PORTRAIT OF CAPTAIN nnrn:

.,____ :::_:,-::-:
_:::::;::
THE JOURNALS OF CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
ON HIS VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY
*
THE VOYAGE OF
THE ENDEAVOUR
q68-I77I
EDITED BY
J. C. BEAGLEHOLE
CAMBRIDGE
Published for the Hakluyt Sociery
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
I955
62]
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour
[February
Strong gales and dowdy, the remainder gentle breezes and clear
weather. PM set the topsail one reef out, a large swell from the sw.
TUESDAy 28th. Yllinds West to NW. Courses N I3 l'V. Distce sail'd in
miles 42. Latd in South 3933'30". Longd in West of Greenwich I 1038'.
The former part Little wind and fine clear weather, the air full as
warm as in the same degree of North Latitude at the correspondent
season of the year: the sw swell still keeps up notwithstand the gale
hath been over about thirty hours, a proof that there is no land near
in that quarter. The remainder part of this Day fresh breezes and
clear: at 9 am took three sets of Observations of the Sun and Moon
in order to find the Longitude of the Ship.
[MARCH I 769]
WEDNESDAy Ist. Winds WBS, NW. Courses N 76 W. Distce sail'd
in miles 52. Latd in South 3844'. Longd in YVest of Greenwich III
0
43'
Bearings at Noon C. Hom 60 E Distce 66o Leagues. First part fresh
breeze the remainder moderate breezes and clear weather.
1
The
result of the foremcntioncd Observations gives I I033' w. Longitude
from Greenwich and exactly agrees with the Longitude given by the
Log, from Cape Horn: this agreement of the tvvo Longitudes after a
Run of 66o Leagues is surpriseing and much more then could be
expected, but as it is so, it serves to prove as well as the repcted trials
we have made when the weather would permit, that we have had no
Current that hath affected the Ship Since we came into these Seas,
this must be a great sign that we have been near no land of any
c..xtent because near land arc generally found Currents: it is well
known that on the East side of the Continent in the North sea we meet
with Currents above IOO Leagues from the Land, and even in the
Middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and America are
always found Currents, and I can see no reason why currents
should not be found in this Sea Supposing a Continent or lands lay
not far west from us as some have immagine' d, and if such land was
ever seen we cannot be far from it, as we are now 560 Leagues West
of the Coast of Chili.'
l G 'E.-..:erciscd the People at Smo.ll Arms', and thus elsewhere. It appears the logs
that as the ship approached King George's hla.nd the men went. through then- weapon
drill fairly regularly.
2 This amount of westing is to be noticed. Cook had .:Urcady been for ten day:; beyond the
greatc..-st longitude reached by Wallis this yet Wallis h?-d been instruct,:d to get
west as far as possible as soon as posstble after J?assmg thc.Horn, m of the ::;outhern
Continent, and Cook a.t this stage was not at all. HlS inference that the
absence of currents argued against a continent is worthy ofn<?te. The currents observed
about 100 leagues from the land in the 'Korth sea' (the Atl:tntlC Ocean) rna.):' refer .to. the
Gulf Stream, which Cook would have crossed on his voyages to North Amenca.. Hi:; 1dea
I
I
l
- . ..L
March I769] MAKING NORTH-WEST
THURSDAY 2nd. Winds Wester{y. Courses NBW. Distce saitd in miles 87.
Latd in South 37"I9'. Langd in West of Greenwich I I2"5'. Former part
fresh gales and hazey with much rain, the remainder a Strong
fresh gale and pretty clear weather.
FRIDAY 3rd. Winds West, Calm. Courses N 17" E. Distce sail'd in miles
31. Latd in South 36 49'. Longd in West of Greenwich I I I '54'. First part
Moderate breezes, the remainder Calm and clear wr. AM Employ'd
filling salt water in the fore hold and airing all the spare sails.'
SATURDAY 4f.h. Winds Calm, NE, North. Courses N so' w. Distce
sail'd in miles 58. Latd in South 36I2'. Longd in West of Greenwich
I I250'. First part Calm, remainder a fine geode breeze and clear
weather. Variation per Azimuth and Ampd this Evening 2"26' East.
The sw swell still keep up not withstanding it hath been Calm 24
hours.
SUNDAy sth. Winds NWBN & NW. Courses s 8I '40' West. Distce
sail'd in miles 64. Latd in South s62I
1
Longd in West of Greenwich I I4 "g'.
First and latter parts fine clear weather, the Middle fresh gales and
hazey with rain. 2
MONDAY 6th. Winds NWBN to WNW. Courses S 57' W. Distce
sail'd in miles 20. Latd in South 3632'. Longd in West of Greenwich
I I430'. Moderate breezes and tolerable clear weather all this day,
the wind a little Variable which cause' d us to tack several times.
TUESDAY 7th. Winds NW. Courses S 64I5' W. Distce sail'd in miles 83.
Latd in South 378'. Longd in West of Greenwich II68'. A Moderate
Steady breeze and clear weather.
WEDNESDAY 8th. WindsNW, Varble. CourseJS 78' W. Distcesail'din
miles 76. Latd in South 3724'. Langd in West of Greenwich I I7' 4I '. The
first and middle parts Moderate breezes and Clowdy, the latter
Variable winds and much rain.
THURSDAY 9th. Winds SWBW to SBE. Courses N38o [W]. Distcesail'd
in miles I23- Latd in South 3547' Longd in West of Greenwich II9I8'.
First part Moderate and hazey with drizling rain, the remainder
Fresh breeze & Clear weather. Variation 4" 4I' East.
that the conSguration of lands round n.n ocean affects the direction of currents is currcct:
the trade wind currents, for example, diverge north and south against the eastern shores
of the continents. It was right therefore to suggest that if land existed in the southern
hemisphere its presence would be indicated by the deflection of the trade wind current.
1
' low7<d down the Skift Mr Banks went a Shooting in Her and brought bAck
fifty-three Bu-ds, one Albatross the rest of the Cary kind.'-Turnbull MS. Banks gives his
bag as 6g, besides jelly-fish, insects and a dead
:: 'Dry'd some of the Spare Sails and Tents that had got wet, by a leack (in] part
of the Sail Room near the Step of the Bowsprit.'-Turnbull MS.
voYAGE OF THE Endeaz.Jour [March
FRIDAY 1oth. Winds SE. Courses N 40' W. Distce sail"d in miles 121.
Latd in South 34'14'. Longd in West of Greenwich 120'54' Moderate
breezes and fine pleasent wcather.
1
SATURDAY IIth. Winds SE. Courses N 46'15' W. Distce sail'd in miles
I r6. Latd in South 32'54'. Longd in West of Greenwich 122'35'. A Steady
gale and fine weather. Variation 4 12' E.
2
SUNDAY 12th. Winds SE. Courses N 49' W. Distce sai/'d in miles 122.
Latd in South 3 I
0
34' Longd in West of Greenwich 124 25' D
0
Weather.
Variation 4'12' East, put the Ships Compney to three watches they
having been at watch and watch since our first arriaval upon the
Coast of Terra del Fucgo.
3
MONDAY 13th. Winds SE. Courses N 48'15' W. Distce sail' din miles 72.
Latd in South 30'46'. Longd in West of Greenwich 125'28'. First part a
Steady fresh gale, the remainder little wind and fine clear weather.
TUESDAY qth. Winds South, ESE, ENE. Courses N 50' W. Distce
sail'd in miles 47 Latd in South 3017'. Longd in West of Greenwich
12610'. Little wind and fine pleasant weather; at 3 pm took several
Observations of the Sun and 11oon, the mean result of which gave
126'zo'45" the Longitude of the Ship west of Greenwich, and is 47' of
Longitude west of Account carried on from Cape Hom.
4
1
G NB The Observed Latde is 10 :Miles to the Northward of the Log.'
