as to indicate either continuous land or a cluster 516 D EM'UECASTEA V\, MARCH AND, The Gulf of Ottorgia. CKAP. XV. of ialands. A favourable wind promised a speedy ter- mination to the survey ; for, in proportion as the ships advanced, the hills, rising higher in the horizon, seeiped to close the prositect without any perceptible vacancy through which the famous strait might extend. Every new appearance furnished a subject for fresh conjectures ; the whole was not ' i:;ibly connected ; it might form a succession of islands separated by large arms of the sea, or be uniteri by intervening ground not sufficiently elevated to meet the eye from the deck of a sloop. But after advancing farther than Mr Gray the American skipper, or any other person from the civilized world, proofs were gradually supplied, thit the tradit'o- founded on the researches of tl.=^ GreeK pilot De Fuca, as well as on those of the Spanish admiral De Fonte, had no basis in fact J in a word, that the North American continent is not divided by an inland sea stretching from its western to its eastern boundary. The disappointment of the navigators, if any could be occasioned by their not finding what they did not expect, was amply compensated by their entrance into a fine harbour, which they named Port Discovery. The sur- rounding country, too, was exceedingly beautiful, some parts of it being not inferior to the most highly decorated pleasure-grounds in Europe. On one hand was an ex- tensive lawn covered with luxuriant grass, and diven,"- fied with an abundance of flowers ; while, on the other, j was a coppice of pine-trees and shrubs of various sorts, | which seemed as if planted fo'. the sole purpose of pro- tecting from the north wind this delightful meadow,! and could not have been more agreeably arranged by the j most accomplished artist. While stopping to contem- plate these striking features in tlie natural landscape, which to the eyes of men long used to the monotony I of the ocean were exceedingly pleasing, they observed I both gooseberries and roses in a state of considerable j forwardness. Nothing seemed wanting but fresh wat to make Port Discovery one of the most desirable in the! '•.•yrld ; and it fortunately happened that, in the coursej port Dlacovoiy AND VANCOUVER. 517 of their researches for this purpose, they came upon an chap. xv. excellent stream, the supply afforded by which was — equal to the accommodation of a large squadron. In the neighbourhood a phenomenon somewhat singu- lar presented itself, of which they had no means of obtaining an explanation. On one of the low points, Horrid mor- projecting from the shore, were observed two upright tui remains, poles set in the ground about fifteen feet high, and rudely carved. On the top of each was stuck a human head, the hair and flesh being nearly entire ; and they appeared to bear tlie evidence of fury or revenge, as in driving the flakes through the throat to the cranium, the sagittal with part of the scalp was borne on their points some inches above the rest of the surface. Between the stakes a firs had been made, and near it some calcined bones were observed ; but none of these appearances led to any certain conclusion as to the manner in which the bodies themselves had been treated. It is farther related, that in the vicinity of the port, human skulls, ribs, and back-bones were found scattered about in great numbers. Some of these remains of mortality were preserved in a very singular manner. Canoes were suspended bf^tween trees, w- the height of about twelve feet from the ground, in which were the skeletons of two or three persons, accompanied by the fragwients of lows and arrows. Baskets were also seen hung on high branches, contaming each the bones of a child, near which were usually some small boxes filled with a kind of white paste, such as the natives were i're- (;ucntly observed to eat. It would be unjust to the character of the inhabitants, Character of who manitested no symptoms ot a lerocious nature, to tauta infer from the appearances now mentioned that they are addicted to the horrid practice of cannibalism, though, it is certain, the notion of eat'ng human flesh was familiar to their minds. On one occas'on, about a dojsen of them were present at a dinner, where, among other viauds, the officere had provided a venison pasty. They ate of the bread and fish which were 518 D*£NTRECASTEAUX, MARCH AMD, ? ■ CHAP XV. given them without the least hesitation ; but, on being — offered some of the meat, though they saw the Enghsh- men eat it with great relish, they could not be induced Aversion to to partake. They received it with undissembled Cannibalism, aversion, subjected it to a strict examination, and either returned the morsel or laid it aside. There is no doubt, in short, that they believed it to be part of a human body ; an impression which it was extremely difficult to remove. To satisfy them that it was the flesh of the deer, the gentlemen pointed to the skin** of the animal which they themselves wore ; but in reply they pointed to each other, and made signs not to be misunderstood, that it was human flesh, and at length threw it away with gestures of great displeasure. Such barbarities, it is obvious, must have been perpetrated by some of the tribes on the coast of North-western America ; though the feelings displayed in the present instance may be held to exonerate at least one family of the race from this frightful imputation. Vancouver acts the part of a generous advocate in their behalf, and remarks that, as their affinity to the inhabitants of Nootka, as well as of the people still further south, is clearly established, it is but charitable to suppose the latter are equally free from the detestable custom of eating their fellow-crea- tures. He admits at the same time, that they are not strangers to the general weakness attondant on savage life. '< One of them having taken a knife and fork, to imitate our manner of eating, found means to secrete them under his garment ; but on his being detected, gave up his plunder with tiie utmost good humour and unconcern." "'he discovery and examination of Admiralty Inlet r.-ere attended with circumstances extremely interesting to the navigator, who, though he found not an entrance to any inland sea, made known a variety of sounds which have since proved of great convenience to ships engaged in trade, and will, at no distant day, become the scene of agricultural wealth, commerce, and civilisation. Like the country contiguous to Port Discovery, the Admiralty InluU AND VANCOUVER. 510 shores of the bay presented a delightful prospect, con- chap. xv. sisting chiefly of spacious meadows adorned with clumps of trees, amongst which some fine oaks bore a consider- able proportion. In these beautiful pastures, bordering on an extensive sheet of water, deer were seen playing abuut in great numbers. Nature had here provided a well-stocked park, and wanted only the assistance of an improved taste to combine in a somewhat more attractive arrangement the elements if the picturesque which she 80 lavishly supplied. On the 4th June 1792, the anniversary of the king's Tni Majesty, his heirs and successors. For this purpose he went on shore at one o'clock, and pursuing tiie formal- ities usual on such occasions, accompanied with a royal salute from both vessels, he consigned to the protection of the English crown all the coast from that part of New Albion, in latitude 39° 20' N., and long. 123^ 34' W., to the entrance of the supposed straits of Juan de Fuca, as likewise all the ooasts and islands within the said straits. This interior sea he called the Gulf of Greorgia ; and the continent, bounding the gulf and extending to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, he called New Georgia, in honour of the reigning monarch. A short time after this ceremony took place, the dis- coverers fell in with two Spanish vessels, a brig and n schooner, which were employed in a duty similar to their own. Don Galiano, who commanded this little armament, informed them that Melaspina, the governor of the Philippine Isles, had visited these shores the preceding year ; that it was under his direction they themselves had sailed, with instructions to survey the coast in the neighbourhood of De Fuca's Straits ; and that they had recently left Nootka, where preparations were making to resign the whole settlement to the Eng- lish. Upon their producing the chart, founded upon the researches of the former season, Vancouver was not a little mortified to find that the external borders of the 6;«nf8h dif*. Cuvery bhipai 520 P ENTRECA8TEAUX, MARCHAND, ij I Vanetmver bland. 3 i CHAP. XV. Gulf of Georgia had been already examined ; that the Spanish officers had thrown light on some points con- cerning which he was still in darkness ; and, moreover, that they had refitted in the identical port which he named after his own ship, supposing tliat no European had previously entered it. But, notwithstanding this information, calculated in some degree to cool his zeal, he occupied the greater part of the summer in penetrat- ing the various inlets which branch off from the main channel, and at length returned into the Pacific by the northern extremity of the great island whereon Nootka is situated, and which had theretofore been considered a portion of the American continent. In the older maps it is described as the Waksah nation ; and in those of a more modern date it is called Quadra and Vancouver Island. The English captain commemorated the dis- covery of the northern passage by connecting it with the name of Johnstone, the officer who first made it known ; but in these days, the whole of the upper portion of the gulf is commonly indicated on charts as Queen Charlotte's Sound. On their arrival at Nootka, our navigators found that the demands of diplomacy had not been perfectly satis- fied by the correspondence which passed between the cabinets of London and Madrid. It appears that the governor. Quadra, who was appointed to the superin- tendence of the colony in the preceding month of AprU, had commissioned all the v(3ssels under his command to inspect the coast, in order that the proper limits to be proposed in the restitution of the territory might be ascertained, and also that the several officers might inform themselves in refeience to the various circum- stances which preceded the capture of the two British merchantmen in the year 1789. Fortified by the in- telligence thus obtained, the Spanish deputy thought himself entitled to conclude that his country had no- thing to relinquish, and no compensation to make to England ; but nevertheless he declared that, as he was desirous of removing every obstacle to the establishineot Plplomacy with titu SpaniHli governor. AND VANCOUVER. 521 of a solid and permanent peace, he was ready, " without chap. xv. prejudice to the legitimate rights of his sovereign," to cede the houses, offices, and gardens, which had been prepared at a great expense, and retirt. to the northern extremity of the island. The first article of the convention betw^^en the minis- ters of the two courts provided that Great Britain should be put in possession of all the " buildings and districts, ^espeeUrg' or parcels of land, which were occupied by the subjects Mootka. of his Majesty in April 1789, as well in the port of Nootka or St Lawrence, as in the other, said to be called Fort Cox." And it was also agreed that, " as well in the places which are to be restored to the British sub- jects, as in all other parts of the north-western coast of America situated to the north of the ports of the said coast already occupied by Spain, wherever the subjects of either of the two powers have made settlements since April 1789, any of the subjects of the other shall have free access, and shall carry on their trade without dis- turbance or molestation." But Quadra maintained that, in April 1789, the English had only a small hut, and a spot of ground extending not more than a hundred yards in any direction ; wherefore he was only willing to re- store the ruins of the cottage, and to permit our flag to be hoisted on the small parcel of land which alone he asserted had ever been owned by a subject of his Britan- nic Majesty. It fortunately happened that, while this discussion (w_„yj„„. engaged the attention of Vancouver and exercised the testiiuou/. ingenuity of the Spanish diplomatifet, e Portuguese ves- sel arrived at Nootka, having on boara, in the capacity of supercargo, a gentleman who had been there witii Mr Meares in 1788. He deponed upon oath, that in the month of May the master just mentioned, accompanied by himself and Mr Robert Funter, went on shore, and bought of the two chiefs, Maquila and Calicum, the whole of the land which forms Friendly Cove, in the name of King George, for eight or ten sheets of copper and some other articles ; that the natives were perfectly i : II i ■"I«»F.IJ''<.,'JI' 522 D*ENTRECASTEAUX, MARCHAND, duiuis. CHAP. XV. satisfied, and, with the chiefs, did homage to Mr Meares as sovereign, according to the custom of their country ; that the British flag was displayed on shore while these Prior British formalities took place between the parties ; that Mr Meares caused a houso to be erected on the spot most convenient for his purpose ; that the leaders and people of- fered to quit their residence and retire to Tahsheis, aplace on the straits, and, consequently, the English were not restricted to any portion of the land they had purchased, but might, had they been inclined, have built dwdlinga in any section of the cove ; that Mr Meares appointed Mr Robert Fuater to reside in the house, which consistrd of thr^e bedchambers, with a mess-room for the oflSceirs, and proper apartments for the men ; that, exclusive of this edifice, there were several sheds for the convenience of the artificers, and that Mr Meares left them all in good order, enjoining Maquila to take proper care of them until he or some of his associates should return. The inform^ ant added that he was not at Nootka when Don Mar- tinez arrived, but that on his return thither, in July 1789, he found the cove occupied by the subjects of his Catholic Majesty ; that he then saw no remains of Mr Meares*s house ; and that on the second day after tlie two English vessels put into the port, they were cap^ tured by the Spanish governor, while certain Americans were allowed to carry on their traffic unmolested.* No doubt could remain as to the claims made by the British, nor in regard to the inaccuracy of the infor- mation on which the Spanish envoy thought it his duty to act. On due consideration, therefore, Vancouver refused • VanoCTiver's Voyage, toI. i. pp. 407. 400. In reference to tlx" procee fi * See Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, aud Vuoulau. Bv Juliu L. Stephenis, 2 vols Uvo; LoadDii, IVA-. H 'tm 636 d'entrecasteaux, march and, CHAP. XV. southward of the same station ; and consequently it is ~~~ possible that in this part the alpine chain may admit a communication with the eastern country. This con- jecture, too, seemed to derive some probability from the fact that there appears a similarity in the race of people who inhabit the shores of Hudson's Bay, when compared with the natives of the north-western section of the Vancouver's continent. But he adds that, in all parts on which they Inircondu- landed, from California to the neighbourhood of the Bioiia. arctic circle, they nowhere found any roads or paths through the woods indicating an intercourse between the Indians and the inhabitants of the interior ; nor were any articles usually imported or prepared by the Hudson's Bay tradei-s ever found among the tribes whose dwellings stretch along the border of the Pacific Ocean. Suffice it to add, that more recent voyagers have completely established the conclusions here so modestly urged by Vancouver. We purposely omitted to notice the occurrences which diversified his residence at the Sandwich Islands, during the summers he spent in the eastern hemisphere, under the conviction that the/ will be better understood when brought into view at once. It is well known that he was at Owhyhee with Captain Cook when the latter was assassinated, and also that he himself made a narrow escape from the hands of the murderere ; but between the years 1778 and 1792, when he again touched at this group, as commander of the Discovery, Progress of he found that civilisation had advanced among the liawaiL""""^ natives at a rapid pace. They had already made several voyages to dib.vnt parts of the world ; and, enlightened by this experience, they became so sensible of the ad- vantages of a mercantile navy, that they made repeated attempts to take possession of some vessels which bad weather or the demands of commerce had L^d into their harbours. At length they actually seized an American schooner, the crew of which they murdered with the exception of the mate, who, happening to be on shore, found refuge with the chief ruler, in whose service he AND VANCOUVER. 537 afterwards remained. A number of Europeans, too, chap. xv. who from various motives had quitted their ships, — instructed the people in the use of artillery, as well as in the more simple principles of fortification. Many of the chiefs, meanwhile, had erected good houses of stone stone housci or brick, adopted in part the European dress, and even *"'^ ''"'y- engrafted on their scanty vocabulary such English terms as were necessary to express their new ideas, or to give names to their recent acquisitions. Owing to these causes, Vancouver, when he arrived, found not only the means of an easy communication with the leading persons in the several islands, but also an ardent desire to profit by his superior knowledge, and to secure the good- will of the powerful nation to which he belonged. At the time of Cook's visit, the four principal islands were governed by as many independent kings, who, being frequently at war, committed great havoc on each other's domains. But four years afterwards, Tameha-Thecomne- meha, who was originally a person of subordinate rank, J,'*„i/^"""*^''" conspired against his sovereign, the chief of Owhyhee, and, by his superior talents, acquired possession, first of the whole of that island, and subsequently of all the cluster. In 1732, when tlie Discovery and Chatham arrived, the war was not yet brought to a close ; for, though the inhabitants of Owhyhee and Mowee acknow- ledged the authority of the usurper, Towee and Woahoo were still governed by their respective princes, who con- tinued to maintain their ground against him. Owing, indeed, to a destructive pestilence, which had extended its ravages over the whole archipelago, an armistice was mutually conceded ; and it was at this crisis that our countrymen made their appearance on the coast. Both parties courted the aid of the captain, whose interposi- tion, they were convinced, would decide the contest in favour of the cause which he should choose to embrace. But he firmly declined to interfere in a civil war, the result of which, he well knew, must be attended witli important effects on the future fortunes of the country ; and resolutely refused to supply to either side the arms S *": 538 D*ENTRECASTEAUX, MARGHAND, Cultivation and tliQ dairy. CHAP. XV. that they both most earnestly solicited. He conferred tpon them, however, a much greater boon in a breed of cattle and of sheep, which Tamehameha immediately declared should be tabooed, or held sacred, during the full space of ten years ; and, the climate being extremely favourable to these animals, the islands are now well stocked with both, so that ships, in addition to fresh vegetables, are supplied with excellent beef. The for- eigners resident at the principal havens had also intro- duced the culture of many fruits and esculent plants ; while, by the care they bestowed on the goats which had been left by successive navigators, they gradually made the natives acquainted with the luxuries of the dairy, and with a variety of meat more delicate than they had hitherto known.* The king had sufficient penetration to perceive that in proportion as his dominions should become valuable in the eyes of Europeans, the independence of his gov- ernment would be exposed to greater hazard. It was already suspected that the Americans as well as the Russians were desirous to form settlements on one or other of the islands ; and therefore he resolved to place himself under the protection of a powerful nation, which, from its ascendency as a maritime state, would thwart the designs of others. It was in pursuance of ei'gntTof the *^^® policy that he afterwards ceded to Vancouver, as the c..„i;..j-u representative of the English monarch, the sovereignty of his own country, and in fact of the whole Sandwich group, which he had not yet completely established in his own right. In return, the captain assisted the as- piring barbarian to build a small vessel, which proved of essential service to him in his future expeditions, so that in the course of a few months, by the death of the prince of Woahoo, who fell in battle, he became master of his territory. Soon afterwards, the chief of Nihau and Towee, intimidated by the news of this tri- • Vancoiivei's Vovii^e round the World, vol. i. p. ISA, and Fdinburgh Cabinet Library, No. XXXIII. p. 299. See also tha 2cl volume of Vancouver's Vo^'age, p. 99-172. Cossion of tile sover- SiUidwich Islands. AND VANCOUVER. 539 nmph, acknowledged himself a vassal, and consented chap. xv. to hold the government of his paternal domains as a tributary to the ruler of Owhyhee.* The success of Tamehameha, whose wisdom was equal wisdom of to his courage, and who was known to be desirous of ^"^"JJ^'"*' an intercourse with civilized countries, opened the path to traders of every class, more especially from England and America. Indeed the discovery of some excellent harbours in the island of Woahoo, which had escaped the notice of Vancouver when examining the coast, made them become the resort of shipping from all parts of the world, which, during a long voyage in the North- em Pacific, might require repairs, water, or provisions. Sandalwood, an article of great value in the Chinese market, was found in the mountains, and soon proved Flstabiish- ,, i» . 'ii i« • pient ot com* the means ot an extensive commerce with foreigners, merca In return for this production the natives at first were satisfied with pieces of iron, nails, and coarse cloth ; afterwards, as their notions of exchangeable value ex- panded, they required axes, guns, muskets, powder, and • The details of the cession of Owhyhee are given in the third Tohime, p. 66, of Vancouver's narrative. The preliinina> ies beinfj^ fully discussed and thorouj^hly understood on both sides, the king re- peated his former proposition, which was unanimously approved, and the whole party declared their consent by saying that they were no longer Tanata no Owhyhee — the peonle of Owhyhee, but Tannta no Britannee — the people of Britain. This was instantly made known to the surrounding crowd, and the same expressions were cheerfully repeated througliout the attending multitude. Mr Fuget, accompanied by some of the officers, immediately went on shore ; there displayed the British colours, and took possession of the island in his Majesty's name, in conformity to the inclinations and desire of Tamehameha and his subjects. On this ceremony being finished a salute was fired from the vessels, after which the following in- scription on copper was deposited in a very con.spicuous place at the royal residence. " On the 25th February 1794, Tamehameha the king, in council with the principal chiefs of the island assembled on board his Britannic Majesty's ship the Discovery, in Karakakooa Bay, and in presence of George Vancouver, commander of the 8li)op, Lieutenant Peter Puget, commander of his said Majesty's armed tender the Chatham, and the other officers of the Discovery, after due con.sideration, unanimonslv ceded the said island of Owhyhee to his Britannic Majestj', and acknowledged themselves to be subjects of Great Britain/' 540 i>*entrkcasti:aux, mauchano, TriMl of uiurdei'ura. I ciTAP. XV. ahot ; next they bargained for American and British — manufactures; and finally, longing, as has been said, for the possession of ships, they purchased with the fruits of their industry schooners and brigs measuring several hundred tons. In the summer of 1793, the painful duty devolved on Vancouver of punishing the individuals who had mur- dered Lieutenant Hergest and Mr Gooch of the Daedalus. A witness stated that these gentlemen went on shore with the view of procuring water ; that a dispute arose between the natives and some sailors belonging to the tender; that in order to prevent a complaint being lodged with the king, it was resolved to slay the two officers ; that in pursuance of this horrid resolution Mr Gooch was instantly killed by being stabbed through the heart with a pahooa ; that the fii-st blow only wounded Mr Hergest, who, in endeavouring to make his way to the boat, was knocked down with a large stone, and then put to death in a most barbarous man- ner. Upon inquiry, it was found that the three indivi- duals principally concerned were still resident in the neighbourhood ; who, upon being regularly convicted of the crime, were condemned to be publicly executed. That the ceremony might be rendered as solemn as possible, a guard of seamen and marines was stationed on the side of the ship next the shore, while the rest of the crew were at the great guns, lest any disturbance should arise. It was the duty of the chief in whose district the guilty persons lived to enforce the sentence of law, who, having first cut off the hair of the devoted wretches, to be presented to the king of the island, blew out their brains with a pistol ; and so dexterously was this melancholy office performed, that life fled with the report of the piece, muscular motion ceasing entirely at the same moment.* * Vancouver, vol. ii. p. 210. The chiefs, for their own vindica- tion, made every exertion to brin^ the offenders to justice ; it beini^ previously doubtful whether some of thein had not countenancH the murder. Tlielr cxccu- tiuiL. AND VANCOUVKR. Ml We purposely refrain from a more minute description chap. xv. . of the Sandwich archipelago, as the affairs of these in- teresting islands will present themselves to our notice at a future period, and under a more recent aspect. Their progress in civilisation has gradually advanced, founded chiefly on an increased intercourse with the commercial states of Europe and America, and modified, in some degree, by the principles of Christianity received from the various orders of missionaries. It may have been observed by the reader, that the officers of the expedition now described considered Cap- tain Cook as the original discoverer of the Sandwich Isl- The or!j?inai ands, not being aware of their identity with Los Majosj'^'^fg^'^Jj^^.'A and the Islas de la Mesa, seen by the Spaniards more isiunds. than a century before the English navigator visited that portion of the northern Pacific, but placed inaccurately in their charts in respect to longitude. Vancouver, as well as Dixon, Maurelle, and La Perouse, made diligent search for the cluster mentioned by Mendana, and, it need not be added, without success. In modern times, the voyager is no longer perplexed in his investigations l)y the mistake of the Spanish admiral, whose industry was greater than his science, and who possessed not the means which art has since supplied to aid the practical conclusions of astronomy. :^ X'^ 1^ > IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 mm MS ■ 2.2 It) -•>. ■>■ £ l£& 12.0 I I. IL25 IB 1.4 I 1.6 fliotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIR.N.Y. MS80 (716)872-4503 '^ 1 512 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. > ; CHAPTER XVI. , ; EdwardSj Wilsoriy Fanning^ and TurnbuU. Motives which led to the Voyage of Lieutenant BUgh — His In- structions in Regard to Plants — He arrives at the Society Islands — Inquiries relative to Captain Cook — Cooperation of the Natives — The Areois — Funeral of the Surgeon — Attempt to cut the Cable of the Bounty — Suspicions of Bligh — Mutiny on Board his Ship — Supposed Cause of this Rising — Defence of Christian- Navigation in the open Boat — The Arrival at Timor — Govern. ^ ment despatch Captain Edwards in the Pandora in Search of Mutineers — Proceedings at Otaheite— Treatrnent of tlie Prison* ers on Board the Frigate — Plan adopted by Christian and his Adherents — Pandora leaves the Society Islands — Several Dis- coveries made — Visits the Hapai and Pijee Groups — Edwards edls to the Coast of New Holland— Wreck of his Ship— Loss of Lives, including some of the Mutineers — Sufferings of the Sa^ vivors — Arrival at Coupang — Adventures of a Boat*s Crew- Departure for England — Wreck of the Antelope, Captain Wilson, on one of the Pelew Islands — Kind Reception by die Natives— The King and Royal Family — English Sailors assist the Inhabi- tants in War — Habits and Manners of the People — The King confides his Son Lee Boo to the Care of Captain Wilson- Character and History of the Youth — Voyages of Mr Fanning —Discovery of some Islands— Adventures in the higher Lati- tudes of South Sea — New South Shetland — Deception Island- Reasons why not sooner discovered — Voyage of Mr TurnbuU round the World — St Salvador — Manners of the Portuguese- New South Wales— Natives of New Holland— Norfolk Island- Soil, Climate, and Productions — Attempt on his Ship at Ulietea— Missionaries— Scepticism of Chiefs — Return of Author. CHAP. XVT. As the narrative of Captain Edwards could not be fully The voyage wnderstood without a reference to an earlier voyage of Bligh. performed by Lieutenant Bligh, it is necessary to lay before the reader a brief account of a remarkable in- cident which has giren a most painful celebrity to the (BULL. huU. Ugh— His In- k>ciety Islands oftlieNatites ipt to cut the Y OD Board his of Christian— imor— Govern- i, in Search of of tlie Prison- ristian and his _Several Dis- onp9— Edwafus 9 Ship— Loss of ngs of the Sll^ Baat*s Crew- Captain Wilson, y the Natives- isist the Inhabi- >ple— The King ptain Wilson- of Mr Fanning he higher Lati- ception Island- of Mr Tumbull le Portuguese- Norfolk Island- ;hipatUlietea- .uthor. not be fully [arlier voyage cessary to lay Warkable in- tlebrity to the EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 543 latter undci-taking. Upon a repi-esentation from the chap. xvi. merchants and planters interested in our West India The obTct oi possessions, stating that the introduction of the bread- Biieh's voy- fruit tree, as an article of food, would be of very es- ^^^ sential benefit to the inhabitants of those islands, George the Third gave directions to the Lords of the Admiralty to fit out a ship proper for the purpose and send her into the South Sea. A vessel of two hundred and fifteen tons, named the Bounty, was procured and placed under the command of Mr Bligh, an officer who, as he had served under Captain Cook, was well acquainted with the navigation of the Southern Pacific, and no stranger to the language spoken in the several groups which he might have occasion to visit. He was instructed to proceed to the Society Islands, His instm^ whence, after having taken on board at many trees"**"* and plants as might be thought necessary, he was to direct his course through Endeavour Straits, which separate New Holland from New Guinea, to Prince's Island in the Straits of Sunda ; or, if more convenient, to the eastern side of Java, where he was desired, to add to his stock mangosteens, duriens, jacks, nancas, lansas, and other iVuit-trees of that quarter, as well as the rice- plant which grows on dry land ; this last, he was assured, being regularly cultivated in Prince's Island. From the stations now indicated, he was directed to proceed round the Cape of Good Hope to the West Indies, and leave one-half of the plants, which might j still be alive, at the royal botanical establishment in the island of St Vincent, and then go on to Jamaica, where he was to deposit the remainder. He was commanded to take care that specimens of all the varieties should be reserved for his majesty's garden at iKew, being carefully selected by the professional per- jwns who were to accompany him on the voyage. On the 23d December 1787, Lieutenant Bligh sailed ^®j^JJ^*^^ om Spithead, and early in the following month eached Tenerifie, where he repaired some damages Itustained in a storm at the mouth of the Channel. 544 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. CHAP XVI. Finding it impossible to double Cape Horn, where the — weather proved so exceedingly tempestuous that the elements, as Lord Anson expressed it, only ceased for a moment from their fury, as it were " to draw breath in order to return with redoubled violence," he de- termined to bear away for the eastward, in expectation of making a quicker passage by the Cape of Good Hope r.r:rh »rrives&nd round New Holland. On the 26th October, the •tTainti. Bounty anchored in Matavai Bay, after having run, according to the measurement of the log, not less than twenty-seven thousand and eighty -six miles, which, on the average, was at the rate of a hundred and eight miles every twenty-four hours. . \ Many inquiries were made by the Otaheitans after Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, and other gentlemen whom they had seen on board the Resolution and Discovery. A ship had touched at the island, from the crew of which they learned that the great captain was no more ; but of the circumstances which attended his death they seemed to be entirely ignorant, and Mr Bllgh gave strict directions that the murder should not be mentioned. He learned with regret that Omai, and the two New Zealand boys who liad been left with him, were dead ; though every one agreed that they had not suffered any violence to which their premature decease could be ascribed. In return to his questions regarding the cattle which had been left by the English navigator, Unimproved he received a very unfavourable account ; and it was Jjlj nSSc'sf '^ot a little mortifying to perceive that in respect to theft and intemperance, the habits of the natives were not in any degree improved. In reference to the cows and sheep, Tinah, father of tlie reigning prince, related that, sixty-three moons after the departure of the Resolution, the people of Eimeo joined with the warriors of Attahuoroo, a district of Otaheite, and made a descent on Oparree : and that after some resistance, during which many men were killed, himself and his followers fled to the mountains, leaving all their pro* perty to the uercy of the assailants, who destro^^ed EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. 545 almost every thing which they could not conveniently chap. xvi. remove. Some of the cattle were killed and eaten, — bat the greater part were taken to Eimeo. The cows, it appeared, had produced eight calves, and the ewes ten lambs. The ducks, among which were included the geese, had increased greatly, but the turkeys and pea- fowls, whatever might be the cause, had not bred at all. One morning a man appeared on the deck of the The picture Bounty with Cuok*s picture, which had been drawn by <>* Cook Mr Webber in 1777, and left with Otoo. The frame was a little injured, and the object of the visiter was to get it repaired. It was pleasing to find that great value was attached to it as a memorial of *' Toote earec no Otaheite*' — Cook the chief of Otaheite. The natives asserted that the great captain had desired Otoo, when- ever any English should come, to show the drawing, and it would be acknowledged as a token of friendship. Mr Bligh found no difficulty in obtaining the consent of the leading men in the island to select the various plants which he had been sent to procure. Addressing Tinab, he said that King George, from a desire to bene- fit him and his country, had sent out many valuable presents ; and will you not, he added, send something to his majesty in return ! ** Yes," he exclaimed, "I I will send him any thing I liave •** and then began to enumerate the different articles in Ills power, among I which he mentioned the bread-fruit. Meantime the lieutenant received many invitations Hospitality from the principal inhabitants, whose hospitality was*" '*^' not a little stimulated by the hope of receiving presents, and of being favourably reported to the King of Britain, {who, they understood, exercised a generosity equal to I great power. On one occasion he was taken to visit [a party of areois, a society whose existence is at once [a disgrace to the natives and a paradox to strangers, [The object of that licentious institute appears to be the maintenance of an aristocratic body, who, while they ire exempted from the ordinary toils and cares of life, ire understood to devote themselves to the defence of ;'vi 646 EDWARDS, VVIL80N, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. ot ai'e<»ii. CHAP. XVL their country, and perhaps to the preservation of a cer- ~ tain species of traditionary knowledge. To prevent the Tiio mciety undue increase of an association who are supported at the puhlic expense, and the accumulation of cares which would necessarily withdraw their thoughts from the fancied duties of their station, they are allowed to put to death all their children immediately after birth. The Otaheitans themselves, whose doings are regulated by habit rather Chan by reflection, could give no other reason for this strange indulgence than that it pre- vented an excess of population. " We have too many children and too many men, was their constant excuse." Yet it does not appear that they are apprehensive of an undue increase of the lower class of the people, none of them being ever admitted into this mystical society. In some respects, the arcois bear a resemblance to the knights templar of Europe, who combined in their characters the attributes of a religious and a military profession. They receive offerings in the name of the gods, and they carry arms in the name of their country ; nevertheless, their mode of life does no honour to their pretensions, either as patriots or defenders of the na- tional faith. In small islands like those of the South Sea, the natives of which, before they were discovered by Euro- peans, had not, it is probable, the remotest idea of the existence of other lands, it is not quite unreasonable that the symptoms of an increasing population shoaid have occasioned apprehensions of universal distress. Orders of celibacy, which have proved prejudicial in i other countries, might perhaps in the Society group have been found useful, could their purpose have heen attained by means not absolutely wicked. But there is little doubt, that on many occasions the murder of | Infants was perpetrated with the view of satisfying! some cruel adjustment of rank and precedency ; for, considering the simple manners of the Ot^eitanU nothing is more remarkable than the strictness with which the several gradations in society are maintained.! Tlie repress- in (; of popu- lation. Majesty, (or t JVest Indies, i-'eutenant Vi KUWAHDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TUllNBULL. 547 It is doubtful whether any action, however meritorious, chap, xvl could elevate a man above the class m which he was born, unless he happened to acquire sufficient power to conqui;r dignity for himBelf. On the same principle, it was ruled that, if any woman of the inferior classes had a child by an earee or chief, it should not be suffered to live. The introduction of Christianity, no doubt, has Theinfluencs to some extent softened the manners and relaxed the ^|,i^y^'^^' superstitious notions of the privileged families; and there is reason to hope, that the severe restrictions and impure maxims 'of the areois will soon find a place among the things which have been, and will only be remembered as a proof that the principles of heathen- ism failed to exert (m fnocial institutions the same benign influence wliich springs from the milder genius of the gospel. n On the 24th December, the plants, amounting in all to seven hundred and seventy-four pots, were taken on board in a healthy state. The natives reckon eight kinds of the bread-fruit tree, each of which they dis- tinguish by a different name ; but the fruit itself, it is ad- mitted, differs less in quality than in the season at which it ripens, and the appearance of the leaf wherewith it is covered. The common method of measuring time is Method of by moons, though the year is also divided into six parts, tiim, marked by the succession of the vegetable bread with !"• pened, he admits, he entertained not the slightest sus- picion of this kind, nor did the possibility of it enter mto his mind, having no irapi'ession that so strong aii attachment to these islands could prevail among his people as to induce them to abandon every prospect of returning to their native country. This afterthought ca the part of Bligh has been pro- nounced wholly without foundation, and not in any . ..> '. i' degree supported by subsequent facts ; the damage done to the cable being ascribed to its chafing over tlie rocky bottom. But it may be presumed that to the eye of 9 seaman the difference must have been obvious between the effects of friction and the use of a sharp instrument in dividing the strands of a large rope. Hence, there • Voyage to the South Sea, p. 124-120. ./ijt-vi 550 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. CHAP XYL seems to remain no small degree of probability that the ~~' injury in question, so far from being accidental, might have been traced to design, either on the side of the natives or on that of some individuals among tlie crew. . This notion sank deeply into the mind of the com> maRder. " When about to leave Otaheite,'* he remarks, *' for twenty-three weeks we had been treated with the Friendliness utmost affection and regard, and which seemed to in- tivea!"** ce^'so Jtt proportion to our stay. That we were not insensible to their kindness, the events which followed more than sufficiently prove ; for to the friendly and endearing behaviour of these people may be ascribed the motives for that event which efTected the ruin of an expedition that there was every -viion to hope would have been completed in the most fo^iunate manner.* In the beginning of April, the Bounty was ready for sea, having on boai-d, besides the seven hundred and seventy-four pots already mentioned, thirty-nine tubs, and twenty-four boxes. The number of bread-fruit plants was one thousand and fifteen ; besides which the botanist had collected a variety of others, including the ** avee," which is one of the finest fruits in the world; the ** ayyah," wliich, though not so rich, possesses a very refreshing flavour; the *'rattah," not much unlike a chesnut, and may be eaten raw or boiled in the same manner as Windsor beans ; and the ** orae-ab," which is a very superior kind of plantain. All these had b<^n particularly recommended by Sir Joseph Banks, (o whose care the arrangements for the voyage had been confided. On the 27th April, the eve of the mutiny, Mr Bligh found himself between the island Tofoa and Kotoo, ad- vancing in a course of uninterrupted prosperity, and attended with circumstances in the highest degree pleas- ing. On leaving the deck at night, he gave direction * Voyae« to the South Sea, p. 141. See also <« The Eventful History or the Mutiny and Piratical Seizure of his MajestyV Ship Bounty; its Cause and Consequences," p. 54-56. I' vol. 12uift Loudon^ 1831, 1 / ' PHirb agnin at se4. LL. lat the might of the e crew, e com- emarks, irith the 1 to in- ren not followed idly and aacribed linof an [>e would aner.* ready for dred and line tubs, read-fruit ivhich the luding the 16 world; sea a very unlike a the same 'which is had t««in nks, to had been Mr Bligh Lotoo, ad- arity, and 36 pleat- directions jie Eventful Liesty's Ship "^^ vol. I2u» EDWARDS, WILSON, FAMNINO, AND TURNBULL. 551 as to the course to be steered : the master had the first chap, xvl watch, the gunner the middle one, and Mr Christian that of the morning. But just before sun-ruing on the 28th, while he was yet asleep, the last-named officer, Charles Churchhill, ship's corporal, John Mills, gunner's JJj^^f* mate, and Thomas Barkitt, seaman, went into his cabin, and seizing him, tied his hands with a cord behind hia back, threatening him with instant death if he spoke or made the least noise. He called, however, as loud as he could, in the hope of finding assistance ; but they had al- ready secured the officers who were not of their party by- placing sentinels at their doors. Christian had oi^y a cutlass in his hand, the others had muskets and bayonets. They hauled him out of bed, forced him on deck in his shirt, suffering great pain, says he, ** from the tightness with which they had tied my hands. I demanded the reason of such violence, but received no other answer than abuse for not holding my tongue." The boatswain was ordered to hoist the launch out, with a threat, if he did not do it instantly, of severe measures. When the boat was out, Mr Hay ward and Mr Hallet, two of the midshipmen, and another person, were commanded to descend into it. The commander desired to know the cause of such proceedings, and endeavoured to persuade the people near him not to persist in such acts of vio- lence ; but the only answer he received was " hold your , tongue, sir, or you are dead this instant." Mr Bligh states in his narrative that he continued his endeavours to turn the tide of affitirs, when Christian changed the cutlass which he had first drawn for a _ -.^.r ..w bayonet that was brought to him, ** and holding me with a strong gripe by the cord that tied my hands, hePeraonal threatened with many oaths to kill me immediately if Bug".** ** I would not be quiet : the villains round me had their pieces cocked and their bayonets fixed. Particular per- sons were called to go into the boat, and were hurried over the side ; whence I concluded that with these people I was to be set adrift. I therefore made another effort to bring about a change, but with no other effect 2 M . I'al BIlRh pnt fidrift la a boat k 552 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNINO, AND TURNBULL. CHAP. XVL than to be threatened to have my brains blown out.** The boatswain and seamen who were to go in the boat were allowed to collect twine, canvass, lines, sails, cord- age, with a cask of water containing twenty-eight gal- lons ; and the clerk got one hundred and fifty pounds of bread, with a small quantity of nun and wine, also a quadrant and compass ; but he was forbidden on pain of death to touch either map, epheraeris, book of astrono- mical observations, sextant, time-keeper, or any surveys or drawings. The officers and men being in the boat, Mr Christian, the chief mutineer, advanced to his prisoner, and said, *' Come, Captain Bligh, your officers and men are now in the boat, and you must go with them ; if you attempt to make the least resistance, you will instantly be put to death." Without farther ceremony he was forced over the side, wben they untied his hands ; and the small bark being veored astern by a rope, the party, amounting in all to nineteen individuals, were immedi- ately cast loose in the open ocean. ** Notwithstanding the roughnetiS with which I was treated," says the com- mander, ** the remembrance of past kindnesses produced some signs of remorse in Christian. When they were forcing me out of the ship, I asked him if this treatment was a proper return for the many instances he had re- ceived of my friendship ! He appeared disturbed at my question, and answered with much emotion, ' That, Cap- tain Bligh — ^that is the thing — I am in hell— I am in helir" Tiifl causes of To the question which must naturally arise in the tiM mutiny, niind of every reader regarding the cause of such a re- volt, the lieutenant endeavours to supply an answer, founded on the circumstances to which allusion has already been made. He concludes that the mutineers had flattered themselves with the hope of a more happy life among the Otaheitans than they could possibly en- joy in England ; and that this, joined to some female connexions, occasioned the miserable catastrophe. In proof of the soundness of this opinion, he relates that, Rl after in dii repeal island their i Mlity, mired ourpe< and ei Under it is n scarcely could c away; induceni themseh islands i allureme can be o pened, nil at the SJ commanc people, 'edge tha to consid surprised, never oflfe Othei^ iiave disct o«^n chan tyrannical pn his ret J it has recj proved to| k themselves in the midst of plenty on one of the finest islands in the 'v'.rld, where, without nny labour, the allurements of dissipation are beyond any thing that can be conceived. Desertions, accordingly, have hap- , pened, more or less, from all the ships which have been ; at the Society Islands ; but it has always been in the commanders' power to make the chiefs return their . people. " Therefore," concludes Mr Bligh, " the know- ledge that it was unsafe to desert perhaps first led mine , to consider with what ease so small a ship might be , surprised, and that so favourable an opportunity would never oflfer to them again."* Others less partial to the commander of the Bounty incnlpathmt have discovered the cause of this celebrated revolt in his <♦* ^^e^ own character, more especially his rough manners and • tyrannical disposition. The story which he published on his return to England obtained implicit credit ; but it has recently been maintained that his narrative was proved to be false in many material bearings by evi- >' dence before a court-martial ; and moreover, that every ■[ act of his public life after this event was stamped with • Voyage to the South Sea, p. 160-164. :^-15 il h TfW CHAP. XVI. Beechey's account of *h9 meeting. Beechey's communica- tion with Heyw'ood. 554 EDWARDS, WILSON, FAKNINO, AND ttRNBVLt« an insoki^ce, an inhumanity, and coarseness, which fully developed the fierceness of his nature.* It may not appear unseasonable to mention, that there is in Captain Beechey's account of Pitcaim Island, where it is well known some of the mutineen found a permanent refuge, a passage which seems to cast a stain on the memory of one of the officers, Mr Stewart, who has always been considered entirely innocent. In allu- sion to Mr Christian, the captain observes that his plan was to set himself adrift upon a raft, and make his way to Tofoaa, which was still in sight. " As quick in the execution as in the design, the raft was soon constructed, various articles were got together, and he was on the point of launching it, when a young officer, who after, wards perished in the Pandora, to whom Christian com- municated his intention, recommended him, rather than risk his life on so hazardous an expedition, to endeavour to take possession of the ship, which he thought would not be very difficult, as many of the ship's company were not well disposed towards the commander, and would all be very glad to return to Otaheite, and reside among their friends in that island. This daring proposition is even more extraordinary than the premeditated scheme of his companion, and if true, certainly relieves Christian from part of the odium which has hitherto attached to him as the sole instigator of the mutiny." But Captain Beechey, desirous of being correct in his statement, sent it to Captain Heywood, also one of the officers of the Bounty, for any observations which he might see proper to make, in regard to the part assigned to the youth who perished in the Pandora. The reply is given in the following terms, which no longer leave * Eventful History of the Mntiny of the Bounty, p. ?2 ; and Usited Service Journal for April 1831. *' The accusation of B%b having falsified his narrative, sa^s the author of the former work, " is a very heavy charge, and, it is to be feared, is not wholly with- out foundation ;" though it would perhaps be more correct to say, that both in the printed narrative of his voyage, and in the nar- rative on which the mutineer!? were tried, there are many important omissions when compared with his original mauuscript journal* 11 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 555 any doubt in relation to the main facts, as well as to the CHAP. XVT. motives whence they originated. " That Christian in- formed the boatswain and the carpenter, Messrs Hay- Heywood's ward and Stewart, of his determination to leave the ship the matuiy. upon a raft, on the night preceding the mutiny, is cer- tain ; but that any one of them — Stewart in particular — should have recommended, rather than risk his life on so hazardous an expedition, th^. he should try the ex- pedient of taking the ship froin the captain, is entirely at variance with the whole character and conduct of the latter, both before and after the mutiny, as well as with the assurance of Christian himself the very night he quitted Otaheite, that the idea of attempting to take the ship had never entered his distracted mind until' the moment he relieved the deck, and found his mate and midshipman asleep." Nay, it appears that, in a volun- tary communication, he stated other circumstances rela- tive to the mutiny which acquit every one but himself of the guilt of planning it, though, to a certain extent, they might be held to extenuate the crime, if viewed in connexion with his personal feelings. It ought to be added that the particulars collected at Pitcairn Island were received from Alexander Smith, better known as John Adams, who, it is acknowledged, was not always correct in the information with which he occasionally entertained his visiters.* The most wonderful occurrence in the history of Naviptfoii this mutiny, is the navigation in an open boat from the ^J^*^J^^ Friendly Islands to Timor in the Indian Ocean, a dis- the Padfia tance of four thousand statute miles, with hardly enough of food to keep the people alive. On the 6th June, a booby was caught by the hand, the blood of which was divided among three of the men who were weakest, and the bird kept for next day's dinner. On the 7th, after • Eventful Historii of the Mutiny of the Bounty, p. 90. Tho author relates that the statement made by Adams and Captain Beechey j|^ve great pain to Heywood, who adverted to it on his deathbed, wishing, out of regard tor Stewart's memory, and hi» Burviving friends, that it si.ouid be publicly contradicted. J :! :i I I mmm W^ mm ^R ^ ! 11 '. 556 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBDLt. CHAP. XVI. a miserably wet and cold night, the sea, which was run- ,. "~~ ning high, broke over the boat the whole day. Mr Ledward, the surgeon, and Lawrence Lebogne, a hardy Sufrerinp old seaman, appeared to be giving way very fast. No wmpuitoaa. other assistance could be given to them besides a tea- spoonful or two of wine, which had been carefully saved for such a melancholy occasion. In the morning of the 10th, there was a visible alteration for the worse in many of the crew. An extreme weakness, swelled legs, hollow and ghastly countenances, a more than common inclination to sleep, with an apparent debility of understanding, seemed the melancholy presages of an approaching dissolution. On the 1 1th, Mr Bligh an- nounced to his wretched companions, that he had no doubt they had now passed the meridian of the eastern part of Timor, a piece of intelligence which diffused universal joy and satisfaction. Accordingly, at three in the morning of the following day, the island was dis- covered at the distance of only two leagues. ** It is not possible for me," says the lieutenant, " to describe the pleasure which the blessing of the sight of this land diffused among us. It appeared scarcely credible to ourselves, that, in an open boat and so poorly provided, we should have been able to reach the coast of Timor in forty-one days after leaving Tofoaa, having in that time run by our log a distance of three thousand six hundred and eighteen nautical miles ; and that notwith- standing our extreme distress, no one should have per- ished in the voyage." The poor sufferers, when landed, were scarcely able to walk ; their condition is described as most deplorable. But they were received with every mark of kindness, hospitality, and humanity ; the houses of the principal inhabitants being thrown open for their reception. Their leader observes, that " the abilities of a painter could rarely, perhaps, have been displayed to more advantage than in the delineation of the two groups of figures which at this time presented themselves to each other. An indifferent spectator, if such could be found, would have been at a loss which Arrrralat Timoi: EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 557 inost to admire, the eyes of famine sparkling at imme- CHAP, xvx diate relief, or the horror of their preservers at the sight of so many spectres, whose ghastly countenances, if the cause had been unknown, would rather have excited terror than pity. Our bodies were nothing but skin and bones, our limbs were full of sores, and we were clothed with rags ; in this condition, with the tears of gratitude flowing down our cheeks, the people of Timor beheld us with a mixture of horror, surprise, and pity.*** An action so atrocious as the seizure of a public ship .j,,,^ Tovaca by a mutinous crew could not be overlooked by the of Edwards, government, who immediately despatched the Pandora frigate under the command of Captain Edwards, with orders to proceed in the first instance to Otaheite, and not finding the deserters there, to visit the different clusters of islands in the South Sea. Sailing in August 1790, he arrived in Matavai Bay on the 23d March following, where he soon learned that several indivi- duals belonging to the Bounty had taken up their abode. Early next morning, a canoe having one man on board put off from the shore, who, as soon as he came alongside, expressed the greatest satisfaction at seeing Mr Hayward, one of the officers who had served under Bligh. This person, whose name was Joseph Coleman, attempted, it is said, to come on board even before the Pandora had anchored, and seemed ready to give all the information that was required of him. He was almost immediately followed by Mr Peter Surrender of Hey wood and Mr Stewart, before any boat had been sent mutineers, ashore. A conversation was about to ensue between these two midshipmen and Mr Hayward, now lieu- tenant ; but Captain Edwards, ordering them to desist, commanded a sentinel to take the prisoners into safe cus- tody, and to put them in irons. Four other mutineers forthwith made their appearance, from whom the infor- * A Voyage to the South See, p. 22&-234. Mr BKgh mentioiis with great eratitude the attentions received from the governor, William A^an Van Este, who, in that capacity, represented the States of Holland. ■* ■VHMIHilHWlli lU lu. I I «iwii.«pi- '.I 658 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBFLL. CHAP. XVI. mation was obtained that a certain number of the '*~' Bounty's people still remaining, had built a schooner, in which, on the previous day, they had sailed from Matavai towards the north-western part of the island. Edwards, continuing the narrative, farther relates that, on receiving the intelligence just mentioned, he despatched the two lieutenants, Comer and Hay ward, with the pinnace and launch, in order to intercept her. After an unsuccessful pursuit, they returned on the ap- proach of night to the ship ; but the fugitives, for some ' * reason which does not appear, came back to the isle ad, and, abandoning their little vessel, fled to the neighboui-- Snrrender of ing mountains. On the second day, they descended otJiers of the from their place of refuge, and surrendering to Mr Comer without any attempt at resistance, were carried on board the Pandora. The total number, including those who voluntarily presented themselves as soon as the frigate entered the bay, was fourteen. The captain, according to his own narrative, put the pirates, as he terms them, into a round-house which he built on the after-part of the quarter-deck, for their more effectual security, and to prevent them from hav- ing any communication with the crew, whose sym- pathies might have been excited in their favour. The surgeon, to whose publication we are principally in- debted for particulars, describes it as the most desirable Treatment of place in the ship, and adds that orders were given that tiie prisoners, ^jj^ prisoners should be victualled in every respect the same as the other seamen, both in meat, liquor, and ' even the extra indulgences, notwithstanding the estab- lished mles of the service, which restrict persons under confinement to two-thirds allowance. But Morrison, one of the unfortunate individuals in whose favour this unwonted humanity was exercised, gives a very differ- ent account of their treatment. He asserts, that Ed- wards put both legs of the two midshipmen in irons, branding them with the opprobrious epithet of piratical villains; and that they with the rest being strongly handcufied, were put into a place only eleven feet long. ^mmm ^^PMPiipiWHpp I EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 559 built as a prison, and aptly named Pandora's Box, chap. xvL which was covered by a scuttle in the roof about — eighteen inches square. He subjoins a statement which Extreme is hardly supported by probability, importing that two th^°r treat- sentinels were kept constantly on the top of the tem- ^^^^ porary edifice, with orders to shoot the first of its inmates who should attempt to address another in the Otaheitan language.* Immediately upon his arrival, the captain received information that Mr Christian, with nine of his com- panions and several natives of both sexes, had, after a short stay at Otaheite, slipped the Bounty's cable in the night, and leaving the rest of the crew on shore, departed no one knew whither. Edwards had not therefore the aid even of a conjecture to guide him as to the course taken by the chief mutineer ; but he learned from different individuals, as well as from cer- tain papers left behind, his proceedings on board after Bligh and the others had been turned adrift near Tofoaa. It was ascertained that the pirates, in the first instance, Conrae flnt steered for Toobouai, where they landed on the 25th ttie*^„{|ny May, after heving cast into the sea the greater part of the bread-fruit plants, and divided among themselves the property of the officers and men whom they had * A Voyage round the World in his Majesty's Fngate Pandora, performed under the Direction of Captain Edwards, in the Years ITM, 1791, and 1792. With the Discoveries made in the South Sea; and the many Distresses experienced bv the Crew from Ship- wreck and Famine, in a Voyage of Eleren Hundred Miles in open Boats, between Endeavour Straits and the Island of Timor. By Geor^ Hamilton, late Surgeon of the Pandora. 8vo, Berwick, 179o. Morrison's statement derives no corroboration from the narra- tive of Mr Hamilton, who, as noticed above; relates that the prison was built nn the quarter-deck, with the view of affording to the . )' unfortuno,ii. captives every advantage of a free circulation of air ; and that the ** captain very humanely commiserated with their un- happy and inevitable length of confinement." — **The prisoners' wives visited the ship daily, and brought their children, who were Eprmitted to be carried to their unhappy fathers. Their wives rought them ample supplies of every delicacy that the country afforded, and behaved with the greatest fidelity and affection to Uiem."-?. 32-34. ■nqp m^rmmmi ^fmmmi^ mam 560 KDWARD8, WILSON, PANNING, AND TCRNBULL CHAP. XVI. Bent away in the boat. At this island they intended to fonn a settlement, but the aversion of the inhabitants, the want of necessary materials, and the quarrels which had already begun to take place among themselves, de- termined them to go to Otaheite to procure what might still be required to effect their ultimate purpose. IHnit of tite Their appearance in Matavai Bay excited some sur- Sttif *" *" P"''® "* *'^® mind of Otoo and the other chiefs, who asked what had become of the commander and the re- mainder of his people, as also of the numerous plants with which they had been provided. In reply, they had recourse to a shameful falsehood ; stating that they had most unexpectedly fallen in with Captain Cook at an island called Whytootake, where he intended to establish a colony, and therefore needed the young trees procured at Otaheite. They added that Mr Bligh and the others had gone ashore to assist the great navigator, having intrusted to Mr Christian the command of the Bounty ; and that they were now come by the orders ' '. of the lieutenant to obtain an additional supply of hogs, • goats, fowls, and bread-fruit. This artful story, ad- dressed to a class of persons equally humane and simple, was not for a moment doubted. The islanders were es« pecially delighted to hear that their old friend " Toote" was still alive, and about to settle so near them : they therefore made every possible exertion to procure the articles required for his accommodation, and accordingly, in a very short time, they collected three hundred and twelve hogs, thirty-eight goats, eight dozen of fowls, a bull, and a cow, and a large quantity of bread-fruit, plantains, bananas, and other vegetables. With this Rettirn to stock on board, the Bounty returned to Toobouai, where an attempt was made to build a fort, though again op- posed by the natives, who saw in the landing of such foreigners an end to their own peace and independence. Pressed by circumstances which he could not success- fully oppose, and disturbed by angry discussions which he could not control. Christian determined that the ship tihould be taken once more to Otaheite, where such as ToobouaL •w EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING^ AND TURNBULL. 561 desired to go ashore might have an opportunity of gra- chap, xvl tifying their inclination, while those who preferred to — remain on board should have the choice of engaging in an enterprise which would carry them for ever beyond the reach of their enemies. / When retamed to their former anchorage at Matavai. second ▼idt sixteen of the mutineers landed ; of whom fourteen, a^ to Taiua has just been related, were received on board the Pan- dora, and two, Thompson and Churchhill, had already perished by violent deaths at the hands of the islanders. The others, amounting to nine, agreed to continue in the Bounty ; and, setting sail on the night of the 21st Sep- tember 1789, they proceeded in a north-western direc- tion, with the view, it may be presumed, of deceiving those who had refused to share their fortunes ; for it is well known that in point of fact their course was shaped towards the east, in a latitude little frequented by Euro- pean vessels. They took with them nineteen natives, seven men and twelve women, whose services or society might prove useful to them during their exile, of which they could not foresee any termination. It was not even conjectured in what direction they meant to proceed ; but their leader had been frequently heard to say that Flight and his object was to discover some unknown or uninhabited^® *^'""q^[|^ spot in the ocean, in which there was no harbour for tian. shipping, where he would run the Bounty ashore, and make use of her materials to form an establishment for his little colony. This accou ^t, vague and unsatisfactory as it must have been esteemed, was the only guide that could be procured to direct Captain Edwards in his in- tended search. Leaving Otaheite in the beginning of May, he turned his prow towards the west, and visited in succession Huaheine, Ulietea, Otaha, and Bolabola. The king of this last island, whose name was Tatahoo, could not ; supply any information in regard to the fugitives, be- yond the assurance that there were no white men in his dominions nor in those of his immediate neighbours. On the 19th day of the month, the frigate touche.'. at wwmmm^' m I « J mmig^mmtffmm^tfmmm mm wmm 562 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBtTLt. CHAP. XVL Whytootake, an islet discorered by Bligh, one of the """ natives of which, who recollected Mr Hayward, now formed the channel of communication between the English and the principal inhabitants. As a proof that these simple people are not in the lowest stage of bar- barism, they offered for sale, as a specimen of their skill in handicraft, a beautiful lance, nine feet long, and cut in the form of a Gothic spire, all its ornaments being executed in a kind of alto-relievo. Upon reaching the Palmerston group, a lieutenant was sent ashore in charge of a boat and another small vessel described as the tender ; the latter bcinP' 'n fact, Schonner the schooner which the mutineers had built i . t.aheite, mutinwrfc* *^® history of which is not a little interesting. In point of size, it is said, she was not much larger than the cele- brated launch which carried the late commander of the Bounty and his adherents from Tofoaa to Timor ; her dimensions being thirty-five feet in length, and nine in breadth. The investigation having been considerably protracted among these islands, the Pandora was blown out to sea, and the weather continuing hazy, the boats could not possibly rejoin her before she was compelled to leave the coast. The tender was afterwards recovered at Samarang in the Dutch settlement of Java ; but of . . the other, on board of which were a midshipman and four sailors, no tidings have ever been received. ^It may be difficult to surmise," says the surgeon, " what has been the fate of those unfortunate men. They had a piece of salt beef thrown into the boat to them on leaving the ship ; and it rained a good deal that night and the following day, which might satiate their thirst. It is by these accidents," he adds, ** the Divine Ruler of the universe has peopled the southern hemisphere."* Proceeding on his course westward, the captain dis- covered an island which was distinguished by the name of the Duke of York. The lieutenants. Comer and Hayward, were sent in yawls to examine it, who, imme- Edwnrds proceeds westward. Hamilton a Voyage round the World, &c. p. 71. i^pp mumam J EDWARIMI, WIL60N, PAKKINO, AND TURNBtJLL. 563 Stately upon landing, observed a wooden buoy which CHAP, xn must have belonged to a ship of considerable burden. On searching the huts, nets of different sizes were found Duke of hanging in them, and a variety of fishing utensils, j^^^ Stages and wharfs were likewise observed in different parts of the creek ; whence it was inferred that the island was only resorted to at a particular season for the purpose of drawing fiT>m the sea an addition to the means of life. Their attention was attracted to a place of venerable aspect, formed entirely by the hand of na- ture, and bearing a striking resemblance to a druidical temple. The falling of a very large old tree formed an arch through which the interior part of the grotto was seen, which heightened the perspective and gave a so- lemn dignity to the whole. At the extreme end tb.'ee altars were placed, the centre one higher than the two others, on which some white shells were piled in regular oitler. Clarence's Island, which presented itself on the 12th June, is not woi*thy of more than a passing notice ; but the one named Chatham, in honour of the first lord of the Admiralty, is said to be twice the extent of Otaheite, l)eautifully diversified with hill and dale, and to contain a hardy warlike race of people. Otootooelah, which otootooelah was also visited, is described as not less than forty miles i*i"»^ in length, well wooded, having immense trees of which the foliage spreads like that of the oak. The natives, too, are remarkably handsome, though they somewhat impair the effect of their natural endowments by ting- ing their bodies with a yellow paint. The women adorn their hair with chaplets cf sweet-smelling flowers, as also their necks and wrists. Among the gifts they car- ried on board were some very fine puddings, seasoned with aromatic spiceries, and surpassing in taste and fla- vour the most delicate seed-cake.* On the 29th June, the Pandora anchored in the road * Hamilton's Voyage, p. 74*78. Several of the islands men- tioned as ntiw discovenes were already made knowa to Europe by other navigators, thmiirh under different names. I 564 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. The Hapal nnd Fijee Islanditi CHAP. xvi. of Anamooka, one of the Friendly Isles ; and immedi* — ately afterwards Mr Hayward, in a large canoe, pro> ceeded to the Hapai and Fijee groups to make inquiry after the Bounty and the missing tender. No intelli. gence was received of either ; hut an axe was found which had heen left hy Captain Cook, and an amicable intercourse was carried on with the natives, who, though equally daring as thieves and murderers, judged it ex- pedient to restrain their atrocious propensities. On the following day. Captain Edwards received a visit from Tatafee, the king, who was understood to be lineally descended from the family who reigned in the island when first discovered by Tasman, the Dutch circum- navigator ; and the fact of his supplying them with dogs and hogs is handed down by oral tradition to this dny. As compared to Otaheite, society may be said to exist here in the second stage. As land is scarcer, private property is more exactly asceii;ained, and each possession is neatly fenced with a beautiful Chinese railing. High< ways and roads leading to public places are bounded with suitable walls or hedges ; and many houses have a handsome approach in the form of a gravel walk lined with shrubbery tastefully planted. Several had i-ows of pine- apples on each side of the avenue ; a species of /ruit which the English officers took much pains in teaching them how to transplant and improve. To in- crease their stock in this branch of rural economy, they made the valuable addition of the orange-tree, to which both soil and climate appeared extremely favourable. Thi'ee months being passed in this fruitless search, the Pandora, about the end of August, arrived on the coast of New Holland, near to the line of coral rocks called the Barrier Reef, which runs along the greater part of the eastern shore, though at a considerable distance from it. An opening had been discovered large enough to allow a safe passage to the frigate ; but owing to some defect of seamanship, or to the action during the night of a powerful current, the existence of which was unknown to navigators in those days, she struck on the fatal ridge The Barrier K<-ei of Australia. tmm p*^|. EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBUIL. 565 M'hera she was finally wrecked. After every exertion CHAP. XVK was made with the view of carrying out an anchor, the — hull was found to have received so much damage that Wreck of no means remamed whereby she could possibly bejifij["'*'' saved. The carpenter reported that the water in the hold had increased to eight feet ; and though the ship had beaten over the reef, and was floating in ten &thoms, the circumstances of the crew were not in any degree improved. The officers, who were now consulted, gave it as their opinion that, as nothing could be done for the preserva- tion of the vessel, it became necessary to devise means for saving the lives of the people committed to their charge. Four boats accordingly were placed astern of the Pandora, with a small quantity of bread, water, and . other necessary articles deposited in them ; two canoes were lashed together and put alongside; while rafts were made and every other expedient adopted which the pressing exigency either required or admitted. " About half-past six in the morning of the 29th," says the captain, *' the hold was full, and the water was between decks, and it also washed in at the upper deck ports, and there were strong indications that the ship was on the very point of sinking, and we began to leap overboard and take to the boats, and before every llie sinking body could get out of her, she actually sank. The boats °^ *^^ '^^^ continued astern of the ship in the direction of the drift of the tide from her, and took up the people who had hold of rafts and other floating things that had been cast loose for the purpose of supporting them on the water. The double canoe, that was able to support a considerable number of men, broke adrift with only one man, and was bulged upon a reef, and afibrded us no assistance when she was so much wanted on this trying and melancholy occasion. Two of the boats were laden with men, and sent to a small sandy island or key about four miles from the wreck ; and I remained near the ehip for some time with the other two boats, and picked up all the people that could be seen, and then ""Wi" »»^W1 Muster of the peitioiis •aved. 566 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. CfTAP. XVL followed the two firat boats to the key ; and having landed the men and cleared the boats, they were im- mediately despatched again to look about the wreck and the adjoining reef for any thing that might be missing, but they returned without having found a single person. On mustering the people that were saved, it appeared that eighty-nine of the ship's company and ten of the mutineers answered to their names ; but thirty-one of the ship's company and four mutineers were lost with the ship."» It has been remarked that in these details, furnished by the commanding-officer, he takes hardly any notice of his unfortunate prisoners. Another narrative, at- tributed to Lieutenant Comer, supplies some particulars •not at all creditable to the humanity of Edwards, who did not, on other grounds, sustain a high reputation for tenderness of heart or gentle manners. It is related on the authority now mentioned, that when the ship began to fill with water, three of the Bounty's people were let out of irons, and sent to work at the pumps. The The muti- neers amid tlio ship- wreck. * This statement is taken from Captain Edwards* narrative laid before the court-martial, and quoted by the author of the EventFul History of the Mutiny of the Bounty, p. 165. Mr Hamilton re* lates that, when all hope of saving the ship had passed, the next care was to save the lives of the crew ; to effect which, spars, booms, hencoops, and every thing buoyant was let loose, that when she went down, they might chance to {ret hold of something. The prisoners were ordered to be let out ol' irons. The water was now cominf^ faster in at the gun-ports than the pumps could discharge ; and to this minute the men never swerved from their duty. She now took a very heavy heel, so much that she lay quite down on one side. One of the officers now told the captain, who was standing afi^ that the anchor on oar bow was under water; that she was then going; and bidding him farewell, jumped over the quarter into the water. The captam then followed his example, and jumped after him. At that instant she took her last heel ; and while every one was scrambling to windward, she sunk in an instant. The crew had just time to leap overboard, accompanying the act with a most dread* ful yell. The cries of the men drowning in the water were at first awful in the extreme; but they sunk and became faint, dying away by de^es. The boats which were at some considerable dis- tance in the drift of the tide, in about half an hour, or little belter, picked up the remainder of our wretched crew— Voyage round the World, p. 107. EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 567 others offered their assistance, and hegged to be allowed CHAP. XVL a chance of saving their lives ; instead of which two — additional sentinels were placed over them, with orders to shoot every one who should attempt to get rid of his fetters. Seeing no prospect of escape, they betook themselves to prayer, making ready to meet their fate ; ' every one expecting that the ship would soon go to pieces, her rudder and part of the stern-post being already beaten away. It is asserted by the surgeon that, when the dreadful conflicting crisis was at hand, ** the prisoners were ordered to be »t«t«ne"t« let out of irons." But, in the narrative to which the mnti- allusion has been made, this statement is flatly denied ; "^^'^ the author maintaining that no ^otice was taken of their frightful condition, although the captain was entreated by Mr Heywood to have mercy upon them as he was passing over their prison to make his own escape, the ship then lying on her broadside, with the larboard-bow completely under water. Fortunately the master-at-arms, either by accident or design, when slipping from the roof of ** Pandora's Box" into the sea, let the Keys fall through the entrance, which he had just before opened, and thus enabled them to ' ' commence their own liberation. In this they were ''.>-, generously assisted, at the imminent risk of his own life, by William Moulter, a boatswain's mate, who clung to the combings, and pulled the long bars through the shackles, saying he would set them free or go to the bottom with them. But his benevolence did not reap Some its full reward, for Mr Stewart and three others perished, ^hiie in all of them with their hands still in manacles. On this *'^""> melancholy occasion, Mr Heywood was nearly the last person who escaped from the prison, into which the water had already found its way through certain openings in the bulk-heads. Jumping overboard, he seized a plank and was swimming towards the small sandy bland already mentioned, when a boat picked him up and conveyed him thither in a state of nudity. Morrison endeavoured to follow the example of his 2n map I Hejrwood's letter to his motber. 568 EUWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. ^ CHAP. XVL young companion, and although handcuffed, kept hiro< self afloat until he received assistance. The letter which Heywood wrote to his mother from l^tavia removes all doubt as to the treatment inflicted on the captive mutineers. Describing the voyage from Otaheite, he remarks, that the ** Pandora, ever unlucky, and as it devoted by Heaven to destruction, was driven by the current upon the patch of a reef, and on which, there being a heavy surf, she was soon almost bulged to pieces : but having thrown all the guns on one side overboard, and the tide flowing at the same time, she beat over the reef into a basin, and brought up in fourteen or fifteen fathoms ; but she was so much damaged while on the reef, that imagining she would go to pieces every mo- ment, we had contrived to wrench ourselves out of our irons, and applied to the captain to have mercy upon us, and sufifer us to take our chance for the preservation of our lives ; but it was all in vain : he was even so inhuman as to order us all to be put into irons again, though the chip was expected to go down every mo- ment, being scarcely able to keep her under with all the pumps at work.*'* Sufferings of The suflbrings of the people on the sandy islet were t^ wrec ^gj^y. gpgj^i;^ augmented, in the case of the prisoners, by the severity of the commander. They remained there several days, subsisting on the small allowance of two ounces of bread and a wine-glass of water, with no * This letter; << an artless and pathetic tale,*' which is inserted in tho ** Eventful History," supplies many notices not to be found , elsewhere. For instance, we see the ground of the statement made by the surgeon that '' the prisoners were ordered to be let out of irons,^ which, thoifgh to a certain extent true, does not convey a distinct impression of what actually took place. Mr Heywood informs liia mother that <* the boats by this time had all been prepared ; and as the captain and officers were coming upon the poop, or roof o our prison, to abandon ihe ship, we agam implored his mv'^rcy; upon which he sent the corporal and an armourer down to let some of us out of irons, but ttiree only were suffered to go up, and tho scjuttle being then clapped on, and the master of arms upon it, the armourer had only time to let two persons out of irons, the rest, except three, letting themselves out : two of these three went down with them on their hands, and the third was picked up."* NDTUBNBULL. ^ icuffied, kept him- The letter which 1 Batavia removes ted on the captive from Otaheite, he mlucky, and as it yras driven by the md on which, there ist bulged to pieces: one wde overboard, te, she beat over the I fourteen or fifteen naged while on the to pieces every mo- )ur8elve8 out of our to bive mercy upon for the preservation in : he was even so >ut into irons i^ain, go down every mo- her under with all the sandy islet were of the prisoners, by They remained there all allowance of two ; of water, with no tale," which is inserted in notices not to be found 1 of the statement made bj Ted to be let out of irons, oes not convey a distinct Mr Heywood informs his d all been prepared; and upon the poop, or root ot rain implored his mc^rcv; In armourer down to let ere suflFered to go up, and le master of arms upon it, persons out of irons, the rtwo of these three^went third was poked up. EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 569 shelter from the vertical sun. The captain had tents chap, xvl erected for himself and his crew ; but when the muti- neers petitioned him foi* an old sail which was lying: useless, he refused It ; and the only shelter they ha^ was to bury themselves up to the neck in the burning sand, which accrched the skin entirely oflf their bodies. No care or precaution, however, could procure an exemp- tion from pain and depression of spirits. Providentially a small barrel of water, a keg of wine, some biscuit, and a few muskets and cartouch-boxes had been thrown into the boat : but the stomachs of the men beins: filled Fearfoi with salt brine, from the long interval which elapsed wato; before they were picked up, rendered t.^-lr thirst quite intolerable, and no water was allowed to be served out the first day. By a calculation now made, it was ascertained that, by filling the conipass boxes and every other utensil they had, two small glasses of it qould be allowed to each person during sixteen days. In the midst of the night they were disturbed by the iiregn Ur behaviour ot one of the crew, which led them to suspect that he had stolen some of the wine and made h^m^lf drunk ; but on further inquiry it was found that the excruciating torture he su£fered from thirst had induced him to take sea- water, the consequence of which was madness in the first instance, and subsequent death. A small parcel of tea had been saved ; of which, when it was boiled, every one took a salt-cellar spoonful and passed it to his neighbour, by which means '* we mois- tened our mouths by slow degrees and received much refreshment from it." Nor was bread' much more abund- ant than water. When they embarked on their Vu>yage pitiM of eleven hundred miles to the island of Timor, a pair of ^^^ ^ wooden scales was made in each boat, and the weight of a musket baU was served out to each man.* Pursuing their course along the shore of New Holland, they touched at several points in search of water, \.-hich, owing to the fierce character of the * Iia...Itton, Voyage round the World, p. lid". ■'•K CHAP. XVL Torture from heat and thirst. Ifeeting at Sainarang with tlie p^rty in tlie tender. 670 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. natives, they seldom procured without hazard. Berries and oysters added a little variety to their scanty meals, though the visitations of hunger were less appalling than the incessant thirst with which they were over- whelmed. The men who were engaged in steering the hoats were often subject to a stroke of the sun ; and the rest were continually employed wetting their shirts overboard, and putting them on their heads, which alle- viated the scorching heat, to which, says the surgeon, we were entirely exposed, " most of us having lost our hats while swimming at the time the ship was wrecked. It may be observed," he adds, "that this method of wetting our bodies with salt water is not advisable, if the misery is protracted beyond three or four days, as after that time the great absorption from the skin, which takes place from the increased heat and fever, makes the fluids become tainted with the bittern of the salt water ; so much so, that the saliva becomes intoler- able in the mouth."* On the 13th September, the land was observed, and the discoverer was immediately rewarded with a glass of water. On the 16th, they moored their boats oppo- site the fort of Coupang; and nr ning could exceed the kindness of the governor. Mynheer Varion, in affording to them relief and comfort in their distressed condition. After remaining about three weeks they embarked on board a Dutch Indiaman, and on the 30th October anchored at Samarang in the island of Java. It was with inexpressible pleasure that they found their little tender at this port, after having relinquished all hope of its safety ; and never was social affection more eminently portrayed than in the meeting of the two parties, both of whom had made a narrow escape from the jaws of death. The boat's crew related that on the night they parted company with the Pandora, the sa- vages in their canoes attacked them in regular order and with great force. The circumstance that the islanders • Hamilton, p. 128. w^ EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 571 hal never before seen a European ship, and their entire CHAP. XVL ignorance of firearms, made the conflict at once more — severe and lasting ; for not observing any missile weapon employed when their companions were killed, they did not suspect that they had received any injury wlien they fell into the water. The seven- barrelled pieces made great havoc amongst them. One of their leadera displayed so much agility as to leap over the boarding-netting, and was levelling his club at Mr Sufferings of Oliver, who commanded the schooner, when he was that party, shot dead by his intended victim. Not finding the frigate next day, they steered for Anamooka, the ren- dezvous appointed by Captain Edwards. Their distress, arising from want of water, was, it appears, not less than that of their friends who had witnessed the loss of their ship ; and so painful was the effect on one of the midship- men that he became delirious. At length they reached Tofoaa, which they mistook for Anamooka, where they were involved in a contest with the natives, who en- deavoured to deprive them of their small vessel. The superiority of weapons in thh case, as in most others, compensated for want of numbers, and the savages were soon overpowered. After enduring much distress, and having to sustain similar encounters wherever they met inhabitants, they found themselves at the reef which nms between New Guinea and New Holland, through which, not without great difficulty and danger, they made their way. Soon after they had passed Endeavour Straits, they fell in with a small Dutch vessel, from the Relief from crew of which they received much kindness, and were theDutdi. conveyed by the master to a neighbouring settlement belonging to the same people. The governor, though not wanting in the usual offices of humanity, regarded the strangers with some degree of suspicion, chiefly be- cause their boat was built of foreign timber ; a f?ircum- stance which favoured his conjecture that they might be connected with the mutineers of the Bounty, a de- scription of whom had been sent to all the European colonies in those seas by the English government. But Uuiiiuward. 672 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, At.D TURNBDLL. CHAP. XVI. he satisfied himself with such precautions as did not in- lerfere with their comfort or personal freedom ; and, afler a short delay, he sent them to Samarang, where they were found by their shipmates of the Pandora. From Batavia, the principal town of the colony, Cap- tain Edwards sailed with his people in a Dutch Indiaman to the Cape of Good Hope ; at which place, finding the Gorgon, a ship of war, he removed himself and the pris- onera on board of her and proceeded to Spithead, where he arrived on the 19th June 1792 ; having accomplished, in somewhat less than two years, a voyage round the world. It belongs not to our undertaking to give any account of the transactions which followed ; the con. demnation and subsequent pardon of Mr Hey wood ; and the execution of three of the seamen, Ellison, Burkitt, and Millward, which took place with due solemnity in Portsmouth harbour. Justice seems to have been throughout tempered with mercy ; and the effect pro- duced could not fail to strengthen the bands of disci- pline, and even to promote that spirit of allegiance which characterizes the British navy. The criminals, it is related, behaved with great penitence and decorum, acknowledged the justice of their sentence for the crime of which they had been found guilty, and exhorted their fellow-sailors to take warning by their untimely fate ; entreating them, whatever might be their hardships, never to forget their obedience to their officers, as a duty they owed at once to their sovereign and their country. The wreck of the Antelope on one of the Pelew Isl. ands, and the inteivourse which followed between the benevolent natives and the strangers who were thus cast upon their shores, are familiar to every class of readers in this country ; no one being ignorant of the history of Prince Lee Boo, his amiable character, and melancholy death. The group in question Was probably first made known to Europeans by those Spaniards who, having settled in the Philippine Isles, applied to it the term Palos, with reference to the tall palms which meet the eye when approaching the shore, and have at a little Tlie Pelc Islands. EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 573 distance the appearance of numerous masts. The court chap, xvl of Madrid, eager to appropriate all the insular domains in "" the Northeni Pacific, and to add them to the sovereignty of the church, appears to have sent at dififerent times a succession of missionaries, who might at once reveal to the inhabitants the knowledge of Christianity, and a due reverence for the authority of the most catholic king. It is equaHy manifest, however, that the sub- Connexion of jects of Philip did not establish themselves in the Pelew ^hSS?