" "Put the Ships Company to three Watches, & reeved the light Tacks and :sheets to the
Courses, Exercised the Seamen at small Arms.'-Turnbull MS. Wilkinson also notes the
three watches. Three watches, as already noted, was the normal practice in good sailing
conditions, as now with Cook and in the Atlantic till caution asserted itself as he made
iUrther south. W:illis appears to have adopted it earlier in his voyage, and Robertson his
master gives some of the philosophy of the matter: 'If the Seamen ar<;: with hard
Labour, and has not regular Meals and a proper time allowed them to rest, its impossible
for them to hould out long, hitherto we have keep the whole of our Ships Company at
three Watches. By this Means they did Duty only four hours upon Deck, and hade Eight
hours to rest below, which prevented them from lying down to Sleep upon Deck, as they
often do when they are kecpt at Watch and Watch, and not only neglects their duety but
frequently catches Great Colds which often Cost the poor unthinking brave fellovvs their
Livo:."S.'-Discovery ofT ahiti, pp. 38-g. Wallis appears in Robertson's journal as very careful
of the welfare of his 'people'. Cf. p. 35, n. 3 above.
3
In up the journal Cook got his entries for the 1 Ith and 12th mi.xcd. In his log,
Add. MS 279'55, March 11, he enters (2 p.m.) 'Moderate brcc-.t:e and fine pleasant weather'
as in the jourro.l for the toth, and goes on (6 p.m.) 'Put the Ships Compney to three
latitude and variation as in journal. March 12 begins ( 1 p.m.) 'A steady gale and
fine weather' ... (6 p.m.) 'Variation pr A.zimuths 4"23' E' (the journal is hence incorrect)
and ends {12 noon) 'A Ste:1dy breeze and clear weather Latd observed 3134' S'. But the
entrio:.-s in the log itself are headed Friday March 10, Friday March r 1, Monday (corrected
to Sunday?) March r2, Monday March 12 corrected to 13, and (rock to nonnal) Tuesday
March 14. G copies the log but reduces this chaos to order.
G adds to this, 'which is no great Error in so long a Run Even suppose the whole to
have risen since the last observations as seems most likely. I shall continue the LongUe by
Accot as usual without Correction.'-Prccautions were continued for the expected
ing "'-ith the islanders: 'AM got up and Mounted the Si.-.:: \Vaist Curu:'.-Turnbull MS.
They had, it v.ill be remembered, gone down to the hold for the passage round the Hom.
,,.
"""'-= - ""
'/
ISLES OF
.DISAPPOINTMENT
COOK'S TRACK IN THE
TUAMOTUS & SOCIETY ISLANDS
April-August 1769
' ..., c
. I
I. :Amanu. 0

...-... Pa.o I
.. _,;,v .. ,.i,r ' "''a J'
'(li''> I . '-1f,.
\:,i,vah.tn ----- ... .....
-+AJ/r::.,;van,tahi." ......
1
.
)f
":"ESTER'S

.Par/lOll
Lt1joon. I. JApr. . .....
. '
,
'
,
.....
I769]
TOWARDS TAHITI [65
WEDNESDAY I 5th. Winds ENE & ESE. Courses N 47I5' W. Distce
sail'd in miles 50. Latd in South 2943' Longd in West of Greenwich
I2653' Light breeze and clear weather. Variation pm 3'45' East,
D
0
am 322' E. Saw a Tropic Bird.'
THURSDAY I 6th. Winds ESE, SSE, SW. Courses NNW. Distce sail'd in
miles 34 Latd in South 2922'. Longd in West of Greenwich I2j
0
8'. Light
airs next to a Calm and clear weather. PM Variation by the mean
result of 2 I Azimuths r
0
30' E. This evening Observed an Occultation
of h by the - Immersion at h ' " and Emersion at h ' ". AM V ari. p'
several Azimuths 20' E.
FRIDAy I 7th. Winds SEBS. Courses N 20' W. Dis tee sail' din miles 55
Latd in South 2830'. Longd in YVest of Greenwich 12729' Little wind
and fine pleasent weather. Variation pm 3'27' E.
SATURDAY I8th. Winds NE, North. Courses N6045' W. Distce sail'd
in miles 78. Latd in South 2752'. Longd in J1..'est of Greenwich 128"44'.
First part little wind and Clowdy: latter fresh gales and hard Squalls
with much rain, tvvo reefs in the top sails.
SUNDAy I 9th. vVinds Between theN & West. Courses N 52 w. Distce
sail'd in miles 50. Latd in South 27"21'. Longd in West of Greenwich
I29'28'. First part fresh gales and Squally with rain, remainder More
Moderate & Clowdy. Variation AM p' Mean of several Azimuths
3I4' E. Loosed the 2"" reef out of the topsails.
MONDAY 2oth. Winds West. Courses North. Distce sail'd in miles 95
Latd in South 25'44'. Longd in West of Greenwich I29'28'. A fine breeze
and pleasent weather. Saw several Tropic Birds.
TUESDAY 2 rst. Winds WBN, Calm. Courses North. Dis tee sail' din miles
23. Latdin South 25'2I'. Longdin West of Greenwich I29'28'. First part
little wind the remainder Calm. Variation 3"43' E. Saw some rock
weed and a great many Tropic Birds.
WEDNESDAY 22nd. Winds NEE to NNW. Courses West. Distce sail'd in
miles 57 Latdin South 25'2I'. Longdin West of Greenwich I29'52'. First
part Calm in the night squally with rain, AM A fresh breeze and
Clowdy. Varn p' Amplitude 310' East. Saw some Egg Birds.'
1
Tropic or bo'sun birds. Phaiil.hon spp., are widdy distributed in low latitwJ.,s. of
both the Red-tailed (P. rubritau.da) and the VVb.ite-t:l.iled (P. kpturus) Tropic Birds occur
almost throughout the south west Po.cific.
a man of war & two Egg birds, these Last was Never seen by the Suuth Sea
Voyagers before more than 20 Leagues off the l...and.'--Molyneux. "The Eg:g bird o.
small white bird about the Size ofo. Pidgeon with a forked Tail it is remarkable for Laying
a La.rge Egg and is frequently seen near the low Islands in the south sea's. Th(: man of War
bd like wise (according to Dr Sobnder) is never known to rest on the water w that in all
Proability there is land very near this Place Especely as all the birds we saw this Day went
a way to the NW at The Egg bird was a tern, with the: voyagers any
c
66]
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [March
THURSDAY 23rd. Wind< NEW to vVEN. Courses Nrs' w. Distce
sail' d in miles 49 Latd in South 24' 43'. Longd in West of Greenwich
130'8'. Fresh gales and squally with rain the first part, the remainder
fresh gales and dowdy. PM Saw some men of war Birds
1
and Egg
Birds and in the Morning saw more Egg Birds and Tropic Birds. The
Man of War and Tropic Birds are pretty well known but the Egg
Bird (as it is call'd in the DolphinsJoumals) require some description
to know it by that name. It is a small slender Bird of the Gull kind
and all white,' and not much unlike the small white Gulls we have in
England, only not so big; there are also Birds in Newfoundland
call'd Stearings that are of the same shape and Bigness only they are
of a Greyish Colour. These Birds were call'd by the Dolphin Egg
Birds on account of their being like those known by that name by
Salors in the Gulph of Florida. Neither they nor the Men of War
Birds are ever reckoned to go very far from land.
FRIDAy 24th. Wind< WNW to NW. Courses NWEN!;;E. Distcesail'd in
miles 99 Latd in South 03'23'. Longd in West of Greenwich I292'. Fresh
gales and Clowdy, with some rain in the fore part of this day. All the
Fore part of these 24 hours the Sea was Smooth but at I 2 at night it
was more so, and about 3 in the Morning one of the People saw or
thought he saw a Log of wood pass the Ship; this made us think we
were ncar some land, but at Day light we saw not the least appear-
enccs of any and I did not think my self at liberty to spend time in
searching for what I was not sure to find,' altho I thought my self
tern which was observed to breed in colonies, but more particularly the Wideawake or
Sooty Tern, Stemo.fuscata. The terns commonly found her: are Cygis alba
candida (the White Tern) :mdSkmadougalli (the Roseate Tern); on the preYJ.ou_s
noted small white terns with roseate beaks which were probably the b.tter speoes. Stcanng
(ne..xt entry) is an old n:une for the Arctic Tern. . . . . .
1 Man of war or frigate bird, Fr(gata sp., one of the larger se:1Hbrrds, w1th a distmcnve
forked t:lil.
2 Possibly the White Tern.
3 'I did not think mv self at liberty to spend time in searching for wlut I was not sure to
find': this w::LS a passage that, incorporated in Hawkesworth, roused Dalrymple's fU9' (set:
his Lett.a) and convinced him of Cook's inefficiency :lS :U: explorer. To a p1ecc of
land discovered by Quiros, the arch-prophet of the contment, seemed Ptm:e blasphemy.
The point of Cook's remark was, of course, that for the first purpose of his voyage, the
observation of the Tra.nsit he had a time-table to stick to: he W::LS to beat George's Island
'at least a month or six before 3]une-and he was certainly notjus_t then liberty'
to embark on an independent programme. As?- :rn.::tter offa:t, on 9 April foP,owmg Cook
did sight one of the 'Islands discover'd by Qurros m 16o6, if Anaa or C?::un
indeed that island called by Quiros Conversion de San Pablo, as seems lik<;}y. Cook, like
Quiros, was hardly able to avoid the Tu:unotus, and was now north eastern out-
riders. Dalrymple was not convinced by the argument of shortness of tmJ.e, and returned
to the cb.rge (with capital letters) in his Obs(TVations. Cook uses the identical more
than once in the journal of his second voyage-e.g. 31 May 1775: 'The truth 1S I was
unwilling to prolong the pass::Lge in searching for what I. was not sure to f!nd_, no.r v.-as I
willing to give up every object which might tend to the J.t?-provement, ofNaVlgatJ.o.n and
Geography for the sake of geting home a. Week ?r a fo:trught sooner. In fact he liked a
re:l!>Ono.ble balance of objectives, and he d1d not hke a wild-goose cluse.
WILLIAM GREENSLADE
not far from those Islands discover' d by Quiros in I 6o6 and very
probable we were not, from the Birds &ca we have seen for these 2 or
3 days past.
SATURDAY 25th. Wind< NWBN to WEN. Courses Distce sail'd
in miles 95 Latd in South 2211'. Longd in West of GreeTUJJich I2755'
First part Dark Clowdy weather with rain and a fresh breeze of wind,
the remainder fair and Clowdy.
1
SUNDAY 26th. Wind< NW toW. Longd in West of Greenwich I2743'
Squally weather with rain. A 5 pm Saw some Sea Weed pass the
Ship, and at 7 Wm Greenslade Marine either by Accident or design
went over board and was drownded; the following circumstances
makes it appear as tho it was done designedly, he had been Centinal
at the Stearage door between I2 and 4 oClock where he had taken
part of a Seal Skin put under his charge which was found upon him,
the other Marines thought themselves hurt by one of their party
commiting a crime of this Nature,' and he being a raw young fellow,
and as very probable made him resolve upon commiting this rash
action; for the Sergant, not being willing that it should pass over
unknown to me, was about 7 oClock going to bring him aft to have
it inqured into when he gave him the Slip between decks and was
seen go upon the Fore Castle, and from that time was seen no more.
I was niether made acquainted with the Theft or the circumstances
attending it until! the Man was gone.
MONDAY 27th. Wind< Varble. Courses N!;;E. Distce sail'd in miles 30.
Latd in South 2I
0
2'. Longd in West of Greenwich 12738'. Variable winds
and Weather with frequent showers ofrain.' At Noon saw a Bird like
aGannet.
4
TUESDAY 28th. Wind< West to SSW. Courses NNW. Distce sail'd in
miles 37 Latd in South 2028'. Logd in West of Greenwich I2750'. Little
wind and Clowdy. Variation per Ampd 3'56' East.
WEDNESDAY 29th. Wind< Easter!J. Courses N 75 W. Distce sail'd
in miles 55 Latd in South 20I4' Longd in West of Greenwich I28o45'.
1
'all the wine e..xpended, began to serve Grog.' ---Green.
2
They 'painted it in such Colours' says Cook in Add. MS 27955; 'stood up for the
honour of their Core 13 in number so highlytha.t before night, for thishapncd at noon, they
drove the young fellow almost mad', says Banks. 'He was a very young man scarce 2t
years of age, remarkably quiet & industrious ... .' There is a stroke of poignancy about
this incident which carries over the intervening years; and it casts some light on ship-
board psychology.
3 'Its Remmark:l.ble that the Dolphin in both her Voyages in this Longitude and nearly
the same LatdtJ E.xpearenccd the same V :triable \Veather as we do now-this together
with the Circum:;tances of weed Logg of wood and smoothness of the Water lately Obs'd
makes me conclude that there is land near this Place.' -Pickersgill.
' Gannets of tropical seas are usually known as boobies since they are trustful of the
human race and easily captured. Several species occur in these seas.
68] VOYAGE OF THE Endear.our [March
Little v.rind and dowdy weather. Variation pr Az. 2.
0
27' E. Saw a
Bird like a Dove' and several fish about the Ship. Empd worming' the
best bower Cable, repairing and painting the Boats.
THURSDAy soth. Winds Calm, Varble, SSE. Courses N 40 w. Distce
sail'd in miles 53 Latd in South I934' Longd in vVest of Greenwich
I2927'. First part Calm and close Clowdy weather, in the night had
variable v ..rinds and weather Vv1.th rain. AM Gentle breezes and
Clowdy wear. Between 10 and r 1 A.\1 took several Obsern of the Sun
and Moon, the mean result of them gave the Longitude of the Ship
at Noon to be I2738' and is I
0
49' E of the Longitude given by the
Log, but on the I4'" Inst. the Ship by Observation was 47' West of
the Log, therefore she must have lost 236' of the Log since the last
Observations. An error too great to be accounted for.
FRIDAY srst. Vflinds South. Courses }{7545' J1l. Distcc sail'd in miles
I I 1. Latd in South I9'7' Langd in West of Greenwich I3I
0
2I'. A Steady
breeze and fine pleasent weather . .AM: took several Observations of
the Sun and Moon, the mean result of them came within 8 Miles of
yesterdays Obser"' computed both by M< Green and my self, and
yet I cannot think so great an error can have been comroited in the
Ships run in so short a time as these observations seem to point out
and therefore I shall abide by the Longitude given by the Log, unless
from subcequent Observations this error should be found to bejust.
3
[APRIL 1769]
SATURDAY xst. VVinds SE to E!N. Courses J.Vest. Distce sail'd in miles
I22. Latd in South I9'7' Langd i; West of Greenwich I3328'. A Steady
fresh Trade and fine weather. Variation per Several Azimuth 232'
East.
SUNDAY 2nd. VVinds East.

W. Distcesail'dinmiles uS.
Latd in South I9'o'. Longd in West of I35'33'. A fresh
wind and fine pleasent weather. At Noon saw a large flock of Birds,
they had brown backs and white bellies, they fly and make a noise
like Stearings and are shaped like them only some thing larger.'
1
Unidentifiable.
2
To worm a cable is to wind or sma.ll rope spir:illy round it so :lS to fill the
:=;r()OVCS between the and make its surface smooth.

3
The cakub.tions in G give a mean of 12927'5" VV of Greenwich. 'NB The Mean
result Computed by Mr Green from his own Distances is 12923'30" Wt.' Cook the scrupu-
lous here notes abo that the observed variation was doubtful, :lS the compOlSS did not
stand in its usual pbcc.