*^ cluster, either in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, iaianda. The father Cantova, who wrote from Agadna in 1722, states that the Caroline archipelago was divided into live provinces, of which the Palos group constitutea one ; but he adds, that the strangers from whom he had derived all his information, did not pretend to have had any communication with the aborigines, who, it was understood, were inhuman and savage in a very great degree. It was even asserted that both men and women, who were entirely naked, fed upon human flesh ; and hence, that the people of the Philippine colonies looked on them with horror as the enemies of mankind, and as a race with whom it would be most dangerous to hold any intercourse. The reader, therefore, will not be sur- prised to learn that the Pelew Islands were utterly ne- glected by the Spanish government, who seem not to have known any thing more concerning them than that they occupied a space in the vast ocean which washes at once the shores of Asia and of America. The Antelope, a packet of about three hundred tons, -^igpn., in the service of the East India Company, sailed from voyaKo in Macao in the month of July 1783. After being two t^^^^nteiope weeks at sea, the weath&r became so bad that the commander, Captain Wilson, appears to have lost his reckoning ; and accordingly, on the night of the 10th August, he found himself dashed on a reef in the neigh- bourhood of an unknown island distinguished in those eastern parts by the name of Oroolong. A boat was sent ashore, both with the view of landing such things as could be saved from the wreck, and of ascertaining the 574 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBUIL. CHAP. XVL character of the natives, if any should be found on the — coast. Meantime, as the vessel was expected every hour to go to pieces, the men employed themselves in con- Wreckoftiis structing a raft ; intending to form an encampment on Antelof& AmleMe intercourse with the peoi pie of 'eJew. the beach, until other means could be obtained for ac- complishing their return to a civilized country. It was not till tlie second day that any of the inhabitants made their appearance. On the morning of the 12th, two canoes, having eight individuals on board, approached the place where the seamen had pitched their tents, and one of them, a brother of the king, as was afterwards known, inquired who the strangers were, and the reason of their landing: The captain replied, through one of his people who understood the Malay tongue, that they were " unfortunate Englishmen who had lost their ship upon the reef, and were their friends." This brief ac- count was sufficient to interest the feelings and secure the good offices of the generous islanders, who imme- diately invited part of the refugees to repair to the residence of the sovereign, whose aid they confidently promised.* In compliance with this request, Mr Wilson sent his own brother, who was one of the ship's company, to Pelew, the island where his majesty dwelt ; and mean- while, Raa Kook, one of the royal family and comman- der-in-chief, with three others, remained as voluntary hostages, manifesting not the slightest suspicion nor any personal fear. This amiable chief, indeed, showed a per- fect satisfaction with what our countrymen did for him ; he endeavoured to accommodate himself to their man- sat at table as they did, instead of squatting on ners * See p. 26 of " An Account of the Pelew Islands, situated in the western Part of the Pacific Ocean ; composed from the Journals and Communications of Captain Henry Wilson and some of his Offi- cers, who, in August 17i)<}, vrere there shipwrecked In the Antelope, a Packet belon^ng^ to the Honourable East India Company. Bjf Geor^ Keate, fils(|., F.R.S. and S.A." London, 1789, uvo. It 18 worthy of notice that the natives also had v/ith them a Malay, a person who, besides his own language, spoke a little Dutch and some words of English. ipwrT^y^- 1 ^i>' ' EDWARDS, M'1LH0^, FaMMNO, AND TURNUULL. 576 the ground ; and this pleasing disposition induced every CHAP. XVL one to return the affection which evidently warmed his own breast. As his wardrobe contained nothing beyond the gifts of nature, he was presented with trousers and a uniform coat ; and moved by the feeling of politeness Politeness of which sprung from his innate sense of propriety, he Kw^Koot forthwith put them on, not a little pleased in appearing like his new friends ; but finding the heat and restraint of dress rather meonvenient, he relinquished the distinc- tion of European clothing, and deposited the laced jacket in his little museum of foreign curiosities. Besides Raa Kook, the king, whose name was Abba Thulo, had another brother named Arra Kooker, who returned from Pelew with the younger Wilson. At length his majesty himself appeared, attended by a small squadron of canoes, having thought it his duty to wel- come the unfortunate mariners to his dominions, and to offer them all the aid in his power. He assured the captain that he was at perfect liberty to build a vessel, either at the place where he then was, or at the other island ; adding, at the same time, that Oroolong was thought to be unhealthy; that his people might be sickly if they stayed on it during the prevailing wind, which would not change till after two moons ; and be* sides, that he might possibly be molested by the inhabi- tants of some of the neighbouring islands, who were at war with Pelew, and would not spare any who were under his protection. The Englishman, duly sensible position of of the considerate kindness which placed this alternative the wrecked in his hands, gave a preference to the position he then *^®** occupied, on the ground that he was much nearer the wreck, whence he derived the principal part of his ma- terials as well as the necessary stores. But an occasion soon presented itself which proved that, however generous were the sentiments of the king and his royal brothers, their minds were not quite forti- fied against the approach of jealousy. The prime mini- ster h-.d solicited and obtained a cutlass from Captain Wilson, and on coming out >f the tent Raa Kook saw it vr.w CouIIng of the natives' ttlendship. 576 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. CHAP. xvi. in bis hand. A decided coldness towards the English "~" was the immediate result. It was stated as a ground of complaint that a valuable weapon had been given to one who was almost a stranger, whilst the king's brothers, who had been with them all the time on the island, had never had any thing of such consequence presented to them. Some gifts were accordingly expected which might place the family of Abba Thule on a footing of equality with the chief counsellor. On this hint, the captain offered each of the kinsmen a remnant of cloth, which they both received very coolly ; he afterwards gave them a piece of long white cloth and some ribands, but still not a smile appeared on their faces. In the afternoon of the same day, Wilson was informed that the king was come round into the bay, being on his re- turn home, and if he wanted to take leave of him he must go off to his canoe. He accordingly went in the jolly-boat, having with him the linguist and four other men. To his surprise and vexation the meeting was not only constrained, but apparently ungracious on the part of the sovereign, very unlike that undisguised frankness which used to distinguish their interviews. Neverthe- less, it afterwards appeared that the afiront occasioned by the donation of the cutlass was not the sole cause of this change in the royal demeanour. His majesty wished to ask a favour; and it is imagined, considering the kindness he had conferred upon his visiters, and the pre- dicament in which they were now placed, he feared that a request might seem to convey the obligation of a com- mand. Being about to engage in battle with a formkl- able enemy, he begged that the captain would allow a few of his men to accompany him in the enterprise armed with their muskets. Wilson instantly replied that the English were as his own people, and that the enemies of the king were their enemies ; upon which every countenance, before overshadowed with doubt or suspicion, became bright and gay. Nearly the whole crew volunteered in the service of Thule ; but the num- ber being restricted to five, the favoured individuals pre- Renewed friendliness and fonnal ailluuce. EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 577 pared for embarkation, dressed in blue jackets, cocked CHAP. XVL hats, with light blue cockades, and properly supplied — with arms and ammunition. Several skirmishes took place, in which the skill and prowess of his allies secured for the governor of Pelew a decided victory, and com- pelled his enemies, the people of Axtingall, to sue for peace. In one of the actions, Raa Kook lost a son, a brave Death and youth who had been severely wounded in a previous i""^ book's engagement. The funeral was conducted without any son. ceremony ; but next morning the commander took Mr Sliarp, the surgeon of the Antelope, who had given his professional services, to the place where the body was interred. They entered a house at a little distance, where only one old woman was sitting, who, on receiv- ing some order from the general, immediately disap- peared, and soon after returned with two old cocoa-nuts, a bundle of betel-nuts with the leaves, and some red ochre. He took up one of the cocoa-nuts, crossed it with the ochre transversely, and then placed it on the ground by his side. After sitting some time in a very pensive attitude, he repeated certain words which ap- peared to be a kind of prayer, as he was a good deal agitated : he then performed the same ceremony with the second cocoa-nut, and afterwards crossing the bunch of betel-nuts, he sat as before thoughtfully over it. Having finished his proceedings, he called the old woman, and delivered into her hands the two cocoas, as also the bundle of betel-nuts, accompanied with some directions. Mr Sharp and his companion, seeing her go towards the young man's grave, were inclined to follow her in order to observe the conclusion of the rites in which the gene- ral had been engaged ; but, recollecting the circum- stances in which the distressed father was placed, they resolved not to trespass on his feelings by manifesting any desire for farther information. The month of November had now arrived, and the Vessel built little vessel on which the cares of the crew had been so ^e^Jfj^ long expended was approaching completion. From some crew. 578 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. Contemplat- ed assassinfr tion of tho cbieCu CHAP. XVI. circumstances which are not clearly related, the greater nuinher of the men were seized with the apprehension that the king, who knew the value of their co-operation in peace and in war, would not allow them to depart. They had even proceeded so far as to concert a plan for the assassination of the chiefs, whose death they con- cluded would throw confusion and dismay among the lower orders, who would not be able to maintain any formidable resistance. ''As the faithful historian of these transactions," says Captain Wilson, " it is my duty to record every material occurrence, though I must con- fess that my hand shrinks from the paper whilst, im- pressed with horror and pity, I am compelled to relate that the lives first intended to be devoted were those of the humane, liberal king, the manly and benevolent general, the facetious and inoffensive Arra Kooker." But this phrensy, suggested by anxiety and despair, was of very short duration ; the cool reflections of the ensuing night weakened their apprehensions to such a degree that with the morning their wonted good-will to the natives returned, and the captain found no difficulty in manning the pinnace to convey to Pelew all the iron and tools they could spare, in fulfilment of a promise he had made to their benefactor. Mr Sliarp, who accom- panied the party, was instructed to say that the English wished to see Abba Thule and his chiefs before their departure, that they might express their personal ac- knowledgments, and assure him that, when they returned to their own country, they would publicly declare the kind services and protection they had received at his hands. At the interview which followed, the king raised Captain Wilson to the station of a prince by conferring upon him the order of the Bone, a species of rude bracelet worn on the arm. When the ceremony was concluded, his majesty in a formal addrass reminded him that " the bone should be rubbed bright every day, and preserved as a testimony of the rank he held amongst them ; and that this mark of dignity must, on every Wilson made a prince ot I'elew. EDWARUS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBCLL. 579 occasion, be defended valiantly, nor suffered to be torn CHAP. XVT. from him but with the loss of life." — Several individuals wished to accompany the crew to Dedre of Europe, actuated not only by a regard for the strangers J^^fJJJ ^Q -^ on whom they had bestowed so much hospitality, but to Earope. more especially by the desire of learning the arts which gave to the latter a decided superiority over them. In every instance the proposal to make the voyage was coolly received except in the case of the king's second son Lee Boo, for whom his father was desirous to pro- cure all the advantages which might arise from seeing distant countries in a high state of civilisation. He was aware, he. said, that when his boy got to England, he would have such fine things to see, he might chance to slip away from the captain and run after novelty ; but he hoped he would keep the youth as much as he could under his own eye, and moderate the eagerness incident to his time of life. " I could wish you," he continued, " to inform Lee Boo of all things which he ought to know, and make him an Englishman. The subject of parting with my son, I have frequently revolved : I am well aware that the distant countries he must go through, differing Speech of much from his own, may expose him to dangers as well as y^^"," to diseases which are unknown to us here, in consequence hu ko. of which he may die : I have prepared my thoughts for this: I know that death is to all men inevitable, and whether my son meets this event at Pelew or else- where is immaterial. I am satisfied from what I have observed of the humanity of your character, that if he is sick, you will be kind to him ; and should that hap- pen which your utmost care cannot prevent, let it not hinder you, or your brother, or your son, or any of your countrymen from returning here : I shall receive you or any of your people in friendship, and rejoice to see you again." This address, when associated with the fate of the prince, who, it is well known, soon fell a victim to an infectious disease, the smallpox, cannot fail to be considered extremely interesting, and in some degree Kames of the Pelcw Islands. 580 EDWARDS^ WILSON, FANMIMO, AND TUBNBULL. CHAP. XVL prophetic of the evil which he had most to dread. On — the 12th November, Wilson, in his little veaael, named the Oroolong, took leave of the gentle savages, whose existence he first brought to light, and proceeded on . his voyage to China. Next month, he with his young charge embarked at Canton on board the Morse, Cap- toin Elliott, who in the most friendly manner accom- modated them with a passage to England.* n: ' : The names by which the several members of the Palos group are known to the natives, taking them in their order from the northwai'd, are Emungs, Aia- malorgoo, Emillegue, Arraguy, Coorooraa, Casagaba, Pethnel, and Oroolong, or Englishmen's Island. The modem nomenclature is somewhat different, hut the mod^ of pronunciation is not precisely ascertained. In regard to the physical qualities- of the nativesf, it is stated that they are of a deep copper colour ; of a middle stature, very straight and muscular ; and walk in a manner particularly majestic. Their skins are very soft and glossy, owing, it is said, to the frequent use of cocoa-nut oil.f When compared with the other inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean, whether north or south of the equator, they will be found to possess a manifest superiority in Character of the InliabitoittR. * Keate'R Pelew Islands, p. 308. Before Captain Wilson left the cove at Oroolong, he hoisted the English pendant on a large tree which grew close to where the tents nad stood ; and cut upon a plate of copper the following inscription, which, after being nailed to a thick board, was affiled to a tree near the spot where the crew had built tlieir little sloop: The Ho.i< irable English East India Company^s Ship Th.': Autelope, Henry Wils.;n, Commander, Was lost upon the reef north of this island In the night between the 9th and 10th of August ; Who here built a vessel, And sailed from hence The 12th day of November 1783. f Keate, p. 321, remarks that Pelew is not an island, but merely the capital of the one known to Captain Wilson under the name ot Coorooraa. EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TDRNBULL. 581 niannera, disposition, and moral principle. Nothing was chap. xvi. more remarkable than the decorum whicli attended -— the intercourse of the two sexes in the ordinary trans- actions of life. For example, it is related that all Their classes rose at daylight, and immediately afterwards 'ii •mw'f^s Assassina- tion 01 Mr. Pendleton at Tongataboo. 584 BDWARDS, WIl SON, FANNINO, AND TURNBULL. CHAP. XVI. Sydney, who prevailed on him to proceed to the Fijee Islands, to procure a cArgo of sandal- wood for the Canton market. Having ariived at Tongatahoo, Mr Pendleton went ashore to procwe an interpreter, who might assist him in his negotiations with the neighbouring tribes, whose language none of his people understoood ; and the only intelligence ever received of him was to the effect that he, the whole bor.t's crew, and a mercantile agent from Australia, were murdered by the sanguinary in- habitants. On the following day, the second officer, Mr Wright, became alarmed, and his fears were &rther increased by observing that the chiefs, while declining to go on board, endeavoured by signs to convince him that the captain wished an additional boat to be sent to the shore, to take off the hogs and other provisiov. collected for the ship. As he declined to comply ■ toes, and blacks, the last of whom being somewhat the most numerous. On Sunday, the two Englishmen visited some of the Thochnrciics churches, which they found in every respect correspond- g^y^or, ing to the genius of the Roman Catholic ritual, and to the wealth of the settlement ; they were magnificently adorned, and the ornaments of the images appeared to be very valuable. They found moreover, " and though sailors, with some satisfaction," that there was one coun- try in the world in which religion was held fashionable ; the places of worship being crowded with all ranks of people, from the meanest slave to his Excellency the governor himself. It was not without difficulty that they obtained a seat in the principal church ; where, they acknowledge, their eyes were in some measure di- verted from the preacher to the figure of the holy virgin. She was arrayed in gold and jewels, with the prince of Brazil, as large as life, on her right hand. The bishop of the province, the second man in the country, gave the sermon, in which he addressed himself chiefly to the great, and lashed their vices in a style of freedom on which a more humble functionavy would scarcely have ventured. On the conclusion of tlie service, the image of the virgin, with her attendant the prince, was carried in procession through the streets of the city, the ladies, ,,,. .. - in their best attire, saluting her from the windows, and showering chaplets upon her head. It is confessed by the author that the captain, through _ ... his seemmg mattention to this sacred mummery, was the religious not looked upon with a good eye, and that " his impiety ^"enS!"''* called down upon him a severe reprimand." The sums exacted fro .n the people for the support of the several religious e^cablishments, would astonish a native of Great Britain, where, for the most part, charity implores, rather than commands on the pain of ecclesiastical cen- sure. Not a day passes in San Salvador that some sturdy ij.jpi j,mMi mvKPMin.iHiiijiifn ii.iimpmui^iii The people of Brazil 592 EDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBHtL. CHAP. XVI. mendicants do not parade the squares, streets, and niar- ket^places, demanding a contribution for their own maintenance, or for the sustentation of those intrusted to their care. They have no respect whatever to any difference of condition or circumstances ; they go every where, and usually succeed every where ; they use their sacred functions as instruments of menace ; and not un. frequently punish a refusal by a solemn malediction. The churches and convents are perhaps more acceptable to the people, because they are almost the only places where ladies of condition can appear without any re- straint ; who, it is said, whenever they find a suitable opportunity, employ them with great zeal in making converts for the Romish religion. The remark made by Mr TurnbuU forty years ago is not inapplicable at the present hour to many portions of the Brazilian territory, though under the government of a European state, where the elements of improvement are not quite unknown. "This beautiful country, blest by nature with every capability of becoming great and opulent, possesses all these advantages in vain ; they are rendered useless by the invincible indolence of the inhabitants."* lii respect to New South Wales we learn nothing which at so great a distance of time can appear in the least degree interesting, with the exception, perhaps, of the miserable condition in which the natives were found by the British settlers. They are indeed universally acknowledged to be the most barbarous race on the face of the earth, and to have profited nothing from their intercourse with Europeans. In vain did the officers of the colony endeavour to improve their circumstances^ and induce them to wear at least so much clothing as to meet the claims of decency. They persisted in the en- --■ - ■ - ■ ~ _.^l^i^W • A Voya^ round the World in the Years 1800-1804, in which the Author visited Madeira, the Brazils, Cape of Good Hope, the En{^lish Settlements of Botany Bay and Norfolk Island, and the principal Islands in the Pacific Ocean, &c. ; by John Tumbull, 4to, London. 1813, p. 37. The nattres of Anatralia. KDWARDS, WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 593 joyment of liberty after their own fashion, and turned chap. XVL a deaf ear to every remonstrance on the subject of their primitive usages. Nor is this indifference to be imputed to want of per- ception, or even a certain degree of intellectual acute- ness. They have, more especially, a very quick eye for '^^'f^?'*^'' detecting peculiarities in voice or manner ; and they can mimic the walk, gait, and looks of all the Europeans they have seen in authority with so much exactness, as to afford a kind of historical register of their several actions and characters. If there be any thing particular in the soldiers, or even in he convicts, — any cast of the eye or awkwardness in the motion, any trip or strut, any stammering or thick speaking, — they catch it in a moment, and represent it so accurately as to render it impossible not to recognise the original. They are moreover great proficients in the Newgate slang which they hear used among the condemned labourers; and when provoked to a quarrel, they are by no means in- ferior to them in abuse. But this is the amount of their acquisitions from European intercourse ; for in every other respect they appear incapable of improvement, and even of change. They are still as unprotected as before against the inclemencies of the weather and the attacks of famine, the inseparable attendants of a savage life. In their persons they are exceedingly meagre ; their skins are scarified in every part ; their faces are besmeared with shell-lime and red gum ; their hair is matted like a mop, and stuck full of shark's teeth ; and a piece of wood like a skewer is fixed in the cartilage of the nose. In a woi'd, take them all in all, they consti- tute the most unintellectual and disgusting tribe on the face of the earth. I One redeeming quality they do possess, that, namely, «n .^ir of personal courage ; and in their pitched battles or in- ^^^^'^ dividual encounters, they display the most determined bravery, defending themselves against the spears of their assailants by opposing only a shield of thick bark. Pre- viously to their onset, they join in a kind of song, and Their vietchcd domiciles^. 594 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TUWNBULL. CHAP. XVI. gradually increase the noise till they work themselves up into a phrensy, their countenances being in the mean time convulsed with rage, and every feature giving a fearful expression to the vindictive feelings which rise in their minds. Their weapons are thrown with such force as to pierce the bucklers through and through ; but, though they must suffer the sharpest pain in ex- tracting them, such is their patience, or rather their utter insensibility, that they bear it unmovod, and rarely flee from the field of battle. They sleep in the open air with only the canopy of heaven for a covering, or in some wretched hut which aiTords but little shelter from the fierceness of the storms which occasionally rage in that latitude. In wet weather they retreat to caverns in the rocks, and having lighted a fire at the entrance, remain in their comfortless retreat till the tempest has ceased. Nevertheless so much at- tached are they to the enjoyment of their wild freedom, that it has been found next to impossible to wean them from it. The governor, who had by an innocent strata- gem got one of the warriors into his hands, endeavoured to reconcile him to the habits of civilized life : he lav> ished on him every attention and kindness, gave him good clothes and the best food, brought him with him to England, where he received the utmost attention from distinguished individuals in the fashionable world ; but all his cares proved fruitless. No sooner was the savagu liieirdogrged relanded in his own country than he laid aside all the •avagenesa. ornaments and improvements he had received during his travels, and returned, as if with increased enjoyment, to his former loathsome usages. He threw away his clothes as burdensome restraints upon his limbs, displayed his ancient appetite for raw meat, and in all respects became as rude as if he had never left his native wilderness. Another trial was made by a humane gentleman who procured two infants, a boy and a girl ; considering that such an early commencement gave him the best chance of success. The children were carefully brought up ; accustomed to the mode of living common among Euro- KDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. 595 peans ; M-cre dressed like other young persons in the chap, xvl station of tlieir benefactor, and sedulously formed to all """ the habits of improved society. But in this case, too, the experiment failed ; for when they had attained the age of twelve, and were allowed to make a choice, they rejected without hesitation the enjoyments to which they had been accustomed, and returned to their people to share their famine, nakedness, and cold. Hence some writers have proceeded so far as to maintain that a New Hollander is physically incapable of civilisation ; a con- clusion which has not hitherto been materially invali- dated by a more enlarged experience. From Port Jackson, the author proceeded to Norfolk Norfolk Island, which he describes as a delightful spot, the whole ^^'^'^ face of the country being covered with a deep green ver- dure, and presenting a scene of the most exuberant fertility. It was somewhat unfortunate that a spot so highly favoured by nature should have been xued as a convict station subsidiary to Botany Bay ; the more profligate and dangerous of the criminals being sent thither as an additional punishment. At first it was imagined that the flax-plant was a native of the island, an advantage which would have been inestimable had experience verified the report. In other respects, the cultivator of the soil will sustain no disappointment, for without the aid of any manure, it yields two full har- vests every year; one of wheat, which is reaped in October, and a second of maize, which is ready for pull- ing in April, the season when the former is sown. The aloe grows spontaneously in many parts of the settle- ment, and some of the smaller plantations are fenced round with sugar-canes. Of trees, the pine is the most its stupend- abundant, some of them measuring from a hundred to a *"* P'"** hundred and eighty feet in height, and from eighteen to twenty feet in circumference. Were their quality equal to their growth, they would prove very valuable for the purposes of shipbuilding ; but the pines of all warm climates are of a nature very diflferent from those I I Disadvan^ tafres of Ncirfolk liluud. 696 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. CHAP. XVI. of Europe, being brittle and quite incapable of sustain- ing a heavy pressure. It is not concealed by the navigator, that Norfolk Island labours -^nder several disadvantages, besides the more obvious ones of a storiny sea and an almost inac- cessible coast. T^e want of a harbour must prove a great impediment to its prosperity ; and as the bottom all around is covered with pointed fragments of sharp coral, it is impossible to secure a ship by any species of mooring. Hence it has repeatedly happened, that vessels from Port Jackson have beat off and on, unable to ad- vance and unwilling to return, upwards of a month, and still as distant as ever from all chance of communication with the shore. This diflficulty of access gave rise to the observation of a French captain, that the island was only fit to be inhabited by eagles or angels. It is farther to be regretted that since tlie surface has been compara- tively cleared of wood, a strong wind from the eastward fr'^quently brings a blight, the effect of wliich is too often proved in the general destruction of the harvest. These circumstances suggested to the goverror the expediency of abandoning the colony altogether ; a resolution which was partially realized in the year 1805, but on terms perfectly equitable to the owners of land, who elsewhere found a full compensation both for their stock and their territory. From Naw Holland the captain of the Margaret pro- ceeded to the Society Islands, where the inhabitants re- ceived him with appai-ent kindness, and forthwith laid plans for pilfering and murder. At Uliatea also the crew made a narrow escape from assassination ; the re- sult of a plot formed by the natives in conjunction with several deserters, originally convicts at Sydney. Late one evening, an alarm was given that the vessel was drifting ashore ; and it was soon discovered that both the cables were cut, while a large body of men were i-eady to take advantage of the disaster which they had used such means to produce. Providentially there ytas Blisehieft at UUfttea. EDWARDS. WILSON, FANNING, AND TURNBULL. 597 not a breath of wind, otherwise the ship must have CHAP. XVL speedily gone to pieces, for she lay with her broadside against a reef of coral rocks, the edges of which were as sharp as flints, the depth of the sea being not less than twelve fathoms. The seamen on board, having quar* Conduct of relied with the inhabitants, were perfectly aware that ***" "**' they could expect no mercy at their hands, and there- fore they exerted themselves with the utmost vigour to accomplish a rescue from their perilous situation. At this crisis the author makes a remark, suggested to him by long experience, in regard to the character of Eng- lish sailors ; observing that, however discontented they may be on other accounts, there is in their breasts a generous sentiment, which, in cases of difficulty and danger, retains them tr their duty. Thus it not unfre- quently happened that symptoms of mutiny were re- strained by the appearance of an enemy, when, with one mind, they united to defend their officers and to support the honour of their country. Very different were the feelings of the savages who surrounded the Margaret. When they saw that, by means of an anchor carried out in the long boat, she had been hauled seven or eight fathoms from the reef, they gave vent in the most furious manner to their rage and disappointment. Hitherto they had maintained a profound silence, in the expectation that, when she bulged on the rocks, they might commence their plunder without any resistance ou tlie part of the crew ; but now, finding their hopes disappointed, they began a general assanlt,, throwing stones with such 'jrcc and in such quantities, that it Assanlt by- was necessary to have recourse to the guns in order to **** "vaeof intimidate them. A discharge from the swivels and muskets produced in return a volley of shot froi the natives, who had stationed themselves at different points along the shore. Even the advance of daylight did not put an end to the ci^ntest, the assailants, who were in possession of firearms, considering themselves as in every respect equal to the company of a merchantman. They were sufficiently acquainted with the use of guns "Uin.pi -•<'JPWI>'l>|l|{p^«9"P«R!^RmmiHnB 598 EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. ciTAP. XVI. to watch the motions of our countrymen on board, and when the latter were ready to fire, they suddenly skulked behind the rocks and trees, which afforded to them a complete shelter. The stumps and clefts like- wise served them for another purpose, which, in the hands of better soldiers, might have been of most fatal STiarp effect to their enemy. Resting their muskets on these flre^ami'*^ supports, they took a deliberate aim, and must inevit- ably have killed all the English, one by one, liad they possessed the full knowledge of their weapons; but fortunately, says the supercargo, " their awkwardness was more than a sufficient balance to their other advan- tages." The issue of the conflict was still doubtful when, towards the close of the second day, the wind shifted gently round and blew from the land, which furnished Captain Buyers with an opportunity of get> ting away unperceived in the night.* The history of this attack proves that the warriors of the South Sea can no longer be intimidated by the firing of a gun over their heads, or even by an array of mus- keteers on the deck of a ship. Traders have supplied them with weapons, powder, and shot, while deserters, both American and Europeans, teach them how to render all these advantages available. We purposely abstain from following Mr TumbuU from one group to another of the South Sea Islands, because the information he supplies, though worthy of entire confidence, has been quite superseded by the Turnbuii's details of more recent voyagers. His estimate of the ofthe*'* native character is at once correct and candid. In Foiyneaiana, comparing the people of the Sandwich cluster with the several tribes in the Society and Friendly Isles, he justly gives a preference to the former, who, from their am- bitious views and active habits, are much more capable of improvement. Alluding to the missionaries 'n the dominions of Pomare, whom he pronounces to have been a complete hypocrite, he foresaw not the success * A Voyage round the World, &c. p. 180. EDWARDS, WILSON, PANNING, AND TURNBULL. 599 which has since attended their lahours. From the chap. xvi. evident advantage which the royal family derived from — their partnership with the teachers, it was manifest that the encouragement afforded to them by the king was wholly political. Those pious persons, indeed, nie niimton- neglected nothing which could render their mission ^^* '" ^'^ successful, traversing the country every Sabbath in T^tb. different directions and in small parties ; but, though the inhabitants esteemed them as good men, they did not comprehend, and did not profess to believe, the articles of their religion. One day, when the sovereign was present at an exhortation, he sent for Mr Turnbull, to whom, after the departure of the expounders, he put this question " whether it was all true they had preached!" The Englishman replied in the affirma- tive ; asserting that it Wiis strictly true, according to his own belief, and that of all the wiser and better part of his countrymen, " He demanded where Jehovah lived : I pointed to the heavens. He said, he did not believe it." His brother was, if possible, still worse. Edeah, the queen, was looking on with a haughty and disdain- ful indifference. They repeated it was all "havery" or falsehood ; adding that they would not believe unless they could see ; " and observed, we could bring down the sun and moon by means of our quadrant, why ^ could we not bring down the Redeemer 1 similar operation V* Viewed in the light of a mercantile speculation, the voyage of the Margaret appears to have been entirely unsuccessful. Her cargo was taken to an overstocked Termination market, and she was finally lost on the shores of ^^J^™^"" ' Otaheite, where hardly any thing was saved, and whence the crew made a very narrow escape. At length, in March 1804, Mr TurnbuU embarked at Port Jackson on board the Calcutta in very ill health, brought on by hardship and fatigue, and in due time obtained sight of his native land, from which bt. had been absent more than four yuars. 2 p '.■.■■'•. I->/i ?a voyage. 7/ 600 BAUDIlf, FREYCINEX, DUPERRET» CHAPTER XVII. Baudin, Freycinet, Duperrey, D^Urmlle, Bougainville^ and La Pice, ■; * i Objects of French Government in Vojfages of DiscoTery — Appoint- ment of Baudin and Hamelin to the G^ig^raphe and Naturaliste — Great Preparatiuus tor scientific Researches — Disingenuous* ness of the Commanders — New Names given to former Discoveries — Base Conduct of De Caen to Captain Flinders — Generous Conduct of Great Britain to the Officers of the French Ships- Captain Freycinet appointed to the Uranie — Rio Janeiro, the Cape of Good Hope, and Mauritius described — He arrives at New Holland — Account of Timor — Examines the Caroline and Marian Islands — Visits the Sandwich Group — Repairs to Port Jackson— Overtaken by a Storm near the Strait of Le Maiie — Lcses his Ship at the Falkland Islands — j3uperiey ^ails in the Coquille — ^Touches at Chili and Peru — Proceeds to the Society Islands — Description of New Ireland — Arrives at Sydney — Steers for the Bay of Islands— Made valuable Additions to the Know- ledge of the Magnetic Principle as afiplied to Navigation — Ex- pedition under Captains Ross and Crozier to the Antarctic Regions — Remarkable Soundings made by Captain Ross — Dumont d'Ur- ville obtains Command of the Astrolabe — Instructed to make search for La Perouse — Notice by Dillon — D'Urville priKeeds to Vanikoro, whsre the Remains of the Wrecks were found — Proceeds to New Zealand— Examines the Northern Coast of New Guinea and the Southern Portion of New Britain — Bougain- ville the Younger is sent on a similar Expedition in Command of the Thetis and Esperance— The Object was to show the French Flag in the Indian and Chinese Seas, and to promote the Interests of Commerce — La Place, who succeeds him in these Pursuits, makes interesting Remarks on the European Colonies in tlie Indian Archipelago — Concluding Remarks. CHAP. XVII. Introducing to the attention of the European reader — the successful labours of his countrymen on the ocean, the editor of a collection of voyages recently published at Paris remarks, that France saw accomplished, in the K ;k d'uRVILLB, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 601 latter half of the eighteenth century, the glorious cir- chap. xvit. cumnavigations of Bougainville, of La Perouse, D*En- — trecasteaux, and Marchand ; and that she has in the opening of the nii^eteenth assumed with becoming dig- nity her place in f;he rank of maritime nations. While Napoleon, he adds, was triumphing on the field of Ma- rengo, and subjecbl.ig Italy to his arms, an expedition French rnj. which he had sent into the Pacific, under the command "^f**"'" '''** of Captain Baudin, was exploring the coasts of Nf w Holland, that fifth continent, of which the extent equals at least the whole of Europe. Somewhat later, Captain Freycinet, who had taken part in the former enterprise, assumed the direction of another on a much greater scale. After him comes Captain Duperrey, whose voy- age produced the incalculable advantage of fixing in a certain manner the position of those thousands of islands which had been passed by Roggewein and many other navigators ; all of whom; believing that they were the first who observed them, have in succession given such a variety of names as to render our knowledge of the several groups at once difficult and obscure. To Du- perrey succeeded Dumont D*Urville, to whom science is indebted for some valuable details on New Holland and New Guinea, and humanity for the discovery of the wrecks of La Perouse's ships.* It is well known that Bonaparte no sooner found him- Bonnpjirte's self possessed of supreme authority than he announced ^foniefc liis intention of procuring for France ships, colonies, and commerce. These he regarded as the main source of that power, on land and at sea, by which Great Britain defeated his plans for universal dominion ; and there- fore, without duly estimating the character c ^ the people whom he had undertaken to rule, he resolvea to extend the basis of the sovereignty to which the success of his *■ Bibliotheque Universelle des Voya^s, riii. pp. 1,2. &c. Par RI. Albert- Moniemont, ('aria, 18JJ4, tome xviii. pp. f, 2. We are not insensible to the vahie of Captain D'Urville's labours, though we claim ner- mission to doubt r/hether science and humanity were placed by hiro under any particular obligations. , , 602 BAUDIN, FREYCINBT, DUPERREIT, Voj'ftffo of Oaudin. CHAP. XVII. arms had raised him. In pursuance of these views, a voyage of discovery was projected ; and an application for passports being made to the English government, they were, with a degree of liberality not always reci- prJfated by the military chief, readily granted. Two ships, the Geographe and the Naturaliste, were accord- ingly prepared, and placed under the command of M. Baudin, an officer who had been formerly employed in collecting specimens of natural history in Louisiana, and was in all respects well fitted for the duty to which he was appointed. The latter vessel was put under the chai;ge of M. Hamelin, who enjoyed considerable repu- tation as a seaman ; and both sailed from Havre on the 17th October 1800. Among the various articles provided for the expedi- tion were several cases of medals, which the commodore was instructed to distribute among the natives of the different islands at which he might touch. It was hoped that a deep impression of the splendour and power of the country whence they came would be there- by made on the minds of the savages of New Holland ; who, it seems to have been imagined, could not be ig- norant of the exploits of the distinguished hero, whose name and likeness were about to be made familiar to Appliances of their eyes. In addition to the crews, which amounted Uie voyage ^ nearly two hundred men, were several individuals selected on account of their eminence in botany, miner- alogy, and the kindred branches of natural science.* The commandant prosecuted his voyage without do- * Around the bust of Napoleon were the words : BonapartCf Premier Consul de la Republique Franfaise On the obverse of the medal were the figures of the two ships, with the following inscription ; Expedition de Decouverte sous le Commandant Baudin^ Les Corvettes Geographe et Naturaliste. The object of the application made to our government by M. Otto, the resident commissary for French prisoners of war, was ** pour mettre le Capitaine Baudin a l^abri de toute attaque hostile, et lui procurer une reception favorable dans les etablissemens Bri* tanniques oil il pourra etre oblige de relacher momentanement d'urville, bouqainville, and la place. 603 ing or suffering any thing worthy of remark, till heCiiAP.xvii. arrived, 27th May 1801, on the coast of Australia. — Immediately to the north of Cape Leuwin, Baudin Proceedings discovered an inlet, which, after the name of his cor- "? J^'^t^^HJ^"* vette, he called G^ographe Bay ; a place which was soon found to be less convenient than was expected, owing to its great exi^osure to the south-westerly winds, the most dangerous in those latitudes. Being separated in a gale, the Naturaliste took refuge in Shark's Bay, where was found a pewter plate nailed to a tree, which, from the inscription, proved to be not less than a hun- dred years old. It was the work of those enterprising navigators, the Dutch, who first discovered this country, and whose skill, perseverance, resolution, and hardihood, have never been surpassed.* .i There is no doubt that the main object of the voyage j>c^t otjects was not to discover new lands in unfrequented portions oiihevoyaga of the globe, but simply to ascertain the real condition of New Holland ; to learn how the turbulent colonists were disposed towards the mother-country ; to devise what measures the French should adopt in the event of a general peace ; to find out some port in the neigh- bourhood of our settlements, where they might establish themselves under the invincible flag of the republic ; and, in a word, to begin on a large scale the neW * The notices on the plate are as follows : ^n. 1616, The 25th of October, arrived here the ship Endraght, of Am- sterdaniy Dirk Hatigs, Master. The 27 of October, arrivtd here the ship Naban — Supercargo, Jamthins; First LieuteU' ant Fitter Dookes. An. 1697, ' The first of February, arrived here the ship AHonek, of Am- \ iterdam. After this, the Commander of the fleet, with the ship Fleming, of' Flissingen. After, the ship Assistencie, Jan Van Bremen, Master; and the ship Theodore, Michel Beohn, Master. After this, the Neptune, Gorrit Cabaort, Master, from Amsterdam. We have copted these frpm a " Narrative of the Proceedinpfs of the G6ographe and Naturaliste, sent on a Voyage of Discovery by the French Government in 1800;" annexed to TurnbulPs Voyage round the World. , 604 BAUDIN, FREYCINBT, DUPERREIT, Instructions pi veil to iiaudin. CHAP. xviT. system of colonization, a mercantile navy, and a pro. — ductive commerce. That such were the intentions of Napoleon is rendered manifest by the instructions given to Baudin. He was directed in the first place to touch at the Isle of France ; thence to proceed to the southern extremity of Van Diemen*s Land : visit D'Entrecasteaux's Channel ; examine the eastern coast ; enter the straits of Bass through that of Banks ; com- plete the Discovery of Hunter's Islands ; survey the south-western coast of New Holland ; penetrate behind the islands of St Peter and St Francis ; and to inspect that part of the continent concealed by these islands, where a strait was supposed to exist by which a communica- tion might be opened with the great Gulf of Carpentaria. Having completed this part of his undertaking he was instructed to proceed to Cape Leuwin ; to survey the unknown coasts to the northward ; to examine the shores of the land which bears the names of Edels and En- draght ; to view minutely the island of Rottenest, and Shark's Bay ; and to terminate the labours of the first year at the north-western cape of New Holland. From Timor or Amboyna, where he was supposed to winter, he was ordered to proceed through Endeavour Strait to the eastern point of the great Gulf of Carpentaria ; to examine the whole circuit of its coast to the land of Arnhem ; to conclude the second campaign at the same north-western cape where the first was com- pleted ; and from thence to make the best of his way across the Indian ocean to Europe.* The history of this voyage was intrusted to the rnenf*"?"^^ literary skill of M. Peron, one of the philosophers who Baudin. accompanied Baudin, and who complains bitterly of the bad arrangements made by that commander in all matters connected with the comfort of the crew as well * Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terres Anstrales, Axlcut£ par onlre de sa Majesty L'Emp6reiir et Roi, 8ur les corvettes le G4o- graphe, I^e Natiiraliste, et la Goelette Le Casuarina, pendant les Ann6es 1»00, IBUl, 1B(»2, 18U3, et 1804. lledige par IVl. T. P^ron, Naturaliste. Paris, IBUJ. D'uRVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 605 as the main object of the expedition. He admits that chap. xvil. the effoi-ts made by England, in modern times, for the — advancement of scientific discovery have been very great ; adding, however, that, in the glorious rivalry Rtmiry with among nations for the propagation of knowledge, England. France has been able to dispute with advantage her superiority and her triumphs. Still, to counterbalance the effect which must arise from seeing numbers of enlightened Englishmen placed on the immense theatre of a fifth part of the globe, it was necessary, he main- tains, that the government of Paris should fit out an expedition of discovery to the South Seas. This undertaking was matured under the auspices of the Institute, who, in their report of P^ron*s professional labours, remark that, in the midst of the regions he traversed, he every where encountered the "ivals of his country ; in every place they have formed establishments which excite the greatest interest, and of which the other nations of Europe have always received false or at least very imperfect information. He applied him- self particularly to comprehend in detail the vast system of colonization in Australia, which is exhibited at the same time on a great continent and over an immense ocean. His labours in this respect, they assert, are worthy, in every point of view, of the attention of the philosopher and the statesman. Never, perhaps. Moral tmn*. say they, did a subject of greater interest or curiosity ^'™»^'>n ^ present itself to their contemplation. Never, perhaps, was a more striking example afforded of the omnipo- tence of laws and institutions on the character of man. To transform the most formidable robbers and the most abandoned thieves of England into peaceful citizens and industrious planters ; to operate the same revolution among degraded women, to compel them by infallible means to become virtuous wives and ex- emplary mothers ; to bring under subordination and control a nascent population ; to preserve it by assidu- ous care from the contagious immorality of those who are appointed to superintend its interests, and thus to 606 BAUDIN» FREYCINBT, DUPERREY, CHAP. XVI r. la-y the groundwork of a race more virtuous than that '-~' whence it has sprung — such, they conclude, is the affecting picture which the new English colonies present I Grand scien- '^^ accomplish a similar object for the honour and tirtc corps of benefit of France, Bonaparte, at the very moment he was puttmg his army or reserve m motion across the Alps, issued orders to hasten the execution of the grand enterprise. In an instant twenty- three persons, nominated by him on the presentation of the Institute, were destined for making scientific researches. Of these learned individuals only three returned to France, the others having fallen the victims of disease or of accident. Never was there witnessed such a display in the philosophical department of a voyage of discovery : never were means so amply prepared for securing success! Astronomers, geographers, mineralogists, bo- . tanists, zoologists, draftsmen, and gardeners presented :. themselves in great numbers, eager to share the glory of the expedition, and to obtain fresh laurels for their native land. We have interposed these remarks with the view of showing that the object contemplated by the first con- sul was not so much a circumnavigation of the globe as a survey of one of the largest, and, in some respects, the Survey of the ^^^^ important of British colonies. Baudin, as already vest coast of noticed, made Cape Leuwin in May 1801 ; and at this point he thought proper to deviate so far from his in- structions as to survey the western coast of New Hol- land, instead of proceeding to the southern extremity of Van Diemen's Land. Sailing along shore, he gave new names to headlands and Islands which had been discovered more than a century before ; commemorat- ing, so far as this usurpation could accomplish it, the fame of several French personages. The whole of the western coast is described as low, barren, dreary, and covered with sand, offering to the eye very little that is interesting in the animal, mineral, or vegetable creation. The few natives who were seen are described as horribly ▲usti'alia. d'URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 607 Ugly and repulsive ; a set of human beings placed on chap, xvil the extreme verge of stupidity and wretchedness, and — whose only covering consisted of a kangaroo skin thrown carelessly over the shouldera. Having reached the north-west cape of New Holland, Proceeding the commandant resolved to examine the coast which "" *''* ""'th* trends towards the north-east, and which was discovered in 1628 by the Dutch navigator De Witt, whose name it bears. It was again visited by Dampier in 1699, and by three vessels from Amsterdam about six yean* later ; upon the authority of whose observations the ordinary charts in this country have been usually constructed. Baudin, however, to gratify the vanity of hb patrons at home, deemed it expedient to assign new appellations to every group of islands and remarkable promontory which met his eye ; and hence the youthful geographers in France may etill be in the habit of associating with the steril borders of Western Australia the names of Berthond, Ghampagny, Forestier, and Bonaparte. The navigator, indeed, freely admits that this compliment to the chiefs of the republic was not great ; for among the numerous isles which skirt the coast or diveroify the bays, nothing occurs which is in the least degree pleasing to the imagination. The soil is naked ; the burning sky is hardly ever shaded by a cloud ; and the sea is scarcely agitated except by squalls in the night. Man seems to pigmai «tort. have abandoned these ungenial shores ; nowhere is per- nty of tiie ceived any vestige of his dwelling or any trace of his *'""" '^* presence. The navigator, shuddering at this hideous solitude, beset with dangers, is disposed to turn his back on the ill-fated region ; and when he reflects that these inhospitable islands are in a similar zone with those of the grand archipelago of Asia, on which nature delights to pour its treasures, he feels a difficulty in conceiving how a sterility so complete can possibly be perpetuated by the side of an abundance so affluent. In vain will he seek in the ordinary laws which regulate the pro- ductions of the soil the real principle of so extraordinary an opposition. y 608 BAUniN, PREYCINET, nUPERRKY, I I I I 1 CHAP. XVII. After wintering in the island of Timor, the two ships The southern ''®8"*"^'<^ operations early in 1802, by proceeding to tho PHrt« of Van southern part of Van Diemen's Land. Here they seem Land. to havc confined their investigations to the Bay of Storms and the Channel of D'Entrecasteaux ; whence they pro- ceeded round the point of the island Maria, and anchored in Oyster Bay. In a violent gale of wind, the Naturaliste agi. in separated from her consort ; an accident which M. Peron ascribes to the professional ignorance of the senior captain. But all those dangers, he adds, were nothing in comparison of the dreadful scurvy, which carried death and destruction among the crow. Already several ot the men had been thrown into the sea ; already more than half the ship's company were incapable of any duty ; two only of the helmsmen could take their turn at the wheel. The progress of the disease was frightful. Three-fourths of a bottle of putrid water composed the daily allowance ; for more than a year they had not known the taste of wine, nor had a single drop of brandy passed their lips. In place of these liquors, so indis- pensable to the European navigator on distant voyages, were substituted three- sixteenths of a bottle of wretch(d rum prepared at the isle of France, and which none but the black slaves of that colony are in the habit of using. Hon iflc state The biscuit was holed like a sieve b" the larva of in- irtorel^ "^ ' sects. All the salt provisions were rotten in the strictest sense of the word ; and so insupportable were both the smell and taste, that the most famished of the crew chose rather to suffer all the agonies of hunger than to eat them ; oftentimes indeed, in the presence of the commandant, did they throw their allowance into the sea.* From Cape Wilson on the southern shore of New Holland, the G^ographe stood westward through Bass's Strait; from which promontory to Cape Leu win, an extent of coast equal to nine hundred leagues, the coun- * Voyage aux Terres Australes, p. SSL Quarterly Review, voL iv. p. 50. l/URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. C09 try was named " Terre Nnpoleon." Next follow Cape CHAP.xvit Richelieu, Bay Talleyrand, Cape SufFrein, Cape Marengo, — — Cape Dessaix, Cape Volney, Cape Bufibn, Cape Rivoli, Cape Jaffa, the peninsula Fleurieu, fin i Josephine's Gulf, which runs a hundred miles into the interior. These ^ew nomei> are succeeded by the island Decr^s, the peninsula Cam- ^^^.^^ ."' bac^res. Capo Berthier, and the great gulf of Bonaparte. Aiutruii'a. All those islands scattered along the Terre Napoleon, amounting to more than a hundred and sixty, present, it is said, the same dreary picture as those of the archi- pelago on the northern side of this continent ; being low, arid, and steril, and producing neither tree nor shrub. Not a human being is known to exist on them ; and they are surrounded by a sea exposed to the most tremendous storms. To those who have read the narrati/es of former discoverers nothing can be more clear than that the French have claimed the honour of making known a lai'ge extent of coast which had been previously visited. In July 1 801 , the Investigator sloop of war, commanded y Captain Flinders, sailed from England under orders ♦^ complete the nautical survey of the shores of New Holland. In December he reached Cape Leu win, and, voyape of stretching along the land of Nuyts, had, by the l7th F''"^*/f.J* March following, not only verified all that Vancouver toiy. and D'Entrecasteaux accomplished,but, in addition, com- pleted the discovery of the deep inlet within the islands of St Peter and St Francis, which was at one time supposed to communicate with the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is a singular coincidence that, on the very same day, the Geographe entered the eastern mouth of Bass's Strait, near Furneaux's islands, and, forty-eight hours after- wards, came opposite to Western Harbour on the southern coast of Australia ; " where, says M. Peron, the labours of the English navigators end, and where our long discoveries of the Land of Napoleon begin." It is true that, on the 19th March, Peron could not kngw what had been effected by Flinders at a con- siderable distance westward ; but he knew it before 610 BAUDIN, FlirYCINET, DUPERREY, Nfcetint; of FlinderK and Btuioin. CHAP. XVII he published his book; he knew it, in fact, a few days after the ship in which he sailed attained this meridian ; for on the 9th April, says Captain Flinders, " we encorntered, in long. 139** 10' east, M. Baiidin in the Geographe, who wna prosecuting his examination of the same coast in the opposite direction." Every information \\^;n unreservedly communicated to Captain Baudin ; he was told that " the whole of the south coast of Australia, with the exception of ten or fifteen leagues to the west of Cape Otwaj', had imdergone an investigation, which was generally made at five or six miles* distance from the shore, and frequently nearer." The English officer, therefore, claims as his right all the space between the poirt where the Dutch navigator Nuyts stopped in his c^/urse eastward, and the point where he himself met the Geographe, including four degrees ten minutes of longitude ; while he resigns to the French, as the proper field of their discovery, the space between long. 139° 10' east and Cape Northum- berland, which is situated in long. 140" 60' east, amounting to about forty leagues. To these limits " the claim of original discovery, so far as I am ac- quainted, is vested in Captain Baudin and the French nation ; nor shall i presume to call the headlands con- tained in this space by other names than such as shall be assigned to them in the French chart."* Coupling the assumption made by Peron with the remaining part of Flinders' history, a strong suspicion arises that the whole was the effect of a premeditated design to sratch the merit of discovery from the riglu- ful possessor, for the purpose of setting up a claim at some future day, to this part of New Holland. It is well known that our countr'man was detained several riielr respec- tive limits of discovery. * Captain Fr^jders' MS. Journal, as quoted in the Qutrterlv Review, vol. iv. p. b'd. It is stated in the text that the Frencn comprehend, under the liead of Terre Napoleon^ not less than nine hundred lea^jrues of coast; including^ all the discoveries' of Nuyts, Vancouver, D'Entrecasteaux, Flinders, Bass, and Graat ; a claim which is entirely without foundation, and will nevoc b€ urj«!d hy any reasonable government. d'URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 611 years a prisoner in the Isle of France ; and he himself ^"•^^•^^"* entertained the suspicion that his detention was pro- longed, " to give time for the previous publication of the voyage of M. Baudin, to prepossess the world that it was to the French nation only the complete discovery , and examination of the south coast of Australia was imprison due." The conduct of De Caen, who treated Captain "^^to'^fTn- Flindeis as an impostor and spy, is worthy of the liieof France^ deepest reprobation. Ot> his aiTival in the island, where necessity alone compelled him to touch, the governor behaved with the utmost rudeness ; affected to disbelieve that he was the officer described in the passport ; ordered his little vessel to be seized as well as his books, charts and papers ; and conducted him to a small house in tho town, before the door of which a soldier was immediately placed. Ascending a dirty staircase, he and the master of the little schooner in which he had sailed were put into a miserable chamber containing two truckle beds without curtains, a small table, and two rush-bottomed chairs. If they could have slept in this miserable hole, undisturbed by the multitude of bugs and mosquitoes, the entrance of two grenadiers would have prevented their repos^ , one of whom walked backward and forward between their beds, as a sentinel on his post, without paying the least attention to those who occu- proioneation pied them. In this wretched apartment the English oi his im- cnptain was kept a close prisoner nearly four months, ^"■^'^"ent. It was fortunate that he had found means of conveying to Europe copies of his charts, journals, and other papers ; but his captivity did not expire till after the lapse of nearly seven years.* It is but iustice to mention that several French * A Voyaf];e to Terra Aiistralis, undertaken for the Purpose of (liscoverinir that vast Country, aiu! prosecuted in the Years 1801, l']02, and lo03, in his Majesty's Ship Investigator, and subse- t'uently in the armed Vessel Porpoise and C knbcrland S^'hooner. VNMtli an Account oFthe Shipwreck of the Porpoise; Arrival of the Cumberland at the Mauritius, and Imprisonment of the Commander 'iiring' six Years and a half in that Island. By Matthew Flinders, "ommander of t'le Investigator. London, 1814. Vol. ii. p. 450-470, mmmm 612 BAUDIN, PREYCINBT, DUPERRSY. CHAP. XVII. officers^ including Admiral Linois^ applied in his behalf, though without success. Nor were the solicitations of Marquis Wellesley, and Sir Edward Pellew of more avail ; nay, when Laborde, the principal physician of the medical staff, gave a certificate that country air and exercise wese necessary for the restoration of his health, De Caen contented himself by sending a message to the doctor, desiring him not to interfere with matters which did not fall within the limits of French ap- ^"^^ official superintendence. This brutal conduct, fiopriation however, was fully approved at Paris; and the motive, discoveries already suggested, soon became more apparent. The publication of the French voyage of discovery was in great forwardness, ^nd the Emperor Napoleon, consider- ing it to be a national work, had granted a considerable sum to render it complete. From the Moniteur ot July 1808, it appeared that French names were given to all Flinders' discoveries, as well as those of Captain Grants on the southern coast of Australia ; it was kept out of sight that he had ever been on that coast ; and in speaking of M. Peron's first volume, the newspapers asserted that no voyage ever made by the English nation could be compared with that of the Geographe and Naturaliste. "It may be remembered," says the commander of the Investigator, " that after exploring the south coast up to Kangaroo Island, with the two gulfs, I met Captain Baudin, and gave him the first information of those places, and of the advantages they offered him ; and it is but an ill return to seek to de- prive me of the little honour attending the discovery." RaudiP^s In- Q^i^ ^jjg captain of the Geographe was not in reality tiinr appro- responsible for the injustice inflicted on our unfortunate prianon. countryman ; an exemption which may be extended even to the nominal author of the work in which the fraud was perpetrated. Flinders himself was sufli- ciently generous to make the same acknowledgment. After relating that, when at a subsequent period he met the French officers at Port Jackson, he had showed one of his charts to Baudin in the presence of M. Peron, he D*URVILLE, SOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 613 states that Freycinet, one of the lieutenants, addressed CHAP. XVIL him to this eflFect : " Captain, if we had not been kept ""^ so long picking up shells and catching butterflies at Van Diemen's Land, you would not have discovered the south coast before us." " How then," asks Captain Flinders, FHndew apo« " came M. Peron to advance what is so contrary to truth ! '"^^ ^"^ Was he a man destitute of all principle ! My answer is, that I believe his candour to have been equal to his ac- knowledged abilities ; and that what he wrote was from oveiTuling authority, and smote him to the heart ; he did not live to finish the second volume. It is further mani- fest that, had he lived, he could not have brought it out ; for his reference, in the firt8 cannot lie there when the wind blows from that quarter. Fort Concordia, the principal settlement of the Dutch, is situated on the southern side of the bay, and enjoys a considerable trade ; the chief articles of which, viewed as exports, arc wax, sandal-wood, mineral-oil, and cattle. The imports are coarse cotton cloths, white or blue, large pattern chintzes and handkerchiefs, China silks, China- ware, umbrellas, muskets, gunpowder, iron, course Bri- tish cutlery, and lead. The Portuguese have still three stations on the northern coast, Dille, Batoo-Gede, and Mariatatoo. Of these the first mentioned continues to be the most important, having a harbour well defended from the swell of the sea by an extensive reef of rocics, and enjoying a commerce not inferior to that of Coupang. It is painful to observe, that under the head of exports are classed slaves, who continue to be carried to the other islands of the Indian Archipelago, especially to Celebes.* It is remarked by the historian of his voyage, that Freycinet, arriving at Timor from the sandy plains of New Holland, could not find words to express his ad- miration of the beautiful verdure which every where presented itself to his eyes ; but, he adds, if the captain, had come from the Moluccas proper, or, in other words, from the north-east, his enthusiasm would haVe been greatly subdued. It is no doubt by a reference to the different points of departure that we must account for the great discrepancy in the opinions entertained by . • Voyji^ autour ,du Monde, &c., tome i. p. 487-705' Biblio- tli^uue Uniyerselle, tome xviii. p. 62-69. Penny Cyclopaedia vol, zxiii., Silnda Islands. Contrast of Timor to Australia. Ituwuck. d'URTILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 623 nrtvigators ri-liitlve to the fertility of that island, and CHAP.Xvn. iiiC vernal aspect of its shores when approached from the steril regions of Northern Australia. From Timor, the Uranie proceeded to Rawack, a ThoWnndof small island not far from N6w Guinea, and which forms orie of a group that has occasionally attracted the notice of seafaring men, whether employed in the pursuits of trade or discovery. The natives are described as being exceedingly ill favoured in point of looks ; and are also little, squat, large headed, woolly haired, nearly black, spindle shanked, with long broad feet. Their counte- nances are inexpressive, their manners unengaging, their ttir stupid. Nearly all of them are covered with leprosy, or have been affected by it. Notwithstanding these de- fects, they climb trees with surprising facility, and are very skilful fishers. Standing on the bow of his canoe, rudely enough fashioned, and furnished only with a sail of cocoa leaves, the savage sees a fish at a distance ; upon which, advancing towards it in his little skiff, he darts his bamboo headed with iron, perhaps more than twenty paceSj and seldom fails to secure his victim. Freycinet devotes two chapters to the Carolines and -^jg jfart„nj the Marians, a class of islands which merit a greater isittnUd. degree of attention than they have hitherto obtained. Tinian, one of the latter, is worthy of notice as the place where Anson and his crew found protection ; being at the same time remarkable for some singular ruins which were discovered in the interior. It is the opinion of one of the voyagers that it must formerly have been' the residence of a great people, extinguished by one of those catastrophes which annihilate empires and generations of men. It id not possible to proceed a league without finding some gigantic remains of old monuments among the brambles ; and the whole island seems to be but one ruin. The trees are weak and scanty ; but they have to make their way with difficulty through heaps of dry leaves and decayed trunks. Here and there are found old bare bread-fruit trees, the tops of which, exhibiting a few grayish branches, m^m I 624 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, Decayed state of liiiian. CHAP. XVII. in(Jicate to the traveller the convulsion of which they have been the victims, without denoting its epoch. A few feeble cocoas still rai^e their withered heads, moaning, it might be said, the sadness of nature, and wishing to die with her. Uniform plains of small elevation ; a monotonous coadt ; a few reefs of rocks ; the wrecks of vegetation parched by the sun ; and the absence of either road or shelter, seem to announce the very abode of melancholy. Every thing is in decay ; and yet Anson painted this coxTRtry, and, no doubt, with perfect truth, as an Elysium, a scene of natural erchantment. Is there not, then, exclaims M. Arago, any testimony of the convulsion wliich is still so recent ? It is the hand of man, not of Providence, which has inflicted on Tinian the evils so pathetically bewailed. To the visit of the Spaniards, those least indulgent of colonists, may be traced the death and desolation which now deform the shores of the Marians, and of other groups in the Indian archipelago.* Two months were employed by M. Freycinet in collecting observations and making scientific experi- ments with the view of accomplishing in some measure the principal object of the expedition. As soon aa these were completed hu set sail for thtj Sandwich The Sand- Islands; and on the 6th of August J819, reached wich isianOa Qwhyhee, where he subsequently came to anchor, in the bay of Karakaooa. Tamehameha, the king, had just died, his palace was reduced to ashes, and nearly all the pigs in the district had been killed to do honour to his obsequies, according to the custom of the country ; hence, the time was extremely unfavourable for victualling the corvette. Rio-Rio, who had already * Arago's Voyage round the World, p. 276-283. Freycinet tnfbrms us thnt " ces insulaires vivent d une inaniere f rugtile : le riz, le niais, le coco, le poisson, le pore ou Is cerf composent leur nourriture li ibituelle. Les horames sont quolquefbis abus d*eau-de-vie de t .)co. Les convives mangent accroupis et a6sis sur leur talons. lis vont presque entierement nus, car le langouti ou leger roanteau jete sur leurs epaules est bicn plus un oniement qu'un vetement.' m D'URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AAD LA PLACE. 625 ascended the throne and received from the chiefs the chap, xvtl usual oath of allegiancp, found himself in a condition — to treat with the French captain through the medium of Rives, a European, who acted as interpreter. The Friendliness young monarch even presented himself ou board, of the young accepted the usual gifts proffered by the stranger, and iu"uaTck immediately issued orders that the crew should be supplied with provisions. In the several volumes de- scriptive of this voyage, numerous details are supplied relative to the history, manners, pursuits, amusements, and religion of the Sandwich islanders, vrhich, though on the whole both accurate and entoLtaining, have long been superseded by more recent intelligence now in the hands of every reader. About the end of August, the commander of the Uranie turned his face once more towards the south, steering for Port Jackson in the British ccdony of New South Wales. On the 19th Octoberj ahe came in sight of the Dangerous Islands, discovered by Byron in June 1766, of which the geographical position is lat. 10° 16' south, and long. 169° 28' west from Greenwich. Two days afterwards, when on the east of the Navigator archipelago, Freyciiiet perceived an DiscoTery of islet, not marked in any chart, to which he gave the ti»*»Koacl«iie. appellation of Rose Isle, after the name of his wife, and in commemoration of the long voyage accomplished by her in his company.* The discovery now mentioned is acknowledged to be the only and true one (la seule et veritable) which exclusively belongs to the expedition of the Uranie. Obtaining a distant glance of the more t outherly of the * An anecdote is told respecting this lady about the time the expedition sailed. The Minister of Marine, displeased at the captain's rerusing to take the botanist with him, resolved to prevent Madame Freycinet from accompanying her husband, and j^ave an order that no woman should be received on hoard. When, however, the ship was fairly out at sea, a handsome sailor-boy 5 resented himself to the captain on the quarter-deck. It was ladarae Freycinet, who had smuggled herself on '>oard, and re- mained amorg the crew three or four days withof "^ the knowledge of her husband. Quarterly Reviews vol. xxviii. p. 343. If t T^s^f^fn^-^ I ml [i. fr-; I 626 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, Homeward course of i'i'Byciiiet. CHAP. XVII. Friendly and Tonga Islands in passing, the adventurers at length, on the 18th November, found themselves safely moored in Port Jackson, where they received the most polite attention from General Macquarie, who was at that period governor of the colony. Having occupied five or six weeks in his scientific labours, Freycinet turned his prow towards home by way of Cape Hora ; but encountering frightful weather as he approached the extremity of South America, he at- tempted to find refuge in the bay of Good Success, in the Strait of Le Maire. Overtaken here by a tre- mendous tempest, he cut his cable and ran for the Falkland Islands ; in attempting to enter one of which his ship struck on a sunken rock and soon became a complete wreck. While forming a plan for the safety of the people under his charge he was gratified by the appearance of an American trader, the master of which engaged to transport the crew of the Uranie, her stores and scientific collections, to Rio Janeiro. In the end it was found expedient to pur- chase this vessel, which the captain formally com- missioned under the name of La Physicienne ; and having embarked all his followers, who had now been about three years absent from Europe, he arrived at Havre on the 13th November 1820. It is manifest that, if regarded as a voyage of dis- covery, the expedition now described must be pronounced altogether fruitless. Indeed, the promoters of it profess Estimnte of not to have had in view the advancement of geographical knowledge, which, they admit, has at all times been much more successfully cultivated by the English than by the navigators of France. Their object, as already indicated, was to perfect the acquaintance of philo- sophers with the laws of magnetism, both as a principl') considered on the broad grounds of physical science, and as the means of rendering the mariner's compass a safer guide than it can yet be esteemed, in all parts of the globe, Freycinet, it should seem, collected a number of facts, which by the Institute at Paris were considered prise, tfi:,' uturers nselves ved the e, who Havmg [aboure, way of ir as he he at- jcess, in a tre- for the one of nd soon plan for he was ider, the w of the to Rio , to puv- ly com- ne ; and low been rrived at ;e of dis- onounced it profess graphical mes been lish than is already of philo- principl"' ience, and ass a safer irts of the a number .considered d'uRVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 627 cf so much value as to obtain a place in the\T records, chap, xvil and also to receive from them a hearty recommendation "~" to the learned in the other countries of Europe. But as Duperrey was intrusted with a similar duty, and added not inconsiderably to the stock of knowledge accumulated by his predecessor in this department of study, it will prove decidedly more convenient to post- pone our remarks on the result of their researches until we shall have given an outline of the n^.aritime proceed- ings of the commander of the Coquille, who sailed from Toulon on the 11th day of August 1822. Duperrey, who had served in the Uranie in quality of voynRe of lieutenant, possessed many advantages, both as a seaman Duperrey. and as a philosophical observer. The first port at which he touched after leaving his native country, was Santa Cruz in the island of TenerifFe, whence, after a little delay, he directed his course for the shores of Brazil ; following, in short, the path marked out to him by his kte captain, Freycinet. On ihe 16tli October, ihe Co- quille anchored before the island of Santa Catherina, where she remp'ned two weeks. About the middle of November, she reached Port Louis in the Malouine or Falkland group, having, at the distance of about forty miles from Santa Catherina, passed ♦lArough a portion of the ocean tinged with a deep red. This phenomenon was occasioned by the diffusion on its surface of an im- palpable powder, in which were seen floating little glo- bules of a crimson colour, afterwards ascertained to be the eggs of myriads of animalcules, whose san^-uineous tint impressed itself upon the waves. The navigator remarks that these crustaceous tribes show themselves at certain seasons on tlie coast of Chili and Peru, in the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, cf Ne'./ Hol- land, of the Moluccas, and in particular gulfs, such as Ttie Pod and those of Arabia and California, and to wliich, without ^f^^ doubt, they owe their denominations of the Red ar.d Vermilion Seas. But it appears that they are discovered in still greater abundance in that part of tlic Atlantic which washes the borders of America, between the tro- kl:ife I ii >m 628 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, cnAP.Xvw. pic of Capricorn and the forty-eighth degree of south ^~~ latitude, especially towards the mouth of the river Plate, and the shores of the province which bears the name of Magellan. The Falkland A residence of not less than a month in the Falkland Islands. Islands enabled Duperrey to explore the interior of the principal ones, and to collect a number of geographical details, which in the eyes of his countrymen continued to possess no small importance as connected with the speculations of M. Bougainville. He readily acknow- ledges that Europeans owe their acquaintance with the Malouine cluster to Davis, who, in August 1592, was driven into them by streas of weather. Seven years later, the Dutch admiral, Simon de Cords, impelled by a similai' accident, sought refuge in one of the bays ; and in 1615, Sohouten and Le Maire visited this archipelago, though without adding to the stock of information re- specting it. John Strong, in 1690, distinguished the settlement by the name of the Falkland Isles. The French admiral just mentioned formed upon them an establishment in 1764, which was soon afterwards sur- rendered to the Spainiards, who, in their turn, relin- quished the possession of them to the British crown.* Tiie west About the middle of December, the Coquille doubled coastofSouth Cape Hom ; after which achievement, not accomplished *"*** without some hazard, she visited the harbour of Con- ception in Chili ; that of Callao in Peru ; and then the port of Payta, which is supposed to have its situation between the terrestrial and magnetic equators. The absence of diplomatic relations between France and the republican governments of South America, occasioned no impediment to the scientific inquiries instituted by the philosophers of the Coquille : on the contrary, both in Chili and Peru, the local authorities met and even * Duperrey remarks that •' le manque de bois sur ces isles serait iin ^rand obstacle aux relaches des batimens si la tourbe n'y etait abondante. L'i.sle " Ship" en renf'erme des couches inepuisable, et ar. besoin cette tourbe peut tr^s bleu remplacer le charbon." Biblia Uni., tome x.xvili. p. 126. xy Ireland. D*URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 629 anticipated their wishes with the utmost eagerness. CHAP.XVIL After a proper use of their instruments both on ship- — board and on land, they pursued their course in a west- em direction, passed the Dangerous Archipelago, and at length, on the 3d day of May 1823, cast anchor in the bay of Otaheite. On leaving the Society Islands, the expedition successively made the Salvage Isles, Eoa, in the Friendly group, Santa Cruz, Bougainville, Bouka, and finally reached New Ireland, where they interrupt- ed their voyage by mooring their ship in Port Praslin, The descriptions supplied by Duperrey, as well of the ^he inhabi- country as of the inhabitants a: id their manners, agree tantsofNew but too closely with those which may be gathered from the works of our own voyagers. Their skin is black, their hair woolly, and their stature does not exceed five feet two inches. Their arms are usually adorned with human bones in the natural state ; hideous tro- phies which prove that they do not abstain from eating the prisoners whom they have massacred. They do not even give themselves the trouble of skinning the ani- mals, or plucking the feathers from the fowls which they use for food ; whatever may be the prey which falls into their hands, it is immediately, and without any preparation, thrown upon the glowing ember i, roasted, and eaten. They devour also, without any ap- pearance of disgust, certain large reptiles with which their island abounds. Dogs are esteemed a peculiar dainty ; and every thing, in short, which displays mus- cles, bones, and nerves, finds a place in the list of the articles with which their larder is supplied. In barbar- ism, cruelty, and neglect of personal cleanliness, they ' rival the inhabitants of New Holland and the most fe- rocious of the tribes in the Friendly Islands. After a short stay in that part of the Pacific, the ex- Amhnyna \n pedition proceeded to Waijoo ; and, after touching at Caicli, the officers landed at Amboyna in the Moluccas, where they received from M. Merkus, the governor, the most friendly attention and assistance. On the 27th Vtobcr, the Coquille got under weigh, and directing her m mm. Ai !^iiii!imif,(iui|a, ftjIf.ig^lKHf f,t[«^ . I ■>:. 630 BAUDIN, PREYOINET, DUPERREY, Reception at CHAP, ixvii. course from north to south, reconnoitred the Volcano ' Island, passed through the Straits of Omhai, mspected the small archipelago lying westward of Timor, coasted along Tavou and Bonjour, and finally left those seas in her way to Port Jackson. Contrary winds prevented the captain from fulfilling his intention of sailing along the western coast of New Holland, and it was not till the 10th January 1824, that he doubled the southern point of Van Diemen's Land. Sir Thomas Brisbane be- stowed upon him a very kind reception at Sydney, and put at his disposal every thing which might contribute to the success of the operations in which the ship's com- pany were engaged. Duperrey remained at Port Jackson till the 20th March, when, setting sail for New Zealand, he arrived in the Bay of Islands at the beginning of the foll^owing month. After completing some repairs, he again crossed the equator, and pursued his investigations in the Care* line Archipelago, which he had not formerly examined with a sufficient degree of minuteness. Being compelled by the monsoon to leave those seas, he directed his course towards the northern extremity of New Guinea ; endea vouring, as he went along, to ascertain the true position of a number of small islands which were either vev^ little known, or wrong placed in the common charts. At this stage of his progress, he spent some days in tlie harbour of Dorei ; then passed on to Java through the Moluccas ; anchored at Sourabaya on the 29th of August ; got under weigh on the 11th of September ; and in the beginning of the following month arrived at the Islo of France. In pursuance of the scientific objects wit'i which he was charged, he touched at the Isle of Bour- bon, St Helena, and Ascension ; and on the 24th March 1825, he cast anchor in the road of xvlarseilles, after an absence of more than thirty-one months, and a run of bbout twenty-five thousand leagues. It is not a little remarkable that during this protracted voyage, in a great variety of climates, not one man died, hardly any persuu had been sick, and no damage to ship Dnperrcy's i'«tnm to Fianco. pi Volcano inspecte() ', coasted se seas in prevented ing along s not till southern sbane be- Iney, and ontribute iip*8 cora- the 20fch le arrived folli owing an crossed th(! Caro« examined compelled his course a ; endea le position ther vev^ on charts, ays in the rough the )f August ; and in tiie the Islo of jects wit' I of Df ur- 4tli March after an d a run of protracted man died, ige to ship d'uRVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 631 or rigging was sustained. Duperrey attributes the good CHAP. XVIL state of health which his crew enjoyed both to the ex- ""^ cellent quality of the water, preserved in iron tanks, and to the permission they had to use it without restric- tion. It is remarked by the Commissioners of the Ro}''al Academy of Sciences, that if the uncommon good for- tune with which the Coquille performed so long a voyage, without loss of masts, yards, or even injury to the sails, is to be attributed to a concourse of extraor- dinary circumstances on which it w^ould be imprudent to place a constant reliance, it must at the same time be acknowledged that such chances are to be met with only by experienced seamen. Both navigation and geography have reason to ac- His services knowledge their obligations to M. Duperrey, as well for an«i ge^a^" the discovery of some islands on either side of the equa- Pi'y« tor as for the more accurate knowledge communicated respecting several others, the existence of which had already been announced. Among the former arc three low isles, not formerly recognised in any chart, which now bear the name of the commander of the Coquille. The natives distinguish them by the appellations of Ougai, Mongoul, and Aoura •, their position being lat. 6° 39' north, and long. 167° 29' 26" east. Another islet was perceived by D'Urville, one of the officers, whose name has since attained considerable distinction as a mariner, and to whose honour it is dedicated by the captain. It lies in lat. 7° 6' 18" north, and long. 160"* 16' 52" east ; but, though covered with a magnificent vegetation, its extent, it is admitted, is not great. In many cases it is difhcult to determine the claim to ori- ginality in such surveys, especially where the question turns on longitude, which till the days of Cook was not ascertained with suitable accuracy. But a greater value belongs to M. Duperrey*8 ob- fis services servations on magnetism, to which, indeed, his carrs ^j^"**^"^'" were particularly directed. In this respect, too, more especially, he was the coadjutor of Freycinet, in whoso voyage he took a part, and to finish whose labours he 2 H ^ G32 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, equator. CHAP. xviT. undertook the expedition of the Coquille. This is there- fore the proper time to explain the object which they had in view, when instructed to use the pendulum and magnetic instruments, in the various lands and seas whither they bent their course in either hemisphere of our globe. Themagnctie It is kuown to every student of natural philosophy, that there exists on the surface of the earth a curve, along which the magnetic needle lies in a horizontal position. This curve has been denominated the mag- netic equator, and still continues to be the subject of investigations which have not yet produced results quite satisfactory either to the scientific inquirer or to the practical navigator. No single observer, whatever may be his zeal and industry, and no series of observations, lio>vever exact and long continued, if made at a single place, oan add much to our knowledge of the highly intricate laws and relations which characterize terrestrial magnetism. For this purpose, tlie collection and com- parison of observations made in every region of the globe, and extending over long periods of time, are ab- solutely requisite. In order to master so large a subject, multitude must be brought to contend with mass ; com- bination and consort to predominate over extent and diffusion ; and systematic registry and reduction to fix the fugitive phenomena of the passing moment, and to lay them before the eye of reason in that methodical arrangement which brings spontaneously into notice both their agreements and their diflferences. Regarded as a branch of that great assemblage of facts and theories which relate to the physical constitution of our planet, to the forces which bind together its mass and animate it with activity, the structure of its surface, its adaptation for life, to the history of its past changes, the nature, movement, and infinitely varied affections of the air and ocean, the science of terrestrial magnetism occupies a large and highly interesting place. Its relations lie among those mysterious powers which seum to constitute the most recondite secrets of in* Tlie science 01 terrestrial Diagaetism. b*URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 633 animate nature; and its phenomena form a singular chap. xvn. exception to the character of stability and permanence — which prevails in every other department of physics. The magnetic state of our globe is one of swift and Variation of ceaseless change. A few years suilice to alter mate- fipcS"*^"*^'*" rially, and the lapse of half a century to obliterate and completely remodel, the form and situation of those lines on its surface which geometers supposed to have been drawn, in order to give a general view of the direction and intensity of the magnetic forces at any given epoch. It is this feature, in fact, which con- stitutes the peculiar difficulty of the subject. Were the magnetic forces at every point of the earth's surface invariable, likew the force of gravity, we should long ago have been in possession of complete magnetic cliarts. The report of every seaman and traveller would have added something permanent to our stock of knowledge ; and truth would have emerged, even from inaccurate determinations, by the conflict and mutual destruction of opposite errors. As it is, the case is widely different. The changes are so rapid that it becomes necessary to assume epochs, which ought not to be more than ten years apart, to which every observation should be reduced. But to be able to accomplish this, it Is requisite to know the rate of change for each locality ; a degree of information we are so far from possessing, that there are vast regions of the globe over which we do not even know in what direction the change is taking place. The exigencies of navigation have created the necessity Charts of the of delineating, from time to time, a set of charts ex- ™a*uiUoa, pressive of the variation of the compass, or the angle at which the needle declines from the true meridian at every point of the earth's surface. The first chart of this sort was constructed by the celebrated Halley, and was founded on a series of curves drawn through the points of equal declination or variation, as it was then called, so far as these points had been ascertained by travellers whether on sea or land. He directed ■ It ^ m ' m ■S'i II llMl 'I , ' i 634 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPEHREY, Ilalley's theory of terieHtiiiil inagQetiuD. CHAP. XVII. his researches with reference to a theory suggested ■~~ . by himself — that there are four points or rather regions of apparent convergence of the magnetic needle, two in each hemisphere, by the action of which we may account for all the changes that are taking place in every part of the earth. He regarded our globe as a great piece of clock-work, sphere within sphere, by which the poles of an internal magnet are carried round in a cycle of determinate but unknown periods. But his chart, owing to the effect of these incessant mutations, soon became obsolete ; and hence, to satisfy the wants of the practical seaman, it has been found necessary to reconstruct it, after the lapse of certain intervals, and agreeably to the lights of a renewed observation. In this unsatisfactory :itate the doctrine on magnetic variation remained tilll the year 1811, when M. Hansteen, stimulated by the Royal Danish Academy, who announced a prize-essay on the subject, undertook to re-examine it, with the view of determining how far it might be possible to reconcile the results already attained with the supposition of two poles revolving round the pole of the world in indefinite periods ; or whether, as Halley had asserted, four such poles were necessary ; or, finally, whether the hypothesis of polar points be fully adequate to represent all the phenomena. With indefatigable labour he traced back the process of investigation to the very beginning of the seventeenth century, and tilled up the interval, down to 1800, with a number of charts, so as to present at one view, as far as it could be done, the succession of states or phases through which this element has been passing during two hundred years. The result, apart from all theoretical considerations of poles and axes, is most curious and eminently instructive. The whole system of variation lines, with their intricate con- volutions, is seen to be sweeping westward ; not, however, in a mass, but each portion in its progress undergoing most singular modifications of form, and Hansteen'a determina- tions on lukgnetlsm. suggested ;r regions edle, two we may place in [lobe as a phere, by re carried rn periods, t incessant , to satisfy teen found of certain El renewed a magnetic when M. Academy, , undertook lining how alts already B revolving leriods; or poles were (Othesis of !nt all the traced back ining of the srval, down present at [iccession of ,t has been suit, apart tnd axes, is (The whole [ricate con- ard ; not, its progress form, and d'uUVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. C35 gliding by gradations which it now becomes possible toCHAP.XviL trace, through all the varieties of oval, cusp, and node, — in which the geometry of curves is known to abound. On these principles the scientific observer can show Expianaiiom how beautifully this sort of moving panorama of "jforded by magnetical influences explains, or at least enables us determine- to conceive, the puzzling facts presented by the history *'°""* of the needle*8 declination at particular spots : at London, for example, where, within a comparatively short time, it lias moved from 11° east of the true meridian to 24° west of it, and thence begun its return in the opposite direction. To complete our knowledge on this interesting subject, additional observations were still necessary in regard to three points, namely, the horizontal position of the needle or its declination from the true meridian ; its dip or inclination towards the centre of the earth ; and, lastly, the intensity of the total magnetic force, or, in other words, the power with which, when with- drawn from its position of equilibrium, it tends to return to it. The discovery that this power is not equal in all parts of the globe, viewed as a fact clearly ascertained by observation, is of a date comparatively recent. At the commencement of the present century it remained unattested by experiment ; while such is the diligence with which the subject has since been pursued, that charts are now delineated representing Charts of the the course of the lines of equal intensity over both in'teLsfty.'