86Z. In the MS the! is blotted, but whether the blot is intended for a deletion
or merdy accidtntal is uncertain. Cook generally deletes with a stroke.
... saw a flock of birds of a brown Cou\our making a Cbrriping like Sterlings.'-
Pickersgill. Cook seems to be describing Sterno.fuscata, the Wideaw:l.k.e or Sooty Tern.
April I 769] LAGOON ISLAND [69
Saw likewise some black sheer waters
1
and several Men of War
Birds.'
MONDAY yd. Winds East. Courses N8245' W. Distce sail'd in miles
IIO. Latd in South I846'. Langd in West of Greenwich I3729' First and
latter part a Steady fresh breeze and dowdy, the Middle sometimes
Squally with rain at other times little wind. PM saw two Birds like
Albatrosses, they were all white e:<cept the Tip of their wings and
tails.'
TUESDAY 4th. Winds E, EBS. Courses N88" W. Distce sail'd in miles
"4 Latd in South I8'42'. Langd in West of Greenwich I39'29'. A
Steady fresh Trade and clear weather. At } past IO AM saw land'
bearing South distant 3 or 4 Leagues; hauld up for it and soon
found it to be an Island of about ':2 in circuit and of an Oval
form with a Lagoon in the Middle for which I named it Lagoon
Island.' The border of land circumscribing this Lagoon is in many
places very low and narrow particularly on the South side where
it is mostly a beach or Reef of Rocks, it is the same on the North' in
three places and these disjoins the firm land and makes it appear like
so many Islands cover'd with Wood. On the west end of the Island
is a large tree which we took for a tree' that looks like a
Large Tower-and about the Middle of the Island are two Cocoa-
nut trees that appear above all the other wood, which as we
approche'd the Island look'd very much like a flag.' Weapproach'd the
north side of this Island within a Mile and found no bottom with a
I 30 fathom of line nor did there appear to be any Anchorage about
it. We saw several of the Inhabitants, the Most of them Men and
1
Either the Christmas Sheai"Nater, Pu.ifinus natWitatis, which breeds at th\' Tuamotu and
other Pacific islands, or the Sooty Shearwater, Pr.if]inus griseus, which at that time of the
year would be flying north on mig-ration.
=Probably Frcga.ta minM palmcrstoni, the Great Friga.te Bird.
3
These are more likely to ha.ve been gannets than albatrosses; probably the sort known
as faced or Masked Boobies, Sula dattylatra per-sonata.
... at I x AM Peter Brisco ser..ent to Mr Banks (to yc Honour of Y' zd watch which
was then upon deck) Discoverd the Land to the Sov.rard.'-Piekersgill. Apparently Banks's
shared in the ship's duties.
t. Vahit.:l.b.i, t8 43'S, 138 54' W. ' ... at! Past I PM brought too the middle of the
Isld (which is Called Lagoon I:;ld) SSW Diste'! 2 Miles Sounded no Ground fm of
Line saw several Inhabitants on the Shore at ! Past bore awav a.nd md Sail. This Isld
has a Large l.:Lgoon in the middle from whence it Takes its xla.me it is about 3 miles
in Length lying ESE & \VNW on the So end is a grove of Cocoa nutt Trees und!:"r
which we saw some Nutts and Inhabitant:< &ca Bent the best bower Cable'-Pickersgill,
5 April. For this island and those mentioned on pp. 7o-2 see Chart IV.
G M side inserted by Cook after North.
' a large tru: ... Tower in the MS Cook leaves blank the name of the tree. M which looks
like a large Tower, the words in the text having been deleted ::md large added by Cook. A
a la:rge tree or clump of Trees, Cook deleting the words wiW:h we took for a and adding an s to
the second tree.
8
Presumably the great fronds were streaming out in the strong trade wind.
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
these March' d along the shore abreast of the Ship with long clubs
in their hands as tho they ment to oppose our landing, they were all
naked except their privy parts and were of a dark Coper colour with
long black hair, but upon our leaving the Island some of them were
seen to put on a covering and one or -rnro we saw in the skirts of the
Wood was cloathd in white, these we supposed to be Women. This
Island lies in the Latitude of r847' and Longd r39'28' West from
the Meridian ofGrcenvvich. Variation :254' East.
WEDNESDAY sth. Winds Et. Courses N77'30' fVest. Distce sail'd in
miles 79 Latd in South !825' !Angd in West of Greenwich 140'51'. A
fresh steady gale and fine weather. At r pm made sail to the west-
ward and at half past 3 saw land to the NW which we got up with at
sun set, it prov'd to be a low woody Island of a circular form and not
much above a Mile in Compass.' This Island I call'd Thrum Cap, it
lies in the Latitude of r8'35' sand in the Longitude of 139'48' West
from Greenwich, and North 62 West 7 Leagues from Lagoon
Island. We saw no Inhabitants nor the appearence of any and yet
we were within half a l\file of the Shore.' I observed by the shore that
it was ncar Low-water, and at Lagoon Island I observed that it was
either High-water or else there was no Ebing and flowing of the sea
-from these circumstances I infer that a SBE or South Moon makes
High-water. Here ,.,.e caught a King Fish
3
being the :first fish we have
got in those Seas.
THURSDAY 6th. Winds East. Courses N 85 W. Distce sail' din miles 94-
Latd in South r 8 r 9'. Longd in !Vest of Greenwich 142'29'. A fresh Trade
and fine pleasent Weather. At 3 pm saw land to the westward
which prov'd to be an Island of about 12 or 15 Leagues in Compass,
is very low and intirely d[r]own'd in the Middle forming there a
Large Lake into which their appear' d to be no inlet; the border of
land and Reef surrounding this Lake like a wall appear'd to be of a
1
Aki .>\ki., 23 miles \\"N\V ofVahitahi. It was Bougainvillc's Isle des .Lancicrs.
... ;;.t! Post 3 sa.w an_Isid is call'd Thrum cap) No distance x! M.ilcs This
Last lsld lS very and lS nea.rly C1rcub.r we saw no Appearence of Inh:lbitants nor
ho.s the_Isld any Cocoa nutt Trees on it which I take to be a general Sign of these low
hid:! bemg People'd or visited by the Inhabitants of the ones o.s these nutts
ar.e the Only Food of the People ':"ho come to those Islilil a tishing the only Use they but
[su] Places too-nea.r the rruddle is a fine grO\"C of tall spreading Trees which gradu-
ally declmcs as they grow nearer to the of the Isld where it Terminates in some low
its Singular and rema.rkable Appearence the Capt gave it its name.'-
PickcrsgilL or <;nds of thread all over a piece of cloth would give it a shaggy
su;face (to thrum m nautical parlance was to fasten bunches of rope-yam over a mat or
s:ul to produc;:e s'-:ch a shaggy surface. to prevent chafing or stop a leak) so that we see in
Cook a cert:lJl?- gift for metaphor. A few days l.a.tcr he was to find 'Omaburg bland' like
a h;J.t. \\'e are mdebted to Pickersg:ill for light on the origin of this particular name.
Acanthocybiwr1 solan.dn", ;J. widely distributed pelagic fish. Its fle>h is rich and good to
cat. Parkinson drew it.
ISLAND UPON ISLAND
(7 I
Bow-like figure, for which reason I named it Bow Island' the South
side a long which we saild was one continued low beach or
Reef like a causeway for 4 Leagues and upwards and lies EBN
WBS. The East and west ends and North side of this Island are
wooded in Groves, and the firm land appcar'd disjoind and like a
number of Islands and very probably is so. The North-west parts
of the Island we only saw a Cross the Lake and not very distinct on
account of its great e.xtent, and night coming on before we had run
the whole length of the Island, this discription must be imperfect and
the w!'10le Island may form a different figure to what I have here
descr:bed. The East End lies in the Latitude of r8o23' South and
Longitude 141!2' West from Greenwich. Variation 538' East.
This Island is Inhabited, we not only saw smook in different parts
but people also. At Noon Saw Land to the westward.
FRIDAY 7th. Winds East. Courses N 66 W. Distce sail'd in miles 66.
Latd in South 1748'. Mngd in West of Greenwich 14331'. Fresh gales
and Clowdy. At !i past 2 pm got up with the East end of the land
seen at Noon, and which prov'd to be an Assemblage of
JOm d together by Reefs, and e.xtending themselves NWBN &
SEBS m length 8 or 9 Leagues and of various breadths, but there
appeard to be a total seperation in the Mid[dl]e by a Channell of
half a M1le broad, and on this account they are c:allcd the Two
Groups. The SEermost of them lies in the Latitude r8"r2' and Longi-
tude of I42 42' west from Greenwich and wEN distant 25 Leagues
from the west end of Bow Island. We ranged along the sw side of
these Islands and hauld into a Bay which lies to the NW of the
Southermost point of them, and where there appear' d to be anchora(Te
and the Sea was smooth and not much surf on the shore, but :e
found no ground with roo fathoms of a Mile from the Shore and
nearer we did not go. Here several of the Inhabitants assembled
together with their Canoes with a design as we thought to come off
to us as they hauld_ of them over the reef seemingly for that pur-
pose, but after wrutmg near half an hour and they not attempting
to come off we bore away and made sail, and presently a Canoe put

1
Hao, 18" 26'S, 140" 4;3' yv. Bougainvillc, who also sighted it, called it La Harpe from
Its shape. HM _and was also called Hao-rangi or 'Encircling sky'. Bow
Island was Cooks second ch01ce: m Add. MS 27955 he first writes 'I have named it Lake
:Wand _on large lake in the Middle: it appem; to have been first discovet'd
by Qwros m 16o6; and then, perhaps reflecting that he alreadv had a Lagoon Island
?eleted and altered the passage to read 'Bow Island on account o(its figure'. Quiros.
mg from t:he south?t past Ma.rutea and the Actaeon group, seems to have Nengo
Ncngo _(his San _Miguel) not fa.r to the south-west ofHao, but to have missed that island
out of SJ.ght on his north.
2
The more northern group is Marokau, the southern Rav::U1crc ;J.bout miles
ofHao. ' J
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
off after us, but as \VC did not stop they soon went back again. They
were in all respects like those we had seen on Lagoon Island and
arm' d with clubs and Long pikes like them.
At t past 6 AM, saw a small Island to the northward, hauld our
wind for it and soon got close in with it. It is about 3 or 4 Miles in
circuit and very low with a pond in the middle, there is some wood
upon it but no Inhabitants but birds and for this reason is call'd Bird
Island.' It lies in the Lat. 17'48' and Long" 143'35' wand wiN 10
Leagu[ e Js from the West end of the two Groups; the Birds we saw
were Men of war Birds and several other sorts.
SATURDAY 8th. Winds EBS & East. Courses N 87' Wt. Distce sail'd in
miles 100. Latd in South 17'43'. Longd in West of Greenwich 14516'.
Fresh Trade and pleascnt weather, but about noon had a few flying
shov ..crs of rain. Varn 632' East.
sUNDAY gth. Winds EBN to NEE. Courses West, Northerly. Distce sail'd
in miles 81. Lotd in South 17 42'. Longd in West of Greenwich 14640'. A
Steady fresh gale and pleasent weather. At 2 pm Saw Land to the
northward, haul' d up for it and found it to be a double range of low
woody Islands join'd together by reefS by which means they make
one Island in form of an Ellipsis or Oval, in the Middle of which is a
Salt water lake; the small Islands and reefs circumscribe or bound
this lake like a Chain it is therefore call'd Chain Island,' it is in length
NW & SE about 5 Leagues and in breadth about 5 Miles. The middle
of it lies in the Latitude of 1723' sand Longitude 145'54' West, and
WBN 45 Leagues from Bird Island. Variation per Several Azths 42 54'
E.
MONDAY 1oth. Winds NNW, Varble, NWBN. Courses S 13o W. Distce
sail'd in miles 67. Latd in South 18'. Longd in West of Greenwich 14747'.
Bearings at Noon Osnaburg Island NBWHW] Distt 5 Leagues. PM
Moderate breezes and dowdy, in the Night Dark dowdy unsettled
weather with very much Thunder Lightning and rain. AM Little
and fair. PM Varia. per Serveral Azth 541' E. At 8 AM saw Osnaburg
Island," (so call'd by Cap' Wallis the first diseovrer) bearing NWBW
Distant 4 or 5 Lea,oues. It is a high round Island and appears not to
be above a League in circuit, and when it bears as above it looks like
I Reitoru, I7 so'S, 143 os' Vl. Anaa, I7"' 21'S, I-t-5'- 3 t' v.;_
Mehcti:L or M:Utea., 1 7'' 54'S, 148 02' W. Boug::Unville had C:J.lled it.U Boudoir. There
is on the modern chart another isl:md, MururO!I., with the secondary name Osnaburg,
south-west of the Actaeon group of the ea.stern Tuamotus-Carteret's Bishop of Osna-
burgh's Isbnd. Cook's English predecessors were more notable for loyalty to the house of
Hanover than for romance in their choice of names. Both were thus cclebrnting George
III's second son, Frederick Augustus (r763-1827), who , ... ;'aS elected to the bishopric of
Osnaburg at the age ofsi."< months. He was :Uterwards also Duke ofYork.
q6g] ARRIVAL AT TAHITI
[73
a high erown'd Hatt, but when it bears north the Top is more like
the roof of a House. It lies in the Latd of 1748' South and Longd
14810' West, and WBS 44 Leagues from Chain Island.
TUESDAY 11th. Winds Varble. Courses N 66o W. Distce sail' din miles 54
Latd in South 17'38'. Longd in West of Greenwich 148o39'. Bearings at
Noon Osnaburg Island E!iS Distce 13 Leagues. First part little wind and
dowdy, the remainder Little wind and very Variable unsettled
weather with some rain. PM Took several Observations of the Sun and
Moon which gave the Longd of the Ship to be 14818' wand differs
but litt:e from that given by the Log. At 6 AM Saw King Georges Island
extcndmg from WBS-js to WBN-jN it appear'd very high and Moun-
tainous.1
WEDNESDAy 12th. vVinds Do. Courses West. Distce sail'd in miles !8.
Latd in South 1738'. Longd in West of Greenwich 14858'. Bearings at
Noon King Georges Island from South to WEN Distce 5 Leaaues. Variable
light airs all these 24 hours and hot sultry weather. At 5 PM King
Georges extending from NWBW to sw Distant 6 or 7 Leagues,
and at 6 AM 1t bore from ssw to VVBN. Being little wind and calm
several of the Natives came off to us in their Canoes, but more to look
at us then any thing else we could not prevail with any of them to come
on board and some would not come near the Ship.::
THURSDAY 13th. Winds Easterly. At Anchor in Roy! Bay Georges Island.'
The first part Clowdy and Squally with Showers of rain the re-
mainder Gentle Breezes and clear weather. At 4 pm the NE Point of
Royal Bay w-jN. Run under an easy Sail all night and had soundings
from 22 to 12 fm 2 or 3 Miles from the Shore. At 5 AM Made Sail for
the Bayand at 7 Anchor'd in 13 fathom.'
1
Banks's note on IO April, civil reckoning, would apply to this dav. He was of course
up the masthead, looking in vain for Ta.b.iti in a cloudy sunset: 'As sOon as I came down
a shark att the stern attackd the net in which tomorrows dinner was towing to freshen
hookd & took him just as it became dark.' The period of this sort of dinner was
mg to a close.