^"** hemispheres, at no fewer than six hundred and seventy stations. In regard to the other particulars great im- provements have also been made, and their effect has been to give to magnetic determinations, at least on land, the precision of astronomical observation ; while at sea the limits of attainable accuracy, in moderate weather, have been much enlarged by the use of an ingenious apparatus which also serves to measure the intensity. Armed ^ivith instruments, and in possession of a theory which has proved competent to represent with fidelity the principal features of the phenomena, n h I '\l 'U \l\ m !^ ■1 J BRIh ir I '.,: uniBi ; f f jH M 1 If ''ft 1 l^K^' K ''Wtl /.''.:f ■- (v« ■y. Sim I -?-»T JiJL^"^^J »s. ^^^>c IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I [21 12.5 ■ 4.0 US IL25 i 1.4 2.0 i ii 1.6 a%^ $h 7. %>^'> e sup- plied by observations of the magnetic direction and in- tensity, especially in the high southern latitudes, be- tween the meridians of New Holland and Cape Horn ; and they strcmgly recommended to her Majesty's min- isters the equipment of a navdl expedition expressly directed to that object. In consequence of these resolutions, a memorial was Memorial to addressed to government, embodying the chief argu- Slr^meut ments for taking up the cause as a national concern, and specifying more particularly the objects proposed to be accomplished, as well as the means of effecting them. The presentation of thb memorial was aided by the personal influence and arguments of several noblemen, who consifdered that great physical theories, with their train of practical consequences, are pre-eminently na> tional objects, whether for glory or utility. Though it may be true that the movemeni» of all representative governments are necessarily siow, it is no less true that firltish statesmen, so soon as they are satisfied of the importance of an object, take it up with a degree of spirit and liberality which seldom fails to ensure success* Every point suggested was ordered to be carried into full execotion, and every observation recommended was provided for in the most ample manner. Ships, build- , j_,;,.^ ^^ ings, and instruments were ordered; and, what is of greater importance still, able officers were appointed to the several stations, selected at once for their tdentifie acquirements and their s^eal in the particular mndler* taking. The hearty adoption of this important mearara by co-opemtioa government soon called into activity the valuable co- i„d^^^. operation of the Directors of the East India Company, pwiy. They likewise resobred to establish in their dependencies no fewer than four observatories, similar tathos»^nded by the cabinet, and devoted to a strietly simultasieoas 638 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, Co-operation of other fUTemmentflL CHAP.xviL cQjurse of notation. The stations thus ultimately fixed ' on were Madras ; Simla, in the Himmaleh range, at the elevation of eight thousand feet ; Singapore, as the far- thest point which could be conveniently attained to- wards the east ; and Aden on the Red Sea. This last is a locality highly important in itself, from its position with respect to the magnetic equator, which passes nearly through it, as well as from its constituting a link in a chain of stations extending from St Helena to Singapore. It is not unworthy of remark that some of the other nations of Europe have engaged in this interesting pur- suit with more than their usual heartiness and good- will. Russia, in her extensive dominions, has founded twelve stations well supplied with suitable apparatus and competent superintendents. The French have one at Algiers ; and the Pasha of E^ypt has so far followed the e:cample of the western governments as to engage M. Lambert to conduct magnetical observations at Cairo. The Rajah of Travancore has also, it is said, joined the confederacy of scientific rulers, and procured an observer whose labours are fixed at Trivanderam. The great interests of Britain as a ruaritime power naturally led to the appointment of a naval expedition, the officers of which might collect, in high and unfre- quented latitudes, facts tending to illustrate the more irregular movements of the magnetic fluid when exposed Appolntinent to the action of intense cold. Two ships, the Erebus and •xpeditioL Terror, were fitted out, and placed under the command of Captains Ross and Crozier, both of whom had sig- nalized themselves by a spirit of resolution and persever- ance in former voyages in the severest climates. Their field of exertion was exclusively the southern hemi- sphere, and more especially those regions which are c ,.i.< least fiocessible to the ordinar}'^ navigator, and where, from the analogy of the arctic parallels, as well as from .': . the general configuration of the magnetic lines so far as the existing charts can be trusted, there is reason to be- lievi the most interesting inflections of those lines are situated. Among these may be included the southern D*URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 639 magnetic pole and the points of greatest intensity, toCHAP.xviL the former of which, assuming that only one exists, M. — Gauss assigns, as the most probable situation, the lati- tude of 66° and the longitude of 140° E. On the cor- rectness of this conclusion, the observations of Captain Probable Boss and his assistants will enable the scientific world [he'south' to decide ; but it must not be forgotten that, owing to Magnetic the great deficiency of antarctic researches, this theo- ° * retical position can only be regarded as a first approxi- mation open to large corrections. We have already alluded to the discovery of an insular group nearly in the latitude now specified, and at the same time so situated in respect of longitude as to afford a station certainly on one side, and possibly also on the other, of the point in question. Should this discovery be verified to the full extent, a base will be afforded, at the ex- tremities of which the convergence of the needle will hardly fail to point out the vicinity of the magnetic pole, should direct access to it be found impracticable. In truth, there is no portion of those seas, hitherto so imperfectly explored, at which magnetic observations ^ will not be found of the greatest interest. Wherever it ^ . may be possible to land and observe, especially on the polar ice, the determinations, as they will there be ob- tained with perfect precision, and free from all local influence, will possess the highest value, especially in those cases where it may have been convenient to erect the magnetometers with which the officers were fur- nished, and collect observations for the diurnal changes and disturbances. Although the main object of this enterprise is the Varion8ob> collection of such facts as may lead hereafter to the de- ^^t'sh eiDe- velopment of the magnetic principle in all parts of the dition. globe, other important ends were not overlooked by the agents of government, to whose care the preparations for it were intrusted. Never, it is believed, did an expedi- tion leave the shores of England so largely provided with apparatus of every description for philosophical investigation, and with instructions embracing so many 640 BAUDIN, PREYCINET, Dt/PERREY, CHAP. XVII. points of scientific research. These last were supplied — by a committee of the Royal Society ; and such as re- late to the depth, constitution, temperature, and cur- rents of the ocean, are calculated to excite a lively interest among all whose thoughts have ever been turned Explanation to the great works of nature. The explanation of the o* ^ce»n|c cceanic currents, it is every where admitted, can never be complete until we shall be made acquainted with the elements which affect the density oi' the water at diflRer- ent depths, and the action of the forces which produce the disturbance of its equilibrium, both in direct weight and lateral pressure. The foi-m and course of the channels, too, which result from the powerful currents near the bottom, and by means whereof the water finds its way from the polar basins to the equatorial seas, may be in some measure ascertained by a regular process of soundings. On this head, it is mentioned that Captain Ross has already arrived at some very remarkable re- sults, having so completely overcome the difficulty which attaches to this operation, as to have sunk his lead to a Vast depth of depth exceeding all former experience. In one instance, he is said to have effected a sounding below the surface of the ocean, exceeding the height of Mont Blano above it ; and that, too, with a facility and certainty which promise to afford a speedy solution of the long-agitated question as to the mean and greatest depth of tho sea in both hemispheres. The communications which have been received from him have not yet been so complete, or so satisfactorily connected with the observations made at the other stations in Asia, Africa, and Europe, as to justify any decided conclusion in regard to the chief object of research^ — the action, namely, of the magnetic principle taken in connexion with its intensity on vari- ous parts of the earth^s surface, its periodical declination, and its local dip.* * The reader will find ample maturiula for forniinu^ » jiidgnMnt on this interesting point of physical science in the ** Kapport pre* fixed to Ouperrey*s Voyage autour du Monde ; Gausses Intensitas Via Mi^neticas Terrestris; Lettre de M. de Humboldt & & A. H a sounding obtained. D*URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 641 The reader will now understand what were the oeten- CHAP. xvir. gible and perhaps the real purposes contemplated hy the French government when they fitted out the expeditions commanded by Freycinet and Duperrey. The Coquille Msgnetic re- crossed the magnetic equator six times. Two of the Jj^jf'*''"^'* points, the exact position of which was ascertained, ai-e situated in the Atlantic Ocean, long. 24° 60' 7* W., and lat. 120 27' 11" S. ; and long. 12° W., and lat. 9° 46' S. On these results, it is concluded that the line without inclination, or the point where it coincides with the ter- restrial equator, had varied since the year 1780 not less than one degree fifty-one minutes. It is therefore re- marked by the committee of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris that, agreeably to the various calcula- tions which they have been able to make, there exists a locomotive power in the magnetic equator. By weigh- ing and comparing the whole of the observations made in the South Sea, they imagine that they may fairly congratulate themselves on the complete certainty to which they have attained in respect to this important question. The journals kept on board the Uranie and Coquille contain all the elements necessary to the calcu- lations by which they hope to arrive at a final conclusion, which, in their opinion, is one of the most interesting' that can be undertaken in reference to the phenomena of terrestrial magnetism. ' rvs > It was to complete the labours of Duperrey that M. Voyajw or Dumont IFUrville, who had served in the Coquille as a '^ ^ lieutenant, received, in December 1825, the command of the Astrolabe, a vessel falling under the general de- nomination of corvette, and con-esponding to an English sloop of war. He Was directed to explore the principal archipelagos of the great ocean north and south of the equatorial line^ and more especially the coasts of New Zealand and those of New Guinea. After pursuing his course in the Atlantic towards the southern hemisphere. Le Due de Sussex ; and in an Article in the Quarterly Review, Now cccxxxi. p. 271. U2 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, prlven to D'UrviUe. GHAP.XVii. Qj^^ passing the Cape of Good Hope, his instnictions Instrnctions farther guided him to Bass's Strait, Port Jackson, Cook's Straits, the Friendly Isles, the Fijees, New Caledonia, the Louisiade, New Britain, the Caroline group, of which he was more particularly to examine the western shores, thence to steer for the Isle of France, and finally to make his passage for Toulon.* liesides the discovery of new lands, the captain was instructed to make search for La Perouse and his un- fortunate companions, whose memory was still cherished in France, and whose fate continued to excite a painfal curiosity. It has been already mentioned that ar American sailor had seen in the hands of the natives of a small island, situated between the Louisiade and New Caledonia, a cross of St Louis and certain medals, which, he concluded, must have been obtained from the wreck of the French ships. But a more recent as well as more certain indication of that catastrophe was afforded by Mr Dillon, the commander of a vessel in the service of the East India Company. In the year 1813, he found in one of the Fijee islands two mariners, a Prussian named Martin Bushart and a lascar, both of whom appear to have been desei-ters. At their The Island of earnest request he transported them to an islet, the celebrity of which has since procured for it a place in modem maps under the designation of Tucopia ; and the inhabitcmts, being of a mild and pacific disposition, received the strangers without manifesting any hostile sentiment. In the year 1826, Dillon, in the course of a trading voyage in that quarter of the Pacific, again touched at * Though not of much interest, it may not be improper to men- tion that the ** Astrolabe " commanded oy D'CJrville was no other than the *< Coquille,** the corvette in which M. Dnperrey had ac< coroplished his circumnavigation of the globe. ** La Corvette La Coquillef dont la solidite venait d'etre eprouvee par le voyage de M. Duperrey, qui avait eu M. Dumont D'Urville pour second, fut mise iL la disposition de ce dernier, et prit le nom de L*Astrolabt, c'est a dire, celui du vaiss-eau que montait La Perouse. Biblio- th&que Univcrselle, tome xviii. p. 208. | , spet to men- was no other snrey ha<^ t"^ Corvette La le voyage de ir second, tut VAstrolabe^ use. Biblio- t)*CRVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 643 Tucopia,and found the two seamen in very comfortable CHAP. XVIL circumstances, apparently not iregretting that they had — renounced the comforts together with the cares of civilized life. The lascar sold to the armourer of the lYg^e ^f English ship the handle of a sword made of silver, l* Perouse having a cipher inscribed on it. Upon being informed •^tcopUk of this transaction, the captain naturally became curious to learn how such a piece of French manufacture could have been oonveyed into an island so little frequented by traders from any kingdom of the west. Martin informed him that this article as well as many others composed of iron were found in the hands of the natives, who, they themselves said, had procured them from an isle at a considerable distance called Manicolo, where two European ships had been wrecked, about forty years prior to that date. It immediately occurred to Mr Dillon that the vessels in question must be the two frigates which had composed the expedition of La Perouse, whose end was still uncertain, notwithstanding the investigations ordered by government and executed by D'Entrecnsteaux. The latter officer was indeed on several occasions very near the island of Manicolo, which M. D'Urville has since named Vanikoro, after the native manner of pronouncing the word, and which the other contented himself with calling the Isle de la Recherche, in reference to the name of one of the ships which he commanded ; not imagining that this appella- tion would one day be justified by an English navigator, or that in so insignificant a place was to be found the object of the laborious explorations which he had con- ducted in both hemispheres of the earth. ,,, ,,, , . • At an interview which afterwards took place, the lascar That trace declared to Captain Dillon that six yearspreviously he had 2?^**'"f* gone to Manicolo, where he saw two aged individuals island of who had obtained a share of the property found on Manicolo. board the wrecks. Knowing the interest which the whole civilized world took in the fortunes of La Perouse, and how desirous the French nation in par- tivular were to obtain information in regard to him, the 644 BAUDIN, PHEYCINET, DrPERREY, Bootless visit of Dillon tu Uanicolo. CITAP.XVIL Englishman immediately resolved to proceed to t1i« ''~' same island in person, though he already began to be in want of provisions. He engaged Martin Bushart and one of the natives to accompany him thither, promising a remuneration which was esteemed by them quite satisfactory. At the end of two days they came in sight of Manicolo ; but the violence of the currents and the danger of the coral reefs which surround it, pre- vented the ship from approaching it during a whole week. Want of supplies at length compelled him to relinquish the attempt, when he bore away for New Zealand, whither he also carried the Prussian sailor, who was destined to act a conspicuous part in the dis- covery about to be made " M. D*Urville. Before his departure tor Calcutta, Dillon gave an assurance that he would endeavour to interest the agents of the East India Company there in the search for the relics of La Perouse's squadron. In this object he was quite successful, finding a lively sympathy on the part of the local authorities both in the civil department and among those who presided over the pursuits of science. The Asiatic Society, for example, long esta- blished in that city, joined with the provincial govern- ment in recommending as assistant to the captain a medical gentleman whose qualifications fitted him to act as a naturalist, and even as the historian of the enterprise. They, in like manner, invitod the super- intendent of the French settlement at Chondemagore to select on agent who might take part in the voyage, as his countrymen were more deeply concerned than the people o/ any other nation in its success. Agreeably to this suggestion, M. Chaigniau was sent on board Dillon's ship, which, on this occasion, was equipped at the sole expense of the !Ekiglish Company. It is to be regretted that these promising appearances produced no result favourable to the cause of humanity or even of private benevolence. During the passage to VaD Diemen*s Land there arose between the captain and the doctor so many causes of dissension, that, upon their Expedition from India to Manicolo. D'URVILLB, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLAC£. 645 irrivAl, the latter raised an action against the chief of CHAP.XVtL the crew for personal grievances), insult, and ill treat- "* ment. Dillon was sentenced to three months* ini> prisonment ; bat after a brief restraint, in compliance with the award of justice, he was liberated and per^ mitted to prosecute his voyage. As the occurrences now mentioned took place some D'UrvtUa time after Dumont D'UrvUle had left Europe, he was J>eanorthe in consequence trntirely ignorant of all the facts and sug- La Perouae. gestions connected with them. But having in the course of liis voyage touched at Hobart Town, and received some account of the proceedings which had passed under the aaspices of the mercantile commander, he set sail for the Manicolo group on the 5th day of January 1828. On the 10th of February, he reached Tucopia, where Dillon had found the Prussian sailor, whoso narrative, as has been already shown, threw great l^ht on the ship- wreck of La Perouse. This foreigner, who had recently returned from New Zealand, promised at first to accompany D'Urville to Vanikoro, but afterwards, without assigning any distinct reason, positively de- clined. The captain of the Astrolabe found it impos- sible to induce any of the natives to serve him on this mteresting occasion, owing to their dread of fever, which seems to have raged for some time on board ; he was therefore obliged to satisfy himself with the aid of two English seamen who nine months before had secretly ^ withdrawn themselves from one of their national '^ ' • On the 19th, the Astrolabe attained the island, and itc arrives at began a minute examination of the eastern coast, where *^»"**®°*^- was found a small haven, which, though offering shelter, was rendered nearly inaccessil>le by coral reefs. Not meeting with any success to gratify their hopes or re- ward their exertions, the crew turned their tlioughts to the opposite side of the isle, where, from certain remains of European commodities in possession of the inhabitants, they derived additional confirmation to their belief that their unfortunate Qount.rymen had perislicd in the neigh- 646 BAUDIN, PRBYCINBT, DUPERREY, Thecatas- troplie of La Perouse Mcertained. CILA.P. XVII. bourhood. But the natives, actuated by some reason which could not be conjectured, refused to indicate the place where the catastrophe had actually occurred. At length one of the officers, by presenting a piece of red cloth, induced an individual to conduct a boat's company to the spot at which the lamented navigator had unques- tionably closed his career. Having arrived at a certain point, the Frenchmen perceived scattered along the bot« tom of the sea, at the depth of three or four fathoms, anchors, guns, bullets, bars of iron and lead, particularly an immense number of sheets of the latter metal. The whole of the timber had disappeared, and the smaller articles, whether of copper or iron, were corroded by the rust, and completely disfigured. M . D'Urville occupied his people several days in recovering from the water all the thinif^s that could be reached ; among which were an anchor weighing eighteen hundred pounds, and a small cannon, both much eaten by rust, and covered with a thick coating of coral. Besides these were a bar of lead, and two brass swivels, in a tolerable state of preserva- tion. The sight of these objects, added to the informa- tion supplied by the natives, some of whom remembered the event, left no doubt on the minds of the captain and his officers that the frigates BouBsole and Astrolabe had gone to pieces on the reefs of Vanikoro. Nothing now remained but to mark the epoch of dis- covery by some token which might keep in remembrance at once the painful event which cost to France the lives of so many brave sailors, and the fortunate chance which led their countrymen, after the lapse of nearly half a century, to the possession of evidence which has removed all doubt as to the nature of the accident which brought their services to a termination so much to be lamented. M. D'Urville resolved to erect near the an- chorage a small monument to the memory of the intre- pid navigators whose bones were now mingled with the sand on that fatal shore, and which, at the same time, might commemorate the arrival of the second Astro- labe in search of their relics. The cenotaph, which was The erection of a munn- ment at the place. D'URVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 647 were an a small i with a r of lead, )re8erva- informa- lembered Ltainand labe had ch of dis- smbrance *aiice the ,te chance of nearly vhich has ent which ich to be %r the an- the intre- l with the lame time, [)nd Astro- which wa» placed in a small grove, was consecrated by three dis- chap. xvn. charges of musketry and a salvo of twenty-one guns. Forming his opinions on the narrative supplied by the Probable natives, the captain considered it probable that the ships ofthe of La Perouse dashed themselves against the shelves of <»tuittroph& Vanikoro, in a dark night, after a gale of wind. One of them must have struck on the southern part of the ' coast, and sunk in a short time, after about thirty of the men had escaped to the land : the other frigate seems to have gone ashore to the leeward of the island, and to liave remained during a considerable space entire. In this case the whole of the crew are understood to have been saved, and to have constructed a schooror out of the materials of the wreck, which could neitlu;/ be re- paired nor removed from the rocks. This lab( ur occu- pied seven moons ; which period havinu elaps'^d, the Frenchmen left Vanikoro, with the exception of two of theii I mber, who died about a couple of yenrs after- wards. But as to the issue of the voyage in the little vessel, her destination, or the fate of those who em- barked in her, no intelligence has ever been received, no conjecture has ever been uttered. It is but too pro- bable that the miserable survivors only enjoyed a short reprieve from the fearful destiny which liauntod the expedition from the moment it left its original port, and that they were eventually swallowed up by the ocean which had already received the bodies of their companions. The group of Vanikoro, or Manicolo, is said to be com- i^rfption posed of four islands, of which two possess a considerable size and elevation, while the two others are very small and low : but, in point of fact, when viewed from a short distance, the whole appear as only one, and are not un- frcquently so described. A coral reef, thirty or forty miles in circuit, surrounds them like a girdle at a cer- tain interval from the shore ; occasional breaches per- mitting the passage of canoes from the little harbours to the ocean. The sheet of water between this wall and the Luid is always in the most perfect tian>xui.Uity, even 2s 648 BAUDINy FREYCINET, DUPERREY, Prior noMc&j wt' iluiiicolj. CHAP. XV ii. when the waves outside are in a state of violent agita. tion. The surface of the islands is in general mountain- ous, covered with thick forests and a rich vegetation, in consequence of the incessant humidity with which the ••K -> soil is softened under a climate remarkable for heavy rains and frequent fogs. -V. .!.! :";.' ■.[■wo n m msu-' This cluster, it is understood, was first noticed by Captain Edwards in 1791, who, not observing that there are more than one, gave to it the name of Pitt Island ; and, as has been already stated, it is the same which D'£ntrecasteaux, in 1793, called ** Isle de la Re- cherche." Dillon was the second navigator who touched tlie coast, and D'Urville the third ; the natives, it is asserted, never having seen European ships before the accident which befell La Perouse. Vanikoro is now included in the archipelago of the New Hebrides ; an acquisition which, if any right can be based on the cir- cumstance of prior discovery, might be claimed by the British crown. We i^all not follow M. Dumont d'Urviile in his minute details on the character, manners, and amuse- ments of the people of New Zealand, nor in his remarks on the climate and productions of their country. They have, he assures his readers, so exalted an idea of courage And military talent, that the name of Bonaparte, which hod recently reached their ears, was never pronounced without admiration. They had even proceeded so far in their adoration of the &Jlen emperor, as to bestow his family appellation on the most gallant of their chiefs ; a circumstance the accuracy of w^hich might perhaps be questioned when it is called to mind that more than ten years had elapsed since the period when the hero of the Revolution set an example of flight from a field of battle where his fame and crown were at stake, and where thou- sands of brave men had proved to him that they thought it more honourable to die than to purchase a brief addi- tion to a despised life by deserting his army in distress.* * ^' Les Nnuveaiix-Zelaiidais ont une ai haute idee de la valeur y;ueniure. tiuu le uoui de Bunuiuite; arrive jusqu'a eux pur uii tie : Allctred admii'ution of Bonaparto ly the Nevf lie in his id amuse- is remarks ry. They of courage irte, which )ronouQced eded so far , bestow his Lr chiefs ; a perhaps be >re than ten hero of the eld of battle where thou- ley thought a brief addi- in distress.* r'URVILLB, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 649 His countrymen claim for D'Urville, and not without chap. xviL reason, the merit of diligent research in the most dan- gerous sections of the Pacific, arid maintain that by his discoveries he filled up many voids in the charts of the Great Ocean. He was the first, they assert, who ex- AcWeve- plored in a satisfactory manner the northern coast of D-urvMiMn New Guinea, to the extent of more than four hundred ^^ Pacific leagues, and surveyeu, with greater minuteness than even Captain Cook could accomplish, about one-half of the shore of New Zealand. He made himself acquainted with nearly all the Fijee group, comprehending not less than one hundred islands, many of which were at that epoch very imperfectly known ; and he threw a distinct light on the southern portion of New Britain, embracing a line of coast somewhat above three hundred miles. With similar diligence and equal success, he examined the Carolines, the Moluccas, and the vast borders of Australia. His contributions to the various branches of natural science are still more highly valued than those to geo- graphy. The stores which he and the companions of his voyage brought to France are said to have exceeded the highest expectations of the Institute. M. Cuvier in his report hesitates not to declare, that the different col- lections of the Astrolabe, manned by those new argo- niscontil'^^u- nauts of philosophy, are more considerable than the ^^"yrai *'"* united accumulations of all preceding navigators. The sciences, superintendent of the Garden of Plants was quite embar- rassed by the vast accessions made to his genera and species ; cellars and vaults were filled with new varieties Id the interesting department of animal life ; and the professor of geology found that his injunctions were not neglected either in America or in any of the less fre- quented ai'chipelagos of the South Sea. In a word, the objects contemplated by those who originated the expeditions of Freycinet, Duperrey, and D'Urville, had a much more intimate relation to tlie leur chefs veiui en Europe, n'est prononco qu'avec admimtion ('a;:s 650 ■\f BAUDIN, PREYCINBT, DUPERREY, Estimate of the several French CHAP. xviL civil and natural history of countries already discovered """■ than to the expansion of our knowledge in regard to the proportions of land and water on the surface of the globe, or the extent of the former which still remains unknown. It made no part of their undertaking to winter within the frozen circles, or to ascertain how expeditions, near to either pole may be found the abode of terrestrial animals possessing warm blood. The captains of the Uranie, Coquille, and Astrolabe, found greater satisfac- tion in compiling the annals of Brazil, Timor, and Nevr Holland, than in scouring the high latitudes of the ant- arctic zone. Freycinet, no doubt, brought home a great number of facts illustrative of the physical history of the earth ; Duperrey distinguished himself by a mi- nute survey of some portion of New Zealand and the Caroline cluster, as well as by numerous observations connected with magnetism, viewed in its application to maritime travelling; and Dumont d'Urville added to the little knowledge we formerly possessed of New Guinea, on the coast of which, as already noticed, he spent a lengthened period. To the same intrepid seaman we are indebted for some judicious remarks on the languages of Polynesia ; a subject to which his atten- tion was directed with no small degree of success. Vovflffeof Bougainville, usually termed the younger, was in- Bougdiuvuie. trusted with the command of the Thetis and Esperance, the former a frigate, the latter a corvette, and proceeded on his voyage in the month of March 1824. In this case discovery was not the main object, nor did he receive any special instructions relative to scientific research. The intention of the government was to show the French flag in the Indian Ocean and Chinese waters, as the ineans of increasing or protecting their commerce in those distant parts of the world. On the 26th April, the Thetis approached the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 6th May, when in lat. 39° S. and long. 37° 40' E., the magnetic variation was found to have attained its maxi- mum, namely, 32° 12' W., but it decreased immediately as she steered to the eastward. Towards* the end of «UI •i|»Wl"li"l' D'uRVILLE, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 651 June, the commander found himself in Pondichcrry, to chap, xvii the description of which he devotes a whole chapter, — He contrasts in lively phrase the monotonous uniformity of the white town with the animated scene presented by the jugglers, the bazaars, and the attractive dances of the Bayadi4res in the black town. The population of the The rronch five French establishments in India, Pondicherry, Chan- establish demagore, Carical, Mahe, and Yanaon, he states at four India, thousand whites and a hundred and thirty-two thousand of Hindoo extraction, ' After some stay at Manilla and Macao, M. Bougain- ville proceeded to the Isle of Hai-nan, and in January 1826, he anchored in the bay of Touran, on .the coast of Cochin-China, where he spent about a month, having been intrusted with a mission to the ruler of the coun- try, occasionally styled emperor, in the discharge of which he was supplied with an opportunity of seeing a Httle of the manners and usages of the inhabitants, whose character is hardly known to any European people. The Thetis next proceeded to Sourabaya, on the northern shore of Java ; and in the course of the passage the offi- ■•' ■ ; cers examined the Anambas, a group of islands extend- ing 150 miles irom north to south, and as much from east to west, being distant from the Malay peninsula rather more than thirty leagues. Some of the isles rise ^^^ \nain- up in Mocks of granite, with white marks similar to basisianOa those of the Pedro Branco in the Strait of Malacca, Their general structure indeed is granitic, with coral reefs iu all the sheltered spots : the number is conjec- tured to be about fifty ; the height is moderate ; the surface is generally well wooded ; and the inhabitants, supposed to be chiefly pirates, amount to 1500 or 2000. The position of twenty-two of the principal points in the cluster was accurately determined ; and the whole are confined within the parallels of 3° 27' and 1° north of the equator, their longitude extending from 106" to 108^ 21' east. The ships, proceeding southward, ran through the dangerous Strait of Gaspar, exammed the Carimon- Java 652 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, CHAP. XVII. Islands, cleared the charihel of Madura, and on the 20th """ March anchored again off Sourabayci, where they re- mained six weeks, the crews suffering much from sick- ness. Quitting Java, and steering through the gut of Aliass, M. Bougainville surveyed the shores of the isla!id The islwid of of Lombok, and the roadstead of Tanjour ; this last being declared the best on the coast, and far superior to that of Bali, hitherto much more commonly frequented. Keeping their heads still in the same di reel ion, the Thetis and Esperance rounded successively the south-westeni point of Australia and the southern extremity of Van Diemen's Land, arriving on the Ist July at Port Jack- son. Here, the commodore remained three months, collecting materials for his fourteenth chapter, which contains a description of the colony of New South Wales, at once accurate and candid. Upon leaving the British settlement, he held a direct course for South America ; and on the 23d November, cast anchor on the coast of Chili, having made a passage of six thousand miles across the Great Ocean, without once making land. He remarked that the current had carried the frigate and corvette 163 miles towards the north, and 125 towards the east ; and that the variation, or, more properly, the declination of the compass had increased from 8° 30' to 13°. It began to decrease in long. 177^ east, and reached its minimum, 6°, in long. 123° west. From this point it varied slightly between 7° and 8° as far as long. 106° west, when it again lessened to 6°. It shortly afterwards increased to 13*^ and even 16°, and re- mained unaltered till the arrival of the expedition at Valparaiso. After a residence of six weeks at the port just named, Bougainville set sail for Rio Janeiro, the harbour of which he entered on the 21st March 1826 ; and again putting to sea in the beginning of April, he finally anchored at Brest on the 24th June, having been absent two years and four months. During the whole of this voyage, great attention was paid to meteorology in general, as well as to the more common magneticed observations which have a reference Current In tho Pacific D^URVILLE, BOUQAINVILLB, AND LA PLACE. 653 to the working of the mariner's needle and the declina-CHAF.XYir. tion of the compass. The indications of the harometer, Bonmin- thermometer, and hydrometer, were registered four vine's Ktcn- timcs every day. The appendix to the first volume of USS^^"^'*^ his work, accordingly, contains a list of a hundred and iifty geographical positions determined by the several officers, with a discussion of the principles on which their conclusions are founded. : n. It is remarkable that the crews employed in this ex- pedition, not less than the men on board the Astrolabe, suffered extremely from disease, mora especially a ma- lignant species of fever, incident to the climate of the . Indian archipelago and the coast of Japan. As the air was understood to be the medium by v^hich the morbific influence was conveyed, change of sceLo was the natural remedy, and seldom proved ineffectual.* The motives whence originated the voyage of La The voyasre Place, of which we are now to give an outline, were "' '"^^ ^^^ similar to those which gave birth to that of Bougain- ville, namely, the extension of commerce, and the re- newal of political relations with certain kingdoms in the East, who had formerly received the flag of the French people on friendly terms. As soon indeed as the treaty of peace with England was signed in 1814, the govern- ment of Paris entertained the project of sending armed ships into the seas of India and of China, with the view : , ^ of reviving an intercourse, interrupted during more than twenty years, and of marking out to merchantmen a * Journal de ta Na^i^tion autour dii Globe, de la frei^te la Thetis et de la corvette ^spe ranee, pendant les annees lo24-26. Par M. le Baron de Bougainville, Capitaine de Vaist>eau, 2 tomes (luarto. Paris, 1837. The compiler of the Bibliotheque Universelle remarks that *< M. de Bougainville rapportait de riches collections d'histoire naturelle^ 3ui ont ete deposees au Jardin des Plantes. II avait verifie ou etermine les positions d'un grand nombre de points importans des niers de I'lnde et de la Chine; et ramenant sains et saufs s^8 equipages, ioyeux d'avoir termine heureUHement une aussi belle campagoe, il pouvait, a son tour, leur fdre Tapplication de ce vers de Virgile, par lequel se termine le voyage de son pere : ' ' '' V * Puppibus et laeti nautae imposuere coronas.* *' • i -i-oj 654 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPERREY, I I The Icle of Goree. CHAP. XVII. path on the ocean which they had entirely lost the habit — of pursuing. A corvette, named La Favorite, carrying twenty-four guns, with a crew of two hundred and fifty men, was placed under the command of Captain La Place, who set sail from Toulon on the SOth December 1829. To make up the full supply of provisions, indispen- sable to a ship of which the destination comprehended a prolonged stay among tribes many of whom have at- tained only a slight degree of civilisation, the Favorite came to anchor in the Isle of Goree, a French settlement on the coast of Senegal. The historian of the voyage supplies to the reader a great variety of details respect- ing this colony, the fortunes of which have not been always unclouded. Suffice it to mention that the soil is entirely of volcanic origin, and the whole extent nut more than five miles in circuit. It possesses a few man- sions of rather a good appearance, inhabited by Euro- peans; the population in general being composed of negroes and mulattoes, the same people who occupy the villages which skii-t the neighbouring shores of Africa. On the 7th March, M. La Place arrived at Port Louis in the Isle of France, the view of which, not less beautiful than magnificent, was well fitted to excite the admira- tion of a crew who were nearly all strangers to the ser and to the aspect of foreign scenery. At the bottom of the hay was discovered the town, the houses and the trees which surround them composing a variegated line at the foot of lofty picturesque mountains, the summits of which are concealed in the clouds. In visiting the environs of the port, the captain discovered among the peasants the complexion and character of those of France, cheir ancient country. To the delicious climate of the isle the colonists, he relates, add the grace and the easy manners, together with the benevolence and delicacy with which the French know how to embel- lish every act of hospitality. These cultivators had just recovered a little from the crisis to which they had been exposed by the destruction of their coffee planta- The Isle of Fnmcc. D*URVILLB, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLAGE. 655 tions, to make way for the introduction of the sugar- chap. xvfi. cane ; the inhabitants of the south having found some — compensation for their losses by substituting a variety of grapes which had gi'eatly reduced the price of wines. La Place remarks that an active rivalry had taken National place between the colonists and the English, and that a*^|"^t jj, the national feeling had pronounced itself with great Engtisiu strength against the latter. The natives, he adds, have never ceased to regret the loss of that protection which was extended to them by their former government ; and in particular societies, more especially the theatre, they seize every occasion to manifest their sympathies towards France. Young persons, in particular, eagerly caught every allusion unfavourable to the English na< tion ; and aa on several occasions disturbances were ex- cited by the impetuosity of their feelings, the governor found himself compelled to issue orders for closing that place of public amusement. A few days before the ar- rival of the Favorite, the actors had embarked for the Isle of Bourbon. Yielding to the associations connected with the pa- Thoromaneo thetic romance of Paul and Virginia, the commander of °^,f "."\ ^^^ the corvette has no difficulty in tracing the lineaments of the scene whioh the genius of Saint Pierre has ren- dered so celebrated. He laments that the rage for sugar cultivation, excite^ by the fatal genius of speculative commerce, has destroyed the long avenues of trees, the leafy branches of which used to protect the youthful lovers from the oppressive rays of the mid-day sun. Instead of the beautiful shrubs which adorned the banks of the rivulet and the lower declivity of the hills, no- thing is seen but stiff canes, which supply neither the verdure of spring nor the sweet scents of the maturer year. In short, there is every where the most irresistible and odious proof that the avarice of the English has superseded the pure taste and love of nature which have always dbtinguished the French. In reference to the capabilities of the Isle of Bourbon, it is observed that part of the provisions required by the 656 BAUDIN, FREYCINET, DUPEBRET, i U State of society in tlie Isle of liourboiu CHAP. XVII. inhabitants must be supplied by the people of Madagas- — car. No cattle can be produced in the former for want of pasturage ; poultry is scarce ; and the rice is of very inferior quality. The inhabitants, nevertheless, show themselves at once industrious and indefatigable. The rich live like princes in their several establishments; but it cannot be too much regretted that a restless spirit torments society, springing from the numerous lines of demarcation which it has every where Jntroduced. Generally speaking, the colonists e^ n less aifable than those of the Mauritius ; a remarL .owever, which does not extend to the ladies, who are in every respect equal to their lively neighbours of Port Louis. Passing the Mah^ Islands and the Maldives, the Fa- vorite, early in June, attained the island of Ceylon, concerning which the captain indulges in a few remarks, which indicate a very slight acquaintance with the state of society, or with the views of the English government. At Pondicherry he has access to a more ample fund of information, and is disposed to view the current of events under a benigner aspect. Scarcely had he landed when he found himself surrounded by a class of persons Hie dnbcshis called " dubasliis," who are described as guides quite in- ofi'oiiiii. dispensable to a stranger who touches at those ports. It is, in fact, absolutely necessary to accept the services of one of the order. He controls all the expenses of the individual who confides himself to his direction, who must neither buy nor sell any thing except in his pre- sence. In order to protect his client from deception, he procures a house for him, and furnishes it with every commodity which his temporary residence may require. He chooses and commands all the domestics ; he never quits his master ; he serves him at table ; he is his guide during the day, and sleeps at the door of his chamber during the night. For the discharge of these various offices he receives a monthly salary, independently of tlie little advantages he may derive from the purchases he makes, on which he regularly exacts a commission. The European cannot withdraw himself from this gentle cheiT>. Mnuimiiitim U*URV1LLE, noUOAINVILLB, AND LA PLACE. G57 thraldom; and he would have little reason to congra-CHAP.xviL tulate himself on his emancipation were he to accom* — plish it. '.!• h I'.l i. •- . .'.i •..*.'..: V. The Indians of Pondichcrry are called Talingas, and occupy in it a position similar to that which is held by the natives of Auvergne in the capital of France ; for while these last are carriers of water, the others are bearers of palanquins. Though the town may trace its riie town of origin to the commencement of the sixteenth century, i'«^nd*cJ»eiTy. the date of the first French expedition to the East In- dies, it was not till a period comparatively recent that it acquired any degree of prosperity. It is situated on the border of an immense plain, where the view has no other boundary than a few small hills towards the south-west, and whence are the sources of teveral springs which prove of the utmost value to the inhabitants, who use the water as the means of beautifying the vicinity and augmenting the produce of their gardens. The ter- ritorial possessions of the citizens do not, however, extend more than a mile from the sea, for at this point the English rule commences. It is well known that in India religion has prohibited to its votaries the use of any thing in the form of nour- ishment which has lived : and it is for this reason that Europeans, the eaters of animal food, are so lightly ' esteemed in many parts of the east. The sight of a boot or a shoe, made of leather, makes the believer in Brama recoil with disgust and horror. It is therefore impossible to find a menial servant except among the pariahs, a class of men despised by the rest of the Hindoos, because they feed on the flesh of the cow. :; i > -U /i » From Pondicherry M. La Place proceeded to Madras, TJie town of of which, in his usual manner, he writes with no small "^ ' degree of minuteness. Viewed from the sea, the town presents nothing which could indicate the magnificence which really belongs to it. Fort St George supplies a very inadequate protection against any attack which might be made on it by an enemy's fleet ; while the ditch and rampart which stretch along the side next the ' 658 BAUDIN, PREYCINET, DUPERREY, State of ■ociety in lladraak CHAP XVII. land, appear no more than sufficient to check the assault of native troops without heavy ordnance. But a quay, stretching not less than a mile and a half in length, covered with convenient dwellings and large warehouses, gives a very favourable idea of the opulence and commerce of that great city. Still, to the eye of a Frenchman, it appeared dull and uninteresting. The etiquette, which policy as well as the natural disposition of men in power have established among the educated class, was felt by the strangers as a great annoyance. It is, besides, desti- tute of a theatre, where the idle hours of seamen might be rendered less oppressive than they usually are on a long voyage ; the heat was intolerable, the water bad, and prices high ; and therefore the captain of the Favo- rite was not disposed to express any regret when the lofty palace of the governor retired from his view as he steered for Yanaon, a small establishment on the coast of Bengal. The place now named offers to the eye of the travel- ler a number of beautiful habitations, carefully white- washed, and surrounded with fine trees. The colony founded there is aependent on Pondicherry, under whose paternal administration it has enjoyed considerable pro- Th'e town of sperity. The town stands on the point of land formed Yauaoa ]jy h^q Godavery, where, about nine miles from the sea, it divides itself into two streams, by both of which it maintains a communication with the ocean. Little attracted by the interests which respect manufactures, trade, or political power, M. La Place devotes several pages to the merits and attractions of the female dancers on the shores of the great bay. Their movements, he gravely assures his readers, have no resemblance to those of the " nymphs of the opera at Paris," and then pro- ceeds to unfold their comparative excellencies in terms which can be understood by those only who have had the benefit of that enlightened education which seems to be conferred in the capital of France upon the young aspirants for naval honours. On the 2d of August, the Favorite, leaving the D'lTnviLLK, BOUGAINVILLE, AND LA PLACE. 659 anchorage of Yanaon, proceeded towards the Strait of chap, xvil Malacca, and, on the tenth, arrived at Pulo Penang, a puio Peiuuig flourishing emporium established on the eastern side of its entrance. This island, it is related, was bestowed as a marriage.gift, about the close of last century, on a young Englishman, the master of a trading vessel, who had attracted the regards of a daughter of the sovereign of Q,ueda. The fortunate bridegroom, embarrassed by his immense property, separated from the Malay penin- sula by a channel not more than a league in width, transferred his rights to the East India Company, who, after raising suitable fortifications, gave to it the name of Prince of Wales* Island, instead of the one by which it was ibrmerly known. The relations which subsist between this settlement and the Malays have furnished to the ingenious navigator nn opportunity of commenting at considerable length on the character of that people, both in their physical and moral qualities. Ferocious in a high degree, they have reduced their women to the severest slavery and most degraded condition. So far as they can be said to have any religion, they acknowledge the authority of Moham- med ; but while, like the other disciples of that impostor, they are remarkable for their sobriety, they ai-e not less so for robbery and murder. Entering the Chinese waters, the crew of the Favorite soon beheld the island of Pulo Condore ; a spot distinguished for its pestilential climate, for rains which fall during eight months die year, and for venomous serpents which infest its woods. It is nevertheless inhabited by a few miserable fugitives from Cambodia and Cochin-China. The next anchorage was found at Manilla in Lu^on, Manilla, the capital of the Philippine Archipelago. The town was understood t» contain about ten thousand inhabi- tants, and about half as many dwell in Cavite, the sea- port and principal seat of trade. This last is said to consist of a mass of ill-built houses, separated by narrow dirty streets, and containing a miserable population. The natives, who have allowed themselves to be converted to the christian faith, show great respect to the priests, and 660 BAUDIN, FREYCINBT, PUPERnEY, Santa Cruz. CIIAP.XVIL lavish no small share of their wealth on the decoration of the churches ; the architecture of which, it is remarked, by no means corresponds to the magnificence witnessiij within. La Place made several excursions into the interior of Lufon, where he collected numerous objects of natural history. He visited the pretty little town of Santa Cruz, which stands near a lake on the verge of a fertile plain, and derives some wealth from the wines produced in the neighbourhood. The Favorite next proceeded to Macao, where the captain made preparations with the view of continuinj^ his voyage to Canton, and completing certain commercial negotiations into which the French consul had entered with the Chinese government. His description of the river which leads to that mercantile city, of the adjoin- ing country and population, possesses all the interest which arises from the freshness of a first impression and of a lively style. It is divided into two towns equally large, and much crowded with inhabitants. The one is at some distance from the river, and sur- rounded with walls having a few small gates, the entrance of which is strictly prohibited to all foreigners. This is, properly speaking, the ancient Canton, which appears to contain more than five hundred thousand Canton. souls. Here are found the great manufactories and workshops. New Canton stands on the bank of the river, and has no enclosure ; for which reason it is con- sidered by the people as only one of the suburbs of the old town. The shops and warehouses have quite a European look ; a remark which also applies to some of the private houses. At the door of his dwelling the merchant is seen smoking his long pipe, and waiting with the utmost patience the arrival of customers. The appearance of the different streets varies in most cases only according to the several trades which are pursued in them ; but the residences of the chief mandarins attract attention by a display of great luxury. No carriage nor beast of burden is used in the public ways : nor does the barking of dogs or the cry of any other domestic animal reach the ear of a stranger : but, at I«p^p.<*« b'URVllLE, BOUOATNVILLF, ANTl LA PL ACT!. 6C1 every turn, there are observed numbers of blind beggars, CHAP. xvil. whose only resource is the benevolence of the charitable. It is well known that many of the lower class live in boats, fitted up as houses, and permanently moornd in tho river ; the effect of which at night is said to be quite , magical, owing to the infinite number of lights which twinkle along the surface of the water. After a short residence at the isle of Hai-nan, M. La The const of Place saUed for the coast of Tonquin, a portion of '^"' •!"'»■ eastern Asia very little ^known to European navigators ; and his journal contains some interesting remarks as well on the country as the native inhabitants. On his return he visited the little archipelago of the Natunos, and afterwards that of ^he Anambas, which are de- scribed by Duperrey. Steering towards the sovth, the adventurers soon found themselves within sight of the high lands of Java ; and in due time they reached Port Jackson, where they obtained at once the enjoyment of a repose which had become absolutely necessary to them, and a supply of provisions, without which they could n< ' have crossed the wide ocean that lay between them and the land of their birth. In the meanwhile thu captain made himself acquainted with all the recent discoveries in Australia, those more especially beyond the Blue Mountains, and on the line of the river named Laclilan, Tiie rtvor now rendered familiar to the English reader by the A^rai'L'" valuable work of Sturt. From Sydney he directed his course to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand, and thence to Chili, Cape Horn, and Rio Janeiro. On the first of April 1832, he attained the pleasant shores of Madeira ; whence he resumed the voyage with his face turned to the Straits of Gibraltar, which he had passed, more than three years before, devoted to the enterprise now successfully accomplished, and full of hopes most of which had been realized.* ;,;,.■ -.i liii. ^oya^ autour dii Monde par les mers de Tlnde et de Chine, te sur la Corvette de I'Etat La Favorite, pendant les execute' sur la uorvette de rii>ouA He admits that Napoleon and his minister of nautical affairs formed a plan for usurping the rights belonging to prior discovery along the whole coast, extending not less than two hundred and fifty leagues, though it had nearly all been carefully examined by the captains Grant and Flinders. This theft was meant to be achieved by the following means. In the first place, the e::^ edition commanded by M. Eiudin having, several months after the English had commenced their proceedings, made a cursory survey of the same coast, French names were given to all the capes, gulfs, and islands. The imperial family, the In- stitute of Paris, and the Board of Admiralty figured in this revised nomenclature, and the whole country was deoominated Napoleon's Land. To establish these pre- tensions, the lAcw epithets were inserted in an atlas, con- structed by Freycinet ; a work which presented on its frontispiece a view of New Holland, illuminated by a ray darting from the star of Napoleon, and bearing for its motto " Fulget et ipse." In the next place, M. Peron, the author of the historical relation of the voyage peiformed by Baudin, was ordered to refer to the pro- ceedings of Captain Flinders in a manner so extremely ambiguous as to prevent any one from imagining that the real discoveries were due to him. Permission was indeed given to notice the tat-t that this navigator was actually met with on the coast, but to assert at the same time that he himsalf acknowledged his inability, owing to cr^-iss winds and currents, to penetrate beliind the islands of St Francis ; a confession, in other words, that, from the causes now stated, he had not had it in his power to approach within three leagues of the land. Accident favoured this unworthy project so far as to ♦hr'^'v Flinders into the hands of the French, who, as already recorded, detained him six years in close ooa- 2t il CHAP. XVI How Flln- dors WM wronged. The history ot Baiidin's vuyago. CHAP. XVII. Temporaiy triumph of Boospart^'t phgfarlwn. Evcnhwl explosion of the plagiar- ism. ^64 BAUOiN, frbychtbt^ dupb&rev, *«. > " finement, in the hope, it was snspected, that he would thereby be deprived of the means of exposing this fraudulent proceeding, or perhaps sink under the weight of disease and disappointment. At all events, falsehood triumphed for a season. The Land of Napoleon, the Peninsula of Cambaceres, the Isles of Decree and Jer- ome, the Gulf of Bonaparte, and Ga^cs Cuvier, La Place, and many others, appeared to be permanently fixed in the Parisian charts, when Flinders, escaping from the hands of his jailors, made known to Europe the exe- crable attempt to deprive England of her rights, and himself of the honour which he had earned at the ex- pense of 80 n.uch exertion. The paltry manoeuvres of the imperial cabinet were exposed to the indignation of every civilized people, and above all to that of the French themselves, who wished not that their teal glory should be compromised by a usurpation as ridiculous as it was hateful. Malte-Brun observes that this Bonapartean plagiarism, as he describes it, is distinctly seen in the volumes of Peron, Lesueur, Freycinet, Boullanger, and others ; but, he adds, it was not tJieir fault that they were compelled to lend their aid in thv. perpetration of a dishonesty, which, after the fall of their master, ceased to have any political object. Nay, even when Napoleon was on the throne, this uncompromising geographer announced to his readers part of the truth, which with greater bold- ness he made known to the world after the entry of the allies into Paris in the year 1814. The public of France and Germany, indignant at the deceit of which thej had been made the dupes, did not hesitate a moment in determining for the cause of truth. In the latter coun- try, more especially, new charts of the South Sea were constructed, from which the Terre Napoleon, with al! "its fanciful -dependencies, was forthwith removed.* * The letter of Malte-Brun was inserted in the Journal de Parii of the Idth December 1814, and copied into the Quarterly Review, voJ. zii. p> 267 O i KRU8BKSTERN, KOTZBBUE« AND LUTKfi. 665 f f t tj *> I » ■ ■ .» J - ' '•*->*■ f I 1 ; ■ / . i . .;,■ it)-: !. ;•. I • ' CHAPTER XVIII. Krusentttern, Kotxtibm, and Lutke Motives of tlie Russian Court) who send an Ambassador to Japan , — Poticy of Catherine the Second — Inducefk by the Vicinit}* of her Settiements in Kamtschatlta to attempt an Intercourse with the Japanese—The same Views inherited by the Emperor Alexander _The Nadeshdaand Neva equipped — Krusenstem's Voyage ex- perimental^He airiTes at the M arquesas-^Character of Narivn ~SaDd«rich Islands — Kamtschatka described — Historical Details respecting Japan — Dutch owe their Establishment to Williaqi Adams, an Englishman — Base Conduct of the Hollanders— A^ tempt made by the East India Company— Restrictions laid on the Russians — Fruitless Result of the Embassy — Kruiienstern surreys the neighbouring Coasts — ^^Returns to Kamtschatka— Statistical Remarks — Proceeds to Canton — Treatment there — Kotcebue sent on a Voyage of Discovery — Cruises along the Wttstem Coast of America — Enters Behving's Strait — Discovears the Sound which bears his Name — rintercourse with the Inha« bitants— Chamisso Island— Singular Iceberg — Remarks on a North-east Passage — Observations on California — Interview with Tamehameha — The Radack Chain of Islands discovered — Reflections on Coral Reefs — III Healtii compels a Return Home — Kotzebue again appointed to pursue Discovery— Account oF Bracil — Again visits the Radack Islands — Anchors at New Arch- angel—Russian Colony there— Missionaries at California — Eata- bliKhment at Ross— Remarks on Sandwich Islands-^— Voyage of Bellingshausen— The Expedition under Lutke — He repairs tA New Archangel — State of the Aleutian Isles — Islands of Pri* bylolF and St Matthew — Volcanic Mountains — Proceeds to the Mariannes— Aetums to Behnng's Strait — Amount of his Dis- coveries. u"'-f=-- •. .. = i'. - •■*. ;'•■'; ■•■'■ •»■ ,. ,- ■ :\ The voyages of discovery now abont to be described <3Hap.xviit. had their origin in the very natural desire, entertained RnsslatT by the court of St Petersburg, to cultivate with tiie vo>a«c8. several states on the eastern shores of Asia more inti- II % 666 KRUSENSTERN, KCrZEBUE, AND LUTKl^. commerce. CHAP. XVIII. mate relations than the sovereigns of China and Japan — had theretofore been disposed to recognise. From the days of the second Catlierine, it had appeared to the llussian councillors a matter of the greatest interest to the welfare of her immense dominions that commerce should be extended and navigation improved ; it being obvious that, without these means of enlarging their power, they could not hope to attain among the nations of Europe the influence to which they now thought them- Tiw Empress selves entitled to aspire. Her establishments on Kamt- cftorts lor * scliatka, as well as in the islands which stretch between that province and the continent of America, were too favourably situated not to tempt her to embrace every opportunity for concluding a commercial treaty with the Japanese, whose insular situation almost necessarily compelled them to have recourse to the usages of a mari- time people. She was fully aware of the restrictions imposed upon the Dutch, and even of the degradation to which their merchants submitted ; but she was will- ing to believe that the celebrity of her name, and the proximity of her empii*e, would have a certain share of influence. The retort of the Chinese monarch could not indeed be forgotten, who, when solicited by her ambassador to enter into terms for facilitating a mutual trade, replied that before his mistress bound herself by new treaties, it would become her to fulfil the old ones with greater faith and punctuality. Nor did the suc- cess of her negotiations fully repay her for the trouble and condescension to which she submitted ; and hence, her grandson inherited nothing besides the wish of sharing the commerce and becoming better acquainted with the policy of those saucy autocrats, whose do- minions touched his own along the confines of Tartary. In the year 1802, soon after the accession of Alexan- der, the project of an embassy to Japan was renewed under the most favourable auspices, and with a better prospect of success. It was felt that due precautions had not been used on the fonner occasion, and that there was even a neglect of propriety in the mode of conduct- Embnsxy to Jupun. 'ir.'.\ KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. 667 ing the wonted ceremonial, which could not be altogether chap, xviii, excufled. For example, an impression remained that — there had been a defect in the show and parade deemed 80 easential by the rulers of the east ; that the person selected for envoy was of a rank too low and manners too coarse to make a suitable impression ; and that the letter addressed to tlie Japanese emperor, instead of being written by Catherine herself, was from the hand of the governor of Siberia ; a want of respect to a sove- reign prince which could haixlly fail to give umbrage. Influenced by such considerations, the czar resolved to • combine with a voyage of trade and discovery a diplo- matic mission to his oriental neighbour. Two ships, Voyngeof the Nndeshda and Neva, were purchased and equipped for the enterprise, and the former put under the per- sonal command of Captain Krusenstem, who was in- trusted with the nautical part of the expedition. Boing allowed to nominate a colleague, he selected for the charge of tlte smaller vessel Captain Lisianskoy, who, as well as himself, had served in the British navy. M. de ResanofF was appointed ambassador extraordinary, invested with the order of St Ann, and made a privy councillor. Several other persons of rank were attached to the embassy, besides physicians, astronomers, natur- alists, and draftsmen. Some military officers were like- wise permitted to render their services, including two sons of Von Kotzebue : and to complete the list, there were five Japanese who, a few years before, had been taken prisoners in the Aleutian Isles. It was arranged that the Nadeshda should carry the embassy to Nanga- saki, while the Neva, separating at the Sandwich Islands, should proceed to tho settlement of Kodiack,on the north- western coast of America, whence she was to proceed with a cargo of fui's to Canton, and ultimately find her way alone to a port in the Baltic. The enterprise conducted by Krusenstern, though Tmportano* more properly a voyage of experiment than of dia- "oyage. covery, is nevertheless on several accounts exceedingly unportant and interesting. It is of no small conse- .'i Aif 668 KRU8ENSTERN, K01ZEBVE, AND tUTKE. Krnsen* stern's ar- rangements CHAP, xvillt qnenco to Imve ascertained in what manner the repre- — sentative of a gropt western sovereign was received in a country which, during one hundred and fifty yeai-s, had seen no European people except a few pliant Dutch- men, whose sole object was commercial gain. It was not only the first time that the Russian flag was destined to be c&kTied rouod the world, but the first time that a Russian ship was to make its appearance in the southern hemisphere. The vessels too, though built in England, were fitted out and manned in the dominions of the ezur. It is true that the commodore, availing himself of his experience on board British men-of-war, had aidopted all the measures used in the latter for the com- fort of the crews and the preservation of their health. He was also supplied with six of the best chronometers that London could afford, as well as a very valuable apparatus of sextants, theodolites, and other instruments for astronomical, nautical, and philosophical purposes. When the two ships arrived at Cronstadt, the officers and men were gratified by a visit from his imperial ma- jesty, who, to fulfil his duties as the head of the na- tion, assigned an annual pension of fifteen hundred roubles, for twelve years, to the wife of Krusenstem, in order that his mind might be at ease during his absence with regard to the welfare of his family j a gift not less considerate on the part of Alexander than gratifying to the feelings of the excellent officer, whose services he thus rewarded by anticipation. The expedition was planned in 1802 as already stated, but so much time was required for preparation that the ships did not leave Falmouth, where an additional sup- He sails from ply of beef was procured, till the 6th October in the following year. At eight o'clock, the lighthouse on the Lizard was distant about twelve miles ; at nine, they lost sight of it, the wind blowing fresh, though with little impression on the vessels. The night was as fine as it could possibly be, clear, and not a cloud to be seen ; a circumstance which appeared to every one a good omen for the suoeess of tiieir long voyage. At this moment Ir'altnoutb. rposes. e officers srial ma- tlie na- hundred latern, in 3 absence ft not less ifying to jrvices lie % . KRUSENSTERIT, KCrrZEHiUB, AND LtJtKlS. ^ the captain gave way to reflections much more personal CHAP, xvirr. than either modest or profound. He imagined that the — eyes of all the civilized part of Europe were fixed upon hiin ; and, remembering that the success or failure of the his aolici- undertaking would decide his reputation, he felt that any tude about shadow cast upon his name would extend in some degree ^'^^'^'^'^ to his native country. Those who delight in vilifying . -'.-i.'.t. Russia, would, he dreaded, triumph over an unfortunate ; . ' /^ event ; and the first attempt, if unsuccessful, might for a long time preclude any similar efibrt. He consoled himself, meanwhile, by reflecting that, in accepting the important task committed to him by his sovereign, he had done his duty, more especially as it was every where believed that if he had declined, the intention of carry- ing the flag of the czar to the remote parts of the earth must have been relinquished. Russia, he appears to have been convinced, could not have supplied another officer of sufiicient experience, knowledge, and address ; and therefore all family ties were to be torn asunder, and all schemes of private happiness abandoned, in order that the objects contemplated by the cabinet of St Pe-^ tersburg might enjoy the chance of reachmg a prosperous consummation.* - - ■: . H ' 5'i The importance of the countries which the Nadeshda Marine was now about to visit had long before presented itself p^J^^ to the penetrating mind of Peter the Grei^ ; and accord- Great ingly, in the year 1716, he directed that a vessel should sail from Ochotsk to Kamtschatka, with the view of establishing a communication between this peninsula and the mainlemd, and of thereby avoiding the tedious jour« ney along shore. By his orders the Knrile Isles were likewise examined in the year 1720 ; and a short time before his death, in 1725, he issued instructions for the equipment of the expedition to the command of which * Voyage round the World in the years 1803, 1804, 1805, and DtOtf, by order of kis Imperial Majesty Alexander the First, on i)oard the Ships Nadeshda and Neva', under the command of Captain A. J. Vou Krusenstern of the Imperial Navy. 2 vols 4to, London, I8i'3, vol. i. p. aa ■TIT" Marine snc- ceu under the Empress Anna. 670 KRUSBNSYGRN, KOTZBBUB, AND LUTKA. CHAP. XVIIL the celebrated Behring was appointed. The question "^^ relative to the strait which divides Asia from America had attracted his attention duriop; his residence in Hol- land ; and his best efforts t^'.vards the solution of it had even been solicited by the Academy of Sciences at Paris. But it was roi/ till the year 1741, when the Empress Anna occupied the Imperial throne, that the labours of the Russian marine were crowned with the success to which their pei*severance in the cause of discovery so justly entitled them. Behring and TschirikoiF at length saw the opposite continent in a high latitude, and marked with some degree of accuracy the limits of the inlet which continues to bear the name of the former. Several attempts were subsequently made with various degrees of success, both by natives and foreigners, among which may be included the voyage of M. Billings in 1786. No material discovery, however, was achieved by any of these adventurers, who simply examined parts of the coast already brought to light, or detected the existence of small islands which had not been grouped by any previous navigator. The knowledge of the north-western shores of Amer- ica communicated by Behring laid the foundation of the trade in furs, and subsequently of the Russian Company, who have since pursued that traffic with considerable vigour. Their chief establishment was at Irkutsk, a town which by its situation facilitates the intercourse between the eastern parts of the empire and the seat of government ; but, in consequence of certain irregularities committed by their agents, especially their cruel conduct to the natives in the districts where the game was found, his Imperial Majesty deemed it expe- dient to look more closely into their concerns, and, with this view, compelled them to remove the centre of their business to St Petersburg. On this subject Krusenstem furnishes his readers with numerous details ; having de- voted to it his utmost attention, in the prospect of shar- ing in the perils and advantages of the commerce with the Chinese, the principal purchasers of the skins pro* The Bnasi^n Fnr Com- pany. .J-iJ«'ljl KRV8BNSTBRN, KOTZEBUB, AND LUTKE. 671 cured on the American coast. Indeed, the main object ^"^P-*^"'* for which the Neva was fitted out, under the eyes of """ Alexander, h.id a reference, as has been stated, to the extension and security of tlie same trade, to which the Russians continue to attach an undue in^portance. As the Nadeshda and her colleague followed the usual Kmun- route by the coast of Brazil and round Cape Horn, the around Cupa reader could have no interest in following them along a '^^^ track so familiar and commonplace. Fine weather and a clear horizon enabled the captain to take very accurate observations in passing Cape St John, the eastern point of Staten Land, and to verify its longitude, which, as he observes, had already been determined by the celebrated Cook with as much precision as most of the cities of Europe, although but a barren rock at the extremity of one of the rudest and most inhospitable islands on the globe. Nothing, indeed, is so surprising in the feats of the great English navigator as the accuracy of his ob- servations. Even the most improved instruments which the advanced state of the arts has placed in the hands of modern seamen have not enabled them to ascertain with greater exactness the position of the various lands, capes, and promontories, which mark the progress of the mariner in the great ocean on either side of the equator. Early in May Krusenstem anchored in the bay called Anna Maria, in the island of Noukahiva, one of the Mar- quesas, where he was joined by the Neva, which had separated from him during a gale of wind, soon after passing Tierra del Fuego. The Russian captain sanc- tions, so far as his authority can be supposed to extend, the absurdity of attaching to that group the name o ' Washington ; a usurpation equally unpardonable and inconvenient. The cluster in question, every one knows, was first discovered by Mendana in 1596) by whom, in honour of the Marquis Mendoza, then governor of Pern, they were denominated the Marquesas. The same islands were visited Sy Cook in 1774 ; were seen, but not surveyed, in 1791 by Ingraham, the master of an American trader ; and by Marchand, a French officer. The liroT' quesas lalaada. Sepsrstton of the Msrquesas Into two groups. 672 KRVSnNSTBRN, K0t2EBUE, AND LUTK^. <7HAr.xrntal80 in 1791. They were examined, in 1792, by Lieu- ""^ tenant Hergest of tlie Dttdalus transport, who was after- irords murdered at Woahoo ; and observed in 1797 by Captaui Wilson, who carried out the missionaries to the South Sea. It is no doubt possible to separate, at least in imagination, the few isles which Ingraham's discovery has asngned to the memory of the great President, from tlie body of the group which Mendiana first made known to Europeans ; but it ia admitted that the former are so contiguous to the latter as to be visible the one from the other ; while the distance between the nearest of the two clusters is less than that between many of the islands in each respectively. It is therefore difficult to perceive the propriety with which one portion of a group should be distinguished by a name different from that which is applied to the whole body. But notwithstanding these considerations the Russian commodore maintains that the honour of the discovery belongs to the Americans, and consequently justifies their Impropriation of the islands in connexion with the fame of their liberator. He admits that it is a great advantage to geography to reduce as much as possible the number of names upon charts, and to bring as many islands as may be under one appellation ; but should not, he adds, ** an exception be made in favour of that of Washington, .,1 .; r I which must prove an ornament to any chart ! Is it not according to the strictest justice that the first discovery ef the Americans should be preserved in the annals of Iteasonfngs naval history by a designation peculiar to themselves : theWasiikig- oxnA i»it allowed to strike out of the charts the immortal ton group, name of the founder and protector of a great state, by which one of its gi-ateful citizens had dedicated a new group of islands to it, merely to unite this group with another which bad been discovered and named two hui&dred years before V* 'So this question a suitable reply has been made, though indirectly, and after the interrogative m^mner: by what right did this citi2en ehange a name which had been conferred two hundred yean ago^ to gratify the inordinate vanity of himself I,-, '1,1 The Island of Koukiihivik KRUSENSTBRN, KOTZUBUE, AND LUTK^. 673 and his countrymen at the expense of introducing OHAr.xvm. confusion and perplexity !* When approaching the Bay of Anna Maria, Kmsen- Btern perceived a canoe coming off with eight persons in itj one of whom carried a white flag. He proved to be an Englishman named Roberts, to whom allusion has already been made, who had lived nine years in ■ ..-: the country, where he asserted he had been put ashore "'• ^ by the crew of a merchant ship because he refused to join in a mutiny. Having married into the royal family of Noukahiva, he thought it proper to dress in all respects like tli« natives, wearing nothing mora than a girdle about his loins. After a brief interval he informed the Russians that a Frenchnutn had like-* wise lived some years on the island : adding that he was a dangerous individual ; had several times attempted his life ; and must, on all accounts, be- carefully guarded against. The captain saw nothing more in this m- formation as given by Roberts than a proof of that "inborn hatred which exists between the French and English ; who, not contented with disturbing the peace of the civilized world, must needs carry their enmities among tribes at the remotest corners of the earth." But in one sentiment the two foreigners united ; The ehnno- they both represented the character of the natives as ^^y^" being exceedingly bad, though their plausible manners had deceived the captain of the Nade^da, who declared that, had his eyes not been opened by the intelligence thus supplied, he would have left their country under the most favourable impression of their moral pro- pensities. In their intercourse with his people, he relates, they always showed the best possible disposi- tion, and in bartering, an extraordinary degree of hon- esty ; always delivering their cocoa-nuts before they received the piece of iron that was to be paid for tliem. At all times they appeared ready to assist in cutting * Krusewitern'g Vovagv round the World> Review, voU vl p^. 367. i 1 n; ::.;'- vol.i. p. 138. Quarterly 674 KRU8EN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LLTKE. Their peaee- ableneu. CHAP. XVlil. wood and filling water ; and the help they afforded in ■* — the performance of these laborious tasks was by no I means trifling. Theft, a crime notoriously common to all the islanders of the Pacific, he very seldom wit- nessed among them ; they always appeared cheerful and happy, and the greatest good humour was depicted in their countenances. In a word, during thi- ten days he spent there, he was not obliged to fire a single loaded musket. Their peaceable behaviour, he admits, might be attributed to their fear of firearms ; but " what right have we to ascribe to any bad motive that conduct which demanded our approbation, or to expect such motives among a nation hitherto but little acquainted with Europeans, and therefore, according to the doctrines of some philosophers, still perfectly untainted V* Nevertheless, he was at length compelled by irre- sistible evidence to acknowledge that they are a cruel, intractable people, and, without even the exception of the female sex, very much addicted to cannibalism ; that the appearance of good humour and contentment with which they had deceived him, was not their true character ; and that nothing but the fear of punishment and the hope of reward deterred them from giving way to their savage passions. He could no longer doubt the barbarous scenes which were said to be acted, especially in the time of war ; the desperate rage with which they fell upon their victims, tearing olF their heacJs, r id sipping their blood out of the skull with the mo»t disgusting greediness. Their weapons are invariablj^ adorned with human hair, and human bones are used as ornaments in almost all their house- hold furniture ; a circumstance which taken by itself would justify the worst suspicions in regard to their habits when pressed for food or stimulated by the feeling of revenge. Nay, it was asserted by Roberts, and not denied by the other foreigner, that, in seasons of famine, the men butcher their wives and children, end after bakmg or stewing their flesh, devour it with Their audty KRUAKN6TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKl£. 675 »y irre- a cruel, )tion of m ; that nt with ;ir true ishment giving longer I to be esperate tearing he skull weapons human house- ►y itself to their by the Roberts, leasons of shiWren, it with the utmost avidity. " Even the tender looking female, CHAP. XVIII. whose eyes beam nothing but beauty, will join, iiP permitted, in this horrid repast."* .. But it appears that the Noukahivans are not less Their treacherous than cruel. Some yeara prior to the time treachery, of Kruseustern's visit, an American vessel had put into the port of Anna Maria, and the captain, who was a quaker, suffered his people to go on shore unarmed. No sooner did the natives observe their defenceless condition than they assembled, in order to attack and drag them into the mountains ; nor would they have failed to succeed in their hon'ible intentions, had not the Englishman, by representing to the king the fatal consequences of such treachery to the interests of his do- minions, induced him so far to interpose as to rescue the strangers frori; the hands of the cannibals who obviously intended to murder them. An incident occurred, too, which left no doubt on the mind of Krusenstem him- self, that the kindness he unifoi-mly bestowed upon them, 80 far from producing in their minds an overflow of benevolence and gratitude, had not in any degree abated their appetite for plunder and bloodshed. A Their report had spread among them that one of the ships, in biocMi'and* leaving the harbour, was run aground ; and in less plunder, than two hours a great number of the islanders were assembled on the beach, armed with clubs, axes, and spears. Their purpose, it was nowhere doubted, was to murder the crew^ and seize all the property on board ; a suspicion which was confirmed by the Frcncliman, who hastened to apprize the Russians of the fate pre- pared for them, addins; that the whole valley was in an uproar, and breathing the most hostile feelings. Such demonstrations led the visiters to the conclusion that no trace of good qualities was to be found among them, and that they undoubtedly belonged to the very worst of mankind. ••.fir./; ■■ -T 'A'•■^ iiv. (if * " All the skulls wlucli we purchased of them had a hole per- forated throiiirli one end of them for the purpose ot'driiikini; blood.* / -Vol i. p. 180 ^ *^ 676 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZBBUE, AKD LVTKt. !,'i li, CHAP. XVI 1 1. The character of the Marquesans has recently acquired French" * greater interest tlian it formerly posseflsed in the eyes colony in the of Europeans, owing to the occupation of ihe principal Uarquesaa. jgig^d by a colony of Tj'rench, under the ant^ces and protection of tho PariSi an government. The country, men of La Peiouse have not hitherto been fortunate in their schemes of colonization ; and the field chosen in this instance does not assuredly hold out the hope of much prosperity, whether merc««utlle or territorial. They have already had some esperiencc of the fierce and vindictive natures whom they have undertaken to rule. Force is the only law to which tlie natives of the Mendoza group will submit ; and to the military skill of their conquerors they will oppose the usual weapons of savage life, guile, stratagem, and the furious outbreaks of uncontrollable revenge. Hence, it is manifest that the perpetuity of French, rule must be founded on the ex> tinction of the tribes who gained the good opinion of Cook, and were honoured with the enthusiastic eulogies of Fon:*er. But they will not yield without a struggle, nor uie without avenging the cause which must perish with them. Their usual mode of warfare is to watch couiitantly for their enemy, whom they butcher in secret ; and he is the greatest hero amongst them who shows the most skill in these arts, who can lie longest on his belly with the least motion, who can breathe the most softly, run the most swiftly, and spring with the greatest agility from rock to rock. > Being disappointed in procuring a supply of provisions at Noukaliiva, the inhabitants of which could not part with more than a few hogs, he resolved to proceed to the Sandwich Islands, instead of steering a direct course for Kamtschatka. But Owhyhee did not in this re- spect answer his expectations ; and the scarcity of food seemed the more surprising as the coast appeared ex> tremely well cultivated. The whole shore was co^rered with cocoa-trees ; while the number of iio JC"is, plania- tions, and canoes, seemed to indicate a great population. At the east end the land rises gradually from the sea to The Sand- w> 'h Islands. KRUSEN8TEAN, KOTZUBUE, AND LCTKi. €77 the foot of the mountain Mowna Boa, which, according tnAP.XvilL to a measurement made on board, was pronounced to be — nearly two thousand feet higher t^^an the Peak of Tene* i'lffe. It was accurately described by the early Spanii^ navigator!