= G adds to this, 'they brought with them Cocoa Nuts & a Fruit very much like a I:.:u-g:e
Aple, but did not Eat half so good
7
for these we gave them Beads &cn.'-They 'brought
Wlth them a Green Boug:h & Calling out Tw Tw.' -Bootie. T aio meant friend or was
rath:r w:u:ner. We learn from Clerke that this d:ly So.mucl Jones received lashes
for disobedience.
3
A the ship's positio_n, S, .14930' W, Cook's position for Point Venus.
According to modem reckorung, this posltion was correct e.xcept that the longitude is
14929'. See Charts VII, VIII, and Fig. ::!6. '
'G reads, 'Mad<: Sail for the Bay, at 6 hoisted out the Pinnace & sent her a Head to lay
on the Shoal tha.t 1S at the Entrance of the Bay'-i.e. the underwater reef on which the
Dolphin r:lfl 'Dolphins on his cha:t of Matavai the point where
Dolphm stuck lS still Dolphin Rock. Parkinson (p. I 3) gJ.ves us a first impres-
SiOn of the country, on entenng Port Royal harbour, called by the natives Owarrowarrow'.
:The l.and appeared as uneven a:' a piece of crumpled paper, being divided irregularlY
mto hills and valleys; but a beautiful verdure covered both, even to the tops of the highest
74) VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
At this time we had but a very few men upon the Sick list and
these had but slite complaints, the Ships compney had in general
been very healthy owing in a great measure to the Sour krout,
Portable Soup and Malt; the two first were serve' d to the People, the
one on Beef Days and the other on Banyan Days,
1
Wort was made of
the Malt and at the discrition of the Surgeon given to every man that
had the least symptoms of Scurvy upon him, by this Means and the
care and Vigilance of Mr Munkhous the Surgeon this disease was
prevented from gcting a footing in the Ship. The Sour Krout the Men
at first would not eate untill I put in pratice a Method I never once
knew to fail with seamen, and this was to have some of it drcss'd
every Day for the Cabbin Table; and perr:Utted all th? Officers
without exception to make use of 1t and left 1t to the opuon of th_e
Men either to take as much as they pleased or none atall; but this
pratice was not continued above a week before I found it necessary to
put every one on board to an Allowance, for such are the Tempers
and disposissions of Seamen in general that whatever you them
out of the Common way, altho it be ever so much for their good yet
it will not down with them and you will hear nothing but mur-
murings the man that first invented it; but the Moment
see their Superiors set a Value upon it, it becomes the finest stuff m
the World and the inventer an honest fellow.'
Remarkable Occurrences at Georges Island
Note. The way of reckoning the Day in Sea Journals is from Noon to
Noon but as the Most material transactions at this Island must
in the Day time this me:hod will be attended with ilcon-
veniences in inserting the transactJ.ons of each Day; for this reason I
shall during our stay at this Island but no longer reckon the day
according to the civil account, that is to begin and end at midnight.
peaks'; and the crumpled paper is .a good on:. How to for h. is name
for the harbour one does not qwte know; the Tahinans called 1t Matava1, face of the
water'. The no.me for Point Venus was Te-auroa ('long handle'), and this could con-
ceivably be tortured into Parkinson's rendering. .
1 In the navy, meatlos days, from the original meaning of Banian, .a Hindu
veget:uia.n) tr.adcr. .
'::.Cook first writes a domn'd h.oMslfellow, and then deletes. He makes t?e
in M. A the irwen.Ur accMdin!! to duir phras an honert fi_llow, an
insertion of the extra. words. Robertson (p. 38) also nouced this conscrv:ltwn:
;ill the Ships Company was Orderd Ground Wheat for Breakfast, Wlth a Quannty of
Wild Cellery cut down amongst it, and four pound Soop: This excd-
lent Good Meal.l, but several of the Se:unen Complamd that they did not think fitt to
Ea._te, bu;: they were soon convinced that it wru; Good for them and all turnd exCCSSJ.ve fond
of1t ....
I 769) RULES TO BE OBSERVED
[75
We had no sooner come to an Anchor in Royal Bay as before
Mentioned than a great number of the natives in their Canoes came
off to the Ship and brought with them Cocoa-nuts &c and these
they seem'd to set a great Value upon. Amongcst those that came
off to the Ship was an elderly Man whose name is Owhaa,' him the
Gentlemen that had been here before in the Dolphin' knew and had
often spoke of him as one that had been of service to them, this man
(together with some others) I took on board, and made much of him
thinking that he might on some occasion be of usc to us. As our stay
at this place was not likly to be very Short, I thought it very necessary
that some order Should be Observed in Trafficing with the Natives:
that such Mcrchantdize as we had on board for that purpose might
continue to bear a proper value, and not leave it to every ones own
particular fancy which could not fail to bring on confucian and
quarels between us and the Natives, and would infallible lesen the
Value of such Articles as we had to Traffic with: in order to prevent
this the following Rules were orderd to be observed, viz.
RULES to be observe'd by every person in or belonging to His Majestys Bark
the Endevour, for the better establishing a regular and uniform Trade for
Provisions &c with the Inhabitants of Georges Island.'
I'' To endeavour by every fair means to cultivate a friendship with the Natives
and Ui treat them with all imaginable humanity.
2d A proper person or persons will be appointed to trade with the Natives for
all manner of Provisions, Fruit, and other productions of the earth; and no
officer or Seaman, or other person belonging to the Ship, excepting such as are so
appointed, shall Trade or offer to Trade for any sort of Provisions, Fruit, or
other productions of the earth unless they have my leave so to do.
3d Every person employ' d a Shore on any duty what soever is strictly to attend
to the same, and if by neglect he looseth any of his Arms or woorking wols, or
suffers them to be stole, the full Value thereof will be charge' d againest his pay
according to the Cuswm of the Naoy in such cases, and he shall recive such
farther punishment as the nature of the offence may deserve.
4th The same penalty will be inflicted on every person wlw is found to im-
bezzle, trade or offer to trade with any part of the Ships Stores of what
nature soever.
1
Henry (Ancient Tahiti, p. 15) tr;msliterates this but it might possibly
be rendered Fa or Fao.. In M Cook inserts it in a blank :;pace wherever it como in the text.
Wallis's relations with owh:L=L' are described by Robertson, pp. 1 7 5
2
M has the three words in the Dolphin deleted by Cook.
3
These rules are to be compared with Lord Morton's 'Hints offered to the consideration
of Captain Cooke' etc. of I o August 1768, and with Cook's draft; for which see Appendices
II, III.
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
5th No Sort of Iron, or any thing that is made of Iron, or any sort of Cloth or
other usefull or necessary articles are to be given in exchange for any thing but
provisions.
]. c.
As soon as the Ship was properly secure' d I went on Shore accom-
panied by M' Banks and the other gentlemen, with a party of Men
under arms, we took along with us Owhaa who conducted us to the
place where the Dolphin water' d,' and made signs to us as well as we
could understand that we might occupy that ground but it happen'd
not to be fit for our purpose. No one of the Natives made the least
opposission at our landing but came to us with all imaginable marks
of friendship and submission. We afterwards made a circuit through
the Woods, and then came on board. We did not find the Inhabitants
to be numerous and therefore at first imagincd
2
that several of them
had fled from their habitations upon our arrival in the Bay but Mr
Gore & some others who had been here before observ' d that a very
great revolution must have happen' d-not near the number of
inhabitants a great number of houses raiz'd, har[ d]ly a vestage
of some to be seen particularly what was call'd the Queens and not
so much as a Hog or Fowl was to be seen-no very agreeable dis-
covery to us whose Ideas of plenty upon our arrival at this Island
(from the report of the Dolphin) was carried to the very highest
pitch.'
l This was oppo:>ite the Dolphin's :mchorage, .:.t little farther down the than the
Endeaoour, SW towards Mount Taharao. (Cook's One Tree Hill and Robertson's Slcirmi:;h
Hill). \Vallis say:; 1767) it was ncar the upper end of the harbour (i.e.