^ who recdiy were the first discoverers of the Sandwich Islands, as a treble ; for the summit, when quitt ' ^ free from snow, fonpf^ a perfect flat, saving an almost imperceptn}le height on the eastern side. In the eyes of the Russians, th?; inhabitants could not Tho natires ^ bear a comparison with those of Noukahiva, being shorter, **' **»wau. less elegantly formed, and much darker in colour. But, though inferior in a physical point of view, the natives of Owhyhee, in respect of mental power and acquire- ments, had a decided advantage. A constant intercourse with Europeans, especially with Englishmen, of whom there were several in the island, must have contributed not a little to this effect, and may perhaps account for the activity, the quick eye, and cheerful manner by which most of them are distinguished. The construn- tion of their canoes, too, manifests an acquaintance with the arts still unknown in the Marquesas, and they man- age them with a degree of akill of which the fishermen of the latter group, to whom the sea does not appear a natural element, have no conception. A great changw S^*^"*^ '" had taken place in the commercial notions of the people merciai during the previous ten or twelve years. In 1789, "o*^"* Tianna, the chief of Atooi, whom Meares carried with him to China, never inquired, during his stay at Canton, the price of any wares, otherwise than by asking, ** how much iron do you give for this V* In 1803, the natives of Owhyhee seomed almost to despise that metal, scarcely deigning to look even upon the most useful tools or in- genious instruments. Nothing would satisfy them that did not minister to their vanity, more especially a piece of showy dress or a gaudy ornament. About the middle of July, the Nadeshda turned her head towards the cast, with the view of making the coaat of K^ntschatka, where the captain hoped to be more successful in clraining supplies. Count Romanzoff, he '■! ,;T 1. UL . wmip. piij <«iagia I Supposed ffoldcn libuid. iV'tr,,' G78 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUB, AND LUTK£. GHAP. XVIII. relatets, had gi/en him particular instructions, before \\\s departure frori Russia, to look out for an island, the existence of w iich was known to have occupied the at- tention of the Dutch and Spaniards, though resting upon very ancient, perhaps fabulous, reports. The latter people, who had heanl that an isle, very rich in gold and silver, had been discovered in a meridian to the eastward of Japan, sent a ship from Acapulco in 1610, with orders to take possession of it. The Hollanders, who were equally allured by the supposed wealth of that distant spot, despatched two vessels thither, under the command of Matthias Kwast, with instntctions equivalent to those issued by the authorities of Madrid. In both ?affes the failure was equally great ; no trace being e '♦'r .'' thI of the island, the immense riches of which wc • j xrv.ied to rewt'rd all their exertions. In 1787, La Perouse rv nerved the attempt, and with a similar result. He wa&, indeed, the only navigator, in modem times, who resumed this pursuit of the seventeenth century ; Cook, Gierke, Dixon, Vancouver, and all others who had engaged in discovery between the shoios of Asia and America, having studiously neglected it. After these remarks, it must be superfluous to mention, thai Krusenstern did not add to the fame of his voyage by throwing any new light on this oriental Peru, whence the Rus. sian minister anticipated a vaa accession to the imperial treasury. . The stay at the harbour of St Peter and St Paul v/ i not attended with any remarkable incident. The 'A-ea ther was constantly thick and rainy, with winds blowing from every point of the compass ; a condition of the atmosphere which could not contribute to the promotion of health among the crew. Accordingly, as soon as he liad obtained some live-stock and a moderate allowance of vegetables, including several large barrels of wild garlic, the captain set sail fcv Japan, whither the ambassador now became impatient to be conveyed* In the coxiiVv of this run, diversified only by various kinds of b :;t^ weather, he once more employed himself in searching Kamts- duuka. ■<' ''V ore his d, the bheat- 5 upon latter )ld and istward . orders were dbtant mmand bo those EITC8 the Hsixl of > , ,ied ouse rvv resumed Gierke, ^ged in Lmerica, emarks, senstern lirowing e Rus. mperial *aul V.' 1 he ^XQh [blowing of the lomotion )n as he ranee of |d garlic, tassador coo ,■- of «'. krchintj KRUSKNSTERN, K0T2EBUE, AND LUTKE 679 fnr islands, embodied in certain charts, which he hadcHAP. xviil. again the best i^ason for believing had no other exist- — ence than that assigned to them by ignorant cosmo- graphers. Referring to the visits of our countrymen in those seas, he remarks, that ** it might almost be believed that tlie English government had purposely cast a Veil over the voyages of Colnett and Broughton on'th^ codit voyages of of Japan, wcto it not that the liberality which they Coinettund have shown in publishing every vojiage th£lt has been '*"*'*""• D'ilvitaken during the last hsilf cei tury, a period so brilliant in the history of discovery, ;omplet^ly contro- verts this suspicion.*' He laments particularly that (he account of the second of these enterprises, whidh waa entirely one of discovery, had not appeared, because the companion of Vancouver could not fail to have rendered his work very interesting to geography and navigaition ; and it was not to be supposed that, wi(h the loss df his ship, his journals and charts were all destroyed. The strictures now quoted were afterwards diaeovewd by the captain of the Nadeshda to be quite gr^iUnd- less, for the journals to which he alludes were reaclly puhlished during his absence, though containing very little which could be pronounced important either to the sailor or the statesman. Colnett did not print his papers, because, it may be presumed, he had nothing new or interesting to communicate. All he sinys in e^ard to the islands northward of Fatsisio, which he TheMmida ^■'M accidentally observed in some old charts, is, that i'litlilio' '% -^ had reason to doubt their existence,; but, as it ■^ '> •or. nued thick weather, it was his business, he ima- fjiied, " to avoid rather than to seek for their sit'iation." It is indeed well known that the Butch and Spaniards were in the practice of laying down in their riaps islands, rocks, and shoals on very slender evifJence, and sometimes on mere conjecture ; and v.-itii respect to the latter people it may be added that, even when t!iey proceeded on the basis of fact, they made such ^eregious mistakes in calculating longitude as to litwildtr all their successors in both divisions of the 2-0 ■'7 "■•««y»'^«"^"IIWPf -m From this historical outline of the connexion, re- ■^-sj?; ^86 KBUSENSTERN, KOTZLIBUE, AND LUTKl!:. C|lAr.j;yjIL]igious and commercial, between the people of Europe and. those of Japan, it appears that the exclusion uf fo- feigners formed no part of their original constitution. Cnnms of the Xhere is, on the contrary, the best ground for infer- ciluivmieM. I'ingt that all the precautionary and exclusive measures adiapted by their rulers in later times were suggested by the conduct of those strangers who gained an early admittance into their country ; and more especially that they arose from the jealpusy raised against the Portu- guese Jesuits by the Dutch traders, who, it has been said, for the sake of a pitiful monopoly, have consented to sacrifice their religion, their liberty, and every hon- ourable feeling and manly principle. Returning to the voyage of Krusenstem, it may be remarked that he was fully aware of all the insulting restrictions now mentioned ; yet as he had an ambassa- dor of high rank on board, charged with despatches, and bearing presents and assurances of friendship from the sovereign of a powerful empire, he was willing to per- suade himself that he would be received with civility, and probably with more distinction than it is thought ne- cessary to show to simple traders. At all events, he had not any doubt as to his being allowed to proceed to Jeddo, a journey which would enable him to communicate some more authentic information than had yet been afforded respecting the extraordinary people who inhabit it. But B-id reception jecting into the bay of Nangasaki. It is not, therefore, without reason that the Russian navigator remarks in his. peculiarly simple manner, " the leader must not expect any satisfactory account of Japan from me, al- thoup;h we remained above six months.'* Immediately after he had come to anchor, the authorities on shore took possession of all the powder and firearms, includ- ing the fowling-pieces of the officers ; strictly forbidding •ns. KRUSEN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 087 any of them to land, or even to row about the harbourcHAP.xviiL within a short distance of the ship. Nor would a viola- — tion of this injunction have been found easily practi- cable, for she was surrounded by a circle of thirty-two guard-boats through which no one was allowed to pass. When two Dutch vessels about to depart were prepar- ing to salute, a message was sent to Krusenstem not to return it, as the honour was not in any degree meant for the Russians but exclusively for the emperor. After a negotiation of six weeks, permission was aosc rcMric- granted to take an occasional walk on the beach op- y^irty" ^^^^ posite to their frigate. The space set apart for this purpose was a hundred yards long by forty in breadth, shut in towards the land by a high fence of bamboos, and guarded at each end by a watch-house. All inter- course with the Dutch was interdicted in the most posi- tive manner; and when the two merchantmen sailed for Batavia, no letters were allowed to be sent, with the single exception of one from the ambassador to the czar his master, and even in this he was desired to confino his communications strictly to the occurrences of tho voyage. This official note was first translated into the language of Holland ; a copy of it v^as then made with such accuracy, that every line ended with the same letter as the autograph ; this was deposited with the governor, and the original, after being sealed in his pre- Bcnce, w^as carried on board by two of his secretaries. It seems to be a rule, carefully observed by the Ja- Insolence oi , .. A •. #• ■ 1. • the Japan- panese, never to omit an opportunity of insultmg aese. European, and of showing how little he is esteemed in the eyes even of the low^est agent who serves their em- peror. Krusenstern mentions that, soon after hi« ar- rival at Nangasaki, he received a visit from sevjial magistrates, or banjos, who, without attending to the pleasure or convenience of their host, walked at once into his cabin and seated themselves on the carpet. Their servants placed a lanthom at the feet of each individual, with a little box containing their smoking 688 KRUSENSTEllN, KOTZEUUE, AND LUTK^. CHAP. XVIII. apparatus, and a vessel with coals to light their pipes, The Opperlioofd or director of the Dutch factory was also brought along vrith them ; but it was upwards of an hour before he was permitted to join their society In visit of the ship. He had scarcely entered the cabin with his Kiusciutcra suite, consisting of his secretary, the two captains, and Baron Pabst, when they were all obliged to remain several minutes- in an inclined posture, which they were called upon to assume by a most insolent order from the interpreter. Nor was this submissive and degrading attention on their part answered even by a nod. The compliments, as they are called, of the Dutch approach very nearly to the reverence practised by the natives towards their superiors, which consbt in throwing the body flat on the ground, touching the earth with the head, and wriggling backwards and forwards as they happen to be addressed. The Russian commander re- marks, that the gentlemen of the factory would have found great difficulty in throwing then ves on the floor, owing to their clothes and the wc ' pliability in their bodies ; but, in order to come as near as pos- sible to the native prostrations, they were compelled to bend their persons till they attained the figure of a right angle, and continue in this position with their arms ex- tended several minutes ; after which, upon a signal given, they were allowed to resume their natural pos- Basfl senility ture. In concluding his narrative, he not unnaturally lu u ci. Q|jggj.ygg^ ^\^Q^ j^ |g impossiblc to find words capable of expressing how shameful and barbarous such conduct appears ; and how much it is to be regretted that an enlightened European nation, owing its political exist- ence to the love of freedom, and which has acquired celebrity by great actions, should so far debase itself from a desire of gain, as to attend with submission and devotion to the hateful injunctions of a set of slaves. It is shocking beyond description to see brave men for several minutes in the most abject position before a banjos, who frequently belongs to the lowest, of the KRUSCNSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LVTKt, 689 arms ex- people, and who docs not return, even in the slightest chap, xviir. manner, the mark of respect whicli is paid to him.* — No such freedoms were attempted with the Russians, Kon-aerviiity whose feelings as well as political views would have led "' "'^ ^"^^^ them to resist the pitiful degradation to which the sub- jects of William of Nassau found it convenient to sub- mit. It is stated above that the powder and firearms generally were removed from the Nadeshda, and even the fowling-pieces belonging to the officers; but the latter were permitted to retain their swords, and the soldiers their muskets and bayonets. Again, when at length the ambassador was allowed to land, his guard went ashore with him, armed in the usual manner. This favour, indeed, was not granted to him without obvious reluctance, and the interpreters endeavoured dur- ing several days to prevail on him to forego this privi- lege of his official rank ; represent ug that it was not only against the laws of the country, and that such a case had never before occurred, but that it would shock the people to see soldiers of another nation displaying their military weapons, as if in contempt or defiance of the imperial authority. The matter in fact assumed such a degree of importance in the estimation of the governor, that a whole month was spent in negotiating before M. ResanofF could obtain leave to set his foot on the land, in the character of minister from the court of St Peters- bui^. It was believed that a courier was sent to Jeddo or Miaco to receive instructions for the guidance of the local ruler. • When it was finally resolved that the ambassador pobai Nation should debark, the Prince of Fisen sent his ov* n boat ^n^an,bas«^'' for this purpose, a vessel exceeding in size and magui- eador. Acence every thing of the kind that Krusenstem had yet seen. It was a hundred and twenty feet long ; the walls and ceilings of the numerous cabins were varnbhed in the handsomest manner; and ths stairs. * Knisenstern's Voyaire round the World, English Trun-slation, »ol. i p. 257-262. C90 KRUSENSTEUN, KOTZKBUE, AND LUTKi. CHAP. XVIII. forinefl of red wood, were polished so highly as to have the appearance of lacker. The decks were covered with mats and the most costly carpets ; the curtains were of th"! richest tissue ; and the whole harge was hung with Public rccep. Joubli rows OX silk of diflferent colours. As M, Res- ambassador. inoflF "tepped on board, the Russian standard was hoisted and waved together with the flag of the prince. The imperial fort-resses were ornamented with new ensigns and other warlike decorations, and manned by the Ja- panese troops in their best uniform. An innumerable fleet of boats, surrounding the vessel, accompanied the ambassador to the city ; and so far the ceremony was worthy of the representative of a great monarch. But no sooner had he entered the dwelling prepared for hira than the doors were locked on both sides, and, at sun- set, the keys were sent to the governor. The residence here mentioned was a considerable building, and seems to have borne the name of Me- gasaki ; but, says Captain Krusenstern, "the seven towers of Constantinople are hardly so well guarded." The house was situated upon a neck of land so near the sea, that on the south and east sides the water at high tide came close under the windows. A tall bamboo fence surrounded the whole edifice, not only towards the land but even in the face of the waves. A large gate widi double locks formed the entrance from the waier-side. An officer, wliose station was near the ship, had the keys of the outer ones, and another, who lived near the house, had those of the inside. Twelve officers and their men relieved each other daily in this duty ; and at short in- tervals on the way to the town were gates, which, in a similar manner, were constantly locked and guarded, the soldiers never quitting them for a moment. They always counted the number of persons who came ashore, and the boat was never allowed, to return without carry- ing forth precisely the same number. If any officer of the ship wished to pass the night in Megasaki, one of the inmates was obliged to gu back in his stead ; and, in like manner, when any one belonging to the auibas- Close wfltcl on his rcal- KRUSENSTERN, KQTZKBUE, AND LUTKE. 691 isiderable e of Me- ;he seven guarded." > near the high tide (boo fence 8 the land gate wish aier-side. the keys |the house, their men short in- 'hich, in a guarded, it. They le ashore, LOut carry- ofl&cer of [ki, one of ■ead ; and, he ambas- sador's suite was desirous of sleeping on board, some chap. xvriL sailor was selected to fill liis place ashore. The ap- pointed number of individuals residing there was neither to be increased nor diminished ; but in this respect no regard was paid to office or quality, all classes being placed on the same footing. Much trifling diplomacy was employed to amuse and Pixjiiminmy deceive M. Resanoff, who still hopsd to be permitted **'»><»'"''«>• to proceed to Jeddo, and to have the honour of a personal audience. On the 12th March, he was made acquainted with tlie determination of the court that he should not be received at the imperial residence, but that a plenipotentiary would be sent to Nangasaki, to accept the presents sent to his master by the czar, as also to discuss the several points which were under- stood to be the subject of negotiation between the two monarchs. It was intimated, at the same time, that the Russians would not be allowed to purchase the smallest article in Japan ; it being the pleasure of the emperor to supply the ship with every thing which should be deemed necessary, including eight weeks' provisions, free from all charge or trouble. At the end of the month just named, the Japanese envoy arrived and entered upon the preliminary dis- cussions as to the time and manner in which the two imperial representatives should meet. The negotiations on tills head were conducted with considerable warmth on both sides, and it was not till the 8d of April that the c^^remonies of thd first audience were adjusted. In substance it was mutually conceded that each was tjic formx of to observe the forms of his own country, and that M. " " ' Resanoff should pay his respects to the p ;nipotentiary, according to the European fashion, an 1 not after the manner of the natives, nor evon the modified style adopted by the Dutch. He consented, indeed, to appear without his sword or shoes ; but perhaps he was not prepared for tJie indignity of being refused a chair^ or any other seat fitted to our mode of reclining. 692 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. Nepocia- tiuns. CHAP, xviii. He found himself under the necessity of sitting in front of the governor and envoy on the floor, with his feet bent under him ; an attitude which was to him at once painful and inconvenient. In returning to his resi- dence he was allowed the use of a sedan chair, the ofiicers who attended him being obliged to proceed on foot. Two audiences followed, which terminated the in- tercourse between these negotiators, one of whom seemed not to have any thing to ask, while the other had obviously received instructions to yield nothing and make no grant. A few insignificant questions led to as many unmeaning replies. The plenipoten- tiary, at the second meeting, put into the hands of the stranger the documents with which he had been intrusted at Jeddo ; containing, among other things, an order that no Russian ship should ever come again to Japan, and a notice that the presents and even the letter from the emperor were peremptorily refused. It was requested that should any Japanese thereafter be cast upon the shores of the European monarch's territory, they should be delivered into the hands of the Dutch at Batavia, who would use means to have them sent to Nangasaki. The ambassador was strictly forbidden to present any gifts while in the country, to make any purchases, to pay any visits, or to admit into his presence the Dutch factor, should he express a desire to have an interview. On the other hand, it was an- nounced that the repairs of the ship and the supply of food and necessaries for the crew were charged to the imperial treasury. The latter included two thousand bags of salt, and a Imndred sacks of rice, besides two thousand pieces of silk as a donation to ^vll^^°J^ ^^ *^^® officers. The reasons assigned for rejecting the presents were, that the Emperor of Japan would be obliged to make a return to the Emperor of Russia, and for this purpose send an ambassador to Petei's- burg; a step which could not be taken without presents. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. G93 violating the laws of the country, it being contrary CHAP, xv ill. to the immemorial usage of tlie several provinces for any one to leave his native land. This, says Krusenstern, " was the result of an Pcsnitsoftii* embassy which had raised such great expectations. *'"^'"^y- We gained no new advantages, but even lost those we had possessed, namely, the written permission which Laxmann had procured fur us to visit Nangasaki. All communication is now at an end between Japan and Russia, unless some great change should take place in the ministry of Jeddo, or indeed in the government itself, and this is perhaps not to be ex- pected, although the interpreters flattered the ambassa- dors with assurances that this refusal had created a great sensation throughout Japan, but particularly in the cities of Miaco and Nangasaki."* It appears from the narrative that the presents were actually landed and received by the provincial governors, among which were some mirrors of a re- markable size. When the daptain asked the interpreter in what manner he proposed to convey them to Jeddo, the other replied that, like every other gift to his Imperial Majesty, they must be carried by men. The Russians affirmed that this would o impossible, as each of them would require at least .vt\ beams, to be relieved at every half mile ; upon which th* learned functionary, looking stedfastly in his face, asked him nnnvnffso' very coolly whether he thought any thing was ini- tiieJii,janei»- possible to the Emperor of Japan! In confirmation of this lofty view of imperial omnipotence, he mentioned that, in the previous year, the ruler of China sent a present of a live elephant, which was carried all the way from Nangasaki to Jeddo. Nay, as a further proof that when an order emanates from the throne all conceivable obstacles must give way, it was stated that a Chinese junk was wrecked in the Bay of Owang, on the eastern coast. It is expressly forbidden that * Krusenstern's Voya^ round the World, vol. i. p. 285. 694 KRUSENSTEUN, KOTZEDUE, AND LUTEjfi. Story of a wi-ecked Junk. CHAP. xvm. foreign vessels shall enter any port save the one into which the Russians themselves were admitted ; and if driven by accident or stress of weather into another it is imperatively ordered that they shall be conveyed thither. The junk had lost her masts and rudder, and was otherwise much damaged ; but, notwithstanding, it waa necessary that she should be dragged round to Nangasaki. The owners wished to break her up and sell the cargo on the spot, a proposal which was not acceded to ; the operation of removal therefore began, and after one hundred boats and six hdndred men had been employed fourteen months in towing the wreck, it was brought into harbour full of water.* With regard to the trade carried on between China and Japan, little information could be obtained eithor from the natives or the Dutch, the latter of whom were not disposed to communicate even the few details with which they w:ere acquainted. It appears that twelve ships were pennitted to visit Nangasaki annually from Ningpo (the Simfo of the Japanese), five of which arrive in June and sail in October ; the seven others come in December and depart in March or April. Their cargoea consist chiefly of sugar, ivory, tin-plates, lead, silk stuffs, and tea. The exports from Japan are copper, camphor, lackered wares, umbrellas, but particularly the dye- fiah, which is used as a medicine in China, and certain large muscles which, when properly preserved, are es- teemed a great delicacy. Although, from the number of junks employed, it might seem that the trade is con- siderable, it is nevertheless believed that two ships of five hundred ions would contain all the goods conveyed by the twelve. A vessel is unloaded in the course of twelve hours ; but it is done in the most careless man- ner, the boxes and bags being thrown out without any regard to their contents or the wishes of the owners. The mtiin cause of this unpardonable negligence aristf from the circumstance that the Chinese themselves are Trade be- tween Japan and China. * Krusenstern^a Voyage, vol. i. p. 27-1. KRU8EN8TBRN, KuTZEDUE, AND LUTKE. 695 not allowed to be present, the day after their arrival chap, xviil. the captAin and his whole crew being carried to the f&c- — tory, and their junk placed in the hands of local agents, who are invested with a discretionary power in the management of the property. As soon as the ship is emptied, they take the opportunity of the first high tide at new or full moon to drag it ashore, where it remains quite dry till within a short time of their departure. It is remarkable that all intercourse be- Kon-intcr. tween this country and the neighbouring shores of Corea «>«««« be- has entirely ceased ; a fact which was previously known and Coruu!,*'* to the Russians, but not explained by either party.* It was not without great satisfaction that Krusenstem and all his people left Japan, its singular inhabitants, and impracticable government. Proceeding by the east- em coast, he passed within sight of an island which he supposed to be that of Oki, and on opening the Strait of Sangaar, which separates Niphon from Jesso, the weather was sufficiently favourable to enable him to determine by observation the latitude and longitude of the two promontories which mark the western termination of that channel. Holding his course to the northward he a bay \n the examined the coast of Jesso, and discovered that the Pic "o^th ot de Langle and Cape Guibert of La Perouse are not on the mainland as laid down by that navigator, but on two different islands, between which and the north-western shore he entered into the strait which bears the name of the Frenchman, and anchored in a bay on which he be- stowed the appellation of Romanzoff. , • The Nades-hda no sooner came to anchor than several of the natives leaped on board, ^i eir first salutation • Krusenstem, vol. i. p. 276. For some of the historical facts mentioned in tlie fore^oin^ pages, the reader will find authorities in Charlevoix's Histoire de Japon, Paris, 1754 ; Entick's Naval His- tory, p. 890; Burney's Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea, vol. x.xi. p. 186-198; and Harris's Collection, vol. L p. 256. !n Entick, pa^e 395, is to be found the letter fiom the Emperor of Japan to the King of England, and the treaty of com- merce concluded by Captain Saris with the Japanese governmeut in the name of the East India Company. 2x 696 KRUSENSTEIlN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. Appearance of the coun- try. CIUF. XVIIL was to drop on their knees, lay both hands on the head """ then drawing them down the face and breast, make a profound inclination of the whole body. The Russians presented them with biscuit and brandy, but they showed no desire whatever for the strong water. One of them brought as a gift a boat-load of excellent herrings, which served the whole ship's company for a meal. The fish proved most excellent, finer indeed than the captain had ever seen ; and as a hundred could be got for a single brass button, their mercantile value was not rated too high for an advantageous purchase. Krusenstern was greatly disappointed in the appear- ance of the country, which was dreary and miserable in the extreme. All beyond the limits of the beach the surface showed nothing better than pebbles, bog, snow, or deep clay, on which it was impossible to proceed a single step. Not a leaf was to be seen on any of the trees, nor the least symptom of verdure, except what proceeded from a few wild leeks and some scattered beds of sam. phire ; yet it was now the middle of May, and the north- ern point of Jesso is nearly in the same parallel with Venice, Lyons, and Milan. The captain remarks that, on his arrival at Kamtschatka about three weeks after- wards he found vegetation much more advanced ; and he adds, that in none of the western provinces of Russia, not even at Archangel itself, which is eighteen degrees more to the northward, could so raw » season be found in the same month. One morning some Japanese went on board with an officer at their head, all of whom appeared extremely alarmed at the arrival of the Russians, and requested most earnestly that they would set sail. The leader seemed to be most deeply penetrated with apprehension ; stating that as soon as the authorities at Matsmai, to whom he was bound to send a report, should hear of their being on the coast, a large fleet would be sent to punish the intruders, who, if they persisted in remain- ing, could not expect any mercy. They assured him that, as soon as the fog should dissipate, they would cer- Alarm of the Inhabitantsi, KRUSENSTKRN, KOTZEBUE AND LUTKE. 697 tainly take their leave ; and meantime he was induced^"^^*^^^^^ to communicate to them whatever geographical know- ledge he had acquired, either from sailing along the coast or from conversation with strangers. He con- finned to them the existence of the island of Karafuto, which indeed they distinctly saw when the weather he- gan to clear up, separated from their present position by a channel about eighteen miles wide."' PfiSsing the Strait of La Perouse the navigators ar- Aniwa Ray. rived in Aniwa Bay, a deep inlet in the southern extre- mity of Sagalien, called Tchoka by the discoverer now named. There is reason to believe that this country, the Karafuto mentioned by the Japanese officer, is not an island as he imagined, but a large peninsula connected with Eastern Tartary, deriving its designation from the river Amour of the Russians, called by the natives Sagalien Oula, as stated by Du Halde, who adds that it forms a long narrow channel which may properly be called the Gulf of Tartary. Captain Broughton navi- gated this strait to the northward on the western side of Sagalien till he had only two fathoms water, while the passage to the northward appeared to be closed by low land ; his latitude at this period being 52° north. La Perouse, who did not proceed so far by half a degree, and who had still a depth of at least six fathoms, held the opinion that the channel might be passed, and there fore that Tchoka is an island. Allusion has already been made to an old chart made by some Portuguese missionaries, in which Sagalien is laid down as a pen- SarjMta insula, attached to Eastern Tartary by a narrow isthmus near the spot where the Oula empties itself into the Sea of Ochotsk. Captain Krusenstem rounded the northern extremity of Sagalien on the eastern side till he could proceed no ferther for the strength of the current, ob- viously the stream of the Amour ; and he concludes, \^'ith Broughton and the missionaries, that it is not an island, but a peninsula. It will probably be found • Krusenstem, vol. ii. p 49, 69S KRUSENSTEItN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. CHAP. XVIII. hereafter to be separated by a shallow strait, resemblinff — that of Manaar, which divides the island of Ceylon fiom the continent of India, or by a bank of sand, like the one which forms an isthmus between Table Bay and False Bay at the Cape of Good Hope.* The Japa- '^^^ Japanese have pushed their establishments even neiw trade at as far north as the Gulf of Aniwa, where many of their vessels were seen taking in cargoes of dried fish : and Krusenstei'n has adopted the opinion that some European nation of active habits would do well to fix a settlement there. There is abundance of furs, the skins of wolves, dogs, and foxes, as well as salted fish, which will always find a market in Corea and China. Even Kamtschatka and Siberia might be supplied from such a station with those European commodities which the inhabitants are obliged to procure through other channels at great ex- pense and with much inconvenience. Whales, which the Japanese know not how to catch, are so numerous in the bay that it requires great precaution, in steering a boat, to avoid tlie hazard of being overset >■" them. Broughton says, there are horses, dogs, deer c several kinds, foxes, and rabbits ; he describes the valleys as very beautiful, with clear rivers running through them ; and adds, that almost all the shrubs indigenous in England are found growing in a healthy condition. Russia, it is admitted, labours under the disadvantage of an infrequent communication by sea, even with her own territories on the north-eastern borders of Asia; but England or America, which have greater facilities for colonization, might discover in Sagalieu the means of extending their trade and employing their shipping. It is a remark of the Russian commander, that the Japanese discipline exists even here, the farthest boun- dary of their possessions, in all its force. The superin- tendent could not be induced to accept a trifling present which the ambassador offered him, and even refused to take a single glass of sakky, their f K<»mts ing the neighbouring coast, where he was filially ob- cimtka. structed by large fields of ice, the captain proceeded to Kamtschatka, making a narrow escape from shipwreck among the Kurile Islands. His details regarding the harbour of St Peter and St Paul must prove interesting to the practical seaman, though they can hardly be ren- dered entertaining to any other class of men. At this period, M. ResanofFand his attendants left the Nadeshda 700 KRUSKNBTERN, KOTZEBUK, AND LUTKK. CHAP. XVIII. and proceeded overland to St Petersburg ; soon after — which Krusenstem resumed his survey of the islands on the coast of Tartary, in the course of which he doubled Ti-c north of the northern extremity of Sagalien, which he found to Sjgaiien. consist of a continuation of sandy downs. The impres- sion on his mind became every day stronger that the country in question is really a peninsula and not an island ; that it is a portion of the Tartarian dominions, and might be claimed by the khan ; but, at the same time, that no ship in ordinary circumstances could make her way so near tho land as to accomplish an inspection of the numerous creeks and bays from the mouth of the river Amour to the Russian boundary. During his last stay at Kamtschatka, the commander collected much valuable information with respect to tlie statistics of that remote colony. The first view of the town, he remarks, is calculated to raise in the mind of a person newly arrived, and ignorant of the history of the establishment, the idea that it had been founded a few- years before and recently abandoned. Nothing is visible that could at all persuade any one of its being inhabited Tiie seWe- |)y ^ civilized people. Awatska Bay and the three ad- i'cuir and St. joining ones are entirely deserted; and the beautiful I'tttii. harbour of St Peter and St Paul itself is not enlivened by a single boat. Instead of this the shores are strewed with stinking fish, among which a number of half-starved dogs are seen wallowing and contending for possession. Two baydares belonging to the port and hauled ashore, might be held as an additional proof that the colony was of very recent origin, did not the visiter perceive at the same moment the wreck of a three-masted ship, which beara evident marks of having been in its present condition during some years. It would be in vain to look about upon landing for one well-built house, for a road, or even a path along which a person might walk in safety to the town ; there is no garden, no meadow, no plantation of any kind indicative of the smallest cultivation ; the only things to be perceived are a few huts, most of which are in an advanced stage of decay. KRUSBNSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^, JOl Instead of bridges over the few small bioolcs which flo^^ CHAP.XVIIL from the neighbouring mountains into the valley where the town stands, are merely planks laid across them, and these must be passed with the greatest cure. Five "^''^ flwoiatc- or six cows feeding in the vicinity of the houses, and p,(ter und St innumerable dogs lying about in holes which they dig *'*'"'• as resting-places and as a shelter against flies, are the only objects at St Peter and St Paul. As the greater part of the inhabitants are from Sagalien^ and are absent during the whole day, a stranger may walk about sev- eral hours without meeting a single individual ; and in the pale emaciated countenances of those whom he might chance to perceive, it would be difficult to recognise the descendants of the heroic Von Rimnik and of Trebbia. Such is the miserable condition of this settlement, undoubtedly the most important place in Kamtschatka ; and yet it is nearly a century and a half since Russia obtained possession of it. The great distance from the capital of the empire is usually assigned aa the prin- cipal reason for the neglect with which its resources are treated, and for the many unfavourable impressions as- sociated with its very name. But it is obvious that , , other causes must contribute to produce the belief, gen- erally entertained, of its being a country in which cold, hunger, and every other species of misery are concen- trated, and which seems condemned to be for ever de- prived of all those enjoyments, moral and physical, on which mankind have agreed to place the highest value. It is admitted that the climate in the neighbourhood of Tiie ciimHte the chief town is somewhat unfavourable, being exposed ^atka!**^ to fogs and frequent rain. Those, however, who have resided several years in the interior concur in the opi- nion, that the weather in the north is infinitely superior to what prevails generally in the more southern parts ; while the soil is, with few exceptions, very fruitful. There every sort of com is cultivated, and many kinds of vegetables ; the length of the winter proving no ob- stacle to the growth of the more common descriptions of farm-produce. The real bar to prosperity is an indo- 702 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUIKlS. Snnuncr in Kamts- chutku. CHAP. XVIII, lence which knows no bounds, anJ the immoderate use of spirits, which renders too many quite incapable of exertion. If the possessor of a garden — and it is open to every one to cultivate as much land as he pleases were to begin to dig his ground in May, he might, saya Krusenstern, furnish his table throughout the seiison not only with salads, radishes, and cucumbers, but also with cabbage, and pease and beans in perfection. No one, however, commences his labours till July, when there is no longer time to bring any thing to maturity. "I passed all the summer months in Kamtschatka during the two years of njy absence ; that is, the whole of June and part of July, and the whole of August and Sept*, nt- ber, and can affirm with confidence that, in these four months, there are as many pleasant cheerful days as in any other place under the same latitude. The month of June was as beautiful as it can possibly be in the most favoured climate ; and yet they consider this month as too early to till the ground, although the snow has at that time quite disappeared from tlie mountains, and the earth is thoroughly thawed." The Kamtschadales, it is related, have embraced tlie christian religion ; but the priests, whose condition is much neglected, do little honour to their profession. "Want compels them to agage in trade, which they prosecute too much in the spirit of laymen, postponing their spiritual duties to the love of gain, or perhaps to the necessity of securing the means of life. The resident clergyman in St Peter and St Paul was a scandal to his order : in the interior they are said to be no better ; and it cannot therefore be surprising that they are regarded by the people without either respect or affection.* As the Neva meanwhile had been employed on the north-western shores of America in procuring furs for the Chinese market, it became necessary that the ex- pedition, in order to accomplish one of the objects The clergy of Kiiints- cliatka. * Krusenstern, vol. ii. p. 255. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZISDUE, AND LUTKIS. 703 enjoined by the imperial government, should proceed chap, xviii. to Canton to dispose of the cargo. On their arrival — at the city now named, ivhich took place about the end of the year 1805, the captains announced to the authorities the intention of their visit. Permission Rmbartro on was immediately granted, and they had nearly finished ut Cuntoir" their business, when all at once proceedings were stopped, and they were told that they must wait patiently for the emperor's orders from Pe-king. The beoson for sailing in those seas being now near a close, the committee of the English factory remonstrated with the principal merchants, representing to them tiie disgrace and impropriety of their conduct in laying an embargo on the trade of a friendly nation without having the slightest cause of complaint against any person on board. This reasonable appeal had the desired effect ; the cargoes were completed, and the Russians lost no time in quitting the river. But the tyranny and caprice of the government did imperini not stop here ; for hardly had the ships passed the "eOTvecilTe Bocca Tigris when an imperial mandate arrived en- tliem. joining that they should be instantly stopped. This document stated that the Hoppo Yen had informed the court of the arrival of two Russian vessels, with two foreign merchants, named Krusenstern and Lisianskoy, having in their possession a certain amount of specie and furs ; that the said Hoppo, with the approbation of the Viceroy Ho, and the* Sub-viceroy Sun, had allowed the Hong merchants to trade with them on fair and honest terms. This mode of proceeding yvm strongly condemned as at once negligent and informal ; and it was added that the Hoppo was very culpable, and tnat Ho and Sun were deserving of the highest censure for their concurrence ; more especially because the name of Russia had never before reached the court, unless it were to be considered as the foreign mode of pronouncing Go-lo-s^, a country the existence of which wai not altogether unknown. Hoppo and the viceroy were therefore commanded to inquire whether 704 KRUSENSTERX, KOTZEliUE, AND LUTKE. Require- ments of the iiiftndute CHAP. xvui. these dealers really came from the nation of Go-lo-se' and if so, to aak how they, who had hitherto traded by way of Kiachta in Tartary, had now been able to find their passage to Cnnton. They were also instructed to ascertain whether the strangers had visited any other kingdoms in their passage thither, from whom tliey might iiave received information how to reach the shores of the celestial empire. Finally, these func- tionaries were desired to learn whether the cargoes belonged to the captains or to the sovereign whose subjects they were, and to transmit by express the whole intellij: once thereby obtained to the supreme tribunal at Pc!-king. If the ships should have departed before these injunctions arrived, the evil was to be held irreparable ; but to prevent any similar encroachment, it was directed that no foreign vessel belonging to any other nation besides those who had been in the habit of frequenting: the port, should on any account be permitted to anchor until the orders of the court were received and duly promulgated. Such a reception from their neighbours in China and Japan was little fitted to encourage, on the part of the Russians, any attempt to renew an intercourse whether commercial or diplomatif. Indeed the am- bassador, ResanofF, was so deeply offended by the insults inflicted on him at Nangasaki, that, on his return to St Peterr.burg, he projected a military expedition against the establishments of the latter country in the Bay of Aniwa and on the northern shove of Jesso. it vould have been at once more wise and merciful to lead a colony c*^ industrious cultivators, artisi^ds, and shipowners into those remote parts of the world ; where a reasonable prospect miglit be entertained of acquirmg wealth by peacable means, and at the si\me time of im proving the condition of a gentle race t f men who are held in a degrading subjection by the Japanese govern- ment. About three years afler the appearance of Kruscn- stcrn's volumes, a similar work appeared under the name 'I'lie Kussi.m innbassadora uiUiKiiatiuu. xo-lo-se, aded by e to find acted to ny other cm they each the Bse func- B cargoes rn whose press the supreme 5 d«parted to be held oachment, ing to any the habit iccount be court were China and he part of intercourse Id the ara- d by the his return expedition itry in the Jesso. It lerciful to tisuiis, and rid ; where ,f acquiring ime of im len who sw lesc govem- Jof Krusen- In- the name KUUSENSTEaN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKt. 705 of Lisianskoy, whose ship parted from the NadeshdacHAP. xvnr. at the Sandwich Islands, and proceeded to Kodiac and ., — , other of the Russian settlements on the coast of North Li^iiuuskoy. America. Being employed chiefly in the coUectioii of furs for the Chinese markf c, and in the small commerce with the natives incident to that pursuit, he had no opportunity of adding to our knowledge of the globe, or throwing any new light on the shores, bays, creeks, and islands which had been so carefully examined by Cook. He shares largely, however, in the merit due to his superior officer, to whom science is indebted for many valuable observations on astronomy and meteorology, in 80 far as these branches of physical research are con- nected with the progress of navigation in all parts of tiie great ocean. The geography, too, of the north- eastern regions of Asia has been much extended and defined, more particularly the Gulf of Tartary, the sea of Ochoisk, and the Kurile archipelago.* Kotzebue, whose labours in the cause of discovery we Apimhitnifnt lire now about to notice, sailed with Krusenstern in the ^^ gjipiore "^^ Nad'^'hda, and was indeed recommended by him as a suit- tiio FoUh- (ible person to tiike the command of the Rurick, a ship '""* fitted out at the expe^ise of Count RomanzofF, the chan- cellor of the empire. The main object of this enterprise, no doubt, was the determination of the geographical problem as to the existence of a navigable passage be- tween the Atlantic and Pacific along the northern verge of America. A design was for a moment entertained "if sailing across the polar basin ; but success in this attempt being considered next to impossible, it was finally resolved to advance into Behring*8 Straits, and endeavour to penetrate through the ice from west to east. The count, indeed, meant to attempt a passage, at the same time, from east to west, in a larger vessel, • A Voyajfe round the World in the Years 1803-4-5-6, per- I'tirraed by order of his Imperial Majesty Alexander the First, Emnercr of Russia in the Slii|) Nova, hy tfrey Lisianskoy, Captain in tliB Itussian Navy, and Knijjht of tlie Orders uf St Cieor^jo aa.* Vladimir. Loadon, lUU. 706 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBIE, AND LUTKjfe. iicsign. CHAP XVIII. which he hoped to procure from the United States, and with this view had already opened a correspondence with DifflcuitJesin certain individuals in that republic. Difficulties soon arose which were not at first anticipated ; and these, joined to the knowledge that the English were about to fit out an expedition for the same purpose, dissuaded him from persevering in this subordinate part of his plan. With regard to the scheme of attempting to find a channel from the Sea of Kamtschatka to the Atlantic Ocenn, it was no doubt recollected that the endeavours of Cook and Gierke in Behring's Strait had left but little hope of penetrating farther to the north thttn the latitude they had attained ; but there were parts of the American coast, both north and south of that channel, which those celebrated navigators could not explore ; a circumstance which at least left a little hope that some inlet might be found connected perhaps with a large river falling into the Frozen Sea, on whose stream it might prove easier to reach the Atlantic than by the arduous course round Icy Cape. The preparations for the voyage were confided to tli.3 zeal and experience of Krusenstern, who, as on a for- mer occasion, repaired to London, where the articles indispensable in such a voyage are procured better and cheaper than any where else.* It was not till the begin- Preparatioiis for Kotze- tiue's voyage. * " A Voyaffe of Discovery into tlie South Sea and Behrin|r's Straits, tor the purpose of exploring a North-East Passage, under- taken in the Years 1815-1818, &c. Under the command of the Lieutenant in the Russian Imperial Navy, Otto von Kotzebue,*" 3 vols, London, 1821 ; vol. i. p. 18. "The ship was likewise pro- vided with a life or safety boat, which the Eng-lish Admiralty had ordered to be built for the Rurick at my request. During my stay in England I had visited the harbour of Plymouth, and there seen a life-boat, the invention of Mr Fincham, a master shipbuilder. The judicious contrivance, an-.l the small size of this boat, which was provided with air-chests, made me anxious to have such a one for Lieutenant Kotzebue. On my return to London, therefore, I made an application in writing to the Admiralty, and received on tlie same day an answer from the secretary Mr Barrow, who enjoys a most honourable reputation both as a traveller and a writer, statiiiff f hat the heads of the Admiralty had immediately issued an order to build one for Count Romanzon's expedition, according to the di" KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 707 ■8 soon these, J about ssuaded . of his )ting to , to the ihat the •a Strait r to the )ut there ind south iors could !ft a little d perhaps on whose antic than ning of October 1816 that the Rurick left the shores oIciiap. xviil England, proceeding on her course towards Teneriffe, whence she sailed io Brazil, doubled Cape Horn, touched at the port of Conception in Chili, and, in June the fol- lowing year, arrived at Kamtschatka. No incidents oc- curred during that long run, which in an abridged form would afford either instruction or amusement to the reader. Having left the Russian settlement, Kotzebue Tiie isinnd* steered for the American coast ; on his approach to which rence.*"'*" lie found himself in the group of islands that bear the name of St Lawrence. The first aspect was by no means inviting ; high mountains covered with snow, and a rocky beach enveloped in fog. He observed people and tents on shore, and imagining that they had never been visited by Europeans, he resolved to gratify the curiosity of the naturalists whom he had on board, as well as to secure to himself the honour of a discovery. Two boats were accordingly dropped into the water, which were manned with sailors bearing the usual weapons of attack or de- fence. At a small distance from the land, they met a baydare or canoe rowed by ten natives, who approached them without fear, bawling as loud as they could raise their voices, holding fox-skins in the air, and beckoning in a manner at once eager and ludicrous. But they also, suspicious of their visiters, had arms concealed in the bottom of their small skiff, though their fears soon gave place to confidence. Proofs were not long absent that the Rurick v/as not the only European ship which the islanders had seen, for, besides manifesting a disposi- tion to barter, they asked a present of tobacco. In many Jjlf^s of these respects they resemble the inhabitants of Norton Sound ibluada. as described by Captain Cook : they are of a middle stature, robust make, and healthy appearance ; their tlothing, which is very simple in its fashion, consists of skins, and their dwellings are filthy in the highest degree, • iiiensions ifiven by me. This was done, and when the Rurick put into Pl;yinouth on her voyage, the boat was deHvercd to Kot/.obue «itli()ut any ))ayment whatever being asked for it" 708 KUUSENSTEUN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. A savnge religious ceremony. CHAP. XVIII This spot of land is called Tschibocki by the inhabi. — tantSj who give to the American coast, towards the east, the name of Kililack. The former is sufficiently steril and repulsive. Not a single tree, not even a small bush, adorns the gray rocks ; only short grass sprouts up here and there among the moss, and a few stunted plants rise through the surface of the ground. The botanists, not- withstanding, succeeded in discovering some interesting flowers, unknown to the scientific collectors in more genial climates. Near the northern point of the St Lawrence Islands several baydares were seen approaching the ship, each of them containing not fewer than ten men. When they had advanced within a few yards they left otf rowing, and then with doleful voices commenced a mournful song. At the same time, one of them arose, holding up a small black dog, and after speaking some words in a very impressive manner, drew a knife with which he inflicted a moi-tal wound on the animal, and forthwith threw it into the sea. The meaning of this sacrifice appeal's not to have been comprehended by the navigators, though from the solemnity of the act, and the silence which prevailed during the performance of it, there can be no doubt that it partook of a religious na- ture. Its importance in the eyes of the simple savages became more manifest from the fact, that it was not until the ceremony was duly concluded any of them would venture on board. In a region of the \^•orld where the whole coast is fringod with insular groups, the discovery of an un- known 3reek or islet can excite no surprise, and ought The Island of not to be made the ground of undue triumph. After liiitmanofl. passing Cape Prince of Wales, Kotzebue perceived a small island, which he called RatmanofF, in compliment to an officer who had sailed with him under Krusen- stern. He remarks, " it is very surprising that neither Cook nor Clerke should have seen it, as both their courses Jed them close by it ; and it has occurred to uie that it may have since risen from the sea." To tho The i^sla^,(^ of Saritschcir. KRUSENRTERxV, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 709 northward of the cape just designed, is a long tract of low chap, xviir, ground covered vith luxuriant verdure, and presenting — the appearance oi" a consitlerable population. On land- ing, the seamen found the houses in the exclusive pos- session of dogs, the j^ieople having fled. These dwellings were greatly superior to any hitherto seen, being con- Btructed of more durable materials, and divided into a number of apartments by means of wooden partitions. The floors, raised three feet from the ground, were like- wise formed of timber, which is understood to be sup- plied by the north-eastern current sweeping past the mouths of the rivers on the American coast, where trees grow to a large size. It soon became apparent that the shore on which they had debarked was not a part of the continent, but an island seven miles long, and about one mile across in the widest apart. Beyond it was an inlet jiie i,ay of running deeply into the mainland ; on entering which, Sciiismm tff. two boats were observed of the same description as those used by the natives of the Aleutian group. The aspect of the crews was exceedingly disgusting ; their persons were filthy ; their countenances haO an expres- sion of fierceness ; and no inducements could prevail upon them to land. They hit their heads with both their hands and then fell down, as if dead, probably to give their visiters to understand that their lives were not safe in the vicinity of such strangers. It should soem that they were not acquainted with firearms, be- cause they did not keep out of the reach of shot, though a number of muskets were standing near.* ' Voyaj^e of* Discovery, &c., vol. i. p. 203. Kotzebue ^ivcs a niiiuUe (lesciiption of* the nouses mentioned in the text. " We now examined the interior of* their dwellini^s, and found them cieanly and convenient. We entered first into an apartment ten feet lon^, seven broad, and seven hi^h ; the walls and the top were coveretl with wood. To the lef*t hand, in a pit which extended all alonjr the room, lay pieces of black blubber about a f*oot square, and be- side these lay sieves with long handles. Several utensils, and other very neat work of the inhanitants, lay scattered about in their iKveliin^s. I particularly remarked two very neat-made sledges of morse and whale b«mes, which likewise showsi that they are used to be drawn by dog.s." Vol. i. pp. 200, 201. 710 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKlg. Kntzcbue'B Sound. CHAP.xviii. The island and the bay behind it are known respec. lively by the names of Saritseheff and Sehismareff ; eaclj being intended to preserve the memory of a nautical friend. In his attempts to survey the latter, Kotzebue encountered so many obstructions, owing to currents and sandbanks, that, relinquishing a complete exami- nation till the following year, he resolved to proceed into Behring*a Strait, of which the navigation is not open more than a short period every season. On the 1st of August, he perceived that the coast took a direc- tion very much to the east, the land continuing low. At eleven he found himself at the entrance of a broad inlet; the shore towards the east gradually vanished, and high mountains rose in the north. Here the wind suddenly abating, he was obliged to cast anchor ; the nearest land lay to the south-east at the distance of four miles, the current running strong into the entrance. The commander of the Rurick was now on the point of making a discovery which will secure to his name a certain degree of distinction in the annals of naval enter- prise. He appreciated the importance of his position, and the value of the fame which seemed within his reach ; declaring that he could not describe the strange sensa- tion which he experienced at the idea that he perhaps stood near the opening of the long-sought passage into the Atlantic, and that " fate had chosen him to be the discoverer." He felt his heart oppressed, and, at the same time, an impatience which would not let him rest, and was still increased by the perfect calm. He ordered two boats to be got ready, and, accompanied by the na- turalists, set out at two o'clock with the intention of ascending some eminence, and thence marking the di- rection of the shore. From the summit oi a hill in tlie neighbourhood he could nowhere perceive land in the strait ; and it was obvious that the high mountains towards the north either formed islands, or constituted a separate coast ; for that the two could not be con- nected togetlier was quite manifest even from the great difference between the low beach near which lie stood, Excitement lespectiiig (iiu Suiuid. KRtJSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 711 TIjc 8caboai-d of the Sound. nnd the remarkably high land on which his eyes were chap, xviri. fixed. He now commanded a very extensive view into the country, which stretched out into a large plain, in- terrupted occasionally by marshes, small lakes, and a river which, flowing with numerous windings, fell into tlie bay at a short distance from his station. As far as vision could extend, every thing was green ; here and there were flowers in blossom, and no snow could be seen but on the tops of the remotest mountains ; and yet at the depth of only half a foot under this verdant carpet was found a solid bed of ice. It was his intention to continue his survey of the coast in the boats ; but a number of baydares approach- ing from the east induced him to pause. Five of then . soon touched the shore near which he stood, landing eight or ten men, each armed with lances and bows. At the head of every canoe was a fox- skin on a high pole, with which they beckoned to the Russians, utter- ing at the same moment the loudest cries. He ordered his crew to prepare themselves for defence, and mean- while advanced, in company with the naturalists, to meet the savages, who, on seeing them approach, sat down like Turks forming a circle on the ground, an attitude by which, it was understood, they meant to make known their friendly intentions. Two chiefs, it was observed, had seated themselves apart from the rest. The Europeans entered the circle well armed, perceiv- ing that the natives had left most of their weapons in natiVai. the baydares, though they had long knives concealed in their sleeves. Distrust, curiosity, and astonishment, were painted in their countenances ; they spoke inces- santly, but not a word was understood by the other party. To give them a proof of his amicable sentiments, the lieutenant distributed some tobacco, assigning to the chiefs a double portion ; and they were all evidently delighted with this valuable present. With the low cunning peculiar to an uncivilized state of society, those who received first secretly changed their places in the ring in the hope of obtaining a second allotment. " It 2y Interview with the i '•} 712 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBLE, AND LUTKE. Traffic of the natives with Tschulcot- ikoL CHAP. XVIII. was," says the historian of the voyage, " a curious sight — to see this savage horde sitting in a circle, smoking out of white stone pipes with wooden tubes." Tobacco, it may be noticed in passing, is supplied to the tribes of north-western America by the Tschukot- /koi, who inhabit the opposite shores of Asia, and who traffic with them in the excliange of European goods for skins and other fruits of their industry. Kotzebue farther bestowed upon the two leading persoiis who sat apart, a gift of knives and scissors. The latter imple- ment, with which they seemed to be altogether unac- quainted, afforded particular pleasure, especially when they found it would be extremely useful fov cutting their hair ; an operation to which it was immediately applied all round the circle. A friendly feeling mani- fested itself on both sides, mixed, indeed, with the cau- tion on the one hand and the suspicion on the other which are inseparable from the firet meeting of two classes of men standing at such a distance in point of social improvement. The.se hyperborean Americans are described as being of a middle size, robust make, and healthy appearance : their motions are lively, and they seemed much inclined to sportiveness ; but their coun- tenances, though not expressive of stupidity, are very plain, being characterized by small eyes and very high cheek-bones. They have holes on each side of the mouth, in which they wear rings ornamented with blue glass beads, which give them a most frightful appear- ance. Their hair, which hangs down at full length be- hind, is cut quite short on the crown of the head. Their dress, which, as already mentioned, is made of skins, follows the same fashion as that used in Kamtschatka : besides which they wear pantaloons, and small boots composed of coarse leather manufactured from the hide of the seal.* It should seem, from various indications, that this isolated people had made more than the usual progress Their oma* ments and costume. * Kotzebiie^s Voyage, vol. i. p. 210. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. 713 leir coun- in the knowledge of some mechanical arts. On the chap, xviii. shore was observed a round tower built of stone, about twenty feet in height and six in diameter ; but ae it was not minutely examined, no conclusion could be drawn as to its origin or purpose. Their arms consist Tiieir of lances, bows, arrows, and a knife two feet long, al- **''^'*°*" ways carried in a sheath. Their lances, which are of iron, are well wrought, and probably of European manu- facture. They had various articles of domestic work- manship which they were ready to exchange for tobacco, looking-glasses, and other trifling commodities ; but they would not sell their skins, especially those of the black fox, except for goods of more permanent value. Kotzebue still entertained the hope of finding a pas- sage through the inlet into which he had entered. He was nearly in the latitude of 67° ; a man from the mast- head could perceive nothing but sea to the eastward, and in such circumstances it is not surprising that his " expectations were at the highest pitch." Animated by this prospect he spent thirteen days in surveying the shores of the bay ; but the only passage out of it was on the south-eastern side, apparently communicating with Norton Sound, and a channel on the western side, open- ing, it is probable, into the recess he had lately visited, and which bears the name of SchismarefF. He there- fore resolved to intermit his researches till the following year, when he hoped to make important discoveries ; satisiied that, though a north-eastern passage could not be anticipated with certainty, he should be able to pene- trate much farther to the east, as the laud had very deep indentures. In the courac of his mvestigations he came upon an The island of island, which he called Chamisso, in compliment to the C"*™'**^ naturalist who usually accompanied him. From a high point in it the party commanded an extensive view, and ascertained that the land on which they stood was divided from the continent by a strait five miles broad in the narrowest part. Snow was nowhere to be seen ; the mountains were covered with moss, and the shore 71 4 KRUSENSTERN, KUTZEBUE, AND LUTKlS. A rcmaik- Hble Iceberg. Cli.VP.Xviii. was clothed with a luxuriant verdure. " I readily con- ~~" fess," says he, " that I seldom ftlt happier than on this spot ; to which the idea of being the first European that ever put his foot on it may have greatly contributed." To the inlet, indeed, he gave the name of the Bay of Good Hope, having little doubt that his most brilliant prospects as a navigator w^ould in due time be fully realized by accomplishing a voyage through some one of the arms which stretch out from it. On a promontory which extends into the sea from the south-eastern shore a party who had landed made a sin- gular discovery. They had climbed about a great deal during their stay without finding out that they were on a real iceberg. The doctor, who had extended his excur- sions, noticed that part of the bank was broken down, and saw to his astonishment that the interior of the mountain consisted of pure ice. At this news they all went, pro- vided with shovels and crows, to examine the i)henome- non more closely, and soon arrived at a place where the hill rises almost perpendicularly out of the water to the height of more than a hundred feet. There they perceived masses of the purest ice more than thirty yards thick, which are under a cover of moss and grass, and could not, they imagined, have been produced but by some terrible convulsion of nature. This part, which by some accident had fallen in, and was thereby ex- posed to the sun and air, melted away, and a good deal of moisture flowed into the gulf. They considered as an indisputable proof of what they saw being real ice that a large quantity of mammoths' teeth and bones was ex- posed to view by the melting, and among which the lieutenant himself found a very fine tooth. There was, at the same time, a strong smell like that of burnt horn, for which he could not account ; but which he might have refer/ed to the fire he kindled for the purpose of making tea, for the effluvium that reached his nostrils was evi- dently the effect of heat acting on animal matter. He states that the covering of the hill, on which the most luxuriant grass springs to a certain height, is only half Fossils on it. KRUSENSTEHN, KOTZEBUE, AND L( TKE. 715 ft foot thick, and consists of a mixture of clay, sand, ^^'^^^^ •^^''^^' and earth ; liclovv which, as the ice gradually melts, the green cover sinks in proportion, but continues to grow ; " and thus," he concludes, " it may be foreseen that in along series of v ars the mountain will vanish, and a ga-en VJi ley be found in its stead." Chamisso, the naturalist of the expedition, considers I'ro^aWo this formation to be similar to the ground-ice covered iceberg! with vegetation at the mouth of the Lena, out of which the mammoth, the skeleton of which is now it St Pe- tersburg, was thawed. It is more probable that it is a common iceberg, produced from the source w hence all such accumulations derive their existence. A stream of water tailing from a piecipice is converted, at the ap- proach of winter, into a sheet of ice on the beach. Next season a new layer is added, which, from the operation of the same cause, receives a successive increase, and at length the mass attains such a weight that, separating from the land to which it has attached itself, it falls into the waves, and is carried forth into the ocean by the re- flux of the tides. All our northern navigatoi affirm that stones, moss, and earth have been observed on the icel)ergs which are seen floating in Baffin's Bay and Davis' Straits. Tliere is, indeed, a difficulty in regard to the teeth of the huge animals whose relics have been detected in other parts of the arctic ocean ; and ques- tions might be agitiited respecting them, which, how- ever closely connected with geological hypotheses, have no relation to a voyage of discovery accomplished by a plain seaman. Leaving Kotzebue's Sound the Rurick shaped her Deparhire course for the Asiatic shore, for reasons which, though ^"'^ so^^i satisfactory to her commander, are not quite intelligible to the reader of his volumes. " According to my in- Btractions," says he, " I was to have looked for a safe anchoring-place in Norton Sound, and from thence to proceed next year farther to examine the coast ; but, as fortune directed me to a hitherto unknown sound, which affords the safest anchoring-places, and where an 710 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKJfc. The supposed iiorth-eust liussuge. CHAP, xvill. expedition by land must lie far more interesting than in -"• Norton Sound, I consider ft voyage thither us quite unne- cessary." He therefore resolved to spend some time on the Asiatic coast, in order to become acquainted with its inhabitants, and to compare them witli the Americans ; a determination the wisdom of wliich has been ques- tioned, hoth because it led him to throw away time which might have been hetter em]>loyed in pursuinj,' the main object of his expedition, and more especially he- cause the Russian territory which he went to visit was already sufficiently known to all the maritime states of Europe. With reference to the practicability of a north-cast passage his observations tended to invest with the au- thority of facts certain opinions whicli, till that period, seemed to rest merely on the basis of conjecture. One of the arguments in favour of undertaking a voyage along the northern shores of America derived its chief plausibility from the inference that, as a constant cur- rent descends into Hudson's Bay on the eastern side of the continent, an equal flow of water must enter Behring's Straits from the Pacific on the western side. Every circumstance recorded by navigators appeared to countenance this conclusion ; such as the floating of the driftwood towards the north, the retiring of the ice in the same direction, and, in particular, the tempera- ture of the water. Kotzebue and his friend Chamisso concur in affirming that it is to this current, which moves incessantly, the inhabitants of SaritscheflTs Island are indebted for the supply of wood so necessary to their comfort, consisting, in some instances, of the trunks of large trees. The naturalist remarks that, on the break- ing up of the ice in the sea of Kamtschatka, the bergs and icy fields " do not drift as in the Atlantic to the south, nor do they drive to the Aleutian Islands, but into the strait to the north." When near the Asiatic side of the channel, he found it running with a velocity of not less than three miles an hour ; and they all con- fidently assert, that even with a fresh north wind, it The east- ward arctic current KRUSENSTERN, KOTZRBUE, AND LDTK^. 717 continued to run equally strong from the south. Nay, chap, xviii. the lieutenant maintahis that the direction of the cur- — rent was always north-east in Belirin^^'s Straits, and records that, on one occasion, in the course of twenty- four hours, it carried the ship fifty miles from the land to whicli her head was turned. He therefore almost necessarily arrived at the conclusion already mentioned and in which he had been anticipated by other writers, on theoretical as well as practical grounds. The con- ^nfoneons slant flow of the current into the strait " proves that the Kotsebua water meets with no opposition, and consequently, a passiige must exist, though perhaps not adapted to navi- gation." Such speculations, since the days of Ross, Parry, and Becchey, have lost much of their interest ; it being no longer doubtful that the vast influx between iilast Cape and the opposite headland takes its course round America, and returns into the ocean through Davis' Strait. Some light has also been thrown by the voyage of the Rurick on a sulyect wliich has from time to time occu- pied the attention of philosophers ; namely, the great difference of temperature between the eastern and west- ern sides of continents or large islands. For example, it was found that while all was verdure at Cape Prince of Wales in America, the corresponding point in Asia was covered with " eternal ice." Kotzebue incidentally Differences remarks when at East Cape, that " ice and snow have the samo maintained their rule here since last year, and in this latitudes. state we find the whole coast ; while in America even the summits of tho mountains are free from snow : there, the navigator sees the coast covered with a green carpet, while here, black mossy rocks frown upon him, with snow and icicles." In fact, a few hours' sailing di- rectly to the westward from the eastern verge of the strait sank the thermometer from 69° to 43° of Fahrenheit. Various reasons have been suggested to account for this meteorological phenomenon. Humboldt has taken a philosophical view of the subject, which, in particular situations, may be considered as explaining the cause. ]'■'■ i fii id\ 718 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. Chamisso's theory re- spectinc: these differ- ences. CHAP. XVIII, :it least to a cort ^ol. i. p. 272. minions, informed ie guilty, lered the :he czar, a most vivacity >specting [lowledge >tzebuc'9 I supplied natural rolynesians. legn ee ot merit which, so far from being exclusively his ownjCHAP.XVIIL jnust, it is believed, be shared with older navigators. ~~" Intending to spend part of the winter among the insular groups near the northern tropic, both with the view of finding refreshment for his men and of enlarging his nautical map, he left the dominions of Tamehameha with his face turned towards the south-west. On the 1st of January 1817, when in lat. 10° 10' N. and long. 1 89° 64' W., he perceived a low islet, well covered with wood, emerging above the horizon. The natives, who ^ snperior were elegantly shaped, with high foreheads and aquiline ^■^)'®„^^„ noses, hovered round the ship, manifesting an earnest desire to enter into friendly relations with the foreigners. In other particulars, besides figure and complexion, they seemed superior to most of the tribes sctattered over the surface of the South Sc^a. Their hair, which was neatly tied up, presented ornaments composed of flowers and coloured shells ; and instead of huge ear-rings, the usual deformity of savages, they displayed cylinders of green leaves gracefully suspended from either side of the face. As no single islands in this part of the ocean were known to the lieutenant, he noi, unreasonably cti, eluded that the little settlement with which he had just become acquainted must be a new discovery. Soon afterwards lie fill in with a chain of islands, or TheKadlack rather a succes-siou of clusters, each consisting of a circu- ■'^l*'"^ lar reef of coral rocks, nut of which, at irregular dis- tances, rose a number ct" flat islets richlv stored with the bread-fruit, the pandauus, and cocoa-nut trees. These also are claimed for the conmiander of the Rurick by his former chief, though there is great reason to doubt whether they are not the same which were seen by Captain Marshall in 1788, and by the Nautilus in 1799, and bearing on the charts the name of the vi ssel just ijpecified, as well as those of Chatham and Calvert. But whatever may be his rights as a discoverer, he is cer- tainly entitled to the honour of having defined their true position, and of iviving also collected some valuable fjicis illustrative of the oiigin of such formations. It is ' I ! > ' i ii lil /^ . Theorj' of the coral iblandii. 724 KRUSENSTEBN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. CHAP. XVIII. well known that throughout a large portion of the Pa. cific there are numerous groups which rise out of the water like fairy rings in a meadow ; the upper surface of which is composed of calcareous fragments of a great variety of shapes, the production of marine animals, and usually described as coral rocks. Chamisso, allowing himself to be guided by the fact that these islets are not found in all situations, and that when they do occur they usually appear in rows, and are united in clusters as if resting on a common basis, arrived at the conclu- sion, that the minute creatures to whose labours they are ascribed must found their buildings on shoals, or, more correctly speaking, on the tops of mountains lying under water. The extreme depth at which these insects can carry on their toils has not yet been ascertained, though it was • found that, in Baffin's Bay, similar animals existed at the depth of a thousand fathoms, and in a temperature be- low the freezing point. On the one side, as they increase they continue to approach the surface of the sea ; on the other side, they extend the boundary of their work. The larger species, which form blocks several lathoms in thickness, seem to prefer the more violent surf on the external edge of the reef, and as soon as it reaches such a height that it is dry at low water, they leave off building. At this stage various shells, fragments of co- ral, and the exuviae of the sea-hedgehog, are cemented, by the heat of the sun acting on the calcmeous sand, into one solid mass, which, augmented by the continual accetsuion of new materials, gradually increases in thick- Tiie risinff of ness, till at leiia-th it becomes so hiffh that it is covered tlieii- minoral ' '^ ,. . , .V ■ .-j i • i niiUtcr. only at some seasons or the year by the spring tides which ])eriodically occur. In the next place, the solar heat so penetrates the mass of stone when it is dry that it splits in many places, and breaks off in flakes ; which again are raised upon one another by the waves whenever the surface of the ocean is unusually elevated. The power- ful surf, of which the action never ceases, throws large blocks of coral, frciiioTitly a fatlicm in length and three KRUSEN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 725 or four feet thick, upon the summit of the reef; and, in CIIAP.XVIII. a little time, the comminuted shells and calcareous sand remains undisturhed, oflFering to the seeds of trees and plants cast upon them a soil upon which they rapidly grow to overshadow its white dazzling surface. Entire trunks of trees, which are carried by the rivers of other islands, and even distant continents, find here at length a resting-place after their long wanderings, conveying with them various small animals, such as lizards and Jijeirflrst insects, as the first inhabitants of the newly formed islet. But before the trees have risen up into a wood, the sea- birds have found themselves a place where they may lay their young ; other winged creatures, driven thither by storms, take refuge among the bushes ; and at a much later period, when the work has long been completed, man also appears, builds his hut on the primitive soil, and calls himself the proprietor of a possession which sprung from the working of unconscious animalcules. It is deserving of notice, however, that the reef, though circular, is not so complete as to enclose the whole of the interior, into which the sea must have a free admit- tance at the flow of the tide. Nay, the exterior wall consists of a number of elevated points, which them- selves may be viewed as little islands, amounting, in some cases, to as many as sixty, and having the land between them quite dry at the time of ebb. In those latitudes, where a constant monsoon prevails, and where ^'^®'J"^*'|"* the waves beat only on one side of tlie reef, it is easy to understand why this section of the outer parapet should be found to have derived its chief materials from blocks of coral and fragments of shell, and be seen to rise first above the level of the waves. It is only with regard to aie nature and formation of this class of islands that any certain knowledge has been attained ; for as to those more gigantic groups in that ocean which washes the shores of India and China, from the charts given of tliem it may be inferred that every side i? tqually ad- vanced in formation. t. '. ,i I- ;• .4. »-. '■ I , CHAP. XVIII. Thoir inner Their great age- 726 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. The coral islands, though they owe their existence to the operation of the same series of causes, do not in all respects strictly resemble one another ; and it is ex- tremely probable that their varying extent, as well as the degree of dissimilitude which appears among them, are owing to the size and form of the submarine moun- tains on which they are respectively founded. In all cases the inner shores of the isles, those, namely, which surround the salt water lakes in the interior, consist of fine sand washed up by the tide ; presenting thus both a soil and shelter to the smaller plants which could not endure the dash of the outer wave or the constant action of the wind. Among the peculiarities of these insular dwellings, no dew falls, no tempest rages, and the course of the wind seldom undergoes any change. The lieutenant, more contemplative than Davis, Baf- fin, or Cook, cannot refrain from uttering reflections which, however just in themselves, would have perhaps assumed a more suitable air had they proceeded from the pen of one of his philosophers. " The spot on which I stood filled me with astonishment, and I adored in silent admiration the omnipotence of God, who had given even to these minute animals the power to construct such a work !'* His thoughts were confounded when he con- sidered the immense series of ages that must elapse before such an island can rise from the fathomless abyss of the ocean and become visible on the surface. At a future period, says he, they will assume another shape ; all the islands will join, and form a circular slip of earth with a pond or lake in the centre ; and this form will again change, as these animals continue building, till they reach the surface, and then the water >vill alto- gether vanish, and only one great island be visible. It is a strange feeling to w^.lk about upon a recent forma- tion where all below is actively at work. And to what corner of the eaith can we penetrate, where hunifin beings are not already to be found ? In the reinotost regions of the north, amidst mountains of ice, under KRUSENSTBKN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUIKE. 727 the burning sun of the equator, nay, oven in the middle ^"'^^•^^^^^^ of the ocean, or ielands which have been formed by animals, they are met with."* On the seventh day of February Kotzebue sailed from pepartnve » •' from tlio the " beloved Otdia," one of the lladack chain, after itua.ick linving spent a hai)py period among Iha " uncorrupted ^^^^'^ cliikhen of nature." II is intention was to return to the western shore of North America, with the view of re- suming the survey which had been interrupted the ])re- vious year ; and on the thirteenth of April he had reached the latitude of 44^ 30', and longitude 181° 8', when an occurrence took place which compelled him to alter his j)lan, and in fact to relinquish the undertaking. The weather hud already become bad ; there were violent storms with hail and snow ; and on the night of the twelfth a hurricane arose which tore up the sea in masses such as no one had ever before seen. " Nobody," says the commander, " who has not witnessed such a scene can form an adequate idea of it. It seemed as if adi;eful revolution was at that moment destroying the whole fabric of nature. At four o'clock in t^>e morning Accident I was just looking at the height of a foaming wave, ^™'"j^nQ, when it suddenly Ijok its direction to the Ilurick, and in the same moment threw me down senseless. The viok'ut pain which I felt on recovering was heightened liytlie melanclioly sight of my ship, whose fate seemed inevitable, if the hurricane should rage another hour, for not a corner of it had escaped the ravages of the furious billow." But, besides breaking the leg of one of the sailors and throwing a subaltern officer into the sea, the "gigantic wave" dashed the lieutenant himself on a sharp corner, whereby his breast was so seriously in- jured that he was obliged to remain in bed several days. Notwithstanding these disasters, the Ilurick reached Oonalaska on the 24th in safety, though the commander tiiiiiks it proper to say, " I would advise nobody to visit this ocean so early in the year, for the storms arc Iright- ■ • i.i 1^ i Voyage of Discover}' into the South Sea, Vol. ii. p. 130. 2z ..f 728 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LU TKfi. CHAP. XVIII. ful.'* After obtaining supplies and repairs, as WfU ns an addition of fifteen natives to his crew, he proceeditl to the nortliward, and on the 10th July came in siglit liand7™"°* of St Lawrence Island. Here he found that the ice had just left the shorei^of this dreary settlement ; and con- eluding that the sea would not be navigable till near the end of the month, his hope of ultimate success be> came very faint. The accident sustained during the gale seems to have depressed his spirits while it weak- ened his body ; and observing as he advanced that firm ice extended as fiir as the eye could reach, covering the whole surface of the deep, he resolved to lay aside all farther attempt at discovery and return to a more tem- perate climate. " My melancholy situation, which had daily grown worse since we left Oonalaska, received here the last blow. The cold air so affected my lungs that I lost my breath, and at last spasms in the chest, faintings, and spitting of blood ensued. I now for the firet time perceived that my situation was worse than I could hitherto believe ; and the physician seriously de- clared to me that I could not remain near the ice. It cost me a long and severe contest ; more than once 1 resolved to brave death, and accomplish my uiidertak. ing ; but when I reflected that we had a difficult voyage to our own country still before us, and perhaps the pre- servation of the Rurick, and the lives of my companions depended on mine, I then felt that I must suppress my ambition. The only thing which supported me in this contest was the assurance of having strictly fulfilled my duty. I signified to my crew in writing that my ill health obliged me to return to Oonalaska. The moment I signed the paper was the most painful in my life, for with this stroke of the pen I gave up the ardent and long-cherished wish of my heart."* The reasons assigned by Kotzebue for relinquishing a voyage which, in regard to its main object, was entirely lelinquish- ineiit of his underUkiiif^. • Kotzehiie's Voyag^o of Discovery into the Ponth Sea, vol. ii. pp. 176, 177. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 729 unsuccesaful, would not perhaps have hecn esteemed ^"^'''•^^''"'• satisfactory on board an English ship, so long as another officer survived qualified to assume the command. Nor has his conduct passed unimpeachcd by those who take an interest in northern discovery, on the ground of his losing BO much of the former season, when so fair an opportu- nity presented itself for passing Icy Cape and penetrat- ing towards the strait which checked the progress of Captain Parry. Yielding to the pressure of disease and ij's return to perhaps the wishes of his people, the Russian com- "™^*^ mander finally proceeded to the Radack chain, whence he made his way to St Helena, and finally to the Baltic. At five in the morning on the 3d June, he came in sight of the Azores, took his course for the English Channel, and on the 16th cast anchor at Portsmouth. He went to London, where he had the honour of being introduced to the Prince Regent and the Archduke Nicolai Pawlo- witch. When in the British metropolis he thought it his duty to leave with the inventor several boxes of patent meat, as a proof how well it had kept, and " to whom all navigators indisputably owe their gratitude." Leaving England on the 30th, he sailed for Copenhagen ; and on the 23d July, " with an indescribable emotion, saw Revel again, which I had quitted three years be- fore, full of pleasing expectation, though not without some fear. Fortune favoured my voyage ; and my joy at the sight of my beloved native city expressed itself in an ejaculation of thanksgiving to heaven."* The favour for which he here expresses his thanks- ^.stimate of giving, farther than that it implied preservation among many dangers, must be considered somewhat ambiguous. It is true that he discovered, or rather partially explored, the Sound which bears his name, and also that he has made navigators much better acquainted than they for- merly yvere with the interesting series of islets whici he visited on his first return from the Aleutian archi pelago ; but, nevertheless, comparing what he actually * Voyage of Discovery into tlie South Sea, vol. ii. pp. 2F.6, 2H7. till r i.( '^J: I -I in I M i. O^v '^-'^^^*^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 11.25 ^ iiii ■2.2 £ li& 12.0 m Mm Photograptuc Sdences Corporation •ii WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. UStO (716)S72-4S03 ■i ) 730 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEUUE, AND LUTk£. Second voyaKe of Kutzebue. oJ n ■'.'''. CHAP. XVIII. accomplished with what he undertook, it cannot be said that he gained any triumph over the stem nature which presides in the arctic regions, or brought to light any mysteries theretofore concealed. It is well known that after the lapse of a few yeara he was appointed by the Emperor Alexander to the command of a ship named the Predpriatie, or Enterprise. She had been at first destined for a voyage purely scien- tific, but circumstances occurred which rendered it ne- cessary to change the object of the expedition ; and Kotzcbue was accordingly ordered to receive at Cron- stadt a cargo of various commodities for Kamtschatka, and to proceed from the latter place to the north-western coast of Am«rica, in order to protect the Russian Com- pany established there from the smugglers who in great numbers frequented those snores. On that station he was commanded to remain one year, when, being re- lieved by another officer, he was to return to the Baltic ; but the course both outwards and back to Europe was left entirely to his own discretion. . ..., . , . On the 28th July 1823, the Enterprise, which may be described as a small frigate carrying twenty-six guns, left the roads of Cronstadt. In due time she reached Teneriife, where her commander was destined to encoun- ter an unexpected disappointment. Struck with the beauty of the scenery, he was already planning parties to visit the neighbourhcod of the town and climb the Peak, when, just as he was preparing to anchor, a ball from the fortress plunged into the water not far from his ship. At the same time he perceived that all was bustlQ on the walls ; the cannons were pointed, the matches lighted, and plenty of Spanish shot was ready for his reception. His government being at peace with the court of Madrid, such conduct appeared quite unin- telligible ; but as he had no desire for battle, he con- tented himself with retiring beyond the reach of the guns, in the hope that some explanation would be ren- dered. After waiting a considerable time in vain, and perceiving the continuance of w^arlike preparations ou TcncrifFa ■'■»rtf '. KRUSIiNSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LLTK^. 731 IJIo rte Janeira the ramparts, he was compelled to renounce all hope of CHAP.xviir. seeing the country and of enjoying the magnificent view — which rewards the toil of ascending the mountain. " Whatever might be their motive,'* he justly observes, " it was an inconsiderate action on the part of the garri- son to insult the Russian flag ; and even if they mistook us for enemies, it was silly to be afraid of a single ship, considering that the renowned Nelson with an English fleet had found the fortifications impregnable. The account of Brazil is lively and entertaining. On the 19th November, the celebration of a national festival attracted the captain to Rio Janeiro, where the royal family and official dignitaries had previously assembled. It was the anniversary of the coronation of their majes- ties the emperor and empress, as well as of the institu- tion of the Order of the Southern Cross. Scarcely had the day dawned when the thunder of cannon from the batteries and ships recalled the remembrance of. those happy events which had taken place only the preceding year. The streets were filled with people ; soldiers in their dress-regimentals hastened to their various places of rendezvous ; and the negroes, released from labour, formed a part of the cheerful throng. At elev3n, the so- vereigns, in a magnificent carriage drawn by eight horses, and escorted by a troop of guards in handsome uniforms, arrived at the principal church. At some distance from Tiie emperor the door the two gitat personages alighted, and entered *" churdT** the sacred edifice in procession, surrounded by the knights of the Austral Cross. Being met by the bishop and the whole of the clergy, they were conducted with great pomp to a throne at the right side of the altar, \ which the emperor ascended, while his consort took her place in a pew on the left. After the service, performed by a good choir to excellent music, the prelate came forward and delivered a very long discourse descriptive of the pious virtues of Don Pedro, whom he was pleased to compare to Peter the Great of Russia. It is customary in the capital of Brazil to pay visits in the theatre, which are indeed more highly prized than The theatre at Riode Juneira 732 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUlKE. CHAP. XVIII. those made at their houses. The pit presented a very singular appearance, owing to the assemblage of various complexions, including every shade from black to white although the darker tints had greatly the predominance. Nor was the distinction of manners among the different portions of the audience less striking. No theatre in Europe could boast of more decorum and politeness than prevails there in the boxes ; but the noisy and coarse vulgarity of the pit would not be tolerated in a more , refined nation. During the performance the emperor gave audience in his box to many of his subjects, the Interview always beginning with the homage of kissing hands on the bended knee. The voyage round Cape Horn, the residence at Chili, the examination of Pitcairn Island, the sojourn at Ota- heite, and the survey of the Dangerous Archipelago and ' Navigators* Islands, present nothing worthy of notice. On the 28th April 1824, Kotzebue once more reached the liadack chain after an absence of eight years. He now seems to have learned that the sovereign of all these islets was named Lamari ; that the chiefs of the particular groups are subordinate to him ; and that these in their turn exercise authority over the leaders of the several families or tribes. The inhabitants vvere re- garded by him as among the best of nature's children, ^ and excelling in gentleness all the other natives of the t South Sea, the Otaheitans not excepted. It is not sur- prising therefore that he expected a happy meeting with his former friends ; and it was one, he assures his read- ers, "on which the heavens themselves appeared to The Radflck smile." It was an uncommonly fine day, and a favour- laiaudsagain. ^^y^ jj^gg^e carried the Enterprise quickly towards land. From the deck he soon descried, on the island of Otdia, the airy groves of palms which enclose the residence of Rarick, under whose shades he had so often reposed. He knew his tried friends too well not to know what Avas passing in their minds ; for though he had promised to visit them, they could not fail to observe that the frigat'? which now approached was not rigged like the KRU8EN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 733 two-masted brig which he fonnerly commanded. Ub-CHAP.xviil certain how they might be treated by the strangers who were now steering towards their bay, the women and children fled into tlie interior, and all the canoes were put in motion to convey their goods to some place of safety. The most courageous of the men advanced armed with spears, displaying their valour while the danger was yet remote. But they soon recognised theii neception b^ former acquaintance, who by his voice and gestures en- *® "**^'*'' couraged them to approach : they burst into the wildest accents of joy ; numbers hurried to the strand, while others rushed into the water to embrace him. Four islanders lifted him from the boat, and carried him ashore ; mats were procured for tho officers to sit on, and the females brought baskets of flowers to decorate them with garlands. The captain had the satisfaction to find that his endeavours for the welfare of this simple people had not altogether failed of success. The animals and plants with which he had enriched their islands were reported to be in a thriving state ; the former had propagated, the latter were healthy and flourishuig. Swine and goats already formed part of their provisions at their periodical festivals ; and the time appeared to be fast approaching when it would be no longer necessary to destroy the third or fourlh child of every marriage, in order to prevent the hazard of famine. The vine alone - * had failed ; it had been allowed to wither away, but not till, from the extreme fruitfulness of the soil, its tendrils had reached the tops of the highest trees. From Radack and tlie adjoining groups, Kotzebue Norfolk proceeded to the American coast, and finally assumed °^^^ the station to which he was appointed at New Arch- angel, an island in Norfulk Sound, called by the natives Sitchachan. The recess just mentioned, closely asso- ciated with the reseaitshes and discoveries of the most celebrated of our navigators, is still known in the Russian charts as Sitka Bay, and is the principal estab- lishment of the American Company, who formed their bittlement there in the year 1804. The island, wluch 734 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. r-r .. ft',' Rnminn America. tUAP. XVIII. is 8(parated from the mainland by a narrow inlet of the sea, extends over three degrees and a half of latitude. In point of fact, it consists of three portions, divided by chaimels so very small and intricate ns readily to escape notice, and hence the conclusion generally received that New Archangel consists of one portion of unbroken land. The harbour, it is asserted, is so well defended by nature a-i to need no assistance from art. The history of Russian occupation is darkened by some of those painful recollections which attach to most of the European colonies among a barbarous people. A person named Baronof long superintended tiie Company's concerns, who, being of a bold enterprising character, was considered well suited to the task of contending with a fierce people. He seemed to take pleasure in the occupation ; and although the conquest of the Sitkaens was not so easy as that of the more timid Aleutians and Kodiacks, he finally succeeded in accomplishing it. Being supplied with firearms by the traders of the United States, they maintained an ob- stinate struggle against the invaders ; but after various turns of fortune, the military chief obtained a decisive victory, which seemed to place the greater part of 'f sitka"^'"** their territory at his command. Proceeding with his settlement, he built some dwelling-houses, erected military defences, and used all practicable means for gaining the affections of the natives, or for rendering their hostility unavailing. It soon appeared that the savages, though so far subdued as to be unable to keep the field, had not relinquished all hope of revenge, and even of recovering their lost inheritance. One night, accordingly, when the garrison left by the governor believed themselves to be in perfect safety, a large body of them seized the intrenchments, entered without encountering any serious opposition, and mur- dered, with the utmost ferocity, every individual whom they found within the rampart. Only a few Aleutians escaped, who owed their lives to the circumstance that a..r... KRU8ENSTEUN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTk£. 735 they were at sea engaged in fishing, and who fled toCiAP. xviiT. Kodiack, carrying with them the intelligence that the — Russian settlement was annihilated. This catastrophe occurred at the period when Kru- senstern was cruising in those parts, and who, the reader will remember, sent the Neva, one of his ships, to the American coast, to make a purchase ol" furs for the Chinese market. Baronof seized the opportunity in order to recover his colony, and inflict due punishment Contest with on the leaders of the revolt. No sooner did the natives *^* "at^vca. hear of his return at the head of a force which they could not effectually resist, than they gave way to their fears, refrained from opposing his landing, and retired in great haste to their fortification, consisting- of a species of palisade formed of strong beams so close- ly set as only to allow a sufficient opening for firing their muskets, with which they were amply supplied. This wooden fortress, containing about three hundred fighting men with their families, held out several days, and would have maintained a longer resistance, had not the heavy guns of the Neva effected a breach which rendered the place quite untenable. The be- sieged surrendered at discretion, and gave the sons of their chiefs as hostages for their continued submission. But confidence was not thereby fully established on either side. The vanquished, still thirsting for revenge, omitted no opportunity to gratify it, particularly by secret attacks and stratagems ; and this manner of warfare they carried to such an extent, that the Continued Russians, unless well armed and in considerable num- 'hTnatWck'* bers, could not venture beyond the shelter of their fortress without the most imminent danger of being assassinated. With the view of securing the repose of the colonists, Baronof, from this period, continued to reside in Archangel, and the fur-trade for a time proved extremely advantageous to the Company. The various hunters, however, allowed their avarice to de- feat its own object : the sea-otter, pursued on all hands, soon became very scarce ; and after a brief space. The climate of Sitka. 73C kruse:nstern, kotzebue, and lutki^. CHAP. XVIII. accordingly, the numbers obtained barely sufficed to — cover the expenses of maintaining such a force as waa necessary to protect the settlers against the wiles of the savages. It was, therefore, resolved to abandon the establishment at New Archangel, and to make Kodiack the centre of Russian commerce on the north-western shores of America. The climate of Sitka is not so severe as might he apprehended from its high latitude. The cold, which even in the middle of winter is not excessive, does not last long ; but it is added that there is not perhaps a spot in the world where so much rain falls. The forests, consisting principally of fir and beech, are at once lofty and thick ; some of the trees being a hun- dred and sixty feet in height, and from six to seven m diameter. From these noble trunks the natives form their large canoes, which, in some instances, carry twenty-five or thirty men. Wild and unfruitful as the country appears, the soil is rich, so that its indige- nous plants, of which indeed there is no great variety, attain a very large growth. The sea near the coast abounds in fish, and even in the larger mammalia, whales, seals, and other species. It is remarkable that the beautiful white-headed eagle, and several varieties of humming-birds, the natives of waiiji climates, should have migrated so far north, and habituated themselves to a sky so different from the one to which their tribes are accustomed. But the native birds are few. On his renewed visit to California, the captain of the Enterprise did not find any improvement at the Spanish presidios, either in the condition of the poor converts or in the policy of those who undertake to rule them. In the spirit of La Perouse, he declaies that the christian Indians are not more happily circumstanced than negro slaves. They pass their lives in prayer and in toiling for the monks, without having any property of their own. Tlirice a-day they are compelled to attend church, to hear a mass in the Latin language ; the rest of their time is spent in cultivating the fields and gardens with California. KRUSEN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 737 clumsy implements ; and in the evening they are lockedCHAP.XviiL up in crowded barracks, whicii, unboarded and with- oat windows, resemble stalls for cattle rather than habi- tations for human beings.* In this way were the missionaries and the military vrho depended upon them living quietly enough in California when the other Spanish colonies threw off their allegiance to the mother country. The insurrec- Royalty to lion having spread as far as Mexico, they were invited ^^^^ by the new governments, under advantageous conditions, to make common cause with them ; but they remained troe to their king. Nor was their fidelity shaken by the total neglect of the cabinet of Madrid, who, for many years, appeared to have forgotten their very ex- istence, and had not even troubled themselves to make the ordinary remittances for the pay of the soldiers or the support of the teachers. Still their loyalty con- tinued firm, and so implicit was their obedience, that they hesitated not to comply with the command which enjoined them to close their ports ag^nst all foreign vessels ; and as the republicans were considered aliens, and no ships aril. ed from Spain, the missionaries, not less than the several garrisons, began to feel the want uf many comforts to which they had been long ac- customed. Even the instruments of agriculture and of EfTecta of other kinds of labour were no longer to be had ; and *^* ^^ *' thus the very source of all their acquisitions was threat- ened with extinction. The growing discontent at length appeared in the form of a mutiny, which was indeed '/ • i speedily suppressed by the horsemen, who had hitherto identified their own interests with those of the ecclesias- tics. But, elated by victory over the natives, these war- riors soon disregarded all the wishes of the ghostly fathers, whose helplessness was now apparent, and declared themselves the rulers of the province which the royal • A New Voyage round the World in the Years 1823, 24, 25, and 26. by Otto von Kotzebue, Post Captain in the Russian Imperial NaTy, vol. ii. p. 84. ' F w I'n* Rnssinn Bettlemciit at RosB. 738 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKl!:. CHAP. XVIII. government had so long abandoned to its fate. Repuh- lies sprang up in various parts of California ; and one of the first effeets of this revolution appeared in the opening of their ports to all mercantile nations in both hemispheres of the globe.* It was one of the duties confided to Otto von Kotzc- bue to establish in the neighbourhood of California a station for the Russian American Company. The spot selected by him, or hidicatcd by his employers, was about eighty miles north of St Francisco ; and having obtained from the governor a military escort and a body of guides, he commenced his journey thither, accompa- nied by some of h' jfficers, two seamen, and a few dragoons. The expeU ;ion, indeed, appears to have been | accomplished partly by land and partly by water ; but the narrative is so indistinctly expressed, that it is not easy to determine when the author is on board and when he follows in the train of his soldiers. After | some days spent in toil and speculation, he perceived from the summit of a high hill the fortress of Ross, a small castle built for the defence of the settlement It is placed on the seashore in latitude 38° 33' north, and was erected in the year 1812 with the consent of the natives, who even furnished materials for the comple- tion of the buildings. The garrison in 1825 consisted of a hundred and thirty men, of whom only a small number were Russians, the main body being drawn from the Aleutian Islands. It is hardly necessary to mention that the purpose contemplated by the Company was the extension of their trade in furs, the sea-otter being more frequently caught along the Califomian Coast than in any other quarter ; and the Spaniards, who did not hunt that animal, willingly took a small compensation for consenting to acquiesce in the views of the Petersburg merchants. At first the members of the several missions lived on] the best terms with the settlers, and even provided them Design of ■ettlement. * Kotzebue*s New Voyage, vol. ii. p. 96. KRUSKN8TERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 739 with horacs, oxen, and sIk cp ; l)ut they no sooner re- chap. xvil» marked that, notwithstanding the inferiority of soil and — climate, the new establishment was rapidly surpassing all theirs in prosperity and influence, than envy and apprehension took possession of their minds. They then required that the emporium at Ross as well as its JcHinu!«y of stronghold should be abandoned; asserting that their cilfoubts.'* rights of dominion extended northward to the verge of the Icy Sea, and threatening to support their claims by force of arms. A little determination on the part of the governor prevented the threatened rupture from involv- ing the country in actual war. But, in order that the traders might not stretch their claims to the northern shore of the Bay of St Francisco, the Spaniards immedi- ately founded the presidios of St Gabriel and St Salona. Kotsebue remarks that ** it is a groat pity we were not beforehand with them : the advantages of possessing this beautiful bay are incalculable, especially as wo have no harbour but the bad one of Bodega or Port Roman- zow." The climate at Ross is mild, and it is blest with an abundance of the finest wood for building. The sea provides it with the most delicious fish, the land with an inexhaustible quantity of the best kinds of game ; and notwithstanding the want of a good haven, the northern settlements might easily find in this a plentiful magazine for the supply of all their wants. The account contained in those volumes of the pre- state of sent state of society in the Sandwich Islands, bears so l?^'^*^. ^ *''• much the aspect of caricature, that the reader must feel i«i«adii. both his belief and his taste somewhat rudely assailed. In regaixi to the ambitious views of certain missionaries, the author's opinions are not singular, though his preju- dices on the subject of religion are too strong to justify a complete acquiescence in his conclusions. One meddles, it is said, in all the affairs of government, and makes Kakumanna, and even sometimes Karemaku, the in- strument of his will ; pays pai*ticular attention to com- mercial concerns, in which he appears to take great iaterest ; and seems to have quite forgotten his original :ll 'i Ailvancu- nicnt of education. 740 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKI:. CHAP. XVIII. gj^iiatlon and the olyect of his residence in the islands finding the avocations of a ruler more to his taste than those of a preacher. This would be excusable, if his talents were of a nature to contribute to the instruction and happiness of the people. But the fact, siiys the i ' captain, is widely different ; and one cannot see with- out deep regret the spiritual and temporal weal of a generous people committed to the guidance of an unen- lightened enthusiast, whose ill-directed zeal and foolish designs arc inimical to their true interests. It is not denied that education, so far at least as it comprehends reading and writing, is making some progress, and that the great principles of Christianity are sedulously taught, in season and out of season. When the Russian com- mander was introduced to* Nomahanna, the widow of the great Tamehameha, he found that the very stairs were occupied, from the bottom to the door of the queen's apartments, by children, adults, and even old people, who, under her majesty's own superintendence, w^ere reading from spelling-books, and writing on slates. The governor himself had a spelling-book in one hand, and in the other an ornamented little instrument made of bone, which he used for pointing to the letters. Some of the more elderly persons appeared to have joined the assembly rather for the sake of example than from a desire to learn, as they were studying, with an affectation of extreme diligence, books held upside forcement of down. The sovereign, there is reason to fear, enforces education, attention to letters in a mannelr which savours not a little of absolute despotism. An old man of seventy, who rented a piece of land belonging to her, had always paid his taxes with regularity ; but hoping the distance at which he lived and his very advanced age would se- cure to him a dispensation from attending school and chapel, he was very frequently absent. For this neglect the queen expelled him from his house and little farm. In order to pacify her, or apologize for his misconduct, he solicited admittance to her presenco, when he im- plored compassion for his destitute condition, and, above KRU8ENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTk£. 741 ill, represented to her the Impossihility of learning tociiAP. xvirr. read at his time of life. His most pjitlietic entreaties — and reasonings were altogether in vain. Slie replied with an angry gesture, " if you will not learn to read, vou may go and drown yourself.*** After leaving the Sandwich Islands, the lively cap- Homeward tain, who found amusement himself, and wishes to com- Kotze*buL mnnicate it to his readers, sailed towards the Pescadores, in the neighhourhood of which he ascertained the posi- tion of some shoals or incipient groups, not generally known to navigators. He subs^uently steered for the Ladrones and Philippines, of which he giveo a rather meagre account ; and finally set sail in a soutii western direction, in order to double the Cape of Good Hope, touch at St Helena, and restore himself " second time to his native land, which he joyfully ..ached on the 10th Jily 1826. " If,** says he, in conclusion, « my readei's have by this time become sufficient]^ acquainted with me to interest themselves in ray affairs, they will not learn with indifference that my most gracious lovereign the emperor has honoured me by the most condescending testimonials of his satisfaction ; and that, after our long separation, I had the gratification to find my wife and children well and happy.'* It may be held sufficient to allude to the voyage of Voyage of Bellingshausen, performed in the three years succeeding sen. " 1819, because, though the zeal of that officer was worthy of much praise, his track deviated very little irom the line usually followed in the South Sea, and was not productive of any remarkable results. His labours were spent chiefly in the waters between tlie coast of Australia and the antarctic circle, where he encountered many difficylties, and was exposed to many dangers. The only discovery to which he lays claim is in the neighbourhood of the islands to which Bou- gainville annexed the epithet Dangerous, and is confined to a small group distinguished in his chart as the Archi pelago of Alexander, the emperor of Russia. The "» * A New Vojage round the World, vo!. ii. ,> 2fil. irv ■ Vi-Ji'!' 742 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. CHAi' XVIII. inhabitants are described by him as the most Sfivage and ferocious he had ever seen ; they refused to have any communication with him ; and in order to deter his people from landing they set fire to their forests. So little were they accustomed to Europeans or their means of assault, that, when the Russians discharged a few muskets in the air, with the view of intimidating them they procured water in order to extinguish the flames with which they seemed to imagine it was meant to destroy their persons or property. Restdtsof Bellingshausen freely confesses that he did not •cn'i"v?yago. succeed in discovering any continent in the polar sea,— that celebrated " Terra Australis" which had so fruit- lessly engaged the attention of philosophers at home and exhausted the skill of the must patient navigators, amidst fogs, floating ice, and incessant tempests. He assures his countrymen that he actually touched the con- fines of eternal frost, beyond which no one will ever be permitted to pass. That his voyage was not entirely useless he endeavours to prove by reminding them that he had extended the sphere of geographical knowledge by the addition of thirty new islands; and, besides many important observations in several branches of science, he had enriched the museums by presenting . , , . to them some of the rarest productions in the three kingdoms of nature.* Lutke, who succeeded the commander now named, spent in like manner three years at sea, and with a degree of success somewhat equivalent. In September 1826, the corvettes Seniavine and MoUer left Cronstadt, the latter having been placed under the direction of Captain Stanioukovitcli ; but as his movements do not fall under the description of a circumnavigation of the * Biblioth^qiie Universelle des Voyages, &c., tome xxi. p. 431. *< Un pr6ci.a du voyage de decouvertes dii gouvernement Russe, en 1819, 1820, et 1821, par le Capitaine Bellinir.shausen, dans Pocean Pacifique et les niers Atistrales, fut redige par M. le pioresscui Siinonof, dans une serle de lettres addressees ati Baron de Zaoh, ct il fut recueilli par le Journal des Vo3'ages qui se publiait alors." YojAfTfi of Lutki. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 743 ^, we shall confine our notice to the proceedingsCHAP. xviiL of the former, which was really fitted out for the pur- — poses of discovery. After touching at Teneriffe and Rio Janeiro, round- I ing Gape Horn, and calling at Conception and Valpa- raiso, Lutkd crossed ct.e equator in long. 128** west of Greenwich, proceeding in a northerly course. On the 23d June 1827, he came in sight of Mount Edgecumbe, Mount an extinct volcano, rising nearly three thousand feet Edgecombe. above the sea, which, it is well known, marks the I entrance into Norfolk Sound, now denominated Sitka by the Russians. Next morning he anchored at I New Archangel, the residence of the governor, as al- ready mentioned, whose jurisdiction extends over all the colonies in that quarter, including the Aleutian and Karile Islands. The population of these settlements I vas estimated by the chief ofiicer of the Seniavine at thousand seven hundred ; more than a half be- lling to the two groups which stud the ocean between iKamtschatka and the American shore. In the course of thirty years the inhabitants in both had diminished I considerably, owing either to the tyrannical conduct of the fur traders, or to a compulsory migration to tho bays and creeks of the eastern continent. At the date I of Lutk^*s visit, the colony founded by Baronof, as ^onditton of I narrated by Kotzebue, did not contain more than eight ^^^^ Ihandred persons, including those from the several Inlands in the vicinity. The Creoles, ofispring of a [Russian father and Aleutian mother, were found, a few I years later, to amount to about a thousand, and are to be a well-formed active race of men. Ship- Ibilding is evidently in a prosperous condition ; and Ian active trade in provisions is carried on witli Ochotsk, ICalifornia, and the Sandwich Islands.* * Voyage autour du Monde, execute par ordre de sa Majeste irEmpereur Nicolas Premier, siir la Corvette Le Seniavine, dans lies Ans 182«, 1U2/, 1828, et 1829. Par Frederic Lutke, Capitaiue lie Vaisseau, Aide-de-camp de S. M. TEmpereur, Commandaat de |r£xp6dition. Tome i. p. 109. 3a 744 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE) AND I.UTK£. CHAP.XVIIL The captain considers at some length the reasons which weighed with the governor when he formed the resolution to leave the Bay of Sitka and transfer the HosHUtyof settlement to Kodiack or Cook's River. The hostility thdKaioches. ^f ^jjg natives, called Kaloches, was perhaps the princi- pal motive, for he had despaired either of conquering, their animosity or of gaining their good will ; hut such | ohstacles, Lutk^ ohserves, have heen met with in the commencement of all such undertakings, and gradually overcome by suitable management. The resentment o( the savages will not prove eternal ; and even in the year 1827, a brief space after Baronof seemed ready toi yield to despair, a chief required from the colonists at I New Archangel the means of educating his people, and] instructing them in the christian religion. WhateverJ foundation the navigator may have had for the conclu-j sions he enforces, there is no doubt that he inquired] ^ more carefully into the temper and condition of the] Kaloches than any former commander who had served] on the same station. In the beginning of August he sailed for Oonalasku ;| and at tloaloak he found a very intelligent clergymanyl the Rev. John Veniaminoff, who had resided there many] years. This zealous pastor had translated into the Aleu- tian language the catechism of the Greek Church, whicli was printed at St Petersburg, and by perseverance in hi evangelical labours had converted many of the natives all of whom, indeed, avow an open profession of Chris tianity. In other respects, too, since the days when they were Aret made known to the civilized world bj the great Cook, they have made a rapid advance in th< arts and conveniences of improved life. Some of theii children go regularly to school ; a privilege, however^ which seems to be still confined to one sex. Perhapi the enlargement of mind produced by education is con* sidered unnecessary to girls, whose prospects are noji permitted to rise above domestic drudgery, and thos severer toils incident to a state of existence so little iil ThelmproTe mcnt oi the AleatUuM. KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. 745 advance of the rudest in which society has ever heenCHAP.XViir. 1 found to exist. — Directing lier course to the north-west, the Seniavine The islands Inched the islands of Pribyloff and St Matthew. A J^Jst^^"* lovely morning, on the first day of September, disclosed Matthew. a magnificent panorama of all the land by which she was surrounded. To the eastward, at the distance ot dsty-fivc miles, was seen Oonimak with its enormous Tolcanoes ; one of them, Chicheldinsk, the form of which bthat of a regular cone, appeared entirely isolated, vbile a whitish smoke rose from its summit, which was ascertained to be more than eight thousand feet above I the level of the waves. The crater of Makouchinsk, Oonalaska, the flattened top of which has only some I sharp peaks at its western end, does not ofier so striking {id aspect as the other. Smoke rose from a lofty table- land covered with snow, the elevation of which could Inot be less than five thousand feet. This group, includ- St George and St Paul, was discovered in 178G by a I pilot whose name vas Pribyloff, which still attaches to Ithe islands. St Matthew was so designed by Lieutenant ISindt in 176C, and afterwards called Gore Island by ICaptain Cook in the year 1778, who accurately deter- liDined its position. To no one besides the geologist and [the other lovers of natural science, do these groups pre- lient any features in the slightest degree interesting, for llheliuge masses of granite, micaceous schist, and quartz, Ireceive na covering from any species of timber. Every Ivhere the most distant traces of volcanic action can be Ipointed out ; and the internal fii'es to which those Idreary abodes owe their existence, continue to manifest Itheir power in the most terrific form, shaking the whole lirchipelago and casting the glare of their sulphureous liamcs over the surface of the wild ocean by which they |ire surrounded. Tile approach of autumn warned Lutke that he must Im longer keep the sea in so high a latitude, where pikness combines with fierce winds to render naviga- Ition at once dangerous and unavailing. He accoi-dingly Geology of theisLiU(U Colunaa 746 KRUSENSTERN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. CHAP. XVIII. proceeded to the coast of Asia, and, in the principal har- ~~" hour of Kamtschatka, made preparations for a voyage to the Spanish settlements in the great Indian archipelatro. On the first day of November, he left the port of St Peter and St Paul with the view of visiting the Caroline group ; and in his course thither, he passed ovor the position assigned in the American charts to the island The Island of of Colunas, spending a whole day in the parallel of ' ""' lat. 28° 9' north in search of it, but altogether in vain. With an equal want of success did he^ seek for Dext«r I Island and St Bartholomew ; a result which ought to excite no surprise, considering how small an error in point of longitude, the element least easily determined must vitiate the calculation of the acutest seamen. Before the circumnavigation of Duperrey in the Co- 1 quille, the great Caroline range was very imperfectly 1 known tp the mariners even of the most enlightened countries of Europe. Spreading over six degrees of la- titude, or more than four hundred miles, it extends! through thirty degrees of longitude, being not less than! six hundred leagues. The French captain ran through the whole of it from Pulo Anna on the west to Ualao] on the east ; in the course of which survey he made! himself acquainted with several small islands thereto«| fore unclassed, and supplied many new facts regardingj those already known. But, notwithstanding his great! diligence, he left unexplored an ample field for the cap-l tain of the Seniavine : who, following a more regular! plan, visited separately every group, and every island! composing it, thereby obtaining a complete acquaintancej with their geogi'aphical position. He also added to oui stock of information relative to the customs and man* ners of the inhabitants ; a short vocabulary of theii language ; and also an account of the structure and no' tural history of the principal members of the archipel- ago, derived from the observations of the several leanied men who accompanied the expedition. Ualan, already mentioned, is twenty-four miles il circumference ; a valley stretching from east to wea Tlie Caroline Islanda. KRUSENSTERN^ KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. 747 between two ranges of mountains divides the island into chap, xviil. two unequal parts. On the northern section rises Mome Buache, more than eighteen hundred feet above the sea ; and to the southward is seen Mount Crozer, of which the elevation is somewhat greater. With the exception of Theitiandof the peaks belonging to these hills, the whole land, from ^'■^*°- the seashore to the bottom of the ancient craters, is cov- ered with wood, including various climbing plants ; and streams of water are seen flowing in all directions. The inhabitants, who, notwithstanding the moisture of their climate, appear to enjoy good health, possess fine figures, and are hospitable to strangers, while they are gentle and forbearing towards one another. The colour of the skin in either sex is chestnut ; both anoint their body with oil, and indulge their taste in the most fantastic modes of tattooing ; the females bore the lobes of their ears, inserting in the apertures large bouquets of flowers or odoriferous herbs ; but in other respects their habits are far removed from that cleanliness and taste which such a usage might seem to indicate. Not understanding their language, the captain could not attain to a full comprehension of their religious Dotions. It was imagined that they venerate a deity RcHgionof named Sitel-mazuenziap, w^ho is supposed to be a deifled chieftain, with two wives and four children ; but neither temples, morais, nor idols are erected to do honour to hi8 exploits or to propitiate his power. In one comer of every dwelling is placed a wand, from four to five feet long, as a sort of household god, to whom oflierings are made ; and occasionally ceremonies were observed which were considered t^ bear some affinity to the belief in ;apematural beings, and to express an acknowledgment that the course of human affairs is regulated or dis- turbed by their interposition.* ' * Nowhere is there to be found a more minute, and, it may be added, a more accurate account of the aborigines of any country than is given by Lutke of the people of Ualan. <* L*ile d'Ualan pent servir de tres*bonne relache, et principalement aux batiments inleiniers qui font la oeche dans ses parages, et aux navires allant The Senia- ▼ine Islanda 748 KRUSENSTERrr, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTKE. CHAP.XVIII. In the beginning of January 1828, the Seniavine crossed the magnetic equator in lat. 4" 7' N. and long. 162° 67' E. Some days were spent in searching for islands marked in the charts of Arrowsmith and Kru- senstern, but without success ; another proof of the difficulty of ascertaining recent discoveries from a refer- ence to their geographical position in the works of even the most accurate navigators. To compensate for this disappointment a triumph awaited Lutke and his officers. At daylight on the 14th, much to their surprise, they discovered a large island close a-head ; which, although of considerable elevation, and lying very near the tracks of Thompson, Duperrey, and several other voyagers, had never been noticed. It is now known as the chain which bears the name of the Seniavine ; consisting of three groups, and extending about twenty-four miles from north to south, and not less than tiiirty miles from east to west. On the largest island is a mountain rising nearly three thousand feet above the sea, and visible at the distance of sixty-five miles. The natives diftier from those of Ualan, and approach more nearly to the Fapuas ; they are a small race of I men, but fierce and resolute in action. Pouynipete, tho The island of largest island in the group, is nearly circular, and about "uyn pe gfjy jjjiigg in circuit, being surrounded at the distance of two miles by a coral reef, within which there are numerous small islets. It is every where covered with verdure ; and though the houses along the coast are not | many, it was inferred from the great fleet of canoes which \ crowded round the ship that the population could not! be less than two thousand. The industry of Lutke wasj a la Chine par la rente de Test. Un porte tranqnille, un beau climat, I un bon peiipk, tine abondance d'eau I'raiche et de iruits, qui ne con. tribuent n&s moins qu'une nourritiire animate a restaiirer les forces d 'un equipage apres une longue navigation, lui donnent cet avantage.'' —Tome i. p. 398. In a note prefixed to the first volume it is stated that " un nou- veau calcul, avec des elements corriges, a donne pour la hauteur du j Morne Buache deux mille dix>neuf pieds, et pour celle dn Mornede Crozer dix-huit cent quatre-vingt-quatorze pieds, mesure Anglaise." KRUSENf KRU8ENSTERN, KOTZBBUE, AND LUTK^. 749 fiirther rewarded by the re-discovery of several smallCUAP.xviir. islands, the existence of which seems rather to have been — conjectured than fully ascertained. It was at length found necessary that the Seniavine should repair to Guahan in the Marianne Archipelago to refit, and lay In a supply of provisions and water. Returning to the Carolines, the captain resumed his investigations with his wonted eeal and discrimination. He examined the group of Swede Islands, called Namourak ; and after- The NamoiK wards extended his visit to some of the Pelew cluster ^^^ first described by Wilson. In April, he made sail for laland& Kamtschatka, with the intention of renewing his re- searches in the sea of Behring, and of extending, it possible, the knowledge of his countrymen respecting the several bays which lead from it into the depths of I the American continent. After a short stay at St Peter and St Paul, the corvette steered along the coast towards the north-east, fixing, nith great precision, the position of the various capes and headlands. " On the morning of tlie 28th June,** says the historian of the voyage, ** we saw at once the volcanoes of Avatcliinsky, Koriatsky, Joupanoff, and Kronotsky ; the two former at eighty-two miles, the liitter at sixty-eight miles* distance. Kronotsky^ like Mount Villioutchinsky, has the form of a regular cone, but l^oot^T' seems rather less steeo than the other. On its left is a flat-topped hill, and close to it a sharp peak, probably the same that were shaken at the time of the passage of the mountain Chevalutsk from its former to its pre- sent position. The altitude of Kronotsky, carefully taken, made the elevation of the extinct volcano ten thousand six hundred and ten feet above the level of the sea, or nearly the height of Etna. We saw it at the distance of ninety-four miles, and on our return at a hundred and twenty miles, very distinctly. Beyond Cape Kronotsky mountains began to show themselves towards the north, among which it was not difRcult to recognise the gigantic volcano of Kamtschacskoi. At the distance of a hundred and four miles, it subtended The Idand of Karaghin- ■ky. 750 KRUSENSTBRN, KOTZEBUE, AND LUTK^. CHAP. XVIII. an angle of fiOj°. The measurement was very exactly — made, and the result was that its height is 10,612 feet ; its form being that of a cone slightly truncated." In July, he examined the island of Karaghinaky, which, as well as the adjoining coast, had not been pre- viously seen by any navigator except Sindt. Behring perceived only one point of it through a fog ; and hence it is hardly necessary to remark that the outline given in the maps has no resemblance to nature. This island, which was inhabited in the middle of le'-t century by upwards of a hundred Koriacks ' now quite abandoned to the sea-fowl and mammalia - .ich frequent its coasts. At Cape Ilpinsky, in the parallel of sixty degrees, is the lowest and narrowest part of the isthmus, being about seventy miles broad, which forms the nortliern limit of j the peninsula of Kamtschatka ; and here the mountains lose themselves in small hills. From this point the Se- niavine steered for Behring's Strait, and anchored in the Bay of St Lawrence, only thirty miles southward of East Cape, and in latitude 65° 86', the highest point attained by this expedition. The account of the Tschukutzkoi is interesting, bearing upon it a freshness and an air of j individuality in the delineations which secure the atten- tion of the reader. After once more visiting Lufon and the archipelago of the Carolines, the commodore began his homeward voyage by the Cape of Good Hope and St Helena, where he met his colleague, the commander | of the MoUer. On the 6th September 1829, after an absence of three yeara and five days, he cast anchor in \ the roads of Cronstadt, where, receiving the honour of a visit from the emperor, he forthwith struck his flag. These voyages, it must be apparent, are chiefly valu- able for the light they have thrown on the islands which line the Russian shores on either side of the ocean that divides the northern portions of Asia and America. Viewed in reference to geography, the main results ac- complished by Lutke are the determination of the chief | headlands on the eastern coast of Kamtschatka, of the country of the Koriaks and Tschuktchis, from the fiay Tljehom^ waid course of Latk6. krusensti:rn, kotzebue, and lutk£ 751 of Avatcha to the north-eastern promontory of the AsiaticCHAP. xvill continent; including the islets of St Matthew, Pribyloff, and some others in Behring*s Sea. The discoveries in the Carolines, being more undefined, are less capable of ap- preciation. The Moller is siiid to have examined the chain of islands and reefs which extend northward from the Sandwich group, — a portion of the northern Pacifio which has not been frequented either by the merchant- man or the scientific navigator. Natural history ac- Sdentiflc knowledges considerable benefactions at the hands of i^kd's the learned persons who embarked in the Seniavine. voyage. Rich collections in botany, zoology, and mineralogy, brought from the various lands visited by that corvette . now adorn the museums of St Petersburg and Cron- stadt. Nor were those experiments neglected of which the object is to determine the conformation and density of the earth in the several zones ; the laws which regu- late magnetic phenomena ; and even the local influences which affect the barometer and thermometer.* ■ ' * Voyage autour du Monde, tome ii. p. 3B6. In reference to St Flelena, where he found Bonaparte's bed-room occupied Ity horses, he says: '' Mettant k profit le temps de Pabsence de la Corvette le IVfoller, je lis ici une serie d*experiences sur le pendule« d'apres rinvitation pressante et avec la coo))eration de M. Johnsoo, directeur de robservatoire qu'on tbndait alors aux frais de la Com- pagnie des Indes.** ■'rii ,{> 1:'.*/ 752 UALL, RUSCHENBEROCR, AND FITZHOY, CHAPTER XIX. ffaUf Ruschenberger, and Fitxray. Lord Amherst's Embassy to China — Alceste and Lyra, commanded by Captains Maxwell and Hall— Remarks on China— Visit Lslands on the Coast of Corea — Manners of the Natives Language — Aversion to Intercourse — Friendly Disposition-. , Ships proceed to Loo*Choo— Benevolent Character oi the In* habitants— Description of the Country — Visit from Prince Shang Punjr Fwee— Religion of Loo-Choo. — Manufactures— Diseases — Ruschenberger sails in the Prusaian Ship Peacock to Muscat and Siam — He arrives at Zanzibar — Account of the Country, its Commerce, and Inhabitants— Character of the Sultan- Commercial Treaty— Peacock proceeds to India and Siam— The Prince Iv'. mfanoi— Bankok the Capital of Siam— The Palace— Occupations of the Prince— His Intelligence and Curio* sity — Prussians admitted to an Audience— Delineation of the Sovereign and his Attendants— Commercial Arrangements- Departure for China — Arrival at Sandwich Islands— Remarks of Ruschenberger on the State of Society — Gradual Diminution of Inhabitants — Captains King and Stokes sent to survey the Vl'estern Shores of South America in the Adventure and Beagle — Enter the Straits of Magellan— Death of Captain Stokes, and Appointment of Fitzroy to the Beagle — Pr<^ess of Discovery- Four Natives brought to England — Presented at Court— Beagle recommissioned — Natives return home — Beneficial Changes in South America effected by English — Transactions at Otaheite— Keeling Islands, New Zealand, and Australia — Beagle arrives iu England — Scientific Observations. CHAP XIX. It may appear to some readers not a little doubtful HaiiTadr- whether Captain Hall ought to be considered in the cumnaviga- light of a circumnavigator, because in no single voyage ***""' did he draw a girdle round the earth. But the ap- HALL, RU6CHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 753 parent objection will entirely vanish when it is called CHAP. xix. to mind that, at successive periods, he doubled the two — great Cnpes, the southern point of America and of Africa ; that he examined minutely both shores of the former continent ; and that he has produced the best account yet in possession of the English reader, of the little- known borders of Corea, as well as of the interesting group of islands which bear the name of Loo-Choo. The French, accordingly, viewing his labours in con- nexion with the results now stated, have without hesitaUon classed him among those who have sailed round the globe, charged with the duty of making known its various features, inhabitants, and more in- teresting productions. In the year 1816, the British government sent to Lord Am' China an embassy, at the head of which was Lord e^aLy Amherst, who on the 9th February left England on to China. • board the Alceste, a frigate commanded by Captain Murray Maxwell, accompanied by an Indiaman which served as a store-ship, and by a small brig, the Lyra, committed to the charge of Captain Basil Hall. As the voyage itself contains little beyond the usual in- cidents without which the great ocean cannot be crossed, it will suffice to contemplate our countrymen as already landed near the mouth of the Pei-ho river in the Yellow Sea, which, as they stopped at Java, they did not reach till the middle of August. As Ve '■ officers of the two men-of-war made no part of the ^ political body who were destined for Pe-king, they soon made preparations for a cruise of discovery towards the east and north. But before he accompanies them in their geogra> phical researches, the reader will not be displeased to peruse a few remarks, illustmtive of the manners of '^^ "*"- the singular people they were to leave, at least for a Chinese, certain time. It is related by them that, in every village in China, however small, there was invariably a school, where both reading and writing were taught to boys : at none were any girls observed. Upon enter- 754 UALL, RUSCIIENBERGER, AND FITZUOV. CHAP. XIX. ing one, the mnster begged them to sit down. Every — thing was remarkably neat and clean, and the room well ventilated ; but the day being very hot, one of the children observing a lieutenant cooling himself with his hat, left his seat and presented him with his fun. Smnllness of Most of the women, it was observed, had unnaturally the women's small feet, the well-known barbarism of the country ; * and prepared as the English visiters were to expect this remarkable deformity, the actual sight of it caused a deep feeling of disgust. They learned from an in- telligent native that the age of four was the usual time for commencing the horrid ceremony of binding up the children's limbs ; and he showed the manner in which it is done. The toes are forcibly bent under the sole of the foot, in which position they are confined ^ by a silk band three inches broad, and two or three • yards long. The same person added that he himself had four daughters, all of whom suffered so much on these occasions that he could not bear to hear their cries ; and being unable to relieve them, still less to prevent the infliction of this vile mutilation, he was obliged to banish himself from home more than a month, when the season for thus tormenting one of his children was understood to have arrived. He bitterly lamented that they were not allowed to depart from any of the established customs of the empire. But nevertheless, at a distance from Canton, there does not appear that jealousy and apprehension of strangers which, near the great seat of trade, presents an almost insuperable bar to all intercourse with seafaring men. For example, the captain landed his instruments, measured a base, and surveyed the harbour, without encountering any opposition on the part of the natives, who suspected him neither of hostile intentions nor of superstitious practices. Some of the observations were made under the very walls of a mud fort, the defences of which consisted of two old matchlocks fixed as wall pieces, and six warriors armed with bows and ari'ows ; while the commander, a Tai'tar mandarin, Jealousy of ■trangers. ITALL, RUSCIIENBEROERi AND FITZROY. 755 sat on the rampart, with his gilt button shining above chap. xix. his cap, equally delighted and surprised at the sight of the quicksilver in the artificial hurison. On the first day of September the coast of Corea was Islands on seen towards the east, which proved to be three high clfr^ST* islands, differing not a little in appearance from the Chinese shores which the expedition had just left. The inhabitants met in a body the crew of a boat who had ventured to land ; forming, it is said, an odd assemblage, being of a deep copper colour, and of a forbidding and rather savage aspect. Some individuals, who seemed to be superior to the rest, were distinguished by a hat, the brim of which was nearly three feet in diameter, and the crown, which was about nine inches hi^h, and scarcely large enough to admit the top of the head, was shaped like a sugar-loaf partially truncated. Their dress consisted of loose wide trousers, made of u- coarse cloth composed of grass, and on their ieef. were neat straw sandals; It was manifest that their chief desire was to get rid of their visiters as speedily as possible ; and this they expressed in a manner too obvious to be mistaken. One man made known the general wish by holding up a piece of paper like a sail, and blowing upon it in the direction of the wind ; at the same time pointing to the ships, thereby denoting that the breeze was fair and convenient for leaving the island. Bullocks and poultry were seen ; but the owners would not exchange them The people's for money, or for any thing indeed which our country- t^jja^"* ^ men had to offer. They refused dollars even as a pre- sent, though they appeared to set some value on a wine- glass ; the material being at once new and in their eyes more beautiful than any metal. One of them, indeed, who had accepted a tumbler, soon returned and insisted upon giving it back It was remarked that these people had all a proud carriage, with an air of composure and indifference about them, which implied a total absence of curiosity, as also, perhaps, a certain consciousness of superiority, which could gain nothing from an inter- im i 756 HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. CHAP. XIX. courae with foreigners. The group thus discovered "~~ bears the name of Sir James Hall, but it remains nearly as much unknown as it was when first approached by the Lyra and Alceste.* other islands Other islands were soon descried, which, however, ap- of Corea?**' P®*' *® ^^*^® ^®^° considered more interesting in a geo- logical point of view than as the habitation of human beings. In this case the natives showed not the same reluctance to an interchange of good offices that was ma- nifested by their neighbours in the archipelago just dc- 2)Cribed . On approaching the shore, the captains observed a great bustle among the people on the beach, as well as in the boats at anchor near the village. Jumping into their small vessels, the^o last pulled off with the greatest expedition to meet the sti angers, displaying numerous flags and streamei's. One canoe was distinguished by a large blue umbrella, which being regarded by our leadera as an emblem of rank, they resolved to approach iv, with the intention of paying their respects to the chiefs who might happen to be en board. On advanc- ing closer they saw a fine patriarchal figure seated under the umbrella ; a full white beard covered his breast and reached below his middle ; while his robe or mantle, which was of blue silk and of immense size, flowed about him in a very magnificent manner. A sword was suspended from his waist by a small belt, and he held in his hand a slender black rod tipped with silver, about a foot and a half long, with a leather thong tied at one end, and a piece of black crape fastened to the other. While the English oflficere were endeavouring to make themselves understood, the native boats began to form a circle round them ; upon which, apprehending treachery, they prepc ed their arms and pushed uIT to a little dis- tance. Perceiving this, the old gentleman looked about very innocently to discover the cause of their alarm ; An aged cliief. * Account of a Voj-ajje of Discoverj' to the West Coast of torea and the Great LooChoo Isiand, &c., by Captain Basil Hall, 4to, London, 1810, p. 7« HALL, RUSCHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. 757 and, at length, being made aware by signs of the suspi- CHAP. xix. cion entertaiueo by hia new friends, he commanded all ' the little fleet to go to the other side. He then expressed a desire tc go on board the Lyra, which lay nearer to the ghore than the frigate ; and when his boat was within ten yards of the brig, Iiia people let go their anclior, and, Visit from throwing a rope to the sailors, drew alongside in a very ^^^ jeaman-like style. The chief was followed by a great number of his attendants ; some of whom climbed up the rigging ; others got on the poop ; and a line of them nts formed along the hammock netting from one end of the vessel to the other. As the evening was fine, it was deemed most suitable to entertain the venerable man upon deck, and chairs were accordingly provided ; but he made signs that he could not ait on such a seat, nor would he consent to use his mat, which had been brought on board by one of his servants. Ho seemed em1)arrassed and displeased, owing, it was afterwards supposed, to the publicity of the conference, though the one party did not compre- hend a single word which was used by the other. Hav- ing at length placed himself on the mat, according to the manner of his country, lie proceeded to give utterance to a speech with great gravity and composure, without appearing to be sensible that no part of it could be un- derstood by those to whom it was addressed. When his discourse was concluded he paused for a reply, which was made with equal gravity and effect in the English tongue. He now discovered, not without mani- Vain efforts fest symptoms of impatience and disappointment, that cation. his harangue had been pronounced to no purpose ; and calling for his secretary, he immediately began to dic- tate a letter, in the hope that he should there]>y reach the intellect of the foreigners. The scribe sat down before him with due formality, and having rubbed his cake of ink upon a stone, drawn forth his pen, and ar- wneed a long roll of paper upon his knee, began the writing. The task being at length completed, partly from the dh-ections of the chief, and partly from his own The lan- jTuages of Eastern Asia. 758 Hall, ruschenberger, and fitzkoy. CHAP. XIX. ideas, as well as from the occasional suggestions of the """" other officials who stood by, the written part was then torn oflF from the scroll, and delivered by the aged ruler to the captain, in the utmost confidence of its being fully comprehended. His mortification and disappointment were extreme on perceiving that he had again overrated their acquirements. The expectation of being understood through the medium of writing will not appear quite unreasonable when it is called to mind that, though in the eastern part of Asia the spoken languages are various, the signs by means of which thought and feeling are conveyed present only a very small difference. Thus, a native of China is unintelligible to a Corean or Japanese while he is speaking, but they mutually understand one another when their ideas are expressed in writing. The distinc- tion may be thus explained. In Europe the workings of the mind are denoted by certain sounds, which are different in every kingdom ; the natives of France being strangers to the tongues used in England and Germany, while the inhabitants of the latter countries are equally unacquainted with the d'alects which are used south- ward of the Rhine or jeyond the Pyrenees. These various enunciations are committed to paper by means of the alphabetical signs, which are only symbols of sound, and consequently a piece of composition, wliether printed or written, is unintelligible to every one who is ignorant of the spoken language in which it happens to The hlero- be expressed. The Chinese and their neighbours, on the Hio'chtaese. contrary, have no alphabet, — no symbols of mere sound ; and as their ideas are committed to writing at once with- out any reference to vocal language, their characters may therefore be called symbf>ls of thought or even of reasoning. Now, as the same characters are used in all those regions to make known the same ideas, it is clear that their writings will be perfectly intelligible to one another, though their vernacular speech may be quite incomprehensible. As a ready illustration of this symbolical language, HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 759 Captain Hall refers to the Roman numerals as used chap. xix. throughout all Europe. There is nothing in the figures 1, 2, 3, by which their pronunciation can be ascertained when presented to the eye ; yet they communicate meaning independently of sound, and are perfectly in- telligible to all the nations between the Ural Mountains andtheAtlantic,and from the Balticto the Mediterranean, *', ' \ though the names by which they are distinguished in \ convey no import to any of the others. The know- Knowicdfte ledge of writing is supposed to be very generally diffused S^Sng!^ over all the countries using what is called the Chinese character ; and as it is probable that none but the lowest vulgar are ignorant of it, the surprise of the Corean chief upon finding that the English could not read his paper is by no means unnatural. Such a case, it may be presumed, had never occurred before ; and the effect which so novel an incident produced was at once amus- ing and instructive. At first he seemed to doubt the possibility that they could be so unlearned, and showed some symptoms of displeasure, as if an attempt were made to deceive him, — an impression, however, which did not long continue ; for, perceiving that there was DO affectation of ignorance, he gave way to astonish- ment, and looked at those around him with a feeling of surprise little complimentary to his visiters.* That reluctance to have intercourse with foreigners Corean which marks the character of the Chinese, seems to have Itrm^tu^ extended itself to the Coreans ; for, though the old man ' The chief made a second attempt, when formally presented to ■Captain M . Maxwell on board the Alceste. This gallant officer, JDpon receiving' the billet from tlie secretary, called for paper, and Iwrote upon it in English " I do not understand one word that you lay," The Corean, on receiving it, "examined the characters with IfTeat attention, and then made signs that it was wholly unintclli- ple, alternately looking at the paper and at Captain Maxwell with lin inquiring air." I The paper dictated by the old man was afterwards translated at ICantnn by Mr IVIorrison, and was found to contain the following Ifestiona, *' Persons — of what land — of what nation ? On account jifwhat business do ye come hither? In the ship are there any liiterary men who thoroughly understand, and can explain what ia Iwritten?" •'.>•■•-• 3b small party from the EnKliah ihipa. 760 HALL, RUSGnE?;BERGER, AND FITZROY. CHAP. XIX. appeared quite happy on board the strange ships, he would not consent to the landing even of the principal officers. He resisted every proposal made by them for' this purpose ; and, finding the ordinary signs of disap. probation of no avail, he held his head down, and drew! hij$ hand across his throat, as if his life would be exacted Landing of a as the penalty of acquiescence. Not imagining that ""* «»'•»" g^^j^ ^ result would follow their stepping ashore, a small party who accompanied him to the land debarked, and prepared themselves for a walk into the interior. The venerable patriarch now began to cry violently, and turning towards the village walked away, leaning his head on the shoulder of one of his people. As he wentj along, he not only sobbed and wept, but even at in- tervals bellowed aloud. Endeavouring to pacify him, they sat down on tliei beach, making signs that he should return ; upon which he not only complied with their request, but waited very patiently while they remonstrated on the unrea- sonableness of his conduct and his unaccountable beha- viour to them in their peculiar circumstances. In reply to their pantomime, which he did not altogether fail to i comprehend, he made a long speech, in the course of j which the beheading sign was frequently repeated. It I was remarked that he invariably held his hands towards his throat after he had gone through this motion, and appeared to wash his hands in his blood, probably in imitation of some ceremony used at executions. "What- ever may have been its meaning, it seems very probable that some general instructions were in force along the whole of this coast by which the treatment of strangers Avas regulated. The promptitude with which the two | ships were met at a place where, perhaps, no such ves- sels were ever seen before, and the pertinacity with! which the landing of even a small body of men was | opposed, seem to imply an extraordinary degree of vigi- lance and jealousy on the part of the government. It was now resolved to prosecute the voyage to the | southward ; but just before the Alceste weighed anchor Pertlnacfans repnlsion of them. f BALL, RUSCHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. 761 the captain received a final visit from the aged chief, CHAP. xix. whose appearance is said to have been quite altered. His sprightliness and curiosity were all gone, and hia easy unceremonious manner was exchanged for a cold stately civility. He would not accept any presents, but Sccoik*. vish'. appeared much relieved by the unexpected kindness agea chid with which he was received ; and before he went away, it was manifest that the apprehension under which he came on board had gradually given place to his wonted spirits. When looking over the books in the cabin, his attention was attracted by the appearance of a bible, which was immediately offered to him. He refused it, though so undecidedly that it was thought proper to repeat the benevolence ; and being shown to him just as he was pushing off in his boat, he accepted the valuable boon with every appearance of gratitude, and took his leave in a very friendly manner. A painful uncertainty eoatinues to hang over his fate ; for it is almost impos- dble to resist the belief that, by holding intercourse with Europeans and permitting them to land, he had exposed himself to a fearful responsibility. Proceeding to the southward along the coast of Corea, Vast archl- the navigators threaded their way, upwards of a hundred ^^^ "' miles, amongst islands, which lie in immense clusters in every direction. They vary in size from a few furlongs in length to five or six miles. From the mast-head other groups were perceived, lying one behind another to the east and south, as far as the eye could reach. Frequently above a hundred of them were in sight from the deck at one moment, many of which appeared beau- tifully diversified with wood, and well cultivated in the valleys. Bat no aid could be derived from the charts put into the hands of pilots in those seas ; none of the places at which the discoverers touched being within sixty miles of their true position. Only a few islands are noticed in any map, whereas the coast, for nearly seventy leagues, is completely studded with th&m, to the distance of fifteen or twenty miles from the main- laud. A second attempt to establish an acquaintance I n 762 HALL, RU8CHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. Tlie preat Loo-Cboo. CHAP. XIX. with the natives proved equally unsuccessful with the """ former ; for, though no hostile spirit was at any time manifested by them, there every where appeared either an undefined jealousy or a deep apprehension of future , • evil. No wish was so strong or less unequivocally ex- pressed as that of seeing the masters of two such ships steering their course to a distance from this peaceful strand. On the 10th September, accordingly, deterred by the difficulty they had experienced in communicat- ing with the inhabitants, they got under weigh, and stood to the southward. By sunset they were clear of all the islands, and could just distinguish that of Quel- paert in the south-eastern quarter. After sailing two days in the direction now mentioned, they found themselves on the coast of the Great Lieou ' Kieou, usually pronounced Loo-Choo. When seeking for a harbour some of the natives in canoes pointed out the proper channel, indicating a point of land to the northward, and waving with their hands to go round it. Meantime a few went off to the Lyra, one of whom handed to the sailors a jar of water, and another a bas- ket of boiled potatoes, without asking or seeming to wish for any recompense. They were indeed in all re- spects the most friendly people that had been met with in those seas. Their manners were gentle and respect- ful ; they uncovered their heads when in the presence of the officers, bowed whenever they spoke to them, and when they received some rum from the gentlemen, they did not taste it until they had made an obeisance to every person on deck. Another canoe went near the Alceste ; and a rope being thrown to the persons on board, they tied a fish to it and paddled away. " All this," says the narrator, " promised well, and was par- ticularly grateful after the cold repulsive manners of the Coreans."* ,i ;; Tlie people's But there soon appeared symptoms of ihe same spirit Jealousy. which- had so much thwarted the intentions of tho Account of a Voj'age of Discover^', &c., p. 62 HALL, RUSCIIENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 763 discoverers in the Yellow Sea. There was manifested CHAP. xix. among all ranks a firm determination to prevent the """" foreigners from landing. An individual who seemed to possess some authority presented himself on board the Alceste, and forthwith requested that the captain would explain to him the reason of his coming to Lieou Kieou, and of his desire to enter their port. The interpreter was instructed to acquaint him that the ships, which had been a long time on the ocean, having suffered from bad weather, were greatly in want of repairs, which could not be effected except in a secure harbour. No doubt, indeed, any longer remained that, whether the islanders in the Chinese waters were independent or acknowledged the authority of the emperor, they had adopted the exclusive policy of Pe-king, and were soli- citous to avoid all intercourse with the Inhabitants of distant lands. Of their own sovereign or governor they Their always spoke in a very mysterious manner, as if it were eoverumen not lawful to mention his name or refer to his authority. The chiefs alluded to him under the title of the " Great Man," without whose concurrence they could not do or promise any thing. Captain Maxwell was very curious to know who this great man might be, but they evaded all his inquiries. When he asked them where the king resided, and intimated his intention of waiting upon him, they expressed the strongest objection to such a course, declaring besides that it was quite impossible, as his majesty lived at the distance of a thousand miles. They did not seem aware of their inconsistency, when they undertook immediately afterwards to get an answer from court about pilots for the ships, in the course of a few hours. Perhaps the interpreter did not fully un- derstand either party. The people of Loo-Choo are much in advance of the Tiieir Coreans in respect of sentiment and decorum, as well decorum. as in all the other attributes of civilisation. For ex- ample, the chiefs, during the conference, preserved a gra- vity suited to an important question of state policy, and, i I m Thdr custume. 764 HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. cirAP. XIX. though surrounded by objects at once new and striking displayed not the slightest degree of curiosity. But no sooner was business over, and they were at liberty to walk about the ship, than they looked at every thin^ with the greatest attention, taking particular notice of the globes, books, and mirrors. Their manners were remarkably gentle and unassuming. They are intelli- gent and even inquisitive ; but encouragement is neces- sary to induce them to come forward, being obviously restrained by the fear of being deemed intrusive. In regard to dress, too, they display a taste which is at once simple and graceful ; it consists of a loose flowing robe, with very wide sleeves, tied round the middle by a broad rich belt or girdle of wrought silk, a yellow cylindrical cap, and a neat straw sandal over a short cotton boot or stocking. They all carry fans, which they stick in their girdles when not in use, and each person has a short tobacco pipe in a small bag, hanging also at the belt. The demeanour even of the lowest classes was genteel and becoming ; their curiosity is great, but it never carries them beyond the bounds of good-breeding ; their language also is even musical and in most cases easy to pronounce. Their hair, which is of a glossy black, is shaved from the crown of the head ; the bare place being concealed by the locks on either side, which are gathered into a close knot over it. Their beards and mustaches, which are allowed to grow, are kept very neat and smooth. In stature the men are mther low, but are well formed, and have an easy graceful carriage which suits well with their flowing dress. Their colour cannot be pronounced either fixed or uniform, some being very dark and others nearly white, but, generally, it is of a tint resembling dark copper. This, it is said, is fully compensated by the sweetness and intelligence of their countenances, the placid expression of their fine eyes, and the beautiful regularity of their white teeth. **In deportment," adds Captain Hall, " they are modest, polite, timid, and Tlielr ))ei-sonaI appearance. HALL, RUSCHENBEIIGER, AND PITZROY. 7G5 respectful, and, in short, appear to be a most interesting chap. xix. and amiable people."* — While negotiations were pending, one of the chiefs received a visit from Captain Maxwell and a few of his officers, which terminated to the complee satisfaction of both parties. After the lapse of a certain period it was resolved Search for a to make search for a harbour to which a reference was *'"''°'"''* frequently made by the people qf Napakiang, the town near which the two ships had hitherto been moored. The Lyra was accordingly despatched on the Ist of October at daybreak to examine the coast ten or twelve leagues to the northward ; a measure which did not fail to create much anxiety among the in« habitants, who, though apprehensive as to the effects of landing near their capital, had become so much attached to the English that they were unwilling to see them depart. Amongst the various arguments used to dissuade the seamen from going to the other end of the island, they asserted that it was in the pos> session of savages, from whom they might justly dread aa unkind reception. Notwithstanding these indications of regret or dis- approbation the captain persevered, and his labours were rewarded by the discovery of a remarkable recess, to which was given the name of Port Melville. It was Port Mel- entered by a somewhat intricate channel of about a quarter of a mile in length, and at one place not two hundred yards wide ; after passing which, the Lyra : found hei-self in a circular basin of half a mile across, with deep water, and completely sheltered from all winds. On the western shore was seen a beautiful village almost hidden amongst trees, with a high range of hills behind it, richly wooded and stretching towards the south. The eastern shore was low and laid out in salt fields, with a few huts at various distances. At first sight, this basin aid not appear to have any other • Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea and the Great Loo-Cfhoo Island, p. 71* . ' >'i -i :■:'.■ ;fi j ''^Bl 786 HALL, RUSCHENBERGEll, AND IITZKOY. CHAP. XIX. outlet besides the one by which it had been entered ; but in rowing to its upper or southern side, Captain Hall found that it was joined by means of a narrow pas- sage with another harbour still- larger and if possible Inner more beautiful than the first, for here the land is high lagoons. on both sides, and riclily wooded from top to bottom. ' Proceeding onwards through this second recess, which ■ "^' had all the appearance of an inland lake, he came to another outlet not more than a hundred yards in width, formed by cliffs rising abruptly out of the water to the height of a hundred feet. Both sides being covered with trees, which almost met overhead, the space below was rendered cool and pleasant, and the water, screened from every breeze, was as smooth as glass. He rowed along for some time by various windings N through this fairy scene, in total uncertainty of what the next turn was to present ; and at last, after ad- vancing about three miles, it opened into an extensive lake studded with numerous small islands. The depth of water varied from four to six fathoms ; it beiiijr deepest at the narrowest parts. Ships might ride in any part of this extraordinary harbour in perfect safety during the most violent tempests ; and the shores are so various that repairs of every kind might be con- veniently accomplished. At some places natural wharfs • ' _• : are formed by the rocks, with ten fathoms water close to them; and many of the cliffs are hollowed into caves which could easily be converted into storehouses. Thenativea After an excursion ashore, the crew of the Lyra found their boats surrounded by a party of the natives, who proved smaller in stature than the inhabitants of Napakiang, and were apparently less curious and intelli- gent. They watched very attentively while a musket was loaded ; and when it was fired they all fell down as if they had been shot, but instantly rose again, and looking at each other, indulged in a timorous laugh, On proceeding to the village first mentioned, it was found the most finished of any that had been seen on the whole island. The streets were regular and HALL, RUSCIIENUERaER; AND PITZROY. 7G7 cleanly swept ; each house had a neat cane wall as chap. xix.r well as a screen before the door ; while plantain and — otlier trees were growing so thickly inside the fence that they completely shaded the dwelling. Near the beach were several houses in which a number of peraons A village. were seated writing : they offered to the strangers cake and tea, and permitted them to walk every where without the slightest restraint. In front of the village and parallel with the strand is a splendid avenue, thirty feet broad, formed by two rows of large trees, the branches of which join overhead, and eflFectually protect the loungers from the sun. At different distances are placed wooden benches and stone scats for repose or conversation. Upon his return to Napakiang the captain of the Lyra found that during his absence a young man belonging to the Alceste had died. When the natives were made aware of this event, they requested per- mission to prepare a grave in a thicket near the temple, a spot ali'eady devoted to sepulture, and used as a private cemetery. Next day the funeral took place AfoncniL with all the formalities usual on such occasions, the commander walking last, with the officers and crew before him. The instinctive politeness of the Napa- kiangese was never more strikingly displayed than on this occasion ; for perceiving that those who were of highest rank walked in the rear, they considered that their station must of course be in front, and they accordingly placed themselves at the head of the pro- cession, and preserved throughout the ceremony the most profound silence. They were all dressed in white robes, which was understood to be their usual mourning. Next day, they requested leave to erect a stone over the grave ; and when it was completed they performed their own funeral service over it, by sacrificing a large hog and burning a quantity of spirits. One of the most interesting persons who visited the English ships was Madera, a chief of a high order but who, for the sake of acquiring some knowledge of m I A aroat chief: 768 HALL, RUSCIIENBERQER, AND PITZROY. CHAP. XIX. foreign arts and manners, chose to appear in disguise, "~ From the earnest way in which he inquired into every subject, it was imagined that he must have been di- rccted by the government to infonn himself on these topics ; " and certainly," says the captain of the Lyra, " a fitter person could not have been selected, for he adapted himself so readily to all ranks that he became at once a favourite, and every person took pleasure in obliging him. He is always cheerful, and often lively and playful, but his good sense prevents his ever going beyond the line of strict propriety. Wlieu required by etiquette to be grave, no one is so immov- ably serious as Madera, and when mirth rules the hour, he is the gayest of the gay ; such indeed is his taste on these occasions that he not only catches the outward tone of his company, but really appears to think and feel as they do."* A slight accident which had befallen Captain Maxwell was made the occasion or pretext for a visit on the part of the prince, the heir-apparent to the throne. On the 23d October, accordingly, a deputation of the chiefs went on board the Alceste to give notice that his royal highness meant to present himself in the afternoon, with the view of inquiring into the state of the com- manding officer's health. The boat in which he arrived was a flat-bottomed barge, covered with an awning of dark blue with white stars on it, the whole having much the appearance of a hearse. It was preceded by two other boats b'3?,ring flags with an inscription upon them, having in the low an officer of justice carrying a lack- ered bamboo, 'iud m the stern a man beating a gong. One of tia; chiefs stepped on board with the prince's card, which was of red paper, forty-eight inches long and eleven broad, describing his office and purpose in the following tenns : " Loo-Choo nation. Extender of Law, Great Person, Ko Heang, bows his head, and pays The Prince Hoyal • An Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the Great Loo- Choo, p. 157. HALL, RUSCIIGNDBKGEIl, AND FITZKOY. 7G9 ffspect ;" — the common viiiiting expression among the ciiap, xix. higher class of Chinese. — After the usual formalities, the heir of the little sove- reignty on whose shores our countrymen had anchored, icknowledgcd that his curiosity had been excited by the fonderful accounts conveyed to him respecting the ihips. His attention was first attracted by a terrestrial j[lobe which stood near him, and which he examined with great care, begging to have shown to him England, Loo-Choo, Quang-tung or China, and Niphon or Japan. On his expressing a wish to look at the different parts nisexamina- of the frigate, he was conducted all round the decks ; n j'gato. * '" observing every thing with attention, but without giving utterance to any feeling of surprise or wonder. He was ielighted with the working of the fire-engine, and amazed it seeing the wr^or projected to so great a height. Hav- ing heard that there was an African on board, he begged that he might be sent for ; and when the black man was lirought in, he looked exceedingly surprised, being pro- liably in doubt whether the colour was natural, as one of his people was sent to rub the face of the negro to ascertain whether it was not painted. The prince, whose name was Shang Pung Fwee, bore the title of Pochin Tay Foo, and stood at the head of the highest of the nine orders of nobility in the islands. He . was treated with the greatest respect ; no other chief would sit down in his presence or address him without beeling ; and the people at large fell prostrate when- tYer he passed, whether in a house or in the fields. His His personal lanners were genteel, though somewhat haughty ; but '"^"®''*- towards the close of his visit, when his reserve had in »me degree worn off, ho was occasionally observed to mile, with a shrewd expression in his eyes, as if he was observing things more narrowly than was at first sus- pected. In reply to a question respecting other foreign- era who might have visited his dominions, he stated that a vessel had been there about tw^enty years ago, but that the had left without holding any communication with tlic court. This is supposed, with great probability, to Extent of h\a gecgraphical knowledge. 770 HALL, RUSCIIENBERGER, AND PITZROY. CH\p. XIX. have been the schooner in which Captain Brought oi ~ " touched at Napakiang in July 1797, after he liad k-er wrecked in his Majesty's ship Providence, on the islanc of Typinsan. He knew of no other stranger vho Iuk stopped at Loo-Choo. On being asked in regard to liiJ acquaintance with other countries, he candidly declart that he was entirely ignorant of the English, the Frencl and indeed of all European nations, and that his geogra phical knowledge was confincl to the Chinese, Coreanj and Japanese.* When the commodore made known his desire to seJ the king, that he might thank him in the name of thd English government for the liberal manner in which tlw crews had been supplied with every kind of refreshment the prince informed him that it was contrary to the cui toms and laws of Loo-Choo for any foreigner to see th^ monarch, unless sent by his own sovereign, and chargt with complimentary presents. This reply seemed preclude all hope of opening a communication with thJ court, an object which had been earnestly desired hj hoth captains. But, after a pause, his highness unexl rectedly resumed the subject by sayhig that a lettei would be written to the King of England, if his frien^ Maxwell would undertake to deliver it. The latte replied that nothing could give him greater satisfaction than to have the honour of discharging such a duty] upon which the prince and the chiefs arose, and fell oi their knees round the naval officers, showing by thei^ countenances that by this arrangement they had bet relieved from a very perplexing embarrassment, soon appeared, however, that there was a mutual misui derstanding ; for when the proposed letter was agaiij mentioned, Shang Pung Fwee intimated that it was be written by the minister, and not by the king, this altered the case materially, the commodore mos Proposed letter to the king of England. • An Accoun.' of a Voyage of Discover\, *^o., p. 183. A refei5 once is made to Broughton s Voyage, booK ii. chap, ii., for a ver interesting account of the natives of Tj'pinsan, who appear to semhle the people of the Great Loo-Choo. BALL, RUSCBENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 771 respectfully informed him that such a document as he CHAP. XIX ijescribed could not be received, as it would be an indig- — nity to his Britannic Majesty to offer him an epistle trcn the hand of another monarch's secretary. The prince at once seemed sensible of the propriety of this objection ; and calling the chiefs around him, entered into a long discussion, at the close of which he declared himself incompetent to decide upon so important a mat- ter, but said that he would consult with the king, whose pleasure should be communicated in a few days. After an exchange of civilities, the navigators made The friend - preparations for their departure ; on which occasion the peopjy^ol'^' Iffarmth of heart and simplicity of manners peculiar to ilioo-Choo. the natives of the Loo-Choo cluster manifested them- selves in a very affecting manner. "On going into the cabin," says Captain Hall, "I found the chiefs very disconsolate, and apparently trying to conceal emotions different, in all probability, from any they had before experienced. OokooAua wished to say something, but nras too much affected to speak, and before they reached I their boat, they were all ip tears, Madera cried bitterly IS he shook nands with his numerous friends, who were oading him with presents. The chiefs, as well as tha [people in the numerous canoes which had assembled round the ships, stood up, and continued waving their fans and handkerchiefs till we were beyond the reefs, [and could see them no longer." The religion of Loo-Choo appears to be that of Fo, Theii' lid to have been introduced by the bonzes more than a *"'°* I thousand years ago. Nothing precise on this interesting hubject could be learned from the natives themselves, "ho, like the Chinese, are understood to have resigned all such concerns to the priests. They professed not to know the forms and observances used in the temple. With the exception of the funeral service perfonned on ♦'le demise of the sailor, our countrymen witnessed not any usage which could claim the slightest affinity to a pious sentiment^ or a future state. A number of carved stones, indeed, called kawroo, were found at many places, 772 Hi LL, RUSCHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. TIie!r vromen. CHAP. XIX. particularly in the groves on the hill. The kavvroo u — two feet in length and one in breadth, and is excavated little on th»', upper surface on which the offering is laid! On the sideu of this stone are carved a variety of char-l acters, denoving the rank of the person who made th« offering, the object of his petition, together with the date. One of these inscriptions gives an account of man about tc sail for China in the reign of Kien Lon<' he implores the divine protection during the voya-^e] Another, dated in the first year of the late Kia Kin"-! is an invocation to the Deity for success in a literary! undertaking. Tw^o narrow strips of paper found on a] pillar in the temple proved to be invocatior.; ; the one] to the supreme god, and the other to the > r\\ , •> + In respect to polygamy, the people of ' .. '>.ioo dol not imitate their neighbours in China, but ratiier tou-| demn the practice as at once inconvenient and liima- tural. But it appears, nevertheless, that the women are! not so well treated as might have been expected from the] mild character of the men and their apparent genero- sity. It is said they are even restricted from using] fans ; and that when they are met out of doors by the i men they take no notice of one another, whatever may I be the degree of relationship or intimacy subsisting! between them. Of the literature of Napakiang no satisfactory account could e obtained : the inhabi- tants admitted that they had few books in their own language, the greater number on the island being Ci • nese. Young men of rank are accordingly sent to re-kin- or some other large city to be educated. They appear to have no money current among them, and so ignorant did they appear of the value of metallic coins, that they set no value on the dollars and guineas offered to them by the gentlemen of the expedition. No arms of any kind were seen, and the nati'. es de- clared that they had non?. It was obvious that the v^-.' of muskets and cannon was quite new to them : ^'' • . Tiicirpeaco- even denied having any knowledge of war either '»• fulness. experience or tradition. Our countrymen never saw Chinese. Itl with the coni hfl^^s/ur therl HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND PITZRO\. 773 any punishment inflicted during- their residence. In chap. xix. giving orders the chiefs were mild though firm, and the — people always obeyed with cheerfulness. There seemed to be great respect and confidence on the one hand, and much considemtioQ and kind feeling on the other ; in all which particulars they are decidedly superior to the Chinese. It is not unworthy of remark, as contrasting with the conduct of most islanders in the Pacific, that -riieir during the whole time the English ships were in the ^oaesty. ha^'^^ur there did not occur a singh instance of theft. All classes were permitted to go o i board indiscrimi- nately, and even to enter the cabins and storehouses un- attended. On one occasion when the Alceste vfps under repair, goods of every kind were lying about, as well as the tools belonging to the carpenter and armourer ; and in the observatory, the instruments, books, and pencils wer& merely placed under cover ; yet there was not one article taken away, though many hundreds of people were admitted daily, and allowed to examine whatever they pleased. The mode of agriculture practised by the Loo-Chooans is obviously adopted from the Chinese, and is equally minute and careful, particularly in the process of irri- gation. Of their manufactures it is difficult to speak Tiieir manu- with certainty. By their own account, the silks they ^**^'*"'^''^ wear are imported from China ; but the cotton cloths ire made at home, and the printed patterns are described ^ rather elegant and tasteful. The art of fixing colours, •; well as of compounding them, requires such a know- \v(*i;e of chemistry and so much mechanical skill that, !t the workmen be natives, the reader must anticipate the inference as to the necessity of their possessing higher acquisitions than any which met the eyes of the British officers during their brief stay. The natives, it is evident, acted throughout on a system of concealment nud evasion, and knew more than they chose to communicate. Concerning the population of the Great Loo-Choo notliing certain could be learned. The people themselves pleaded ignorance, and as no precise data were within I f 1 1^ ' t\ m hi] \M 774 HALL, RUSCIIENBEROER, AND FITZROY. State of the twyulation. CHAP. XIX. reach of Captain Hall, he could only compare the esti- — mates that were made, which, as they did not approach to an agreement, cannot claim any particular notice. From the southern point of the island to the distance of five or six miles northward of Napakiang, the country is highly cultivated and thickly studded with houses. All around Port Melville, too, there sua populous vil- lages ; but the northern and eastern portions, which are not improved by the agriculturist, are thinly inhabited. Nothing like poverty or distress of any kind was seen ; on the contrary, every person seemed happy and con- tented. Except the small-pox, of which a few indivi- duals bore the marks, no indication of disease was per- 'ived ; and it was considered worthy of record in the jamais of the officers, that no deformed subject met their eyes, on board, in the fields, or even in the pre- cincts of the temple, the place whither such unfortu- nates usually resort. Regretting that our limits will not permit us to accom- pany the same author in his other voyage round Cape Horn, when raised to the command of his Majesty's ship Conway, nor to condense the valuable information contained in his notes, we pass on to the narrative of Dr Ruschenber{ tr, who sailed from New York in the month of April 1835, in the capacity of surgeon to the Peacock, a war- vessel belonging to the United States. The object of this expedition was to complete com- mercial treaties with the Sultan of Muscat and the King of Siam. It appears that Mr Roberts, a mercantile gen- tleman of New Hampshire, had in the course of his professional pursuits, visited many countries eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, and discovered in those re- gions several openings for the American trade ; provided that the inconveniences of arbitrary exaction and the irregularities of oriental intercourse could be obviated by a formal negotiation with the ruling powers. His views being made known to the government, it was determined that he should be sent to visit the east in the capacity of special agent, for the purpose of obtain- Expeditlon of Roberts to Muscat and Siam. UAI.Lf RUSCHENBERQER, AND FITZROY. 