Point Venus), 'opposite a fine river', .:.t cable's length :lll.d a half from the shore and more
than tv.'o from the reef, half a mile from the upper part of the bay. The 'fine river' must
have been the V aipopoo where it ran alongside the beach, though a brook came down
independently to the bc:1chjust north-east ofT:.ilia.raa. A chart by Robertson (?),Hydro-
graphic Department A 191/7, and :lll.other in the same collection by Benjamin Butler,
master's mate in the Dolphin, A rgt /8, mark the watering place.
2
AM nwnerous and we imagined (G omits we). In the :MS Cook v.rrote thus, but deleted w
(for we) :lll.d added interlineally therefore at .first.
:r. AMG ;ill omit the words from but M.,. Gore to the end of the entry. In the MS Cook
first similarly finishes the sentence at Bay, but then add:> and not so m:ah as a Hog &c. The
words but M.,. Core ... the Queens are a further addition in the m.a.rgin. Gore writes:
'I now expected to see the Natives come off in their Canoes and among them some of our
Old Acqua.i.nunces, but was disappointed in all except one, who is a M:lll. that first cntcr'd
amongst the Dolphin's people after their Skirmish. He ever after whilst the Dolphin
stay'd us'd to be with her Trading Party and was known by the Na.me of the Old Man.'
[They landed on the east part of the bay.] '\1/e then went into the woods (groves of fruit
trees) where allmost everything was a.lter'd for the worse since I was here in the Dolphin.
For instance of a number of .fine houses dispcrs'd .::unong the Tree-s, In.h:l.bita.nts of
the Better Sort (some of them Old Acquaintances), a number of Large Canoes Lying
round the Bay in Sheds and others Building among the Trees, Together with several
images of 4 :lll.d 5 men st:mding on each others shoulders in one piece, Hogs and Fowls
about the Houses: instead of all thls found a few Temporary Huttes with a few of the
inferior sort of the inhabitants who seem'd to be looking after their masters property. In
q6g]
:MATAVAl BAY
t_ ___ .J''-' ____
']i.,'!Jhu
/{.:lm4J j_twn. by "W.zlt.:. pi..J.aJ.
"'
-+
MATAVAI BAY
[77
'
f
FRIDAY A pl. 14th. This morning we had a great many Canoes
about the Ship, the Most of them came from the westward' but
brought nothing with them but a few Cocoa-nuts &c. Two that
appear' d to be Chiefs we had on board together with several others
for it was a hard matter to keep them out of the Ship as they clime
like Munkeys, but it was still harder to keep them from Stealing but
every thing that came within their reach, in this they are prodiges
C>.'jlert.
2
I made each of the two Chiefs a present of a Hatchet things
that they seem'd mostly to Value. As soon as we had partly got
clear of these people, I took two Boats and went to the Westward all
the Gentlemen being along with me, my design was to see if there
several places where there had been fine houses we found a field of the Cloth Plant in
othc:rs no thin? but grass and some of the Pillars of the Houses remaining. Many of 'the
Na.nves _seem d of us :lll.d few would come near ... .'-Sec also Molyneux in
Appendix IV. Wilkinson ( I4 April): ... we Observe that they a. mongst them .an
Ich or Yaws & on Account of this we Imagine the Principle People have
Ab:lll.don'd the Pla.cc.'
1
Probably from the adjoining districts of Arue and Pare; Wilkinson s:1y:; 'from great
C:l.l1oe Bay' (seep. 78, n. t below).
::Parkinson, who did not ha.ve his pocket picked, says (p. 1.1-), 'I nev<.-r beheld statelier
men'.
78) VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
was not a more comm[ o ]dious Harbour and to try the disposission of
the Natives having along with us the two Chiefs above mentioned:
the first place we landed at was in Great Canoe (so call'd by
Cap' Wallis) here the Natives Flock'd about us m great Numbers and
in as friendly a Manner as we could wish, only that they shew' d a
great inclination to pick our pockets. We were conducted to a Chief
who for distinction sake we call'd Hercules,' after staying a Short time
with him and a few presents about us, we proceeded
" .
further and came to a Chief who I shall call Lycurgus, this Man
entertain'd us with Broil'd fish Bread fruit Cocoa-nuts &c with great
hospitality, and all the time took great care to tell us to take care of
our pockets, as a great number of people had crowded about us.
Notwithstanding the care we took Dr Solander and Dr Munkhouse
had each of them their pockets pick'd the one of his spy glass and the
other of his snuff Box, as soon as Lycurgus was made acquainted
.... the theift he disperse'd the people in a Moment and the method
he made use of was to lay hold of the first thing that came in his way
and throw it at them and happy was he or she that could get first out
of his way; he secm'd very much concern'd for what had happend
and by way ofrecompcnce offer'd us but every thing that was in his
House, but we refuse' d to except of any thing and made signs to him
that we only wanted the things again. He had already sent people out
after them and it was not long before they were return' d. We found
the Natives very Numerous where ever we came and from what we
could judge seem' d very peaceably inclin' d. A?out 6 oClock in. the
evening we return' d on board very well sausfied Wlth our litde
excursion.
SATURDAY rsth. Winds at East during the day, in the night a light
breeze off the land, and as I apprehend it be usual here for the Trade
1
This name appears in none of the written_ records of \Vallis's known to me,
but collationofRobertson's chart, Hydrographic Department A IQX wtthone l?YGeorge
Pinnock, a midshipman on the Dolphin, B:M. Ad<;i. MS 15499-23, ili?-t 1t W:S the
south-westem end of the present Matav:.u :&l.y-1.e. the two bays :nn;edia.t;ly
to the eas't'lo'r.Lrd of Point Utuha.ihai. with the point of Arue as the1r lumt,
both men combine as 'Great Canoe Bay' (see Fig. 26). The next between this
point and Tah.araa Pinnock calls 'Little Canoe Bay', and Robertson m another chart,
A tgt/8, 'Old Cove', with 'Old Man V.a.lley' behind it-no doubt in honour of
'Owhaa'. .
:These classical names were obviously not bestowed by Cook, but by the ebullient
Banks. The MS for a succession of pages is now fair copy. for Hercules and were
not so c.a.lled immediatdy. Banks "Writes, for 17 April, 'Our two freinds the chc:ifs ?f the
west came this morn to see us. One I shall for the fUture call Lycurgus from the Justice he
executed on h.is offending subjects on the 14th .. the other from the large size of his body
I :;h.;ill ca.ll Hercules'. 21 April: 'One whoom from his grim countenance hav<; calld
Ajax'. 27 April: 'Lycurgus & a frcind of his (w_ho eats most monst:ously) d.ind Wlth us,
we chris tend him. Epicurus'. He does not mentlon the real names till the 27th and 28th.
Cook did not have a university education, and stops with the first two.
l M the one ... the othtr, so altered by Cook from thef0f7Tid . .. the lattd.
1769] SITE FOR A FORT
[79
wind to blow during great part of the Day from the Eastern board
and to have it Calm or light breezes from the land that is Southerly
during the night with fair weather, I shall only mention the wind
and weather when they deviate' from this rule.
This morning several of the Chiefs we had seen yesterday came on
board and brought with them Hogs, Bread fruit &c for these we
gave them Hatchets, Linnen and such things as they Valued. Having
not met with yesterday a more convenient situation for every purpose
we wanted than the place where we now are, I therefore without
delay resolved to pitch upon some spot upon the NE point of the Bay
properly situated for observing the Transit ofV en us and at the same
time under the command of the Ships Guns, and there to throw up a
small fort for our defence, accordingly I went a Shore with a party of
men accompanie'd by Mr Banks Dr Solander and Mr Green. We took
along with us one of Mr Banks Tents, and after we had fix'd upon a
place fit for our purpose we set up the Tent and Mark'd out the
ground we intended to occupy.' By this time a great number of the
Natives had got collected together about us, seemingly only to look
on as not one of them had any weaphon either offensive or defensive.