775 ing &rther information, and of establishing commercial CHAP. XIX. relations with such Asiatic sovereigns as might be found * disposed to lend a willing ear to his representations. Accordingly, in the year 1832, he set sail in the Pea- cock, the small frigate already mentioned, and succeeded so far as to induce his Siamese majesty and the supremo lord of Muscat to enter into terms for a regular exchange of commodities. These contracts having been approved by the president and senate of the United States, Mr Roberts was appointed ambassador to exchange the rati- ,, r fications ; and with this view the same ship was again •' pat in commission, to carry him once more to the eastern shores of Africa and the Indian continent. After passing the Cape, the Peacock entered the Mo- |he Comoro zambique channel ; and at the northern extremity of ^ Madagascar, the crew obtained a hasty glance of the Comoro Islands, which are said to be four in number. It is asserted by the surgeon that the largest is about ninety miles in circumference, its surface being broken into gently swelling hills and valleys. It contains about thirty thousand in>abitants, originally from the African continent, who speak Arabic and profess the Mohamme- dan religion. This description is far from being accu- rate, for the island Anjazija, commonly called Comoro, is a volcanic mountain of great height, visible, it is said, at the distance of forty leagues, and the fires of which ; , '~ are still active. The natives are indeed remarkable for '^ their strict attention to the rites of their faith, being rather intolerant towards other creeds, and, on this ground chiefly, little disposed to encourage the visits of foreigners, more especially Christians, of whose zeal and power they are by no means ignorant. On the first day of September, the Peacock arrived at tile eastern side of Zanzibar, and anchored near the town the following morning. This island, about forty-five The Island of miles long and from twelve to fifteen broad, presents a ^*°*^***'' low undulating surface, rarely attaining an elevation of five hundred feet above the level of the sea. It is clothed with a rich verdure, shaded by groves in which 3c The corr.l islands of Eastern Africa. 776 HALL, RUSCHUNBERGER, AND PIT2R0Y. CHAP. SOX. the stateliest forms of the African forest are mingled, ;.i — endless variety of shape and hue, with the fruit-trees of i India ; while along the seashore, and often appearing to rise directly from the surf, the cocoa-nut-palm forms a graceful fringe. Ruschenbei^er not unnaturally re- marks that ** after gazing on the blue skies and blue seas for fifty days, such a sight carries with it an exhil- arating and delightful influence which one must expcri- ence to understand.'** The whole eastern coast of Africa, from Cape Delgado to the equator, is girt with chains of islands or reefs of j coral, many of them close to the mainland, to which they are in progress of annexation ; a work which will ; /'• be completed at no distant day, as great beds of the s:ime substance are found inland many miles from the beach. The doctor favours his readers with a learned dissertation on the wondrous fabrics reared by the zoo- 1 phytes, or animalculs, to which the attention of the navigator in the equatorial seas is so frequently attracted, j But his observations possess not the slightest degree of | ttoVelty, nor do they throw any new light on that mar- vellous process to which the globe owes so much of its j present form, and whence it is constantly deriving ma- j teiials for islands and continents yet to be developed. Zanzibar is watered by several little streams, on the I The town of lai^est of which, called the Panidogo, stands the town, 1 containing not less than twelve thousand inhabitants. When the English, toward^^ che close of the sixteenth} century, first visited this settlement on their way to the East Indies, they experienced a most inhospitable reception; and continuing to touch there for many years afterwards, they suffered much^K)ccasionally the loss of life itself — from the jealousy of the Portuguese I and the suspicious fears of the natives. At a later \u iic . period, the charter of the East India Company threw • Narrative of a Voyage ronnd the World during tlie Years 1836, 36, and 37; incUiding a Narrative of an Embassy to tlie Sultan of Muscat and the King of Siam. By VV. S. W. Ruschen. berger, M. D., Surgeon to the Expedition, vol. i. p. 24. HALL, ntJSCHENBERGER, AND PITZROY. 77 Impediments in the way of a commercial intercourse chap. xix. between Great Britain and Eastern Africa ; and consc- — quently our trade with Zanzibar is of very recent origin, dating only from the expiration of their monopoly. The present sultan of Muscat has taken great pains to tiio Snltan u{ improve this island, which he will probably make the ^^i^^^ place of his permanent residence and the capital of his dominions. It is conveniently situated opposite to those ' African coasts over which he claims a paramount sove- reignty, and from which, indeed, he derives the greater part of his revenue. The inhabitants, too, are perfectly disposed to acknowledge his title, while in the neigh- bourhood of the other capital his authority is not re- ceived without reluctance. Nor has he been able, by any extent of munificence or display of abilities, to in- duce the Arab tribes of Oman to forget that he is a usurper, and that the family of their ancient chiefs is not yet extinct. ;:'!•// a ;•'' ": ■•()!,■••• During the last half century the commerce of Zanzibar has increased chiefly, it is presumed, at the expense of the Portuguese settlements at Mozambique and on the river Zambezi, where their treatment of the natives has been not less inconsiderate than cruel. The cultivation The cu!tiva< of the island, too, has kept pace with its external trade. jlbJir? ^"' The sultan, desirous to turn its natural advantages to account, made extensive plantations of sugar-cane, bring- ing experienced persons from the Mauritius to superin- tend its growth and extract its produce. This attempt was not finally successful, for the sugar was found more expensive than that of the West Indies, and hardly equal in quality. The culture of indigo and coffee was vigor- ously undertaken about the same time, the. former under very favourable auspices ; and the clove and nutmeg are said to be prominent objects at present. These delicate spices continue to thrive so well that, according to Dr lluschenberger, "almost every body on the island is now clearing away the cocoa-nut to make way for them.'* The officers of the Peacock rode a few miles from the m li: I ^78 HALL, RU8CHENBER0ER, AND PITZROY. A clove plantation. CHAP. XIX. town to visit a clove plantation belonging to the sultan of which is given the following description. The house stands in the centre of a yard about a hundred and twenty feet square ; its walls are of coral, not less than seven feet high, and enclose several out-buildings for slaves ; near the mansion was a small garden, in which the rose-bush and nutmeg-tree were flourishing together. As far as the eye could reach over a beautiful undulating land, nothing was to be seen but clove-trees of different ages, varying in height from five to twenty feet. The form of the tree is conical ; the branches grow at nearly right angles with the trunk, and they begin to shoot a few inches from the ground. The plantation contains nearly four thousand, and each tree yields on an average six pounds of cloves in the year. They are carefully picked by hand, and then dried in the shade ; numbers of slaves were seen standing on ladders gathering the fruit, while others were at work clearing the ground of dead leaves. The whole is in the finest order, presenting' a picture of industry and of admirable beauty and neat- ness. But the result, even in 1836, was still doubtful ; and it has been found that the more precious spices are incapable of bearing removal from the region in which they are indigenous, and that in the western hemisphere hc least, though they grow freely, they lose their aro- matic power. The surgeon of the Peacock hazards a statement which, whether perfectly accurate or not, merits duo attention on the part of British manufacturers. In re- ference to Zanzibar, viewed as a great commercial depot, he relates that his countrymen obtain in it gum, copal, ivory, and hides, for which they give cottons and specie ; adding, that '* the American cotton manufac- tures have taken precedence of the English, not only at this place and in many parts of the east, but on the Pacific coast of America. The English endeavour to imitate our fabric by stamping their own with American marks, and by other means assimilating it; but the AiriTlcnn trade with Zanzibar HALL, RUSCHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. 779 people say that the strength and wear of the Amc.ican CHAP. xix. goods are so superior that, lest they be deceived, they will no longer even purchase from Englishmen/** The embassy did not find the sultan at Zanzibar, he having, previously to their arrival, taken his depar- ture for his Arabian capital, and left as governor of the island a prince only sixteen years of age. They nnnfrom therefore proceeded to Muscat, and on the 8th September '^^^'"'^"" *® crossed the equator in the fairest weather, which, by lulling them into security, had nearly proved fatal to the ship and all on board. On the 20th, the sea was noticed to be remarkably green, though no bottom was found at a hundred fathoms ; and as it was con- cluded from a meridian observation that they were still sixty miles from the Arabian shore, they continued their course, and took no precautions, notwithstanding those admonitory indications. In the evening a land- bird flew on deck, and a few hours afterwards two others, together with some sea-weed, were met with ; * Narrative of a Voyage round the World, &c , vol. i. p. 65. Speaking of the competition with British commerce in India, Lieutenant Burnes in his interesting Travels into Bokhara says, "the most formidable rivals are the Americans, who have only lately enteied on this trade. At present they land most of their carg-oes on the east coast of Africa, from wliich they find tlieir way to Muscat and Persia. Hitherto they have only sent white goods, and with them they have spread an opinion, which was repeated to me by the Armenian merchants of Ispahan, that their cloths are superior to the British, because the cotton is produced in their own country, and not injured from pressing. It is said to wear and wash well; and if t^is cloth were introduced more ex- tensively, the merchants assure me that it would have a good sale ; very little of it has been hitherto imported." The number of foreign vessels which visited Zanzibar, from 16th September 1832 to 26Ui May 1834, amounted in all to forty oae sail, viz. Nation. Vessels. Tonnage. American, 32 6497 ■' ■ VI English, 7 1403 '^' , French, 1 340 , 1 >! »■ ) Spanish, 1 319 . ,.^,,^ 1 .. Total, 41 7669 ''; -m Accident In the f^nUuf 780 HALL, RUSCUENBERQER, AND FITZROr. CHAP. XIX. still no danger was apprehended, till about two in the morning " all liands were roused from si; p by a horrid noise, caused by the ship's bottom grinding, and tearing, and leaping on a bed of coral rocks." When day broke a low sandy desert was discovered about a league to the eastward, being part of the island of Mazeira, between which and the continent the Peacock had run aground. The utmost efforts were made to save the vessel ; the water-casks were started and some of the guns thrown into the sea ; and a rait was constructed on board of which were placed the top- rigging and provisions. While these measures were in progress a large canoe approached to reconnoitre the apparent wreck ; and the Arabs on board, flourisliing their swords over their heads in a menacing manner, refused to admit any friendly intercourse. Soon after- wards four others of larger dimensions, and filled witli armed men, made their appearance. They anchored near the frigate, waiting with impatience the moment she should go to pieces, undeterred by the firing of musketry and even of great guns. Meantime, as all efforts to save her seemed unavail- ing, it was resolved to send a boat with a picked crew of six men to Muscat ; whither also Mr lioberts, bearing the treaty, determined to proceed in the face of all the perils which presented themselves both afloat and on land. They were chased during a part of the fii-st day by a pirate, but night favoured their escape, and after an anxious voyage of eighty hours, they reached their destination. The ship, too, after being three days on the rocks, was so much lightened that she began to rise from the body of the reef, and at length beat out of the gulf of Mazeira into deep water. As soon as the sultan was informed of the accident, he ordered a sloop-of-war to be equipped, to convey to the Peacock water and provisions ; the governor of a neighbouring town was commanded to march at the head of three hundred armed men, to protect the people from piratical depredations; and couriers were Hei-olc trip ill u boat. means, it is nol HALL, RUSCHENBEROER, AND FITZROY. 781 despatched to the chiefs of the Bedouins along the co^ CHAP. xnL to warn them that he would make them answerable """ witli their heads for the lives and property of the strangers. y ; . j., Sayid Said, the ruler of Muscat, is a very i-emArkable personage, whose reign will always shine conspicuous in the history of his country, as connected with its first efforts towards civilisation. His dominions, with Dominion of some partial interruptions, extend about three thousand lr' *4t t!*° ^ miles along both the coasts of the Persian Gulf, Arabia, and Eastern Africa. But as, except in Oman, he \ayi claim to no territory a league distant from the sea« beach, his empire is essentially maritime ; and he measures its importance by its trade, and not by its population or resources for war. lie collects his re- venue on all the sliores which acknowledge his sway, and thereby maintains a fleet consisting, according to Ruschenberger, of no fewer than seventy-live vessels. He has one eighty-four gun ship, one sixty-four, and six or eight frigates, all built of teak, after English models, and maintained in excellent order. As there is no danger of any reaction arising from his innova- tions, which have been very judiciously inti-oduced, the discipline of his navy and the regularity of his troops can hardly fail to promote refinement among hia people, and a due respect for order. He owes his po- Origin of his litical existence to the effectual succour he received P***** from the government of Bombay, when he first engaged in the perilous struggle for supremacy ; and fr HALL, RUSCnENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 785 binding until after the exchange of its ratification by chap. xix. the governments between \vhich it is negotiated ; but in this case, the advantage gained by the traders was at the expense of those individuals who farmed the re- venues of Zanzibar, and not of the sovereign, w^hose income would sustain no diminution. The document Commeicial in question, which is given at full length by the author ^*-'*^y' of the narrative, provides in substance that the com- merce of the United States shall be freed from arbitrary exactions ; and, by placing it on an equal footing with that of the most favoured nations, imposes only a duty at the rate of five per cent, on imports and exports, while others, not equally privikged, continue to pay I one-half more. The " sketches," as the author is pleased to call his I observations on Muscat, its population, and manners, are amusing, and, to such readers as are not acquainted with I the state of society in the east, must prove also instruc- tive. It is a principal feature in the character of the Arabs to obey, with an inHexible regularity, the pre- cepts of their religion ; nothing prevents them from praying at the appointed hour. An officer who went onboard the Peacock did not once omit his devotions at noon and at four o'clock. He never hesitated, though engaged in business, to signify that the appointed hour had arrived ; and spreading out his turban on the quar- ter-deck, he turned his face towards Mecca, and w^ent tkrough his genuflexions and prayers with the same for- mality th>?t h*> would havo observed in the holy temple of the prophet. Education, our author adds, is not stnte o( oda- much attended to in the sultan's dominions ; children, ^-'^*>"* 1 generally, are only taught to read and wx .e, and recite passages from the Koran. The wealthy send their sons to Bombay, and occasionally to INirsia, for instruction. Physicians study their profession in the latter country, tut th?y are not considered by the Arabs themselves trustworthy as surgeons. In this portion of the East, the Persian language is what French is in Europe, a ■court speech which all the educated use. As yet, that m % < £ i ^M 786 HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. CHAP. XIX. engine of knowledge, the press, has not been intro- duced into Muscat ; an omission which is much to !)<» regretted, because under the government of so rational a monarch as Sayid Said bin Sultan, it would prove an inestimable blessing to his subjects. It is unnecessary to accompany the expedition to| the British colonies in India, because, though the ob- servations contained in the Narrative are both intelligent! and entertaining, they do not present any thing eitherl Bombay and new or striking. Bombay and Ceylon appeared in tliel Ccyiou. gygg ^,f ^i^g doctor as settlements of great importance and of the latter he remarks that, " whether considered in respect to its natural sources of wealth, its climatej or flourishing condition, it is the brightest spot in the colonial possessions of the British crown." In genera he regards " the dominion of the British in India in the light of a political mission, sent with the benevoler purpose of disseminating true knowledge, and of teaching how men may enjoy most freedom at the least cost q feeling and treasure. To this it will come in the end i and then may England be as proud of this child as sh now ought to be of the United States, the most pre cocious of her oflFspring." The means for acconiplishinjl this great consummation is in his estimation a free an^ w^ell-conducted press, " which will pour forth its ferti izing streams of knowledge upon the fallow mind of thij vast multitude, and they will acquire that love of fre agency which God has planted in the human heart, ai soon rally round a flag that promises to lead them independence of the foreign yoke which now repres their best energies." The " sketches" in Hindostan, if not very profound are at least minute, familiar, and well calculated to gi* information on those smaller matters which are usuallj omitted by the rcgulov historian and political economii His delineations in Java, though perhaps not less curate, are by no means calculated to please the rule of that fine island, " the stubborn, blind, brutal, tavian Dutch," as he chooses to describe them. Java. HALL, RUSCUENBEUGER, AND FITZKOY. the 26th March 183G, the American ships arrived at chap. xix. th"; mouth of the Meinam, or river of Siam ; and the smaller of the two was immediately st^nt with a letter j to the Prahklang, or prime minister, acquainting him itliat the envoy had returned with the treaty, and requesting that suitable boats might be forwarded to convey the embassy to the capital. About eight miles The rivar of from the entrance of the stream, there is a bar that ^™- prevents the progress of large vessels, on which account they are obliged to anchor more than three leagues from the shore, which, being very low, is not visible Ibm the deck of a frigate. This was no agreeable ■situation in which to be detained, particularly with a Lickly crew and ii; want of fresh provisions ; but haste lis incompatible with the etiquette of the Siamese court, lind the greater the delay in receiving the representative lof a foreign power, the higher is the honour conferred Ion his country. Some of the officers attempted to Itscend the river in one of their boats, but soon learned jthat, if they persisted in their design, they might bring liipon themselves the chastisement of the bamboo, or ||iei'haps the loss of their heads. In answer to their Itomplaints on the ground of fJelay, thr ^aptain of the Iport reminded them that "different l...... ns have dif- Iferent ^ 'storas. In the presence of your king, wliom Jjou call president, you stand and take off youi hat ; ti the presence of the king of Siam, you sit down and Itake off your shoes." They accordingly resolved to lemain no longer among a people who seemed to take fleasure in thwarting the wishes of their visiters, and ifter sharing the hospitality of a governor on the river- side, they returned on board. Meantime the Peacock had been honoured with axheheir- risit by Prince Momfanoi, the heir-apparent, who was "PE^ steemed one of the most promising characters in the ast. He vvas dressed in a jacket of pink damasked ape, closely fitting the body, a sarong of dark silk, botted in front, the ends hanging down nearly to the pound, and over it was tied a light ««ish, upon which Tlic Prince puison. 788 HALL, RCSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. CHAP. XIX. two jewelled rings of large size were strung. Tlilsi costume left the head, arms, and legs bare. He had an active determined look ; his stature was not more than five feet five inches, but his limbs were stout and well proportioned. His complexion was olive, almost nsl dark as that of the majority of negroes mot with in the! p.orthern and middle sections of the United States. His hair was coarse and black, and excepting a tuft trimmed and standing up like bristles on the top of the I head, is cut very close. In short, the general character 1 of his features is that of the Mongol race. " The form I of the eye," says the doctor, in language bordering on the professional, " is paraboloid, the upper lid extending in a thin fold over the lower one at the side of the nose which is rather flat ; the lips are full, the chin retreat- ing, and, with the exception of a few hairs on the upper! lip, he has no beard." Momfanoi, who speaks English well, has i good I collection of books in our language, and is said to be HMtnow- fond of study. While on board he displayed oonsidtr- '*****^®" able knowledge, and was very inquisitive about nautical aflfaii's. It appeared indeed very soon that he had a talent for shipbuilding, and had actually worked with adze and chisel at his favourite occupation. He had succeeded in constructing a bark of about two hundred tons burden, after an English model, and was then engaged, with the aid of three British seamen, in finishing it in a very handsome style. But his genius is not limited to the mechanical arts, and the faculty of imitation ; on the contrary, he appears to be at once bold and < iicumspcct, to unite much good sense and' observation with an enterprising spirit, and to be in every respect capable of effecting a most beneficial re- volution in the East. ' ' ' • Rnschenberger, impatient of restraint, determined to I go to Bankok in spite of all formalities, and accordingly set oiy with a friend. But as his attempt produced noj practical result, the rt der will derive more information i from accompanying the junk or boat of ceremony, which j HALL, RUSCIIENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 789 on the 6th April arrived to carry the envoy -and his CfHAP. xtx, attendants up the river. It had in the middle a plat- fheboat form raised above the deck, furnished with chairs, and jeremony. covered with a canvass awning. The rigging was of rat- tan ; the crew, who appeared to have been for the most part of Portuguese descent, were gaudily attired in a costume partaking equally of the East and West. The vessel was hardly large enough to accommodate the ambassador's attendants in addition to a crew of thirty- two individuals. They had no light but such as was af- forded by a paper lantern and two or three torches ; the rain fell in torrents ; and when they found themselves opposed by the ebb tide, the Americans insisted upon going ashore notwithstanding the violation of etiquette which was thereby committed. The Meinam in its whole course from Bnnkok to the sea is about half a mile wide, with a constant depth of four or five fathoms. It winds through an alluvial country, perfectly flat, and covered in some places with a thick jungle ; in front of which, on the very margin of the stream, are seen numerous fishermen's huts built on stakes, and with paper figures of strange device suspended near them, to keep off evil spirits. It was night when the junk reached its destination ; xiie interior and next morning the embassy awoke, as one of their ''^ **"^'"* number expresses it, "strangers in a strange land," and sallied forth at an early hour to gratify their curiosity in regard to a country of which many odd things hid reached their ears. They found the whole entireiy "' new ; they saw nothing which bore any resemblance to a christian land. Like Venice, tl city seemed to have arisen from the waters ; half the population was afloat ; every thing indeed was peculiar ; and though not a moment was lost, they were perfectly aware that they left the capital of Slam without seeing more than a very small part of its singular form, manners, and economy. Bankok is built at a point where the Meinam is about half-a-mile broad, and perhaps twenty miles in a direct line from the sea. It is irregular in its plan, an.l is every ri! .J . M -■ !l 790 HALL, RUSCUENBEROER, AND FlTZROY. CHAP. XIX. where intersected by canals. The streets are narrov^ Ti»e cltyoC *"^ dirty, the paved walk in the middle being scarcely Bankok. mde enough for two persons to walk abreast. For this a rather singular reason is urged, namely, that there are not two of precisely the same rank in the kingdom • and etiquette does not permit persons of different degrees to advance side by side. Many of the houses are large but the greater portion are miserable bamboo huts with- out any appearance of comfort. Trees are numerous in every part of the metropolis ; and the frequent temples, with the gilt spires and glazed tile roofs sparkling in the sun, give to it a picturesque appearance and an air of unbounded wealth. But the most populous and busy quarter of the town is the floating portion. On each side of the river are moored rafts of bamboos, on which are constructed houses or sheds with open verandas in front wlierein various goods are exposed for sale. Rows of Chinese junks, some of them of several hundred tons, extend two miles along the middle of the stream retailing their cargoes. Many families live wholly in their little gondolas, called sampans. Bankok, in short, exhibits at the same time a little of the architecture of India, the industry of China, and the maritime or aquatic habits of the Malays. The floating town is quite characteristic of the latter people, many large cities inhabited by them being constructed altogetiier on the water, either resting on stakes driven into the banks, or on rafts fastened to the shore. Of the population of the capital, which, ac- cording to Dr Ruschenberger, amounts to 401,300, not fewer than 361,000 are Chinese, while the Siamese pro- per do not exceed 8000. The greater part of the former nation are from Chaou Chow, the eastern section of the Canton province, the majority of them being agricul- turists, and rather rude in speech and mannei's. The artisans and sailors come from Ka and Fokien, while the pedlars and fishermen are emigrants from Hainan, a district celebrated for its minute industry. The American officers paid a visit to the prince on The popn1&. tion ot' Uu) city. HALL, RUSCHEMQBRGER, AND PITZKOY. 791 board his bark, the equipment of which continued to CHAP. XIX. afford him constant occupation. He ushered them into """ bis cabin, where he offered them tea and cigars. Ho called the vessel the Royal Adelaide, and with his own hand had painted the name, in English characters, on a rack fot small arms at the after-hatch. His taste for painting was displayed in several places ; a large chest in the cabin was marked, T. Mohfanoi, and he showed several of his drawings. Upon going ashore he conducted them towards the The heir- palace, and leading them into his own house, he said, 5^1?°''' j " Gentlemen, you are welcome — I am glad to see you." The interior is lofty, though but of one story, and is i divided into three apartments by two screens, which do not reach the ceiling. The centre room was furnished ia the Anglo- Asiatic style, and as neatly as any dwelling in India. On a table near a sofa were violins, flutes, and a flageolet, upon which instruments his highness performs ; while the adjoining apartment was fitted up as a study, furnished with a small collection of English books, a fine barometer, and other apparatus. A small closet communicating with it was arranged as a private museum, in which were some fine specimens of natural Uistory, including quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles, all ,, . preserved and set up by himself. He exhibited also some His menag*. of his live pets, among which were a large baboon, half- "^ adozen beautiful deer, a pair of black bears from Borneo, with a white stripe over the fore part of each shoulder ; these were tame and playful ; and a large cassowary from New Holland, so tame as to eat from one's hand, was ranning about at liberty. In the mean timo he had ordered three or four alligators to be brought from be- Ineath the stable, with their jaws so secured that they might be examined with safety. In the adjoining arer I were field-pieces and guns of various kinds and calibre ps' spars, and other warlike munitions neatly arrange lander a shed. He had numerous questions to ask aboi > erery thing he exhibited, and was uevei' satisfied till 1 - 3d ' ! I! W: HU respect for elviUza- tion. 792 HALL, RUSCHENBERGfiR, AND FIT2R0Y. CHAP. XIX. felt sura that he clearly understood the answers which were given to him. The taste for shipbuilding is a fortunate propensity in tho heir-apparent of such a country as Siam, where the finest timber abounds, and which is easily floated down from the upper forests on the current of the river. The respect for civilisation, too, he so strongly manifests, will hereafter, it is probable, display its benign en-, ergies on a grander scale in an attempt to remodel tho frame of society, and in giving a beneficial direction to the industry of the people. Sunk in sloth and all the vices engendered by oppression and bad government, I the inhabitants have hitherto made but small progress j in the arts which elevate and adorn the intercourse of mankind. The Chinese, indeed, are constantly flotving into the country, carrying with them regular habits, parsimony in their style of living, and a considerablo knowledge of agriculture, as well as mechanical skill.] Nothing, therefore, seems wanting, except the. stronj and clear head of an intelligent ruler, to raise e valley] of the Meinam into political importance among the] nations of Eastern Asia.* Ruschenberger does not give a flattering account of the operations of the missson established by his country* men in the vicinity of Bankok. He doubts the sounds ness of the policy on which they act, but willinglj accords to them admiration for their devotedness to th^ high cause which excites and cheers them in their phil anthropic labours. Deprived of friends, of congenial ciety, of many comforts, and all the luxuries of life, thej The Amerl- ean mission InSiam. ♦ Narrative of a Voyage round the World, vol. ii. p. 34-iJ6. Tin author received a very unfavourable imnression at tiie Siamea character, who, *' like ail Asiatics of low latitudes, are disposed i indolence and to the indulgence of the animal propensities. The are mean, rapacious, and cruel ; and never betray any of tliat higlj toned generosity of feeling which raises our admiration or denianrf our respect. They are suspicious, vacillatiiig, and procrastinatin- and destitute of those p'->nciples of honour which give stability Mxsiety in the christian worid.'*^Vol. ii. p. 47. HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 7^3 are seen toiling in a cause " the success of which appears chap. xix. to be almost hopeless, at least the most sanguine now living cannot expect to see it." The doctor urges the Ruwiienber. cause of missions not on the ground of religion, for mia^on*^'* "' viewed in that light alone he does not perceive their "intrinsic necessity," but simply on the footing of mer- cantile and political expediency. Of their beneficial I effect with reference to the accession of dollars, he holds a strong belief, and would therefore bestow on them a direct encouragement in Asia, Polynesia, and indeed in all the pagan world. By the introduction of the chris- tian religion, he maintains, commerce will be benefited. Merchants, upon a candid examination of the subject, will find their interest in doing all they can in behalf of those pious individuals who sacrifico the honours of this world in earning, a glorious crown in the next, by at- tempting to put mbbelievers in the path to sound morals, tnie religion, and rational liberty. To what extent the American trade in the East would be augmented by the converson to Christianity of Siam, Cochin. China, China, and Japan, it is impossible to conjecture. When the lialf-naked millions of Asia shall attain Christianity, and with it all the new wants which the necessary change in their condition will produce, the soil of Ame- rica, rich and vast as it is, will, he thinks, scarcely be adequate to supply them. A new and extensive mart must be opened for manufactures of the United States of all kinds, and even literary men will find an increased de- mand for their labours. Hundreds of ships will spread their sails to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, I destined for the shores of Asia and the isles scattered in the Southern Ocean, and "commerce will pour her Uealth, gathered in the lap of the Old World, into the [lap of the New." It is impossible to regard the conversion of the nations crossness of lin a light more secular and selfish ; implying an interest ii»«8« vicwn hot fur the spiritual welfare of the ignorant heathen, but Ifor the workshops and counting-houses of the States. Ilhe object of the voyage was, indeed, the advancement The king of Siam. 794 HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND PITZROY. CHAP. XIX. of trade, a legitimate purpose, no doubt, and worthy of all the care lavished upon it ; it was not, however incumbent on the chief medical officer of the expedition to represent the faith of the republic as holding a place quite subordinate to its commercial prosperity. The embassy were at length admitted to an audience of his ** magnificent majesty," the King of Siam, the de- tails of which are described in language which partakes largely of the burlesque. Mr Roberts and his compa- nions, entering the hall and passing round a screen found themselves in the presence of the monarch and of the royal court of Thai, the vernacular name of the country. The sovereign, a fat man of about fifty, sat like the god Buddha cross-legged upon his throne, en- veloped in a rich mantle of gold tissue, chewing betel, and squirting saliva into a golden urn. Numerous at- tendants prepared this pungent masticatory, and with large fans circulated the air about his person, as he reposed in all the pomp and circumstance of regal state. The treaty to which their interview had reference, and of which the ratifications were soon afterwards ex- changed, is inserted in his second volume by Ruschcn- berger, but presents nothing worthy of abridgment or that would prove in any degree interesting to the general reader. It secured not any particular preference to American ships or cargoes ; it simply fixed the mode of levying duties at Bankok, and reduced to express stipu- lations certain principles of international law, which, in the intercourse of civilized states, are acknowledged to be valid without the aid of treaties. :) The envoy, after visiting Cochin-China, proceeded with very unhealthy crews to Macao, where he and Lieutenant Campbell, the commander of the Enterprise, breathed their last. The Americans felt to its full ex- tent the influence of that jealousy which the authorities at Canton have always entertained towards strangers who | wish to engage in traffic at that celebrated emporium. | The unexpected arrival of the two ships in the roads did not fail to cause a great stir among the mandarius. The Ameri- cans at Ciintoa HALL, RUSCHENBERQER, AND FITZROY. '95 The vessels were examined again and again ; the gi'.ns chap. xix. were counted, and the number of the men repeatedly ~~* reckoned. Numerous despatches were written concern- ing them, and at last a letter arrived from the Hong merchants, begging that the cruisers might not loiter there, ** lest they should cause business." On the morning of the seventh day of September 1836, the Peacock and Enterprise arrived in sight of Oahu, one of the Sandwich Islands. In the course of xiie missions their residence at this interesting group, the officers |j?i^*isi|i",us. collected a number of facts that contribute to throw some light on the rising civilisation of the inhabitants, which the surgeon maintains has been considerably overrated. The friends of the missionaries, it is alleged, have drawn pictures much too flattering of the prosper- ity and prospects of tlie dominions of the barbarian king. Ruschenberger asserts that the account given by the Rev. Mr Stewart, in the little volume entitled his " Resi- dence," is a work of imagination rather than a faithful description. The pious teachers, he adds, are now sen- sibly feeling the injurious effects of the overpraise which he has bestowed upon them ; and it must be acknow- ledged, that the suspicions even of the most partial reader were awakened by his narrative respecting fashionable drives, Windsor uniforms, and other proofs of advance- ment in the luxuries of social life. It is not unknown to those who take an interest in Arrival of the progress of the gospel among the heathen, that ^'"]|*"j several Roman Catholics arrived a few years ago at the at Oahn. Island of Oahu, with the intention of establishing a mission for the propagation of their peculiar tenets. The chiefs observed that their form of worship differed from those of the Christians already settled there, and applied to these last to know which of the two rival sects taught the true religion. They were, as a matter of course, assured that the Calvin ists held the sounder faith and practised the purer adoration ; " upon which," said the rulers of the land, " these new comers must go away, because we do not want two religions, and are li.C I, :!:!■■ t Ir' it-' !H 79(> HALL, RUSCUENBERGER, AND PITZHOY. CHAP. XIX satisfied with our old teachers." They were nt the -' — same time reminded of the sanguinary charaet<;r of the papists; that they had attempted to exterminate the protcstants hy famine, the bayonet, and the pains of lire • and that, if they were allowed to remain, the intruders would probably have recourse to similar means for Exjinlsion of accomplishing their purposes. Under the excitement Catholic*'* th"^ produced, the Romanists were imperatively ordered to leave the island. They replied that they were ready to go, but possessed not the means of departure. Under these circumstances the others fitted out a vessel, put the unwelcome priests on board, with directions that they should be landed at the nearest friendly poit, on the coast of California. Their treatment during the voyage was such as to preclude every cause of com- plaint ; but some of their converts meanwhile were cast into prison, because, when ordered to cease from observing the rites of the popish communion, thoy refused to obey. Proceeding on a nice distinction, the American teachers declared that the recusants were punished not for adhering to their religious opinions, but for insubordination and disrespect to the authoM) of the native chiefs. It is to be feared that in the Sandwich cluster, as in all other countries inhabited by savages, the progreiis of civilisation will be accoinpanied by the gradual disap- pearance of the aborigines, and that, at no distant period, the bold race of men who received Captain Cook as a supernatural being, will not be represented by any de- scendants. At present the population diminishes with a rapidity and steadiness which seem to threaten its total extinction. The Peacock arrived on the coast of Chili at an important crisis, when the breaking out of a war between that republic and Peru endangered the com- merce of neutral states. At the request of the American merchants, therefore, her voyage homeward was delayed till the cruisers destined for that coast should make their appearance ; and accordingly the year 1837 was nearly Hostilities 111 c>oitth Aiiierica. HALL, RUSCHENBBROER, AND FITZROY. 797 tpent before she cast anchor on the shore of Virginia, OQAP. xix. having been absent about thirty months. — It is now time to draw the attention of the reader Tiie voyaga to the circumnavigation accomplished by Captain Fitz- **' *^'*"'y' roy in a succession of years prior to 1836. The re- volutions which liberated South America from the yoke of Spain, and the consequent increase of British trade with Chili and the other republics bordering on the Pacific Ocean, are understood to have supplied some of the motives which induced the Lords of the Admiralty, in 1825, to order that an accurate survey should be made of the southern coasts of that conti- nent. For this service were equipped the Adventure of 380 tons burden, and the Beagle of 235 tons, rigged as a bark and mounting six guns. The command of the former, implying the superintendence of the ex- pedition, was committed to Captain King, already dis- tinguished by his survey of New Holland, while the charge of the latter vessel was intrusted to Captain Prlngle Stokes. On the 22d May 1826, the two ships sailed from Plymouth ; and on the 19th November following they left their anchorage at Monte Video, steering south- wards to commence their arduous labours. About theTiioStnlttof end of December they entered the Straits of Magellan **"««"*"• and stopped at Port Famine, which, possessing many local advantages, was selected as their headquarters while in those seas. They had already touched at Cape Possession, both of which places are closely con- nected with the several attempts made by the Spaniards to colonize the borders of the Magellanic inlet, actuated by the hope of securing all the advantages which could be derived from the discovery of that passage into the great ocean which stretches towards the west. Of these efforts the one conducted by Sarmiento in 1679, at the command of the Viceroy of Peru, is perhaps the most memorable on account of the results to which it led. Two years afterwards he sailed from Spnin with a fleet of twenty-three vessels ; but tempest 798 HALL, RUSCHENBEROBR, AND PITZROY. CHAP. XIX. and disaffection so diminished their number, that wlien he entered the Straits, no more than six remained, havinn- on board otily five hundred men. With these he began to build a town in the vicinity of Cape Possession whence he aftcwards removed with a small colony to a spot about forty leagues further south along the Port Famine, uliore, where, induced by the advantages of wood, water, and a good harbour, he laid the foundations of San Felippe, destroyed in 1587 by the celebrated Ca- vendish. The Spanish settlers soon fell victims to hunger, disease, and perhaps the violence of the natives ; only one being found alive by the English navigator now mentioned, who assigued to the ill-fated haven the nai,.e of Port Famine by which it is still known. Thirty years after the iainentable attempt now de.scribed, an opulent Dutch merchant, Isaac le Maire, fitted out two brigantines for the express purpose of sailing through the open sea round the southern termi- nation of the njw world. His views were realized ; and the extreme Cape, lashed by the waves of a stormy ocean, took the name of the village of Horn, on the Zuyder Zee. Thia discovery roused the jealousy of the court of Sp?in, who instantly despatched a small squadron to circumnavigate Tierra del Fuego. To this achievement succeeded a long period of inaction ; and it was not till 1774, when Falkner published his account of Patagonia, setting forth the advantages which might be derived from the possession of the country, that the government of Madrid again shook off its lethargy, and sent Don Antonio de Cordova to inspect once morj the celebrated Straits of Magellan. Port Galleot When the Beagle, carrying on the survey Wciitward, was in Port Galleot, one of the officers ascended the np'ghbourmg mountain De la Cruz, and found on its summit the remaino of a glass bottle, a Spanish coin , and a roll of papers, which proved to be the materials left by Don Antonio, together with a copy of 'i docu- ment previously deposited there by M. de Bougainville. Cordova's account of the climate is very uninviting. Beayjle's Circun HALL, RUSCUENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 799 Spccaking of the summer months, he remarks, " Seldom chap. xix. was the sky clear^ and short were the intervals in which we experienced the sun*s warmth ; no day passed without some rain falling, and the most usual state of the weather was that of constant rain." TheRiffonra of reports of Wallis and Carteret were not more cheering,* *'*• The former concludes his disheartening description in these words : " Thus 'e quitted a dreary and inhospitable region, where we M-ere in almost continual danger of shipwreck for nearly four months ; a region where in the midst of summer the weather was cold, gloomy, and tempestuous, where the prospects had more the appearance of chaos than of nature, and where for the most part the valleys were without herbage, and the hills without wood.*'* Captain Stokes soon felt the depressing influence of the ungenial sky which canopies the wild seas and bai*- barous shores of the remote country wherein he was appointed to discharge his professional labours. He ran along the western coast of Patagonia, and though con- stantly thwarted in his operations by boisterous wea- ther. *.e succeeded in making a correct outline of the intricate channel. In Port Santa Barbara, he found Port Santa embedded in the sand a beam of a large ship, which he ^'"^^''•'^'*' concluded to be a remnant of the Wager, one of Lord Anson's fleet, the loss of which, and subsequent suff^er- iugs of the crew, are well known to every reader of maritime discovery. Being himself opposed by the same warring elements, this memorial of their fatal po'vvor.was little calculated to sustain his spirits, which had already begun to droop. Surrounded by dangers, and rendered doubly anxious by his zealous desire to execute the task intrusted to him, his mind at length sank under the load of care. He grew listless and de- jected, and in a few days after his return to Port Fa- * Narrative of the Surveying Voj'nges of H. M. Sliips Adrcn- (iireand Boa^le between the Years 1826 and lU3t>, describing then Kxamii.ation of the Southern Shores of South America, and tiie Beagle's Circumnavigation of the Glnbo, vol. i. p. 10. 800 HALL, RUSCHENBEHOER, AND FITZUOY. CHAP. XIX. mine put an end to his life. At the time Vvhtn this melancholy event took place, the crews were sufFerinj? severely from scurvy, a disease brought on by the gloom and severity of the climate, and which could not be checked by the usual means, fresh meat and a vegetable diet. Dreading the evils that might arise from its farther progress, Captain King determined to proceed to Rio Janeiro, where Mr Fitzroy was appointed to the command of the Beagle. Lakes Otway The period already passed was not altogether spent in and Skyiing. y^jjj rp^.^ great lakes Avere discovered, named Otway and Skyring, in compliment to the young officers who aided the labours of the commander, and which are situ- ated on the northern side of the strait, in the angle made by its bend towards the south. They looked like " un- finished short-cuts" between the opposite seas. The first is about forty miles long from south-west to north- east, and twenty in width. The second is connected with it by a navigable canal about a mile broad, and stretches westward beyond the reach of the human eye. Unfavourable weather prevented the complete examin- ation of their shores ; but from an eminence it was seen that low land and a chain of lagoons intervene between the Strait of Magellan and the eastern end of Otway Water. Skyring Lake, it was subsequently discovered, is separated from the ocean, at its western extremity, by a barrier of mountains and glaciers hardly five miles broad. These inland seas border on the limits of the two distinct climates of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. On their north-eastern side were clear, skies and grassy plains ; in the opposite direction, they were encom- passed by snowy peaks and gloomy forests. While the Beagle was em^..loyed in surveying the remoter coasts of Tierra del Fuego, an incident occurred which was afterwards att(;nded with interesting conse- quences. The master was sent in a whale-boat to ex- amine the channels farther towards the east ; and the natives, who it appears had secretly w.'.tch'd his mo- tions, carried off his small vessel whih the men were Tiicft of a boiit. HALL, RUSCUENBEROEB, AND FITZROY. 801 nslet'p on the shore. Havhig at the same tune lost chap. xix. nearly all his provisions, and being in constant dread of an attack from his wily enemy, he resolved to make known to the captain, with as little delay as possible, the precarious condition of the party. For this purpose, there was prepared a diminutive canoe made of twigs, and in the shape of a basket ; lined inside with clay and covered outside with bark. In this frail vehicle two meu embarked, and after paddling with the greatest ex- ertion a day and a night, they succeeded in reaching the gun-brig. Measures were immediately adopted to rescue pursnft of the crew of the stolen boat, and to pursue the thieves ; ^^^ tUievea. but the chase, though continued several days, was fruit- less, owing to the broken nature of the coast and the superior local knowledge ot the fugitives. At length some of the savages were seized, and made to under- stand that they would be detained as prisoners until the boat should be restored. Those on shore, however, showed no disposition to ransom their friends at so high a rate ; and nearly all the captives contrived to escape by leaping overboard and swimming to the beach. Thus, tlie only hostages conveyed to the Beagle were a little girl, eight years old, who, from the adventure of the canoe just described, was named " Fuegia Basket," and a lad of nineteen called " Boat Memory." To these were subsequently added a young man taken on board near the promontory of York Minster, from which he was named, and a boy who, in allusion to the price paid for him, was called Jemmy Button. These four individuals arrived safely in England when Coimynnte the Adventure and Beagle returned from the survey p,,^","'!^*; ^f^ towards the close of the year 1830. Without delay Kngiand. tliey were placed in the Royal Hospital at Plymouth, there to await the first onset of European diseases ; but notwithstanding the friendly care which watched over them all, Boat Memory died of the small-pox. The others having passed safely through this ordeal, were placed by Captain Fitzroy at Walthamstow, near Lon- don, in order that they might receive some education. ii^f h h .1 ,l. 802 HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND PITZROY. CHAP. XIX. In the following summer, the king expressed a desire to see the Fnegians, and they were accordingly taken to The Faegians g|; James's Palace. His majesty asked a great deal about Palace.* their country as well as themselves, and also in regard to the main ohject of the expedition in which the two ships had been engaged during the four yeaiB they had been at sea. Queen Adelaide also honoured the stran- gers by her presence, and by .acts of true kindness which they fully appreciated and never forgot. She left the room in which they were for a minute, and returned with one of her own bonnets, which she put upon the girl's head. Her majesty then put one of her rinses upon Fuegia's finger, and gave her a sum of money to buy an outfit of clothes when she should leave England to return to her own country. The circumnavigation of the globe by the Beagle, which was recommissioned under Captain Fitzroy, pro- perly begins in December 1831, when he again left the shores of Britain. On his arrival at the southern point of America, the three natives soon manifested the effects of civilisation on their minds, and the contempt with Thetr rctnrn which it had inspired them for their own hordes. York ttveianO."*" Minster laughed heartily at the first he saw, calling them large monkeys ; and Jemmy Button declared that they were not at all like his people, who were very good and very clean. Fuegia was shocked and ashamed ; she hid herself and would not look at them a second time. " It was," says the captain, " interesting to observe the change which three years only had made in their ideas, and *o notice how completely they had forgotten the appeai^nce and habits of their former associates ; for it turned out that Jemmy's own tribe was as inferior in every way as the worst of those whom he and York called monkeys — fools — and not men." It was found that the former had even forgotten his native language* With the view of extending amongst the aborigines violence in * Narrative of the Siirveyinjj Voyages of H, M. Ships Adven- ture and Dea^yle, vol. ii. p. 2{)'d. HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 803 the knowledge of letters, and preparing them for the in- chap. xix. troduction of the gospel, a missionary named Matthews j^ mhikinaiy embarked in the Beagle ; who, notwithstanding the ** Wooiya. savage manners of fhe people, their propensity to theft, and the small value 'hey set on human life, was willing to remain at the small settlement of Wooiya. But he was no sooner left alone, though for a very brief interval, than he apprehended that in his case robbery would pave the way for murder ; that his property, in short, pre- sented a temptation too strong to be resisted. He told the captain that he did not think himself safe among such a set of utter savages as he found them to be, not- withstanding Jemmy's assurances to the contrary. No violence indeed had been committed upon him beyond holding down his head by force, as if in contempt of his strength ; but he \ad been harshly threatened by several men, and from the signs used by them he felt convinced tliey would take his life. They contrived that he should have no peace by day and very little rest at night. Some of their number constantly seized an opportunity to run off with a tool or article of clothing, and 'hose whose demands he opposed alarmed him with fearful threaten- ings. More than one man left the wigwam in a rage, and returned immediately with a large stone in his hand, making signs that he would kill him if he did not com- ply with his wish. Fortunately for Matthews, the most valuable of his things were hidden under ground in a cave unsuspected by the natives, and the large tools were placed Extreme sa- in a small loft urder the roof of his hut. Fuegia, it is added, fared very well ; they lost nothing, but Jemmy was miserably plundered even by his own family. A garden on which the seamen had bestowed much pains, and furnished with European seeds am^ plants, was trampled down by the savages, though Butr ton had done all in his power to prevent this damage, by explaining the object of the culture bestowed upon the spot of ground by their benevolent visiters. " When questioned about it, he looked very --^rrowful, and with York andS*-S;J 'i • ii' I- r>{ :.,:; 11 804 HALL, RURCHENBERGER, AND PITZROY. Withdrawal of the mis- Biunaiy. CHAP. XIX. a slow shake of the head said, * My people very ha.] , great fool — know nothing at all — very great fool."* The missionary, with undisguised satisfaction, conveyeu himself and his remaining property on board the Beagle, waiting till a more auspicious period should arrive for conveying into those dark regions the blessing of religions knowledge. After the lapse of a year Woolya was revisited bv Captain Fitzroy, on which occasion the dwellings wer'f found deserted, and apprehensions were felt for the safety of their owners. These fears were indeed soon dispelled by the appearance of Jemmy Button in a canoe, no longer combed and well clothed, but naked like his savage com- panions, with only a small skin round his loins, his hair long and matted, and his whole appearance most miser- able. It was gratifying, however, to observe that he had lost only the outward ornaments of his person, and still preserved the more estimable gifts which respected the mind. His knowledge of the English language, his decent manners, and his grateful sense of past benefits, had suffered no diminution. He had prepared a fine otter-skin for Captain Fitzroy, and other presents for his friends in England : he was in good health, and contented with his lot. The desertion of Woolya was occasioned by the appearance of some of the hostile tribes, from the north-east ; and an islet at a little dis- tance, now named Button Island in the charts, offered Conduct ot the fugitives a safe retreat. York had long meditated a the educated return into his own country farther west, and for that purpose he had laboured incessantly at the construction of a large canoe. This being completed, he persuaded Jemmy to accompany him with all his clothes and otiier property. They proceeded westward along the Beagle channel till they came to Minster's tribe, when Jemmy falling asleep in his canoe, the others stripped him of all he possessed and disappeared. It is not quite certain that this act of dishonesty was premeditated by York, or even committed by his hands ; but it must not be forgotten HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND PITZROY. 805 that he was of mature age when brought to this country, CHAP. xrx. and it could not be expected that his savage dispositions ""~ would be altogether changed by his short residence among civilized men. It is pleasant to find that Fuegia continued to the last to be well clothed and cleanly ; a proof that she was not disposed to relapse into barbarous habits, and also that the naked wretches by whom she was every where encompassed had too much respect for her to use compulsion. Indeed, there is good reason to believe that the seedPiobabiiityof sown, however scanty in amount and unfavourable thtg^'i''"'"*' soil into which it was cast, will not altogether fail to produce its proper fruits. Even In reference to Jemmy, it was generally remarked that, before the. Beagle left the shores of South America, his family were become considerably more humanized than those of the abori- gines who had been seen in the same desolate tract of earth ; that they put confidence in the English seamen ; were pleased to see them return ; that they were ready to do what they understood to be for their interest ; and, in short, that their confidence was gained, and the first step to civilisation undoubtedly made. An individual with such limited means as he possessed could not, in so short a time, have possibly gone ferther. "I cannot," says the captain, " help still hoping that some benefit, however slight, may result from the intercourse of those people. Jemmy, York, and Fuegia, with other natives of Tierra del Fuego. Perhaps a shipwrecked seaman may hereafter receive help and kind treatment from Jemmy Button's children ; prompted, as they can hardly fail to be, by the traditions they will have heard of men of other lands, and by an idea, however faint, of their duty to God as well as their neighbour." That Jemmy Grjititnde of felt sincere gratitude is proved, not only by his present »"« ^^^ ''^®'"- of the otter-skin, but also by his asking Captain Fitzroy to carry a bow and quiver filled with arrows to the schoolmaster of Walthamstow, with whom he had lived ; by his having made two spear-heads expressly for Mr Darwin ; and by the unfeigned pleasure with which ho 'L; !!■,( Ii I Comparative temperature in Sonth America^ 800 HALL, BUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. CHAP. XIX. hailed the return of his English friends to the deserted village of Woolya.* It appears from the scientific labours of the naturalist that the laws in regard to temperature which regulate the distribution of heat in the high northern latitudes of the two great continents, do not produce the same results towards the Arctic Ocean. The western side of South America presents, indeed, the strongest possible contrast with the eastern, but in this case the manifestation of the general principal is completely reversed. The; dry plains of Patagonia enjoy clear skies throughout the y ear, and in summer are exceedingly hot ; but beyond the mountains which bound them on the west the scene is totally changed. The narrow strip of western coast is broken by numerous inlets, which penetrate quite through the Cordillera, here attaining a height of seven thousand feet. The ramifications of these inlets terminate in immense glaciers, one of which was found to have an extent of twenty-one miles in length. Beneath the perpetual snows, and between the promontories of con- solidated ice, grow impenetrable forests. Constant rains, pouring down from skies ever loaded with clouds, have covered the islands and sides of the hills with a dense mass of vegetation, which towards the south resembles that of Tierra del Fuego ; but as the navigator approaches Chiloe, he sees woods incomparably more beautiful, and the dusky beech giving way to plants of a tropical char- acter. At Valdivia, where the climate undergoes re- markable modifications, the trees present a still brighter hue. The apple, introduced from Europe, has here attached itself to the soil, and spread over the elevated plains towards the sources of the Rio Negro. Beyond Valdivia, the forests on the coast become gradually thinner ; but on the sides of the Cordillera, woods of the noble Araucanian pine, yielding to the natives a valuable article of food, extend as far north as the volcano of Antuco. Through northern Chili, trees disappear from Tlie climate of Valdivia. * Narrative of the Surveying Voyages, vol. ii. pp. 326, 327. HALL, RUSCUENBEROER, AND FITZROY. 807 both sides of the Ancles ; a few scattered trees on the CHAP. XIX. eastern slopes alone give intimation of the approaching — change. But in Peru the order of things is the reverse of that which obtains in the latitude of Patagonia. On the western side of the mountain-chain is the deseii;, whereas on the east are boundless and impenetrable forests. No rain falls on the coast of Peru, while in the valley of Maynas, on the other side, it never ceases, and one place in it is said to be visited by a thunder^ storm every day in the year. '■'• It is pleasing to observe, from the narrative of Captain English \m- Fitzroy, that many beneficial changes are going forward f™^®'?,^"'* on both sides of the South American continent, produced Amoiica. by the capital and energy of Englishmen. They improve the farms in Uruguay ; they cultivate gardens in the pampas, and on the hills of Tandil, southwards of Buenos Ayres ; and they carry on nearly all the coasting trade. Pursuing the fishery, they despise the storms which rage in the Strait of Magellan, and penetrate the narrow I channels of Tierra del Fuego. In Chili, they have turned into good metal the copper ores which the native miners had always regarded as dross. On tho great table-land of Curo Pasco, in Peru, they have made a 1 vast increase to the comforts of the people by discover- ing coal and teaching its various uses. Two remarkable Instances of the bold spirit characteristic of Britons are recorded by one of the historians of this interesting survey. Not far from Arica, on the coast of Peru, Inigation is an agreeable valley of great extent, but condemned ^^ v^cy. to barrenness and solitude by want of water ; to remedy which evil, a company of English merchants settled there have undertaken to conduct into it a never-failing I spring from one of the highest points of the Cordillera. They have cut through a ridge exceeding fourteen thou-^ id feet in height, and diverted across it a current [originating in the glaciers. Though this magnificent I work was not yet completed, there was no reason to liioubt of its success. The other instance of enlightened enterprise is per- 3 E !* i tiii I ,'S.i 808 HALL, RUSCHBNBERQKR, AND FITZROY. NavigMion of tlie lake Tlticaca. CHAP. XIX. haps still more extraordinary. The great lake of Titi- caca, in the Bolivian Andes, had never been navigated except in small canoes, though encircled by a productive soil and considerable population. Situated within the mountains, more than eleven thousand feet above the ocean, and at a great distance from any forest, the construction of a substantial vessel on its shores could hardly have been imagined. An Englishman, neverthe- less, who had once been a carpenter in one of our dock- yards, set all difficulties at defiance. He shaped the timbers in a wood seven leagues in the interior ; put them together on the border of the inland sea ; and at length launched on its waters a handsome schooner, which he now navigates, to the great admiration of the inhabitants, who had never expected to witness such a triumph of perseverance, courage, and ingenuity. licaving the American coast, the Beagle sailed west- ward, with the view of visiting some of the principal groups in the Pacific, and more especially the Society Islands. A short time previously an act of piracy had EngSh'ship. ^^^^ committed on an English ship, the Truro, in a part of the dominions of Queen Pomare, the sovereign of Otaheite. She had agreed to pay a sum of money as an indemnification for the loss thereby inflicted on the English, amounting to 2853 dollars. Captain Fitzroy, at an interview with her majesty and several of the chiefs, asked whether her engagement had been fulfilled. Taati, who appears to have held the place of prime-min- ister, replied, that neither the money nor an equivalent had been given. Upon being interrogated whether any unforeseen accident had prevented the queen from acting I up to her intentions, and whether she still meant to fulfil her promise, the leading men replied, that they did not understand distinctly how and to whom pay- ment was to be made ; declaring, at the same time, that | it was their wish to discharge the debt, and even to re- move all doubt as to the manner of fulfilling their j obligation. The captain then reminded Pomare of the \ solemn nature of her agreement ; of the loss of char- 1 Tahitian HALL, RUSCUENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 809 acter which she and her government would sustain ; chap. xix. and of the means which England might eventually adopt to recover the property so nefariously taken away from British subjects. These wordb deemed to produce a suitable effect. Much indemnlflod- arguii.entativc discussion occupied the more respectable xauiusiui"' natives as well as the chiefs, while the queen sat in silence. They soon decided to pay the debt at once. Thirty-six tons of pearl-oyster shells, belonging to her majesty, and then lying at Papiete, were to form part of the equivalent ; the remainder was to be collected among her friends. Taati stepped forth into the midst of the assembly and harangued the audience in a forcible though humorous manner, in order to induce them to subscribe. The captain requested that the innocent in- habitants of Otaheite might not be made to suffer for the misconduct of the bad people in the Low Islands, who had committed the crime ; assuring the chiefs that a document signed by the queen and themselves would be more satisfactory to him than immediate payment, if effected by distressing those of her subjects who were in no way to blame. The minister replied, " The honour of the queen is our honour. We will share her difficul- ties. Her friends prefer assisting her in paying off this debt to leaving her conduct exposed to censure. We have determined to unite in her cause, and will endea- vour to pay all before the departure of the man-of-war.*' It appears that the master and mate of the Truro had Treatmcni of been murdered ; that the assassins were tried and con- '* ^'™ "* demned by the laws of Otaheite ; and that Pomare had exercised the royal prerogative in granting them a pardon. The captain reminded her, that though as sovereign she had the right to grant forgiveness, the propriety of such conduct on her part was very doubt- ful, and that it would not tend to diminish the effect of a report injurious to her character, which she was aware had been very generally circulated. At this moment one of her attendants observed, that they also had cause of complaint against the English, and that no attention *' '■ i '■ 'i Mm I f^:l: 810 HALL, RU8CHENBER0ER, AND PIT2R0Y. CHAP. XIX. had been paid to it, tliough formally communicated to the proper authorities. He then added, in a temperatv; Money ac- though feeling manner, " Does it not appear hard to rc- twcen mm ^"''■*' ^^^ queen to pay so large a sum as 2853 dollara And Britain, out of her small income, while that which is due to her only 390 dollars, a mere trifle to Great Britain, haa not obtained even an acknowledgment from the Engliyji gov- ernment 1"* * Narrative of the Surveyinp^ Voya^s, vol. ii. p. fi35 The letter alluded to by the Otaheitaii Hecretary is as follows, and in in every point of view a curious document. **Our friend, the Kin^ of Groat Britain, and all persons in office under your t^overnment, may you all be saved by the true God ! ** The t'olluwinj^ is the petition of I'omare, ot the governors, and of the chiefs of Otaheilc. A whale-ship belongm^ to London has been at Otaheitc : Venilia is the name of the ship; Miner is the name of the captain. This ship has disturbed the peace of the government of Queen Pomare the First. We consider this ship a disturber of the peace, because the captain lias turned on shore thirteen of his men against the will of the governor of this place and other persons in office. The governor of this district made known the law clearly. The captain of the ship objected to the law, and said he would not regard the law. We then became more resolute : the governor said to the chiefs, * friends, cliiefs of the land, we must have a meeting.* The chiefs assembled on the twenty-second day of December 11131. The governor ordered a man to go for the captain of the shi|). When he had airived on shore, the ^vernor appointed a man to be speaker for him. The speaker sam to the captain of the ship, ' friend, here are your men, take them and put them on board of your ship ; it is not agreeable to lis that they should remain upon our land.' The captain said, ' I will not b> whatever ! these mutineers.' " It was at length agreed, through the good offices of Captain Hill, an English officer who was present, that Miner should pay to the native government three hundred and ninety dollars, as a fine or compensation. But the contract was not fulfilled, and therefore the chiefs informed the master of the Venilia that they would write to the British government, entreating that the business might be in- vestigated, and assistance aflPorded to them. The document ac- cordingly proceeds : — "This is the substance of what we have to say — We entreat you, the British government, to help ns in our troubles. Punish this Captain Miner, and command tne owners of the Venilia to pay us three hundred and ninety dollars for thirteen of their men they left ou our land ; and also to send the wages of a native man who was employed to supply the wliole crew with bread-fruit while at anchor ly any means receive them again, no not ou any account I will not on any account again receive these had mon, HALL, RUSCIIENBEROER, AND PITZROY. gll The queon hoshnd other evils tocomhat, not confined CIIAP. xix. to countries in the first stage of civilisation. Some time — ago a few Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in her Arrival of dominions from the Sandwich Islands, but, at the sucr- noman Catholic gestion of Mr Pritchard, they were compelled to with- missionaries draw. In consequence of this rather violent measure, ""^ '^^'"*'' the French consul represented tlie conduct of her majesty in such a light to the cnptain of a man-of-war who soon afterwards anchored on the coast, that a large sum of money was demanded in satisfaction of the insult, and Pomare, having no means of resistance, was obliged to pay the amount. Such measures cannot fail to impede the progress of Christianity, because the natives, simple as they are, must needs perceive that the religion which teaches peace to others does not establish harmony among those who profess it with the greatest zeal. The Protestant leaders in Otaheite were apprehensive that the doctrines of the Roman church would obtain a here. — We wish to live in peace, and behave well to the British Haji^, wliicli we consider our real friend and special protection. We also wish that you would put in office a man like Captain Hill, and send him to Otaheite as a representative of the King of Great Britain, that he may assist us. If this should not be agreeable to you, we pray you to give authority to the Reverend George Pi it- chard, the missionary at this station. " This is the conclusion of what we have to say. Peace be with you. May you be in a flourishing condition, and may the reign of the beloved King of Great Britam be long. Written at Otaheite nn the sixth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two. On behalf of Pom ARE the Queen. (Signed by) Araapa, Chief Secretary. . Arupaca, District Governor. Tepau, District Governor. TcHORO, one of the seven Supreme Judges. Mare, a District Judge. Addition. — " We much wish that a British ship-of-war would come frequently to Otaheite, to take to their own lands these bad foreigners who trouble ns. It is useless for us to de|)end upon the consul at the Sandwich Islands. We have long known that we can obtain no assistance from him. We wish to do our duty to yon Bri'ions. You are powerful and rich; but we are like weak chil- dren." — The British government, who seem not to have replied to this letter, afterwards appointed Mr Pritchard to act as consul for the Society and Friendly Islands. I ' i I i ;: 812 IIALI., RUPCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. CFIAP. XIX. greater influence, and agree better with the disposition of the people than the stricter discipllae in which they had been hitherto held. It is at all events quite mani- fest, that unless preventive measures are taken by the governments in Europe, religious strife and internal warfare may again be caused in the Society Islands, even by those whose aim is the improvement and Iiighest welfare of the inhabitants. A remarkable bitterness of feeling already prevails, which is not likely to be diminished by the current of recent events. Moral im- Various facts are mentioned by Captain Fitzroy, the Society °^ wliich afford the most pleasing evidence that the light Islands, of divine truth has not been communicated Itogethci in vain to thtj inhabitants of the South Sea Islands. At Otaheite, for example, the whole people have solemnly resolved to abstain from drinking intoxicating liquors and so sincere are they in this resolution, that a short time since, when they heard of a small vessel lying in their harbour which had on board a cask of rum, wi ich the master intended to sell to some of the residents, thay thought it their duty to destroy the dangerous fluid. Mr Pritchard had preserved a bottle of brandy for medical j)urpo8es, a fact whicii oame to the knowledge of several of his catechumens, r'ud excited some discussion as to the propriety of any distinction in persons or objects. To satisfy their scruples, he poured out the spirits on tiie ground before their eyes. " Among the natives of Otaheite," says the captain, " let us net over- look the sons and daughters of the earlier missionaries. Those whom we had the pleasure of seeing did credit to the country of their parents, to Otaheite, and to those excellent persons who trust have taken such pains with their education." After visiting tho Keeling Islands, New Zealand, and Australia, respecting which stations of incipient civilisation the " Narrative " contains much interesting information, the commander of the Beagle turned his face towards Europe, where he arrived in October 1836, after an absence of four years and nine months. In this long voyage, rather exceeding that of Vancouver, ITomeward course of Fitzroy. H HALL, RUSCHENBERGER, AND FITZROY. 813 fatal disease was unknown. Between the months of CHAP. xix. February 1832, when the ship was commissioned, and November 183G, when she was paid off, no serious illness, contracted while on service, happened on board ; neither did any casualty occur involving the loss of life. " The freedom from illness must be attributed," f>ays Captain Caasesof Fitzroy, " under Providence, to active employment, {^i^'JJ^^iCa. good clothing, and wholesome food, in healthy though sometimes disagreeable climalcs ; and our immunity from accident during exposuic to a variety of risks, especially in boats, I attribute, referring to visible causes, to the care, attention, and vigilance of the excellent officers whose able assistance was not valued by me more than their sincere friendship.''* Chronometrical observations were raade a chief object of the circumnavigation accomplished by the Beagle, on board of which were no fewer than twenty-two time-pieces ; and care was taken to rate them fre- quently, where change of climate seemed to render that precaution necessary. The series of distances thus RerolUof measured in time round the globe, amounted altogether ca[obs^va- to twenty-four liours and thirty-three seconds, instead tionii . of twenty-four hours exactly. This error, the captain suggests, may be attributable to magnetism, or electricity, or some other latent cause operating on the instruments, carried in one direction round the earth. But so slight a discrepancy must appear quite explicable without the aid of any mysterious agency. The distances which are added together and make i he sum total, are them- selves only averages or mean amounts, and therefore mere approximations. The error o thirty-three seconds, or little more than half a minute, is very small indeed, compared to the several errors incident to the details ; and it is, in fact, a great triumph ^.o science to be able to state that, in a voyage of five years, the circuit of the glob**, measured by the chronometei's, differed from the truth by an amount so extremely minute. m. ! I 1 I i i }ili Narrative of the Surveying^ Voyages, vol. ii. p. 630. 814 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. CHAPTER XX. Meyen, Wilson, and Belcher. Moyer, as Surgeon of tlio Princess Louisa, saih to South America — Ascends several Heights in tlie Andes — The Grand Pampa deiicribcd — Volcanic Phenomena — Agitation of the Sea — Visit-, Sandwich Islands — John Adams, the Governor of Oaliu — Pio- ceeds to China — Feast at the House of Mowqua — Wilson sails to New Holland as Surgeon of the Governor Ready — Ilis Re- marks on Port Raffles— Object of Settlement — Scenery on Swan River — King Geoige's Sound and Neighbourhood — Inhabitants of Murray's Island diffi r from other Natives of Now Ilo'i, -u- Captain Beechy and Mr, Kellett proceed in the Suliihur fin- Starling to the Western Coast of South America — The former is relieved by Captain Sir Edward Belcher — Details of a minute Survey of the Pacific Shore of that great Continent — Sir Edward makes an Excursion into the Mountains — Sails to Sandwich Islands — Discussion with the Native Government— Mr. Bingham rebuked — De ith of the King's Aunt — Funeral —Opinions re- Bpecting the Missions in the South Sea — Comparative view of the state of Society in the Sandwich Islands — Minute examina- tion of the Columbia River — Fort George or Astosia — Fort Vancouver — Settlement on the Williamette — Dispute between British and Americans respecting Oregon — Wreck of Japanese Junks on the coast of Oahu and America — Experiment at Bow Island for ascertaining the basis of Coral Islands — State of Society in Tahiti — Bad conduct of the Queen's Husband — High results of Missionary labour at Rarotonga — Tlie Feejee Islands — Amboyna and the Minor Moluccas — The Chinese War- Account of the Sechclles Islands. criAP. XX. The volumes of Dr. Meyen. surgeon of a Prussian mer- chant-ship, are chiefly valuable for the scientific infor- Tho voyage or Meyen. niation they contain, especially in regard to the varied surface of Soutli Aniori*;*, which he examined with tho MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCIIEK. 815 eye of a naturalist. The vessel in which he emharkcd, chap. xx. named the Princess Louisa, touched at Rio Janeiro, — Valparaiso, Copiapo, Arica, Yslay, and Callao ; after- wards sailed to the Sandwich Islands, thence to Canlon and Manilla, and finally returned to Europe by the Cape of Good Hope. His journeys among the mountains are extremely interesting. From Santiago he travelled southward to San Fernando, the capital of the province of Conchagua, from whence he visited the Andes, and The Andes ascended Monte Impossibile. The plain ascends suddenly J* ^°^}^ to a considerable elevation, at which it continues, with- out any perceptible change, to the very foot of the Cor- dillera. The mountains then rise with great steepness, forming in some places walls of aienite upwards of a thousand feet in height and almost perpendicular. On their summits occur plains of small extent ; the lower portions of them, where the declivity h not too steep, being covered with forest trees, and the higher parts with shrubs. Only the middle of the chain of the Andes consistr of bare rocky masses, which rise nearly to the snow line. In the month of February, indeed, one of the hottest months in that latitude, the Monte Impos- sibile was covered with sno'v. Meyen attempted to ascend the volcano of Arequipa, The vol ^ano but could not atttain its summit, being seized with the <>' Arequipa sorocko. The party were tormented with a burning thirst which no drink could quench ; a slice of water- melon or garlic was the only thing th .y could relish, but still they continued to ascend. They were already near the little ridge which extends Fouth-west from the summit of the mountain, when their strength failed them, and they were overpowered by the disease. The nervous feverishness under which they had suffered from the first had been gradually becoming worse and worse ; their breathing became more and more op- pressed ; fainting, sickness, giddiness, and bleeding at the nose came on ; and in this condition they lay a con- siderable time, till the symptoms became milder from repose, and they were able to descend slowly. ~ 1 1 i\i i!, I ■ 816 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. CHAP. XX. The Grand Tampa. The sands of Its surface. The Gi-and Pampa, which separates what may be termed the subordinate mountains of the Cordillevaa from the principal range, and runs along the coast, is an elevated sand-waste, showing no sign of rocks nor of any description of life, animal or vegetable. But uni- form as this desert might appear, he visited few regions on the whole journey which in his eyes proved more interesting. When he had reached the table-land, which may be about two thousand feet above the level of the sea, the immense chain of the Andes was seen towards the east with the highest points veiled in clouds. As the morning advanced the summits were successively illumined by the rising sun, and their eternal snows re- flected a ruddy light, whilst he and his party rode forward in the deepest gloom. As the sun mounted higher in the sky, the western ridge of the Great Pampa was bathed in his beams ; clouds of misty vapour appeared, resem. bling a sea, and out of these rose lofty ranges of mountains with precipitous ascents. The phenomenon was so pe- culiar that they thought they saw the ocean brought nearer to them, and on it a reflection of the Cordillera chain. But in proportion as the sun ascended above the elevated horizon, those strata of vapour rose with it ; the bases of the heights came forth, their summits van- ished, and at length burst forth unbroken chains of vast height, stretching all along the coast, and bounding the Great Pampa to the west. Still more remarkable is the surface of the waste alread}'' mentioned. Every where the sand is collected in regular heaps having the shape of a sickle, standing at diff'erent distances from each other, and uniformly ranged with their concpve sides to the south-west. The circumference of these heaps varies from twenty to seventy paces, and their height from seven to fifteen feet. Thousands of such hillocks cover the plain as far as the eye can reach ; and what is most singular, no little pile, or commencement of an accumulation, is any where to be seen. Thore is no douot that a prevailing wind, con- stantly blowing in one direc Jon, has caused this singular ME YEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 817 ftpiiearance ; and the gathering of new heaps ceases chap. xx. so soon as all the loose sand has been blown togpther. " Can the climate have changed ? Does the wind which caused these formations blow no longer T'* The nature of the country, consisting of materials which may be clearly traced to a volcanic origin, gives rise to other phenomena of which the navigator ought not to remain ignorant. For example, it is known that on the coast of northern Chili, as well as along the shores The valley of of Peru, an undulating movement of the sea frequently ]^^ Peruvian takes place, the cause oJ: which has not been fully dis- covered. Dr Meyen states that when lying in the har- bour of Copiapo, during the night and in the n)ost entire calm, the ship rocked so violently as to render the sen- sation produced by it quite intolerable. At other places, even south of Arica, when the wind was perfectly still, he has seen waves thirty or forty feet high. It is known that on the western coast of South America the ebb and flood are very trifling, and at a short distance from the land quite imperceptible, so that, even at the full moon, the * rolling of the sea,' as it is called in those countries, cannot be ascribed to the tide. It has, indeed, been at- tributed to the influence of the lunar orb, and it has even been maintained that this agitation occurs only when the moon is full. But, in opposition to this theory, the author asserts that the greatest rolling he ever witnessed took place during the last quarter ; from which, says he, it may be asserted that the " moon is not the cause of it." He is rather disposed to maintain that the great Meyen's flow of cold water which sets in from the south-west^ the"cause of and touches the Pei-uvian coast in the breadth of Are- it* I quipa, is the source whence this motion of the sea takes its rise. Having steered for the Sandwich Islands, the crew of the Princess Louisa received a visit from the governor I * In the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, \ol. vi. p. 376, it is mentioned that L. Pottinger " found a very similar kind lit' sand-hills, covering a cuusiderabie portion of the great desert ot Beloochistan." I ilf' ': It 1;.: :i: m 818 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. Tlie Rovemor of UahiL CHAP. XX. of Oahu, who, it is generally known, Imd assumed the name of John Adams. The giant size and uiisliapely figure of this man astonished the Pnissians exceedingly. His hody was so large and so unmanageable that he could not remain standing for a moment, but was obliged to sit down or lean against something, jjfot being able to climb up the side of the ship, he was drawn up l)y means of a rope fastened round his waist ; and when at last he had set foot on deck, he looked round with the greatest indifference, and hardly opened his mouth to address any one. " The huge marked face, with its dark red coarse skin and thick protruding lips, gave the man a hideous aspect." The doctor, whose notions of the Sandwich group had been derivec' from the volumes of the early voyagers, appears to have sustained some degree of disappointment ; for he heard " no tidings either of the canoes or the swimming nymphs tliat in former days revelled so joyfully around foreign ships." There was no longer any talk of buying for nails ov bits of iron, nor of exchanges for old articles of dress : monev, Spanish silver coin, was the only thing for which ti!o inhabitants would consent to deal. The expedition left Honoruru on the 22d July 18.31, and arrived on the coast of China about the middle of the following January. The attention received by the Prussians left no ground for complaint. A few days before their departure from Canton they ff-and at their residence a visiting card from Mowqua, and an invita- tion to dinner along with it. About half-past six in the evening they jjrescnted themselves at his house ; ser- vants with large lanterns preceded them, and quantities of cotton were provided to fortify the drums of their ears against the stunning eflFect of the Chinese music. As the guests entered they were saluted by the host and his son, and amid&t a profusion of comj)liments, con- ducted quite up to the chairs in the reception room. The attire of the merchant and his family was splendid in an extraordinary degree ; and young Mowqua, in par- ticular, wore over all his silk coats and vests a cloak of Tlie Priis- Biims at Can tun. s: inonev. MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 819 the costliest furs. They kept their velvet cap8 with CHAP. XX. knobs constantly upon their heads, and the magnificent """"■ tufts gave them a dignified mien. The furniture was also very costly, amongst which was observed a large iriirror of English manufacture ; but as the master of the establishment desired not to attract attention to his use of European articles, he had caused the plate to be fixed in an ordinary and very clumsy native frame. During the six hours that the entertainment continued, " many hundreds of dishes were served up," an opera was performed, and a full band added thundering music to assist the digestion of the company. But in China, as in all other rich commercial countries, squalid poverty walks hand in hand with luxury and ostentation. The people at large, in the populous city of Canton, eat al- Tiic citizens most every thing which comes to hand. In the streets ° ^''"'""• and especially the large square in front of the factories, a number of birds are daily exposed for sale, including hawks, owls, eagles, and storks, as well as some othera which in the European section of the globe have not obtained any reputation for flavour. To a native of London or Berlin, nothing could have a more ludicrous effect than to see a rustic entering either town, carrying across his shoulder, two cages which, instead of winged animals, contained uidy dogs and cats. A small thin sort of spaniel apper.red to be most in request : these sit quite downcast in their temporary dwellings when brought to market, whilst the cats, as if conscious of their fate, make a dreadful squalling. The flesh of these last, when they are well fed, is much esteemedyTiieeatinKof and they are often seen on the tables of the rich. Bats^^^j,*^ are also exposed to the eye of the hungry mechanic, hung in rows like pigs in our country, quite clean, and presenting, it is said, rather an inviting aspect. Considering the profession of the author, ihr^ reader of his volumes has not, perhaps, a right to expect any addition to our knowledge of hydrography, the discovery of new lands, the exploration of remote bays, or the determination of geographical posiiions. It is chiefly r I rr : '5 i ! • ? : , I 1 1 it I I ! , IV Mr Hi ^ I I.;. r 1 '■:: 820 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. SIcycn'B re scarclies in Uio Andes nup. XX. in the department of natural history that the voyage of — the Princess Louisa has conferred any obligation upon the curious and the philosophical in the enlightened parts of Europe. His researches in the Andes, performed with resolution and perseverance, constitute the most fascinating part of his book ; because, while they present many new facts, they are nowhere clouded or rendered suspicious by an undue bias towards a favourite theorv as to the character of the geological phenomena, which, in those elevated regions, manifest themselves with all the tokens of recent power belonging to the elements whence they derive their immediate origin. Dr Meyen completed his circumnavigation by returning to Europe in a western course from the Philippines, touching at the Cape of Good Hope and St Helena. The next narrative of a voyage round the world is also from the pen of a medical gentleman, the surgeon of a transport, named the Governor Ready, This ves- sel, bound to New South Wales, with a detachment of male convicts on board, of which he had a professional charge, was wrecked on her return in Torres Straits, whence the crew with some difficulty reached the island of Timor, after sailing in their boats a distance of more Wilson's cir- than thirteen hundred miles. There he met the colo- nial brig Amity, attached to the settlement of Port Raffles on the northern coast of Australia ; and embark- ing in her, he successively visited that establishment and the infant colonies of Swan River and King George's Sound. Having completed a coasting voyage round the upper and western shores of New Holland, he proceeded to Van Dieraen*s Land, whence he returned to Great Britain by the southern point of Africa and St Helena. The real interest of his pages is confined to the Austra- lian provinces, where he partook of several adventures, and collected some valuable knowledge both as to the character of the residents and the prospects of the Hritish dominions in that part of the world. Li reference to Port Raffles, he remarks, that the ap- pearance of the land in the neighbourhood has bctn camnaviga tlun. ■ r MKYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 821 compared by some to the coast of Orissa in Bengal, and CHAP. XX. by others to Demerara. The coast is exceedingly low, ^ — as it invariably is in that part of Australia, and in this around Port respect it bears a resemblance to both the countries now ^**^''"- mentioned ; but as there is neither underwood nor jun- gle, there exists nothing of that pestilential evaporation, which on the shores of Asia and America has been found most destructive to human life. Though little above the level of the sea, the territory is decidedly healthy ; while Timor, not much nearer the equator, although in many places exceedingly lofty, is justly dreaded as the grave of Europeans. The soil in the vicinity, he admits, cannot be called good, though there are many fertile patches ; but the price of labour is still so high, that neither for agriculture nor pastoral purposes could it be cultivated with any advantage. He does not, however, justify the resolution of government to abandon it ; nay, he maintains, " it is deeply to be deplored that these shores should have been thus deseited after so much expense had been incurred, after all the difficulties attending a new settlement had been overcome, and pleasing prospects of future prosperity hacl opened into Iff J view. n The principal object in forming a settlement on the The settle. northern coast of New Holland was to establish a^JmlSiart commercial intercourse with the various islands in the of Au»traiia. Indian archipelago, and which, it was imagined, might be accomplished by means of the Malays who annually frequent those shores in considerable numbers, for the purpose of procuring trepang. Nor is it only to such intercourse with the Chinese and Malayan traders that it would owe its importance ; there being many other circumstances which would greatly add to the advan- tage of a colony on Torres Straits. Ships proceeding to India from the eastern coast would find it extremely convenient for repairs, as well as a place of refuge from the storms which occasionally rage in those seas. Regarded, indeed, in every point of view, thero cannot be any doubt that, both in its mercantile and political i i , j ; ■ 1^ ■ '1 1 :i; M 1 822 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. The scenery of the Swan River valley, CiiAP. XX. relations, it would, in the hands of Europeans, soon ac- quire a degree of consequence more than equal to all the expense attending its protection in the early stages of its existence.* The scenery on the Swan River, on which is built the small town of Perth, is described as being singularly agreeable. To the southward, it is said, the view is exceedingly picturesque, even rivalling that of the far- famed lake of Killamey. This spot is intended for suburban villas ; and if the eye of the traveller, long accustomed to the monotony of the " melancholy main," did not deceive him, it seems well adapted for such a purpose. The banks of the river, too, above the settle- ment, present a most verdant and fertile aspect ; and it was found that the alluvial soil extended from two to twelve hundred yards towards the interior. It docs not appear, however, that the land, generally speaking, is productive, or likely to suit the purposes of the agri- culturist. Like the whole eastern portion of Australia, it is much better adapted to the less complicated occu« pations of the shepherd, who, between the shore and the Darling Range, will find at once good pasture for his flocks and a safe retreat for them during bad weather. There is little prospect that trade will ever bo promoted by means of water conveyance. The Swcui is navigable only for very small vessels near ?+s junction with the ocean ; while the Conning and the Helena, which fall into it, are subject to similar impediments, owing to want of water during the greater part of the year, and a multitude of islets which embarrass its course. The length of the principal stream in a direct line is about thirty miles, though, when the windings are included, it may be said to run at least double tliat distance. But Tho capaci- ties of tlie Swan River stream. * Narrative of a Voyaji^e round the World, comprehending' an Account of the Wreck of the Shin "Governor Ready ' in Torres Straits ; a Description of the British Settlements on the Coasts of New Holland, more particularly Raffles Bay, Melville Lsland, Swan River, and Kinir Geon^e's Sound, &c By T. B. Wilson, M.D., Surgeon, R.N._P. 174. MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 823 oven in the most favourable light the facilities of this river chap. xx. must be pronounced overrated when it is maintained I that " vessels of large burden are enabled to sail seventy 1 miles from its entrance." King George's Sound was likewise visited by Dr {^'"8 , I Wilson, who also with some friends made an excursion sound. into the neighbouring wilds, which they found to puiisess considerable capabilities. At one place they encamped on the northern side of a beautiful valley, extending east and west as far as the eye could reach, and bounded on either side by a succession of gently undulating hills, ornamented by trees of gigantic form scattered over their surface. After travelling nearly seventy miles in a direction towards the north and west, they still found themselves in a country well adapted either for pastoral or agricultural purposes; and no doubt was entertained that soil of similar qualities ' extended to a great distance in the same line of march. As to the condition of the inhabitants, no alteration ippears to have taken place since the days of Van- couver. Their dwellings are still the same ; bearing an exact resemblance to a bee-hive cut vertically into I two parts. In one of their encampments, which seem I to be periodically deserted, a love-token was found by a native servant, consisting of a lock of hair interwoven Iwith some net-work. This, he stated, must have been hidden by some young woman ; adding, that it was the business of the enamr»ured swain to find it out, when he [would be rewarded for his assiduity by the favour "i his I mistress. If this explanation be correct, it proves that SRvapo tlie aborigines of this district, if not more civilized, are «>i"tsiuj>. latall events more romantic in their courtship than their Ibrethren in the vicinity of Port Jackson. These last Isteal by ambush on the objects of their affection, beat them senseless with a club, and then drag them loiF by the hair of the head in triumph to their own [party. It is remarked by the author that the inhabitants of [Hurray's Island, though very near the northern coast i i ii:1 i' ' jil 3f ^n "^..S^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (AAT-3) k // // .n.^ /. 1.0 ^Ui 1^ I.I 11.25 lit m ■ JO JJ MA Bbb 12.0 1.4 iLo / r '^' Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST VAIN STREET W.^: 'ZR.N.Y. MSM (716) S7a-4S03 ■■^ « 824 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. The natlvM of Marray'a ItUad. CHAP. XX. of Australia, are totally distinct from the natives of — that continent, to whom in every respect they are fur superior. They have been usually esteemed treacherous, daring, and deceitful ; but he declares, that though he found them to be, like all other savages, very prone to thieving, they were not otherwise ill disposed. In conducting their traffic they manifested great caution and even some degree of suspicion, which, hu remarks, shows that they must have been cheated in former, dealings with Europeans. This voyage, as already stated, owes its chief interest to the information collected by the officers of the dif- ferent ships in which Dr Wilson served, relative to the rising colonies on the various shores and inlets of Aus- tralia. In the other parts of . he world which he visited during his circumnavigat/on he had no opportunity of \ adding any thing new to iie minute details supplied by , professional navigators. Thf survey which w s successfully completed by Sir \ Edward Belcher, comr enced in 1835 under the auspices of Captain Beechey, w lose researches when in command of the Blossom are kaown to every one who takes any] interest in maritime discovery. In the month of Sep~| tember, the Sulphur, a sloop-of-war, was commissioned] by the latter of these distinguished officers, who, accom' panied by the Starling, a smaller vessel under the direct tion of Lieutenant Kellett, left England in December,] and in the course of the following season, having round« ed Cape Horn, began the examination of the wcstemi shores of South America, at the point where the laboui-sl of the Adventure and Beagle terminated. At Valparaisoj the health of the commodore became so bad that he felt himself compelled to relinquish his appointment an(il return home. Mr Kellett here succeeded him in thol temporary command of the expedition, but, in February] 1837, was relieved at Panama by Captain Belcher,] who had crossed the Isthmus of Darien for that pur- pose. After some delay in that quarter, occasioned by] the necessity of completing certain arrangements, the Snnreyfnjf ToyaKB of Beidicr. MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 825 two ships proceeded towards the north, touching at CUAr. xx. Realejo and Libertad in Central America. In June — they reached San Bias, whence they sailed for the Sandwich Islands, where they came to anchor in the course of the ensuing month. Port Etches in King William's Sound was the next Kintr destination of the little squadron ; Point Riou and Port William's Mulgrave being chosen as the stations whence, consid- ered as bases of trigonometrical calculation, might be determined the position of Mount St Ellas, and the question of longitude settled between the varying re- sults derived from the observations of Cook and Van- couver. The Sulphur then proceeded to Sitka or New Archangel in Norfolk Sound, "vhere the officers received very courteous treatment from the Russian governor. She next visited Friendly Cove in Nootka Sound, and thence steered for San Francisco, where the examination > of the river Sacramento, one hundred and fifty-six miles from her anchorage, occupied the iiurveying party, in open boats, thirty-one days. After this toilsome under- taking. Sir Edward successively repaired to Monterey, San Bias, Acapulco, and Libertad, on his way to Real- . ejo ; at which last place, for the recovery of his health, he made a journey into the principal mountains in the 9^^!?i. neighbourhood, and thereby obtained a view of the scene of his future investigations in the Gulf of Papagayo, and was at the same time enabled to define the principal fea- tures of the Lake of Managua to the point where it falls into that of Nicaragua. After inspecting the gulf just named and Port Culebra, he left Central America, touched at Cocos Islands, and in June 1838 reached Callao, where he remained some time for the purpose of refitting his ship and completing his stores. He next examined, the coast between Cerro Azul and Callao, to the extent of about sixty miles ; when, calling at Payta and Guayaquil, he returned to Panama in October, t ^ The succeeding four months were spent in the survey of the Gulfs of Fonseca and Nicoya, Pucbla Nueva, and Baija Honda; after which Sir Edward moved north- America. Ii:if 826 METEN, WILSON, AND BELCHEU. CHAP. XX. wards, and repeated the ''ruise of 1837. He remained at the Columbia river till September. Bodega, the Russian California, position near Francisco, was then surveyed, and after- wards Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Juan, San Diego, San Qnentin, the Gulf of Magdalena, and Cape San Lucas. He then returned to San Bias and Mazatlan, ^ . , where he found orders awaiting him directing his return homewards by the Cape of Good Hope. Having shipped supplies for fourteen months from a transport which had been sent to meet him, he commenced his voyage in a westerly course, touching at the islands of Socorro and Clarion, and fixing their position. He reached the Mar- quesas the same month, and, after a short vi^t to Port Anna Maria, moved on to Bow Island, where the opera- tion was performed of boring for the volcanic foundation on which these coral groups are supposed to stand. The ^adttc*** *^ Sulphur now bore away for Otaheite, Rarotonga, Fijees, New Hebrides, New Irelant?, Britannia Island, New Guinea, coasting that island to Arimoa and as far as Jobie, where she remained to rate and survey. Thence she proceeded to Amsterdam, Pigeon Island, Bouro, Amboyna, Macassar, Great Solombo, Pulo Kumpal on the Borneo shore, and reached Singapore in the month of October 1839. Here the captain found instructions directing him to sail instantly to China, where he took an active part in the operations which were about to be carried on against that empire. Near the close of 1841 he proceeded on his homeward voyage, touching in his progress at Malacca, Penang, Acheen, Sumatra, Ceylon, Sechelles, Madagascar, the Cape, St Helena, Ascension, and at length on the 19th July 1842 he cast anchor at Spithead, after an absence of more than six years. The minute details incident to a survey including the bearings of every point, the depth of water in each inlet, the course and strength of the currents, the sound- ings on the various banks and bars, and the character or aspect of the barbarians who frequent the neighlbouring shores, present so little which can prove interesting to readers not professional, that it would be inexpedient tu MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 827 follow the path of the Sulphur from Valparaiso to King chap. xx. William's Sound. In the sketch already given of his successive cruises it is mentioned that in the summer of 1837 Captain Belcher repaired to the Sandwich Islands, The Sand- where, he informs his countrymen, he was solicited by ***^* Hand* the British consul to interpose his authority in a ques- tion raised against the native government, who had com- pelled a vessel called the Clementine, sailing under our flag, to enter the port of Honoruru, and receive on board : ^ as prisoners two French missionaries brought by her from California. The authorities at firet had endea- voured to carry their object by bribing the master and owner ; and finding this measure ineffectual, they next attempted force, when the consul advised that the col- ours should be struck and the brigantiiie abandoned. This is apparently the case mentioned by Dr Ruschen- berger, who also denounced the severities inflicted upon the priests at the instance of an American teacher, who. The missioo. it is said, though he obviously controlled the governor, "■»*"• was hated by the civilized community, and in bad odour with the chiefs as well as the great body of the natives. The captain, after some solicitation, procured an inter- view at the house of Kuanoa, who received him with the honours due to his rank, and was prepared to hear his complaint in the presence of the whole missionary establishment. But he soon discovered that remon- strance was useless ; that the influence of the preachers was predominant ; and that the ruler of the island, in fact, was not a free agent. He therefore took leave to acquaint them that he must resort to stronger argu- ments, and instantly ordered the vessel to be recaptured, and the British colours to be again displayed on board of her. Mr Bingham, the leading missionary, then ven- tured to intimate that ** blood would flow from this act ;" upon which, says Sir Edward, " I most distinctly assured /,' ,. , him that, having now ascertained his character, I should visit the threat on his own head, and that his life should answer for the first drop of British blood which his agency sliould cause to flow." It has been alleged that this ic -I ■ m 828 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCUEB. the Popisli priests. CHAP. XX. determined conduct greatly alarmed the wife of Kuanoa who imagined that the menace had some refei-ence to her, as the patroness of the protestant mission. The ',. captain acknowledges that he did accompany the threat with his " clenched fist," but adds, it was totally false that any action of his towards Kinau could be so con- strued, as he felt too deeply for her situation to aggra- Reiandini; of vatc her fears. Meantime he landed the popish friars, and sent a message to the king who was then at Maui. At this critical moment the French frigate La Venus made her appearance, being employed in those seas in scientific pursuits similar to those of the British expedi- tion. The captain, Du Petit Thouars, requested that he might be allowed to act in conjunction, and on his landing, a fresh interview was requested and obtained ; but finding the local government determined on main- taining their acts, in defiance of the combined remon- strances now made, they resolved to await the arrival of Tamehameha. * ' .-' .^^.m.;; . His majesty, contrary to the expectation of many, who considered him also as completely under the control of the teachers, was soon seen entering the bay, in a bark purchased from the Americans, and which mounted a few guns for the purpose of saluting. He consented to a meeting on the following day, but would not yield to their request that the missionaries should be excluded. When assembled, Mr Bingham took a seat whence he could command the eye of the king ; but it is remarked in the narrative, " the sharp glances of some of the offi- cera of both ships were too powerful for him, and some- thuig very much allied to menace from one of the lieutenants of the Venus damped his ardour to such a degree, that he spent the remainder of the time with his head between his hands, nearly resting upon his knees." The result of the conference was so far favour- able as to obtain permission for the two priests to re- main unmolested until a convenient opportunity should occur for their reaching some civilized part of the globe ; and an assurance was added, that the Clemen* Tlifl kini; protects tlie priests. HETEM, WILSON AND BELCHER. 829 tine should not be injured or the crew annoyed. Before ciiAP. X2L signing the documents, the king requested a private -~' interview in the evening, when Sir Edward remained with him from seven till ten, discussing quietly the line of conduct he ought to pursue, and suggesting what po- ' lished nations expected of him. He expressed himself very much indebted for this visit of kindness, and ob- served, ** If I had one who would advise with me as YOU do, occasionally, I should not get into so many difficulties.*'* During the following season the English captain re- Funeral of peated his visit, when he found that Kinau, the king's ^^t'"^ ' aunt and friend of the missionaries, had recently died. The body was still lying in state, and all the chiefs of the neighbouring islands were summoned to escort the funeral, which was to take place in a few days. Being invited to attend. Sir Edward with the consul and offi- cers of the Sulphur proceeded to the residence of the deceased princess, where they witnessed a degree of pomp not to be expected in a country so recently ele- "' vated above the condition of barbarism. The coffin, covered with crimson cloth and gilt ornaments, was * - - placed on a bedstead, the curtains of which were black silk trimmed with white lace. The body of a carriage having been removed from the wheels, the frame of the bed was adapted to it, and formed a very handsome car. The ti-oops and militia, amounting to four hundred, were all well clothed in white uniformsr Their evolutions are described as ** admirable." The king's body-guard, The king's amounting to twenty officers in scarlet jackets, some '*°^^ **""* few with epaulettes, tinsel, and crape, marched with their swords reversed on each side of the bier ; the troops with arms reversed preceded. His majesty as principal mourner, vy^ith the deceased's husband and the other chiefs, followed the car, the residents, consuls, and offi» • Narrative of a Vojaife round tlie World, performed in Her Majesty's Siiip Sulphur, durin|^ the years 1836-1842; including Details of the Naval Oiierations in China from December 1840 to \m. By Captain Sir Edward Belcher, R. N., vol. i. p. 57-59. 830 MEYEN| WILSON, AND BELCHER TheAuieral pruceHion. CHAP. XX. cere, bringing up the rear. The concourse of females, supposed to have come from all the islands, the greater part well dressed in black silk, was astonisliing. The moment the procession advanced, the natives not included in it, but who lined the roads, which had been previously strewed with rushes and covered with mats, commenced the wail or lament ; and the sound of so many voices in the most melancholy notes, tended not a little to augment the solemnity of the scene. On the car reaching the church, a thatched house about two hundred feet in length by sixty wide, the troops marched through, and the coffin was placed in front of the pulpit. The funeral service in the native language was performed by Mr Bingham, who added a discourse which continued two hours. The procession then moved on to the royal vault, where the body was deposited ; the military fired three volleys in very good style ; and thanks being returned by the minister to the foreigners who had attended, they all retired. Ever since the commencement of missionary opera- tions in the South Sea, there has existed among sea- faring men a great variety of opinion as to the effects of the knowledge and principles thereby communicated to the natives. Kotzebue, it is well known, derided the whole system of European learning and faith, viewed as an acquisition by the uncultivated minds of savages. Beechey, separating with great discrimination the good from the evil, readily admitted the improve- ment which he remarked both in the Sandwich and Society Islands, but could not shut his eyes to the manifold inconveniences which, in the first instance, had nsulted from the unrestricted intercourse of the simple inhabitants with the depraved adventurers who landed on their shores. Fitzroy saw much more to ap- prove than condemn ; admiring the zeal which warmed the breasts of the christian labourers, and extolling the decent mannere which adorned their lives. Captain Belcher, on the contrary, who repeatedly visited the dominions of Tamehameha, between the OpInioiM ro- •>pectinff tl^e Polynesian missiona. MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 831 years 1826 and the date of his last voyage, received chap. xx. impressions so extremely unfavourable to the purity — of the motives which actuated the principal teachers at Oahu and Owhyhee, that he can hardly find words ' ' sufficiently strong to express his suspicions and resent- ment. He accuses them of ambition, arrogance, and. Belcher's above all, of an undisguised attempt to invest them- Jhe",^J|,i"„2' selves with political supremacy. According to his view, ariea. they act the part of dictators to the rulers, and of tyrants to the mass of the people ; depriving the former of power, and the latter of nearly all the innocent enjoy- ments in which they were wont to indulge. Eighteen years ago they considered it a pai'amount duty to prevent the culture of the sugar-cane, coffee, and cotton. It will hardly be credited, he remarks, that one of them took an active part in destroying a considerable plantation ; that the land was subsequently given for educational or religious purposes ; and that the same individual is now cultivating the proscribed cane on the same ground { Another, with his own hand, destroyed some thousands < of coffee-trees which were flourishing. He regrets that for the credit of the gospel in those seas, membera of the Church Missionary Society have not been sent to show^ them the mildness of true christian rule, instead of the tyranny of fanatics, who have already brought tlie protestant creed into contempt, and will probably in the end be expelled. Their violent conduct towards the two French brethren has recoiled upon themselves, for the Roman Catholic religion is now tolerated in spite of them. The port of Honoruru, which, in the year 1827, received TiiecondiHon eight sail of whale ships as well as numerous traders, is °' honoruru. at present nearly deserted. Intoxication is common, cleanliness is neglected, and disease continues to diminish the number of the people. Without reposing implicit con- fidence in the statistics supplied by either party, it is no- where denied that, since the days of Cook and Vancouver, there has been a vast decrease in the population. It cannot, however, have escaped the observation of the reader that, comparing the condition of society at i 832 MEYEN, WILSON, AMD BELCUER. Islandib CHAP. XX. the present time with the ignorance and superstition which prevailed when the Sandwich Islands were first ^Slv '"' visited by the great English navigator, a vast progress has theSandwicii heen made in the arts of civilized life, as well as in the more valuable attainment of religious knowledge. The funeral obsequies of Kinau mark in a very striking manner the advance which has taken place. Vice, it is true, is not yet entirely discountenanced even by the higher ranks and the king himself occasionally presents to the public eye a grievous stumbling-block in the grossest intem- perance. But it is to prevent such evils, or to punish them, that the missionr- -^s have imposed checks on the importation of intoxi t,ing liquors, which, though beneficial in more refined countries, cannot be used without danger by a people who have just emerged from the savage state. In the Hydrographic Instructions issued to the com- manding officer by the Admiralty, it is remarked, " poli- tical ciroumstances have invested the Columbia river with so much importance, that it will be well to devote some time to its bar and channels of approach, as well as to its inner anchorages and shores." In compliance with this order Captain Belcher directed his course towards that part of America in July 1889 ; and was surprised to find that the shoals at the entrance of this stream had so materially changed their features within the two preceding years as to occasion considerable danger to the Sulphur and Starling, the latter of which received some damage. He soon reached Fort George, celebrated in romance under the name of ** Astoria," which since the Hudson's Bay Company removed their chief establish- ment to Fort Vancouver has sunk down into compara- tive insignificance: A small house for the clerk, two or three sheds for the Canadians, and a pine stick witli a red ensign, are now its only distinctions. Not a gun or warlike appearance of any kind remains ; being more like the commencement of a rude village than the ruins of a fortified statior. The natural scenery is similar to that of all the nort. lem coast^ being wooded The Colum- bia river. MEYEN, WILSON, AMD BELOUER. 833 to the water's edge, and differing little except in the CHAP. xx. varieties of pine. On the ninth of August he reached Fort Vancouver, Fort Vtm- which is situated in lat. 46« 35' 63" N. and long. 122° '^"'^ 20' 10" W., and, in a direct line, eighty-two miles fi-om the mouth of the Columbia. The name might seem to indicate that it is a place of strength, whereas it is nothing more than the mercantile post of the Hudson's Bay Company. It stands near the northern bank of the river, and consists of an enclosure three hundred yards square, surrounded by a palisade eighteen feet liigh, composed of roughly split pine logs. The houses of the residents as well as the stores of the company are within this enclosure, forming two squares. The gates are constantly open during the day, and no goard is mounted ; the vicinity of the native tribes creating no alarm, either for goods or personal safety. In front indeed of the building occupied by the head of the establish- ment are two long twenty-four poundei-s and two ship carronades ; and it is added, that, when turned out, every man is found with a well-tried rifle and a couteau du chasse or other efficient means of defence. Still, the security which is enjoyed is a pleasing proof of the complete discipline to which the neighbouring Indians have been reduced, and of the contentment which characterizes - ' ' '^ their demeanour. Some years ago the company came to the determina- ^**|®'"^,? tion of forming settlements on the rich lands situated on luunetto. the Wallamette and other rivers, and providing for their retired servants by allotting them farms and supplying them with cattle. That on the current just named soon became so important as to requiro the services of a missionary ; but instead of selecting a British subject to aflford them spiritual aid, the colonists applied to the Americans for one, a course pregnant with evil con- sequences, particularly with reference to the political discussions which ensued. No sooner had this teacher and his friends located themselves, which act they deemed equivalent to taking possession of the country, than 834 MBYEN, WILSON, AND BELCIIKR. CHAP. XX. Commence- ment of tho Oregon dis- VUtOb Cnmplleation of the de- pute. :>:i;..'t they invited others from tho States to join them and then called on their government for protection. Thb position has, it is £i^»erted, not only become a source of dispute which has again roused the Americans but from the fact of its containing many old servants of the company, unaccustomed to restraint, and whose first appeal is their rifle, is very likely to cause some more serious trouble. They are already making vociferous claims to the right of soil ; and when the Sulphur left the Columbia, a large body of republicans were entering its plains to establish a permanent settlement. On the Catlamet, another important river, they have two mis- sionaries, one protestant, the other Roman catholic ; but as the land here unquestionably belongs to the governors of Hudson's Bay, and is on the northern side, there is not at present any ini-nediate fear of intrusion. The whole of the territory near the Columbia has by means of British capital and enterprise attained such a degree of importance, that the government of Washing- ton, or at least the rulers of the western states, have become extremely desirous to secure it for their people ; and having their eyes open to what has been virtually lost by an injudicious attempt of the Astorian Company, to obtain by negotiation a value for that which in a few hours would have been our property by actual occupation, they attempt to disavow the legality of the transfer. " Tliis,"«Bays Sir Edward, " rendei-s the matter still worse, as, had the capture taken place, they might with some plea of propriety have looked for its restora- tion at the peace. But if bona fide purchasers are, at this late date, to be marred in their speculation, the ultimate consequences of which they doubtless antici- pated, then must we bid farewell to good faith in mer- cantile transactions ; for in no other light than that of a plain transfer of private property can it honestly be contemplated."* These matters must be finally settled by the inter- * Narrative oFa Voyage round the World &c., vol. i. p. 2i)8. MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 835 position of the supreme governments, for among the CHAP. xx. settlers, whether British or American, there is neither power nor temper suited to the adjustment of such weighty concerns. . .,' An incident worthy of special notice is mentioned by the author of this Voyage, which seems to throw some light on the origin of the Sandwich islanders. A Japanese junk had been wrecked on the American coast Wreck of near the mouth of the Columbia, part of the cargo of jui^*^ which still remained in the hands of the natives. In 18S3, a similar event took place on the cc :>' of Oahu, when every thing was lost but the crew and a ew trifl- ing articles. The men remained at Honoru ru eighteen months, when they were forwarded to Kam'tochatku, whence they hoped eventually to work their way by step^h into their own country, approaching by Lhe line of the most northern islands of the group. When the people of Otaheite saw the junk, and Icamed from what part of the world it had come, they said it was plain now wherice they themselves originated. They had before concluded that they had not come from either of the great continents on the north or east ; but, seeing on this occasion a people much resembling themselves in pei'son and in many of their habits — a people, too, who came to those islands without designing to come — they said, ** it is plain we came from Asia," meaning the insular king- doms on the extremity of the Asiatic coast. The ultimate fate of the few individuals who survived the loss of their Fate of the vessel is still unknown ; but in the case of those whose jlpaneae. lives were saved near Queen Charlotte's Sound, and who were sent from England to Japan, it is recorded that their countrymen refused to receive them ; so much do they suspect and abominate all intercourse with foreigners. In the public instructions already mentioned, the hydrographer of the admiralty remarks, ** it has been suggested by some geologists that the coval insect, in- stead of raising its superstructure directly from the bottom of the sea, works only on the summit of sub- 1 r'.i 836 METEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. Supposed basis of coral Ulands. CHAP. rx. marine mountains which have been projected upwards — by volcanic action. They account, tlierefore, for the basin- like form so generally observed in coral islands by supposing that they insist on the circular lip of ex- tinct volcanic craters. In order by a satisfactory expe- riment to bring this question to a direct issue, their lordships have ordered you to be supplied with a com- plete set of the boring apparatus used by miners ; leaving it to your own judgment to select any coral island which may be well adapted to the purpose, and which will lead you as little as possible from the line of your survey. They wish you to fix upon a convenient spot of the island where the operation cannot be disturbed by the surf, and there to bore perpendicularly so as to perforate the whole thickness of the coral, and to enter the tool sufficiently deep in the rock on which it is based, to fur- nish specimens for future analysis." The experiment thus enjoined was made at Bow Is- land, but not with the success which could have been desired, though every exertion was made by officers and crew. The material through which the auger had to pass was a fine coralline sand, which yielded with diffi- culty, owing to the lateral pressure, though the stratum . itself was still very soft. The smallest piece of coral became a great obstruction, and the attempt to crush it created mucl; delay, because the softness of the sur- rounding substance rendered the action of the instru- Experimen- ments unavailing. At length, by dint of perseverance, BowMand"* ^"^^ ^^^^ adoption of some ingenious contrivances, forty- five feet of pipe were entered ; but, at tliis point, the pressure becoming too great for the joints, the solder gave way, and the auger was no longer useful. Against these disadvantages the party contrived tc struggle about a week, when having again reached the depth of forty- five feet, the sudden falling in from beneath so elFectu- ally locked the tools, that no direct force on the levers could move them. They did not, however, altogether relinquish the undertaking, till, after a continued ef- fort of thirty-five days, they found that, in order to MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. 837 State of ■oclety in Tahiti. nccomplish the object contemplated by the admh'alty, CHAP. XX, it would be necessary to employ a professional borer with all his smithy resources. The captain, indeed, did not expect that any thing harder than sand would be found at a greater depth than twenty feet ; but it ought to be observed that B^ v Island, not being of basaltic or volcanic origin, does not perhaps belong to the class of formations where the experiment would have been most satisfactorily tried, and the result considered most decisive. ,.n, .,.,( r .r; .-..'.-j .•,,._....•,. i Leaving Bow Island, without having been able to throw any light on the process by which the coral animal performs its mysterious work in the recesses of the great deep, the commander of the Sulphur steered westward, and at length found himself at Otaheite. His opinions on the state of society in that little king- dom, so full of interest to all who have traced the progress of discovery in the Pacific, are of more than usual importance ; because having been there in 1826 as an officer in the Blossom, he was qualified to compare the present with the past, and thereby to measure the progress of civilisation under the successor of Pomare the Second. As an old acquaintance he expected to have met a cordial reception from her majesty, but he subsequently learned that she had been so much harassed by threats of vengeance from various nations as to dread the appro]33 Fijee group, found that the frequent presence of white "^'^ men, and the constant residence of several indigenous missionaries, had produced little change on the temper of the inhabitants. The same savage manners, and the same propensity to cannibalism which shocked the fol- lowers of Cook, continue to manifest themselves among \j ii 842 MEYEN, WILSON, AND BELCHER. Amboyna and the minor Mo- luccaai CHAP. XX. all classes. Even the chiefs acknowledge that thev — would eat the bodies of their enemies, though they gave no particular preference to human flesh. Nor has civili- sation made greater progress at New Ireland and New Guinea; the notices concerning which groups, though , i". interesting to voyagers who may have occasion to touch at their shores, present nothing inviting to any other order of men. Amboyna and the minor Moluccas furnish no- thing more new or interesting than the numerous archi- pelagoes with which the neighbouring straits abound ; tor the Dutch, whose principal motive is the extension of trade, are averse to sudden changes in the condition of the aborigines, whose labour they employ to great ad- vantage, and with whose faith they do not intermeddle. At Singapore, Sir Edward received several official letters, of which the purport was that he should retrace his steps and join the squadron in China, then actively employed in the Canton river in reducing the enemy's forts and batteries. --i 'y->UA wui.v.s The events which marked the progress and close of the Chinese war are much too recent and well known to justify any abstract from the pages of the Narrative, which, in point of fact, contain hardly any tiling inter- esting but what respects the limited movements of the Sulphur and Starling, when employed in burning junks or in demolishing ramparts. The captain of the former, indeed, mentions a case where the mercantile spirit pre- dominated over the more noble sentiment of patriotism. There was great reason to suspect that ammunition and arms, both small and large, were supplied to the foe by British agents at Singapore, and even the more regular emporium of Madras. These articles were landed at Macao, nominally addressed to Portuguese merchants ; but, nevertheless, no doubt was entertained that they were subsequently sold to the Chinese authorities, and employed, too, against the country whose artisans had fabricated them. On tb? 14th November 1841, the Sulphur was ordered home, the Starling having been paid off, and her crew T!ie Chinese war. M£YEN, WILSON, AND BELCIIEK. 843 transferred to the former. About the middle of Febru- chap. xx. ary. Captain Belcher reacnea the Sechelles Islands, called originally by the French '* Les Isles Labourdon- The Sechei- naises,** and subsequently described under the name they ^*^ '■••»n'^ now bear, in honour of the Viscount de Sechelles. The principal harbour, formerly Mah^, is at present known as Port Victoria ; a change which has occasioned some dissatisfaction to the colonists, whose national feelings have not yet yielded to the policy of their present mas- ters. Including the whole group, the number of islands amounts to twenty-nine ; the largest being twenty-five miles in length, and not less than five miles broad a^ the widest point. Of this cluster it has been said that few parts of the world are so favoured by nature. Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, nearly equidistant from the lands on the east and west, they offer, besides a secure roadstead, a climate equable and salubrious. Not liable to abrupt changes of atmosphere, they are ex- empted from those diseases so common to other tropical regions : nor are they ever visited by hurricanes, those scourges of the South Sea, which so often destroy all agricultural efibrts, and are inevitably followed by mis- ery and despondence. They were taken by the English in the year 1794, by Captain Newcome of the Orpheus, who, in the name of his Britannic majesty, demanded an instant surrender of the principal island and its de- pendencies, " with every thing belonging thereto." The Their pro- productions are said to be cotton, coffee, cocoa, cloves, ''*»<5^^ona. cinnamon, nutmeg, anatto, and maize, together with fruits and vegetables of every species found within the tropics. It is, indeed, a garden in which every thing would thrive; and timber well calculated for ship- ' '. building may be had in the greatest abundance, i- >-'■'.•■ 'Jilt "■:( • i\ ■»i"'?* f ,^> J r CHAPTER XXI. n ... Bermet^ Bostf and Wilkea. <( .ji Tbe Wbalipg Voyage of the Ta>eaii» Pitcairn's Islant' ^Tahiti- The Marquesas —> Caroline Island — ^M^ ne Phenomena Sir James Clark Boss's Voyage — Captp' . .jcoe's and Captain Balleny's Antarctic Discoveries — Sir James Boss's Cruise in the Atlantic, and Progress to the South — Possession Island Ker- gnelen Island — Captain d'Urville's and Captain Wilkes' An- tarctic Explorations — Sir Jumes Boss's First Cruise in the Antarctic Ocean — ^Discovery of the Antarctic Continents— Island- Flanklt Mountain-Banges, Grand Volcano, Sublime Scenery, apd Icy Barrier of that Continent — Aurora Australis— Embay- ment among Icebergs — Sir James's Second Antarctic Cruise— Perils aipong the Pack Ice — ^New Views of the Continent — Col- lision of the Ships — ^Visit to the Falkland Islands — Fir James's Third Cruise in the Antarctic Ocean, and Further Discoveries there^ and Beturn to England — The United States Exploring Expedition — ^Besearchos and Perils of its several Ships in, the Antarctic Ocean — ^Visit to the Friendly Islands and the Feejee Islands, and Tragic Occurrences at the latter — The Volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauno-Loa in Hawaii — Cruise and Shipwreck of the Poacock — Occurrences in Oregon and California — ^Home- ward Course of the Qquadi'on. ,! ,> l,(f,> ■>'.-; L- •!;>;,. CHAP. XXL The ship Tuscan, of 800 tons, tiuder the command uf T)te voyiige Captain T. Stavera^ mad« a whaling voyage round the of the tuii- world, by the western route, in the yeara 1833-6. A journal of the voyage was kept and partly published by her surgeon, F. D. Bennett, Esq., containing descriptive and eoientific notes of the chief places which she visited, and the most remarkable incidents which she encoun- tered. Most things in the published part have either been anticipated by notices in the preceding portions of this volume, or superseded by notices of later voyages BSNNET, KOSS, AMD WILKES. 845 afterwards to be given ; but the rest afford us matter CHAP. xxi. for a few interesting paragraphs. The Tuscan sailed from London on the 17th of Oc- tober, 1833. She attained her highest south latitude, C8° 33', on the 14th of Januiiry, 1834, in west longi- tude 68° 53'. Though then in the height of summer, the weather was unpleasantly cold, with showers of sleet and hail ; and the sky to the soi,ith often presented the white luminous appearance termed " icQ-blink.*' The barometer was a loi^g time loy, often ficilUng to 29*20, without ^ny accession of fbij^l v^eather. Pitcairi^V Island was reached early in March. The f ',***^'' northern side of it presented a very picturesque appear- ance, rising from the sea like a stee^ s^nphitheatre, luxuriantly wooded to its summit, and terminating at i the sides in precipitous cljfTs and naked, rugged, fantas- tically-shaped rpcka. The simple houses of the inha- bitants stood dispersed on that acclivity, and were half concealed by the abundant vegetation. The inhabitants, at that time, amounted to eighty ; and, with a veiy ^w exceptions, wer ligen,t, and spoke both the English and the Tahitian languages ; but th,ey had u^jprepossessing features, and 8eei;aed altogethei: a curiovis linlc between the civilized natioQS of Europe and the savage tribes of Polynesiai, They liyed chiefly on vegetable diet, yet oqcasipnaily indulged ii^ the flesh of hogs, ^oats, iowI> and i^sh ; and they I^ne^fT very little of ai^y kii^d of disease, and nothing at all of tl^e peculiar malady which prevails throughput the island^ of the Pacific They had returned only two ^"*S'^?"7? years before fro^ni ^^ piigratioji to Tahiti, where they gpjt sad acquaintance i^ith fearfu^ forms of both phyisical and moral evil ; a^d though they had in a great m^easv^re , .^ resumed theij^ systematic simple habits, t^oy yet, bore x-^m.:^ ,' broad effectis, of their migration in restlessness of mind 846 BENMET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Const-scene' vy of Tahiti CHAr. XXL and licentiousness of discourse. They were divided ~~~' into two rancorous factions, and had a great desire that some British ship of war might arrive and settle their disputes. Three of them, heads of families, embarked in the Tuscan to take temporary refuge in Tahiti, in the hope that the rancours might subside before they could find opportunity to return. "'' • The Tuscan reached Tahiti before the end of March. Mr. Bennett, of course, was fascinated, as every intelli- gent voyager is, with that most luscious and romantic island ; and, in company with a nautical friend, he made an excursion of thirty miles from its port of Papeiti to visit its singular mountain-embosomed lake of Vaihiria. His route for a great way lay along the shore, and afibrded numerous highly picturesque coast- scenes. He observed, on the south-west of the island, many remarkable caverns at the base of lofty mural cliffs, and a number of fresh-water springs in the sea at various distances from the shore, welling and whirling up like small eddies from the coral reef. The natives, when fishing, someHmes dive beneath the surface of the sea at these springs, and quaff the fresh water ; and they have placed in some of them bamboos with apertures in their sides, through which the fresh water flows as from a pump. Mr. Bennett at length struck inland, over level, luxuriant, well-watered plains, round the base of steep and lofty mountains, and up the tortuous, tumbling, romantic path of a mountain-stream. He had to ford that stream about 118 times in going and returning, and found it always a toiTent, and often both deep and broad. About midway up the ascent, he ceased to see cocoa-nut trees and other plants of the coast, and entered among bushy ferns, elegant parasites, and exten- sive thickets of amomums bristling with reed-like leaves and emitting a powerful aroma. He toiled on till near the top of the water- couree, and then climbed a steep and rugged hill, and then saw the lake of Vaihiria almost vertically below him, in the bottom of a moun- The lake of Vaihiria. DENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 847 tain-girt, precipitous, circular, verdant basin. It is not CHAP. xxi. more than a mile in circumference, and is fed by — numerous small cascades leaping down the sides of the basin ; and it is the resort of wild-ducks and of birds with plaintive dove-like cooing, but has no Ash except eels. It no doubt occupies the crater of an ancient volcano, and probably sends through many ramified, profound cavities, once all bubbling with liquid lava, the peren- nial streams which feed some of the adjacent fresh- water springs of the sea. "^ . . ..I i, , The Tuscan visited the Marquesas group at the end Tiie Mar- of February, 1835, and put on shore of Santa Christina **"*"*"*■ two missionaries whom she had conveyed from England. That island, with its alpine centre and divergent ridges and wheel-like series of valleys, and with a distinct tribe and chief and state in every valley, has long been a well-known great curiosity of the Pacific, and for some time before the visit of the Tuscan, was in a state of profound peace, and much under the influence of a shrewd chief, who encouraged commerce and protected missionaries. But the island of Boapoa, of nearly the same size, equally mountainous, and perhaps quite as interesting, continued till then to be little known. Its valleys are eminently fertile and picturesque, and many of its summits terminate in grand columns, spires, or pinnacles of rock. A number of its inhabitants came ofif in canoes to the Tuscan, and expressed much disap- pointment that she would not anchor and trade with them ; and the chief man of them gave a rough chart of the coast, and a list of the ships that had -"isited it. The Tuscan touched, on the 23d of April, at Caroline CiiroHne h Island. This is one of the low uninhabited coral islands ^^^^',, / ' of the Pacific, and lies in south latitude 9" 68' and west longitude 150° 18 . It is circular and not more than four or five miles in circumference, and consists of several connected circular peninsulas, enclosing a l{^oon. It is entirely coral, and has nowhere an elevation of more than six feet above the tide. All its compart- 848 BEMNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Marine phc Doiueua. CHAP. XXI. mcnU were densely covered with rich vegetation, and profusely plumed with tall shrubs or small trees, chiefly toumefortia, in full flower, and delightfully fragrant. Some hogs had been landed upon it, by Captain Stayers seven years before ; but not a trace of them could then be found ; and the only quadrupeds which could be seen were mice. Fish were abundant both in the waters around it and in the lagoon, but could not be easily obtained on account of the voracity of the sharks. On a night in November, 1835, in north latitude IQo and west longitude 107°, about midway between the group of Bevilla-gigedo and the continent of America, the sea all round the Tuscan, as far as the eye could discern from the mast-head, presented a milk-white and luminous ai)pearance ; and this continued from mid- night till dawn. Nothing could be detected in the water to account for it, nor could any soundings be obtained. At a later date, and nearer the equator, a female sperm whale was taken, containing a mature foetus ; and this measured fourteen feet in length and six feet in girth, and was anatpraically examined. On the 26th of May, 1836, in south latitude 2^ 30' and east longitude 175<* 10', there was discovered an extensive low island, elothed with cocoa-nut and other trees, and giii with a sandy and ali^ost suifless beach; and a few leagues south-west of it, there was observed a i^emarkable belt of froth on the sea, some yards wide, very extensive, and accon^iMinied by drift-wood, shells, and the carcases of fish and birds^^-r-a}!, s^en^^ig. tjc^ 1^4^><[:%te the limits of a current. . . - The Tuscan*^, highest north latitude in the voyage l\!acaiL*' *^ ^^^ ^^*» ^^ *^® vicinity of Oregon. She went home- ward through the Indian Archipelago and round the Cape of Good: Hope ; and entered the British Channel on the 20th of UTovember, 1836. Her people, during all the many continuous cvuises of h^r long voyage), saw just ciigl^ty'^nlne sperrof^seti whiles, ^niij|ecur«d s^v^nty- 'eight. ■; . , ", _^,,"- Homeward -A DENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 849 It Sir James Clark Ross's voyage round the world — in chap, xxi. the course of which he discovered an Antarctic OontU The voyu^o neiiti and made vast explorations around and beyond otRuna. tlie Antarctic Circle — was one of the most important in recent times.* The object of it is explained in pages 232-234 of this volume. Certain discoveries by Belling- shausen and Weddell, also, which helped to lead the way to his grand discovery, are alluded to on pages 335 and 182 ; and others of the same character, by two of the navigators in the boldly enterprising southern whale fishery, may be briefly noticed in this place. In 1630 and 1831, Captain Biscoe, in command of the piseoveries brig Tula, belonging to llr. 0. Enderby, pushed his "'^'*«** researches bravely and far into the Antarctic main* He did not, like Weddell, get beyond Cook's farthest ; yet he discovered two tenitories, at a great distance from each other, and both in high south latitudes which had been very seldom reached. The one was Enderby's Land, in 65'^ 57' south latitude, and 47° 20^ east longitude ; and the other was a range of islands nnd of li^nd of unascertained extent in latitude between 63® and 66**, and west longitude between 63° and 71**. Captain Bisooe sailed, in, the following year, to resume his researches ; but his vessel was wrecked. In the summer of 1838, the schooner Eliza Scott, of Tiio voj'Rga 164 tons, conjraanded by Mr» John Balleny, and the ^^ *^*"""y' dandy-rigged cutter Sabrina, of fifty-four tons, com- manded % Mr. II. Freeman, sailed &om London to go a- whaling in the south. They belonged also to Mr. En- derby, f^id had his usual liberal instructions to attempt discovery if they could. On the 7th of January, 1830, they left the &o*uth end of New Zealand ; on the 24th '"-■■''■ •> of Uiat nionth, they sailed without impediment over the track where ]^llingshausen was arrested by the ice ; * See ** A Voyege ot Disoovery and Research in the Southern and AQtiM^fi^c Bejj^iona duxing the jeara 1838-43, by Capt<4n Sir James Clark Boss, R N.'» , -. . , , .'. , , ,,. ^..^^ .,ijrii - ■ • 850 BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Bnlleny'a Ishinds. CHAP. XXI. and on the 1st of February, they reached a point in , latitude 69° and east longitude 172°, about 200 miles south of that navigator's furthest. There thev were compelled by the pack ice to work to the north-west • and on arriving at latitude 66° and east longitude 163"' they discovered a group of five volcanic islands. The surface of these islands showed only the characters of ice and snow, and did not look differently from that of icebergs ; but the summit of one emitted smoke, the body of another soared to the sky in a peak of seemingly about 12,000 feet in height, and the coast of four rose up in vertical cliffs, and exhibited flecks of bare rock, from which great masses of ice had recently broken off. A natural tower of rock, alro, went sheer aloft from the water, in the near vicinity of one, and looked like a tall lighthouse. Mr, Freeman made a v^ery difficult land- ing on the only piece of beach which could be seen — ^a piece washed by the billows, and not more than four feet vide, and he brought off from it some scorieo and some small bits of basalt. In their further progress, they passed near a cape which was discovered as land in the following year by the French circumnavigator, d'Urville ; and they saw it, and the land behind it, but mistook the cape for an iceberg and the distant land for clouds. Oil the 2nd of March, when in latitude 64® 68' and longitude 121° 8', they observed land to the south. And on the 13th of March, when about 450 miles from that land, though possibly within 300 miles or less of some part of the subsequently discovered antarctic continent, they saw embedded in the face of an iceberg, in their near neigh- bourhood, a black, angular block of reck »Vout twelve feet in height and nearly an hundred feet above the sea-line. This phenomenon strikingly illustrates one of the theories of geology. " If," remarks Mr. Darwin re- specting it, — " If but one iceberg in a thousand, or in. ten thousand, transports its fragment, the bottom of the antarctic sea, and the shores of its islands, must already An iceberg with a block of rock. BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 851 be scattered with masses of foreign rock, — the counter- chap, xxl part of ' the erratic boulders* of the northern hemi- sphere." Captain Balleny arrived at the port of London on the 17th of September, just in time to supply Sir James Boss*s expedition, on the eve of its departure, with the news of his discoveries and the fruits of his experience. The ships employed in the expedition were the £re- Tiie ships of bus, of 370 tons, and the Terror, of 350 tons. Both Si^"^ were strong and capacious, and were specially strength- ened to resist the buffettings of icy seas ; and each had a complement of sixty-four persons, and all possible appliances for health and comfort. Sir James Ross took post in the Erebus ; and Commander F. B. M. Crozier was entrusted with the TeiTor. They sailed from Margate Roads on the 30th of September, 1839. They were obliged, by their duty of examining magnetic phe- nomena, to pursue a widely different course athwart the Atlantic from what is usually taken ; and they three times crossed the magnetic equator of least intensity, and found it, one of the times, in south latitude 19° and west longitude 29" 15', about 200 miles farther north than previous observations had led them to expect. On the evening of the 22nd of February, while the sea was quite smooth, and only a moderate breeze was blowing, a flock of cuttle-fish leaped into one of the ships to the height of fifteen or sixteen feet above the bulwark, some of them going entirely over the ship, and not fewei' than fifty Mling on the decks. A current was Current on detected near the coast of Africa, about sixty miles wide, Afd^'^' 200 fathoms deep, considerably colder than the adjacent ocean, and overhung by a cold mist, caused by the con- densation of the vapour of the superincumbent atmo- sphere ; and it flowed in a northerly direction, at the rate of about a mile an hour, and seemed to come from t!T» *»ast, round the Capo of Good Hope, > The expedition arrived at the Cape on the 17th of March, put on shore there the observers and instruments f.iii 4^ 852 BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Island. CHAP. XXI. for a magnetic observatoty, and set sail again on tlie Possession 6th of April. Tliey reaichfed Possession Island on the 26th, itnd tried instantly to get into Communication with ia party of eleven tn'en, who 'wete located on it to catch sea-elephants, but could not succeed in finding them notwithstanding signal guns and owher means, till the 1st of May. It is a vast mass of volcanic rock, with prccipttous C0{lst and projecting Clifis, and, with the ex- ception of one considerable piecid o.f beach, has not a spot where a boat could b6 landed or ft liabitation built. The sea-elephant catchers, when found, looked more like Esquimaus^. than civilized beings, but far filthier in dress and persoli than any Esquimaux commonly seen. Their clothes were satui'at^d with oil, aiid emitted a 'most ofTensive smell ; and their boots were made of penguin's skins, with the feathers turned inward. Tet they Were contented eriough with their mode of life, and only regretted that they were not on a neighbouring island which abounded with pigs, and gave better pro- mise of success in the sea-elephant fishery. A breed of hogs hftd been left on that i ^and only six years before ; and, though many had been yeaCrly killed by the sealers, they were already so numerous ias to embarrass a per- son's landing. Another island, in the vicinity, little inore than three miles in diarneter, shoots aloft peaks 'to the height of at least 4000 feet, and has perpendicular sea-clifTs several hundred feet deep, and is subtended at its corners by vast fantastic isolated masses of rock, one of them resembling a church, another resembling a ship with all her sails set, and a third so perforated and ftrched that a small vessel might sail through it. The expedition reached Kerguelen Island on the 12th of May, and remained there upwards of two months. This island was discovered in 1772 by Lieutenant Ker- guelen. It is all rock of volcanic origin, with contained fossils and remarkable conformation. Christmas Har- bour in it, has an entrance nearly a mile wide, and suddenly contracts tc less than one third of a mile, and KerjTuelen Island. BCNNET, BOSS, AND WILKES. 853 then gradually narrows, and leads up t6 a fine level CHAP. xxt. sandy beach. Its shores and the shores also of the rest '~~ ' of the island, are a steep lofty series of clifl& and ten^ces, — the latter nearly horizontal and looking like limestone or stratified sandstone. A tabular summit on the north side of the harbour, has a height of about 1350 feet ; and a huge mass of basalt, on the south side, noticed by Oook, is tiot do high, but appears to have burst in a semifluid statie from crevices In the olr.er rocks of the terraces. Fossil wood was found beneath this mass of Fossil wood. basalt, and small seams of coal in interstices between the older rocks. Some bits of the wood looked so recent that not till they were handled did they evince thein- selves to be fossil ; and " it was curious,** says Sir Jftmes Ross, "to find it in every stage, from that of charcoal, lighting and burning freely when put in the fire, to so high a degree of silicification as to scratch glass.** A native plant of this island, called Pringloea antiscorbutica, proved of high value to the ship's crews as a pot-herb, and possesses all the good qualities of the ctiltiVated cabhiages and borecoles of Europe, with the important addition, that it contains a large quantity of essential oil, and never produces heart-burn or inflation. The climate of the island is singularly stormy. Though the Erebus and the Terror had cables and anchors twice more powei-ful than what are usually supplied to ships of their tonnage, they could not withstand the tremen- dous fury of the gales which assailed lihclm, and were sometimes nearly laid over on their beam-ends. And of sixty-eight days, that they remained in Christmas Harbour, forty-five were tempestuous and only three were without rain or snow. The ships reached Van Dieman*s Land on the 1 6th of August. And there Sir James Ross learned that he had just been preceded in antarctic explorations by French and American expeditions. The French expi- D'Unnip's dition, consisting of the vessels Astrolabe and Z51e6, cnusa. uiiJer the command of Captain Dumont D'Urville had mmmmm 854 BENNET, R0S3, AND WILKES. c:iAP. XXL sailed from Hobart Town on the previous 1st of January and had returned to it on the 17th of February, but notwithstanding the shortness of this cruise, had made important discoveries. On the evening of the IQth of January, D'Urville saw land, in about the latitude of Terre .\dfeiie. the antarctic circle ; and on the following days, he traced it in a continuous line fur about 150 miles between 136° and 142° east longitude. It was entirely covered with snow, and showed not a trace of vegetation, and had commonly a height of about 1300 feet. He called it Terre Ad61ie. And proceeding westward, he saw, and for sixty miles sailed along, a solid wall of ice about 150 feet high ; and he believed this to have a base of land, and called it C6te Clair^e. But he was compelled by the bad health of his crews to break suddenly off from his researches. We may add, though in the way of digres- sion, that this great circumnavigator and geographer soon after returned to France, and was there killed in an awful catastrophe on the Versailles railway. The American exploration was done in a squadron of four vessels under the command of Captain Wilkes, and formed only part of the proceedings of an extensive ex- pedition which we shall afterwards have to notice. Captain Wilkes did not publish the results of the ex- ploration, and was under instruction by his government not to publish them ; yet he handsomely sent to Sir James Boss what he called '* a tracing of the icy bar- j ier, attached to the antarctic continent, discovered by the United States Exploring Expedition." And in ex- planation of this " tracing," which extends between the latitudes 62° and 66i°, and between the east longitudes 97° and 167°, he said, "I hope you intend to circum- navigate the antarctic circle. I made 70° of it, and if my time would have permitted, I should have joined on to Enderby's Land. It is extremely probable that land will be discovered to the eastward of 165° east; and I liave no doubt it extends all round, with the exception of 30° or 40° east of 60° west longitude. Where there is Wilkes' nn- t;ir('tic di»- aovcrica BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 855 land IsluaUa no land, there will be no icy barrier, and little drift ice chap. xxi. will be met with. Although there will always be found pknty of ice islands, there is plenty of space for them and a ship too.'* Sir James Boss had intended to run south in the same meridians in which D'Urville and Wilkes made their discoveries; but, finding himself anticipated in these, he resolved to go much farther to the east and he felt well guided to a point of promise by the e^^peri- ence of Balleny. On the 13th of November, he left Hobart Town, and on the 20th he reached the Auckla,nd Tiic Atick- Islands, and prepared to set up observatories. These islands consist chiefly of basalt and greenstone, and eon- tain an interesting diversity of plants and animals. The loftiest hill has an altitude of 1300 feet, and is clothed all over with verdure ; and a prominent headland ex- hibits a columnar front of 300 feet in height, and is strongly magnetic. Campbell Island — which the ships reached on the 13th of December — ^has a similar com- position, but is mountainous and about 30 miles in cir- cumference. , . . r J The expedition "completed wood atid water** at Campbell Island, and left it on the 17th of December, to run right south. On the 27th, they encountered a chain of icebergs, with vertical faces, tabular summits, and uniform appearance, each seemingly, about two miles in circumference. On the 4th of January, 1841, they sailed among many icebergs, totally different from iceberg these, strange, curious, and diversified,— reflecting the "cenery. sunbeams in all the colours of the rainbow, — and form- ing a series of brilliant and magnificent scenery. On the 5th, they entered the pack, and began a course of boring through lanes and buffeting the ice, which only the strongest ships, most strongly strengthened, could have pursued without destruction. On the 9th, they were again in a clear sea; and on the 11th, they descried land right before them. It rose to the sky in majestic snow-clad peaks, and seemed to be at least an 100 miles 3 II fit; i'ii' 856 BENNET, BOSS, AND WILKES. CHAP. XXI. distant. And when they drew near it, they saw that an ~7Z outwork of small islands flanked its shores, that pieces of rock on its coast had been left bare by the breaking Tiie Antarc- away of their icy covering, and that two sublime ranges Swit*"**' ^^ mountain occupied all its seaboard as far as the eye could reach, lifting up peaks to the height of from 7,000 to 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, and flinging down from their shoulders into the valleys and over the shore stupendous glaciers, which in many instances pro- jected several miles into the sea, and terminated in lofty perpendicular cliffs. Sir James Ross and several of his officers attempted next day, to effect a landing ; but they could not get on to the mainland, and were obliged to content themselves with the occupation oi one of the largest of the islands. This is situated in latitude 71** 56' and east longitude 171*^ 7'f and consists entirely of igneous rocks. Here they planted the Bfitibh flag, and went through the ceremony of annexing the newly discovered lands to the dominions of Queen Victoria. It contained not the smallest trace of vegetation, yet was all alive with feathered inhabitants, who angrily and bravely resented the invasion of their territory. "We saw," says Sir Donsecrowds James Ross, "inconceivable myriads of penguins, com- ot Pengu'ns. p]g^g]y ^,,j densely covering the whole surface of the island, along the ledges of the precipices, and even to the summits of the hills — attacking us vigorously as we waded through their ranks, and pecking at us with their sharp beaks, which, together with their loud coarse notes, and the insupportable stench from the deep bed of guano which had been forming for ages, and which may at some period be valuable to our Australasian colonists, made us glad to get away again, after loading our boats with penguins and geological specimens." The expedition was kept for three days near ihis place by thick, snowy, baffling weather. On the 14th, they saw a great number of large whales, chiefly of the hunchback kind, and counted so many as thirty in view more rei BENNET, ROSS, AMD WILKES. 857 at one time. On the 15th, they got again a clear pros- chap, xxl pect of the mountain ranges, and saw them at points more southerly than before, with peaks apparently of from 12,000 to upwards of 14,000 feet high ; and they "gazed with feelings of indescribable delight upon a scene of grandeur and magnificence i&v beyond anything they had before seen or had conceived.** On the 21st, they descried in the west a peculiar high-peaked sum- Mounts mit, which they called Mount Monteagle, and a huge, nnd"M"f-* massive, ^tna-like mountain, which they called Mount ^ou"^^ Melbourne. On the 22nd, they passed the latitude of 74^ 20^, and so went further south than Weddell and all other navigators ; and on the 25th, they calculated by the dip of the needle that they were within about 240 miles of the South Magnetic Pole. At this part of their course, the soaring peak of Mount Monteagle and the immense crater of Mount Melbourne were high above the adljacent mountains, and " formed two of the more remarkable objects of this most wondei-ful and magnificent mass of volcanic land.'* In latitude 76° 8' and east longitude 168° 12' lies an island about twelve miles long and six miles broad. The two commanders and some of their officei-s, thought this one of the most accessible places they had seen ; and they went to attempt to land upon it, but were Landinf^ on obliged to row long in search of a favourable spot, and isJ^Jl'" then to contend dexterously with a powerful surf, before they set loot on its shore. Sir James himself watched the moment when the boat was on the crest of the breakers, and jumped upon the rocks; and he says, '' By means of a rope, some of the officers landed with more facility, but not without getting thoroughly wetted ; and one having nearly lost his life in this difficult affair, I was obliged to forbid any more attempt- ing to land. The thermometer being at 22**, every part of the rocks which were washed by the waves was covered with a coating of ice, so that in jumping from the boat he slipped from them into the water, betweeu 858 BENNET, ROBS, AND WILKES. Taking pos Bessiuik CH '.P. XXI. her stern and the almost perpendicular rock on which we had landed-— and but for the promptitude of those in the boat, in instantly pulling off, he must have been crushed between it and the rocks. It was most mercifully ordered otherwise ; and he was taken into the boat with- out having suffered any other injury than beingbenumbed with cold. We proceeded therefore at once to take pos- session of the island in due form ; and to the great satis* faction of every individual in the expedition, I named it Franklin island, in compliment to Sir John Franklin." Its north side is a line of dark, basaltic, precipitous cliffs, with several longitudinal broad white bands several feet thick, and probably aluminous. The white petrel and the rapacious sea-gull nestled on the ledges of the cliffs ; but not one plant, not even a seaweed or a lichen, was seen. At midnight of the 27th, the expedition saw, in the far distance, what they thought to be ei^ht separate islands, and since the preceding noon they had been in sight of what they thought to be a very high island ; but, on advancing on the 28th, they found the sup- posed eight islands to be summits of a grand system of mountains which stretched southward to the 79th de- gree of latitude, and the supposed high island to be an active volcano, 12,367 feet high, emitting flame and smoke. This volcano Sir James Boss called Mount Erebus ; and an extinct volcano tc the east of it, nearer the shore, and 10;884 feet high, he called Mount Terror. A bright red flame filled the cmter of Mount Erebus, and was readily seen whenever the smoke cleared away ; streams of lava also appeared, though not very dis- tinctly, to flow a few hundred feet from the crater to the overmantling snow ; and dense volumes of smoke, between 200 and 300 feet in diameter, shot aloft, at fit- ful intervals, and with great force, to the height of about 1500 or 2000 feet above the crater. The whole scene of crystal sky, belching volcano, pap-peaked mountains, and ice-clad continent, was sublimely pic- turesque and solemnly impressive. Dr. Hooker, the Montits Ere- btid nnd Terror. cano m BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 859 distinguished botanist of the expedition, says respecting chap. xxi. it, — " The water and the sky were both as blue, or subiime rather more intensely blue than I have ever seen them sconery. in the tropics, and all the coast one mass of dazzlingly beautiful peaks of snow, which, when the sun ap- proached the horizon, reflected the most biilliant tints of golden-yellow and scarlet, and then to see the dark cloud of smoke, tinged with flame, rising from the vol- cano in a perfectly unbroken column, one side jet-black, the other giving back the colours of the sun, sometimes turning off at a right angle by some current of wind, and stretching many miles to leeward, — this was a sight so surpassing everything that can be imagined, and so heightened by the consciousness that we had penetrated into regions far beyond what was ever deemed practi- cable, that it really caused a feeling of awe to steal over us at the consideration of our own comparative insigni- ficance and helplessness, and, at the same time, an in- describable feeling of the greatness of the Creator in the works of his hands." On approaching the land, in the vicinity of the vol- cano, the expedition found it to be barred by a vertical icy barrier. cliff of ice, from 150 to 200 feet high, perfectly flat on the top, and without fissure or projection on the fiace. They could as little attempt to penetrate this as to '' sail through the cliffs of Dover ;'' and in going alon;; to the east, they found it to increase in height to between 200 and 800 feet, and conjectured it to be upwards of 1000 feet thick. They went on in the hope of turning its flank, or of seeing some opening through it ; and on the 2nd of February, they had traced it in an unbroken line for about 250 miles, and saw it still to stretch away to the east as fir as the eye could reach, and ascer- tained the part of it nearest them to be in latitude 78" 15'. Oh the tith, they observed a break in it of re- markable bay like appearance, — and all the more remarkable for being the first they had seen in the mural continuity of its front ; and there, under circum- 860 BENNET, R0S8, AKD WILKES. upper sur face. CH.VP. XXI. stances of high hazard, they stood in till within a quarter of a mile of the cliffs. The seeming bay proved ' ' only the sea-flank of a large peninsula of ice, projecting with comparatively low neck from the barrier ; but it gave the officers the only opportunity they could obtain of viewing from the mast-heads any part of the barrier's Tiie barrier's "PPer surface. This appeared quite smooth, and sug- gested the idea of an immense plain of frosted silver. Gigantic icicles, too, were seen pendant on every point of the perpendicular cliffs, — proving, what the officers otherwise would not have suspected or believed, that the intense summer frost of the place is sometimes inter- rupted by a thaw. On the 13th, the expedition bore away to make an- other attempt to reach the Magnetic Pole, and to try to find some harbour in its vicinity where they might spend the winter. But they could not get nearer the Pole than 160 miles, and could not find the desired harbour ; so that they were obliged to steer back ior Van Dieman's Land. On the night of the^28th, just after having sailed out of view of the newly discovered continent, they got a iirst sight of an aurora australis. It had the form of two segments of a broken arch, and shot aloft bright and high corruscations, but possessed none of the colours which give such warm tinting and scenic power to the aurora borealis. In the nights oi March, however, and increasingly as the ships got into lower latitudes, other specimens burst forth like glories, in many forms, with fitful changes, and in gorgeous hues, and one, in parti- cular, after making a series of grand displays, rose in streamers to the zenith, and there formed coronas, ex- hibiting bright flashes of all the prismatic colours. On the 7th of March, the ships became perilously embayed amid a dense zone of large icebergs. " We found,*' says Sir James Ross, '' we were fast closing this chain of icebergs, so closely packed together that we could distinguish no opening through which the ships (he aurora aobtrulis. BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 861 could pass, the waves breaking violently against chap. XXI. them, dashing huge masses of pack-ice against the *""* precipitous face of the bergs, now lifting them nearly to their summit, then forcing them again far beneath their water-line, and sometimes rending them into a multi- tude of brilliant fragments against their projecting points. Sublime and magnificent as such a scene must have appeared under different circumstances, to us it AwMan- was awful, if not appalling. For eight hours we had bjTiS^^ been gradually drifting towards what to human eyes appeared inevitable destruction ; the high waves and deep rolling of our ships rendered towing with the boata impossible, and our situation the more painful and em- barrassing, from our inability to make any effort to avoid the dreadful calamity that seemed to await us. In moments like these, comfort and peace of mind could only be obtained by casting our cares upon that Al- mighty Power which had already so often interposed to save us, when human skill was wholly unavailing. Convinced that he is under the protection and guidance of a merciful God, the Christian awaits the issue of events firm and undismayed, and with calm resignation prepares for whatever He may order. His serenity of mind surprises and strengthens, but never forsakes him ; and thus, possessing his soul in peace, he can, with the greater advantage, watch eveiy change of cir- cumstance that may present itself as a means of escape. We were now within half a mile of the range of bergs. The roar of the surf, which extended each way as far as we could see, and the crashing of the ice, fell upon the ear with fearful distinctness, whilst the frequently averted eye as immediately returned to contemplate solenm the awful destruction that threatened, in one short '^'**''* hour, to close the world, and all its hopes and joys .,.^/ ^ and sorrows upon us for ever. In this our deep distress, * we called upon the Lord. He heard our voices out of His temple, and our cry came before Him.* A gentle air of wind filled our sails ; hope again revived, and tho 862 BENNET, ROBS, AND WILKICS. Ross's Second An turctle Ci'uisa. CHAP. XXI. (0*681681 activity prevailed to make the best use of the 77*.' feeble breeze. As it gradually freshened, our heavy ihipa began to feel its influeuce, slowly at first, but more rapidly afterwards ; and before dark, we found Ourselves far removed from every danger.** The expedition reached Hobart Town on the 6th of April ; and after refitting their ships, and laying in stores and provisions for three years, they went to Port Jackson and New Zealand^ and there made comparative magneti- cal observations. On the 23d of November, they left New Zealand to go eastward ; and on the 25th, they crossed the 180° of longitude. But in order to give back the day which they were gaining by the circumnavigation of the globe, they reckoned two successive days as of that date. On the 16th of December, they began to steer to the south ; and on the 13th of January, 1842, they entered the pack ; and six days after, they were tossed and buffeted, for twenty-four hours, by a tremen- dous storm. Sea and pack were in uproar ; billows and icebergs rolled and roared in conflict; and the ships rose and fell as if they would be swallowed up, and quivered and reeled as if they would go to pieces. The Erebus was laid on her bioidside, and considerably damaged ; and the Terror had her rudder completely destroyed, and torn away from the stern-post. The scene altogether " was sufficient to fill the stoutest heart with dismay that was not supported by trust in Ilim who controls all events.'* The expedition ev ontually got through the pack ; and they ascertai^.i-ir! that it could not have been less than 800 miles broad where they traversed it. On the 23d of February, in latitude 78" 3' and west longitude l6l** 27', they approached within five or six miles of the great barrier. It was there indented by a deep ice- filled bay, and was much less continuous and uniform than the parts of it seen in the preceding year, and less than half as high as the part in the vicinity of Mount Drebus. The continuation of it in the unexplored di- The Icy bar riur uguin. bl:nnet, U08S, and wilkes. 8G3 rection trended considerably northward of east, and chap, xxl tlierefure precluded all hope of the expedition being able to penetrate to a higher latitude that season ; and the surface behind it, away to the south, was seen from the mast-heads to rise gradually and undulatingly, till it became like a system of lofty snow-clad mountains. Little doubt can exist that the region was land. On the four days following the 23d, the ships sailed along a great line of pack, stretching northward from the barrier ; and on the 28th, they came in view of a range of stupendous icebergs extending northward, magnifi- Rnnge of cently and without a break, away to the mast-head's KKi"*" horizon. Three of the icebergs carried patches of soil and rock, and were flat- topped, and had appearances of having under: jne violent collision. On the 13th of March, during a high wind, and while the ships were still among the icebergs, the people of the Erebus, with top-sails closely reefed, were struggling to keep free from a near and menacing one, when they observed the Terror running down upon them under top-sails and fore-sail, with a speed and closeness which rendered col- lision inevitable. They instantly hove all aback in order to diminish the violence of the shock ; but when the blow came, they were all thrown off their feet, and their bowsprit, foretopmast, and other smaller spars were carried away. The ships were entangled by their Collision of rigging, and dashed violently against each other, and ^ '° ^^^ plunged and rolled in each other's grips before the weather-face of the billow-fringed iceberg. The Terror, however, forged past, and was soon in safety. But the Erebus was left with her wrecked spars, almost in the very hug of the iceberg : and she escaped by means of a peculiarly bold deed of seamanship, which must be told in the words of her commander. " The only way left us to extricate ourselves from this awful and appalling situation," says he, ** was by resorting to the hazardous expedient of a stemboard, which nothing ceuld justify during such a gale, and IM 864 BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Bravery of the crew. CHAP. XXI. with SO high a sea running, but to avert the danger which every moment threatened us of being dashed to pieces. The heavy rolling of the vessel, and the pro- bability of the masts giving way each time the lower yard-arms struck against the cliffs, which were towering high above our mast-heads, rendered it a service of ex- treme danger to loose the main-sail. But no sooner was the order given, than the daring spirit of the Bri- tish seaman manifested itseK. IL? men ran up the jigging with as much alacrity as on any ordinary occa- sion ; and although more than once driven oflf the yard, they after a short time succeeded in loosening the sail. Amidst the roar of the wind and sea, it was diffi- cult both to hear and to execute the orders that were given ; so that it was three quarters of an hour before we could get the yards braced by, and the maintack hauled on board sharp aback, — ^an expedient that per- liaps had never before been resorted to by seamen in such weither. But it had the desired effect. The ship p;:,thered stern-way, plunging her stern into the sea, washing away the gig and quarter-boats, anu with her lowar yard-arms scraping the rugged face of the berg, we in a few minutes reached its western termination, the * under tow,' as it is called, ov the reaction of the water from its vertical cliffs alone preventing us being v^riven to atoms against it. No sooner had we cleared it than another was seen directly astern of us, against which we were running j and the difficulty now was to get the ship's head turned round and pointed fairly through between the two bergs, the breadth of the in- tervening space not exceeding three times her own Deliverance breadth. This, however, we happily accomplished , from danger, ^nd in a few minutes after getting before the wind, she dashed through the narrow channel, — between two per- pendicular wall? of ice, and the foaming breakers vfhl'ih stretched across it, and the next moment we were in smooth water under its lee." A dente range of icebergs was now seen to windward, BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 8G5 80 that the small opening by which the ships were chap. XXL compelled to go out, proved to be the only one which "~~ could have led them from destruction, and the collision vhich obliged them to go backward prevented their going into a labyrinth of icebergs, from which they might never have escaped. While the Erebus, newly A remark- after her extrication, lay rolling amid foam and spray, u^ut. "'" * a remarkable auroral light, in the form of a range of vertical beams, appeared along the clifF-top of the neigh- bouring iceberg, partaking of all the irregularities of its outline, and seemingly caused by some electrical action between the vaporous mist around the berg and either the berg itself or the adjacent cooler atmosphere. The Expedition passed Cape Horn on the 4th of April, and reached the Falkland Islands on the 4th ; and they went into harbour at the latter, to make mag- netic and pendulum experiments, and to lie up for the winter. The Falkland Islands are fully noticed in an early part of this volume, in connection with the voyage of Portlock and Dixon, and need not be noticed again. But theii wild cattle and wild horses, which run in herds, and largely drew the attention of Sir James Ross's officers, are well worth remark. The cattle go in herds of from ten to thirty, and have singular power of muscle and speed of foot. The full-grown bull is larger Ti»e bniisof than any bull of Europe ; and has an enormous head, SiaiSsl'^'*"* a short and very deep neck, a surprisingly thick skin, and a noble bearing, indomitable courage, and untame- able ferocity. He is commonly seen alone on the hills, looking defiance at a human intruder, or starting, furi- ously and unprovok' dly, into a gallop to assail him. The traveller must promptly run into a bog or run up to a cliff ; or, if no such refuge be at hand, he must drop suddenly on the ground ; and then the bull wheels aside, and goes unheedingly on. The horses roam in troops of from twenty to forty. They have small heads, clean limbs, loafing mane and tail, and a noble look, and bold, free bearing. They are dangerous to ua- !fj; I ■vfi '!!;■ 1 866 EENNET, ROSS, AND WILKKS. CHAP. XXI. armed men, and cannot readily or at all be run down The^IT^sof with dogs. " i^y and by,*' says the narrator of a hunt- the Falkland ing party from the Erebus and the Terror, " they ad- vanced toward us, now ambling, now at a canter. They Snorted, shook their wild manes, wheeled round in file, and again closinj^, stood stock still, and looked defiance at our whole party.'* And when '* the loosened hound boiinded forward? with a short bark, the horses eyed him, shook their heads, turned their tails toward us, and forthwith one and all began to neigh, rear, fling, and kick at the empty air, with a rapidity of motion, uniformity, and pertinacity that discomfited poor Yorke, and moved us to shrieks of laughter/* The Expedition sailed from the Falkland I • • ■ i .i'l ■ "i' BENNET, BOSS, AND WILKES. 869 lateness of the season to make a speedy retreat. The chap. xxr. Peacock and ihe Flying-Fish sailed ou. also on the 25th of February, to steer towards Oook*s farthest, but were soon separated, and did not meet again till the 25th of March, in latitude 68", amid storms of snow and crowds of icebergs. Both vessels were fearfully buf- Perils of tho feted, and escaped many a peril ; and the Flying-Fish £ Fiy'fng"'' got so far south as the 70°, and was often enclosed in F>8i>- nooks among the icebergs where she had barely room to work, and probably escaped more than once with little injury from situations where a large heavy ship would have been crushed to destruction ; but neither she nor the Peacock made any discovery or performed any exploit of higher moment than descrying a piece of fixed icy barrier. . r. , The squadron spent a number of the succeeding months on the west coast ot South America and among the nearest groups of the Polynesian islands ; but lost two of their number by the wrecking of the Sea-GuU and by sendins home the Belief. In November, they assembled at Syaney to make observations, and to pre- pare for another antarctic cruise ; and in due time, they set out, but were soon separated by storms, and forced to make separate explorations. ,. The Vincennes was arrested on the 11th of January, ThoVin- 1840, by a compact barrier oi ice, inclosing large square I'cy iwurior,"' icebergs ; and she then began to trace the line of the barrier, from the longitude ox 158° to that of 94**, be- tween the parallels of 62** and 66Y a distance of more than 1500 miles. Her officers, however, did not keep the barrier always in view, but saw it only at intervals ; p.eith»3r did they ever leave the ship, or obtain any sure evidence that a base or nucleus of land lay below the seemingly continuous masses of ice. Yet they believed that elevations which they beheld behind the barrier were mountains ; and they did not hesitate to persuade themselves, and afterwards to announce to their govern- ment, that they there discovered an antarctic continent. I ^ I 870 BENNEt, ROSS, AND WILKES. The Vincennes luagule. CHAP. XXI. Sir James Iloss, however, sailed through one of the regions which figure on Captain Wilkes " tracing" as part of the supposed continent ; and he has given rea- sons for strong doubt whether the whole of what tiie Americans saw may, at best, be no more than a range oi islands covered and concatenated by coats of ice. From the 28th to the 31st of January, in the near vicinity of the barrier, the Vincennes experienced a constant gale, and rode through a series of tremendous perils. On the night of the 29thj in particular, she careered and rolI«d among a tumult of icebergs ; in momentary risk, for hours together, of being dashed to atoms. Several of the best men became completely exhausted with excitement, fatigue, and cold ; and the rest could do no more than stand steadily to their post in readiness to leap into any action of joint-effort or of self-preservation at a sudden emergency. "We were swiftly dashing on,** says Captain Wilkes, at an ad- vanced point of the narrative of their perils ; *' for I felt it necessary to keep the ship under rapid way through the water, to enable her to steer and work quickly. Suddenly many voices cried out^ * Ice ahead !' then *0n the weather bow!' and again^ *0n the lee bow 1* and ' abeam !* All hope of escape seemed in a moment to vanish; return we could not, as large ice- islands had just been passed to leevard : so we dashed on, expecting every moment the cash. The ship in an instant, from having her lee-guns under water, rose up- light ; and so close were we passing to leeward of one of these huge islands, that our trysails were almost thrown abaek by the eddy-wind. The helm was put up to pay the ship off, but the proximity of those under our lee bade me keep my course. All was now still, except the distant roar of the wild storm, that was rag- ing behind, before, and above us. The sea was in great agitation, and both officers and men were in the higl est degree excited. The ship continued her way ; and as we proceeded, a glimmering of hope arose, for we acci- Imminent !)eril among ueberga. BENNET, BOSS, AMD WILKES. 871 f > dentally had hit upon a clear passage between two large chap. xxt. ice-islands, which in fine weather we should not dare to i».,.'.. The Porpoise arrived at the barrier on the same da> as the Yincennes. She fell in with the French dis- covery ships under Captain D'Urville on the 30th of January ; and attempted to speak with them, but was refused a meeting. She sailed along the barrier to the 100** of east longitude, or about 1,400 miles, and then sailed back to the 126°, or about 600 miles, in the anxious but vain hope of finding some place where she could get through it ; and on the 24th of February, she turned her course to the north. The Yincennes joined the Porpoise and the Flying- Fish at the Bay of Islands on the 30th of March, and the whole squadron met at Tonga, one of the Friendly Islands, on the 1st of May. They were struck with the superiority of the natives of the Friendly Islands Achieve- ments of tlio Porpoise. BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 873 to the natives of New Zealand, — ^with their cheerfulness, chap, xxl the number and healthiness of their children, and the T|,g ^^i beauty and correct deportment of their women. They state of the speak well of the success of a Wesleyan mission on isil^ds.^ these islands ; yet say something respecting narrow- mindedness and intolerance which we hope arose from misinformation or mistake. Qreat numbers of both sexes had been taught to read and write, and a few had been taught the rules of arithmetic and the outlines of geo- graphy. The entire population was estimated at about 18,600 ; and no fewer than 4,500 were under Christian instruction, and 2,500 were members of the mission churches. V-" The squadron spent three months, from May till August, at the Feejee Islands, and gave more attention and labour to them than to any other of the Polynesian groups. These islands comprise sixty-five inhabited ones, eighty-five uninhabited ones, and numerous reefs and shoals. The inhabitants amount to about 130,000 ; and are assured cannibals, and more infamous for cruelty and treachery, than any other Polynesians, excepting perhaps those of Byron*s and Drummond's islands. They comprise a number of tribes, and are classified, in Jnte of the* all, into kings, chiefs, warriors, landholders, and slaves. Feejee The higher classes are tall and symmetrical ; the mid- "'""^ die classes also have a fine appearance, and are gener- ally above medium height ; but the slaves are meagre and abject, and exhibit abundant results of living in lowest thral among barbarous masters. The chiefs pay vast attention to their beard and hair, and think them their greatest glory. Their barbers are men most emi- nently professional, and must not demean themselves by doing any act out of their profession, not even lifting their own food to their mouth. The hair is frizzled, and made to stand erect, to the height of several inches ; and it is then enveloped in a winding of tapa, as fine as tissue paper, to protect it from the dust. The chiefs also wear tapa round the loins, and paint the naked ; I ( i:^ m 874 BENNET, BOSS, AND WILKES CHAP. XXI. parts of their body with black and red pigments, and ~~~ wear round the neck a shell or a necklace made of beads !. whale*8 teeth, or the human teeth taken from the vic- tims of their cannibal feasts ; and altogether spend much time in ornamenting their persons, and "will sit for hours with a small sixpenny-looking glass, admiring themselves with great delight." The middle classes Titelrsayage and the women vie with them in the pigment decora- tions ; and all vie with one another in smearing them- selves with cocoa-nut oil, in boring and distending their ear-lobes, and in wearing ear-pieces of tapa, wood, and shells. The women alone, however, practise tatooing, and regard it as a passport to the other world ; and they wear round the waist a sort of ornamental band, made from the bark of a tree. The Feejeeans esteem war the most honourable of all occupations ; and they commence every war in a formal manner, by announcement and acceptance of a message of defiance ; yet always mix their hostilities with vile perfidiousness and horrid truculeacy. All prisoners of war are doomed to death, as sacrificial victims, and as the subjects of cannibal feasts. The eating of human flesh is probably restricted to the flesh of those, yet seems to be practised from habit and taste, and possi- bly may sometimes be gratified at the cost of butchering slaves. The pagan rites are inexpressibly shocking and abiiolutely diabolical. The death of a chief is celebrated by the sacrifice of his slaves, his children, and his wives. Few persons, however, die a natural death ; for all imagine that they will enjoy in the future state the degree of health and strength which they possess at their decease ; and all, in consequence, desire to die in prime condition, and therefore by violence. Parents, when becoming old, and dreading to become feeble, are strangled or buried alive, at their own request, by their children ; and deformed children and persons accident- ally maimed, also, are generally put to death. Yet in spite of their tremendous savageism and tremendous Their horrl blc pagan riteib BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 875 wickedness, the Feejeeans are still human, and occa- CHAP. xxi. sionally in remarkable circumstances, make displays of "" thought and feeling which " show the work of the law written on their hearts," and might almost be called roughly virtuous. Six years before the visit of the squadron, a chief of the name of Yendovi, the brother of a king, on the island of Yitileva, had enticed on shore the crew of an American brig and murdered them. Captain Hudson of the Peacock, after having spent some time in survey- ing the island, and after having won the confidence of Capture of a the king and chieft, received an order to capture murderer. Yendovi. He could not come at Yendovi himself ; but, on occasion of a visit of the king, the queen, the chiefs, and their attendants, to the number of between seventy and eighty persons, he made them prisoners, and held them bound to use their influence to capture him. They consented ; and two of the chiefs were let loose, and soon found him. He at once consented to accom- pany them to the ship ; and there he confessed his crime, and was put in irons. The rest were all then set free ; and when they rose to take leave of him, they were convulsed with grief. " All the king*8 family shed teara, and sobbed aloud, while conversing in broken sentences with their brother. The natives shed tears also ; and none but Ngaraningiou (who was afterwards ascertained to have instigated the crime) remained unmoved. The king kissed the prisoner's Fartinirof forehead, touched noses, and turned away. The in- vrith"tiie^*^' ferior chiefs approached and kissed his hands, whilst murderer. the common people crawled up to him and kisse i ^ (a feet. One young man, who belonged to the house- hold of Yendovi, was the last to quit him ; he wished to remain with his master, but was not permitted. In bidding farewell to the chief, he embraced his knees, kissed his hands and feet and received a parting bless- ing from Yendovi, who placed both his manacled hands on his head. The young inan then retreated backwards ^^T 876 DliNNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. on of Mulolo. CHAP. XXI. towards the ladder, sighing and sobbing as though his ''~' heart would break." We may add tliat Vendovi was sent in custody to the Yincennes, — that he was kept there till the return of the slup, two years after, to New York| — and that he arrived there in a state of far-gone disease, an^ was put into the naval hospital and speedily died. ' The intercourse between the explorers and the natives, in another part of the group, was broken off by an in- Tiie killing of comparably worse affair than this of Yendovi. A party ^^'the idand of the squadron went in taree boats to the island of Malolo to endeavour to purchase provisions ; and, hav- ing had previous experience of the ill-will and perfidy of the inhabitants, those who remained in the boats held a hostage, the son of a chief, to ensure the safety of those who went on shore. The hostage, by and by, was signalled from the land, and leaped overboard and escaped. A shot was fired after him, yet not him, but over his head ; and immediately the na ^ in revenge of the shot, or in outburst of their previous pent-up purpose of mischief, made fight upon the squadron's men who were on shore, and killed two of the officera, Lieutenant Underwood and Midshipman Wilkes Henry,— the latter the nephew of Captain Wilkes. The party in the boats hastened to the con- flict ; but so suddenly did it pass, that they found not a foe, and could do no more than bring away the corpses of their comrades. Captain Wilkes selected a secluded sand-island, one of a beautiful little cluster, as the place of interment for the dead, and conducted the obsequies with affecting Solemnity, and called the burial island " Henry" and the cluster to which it belongs " Under- wood Group ;" and then concerted measures for mak- ing an awful retaliation on the natives. An armed force landed next day on the island, suffi- ciently strong to destroy its towns. But they found one of these riemarkably well fortified ; and they encountered a desperate resistence with clubs, arrows, Barlal of the two officeia BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. 877 ^ ,7 spearfl, and maskets ; and not till their rockets took chap, xxi effect on the thatched roofs of the houses, were they able to effect an entrance. But the work of vengeance Retaliation was more easily done on the water. Lie*., tenant Em- tj"^""*" mons, during the afternoon, in a single boat, with a crew of seven men, attacked five canoes with each eight warriors, and mastered four of the canoes, and killed twenty-five of the warriors. Next day, a young female native appeared on the beach, bearing in her arms a white cock, an emblem of peace, and having near her different articles which belonged to the two murdered oflScers. Captain Wilkes accepted these articles, but declined the peace-offering ; for he knew that the Feejeeans, when beaten in war, had a custom of suing abjectly and publicly for mercy ; and he sent one of his prisoners to announce to the natives the only terms on which he would put an end to his inflictions, — ^that they would all come before sun-set of the following day, and beg pardon on the shore. He duly landed, with his whole force, to wait the result. " The day Desolated was perfectly serene, and the island which, a few hours of the7^and. before, had been one of the loveliest spots in creation, was now entirely laid waste, showing the place of the massacre, the ruined town, and the devastated planta- tions. The eye wandered over the beautiful expanse of water, beyond and around, with the long lines of. white sparkling reefs, until it rested, far in the distance, on the small green spot where they had performed the last rites to their murdered companions.** Toward four , .^ „ ., o*clock a sound of wailing was heard from a far dis- j .'t.n .. tance, and gradually grew nearer ; and at the same time the natives were seen coming over the hills, and giving a painfully picturesque effect to the scenery. They The natives reached the foot of the hills, and there stood fast till sue for peace. they received an assurance that their suit for mercy would be heard ; and on receiving this, about forty men advanced in a manner of profound abasement, crouch- ing on their hands and knees, and occasionally uttering I 878 BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. Wilkes' ac ceptance of tlieir sub- mission. CHAP. XXI. piteous moans and wails. When within thirty feet of the Americans, they stopped and bent their heads to the ground ; and an old man, their leader, in a most ' aifectinj nanner, confessed theii jjuilt and supplicated pardon. He said that they would never again assail a white man, — that they acknowledged themselves van- quished, and their island conquered, — that their two greatest chiefs and all their best warriokd, to the num- ber of fifty-seven, had been killed, — that the survivors were bereft of houses and provisions, and all the neces- saries of life, — and that they were the slaves of the Amvi'icans, and would do whatever the American com- mander might desire. Captain Wilkes was now satis- fied, and let the miserable creatures off; and in his narrative of the expedition, he went into a long vindi- cation, as well he might, of the dreadful vengeance he inflicted. On the 10th of August, the squadron left the Feejee Islands, and separated ; and early in October they met again at Honolulu, the chief port of the Sandwich Islands. In December, a large party of the explorers, together with many natives, visited the volcano of Eilauea in Hawaii, — by far the widest-mouthed volcano in the world, and appearing at the top rather a laLe of fire than a crater-vent. *' We hurried to the edge of the cavity, i i order to get a view of the interior," says Captain Wilkes ; " and as we approached, vapour, issuing from numerous cracks, showed that we were passing over ground beneath Tiie volcano which fire was raging. The rushing of the wind past us was as if it were drawn inwards to support the com- bustion of some mighty conflagration. When the edge is reached^ the extent of the cavity becomes apparent, and its depth became sensible by comparison with the figures of somo of our party who had already' descended. The vastness thus made sensible transfixes the mind with astonishment, and every instant the impression of grandeur and magnitude increases. To give an idea of 01 ICllauea. BliNNliT, ROSS, AND WILKES. 879 its capacity, the city of Ne'v York might be placed chap. xxi. witiiin it, and when at its bottom would be hardly """ noticed, for it is three and a half miles long, two and a half wide, and over 1000 feet deep. A black ledge surrounds it at the depth of 660 leet, and thenie to the bottom is 384 feet. The bottom looks in the day time, like a heap of smouldering ruins. The descent to the ledge appears to the sight a short and easy task, but it takes an hour to accomplish. * ♦ * What is won- derful in the day becomes ten times more so at night. Mehtvtcwo/ The immense pool of cherry-rod liquid lava, in a state '''® ^oicauo. of violent ebullition, illuminates the whole expanse, and flows in all 'directions like water, while the illuminated cloud hangs over it like a vast canopy. The bank near us was covered with half-naked natives, two hundred or more in number, all gazing with affrighted looks and savage wonder, on this surprising phenomenon. Their ancestors would not have dared thus to look upon and into this dreaded abode of the malicious goddess Pole, never having approached it without the greatest fear and awe, and then only to deliver their offering by cast- ing it into the burning pool, to secure a safe transit through her territory." Again, when recording the scene as he stood within interior of the crater, he says, '* The lake was apparently risiu<; and wanted but a few feet of overflowing its banks. When I began to reflect upon, the pv^^sition we were in, its insecL.j'ity, and the vast and deep fires beneath, with the high basaltic walls encompassing us on all sides, the sulphurous fumea and broad glare, thro' -ing such enor- mous masses of stone in strong relief by their own fusion, I found it diflicult to comprehend how such a reservoir can thus be pent up and be viewed in such close proximity, without accident or danger. Tl:d whole party was perfectly silent, and the countenance of each individual expressed the feeling of awe and wonder which I felt in so great a degree myself, and U'hich the scene was so well calculated to excite." the crater. 880 BENNET, ROSS, AND WILKES. CHAP. XXI. The great volcanic mountain >>onna-Loa. Grand pros- Esct from ouna-Loa. The explorers, when at Kilauea, were on their way to ascend the far loftier volcano of Mauna-Loa, and to make an encampment on its summit. This and the higher and similar summit of Mouna-Eea, which rises from the same tableau, are the monarch-mountains of the Sandwich Islands, and for bulk and form and height might be the fit monarch-mountains of a continent. Mouna-Loa swells sublimely to the sky in a vast bronze- coloured dome, and attains an altitude of about 13,400 ieet above the level of the sea. The explorers found the ascent of it rugged and very diflficult, and spent four days in going from Kilauea to its summit. Loads originally light felt eventually heavy ; loads originally consider- able felt eventually insupportable ; the labour of climb- ing became increasingly oppressive; all the painful effects of a highly rarified atmosphere, languor, nausea, dryness of skin, soreness of eyes, tenuity of voice and labouredness of respiration, were severely experienced ; and to crown all, in consequence of the improvidence of the seamen and the cunning of the natives, provisions and water threatened to fail. The third day of the journey from Kilauea was a sabbath, and a day of bright sunshine and sui*passing beauty, and was spent as a day of rest and of religious observance far up the mountain. The view then en- joyed by the party was both gorgeous and singular, especially in the region of clouds, — rich alike in features to interest poets and painterd, and in phenomena to in- terest meteorologists. "The clouds,*' says Captain Wilkes, "were all floating below us in huge, white masses, of every variety of form covering an area of a hundred or more miles ; passing around &? they entered the different currents, where some acquired a rotatory motion that I had never before observed. The steam- cloud above Kilauea was conspicuous, not only from its Filvery hue, but by its standing form, like an immense rock, while all around and beneath it were in motion. The vault overhead was of the most cerulean blue, ex- BENNET, UOSS, AND WILKES. 881 tending to and blending with the green rich tint of the CHAP. XXL horizon, while beneath the clouds, the foreground and distant view of the island were of a dark green. The whole scene reminded me of the icy fields of the south- Pccuiiaiity em ocean ; indeed the resemblance was so strong, that scenery.*"^ it seemed only to require the clouds to have angular instead of circular shapes, to have made the similarity complete. It was perceived that as masses of cloud met they appeared to rebound, and I seldom saw them inter- mingle. They would lie together with their forms some- what compressed, and their outlines almost as well pre- served as when separated and alone.'* On the second night after that day of rest — the night of the 2l8t of December — the thermometer stood at 15®, and a heavy snow-storm broke down the explorers* tent. Next day they reached the summit, and pitched the tent about sixty feet from the edge of the crater. A violent gale scattered the fire, extinguished the candles, and made the tent rock and flap as if it would go to pieces. The wind blew in blasts with terrific sound and all-commanding power. One of the men went amissing, and continued so f - three days and three nights, and, when found, was S] less and deli- rious. Yet Captain Wilkes held firmly to his imrpose, Eneampment and set up an encampment of eight or ten teins, with oj^Mouna- all necessary appliances for his scientific observations, and surrounded each tent and the whole encampment with stone walls of 8uffi(^ occasion, did their duty well ; and only forty-eight JJeckec?'* hours after they landed from the wreck, they were at crew, work^n the boats, under Lieutenant Perry, in the sur- vey of the river. But, in the midst of their disasters, they received most kind and ready assistance from the ' servants of the Hudson*s Bay Company and from the missionaries. The survey of the waters of Northwestern America had commenced at the arrival of the Vincennes and the Porpoise in spring, and was carried on assiduously ami unintermittingly till toward the end of autumn. It comprised the sounds and straits around Vancouver'.s ft 886 BENNET, BOSS, AND WILKES. New ar- ranKementa of tho ve»- ■eUk CHAP. XXL Island, the main-stream and affluents of the Ooluml>ia, up to the eascades, 120 miles from the coast, and the course of the Sacramento, through a great part of its run, together with the chain of lagoons leading out from it to the sea. The brig Oregon was purchased to supply the loss of the Peacock, and the several vessels were placed under altered arrangements, as to officers and crew and position, suited to the peculiar exigencies of the service. Several parties went on exploring excur- sions from the ships, and penetrated interesting regions of the interior. Lieutenant Johnson encountered much curious adventure among the rugged scenery and wild people of the Oolumbia. Captain Wilkes ascended the Williamette valley, and visited the missions in it, which, he thought, ''had but a limited field for spiritual operations." Lieutenant Emmons traversed the vast range of country from Vancouver to San Francisco, principally along the course of the Sacra- mento ; and his journey lay through the territorie' >f several hostile tribes, and involved great anxiety, . ^.t happily was achieved without any serious accident. The squadron sailed from the harbour of San Fran- cisco on the 1st of November, but were becalmed and left without a current before they got fairly out to sea. The Yincennes cast anchor in six-and-three-quarter fathoms of water, three miles from land, and lay there for some hours in almost total stillness. But in the early part of the night, without any apparent cause, amid calm and fog, a heavy swell arose, and rapidly in- creased, and soon set the ship a-rolling and pitching with excessive violence, and at two in the noorning it began to burst, outside of her position, into a continuous series of terrific breakers. Every billow now rushed on with deafening roar, with tremendous violence, and with foaming and spouting summit, and had seemingly a height of at least thirty feet, a width of from 800 to 1000 feet, and a velocity of from fifteen to eighteen miles an hour, and struck the ship so strongly as to Peril of the Vinccnnea. BENNET, BOSS, AND WILKES. 887 make the chain-cable surge and the ring-stoppers starti chap, xxl and excited anxiety or fear in all the crew till its force was fairly spent. The ship behaved as if in a tempest, and once suflfered a severe and damaging shock, yet hung firmly on by her anchor, and at eight o*clock got away from her difficulties. The Porpoise and the Oregon had reached a much more seaward anchorage at the commencement of the calm, and they did not en- counter any of the rollers. The squadron now directed their course across the Homeward Pacific, and touched at the Sandwich Islands to take in sqaadroa. provisions ; and the Porpoise and the Oregon went to- ward Japan, and through the Chinese Sea, while the Vincennes and the Flying-Fish proceeded to Manilla and through the Sooloo Sea, and sil met again at Singa- pore. There the Flying-Fish was sold, and thence the others set sail homeward, the Vincennes to touch at the Gape of Good Hope, and the Porpoise and the Oregon at Bio de Janeiro. The Vincennes arrived at New York on the 10th of June, 1842 ; and thus she was absent on the business of the expedition| three years, nine months, and twenty-three daya. r J' < .1 ' ' , 111 I I 3r 888 SIMPSON AND FF£IVF£U. jvv ,'it:^'.' -. ll' J..i .1.'' ■J ■• 'i .';.: *r- : ■ „ ,: CHAPTER XXII i. ■'»•'&■*: ; . 1 1 ' JSimpaon and P/eifer. '■ ti t' .. ■. ... sir George Simpson's Tour round the World — Whirl-tempest and Visuary Illusions in the Atlantic — Progress through Canada Interview with Chippeway Indians— Journey across the Prairies and over the Rocky Mountains — Descent of tlie Columbia — Adventures in Oregon— Visit to San Francisco — ^Voyaging in the North Pacific — The Aleutian Islands — ^The Sea and Town of Ochotsk — ^Yakutsk — The River Lena — Progress through Siberia and onward to Britain — Madame Pfeiffer's Voyage round the World — Brazil — The Puri Indians — Cape Horn — Tahiti — The Central Pacific — Tiie Waters and City of Canton — Singapore — Ceylon — A Tiger-Hunt in India — ^Voyage from Bombay to Bas- sora, and progress thence to Germany. CHAP. xxiL Sir Geokob Simpson, Governor-in-chief of the Hud- "~" 8011*8 Bay Oompany*s territories in North America, went round the world in 1841 and 1842.* Eis route was partly voyage and partly journey, — partly by Bea and partly over land. It lay between the 19th and the 62d degrees of north latitude, and went across the > North Atlantic Ocean, the lake zone of North America, the coasts and seas of Oregon and California, the North Pacific Ocean, and nearly the broadest part of the Old World Continent. It was altogether a route of rare interest and of many novelties, and comprised some things on sea, and multitudes on land, which never lay in the way of even the greatest doublings and detours Simpson's route round the world. • See "Narrative of a Journey round the World during tho years 1841 and 1842. By Sir George Simpson, Govemor-in-chief of tho Hudson's Bay Company's Territories in North America. In 2 vols. London : Henry Colburn, 1847." T SIMPSON AND FFEIFFER. 889 ■ii. of the nautical route round the Cape of Good Hope and CHAP. xxn. Cape Horn. """ Sir George sailed in March 1841, in the steam-ship Caledonia, from Livei'pool to Nova Scotia. That trip, as commonly run, is now almost as familiar to general readers as a trip on the Thames or the Clyde ; yet, in Sir George's case, it yielded some stirring incident. On the 9th day of the voyi^e, the ship was caught in the same terrific whirl-tempest which produced one of the Awfai wiiiri most awful wreck-catastrophes of modern times, — the *®'"P*'^ foundering of the steam-ship President. The barometer fell, during the previous night, to the marvellously low point of 26^^.9. ''The wind," says Sir George, "gradually increased in violence till, by three in the afternoon, it blew a perfect hurricane, during which, so far from being able to mount the rigging, the crew could hardly show themselves on deck, unless sheltered from the fury of the blast. One of our boats was swept overboard ; part of our cutwater was carried away ; much of our canvass was torn to rags, and seven of our men were severely injured. The sea had risen into mountains, whose whitened crests, shorn off as soon as formed, were scat- tered through the air like drifts of snow, while the solid masses, one after another, were making a clean breach over us. The sky, as if its murky curtain rested on the very waters, was almost as dark as night ; the rain fell heavily ; and our ship, like * a thing of life,' might have been supposed to struggle and groan , in the agonies of dissolution. If the scene without was awful, the scene within was still more appalling to the nerves. Passengers and crew alike appeared to give Terror of the themselves up for lost ; and, in fact, the more experi- JJ? c?|w" enced among us, as being more sensible of the extent and variety of our perils, laboured under greater terror than the rest. The storm came from all the points of the compass in succession, commencing at north-east, travelling round the east, south, and west, and finally settling about north. This characteristic of the tempest 890 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. •ionn CHAP. xxiL raised such a cross sea, that, even when, about six in ^ the morning, the wind abated, the vessel could not keep Iter course, and she was, therefore, laid-to for several hours." On the afternoon of the third day after the storm, Vi^aaryiila- when the ship was believed to be still far from land, a cry of ** Land a-head 1" electrified all on board. The object a-head had completely the appearance of a wooded country, but proved to be a field of ice, with diversified surfiice, curiously and variously refracting the sun's rays, and so very extensive that the ship was compelled to go out of her course for it, and did not get rid of it till midnight. And while she was alongside of it, at the distance of several hundred miles from the nearest light-house, a still more extraordinary illusion was an- nounced by the cry of ''Light a-head!" The thing appeared to " all the knowing ones** a true sea-light, a magnificent revolver, and induced the captain to stop the ship and make soundings ; but, in rather less than half an hour, it proved to be a newly risen star, alter- nately hid and seen behind the inequalities of the ice- island. .1 fi < ' Sir Qeorge Simpson went from Halifax to Montreal by way of Boston and through Vermont ; and com- menced at Montreal a course of fresh-water navigation, in what are there called light canoes, to the far interior of Fresh-water North America. He had for a long way the company of Lords Oaledon and Mulgrave, and he travelled alto- gether in the princeliest style which the character of the region admits of ; so that his equipage and his rou- tine of progress, even to many persons who have read much of interior Canada and of the region beyond it, are matters of curiosity. An average "light canoe'* measures about thirty-five feet from stem to stern, and five feet across in the middle ; and it weighs between 300 and 400 pounds, and when laden, draws scarcely eighteen inches oi water. Its exterior consists of sheets of birch bark. navigation in Canadai T SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 891 ■ewed together with fibres of pine-tree root, and ren- CHAP. xxii. ■•> River. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 895 treachery of the savages on its hanks as for the hewil- CHAP. xxiL dering speed and wrecking race of its waters. Our tra- vellers made a portage over it ; and Sir George tells of a critical meeting which he had there, in an upward voyage in 1829, with a hostile body of 400 or 600 Indian warriors. These wretches, or their kin, had mur- A nostiie dpred several shipwrecked crews or trading travelling dian war- " parties, and had not been called to any reckoning ; and ^^"' now they thought to put an end to the visits of white men, by waylaying and killing Sir Qeorge and his retinue. They took post on a lofty rocky esplanade, at the upper end of the portage, where a low ledge pro- jects to the water. Sir George's party comprised only twenty-nine persons ; and about two-thirds of them had to go down to the ledge with the baggage ; so that only ten or so, more than half of whom were Sandwich Islanders, stood beside their leader to confront the Indians. *' When we were nearly ready to take our depar- ture,'* sayp Sir George, " the Indians, instead of squat- ting themselves down to smoke the pipe of peace, crowded round us, gradually forcing us to the edge of the declivity, and then, as the concerted signal for commencing the attack, ordered their womon and chil- dren to retire. With a precipice behind us, and before us a horde of reckless and blood-thirsty savages, our situation was now most critical, more particularly as Critical ren- the necessity of concealing our danger from our people thewarrioii below embarassed our every movement. At this moment of anxiety, the chief grasped his dagger. In the twinkling of an eye, our ten or eleven guns were levelled, while some of my Sandwich Islanders, with the characteristic courage oi their race, exclaimed, as if to anticipate my instructions, * She broke him.' With my finger on my trigger, and my eye on that of the chief, I commanded that no man should fire till I had Bet the example, for any rash discharge on our part, though each shot, at such close quarters, would have 896 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. CHAP. XXII. told against two or three lives, might have goaded the savages into a desperate and fatal rush. The chiefs eye fell, his cheek blanched, his lips ^rew livid ; and he ceased to clutch his weapon. Still, however, he retained his position, ixil, after again preparing to strike and again quailing before the tube which to himself at least would be certain death, he recoiled on his people, Happy effect who agaii;, in their turn, retreated a few paces. The nesaT'* ^*™* distance to which we had thus driven the enemy by the mere display of firmness was less valuable to us in itself than on account of the reaction of feeling which it evinced ; and availing ourselves of the favourable opportunity, we immediately embarked without either having sustained or inflicted any injury." Sir George, in the course of the autumn, sailed north to Sitka, the dingy, filthy, dripping capital of Russian America, and back again to the parts of Oregon round the sea-board reaches of the Columbia. In both trips, he traversed the labyrinth of waters connected with Nootka Sound and embracing Vancouver's Island,— *' the most extraordinary course of inland navigation in the world," overhung by tremendous precipices and alpine peaks, and swept by fitful, powerful, whirling currents, which rush in from opposite tides, and struggle with obstructing promontories and a vexing channel ; and in the return trip, on board of a trading steamer, he expiirienced quite as much as he wished of the freakishness and wildness of the navigation. From three o^clo'^k in one afternoon till six o'clock in the next, they v.-'^re enveloped in a fog as thick as any which ever broods over Amsterdam or London ; and all that while, they were among whirlpools and career- ing tides, within sea-room of similar width and charac- ter to that of the sea-lochs of the west of Scotland ; and during much of the time, they struggled hard to hold on with every appliance in their power, but lost their best anchor in the effort, and got a smaller one crushed and shattered, and after all reeled right away Perllons trip through Nootka Sound. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 897 at the mercy of the waters. "They passed a most chap. xxii. anxious time of it, in the midst of impenetrable dark- ness, with a current almost equalling the speed of a racer, with a bottom where no tackle could find holding ground, and with a coast where a single touch would have knocked the stoutest ship to pieces. Nor was man li^^ely to be more hospitable than nature. Even if they had survived the perils of shipwreck, they would have had to enter on a fePivful struggle for their lives with savages, whose cruelty had never yet acknow- ledged any check but that of power and force." Toward the close of November^ two barques at Fort Embarkation Vancouver, on the Columbia River, weighed anchor to "ouver. sail, the one to Britain, and the other to California, the Sandwich Islands, and Sitka. Sir George Simpson was then at Fort Vancouver, and had arranged to be a passenger in the latter barque ; but he staid some days behind till she should creep down to the vicinity of the bar ; and then, on the last day of the month, he set out to follow her in a clumsy boat with ten men. The rain fell in torrents ; and they did not proceed far till they were obliged to push ashore, amid a vast tract of swamps, occupied by millions of many kinds of wild fowls, and to squat among them for the night. But during all the night, ^he fowls kept up " a serenade of several miles in diameter ;" and the travellers could not sleep, and were glad at four in the morning to betake themselves again to the boat. They worked on till two in the afternooi), and then got into the skirts of a Adventures rising gale, and tried to run to a suitable encamping Lower Co- ground ; but they soon became the sport of a heavy lumbia. squall and a tremendous onfall, accompanied by a pre- mature murky darkness, and were obliged to drive the boat at a venture among the bushes, and there to grope among the underwood and forest for some free spot where they could pitch their little tents and lie down. They eventually succeeded, and iney could have slept well after the sleeplessness of the previous night, but 898 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFEB. CHAP. XXII. they feared that the rising tide might reach them, and were kept awake by the roar of the tempest, the crash of falling trees, and the peals and reverberations of a thunder-storm ; and, to crown all, they felt, or fancied they felt, a slight shock of an earthquake. Kext day they worked hard, through a series of squalls, down the estuary to an encampment for the night, a few miles Enibarass. above Fort George or Astoria, and saw their ship Fort*George. Struggling against the same winds which were dis- tressing and retarding themselves. On the next they got on board of her. But during seventeen days more, she and the other barque stood off and on amid adver- sities of weather, and once were struck with lightning, before they obtained an opportunity of attempting, with fair hope of success, to cross the perilous bar of the river. The voyage along the coast was a pleasant and spanking one ; and it came to a pause in a sunny and lialcyon calm about ten miles from the harbour of San Francisco. " We now began," says Sir George, " to feel sensibly the influence of a more genial climate ; and, as the night was clear as well as warm, we could enjoy a scene which forcibly struck the imagination as an emblem of the lazy grandeur of the Spanish character. The sails flapped listlessly against the masts, the vessel heaved reluctantly on the sluggish waters, and the long swell slowly rolled the weight of the giant ocean to- wards the whitened strand. During the whole of the 29th, we lay in this state of inactivity about five miles from the shore, which presented a level sward of about a mile in depth, backed by a high ridge of grassy slopes — the whole pastured by numerous herds of cattle and horses, which, without a keeper, and without a fold, were growing and fattening, whether their owners waked or slept, in the very middle of winter, and in the coldest nook of the province. Here, on the very threshold of the country, was California in a nut shell, Nature doing everything and man doing nothing — a Specimen view of GaII- SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 899 text on which our whole sojourn proved to be little but chap. xxii. a running commentary." The harbour of San Francisco is one of the finest ""'I '"arbour and most remarkable in the world. A strait of three cisco. miles leads to a magnificent lagoon about thirty miles long and twelve miles wide, fringed by an open and house-dotted plain of from two to six miles in breadth, and shelt^ered from every wind by an amphitheatre of green hills. A deep bay and a strait of about two miles wide leads from this to another lagoon, of circular outline, and about ten miles in diameter. And a third stnut leads from the second lagoon into a third, also about ten miles in diameter, but full of islands, and serving as the receptacle of the rivers Sacramento and San Joachin. But throughout all this range of beauti- ful waters, at the time of Sir Qeorge Simpson's visit— and he believed also throughout all the other waters of California — the inhabitants had neither boat nor canoe, neither barge nor scow, no other craft for going afloat than a sort of basket which, whenever it was wanted, could be constructed in a few minutes out of the bul- rushes which grew luxuriantly on the margins of the lakes and the rivers. Horses, however, were " almost as plentiful as bulrushes ;" and served as an apology — though a lame and lazy one — ^for the want of boats. Sir George visited other parts of the coast of Cali- Trfp'^from , . 1 .1 .1 1 * ▼ .^.^ California to forma, and then, near the close of January 1842, set the Sand* out for the Sandwich Islands. Most of the voyage *'*^ ^'*'"^* thither was in a line as straight as that of the crow*s flight ; and all was smooth and monotonous, with a steady advance into tropical sultry heat, and amid such uniformity of weather as never required the taking in of either studding-sail or sky-sail. On the morning of the 9th of February, the loftier of the two volcanic mountains of Ha'A^aii was seen at the distance of 1 10 miles ; and, for several hours, it alone formed any break in the horizon, swelling like a solitary iceberg out of the blue ocean. But on the following days till 900 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. CHAP. XXIL Eraptire out- lines of the Sandwich group. Voyage from the Sandwich Islands to Sitlca. Embarkation at Sitlca for Ocliotslt. the 12th, as the ship gradually and slowly approached, lower heights and lower ones, at farther and farther distances, rose successively into view ; illustrating by the gradation of their altitudes, by their relative posi- tions, and by their rugged eruptive outlines, how the whole Sandwich group appears to have been thrown up from the deep by volcanic action, advancing from the north-west to the south-east, and increasing in force as it advanced, " so that, while island rose after island, each grew at once in height and in breadth according to the intensity of the power that heav<;d it upwards from the waters." Sir Qeorge goes long and learnedly into the affahs of the Sandwich Islands, — devoting to them more than one-fifth of all the contents of his two volumes. We cannot take space to follow him there, and must pass at once to his re-embarkation on the 24th of March. His voyage was now to Sitka, and gave notable ex- perience of transition through sinking temperatures. Geniality of climate, in its effects on comfort and health, dwindled perceptibly down, not only from day to day, but almost from hour to hour. First musquitoes and flies disappeared ; next, great coats were welcome; next, a swathing of blankets in bed became necessary; so early as the fourth day of the voyage, came a storm of sleet and snow ; and ever after were cold and search- ing winds. All persons on board, and especially some Sandwich Islanders, suffered damage in health ; the cattle fell rapidly off, till they became mere skin and bone ; and the goats were constantly at the galley-fire turning themselves round and round to receive the heat by turns on every part of their shivering frame. And the ship at last entered the harbour of Sitka, on the 16th of April, under a blinding squall of snow. Sir George left Sitka on the 21st of May, in an admirably appointed Russian ship, called the Alexan- der, to proceed to Ochotsk, — a voyage of eighty-two degrees ot longitude and nearly twenty of latitude. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 901 During all the voyage, the winds were gentle and re- chap. xxii. markably variable^ seldom holding longer than twenty- *"" four hours in one direction, and the waters were smooth, and yariegated only by a gentle swell ; and in summer, they are almost always so, — insomuch that, from the middle of May till the end of August, these seas might be traversed by an open boat. :i ->: < The ship's course passed near the Aleutian Islands ; The Aiea- and Sir Qeorge took occasion thence to state what he * ^ knew respecting their deplorable condition. " These Islands," says he, " are now far less valuable than they once were. The human inhabitants hardly muster one- tenth of their early numbers, having been thinned and thinned again by hardships and oppression. They were ground down through the instrumentality of the natu- ral wealth of their country ; they experienced the same curae in their fur-seal and their sea-otter, as the Hawaii- ans in their sandal-wood, and the Indians of Spanish America in their mines of silver. To hunt was their task ; to be drowned or starved, or exhausted, was their reward. Even iiow, under better auspices and more humane management, the Aleutians are, in every respect, servants of the Russian American Company, acting as labourers at the establishments, and as hunt- ers throughout the whole country from Behring's Straits to California, while they almost entirely feed and clothe themselves without obtaining supplies." The useful lower animals of the islands, with the single exception The lower of the walrus, have diminished fully more than even fhese * ° the human inhabitants. The walrus is of vast and very ^simda. diversified value, — its teeth serving for spear-barbs and for ivory, its flesh for food, its oil for fiiel, its skin and bones for the materials of sea-boats, and its skin also for wrappers to the packages of furs sent to the inter- national mart of Russian and Chinese commerce on the northern frontier of China. The sea-boats formed of the skin and bones are small and fragile, — incapable of resisting the action of water for many days together, 902 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. The toga ol the Northern Pacific. CHAP. XXII. and incapable also of taking on any available repair of *~" an injury at sea ; and yet fleets of them push out to sea, often to the distance of fifty or sixty miles from land, to hunt the sea otter ; and when any one of them springs a leak or is otherwise injured, its occupants, knowing well that no other can take them in, and that inevitable drowning is before them, '* call their com- rades around their sinking craft, and send kind mes- sages to their wives and families, and then lie down to die without a single effort at self-preservation." Thick fogSi occasioned by the collision of warm cur- rents from the south with the cold waters of the north, almost constantly overhang a great part of the Northern Pacific Ocean, and are particularly dense around Kamts- chatka and within the sea of Ochotsk, — so much so as often to prevent all eyes which are not accustomed to them from seeing to the distance of an hundred yards. The Alexander, for about a week before getting near Kamtschatka, had surpassingly variable weather, a change or changes of some kind every twelve hours, calms and gusts and lulls in rapid succession, winds from all points and of all forces, yet the strongest of them too short-lived to raise a sea ; and throughout them all, she had the fogs pretty constantly, though not without breaks and clearings which permitted ob- servations to be got almost every day. But when she got near and within the sea of Ochotsk, she seemed to move as much among a zone of clouds as on an expanse of water, and had to grope along like a blind man who uses ears and fingers as a substitute for eyes. " An Aleutian on board, with the characteristic sharpness of vision of his race, discerned land at a distance of several miles, through a mist as impervious to ordin- ary eyes as a solid wall ; and the captain, by firing a gun now and then, and catching its echo, was able to ascertain, within limits sufficiently accurate to be very useful, both the direction and the distance of the near- est shore." Tlie fogs of tlie sea ot Ochotsk. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 903 The sea of Ochotsk resembles Hudson's Bay at once CHAP. xxil. in extent, in relative situation, and in being completely landlocked. Tlie Kurile Islands and Eamtschatka shut it in fi'om the ocean ; and the former maintain three posts of the Russian American Company for collecting furs and catching sea-animals. The entrance between the Kuriles and Eamtschatka is twenty miles wide, and The entranca free from rocks and currents, and might seem suflS- *"g,^Hhe ciently ample and perfectly safe for all navigation. ^J*t^ But 80 dense and constant often are the fogs, that vessels from Russian America sometimes have vast diffi- culty about the entrance, or cannot find the occupied islands, or even cannot go on to Ochotsk, and are obliged to return to Sitka as they came. The sea is very shallow, affording soundings of only fifty fathoms or so at the distance of fifty miles from land ; and the country around it, in the latitude of Paris, at or even after midsummrr, has snow on its heights, and shows scarcely a symptom of vegetation on its low grounds. On the 29th of July, the Alexander, getting out from among the fogs and approaching her destinati( , sighted land between twenty and thirty miles distant, in the vicinity of Ochotsk. But her people, even in the very Long con- flush of joy, discovered that the coast was still beset {lie winter's with the winter's ice ; and, though a bold effort was !<»• made to push on among the broken floes, they soon found that they must retreat and wait in patience the rising of a strong wind to blow away the insuperable obstacle. The captain fired a signal-gun, rather as a ceremony than in sober expectation that it could be heard on land ; yet they afterwards learned that per- sons at Ochotsk not only heard it, but at the same time saw the Alexander as if she were standing on the frozen surface of the gulf. The ship, in order to vary the scene and gain a more genial climate during the tan- talizing delay, sometimes made a run to the south, yet did not find a higher temperature than 40" of Fahren- heit. The sea continued singularly calm ; and on the 3l 904 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER, Oehotsk. CHAP. xxiT. pieces of ice which floated paut her, were great numbers Uair^ieia& ^^ hair-seals, doing their best to bask in the sunshine. These creatures, when close to her, waddled into the water and disappeared ; but, in general, they are very fearless, and lie fast till approached and struck a deadly blow, and have been known to scramble up to the deck of vessels l.ving at anchor in the roadstead of Oehotsk. The Alexander stood daily in toward the anchorage, to try whether she could reach it ; and at length, on the 4th of August, by availing herself of every lane of open water, and after gradually reducing her soundings, till her keel ploughed up the mud from the bottom, she succeeded, against an advanced hour of the evening, in getting near the town. But Oehotsk, now that they had reached it, appeared to the strangers on board exceedingly repulsive, stand- ing on a low flat shingly beach, as if it were actually in the water, and consisting of an irregular assemblage of miserable buildings, half hid from view in the all- enveloping fog. Nor did the place look better after they landed. It was the only town within a space equal to that of two or three European kingdoms ; yet contained a population of only about eight hundred, and had scarcely one element of comfort. " A more dreaiy scene can scarcely be conceived. Not a tree, and hardly even a green blade, is to be seen within miles of the town ; and in the miidst of the disorderly collection of huts is a stagnant marsh, which, unless when frozen, must be a nursery of all sorts of malaria and pestilence. The climate is at least on a par with the soil. Summer consists of three months of damp and chilly weather, during great part of which the snow still covers the hills, and the ice chokes the harbour ; and this is suc- ceeded by nine months of dreary winter, in which the cold, unlike that of more inland spots, is as raw as it is intense." Sir George Simpson travelled from Oehotsk to Ya- kutsk with a cavalcade of eight men and about thirty The climate of Oehotsk. SIMPSON AND FFEIFFER. 905 horses. The journey comprised a distance of about 880 chap, xxif , miles, and lay all through a bleak and dismal country, of kindred character to the vicinity of Ochotski and waa accomplished in seventeen days. Yakutsk stands on an Yakutsk. extensive, flat, and featureless plain, which seems all, at some former period, to have been formed and overflown by the Lena ; and the town comprises about four hun- dred one-storey dwellings, with outhouses and gardens, disposed in wide streets and spacious squares, and spread over a great extent of ground. But it exists chiefly for the fiir trade, and depends for the commonest necessaries of life on importation down the Lena, and lies under a climate of keen severity and of surpassing range of tem- perature. Ice is formed in its wells and cellars in the nights of the warmest part of summer ; and the ther- mometer in the shade in the open air has been known to range from 106° in summer to minus 83° in winter —a range nine degrees greater than the range between the freezing point and the boiling point of water. Sir Qeorge Simpson went next to Irkutsk ; and he achieved the greater part of the distance, or about 1660 miles, on the Lena. Tract boats are in use there, Tiie tract for all the passenger traffic of the region, each drawing Leal" ^ '* from eighteen to twenty-four inches of water, and di- vided into three compartments, — a front one, with floor of earth or brick or stone, for cooking, — ^a central one, with a sort of cabin or crib, formed of boards and can- vas, for the passengers, — ^and a stern one, consisting of a small platform, for the helmsman. The boats are towed by horses, in charge of men, or sometimes of boys or women, to the number ot at least one driver for each * horse ; and stations occur at regular intervals along the banks for supplying relays of horses and drivers. Sir George had "a tolerably comfortable boat" for himself and two other gentlemen, and a smaller one in tow for their servants and an attendant Cossack. Yet he calls his boat " a floating cage," a " little prison," and de- scribes his progress in it as dull and dismal, scarcely 906 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. CHa:\ XXII. better than "durance vile," or, in his own phrase Journeying respecting the first night in it, "as uncomfortable as In the tract possible." During sleeping hours, the "crl'j" was close and jiot, and infested with swarms of mosquitoes ; and the drivers of the horses, being often obliged by bread shoals to wade far into the river, and drag the boat past the shoals, kept up an awakening and agitating clamour. And by day, the gentlemen could not move from their seats without incommoding one another, and had scarcely room to stretch their limbs or take a hearty yawn ; and they could not go out to the bank to enjoy the luxury of a walk, for either the horses went too last to be followed, or the drivers were struggling in the stream, fnr fiom the shore, to get over shoals ; and even on arriving opposite many of the stations for a change of horses, the boat stopped a full verst from the houses. The travellers could do no better than resign themselves to vegetate in their hotbed, and to seize with avidity any rare opportunity which offered for an airing. The river, for a long distance, had a breadth of from two and a Tiaif to six miles, with frequent divisions into two or more channels by islands and sandbanks ; and its shores, or the sides of its valley, were extensively formed of high and broken rocks. It is pronounced by Sir George " one of the grandest rivers in the world ;" and, though not less than 2650 miles in length, it flows entirely within Siberia. But the craft which navigate it with supplies of grain, provisions, and stores from its upper and central reaches to Yakutsk and the north, and which are the most conspicuous and the most important on its waters, give a sad idea of its relations to com- merce and the arts. These ai\, mere rafts of round logs, floored over with boards, and rudely gunwaled with rough planks nailed on the tops of the sides ; and though each carries six or seven persons to guide it, and is provided with sails to drive it along in a favourable wind, and with poles and branches of trees, and all other possible rude appliances, to push it or steer it in any The mer- chant craft of the Lena. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFEE. 907 emergency, yet all are lumbering and crazy and un- C^^^^- ^^'^ manageable, and move slowly and difficultly, and are in hazard of very long delays, or of absolute arrestment by the winter, occasioning great loss to all parties con- cerned in them, and great misery to the communities dependent on their supplies. There is this apology for them, however, that each serves for only one voyage, and, on arriving at its destination, is broken up to be used as timber. Many of the inhabi, ;rts on the banks of the Lena The inhnbu live m dismal poverty and privation ; and though some banks of the or all could easily improve their condition by a change ^'^^^ of place, they are not permitted to remove. " At one of the stations," says Sir George, " I saw some bread which had been made of rye and the inner bark of the larch, ground up together. On this unsavoury sub- stance, with sour milk, the poor people in a great measure lived ; and they were considered to fare sumptuously indeed, if they could add a little of something that, looked very much like tallow, being a mixture of curd and butter melted together into a mould. As to the article of dress, they were clad almost exclusively in the skins of their defunct nags ; and their feet were en- veloped in stockings of horse- hair, which I apprehend would make a very satisfactory kind of penance for the tender feet of some other regions." The middle and the upper classes, however, live well ; and Sir George lavishes much eulogy on their hospitality and urbanity, and on the Russian system of penal colonization in Siberia, and particularly on the classification and various destination of the exiles i ccording to the character of their respective offences. Sir George obtained at Irkutsk a travelling carriage A travelling of such large capacity, th-it lie could lay himself down rumUu*'' on the boUom of it at right and use it as a bed ; and thence he travelled, ir forty-one days, about 4000 miles, amid comparatively little incident, through the generally tiivt territories of central Russia, and through 908 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. Madame Pteiffer's voyage. CHAP. XXII. scenes which are all more or less known by the great bulk of general readers, to Petersburgh. Of the forty- one nights of that journey, he spent thirty-six in the carriage, one on a sofa at Tomsk, two on the floor at Ekaterineburg, one on a sofa at Kazan, and one in a bed at Moscow. On the 16th of October he embarked in a steamer for Lubec ; and thirteen days after, he arrived in London ; and thus he accomplished his trip round the world, including all his long detours and detentions, in nineteen months and twenty-six days. Madame Ida Pfeiffer went round the world in the years 1846-1848.* She is a German lady, and " dates her birthday from the last century." Her motive was mere intelligent curiosity, first fired in youth, and ever kept alive through life till it could be prudently grati- fied. She went forth alone, boldly and enthusiastically, and combined the characters of a traveller and a heroine. Her progress, like that of Sir George Simpson, was a series of movements by a series of conveyances, but was mostly by water, and generally lay within the warm latitudes, and led through eminently interesting regions. The full original account of it was published in German ; but an abridged English translation, leaving out all pas- sages of little or no interest to Britons, was recently published in London. Madame Pfeiffer sailed from Hamburg in a Danish brig, on the 29th of June, 1846, for Rio de Janeiro. They encountered a severe gale near their destination, and afterwards found a portion of the sea covered with the bodies of butterflies which it had swept away. Cape Frio was approached, though not seen, on the 13th of September, and again approached, and also seen, on the following day ; but twice was the brig driven out to sea by renewals of the gale, and not till the 17th did the lady set foot on the shop'. • " A Lady's Voyage Round the World. A selected translation from the Gci man of Ida Pfeiffer. By Mr». Percy Sinnett. In tvi o i)arti. Loudon : Longman ii Co., i<^il." A pale nonr liio de Ju- ueiro. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 909 Various interesting excursions were made by her on CUAP. xxir. the seaboard and into the forests of Brazil ; and a par- ticularly romantic one, and the most distant of all, was made to a hamlet of Puri Indians. These people The Pari throughout Brazil are computed to amount to about half ^ '*"** a million ; and all live in the remote fastnesses of the forest, dispersed in little communities of each five or six families. " They have stunted-looking figures, broad compressed faces, and straight coal-black hair. Their foreheads are low, their noses flat, their eyes small and cut out, like those of the Chinese, their mouths very large, with thick lips, and over the whole physiognomy is diffused a peculiar expression of stupidity, heightened by the constantly open mouth. They are mostly tat- tooed with red or brown colour ; and both sexes are pas- sionate smokers and lovers of brandy." But they are proudly free, and will not brook constraint ; and can seldom be induced to work till they are half starving ; and yet they perform very hard tasks for very trifling :.oward8, and often make laborious, keen-scented, perse- vering hunts after runaway negroes. They have few Their wants J J - . . 1 . and man- words and few wants, — a meagre language ana excessive nerg. penury ; and scarcel; differ enough from the old savages of the forest to be deemed in any sense civilized ; yet &rv harmless and hospitable, and have taken on impressions from their intercourse with the whites. "Many of them have been baptized ; and indeed they are at all times ready, for the consideration of a little brandy, to go through the ceremony again, and only regret that they have not more frequent opportunities, especially as it does not last long. The priest on his side generally makes his mind easy that, by this holy action, he has won the soul for heaven, and does not, therefore, give himself any superfluous trouble about the morals of his new Christians." Madame PfeifFer found those whom she visited in the profoundest poverty. Their only clothing was a few rags round the loins ; their habitations were simply open uio SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. An evening In tlicir Bociety. r;iiAP.xxiL frames of four stakes, with roofs of palm leaves ; ami """ their only appliances of art were bow and arrow for the open air, and a few gourds for the health. She accom- panied some of them on a parrot and monkey hunt, and admired their skill in shooting their game ; and, on re- turning to the huts, she joined them in a hearty repast of roasted parrot and monkey, with some tuberous roots and some cobs of maize, and readily accepted an invita- tion to spend an evening in their society. After dark they kindled a bonfire, and performed round it a series of loutish, grotesque movements, which they called a peace or i oy-dance ; and then the men went through a furious pantomime of warfaie, with such ferocity of ges- ture and twanging of bows and fierceness of shout and yell, as agitated their heroine-guest with terror. But she became calm again when the performance was over, and then prepared to go to sleep ; and she " spread her cloak on the ground, took a clump of wood for a pillow, and found herself magnificently accommodated ;" yet lay long awake, thinking of " the many wild animals and the terrible serpents that might be lurking close to the open defenceless shed." In the morning she made the Bavages happy with presents, received an offer of all they had, and accepted a bow and arrows as a keepsake ; and then she commenced her journey back to the regions of civilized men, and had to force the first eight hours of it on foot through an almost impenetrable thicket. She left Rio de Janeiro in an English barque to go to Valparaiso. Her experience in passing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was the experience of most storms round voyagers who go near Cape Horn. A series of storms buffeted the barque over all the way round Terra del Fuego; and at last wound up in a terrific gale, which continued twenty-four hours, and did the ship very much damage. But our heroine, and some others on board, were not a jot daunted, "and during the gale could not help laughing at the comical positions they involuntarily assumed whenever they attempted to riao." Terra del Fuego. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 911 She next took ship at Valparaiso for China, and en-CHAP.xxii. joyed an opportunity, by the way, of spending some days in Tahiti. She describes Papeiti, the capital of papeia. that island, as only a row of little timber houses situ- ated round the harbour, and immediately backed by the woode. She had great difficulty in obtaining a lodging in it, and was obliged, in the end, to content herself with shelter in », single apartment, with earthen floor, palisaded walls, and not a bedstead or a chair, occupied by a cavpenter'8 family of four persons, — and even there merely " obtained leave to deposit herself in a corner behind the door, in a space exactly six feet long and four broad." French soldiers crammed the town; French officers of rank occupied some of the huts ; and several French ships were in the harbour. The dete- rioration of morals consequent on the French occupa- tion had become frightful. " The people," says Madame Pfeiffer, " have acquired a number of new wants, in consequence of which the eagerness for money has greatly increased among them ; and, what is worse, as they are by no means fond of work, they make their wives, daughters, and sisters earn noney for them. The women have no objection, for they get dress and ornaments on what they consider easy terms ; and the house of almost every French officer is a rendezvous for these native beauties, who are to be seen going in and out at all times of the day, and even joining them in public. As a woman of advanced age, I may be per- mitted to speak of these things; and I must declare that, much as I have travelled in the world, I have nowhere seen behaviour in this respect so shameless." The French were doing their best to conceal the in- xiie French famy of " the protectorate," and to reconcile Queen ''?'!,*^";'^'" Pomare to her enthralment, — building a handsome new house for her, doling out to her a yearly pension of 25,000 francs, and showing her off at sumptuous enter- tainments ; yet would not allow her to receive any stranger without their express permission. Madame 912 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. An excursion tu Fautaiut. CHAP. XXII. Pfeiffer was present at one of the royal entertainments, ' and received there from the Prince Consort and from a kingkin of one of the neighbouring islands all the polite attentions which are common at the tables of Europe. The queen was very showily dressed in sky-blue satin, and had subjected herself, for the occasion, to the re- straint of shoes and stockings; but at table she put aside some choice things on a plate to be taken home with her, and in the course of the evening she retired to discuss a cigar. Madame Pfeiffer trod the steps of Mr. Bennet, as narrated in our preceding chapter, to the curious lake Yaihiria; and she also made an excursion, which we must allow her to relate in her own words, to the re- markable heights of Fantaua and the Diadem mountain. " Fantaua," says she, " is a point which the Tahitians considered impregnable, and which, nevertheless, the French took in the last w^ar. As I wished to see it, the governor, M. Bruat, was so kind as to lend me horses, and send a subaltern officer with me, who could explain every position of the French and Tahitians. The road for two hours led through savage ravines, rushing mountain-torrents, and thick woods. The mountains often approached so closely, that, as at the pass of Thermopylre, a small band ot determined men might keep back whole armies. The entrance to Fan- taua is the key to the whole island ; and iu order to take it, it was necessary to climb one of the steepest monntain-sides, and advance along a narrow ridge, in order to attack the enemy in the rear. For this danger- ous service M. Bruat called for volunteers, and had soon more than were necessary. Out of them he chose sixty- two men, who stripped therasehas to their trousers and shoes, and took with them nothing but a musket and a cartridge-box. Aftei" twelve hours' hard climbing, they succeeded, by means of ropes, bayonets, and sharp irons, in reaching one of the mountain-tops, where they made their appearance so unexpectedly to the Tahitians Military exploit on Funtaua. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 913 that they were struck with terror, and threw down their CHAP. xxiL arms. They thought that mere men could never have climbed that point; Hhey must have been assisted by spirits, and against them they were not able to fight.* A small fort is now built on Fantaua, and on one of the hij^hest peaks is a guard-house. This is reached by a footpath along a narrow ridge falling on both sides into measureless abysses. People who are subject to giddi- splendid pr«»- ness could scarcely venture to proceed along it; but Saul"' they would lose a splendid prospect if they did not — mountains, valleys, and ravines without number, of the latter, especially the colossal rock of the Diadem, woods of palm and other gigantic trees, and beyond the mighty ocean breaking on a thousand cliffs and reefs, and, in the remote distance, mingling with the clear blue sky. Kear the fort, a cataract plunges down a perpendicular wall of four hundred feet high. The body of water is not great, and the bottom of the fall is, unluckily, concealed by rocks and adTancing hills, or it would deserve to be counted among the grandest in the world. The view from the Diadem is still more exten- sive than from the fort, as on two sides you look over the island to the sea.*' The ship, with our heroine on board, set sail from Voyage Tahiti on the 18th of May ; and she performed, all the Puc"mc! * way thence to the Chinese Sea, one of these calm, halcyon voyages which so well entitle the ocean of Polynesia to the name Pacific. There were on board three horses, a dog, and some pigs, geese, and singing- birds ; and the sounds from these, so like the sounds of a farmery, together with the perfect smoothness of the motion, often betrayed Madame PfeifFer into the mo- mentary belief, when at her writing-table, that she was sitting in a small room on shore. But at length, in what promised to be the last night of the voyage, after the coast of China had been sighttd, a fierce v md sprang up, and drove the ship nearly 400 miles back, and threatened to assume the terrors of the awful typhoon, 914 SIMrSON AND PPEIFFER. Trip In a Chinese Junk. CHAP. XXII. but, after all, passed away as a short-lived storin, and """ then allowed the ship to go quietly into Macao. Madame Ffeiffer embarked next day in the same ship for Hong-Kong, about thirty-five miles to the east ; and thence, after a few days, she engaged a passage in a Chinese junk to Canton. She was dissuaded from the latter step as perilous, but she saw no occasion for fear, and so ''put her pistols in order, and went quietly on board ;'* and she was very civilly treated by both master and fellow-passengers, and remarked nothing particular about them except much love of coarse excitement and excessive indulgence in tea and tobacco. But her de- scription of the scenery along the upper reaches of the navigation, touches off one of the most characteristic tracts of the most singular and curious country in the world — and does so in words remarkably few and simple : " Pretty country houses," says she, "in the true Chinese style, with fantastic jagged and peaked roofs, and coloured tiles, come into view from time to time, l3'ing in the shade of groups ot trees ; and various kinds of pagodas, from three to nine storeys high, rise on small hills near the villages, and draw attention from a great distance. There were many fortifications, but they looked more like great unroofed houses than anything else. As you advance toward Canton, the villages begin to follow each other very closely; but they have a miserable appearance, and are mostly built on stakes close on the river, and lying before them are numerous boats, many of them also serving as dwellings. The river now becomes more and more animated, and covered with vessels of all sizes and of the strangest forms. There were junks, the back part of which rose two storeys above the water, and which looked like houses with lofty windows and galleries, and covered by a roof; they are often of immense size, and several thousand tons burden. Then came the Chinese ships of war, flat, broad, and long, and carrying twenty or thirty guns; mandarins* boats, with their painted doors and The Canton river. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 915 windows, carved galleries, and coloured silk flags ; and, best of all, the flower-boats decorated with wreaths and garlands, and pretty arabesques Besides all these, there were thousands of shampans, some anchored, some cruising and darting about; fishermen casting their nets ; people of all ages bathing and swimming ; and children romping and tumbling about in the boats, 80 that one dreaded every moment to see them fall overboard; but careful parents tie the little ones to hollow gourds, or bladders filled with air, so that if they fall into the water they may not sink. All these varied occupations, this unwearied life and activity, afford such picturesque effects as can hardly be con- ceived without being witnessed." Madame Pfeiffer, on landing at Canton, walked openly through the streets, escorted only by the master of the junk, to the house of an European friend. She soon had a crowd after her, and observed all onlookers, old and young, to be viewing her with far more indignation than curiosity, hooting after her, and pointing the finger of scorn ; but she kept up a fearless look, and went fear- lessly on, and ws afterwards told that she ran immi- nent risk of being stoned by the mob and abandoned by her escort. She afterwards learned, too, that the hatred of Europeans had recently increased and become very strong, that acts of assault and piracy and murder upon them were of daily occurrence, that a general outbreak against them was not at all improbable, that many of the European merchants had laid up store of arms and ammunition in their counting-houses, and were pre- pared for flight, and that European women were espe- cially obnoxious, on account of some silly Chinese pro- phecy, that a woman shall one day conquer the Celestial Empire. But she, nevertheless, remained five weeks to see all that could be seen ; and enjoying constantly the escort of a gentleman, who exposed himself to many dangers on her account, and who coolly endured the abuse of the angry natives, she "saw under his kind CHAP. XXII. Walk through the streets of CaiitOD. Maflame Pfeiffer's determined sight-seeing. 916 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. ITer perils among tlie Chinese. CHAP. XXII. protection more than any woman ever saw in China "~" before." Excepting her own adventures, however, she tells us little that has not within the last few years become pretty generally known ; and she certainly gives abundant confirmation to the notions which are now commonly afloat respecting the prejudices and peculiar usages of the Chinese. She got into a scuffle in a great pagan temple, the priests pressing menacingly around her, and giving her alarming abuse. She made an excursion, in a handsome hired boat, a good way up the river into the interior of the country, and was fired upon from a fortress, but was not struck by any of the shot. She took a walk round the walls of Canton, — a thing which no woman had ever done before, and which she herself did not venture to do without the precau- tion of putting on male attire ; and, after a long and disgusting exploration of filthy little streets and narrow alleys, she arrived at an exterior elevated spot which commanded a tolerable view of the town ; and thence '' the town looked a confused mass of little houses, with a few trees growing among them, for she could discern no wide streets or squares, nor any building of architec- tural importance, with the exception of one pagoda of five storeys." She stumbled once on the place of exe- cution, and saw there, to her unspeakable horror, a long row of bleeding heads set upon poles; and she states that, in the year 1846, 4000 men, the alleged criminals of two provinces containing 19,000,000 of inhabitants, were beheaded in Canton; and she justly and indignantly queries, " were the criminals really so many, or is the punishment of death so lightly inflicted, or is both the case?'* Voynpe from She left Canton on the 20th of August, in a Chinese to"angapofe. j^nk, for Hong-Kong ; and took a passage thence, in the British steamer Pekin, to Singapore. She felt obliged to go in the second cabin of the steamer, and she speaks bitterly and sarcastically of it, as to at once high fare, low comfoit, and shabby treatment. She landed at SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 917 Singapore on the 4th of September; and she made some chap. xxir. stay on the island, and rambled largely athwart it, and found it a gorgeous museum of at once plants, animals, and intertropical cultivation. Her chief excursion was an eminently interesting one, into the dense forest, or ExcnrMon what is there called the jungle, in company with four s"ngai!ore gentlemen, who were armed with weapons for confront- forest- ing severally tigers, bears, wild boars, and large ser- pents ; but, though intended to be a tiger-hunt, and though leading through a tangled maze of the must magnificent vegetation, it does not seem to have issued in any grander exploit than the killing and taking of two boa-constrictors. The carcass of one of these, after being skinned, was given to some Chinese labourers to be used as food ; and Madame Pfeiffer afterwards came upon them when at their horrid serpent repast, and "requested to taste it, and found the flesh extraordinarily fine and delicate, more so, she thought, than that of young chickens." She left Singapore on the 7th of October, in the British steamer Braganza, for Ceylon. The crew com- prised seventy-nine persons, Chinese, Malays, Cingalese, Bengalese, Hindoos, and Europeans ; and the coloured ones appeared, in the eyes of our heroine, very sim- ple creatures, very discreditably treated. Ceylon came First views in view on the 17th, and gradually "rose in won- ^^^^^'°"' drous beauty from the waves," and lifted many moun- tain-chains magnificently aloft, to immerse their tops in the molten gold of the setting sun. Madame Pfeiffer landed at Pointe de Galle, and spent a few days in a trip to Colombo and Candy. She availed herself of the neat and rapid public conveyances, exactly similar to the stage-coaches of Britain ; and enjoyed to rapture the superb scenery, the luscious vegetation, the groves of palms and aromatic shrubs, the swift irjcces.'ion of dwellings and hamlets and towns, the kiriilly and constant appliances for the solace of tra- veDers, the continuous moving multitude of carriages ii ^, .^^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A ^ >\ 1.0 1.1 11.25 Ui|2£ |25 S LS IIP Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STMET WnSTH.N.Y. 145*0 (716) •73-4503 M \ <^ V '^ O^ "il y. 918 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFEB. CTiAP.xxii. and people, the huge waggons drawn hy teams of Colombo and ^^® ^^^ sometimes three elephants, the spaciousness Cundj. A tiger, linnt near AJunta. and splendour of Oolombo, with its vabt streets and beautiful colonnaded houses, and the exquisitely pic- turesque site of Candy, within a basin of gorgeous love- liness, encompassed by mountains all bushy over side and shoulder with the gayest woods, and shooting up romantic summits to the sky. But she found Candy itself '*a town little and ugly, nothing but a heap of small shops," while the few European houses and places of business and barracks connected with it stood outside on small eminences; and, just after entering it, she encountered from one of its natives a piece of ex- treme rascality, an astute attempt to inveigle off her portmanteau to the a4iacent woods, which would have given a less justly reasoning mind than hers a stiff pre- judice against the place's moral qualities. She left Ceylon on the 26th of October, in another British steamer, for Calcutta ; and she afterwards tra- versed Noi-thern India, by way of Benares, Allahabad, Agra, Delhi, and Adjunta, to Bombay. But she says respecting the country or its people little additional to what is known by all intelligent British readers. Her own adventures, as usual, are curious and stirring enough; and a very characteristic specimen of them was her taking part in a tiger-hunt. This occurred in the vicinity of Adjunta, on the §th of March, 1848. "Early in the morning," says she, '^I mounted my horse, to visit the rocky temple of Elora ; but, as it often happens in life, I was reminded of the proverbial saying, * Man proposes, and God disposes,' and instead of the temple, I saw a tiger-hunt. I had scarcely turned my back on the town where I had passed the night, when I saw advancing towards me, from the bongolo, several Europeans, sitting upon elephants. We stopped on coming up with each other, and began a conversa- tion, from which it apt)eared that the gentlemen were out on a tiger-hunt, as they had had information of SIMPSON AMD PFEIFFEB. 919 some being in the neighbourhood, and they invited me,CHAP.xxii. if such sport did not terrify me too much, to join them. ""^ • I was very gkd of the invitation, and soon foand my- self in company with two of the gentlemen and one native, seated in a box about two feet high, which was placed on the back of a very large elephant. The native was to load the guns ; and they gave me a large knife to defend myself with in case the tiger should spring up to the edge of the box. Thus prepared, we set off for the hills, and after the lapse of some hours, thought we had come, probably, pretty close to the tiger's den, when suddenly one of our servants ex- claimed, 'Back, back! — that is Tiger!' Glaring eyes Encounter were seen through the bushes, and at the same moment i[!i'|^**' several shots were fired. The animal was soon pierced by several bullets, and now dashed at us full of fury. He made such tremendous springs, that I thought he must infallibly soon reach our box, and choose himself a victim out of our party. This spectacle was terrible enough to me, and my fear was presently increased by the sight of a t^econd tiger. I behaved myself, however, so valiantly, that no one of the gentlemen suspected what a coward I was. Shot followed shot. The ele- phants defended themselves very cleverly with their trunks, and after a hot fight of half an hour's duration we remained victors, and the dead animals were in triumph robbed of their beautiful skins. The gentle- men were so courteous as to offer me one of them, but I declined accepting it, as I could not have delayed my journey long enough to have it dried and put into a proper state. I got a good deal of praise for my cou- rageous behaviour, and I was told tiger-hunting was really extremely dangerous where the elephants were Dangers not very well trained. If they were afraid of the tigers, SunSni and ran away, one would be very libely to be dashed off by the branches of tho trees, or perliaps left hanging upon them, and then would infallibly become the prey of the enraged snimal." 3 H 920 SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. Bombay to Baasora. i I."" Two Persian towna. CHAP.xxiT. She sailed from Bombay on the 23d of April, in the Voyi^from ftinall steamer Forbes, c ! forty horse power, for Bassora. The steamer had only two cabins — both of which were engaged by other parties — and was excessively over- crowded. Her own company comprised forty-five per- sons, and her passengers — most of whom were Persians and Arabs — amounted to 124. Our heroine could make no better of it than to take up her abode under the cap* tain's dinner table ; yet was unwell when she went on board, and was attacked by fever on the third day of the voyage; but, nevertheless, felt content with her lot, and took no medicine. Smallpox appeared in the larger cabin, among a dense package of eighteen women and seven children, and sent out a pestilential vapour which frightened all others on board, but inflicted only three deaths, and then lost its virulence. t-i^ <. * The steamer anchored 6rst before the Arabian town of Muscat, and next before the little Persian town of Bandr-Abas. Madame Pfeiffer wished anxiously to go ashore for a few minutes at the latter, but was told that an European woman had never been seen there, and that if she went she would probably be stoned ; yet she persisted in going, and was treated by the natives only as a prodigious curiosity, and received no insult. The place, of courae, was a dull dirty huddle of narrow streets. And so also, or even worse, was Buchir, further on, the best harbour of Persia, situated on a sea-board of plain, about six miles from mountains 6,000 feet high. Our heroine intended to disembark there, in order to traverse Peraia, but was deterred by accounts of marauding and insurrection throughout the country, and observed that the men of Buchir all went armed, as if in momentary expectation of outrage. The Shat el Arab, or joint stream of the Euphrates and the Tigris, was entered on the 11th of May ; and thence to the vicinity of Bassora, right and left and onward, all the view to the horizon was monotonous plain, ihe eastern extremity of the immense champaign The Shat cl Amb. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 921 4 •* of Mesopotamia. The landing of the women at tlie chap; xxil end of the voyage was an amusing scene. " Had they j^^ ducm. been princesses and beauties of the very first rank," »*"''['"'* •'' says Madame Pfeiffer, " more care could not have been mcdan taken to avoid the possibility of the glance of a man's **>""«"• eye, and there was not really among them (for my sex had procured for me the privilege of a peep into their cabin) a single handsome woman. Their husbands placed themselves in two lines stretching from the . . .,, ^, cabin to the ship's side, and held great cloths stretched out so as to form close moveable walls. Through these the ladies were marched by degrees out of the cabin, and even then they were so closely enveloped in shawls and veils, that they had to be led along as if they were blind. As they reached the side, they crouched down between the walls till the others arrived, and when all were assembled, the still more dilBcult operation commenced of climbing down the narrow ship ladder into a well-cui'tained boat. The wall was in motion again ; but first one tumbled, then another, and the landing of this part of the cargo was not effected under a fall hour." Madame Pfeiffer travelled from Bassora, by way of Route from Bagdad, Mo88ul,and Erivan, to Redout-Kalfonthe Black ySI '** Sea ; and then sailed first to Odessa, and next to Oon^ stantinople ; and then proceeded through the Grecian Archipelago to Athens, and up the Adriatic to Trieste, And thence, in the beginning of November, to Vienna. We need not follow her through scenes so familiar,—- and scenes which belong much more to a book of tra- vels through the old countries of the earth than to a volume of voyi^es round the world. Tet we must not close without recording that, at the completion of her sublime trip, she repented not a jot its high purpose, and felt full confirmation of the belief with which she undertook it, — ^that as little restraint to intelligent curio- sity, as little curbing of personal liberty while roaming among the works of God, may be experienced almost .Hi.'... MHW^HI 922 SIMPSON AND FFEIFFER. CHAP. XXII. anywhere as near home. She does not directly say so^ indeed, but she declares, on occasion of the rough hand* ling by the custom-house people at her first contact with the Russian frontier, " I really thought that now, for the first time, I was in the hands of savages ;*' and, in the course of narrating the earliest part of her journey within the Russian territory — a ioumey with a goods caravan between Natchivan and Erivan — she recoi'ds as follows :— fhlTiSlLr" "After several days* travelling, we still remained in frontier. the neighbourhood of Ararat, passing, however, several Russian and German colonies, but along a very rugged and stony road. Near Sidin a very disagreeable adven- ture befell me. The caravan had encamped close to the high road, and about eight o'clock in the evening I trotted out upon it for a walk, and was just about to return, when I heard the sound of the bells of post- horses. I stood still, to hear who the travellers were, and soon saw a Cossack with a musket, and a gentleman seated beside him on an open car. As soon as they had passed, to my great surprise the car suddenly drew up, and almost at the same moment I felt myself seized by two powerful arms. It was the Oossack, who was T ' dragging me to the car. I struggled to get loose, pointed with my free hand to the caravan, and screamed that I belonged to it. But the fellow immediately placed one hand over my mouth, and flung me upon the car, where the gentleman held me fast. The Oossack then sprung up, and the driver received the order to go on as fast as the horses could gallop. This all passed so quickly, that I scarcely knew what had happened. The men, however, held me with a strong grasp, and my mouth was not uncovered till we were so fax from the caravan that my cries could not be heard. I did not, ' fortunately, feel much afraid, for it immediately oc- : curred to me that these two amiable Russians must, in ' their zeal, have taken me for some dangerous person, ^ and imagined they had made an important capture. ^ Ylolent abduction. SIMPSON AND PFEIFFER. 923 -^ ■•^j 'I As soon as they allowed me to speak, they commenced chap. xxii. a long list of questions concerning my name, country, '~~ and so forth ; and I understood Russian enough to answer them ; but they were not satisfied, and required to see my passport. I told them to send for my trunk, and 1 should then be able to give them full satisfaction ; but when we came to the post-house, they placed me in Jj^^^^fo^'Ji a room as a prisoner, and the Cossack mounted guard nigut over me with his musket on his shoulder, keeping his eye constantly upon me. The gentleman also, whom, by his green velvet collar and cuffs, I took for an imperial officer, remained some time in the room. In half an hour the post-master, or whatever he might be, came to take a view of me, and hear the heroic exploit of my capture narrated. I had to pass the night under strict superintendence, on the wooden bench, without either blanket or cloak to cover me, and without food or drink; and if I only attempted to rise up from the bench, and walk a little up and down the room, the Cossack ordered me back, and desired me to remain quiet. Towards morning my effects were brought. I showed my papers, and was set at iiberty ; but instead of making any apology, my captors laughed in my fetce, and when I came out into the courtyard, all the people Contame- pointed their fingers at me, and joined in chorus. Oh, ^°'" reicaw you good Arabs, Turks, Persians, Hindoos, how safely did I pass through your heathen and infidel countries ; and here, in Christian Russia, how much have I lu.d to Buffer in this short space 1" fFB£ END. EI>IKBURaH : PRIMTED BT T. NKLSOM AMD BOKS. «>