I would suffer none to come within the lines I had marked out ex-
cepting one who appear' d to be a Chief and old Owhaa, to these two
men we endeavour,d to explain as well as we could that we wanted
that ground to sleep upon such a number of nights and than we
should go a way. Whether they understood us or no is uncertain but
no one appear'd the least displeased at what we was
3
about. Indeed
the ground we had fix'd upon was of no use to them being part of the
Sandy beach upon the shore of the Bay and not near to any of their
habitations. It being too late' in the Day to do any thing more a party
with a Petty officer was left to guard the Tent while we with another
party took a walk into the woods and with us most of the natives.
We had but just cross'd the River when Mr Banks shott three Ducks'
at one shott which surprise' d them so much that the most of them
fell down as tho they had been shott likewise. I was in hopes this
would have had some good effect but the event did not prove it, for
we had not been gone long from the Tent before the natives again
began to gather about it and one of them more daring then the rest
push' d one of the Centinals down, snatched the Musquet out of his
lIn A Cook inserts do not before dcvWu, which does not make sense-------obviously a slip
into confusion as he went through the copy.
2
See Introduction, pp. cxli-ili above. :l A were, altered by Cook.
' A rww too la&e, now iru.erted bv Cook.
'This was probably the conlmon duck of the South Sea ishnds, the Australian Gra.y
Duck, Anas supa-ciliosa pekwensis. It is similar to a dark female of the Common Mallard,
Anas platyrhynchos.
So] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
hand and made a push at him and then made off and with him all
the rest, emmidiatly upon this the officer order'd the party to fire and
the Man who took the Musquet was shott dead before he had got fur
from the Tent but the Musquet was carried quite off; when this
happen'd I and Mr Banks with the other party were about _half a
Mile off returning out of the woods, upon hcanng the firemg of
musquets and the natives leaving us at the same time we susspected
that some thing was the Matter and hasten' d our march, but before
we arrive'd the whole was over and every one of the Natives fled
except old Owhaa who stuck by us the whole time, and I beleive
from the first either knew or had some suspicion that the People
would attempt something at the Tent as he was very much agai[n]st
our going into the woods out of sight of this Tent. However he
might have other reasons for Mr Hicks being a shore the Day before'
the natives would not permit him to go into the woods, this made me
resolve to go to sec whether they mea[n]t to proscribe bounds to us
or no. Old Owhaa as I have said before was the only one of the
Natives that stay'd by us and by his means we prevaird on about 20
of them to come to the Tent and their sit down with us and en-
dcavour'd by every means in our power to convence them that the
man was kill'd for taking away the Musquet and that we still would
be friends with them.' At sunset they left us seemingly satisfied and
we struck our Tent and went on board.
SuNDAY 16th. This Day warped the Ship nearer the Shore and
moor'd her in such a Manner as to command all the Shore of the
NE part of the Bay, but more particularly the place where we in-
dended to Erect a Fort. Punished Rich Hutchins Seaman with 12
lashes for disobaying command. Several of the Natives came down to
ye Shore of the Bay but not one of them came off to the Ship during
the whole day; in the evening I went a Shore with only a Boats crew
and some of the Gentlemen, the natives gather'd about us to the
1
the Day brfort: A omits and Cook in$erts ?'csterd.:ry. .
Park.iruon, the Quaker young man. !;l\"CS rather :m Impassioned account of this un-
ha.ppv incident (p. 15). He was w:llking in the woods with Cook and Banks, be _says,
aften:.a.rds joined by Hicks and Green. 'enjoying the ruro.l scene'. Disturbed by the noise
of fire-arms and the sight of fleeing; natives they made for the river. 'where we s::t.w sever.U
of our men., who had been left to guard the tent, pursuing the natives, who were terrified
to the last .... A ccntinel being off his guard, one of the natives snatched a musket
0ut of his band. which occasioned the fray. A boy, a midshipman. was the cornmandiD.g
officer, and, orders to fire, they obeyed with the greatest glee imaginable, as if they
had been shootini at wild ducks, killed one stout man, a.nd wounded many others. Vv'b.at
a pity, that such brutality should be exercised. by civilized.people. upon unarm:d is:!orant
Indiam! \Vhen Mr. Banks heard d the affa1r, he was ht;hly dJ.Sp!eased, sa.ymg, If we
with those lndin.ns, we should not agree with ang:eb;" and he did all he could,
to accommodate the difference' &c. Banks's own account is pitched in a much lower key.
The midshipman in charge was 1-ionkhou:::e.
t
1769] DEATH OF BUCHAN [81
number of about 30 or 40 and b[r]ought us Cocoa nuts &c and
seem'd as friendly as ever.
MONDAY 17th. At 2 oClock this Morning departed this Life Mr Alex
Buchan Landscip Draftsman to Mr Banks, a Gentlemen well skill'd
in his profession and one that will be greatly miss' d in the course of
this Voyage,' he had long been subject to a disorder in his Bowels
which had more than once brought him to the Very point of death
and was at the same time subject to fits of one of which he was taken
on Saturday morning, this brought on his former disorder which put
a period to his life. Mr Banks thought it not so adviseable to Enterr
the Body a shore in a place where we was utter strangers to the
Customs of the Natives on such Occations, it was therefore sct
2
out to
Sea and commitcd to that Element with all the dcccncey the cir-
cumstance of the place would admit of. This morning several Chiefs
from the Westward made us a visit, they brought with them Emblems
of Peace which are young Plantain Trees, these they put on board the
Ship before they would venture themselves; they brought us a present
of two Hogs (an Article we find here very scarce) and some bread
fruit, for these they had Hatchets and other things. In the afternoon
we set up one of the Ships Tents a Shore and Mr Green and myself
stay'd a Shore the night to Observe an Eclipse of Jupiters fi[r]st
setilite
4
which we was hinder'd from seeing by clowds.
TUESDAy 18th. Clowdy weather with some Showers of rain. This
morning took as many people out of the Ship as could possibly be
spar'd and set about Erecting a Fort, some were employ'd in trough-
ins" up intrenchments while others was cutting faccines Pickets &c.
The natives were so far from hindering us that several of them
assisted in bring[ing] the Pickets and Faccines out of the woods and
1
'I sincerely regret him as an ingeniou::: & good young ma.n, but his Loss to me is
irretrevable, my airy drea.:ms of entertaining: my friends in Engla.nd with the scene:; that I
am to see here are vanishd. No account of the figures & dresses of men can be satisfactory
unless illustrated with figures: had providence spard him a month longer what an advan-
tage would it have been to my underuking but I mu:::t submit.'--Banks. This loss threw
the whole burden of draftsmanship on Parkinson, who had been engaged (JUly for natural
history, and on SpOring.
AM.>t:nt.
3
It seems more likely that these, though Cook :m.d others consistently call them pl:m.tai.ns.
were strictly speiling bananas, mtia thanfd. The banana. grew much more freely
on the flat than the plantain, though there were some lowland plant:l.ins known also as
meW.. But there were many more varieties of mountain plantains.
'Carrington, in Robertson's Disco:1ery of Tahiti, p. 221 n. 2, remarks 'The method [of
finding the longitude] orinated by Galilco, was not really practicable_. C\Tn if carried out
onshore'; but Cook and Green bad good success with it more than once later on.
throwing GM tlvoughing. The MS is quite clear, and it looks at first sight as if Cook
may have invented the phrase 'trough up' from the troughs made in building his banks
of earth and digging his ditch. Cf. 1 May below. p. 86. But in his log, Add. MS 27955, he
has for this date 'throwing up breast wvrks', a.nd 'throwing', however spdt, is what he
probably meant.
82] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
seem'd quite unconcern'd at what we were about, the wood we made
usc on for this occation we purchased of them and we cut no tree
down before we had first obtain' d their consent. By this time all the
Ships sails were unbent and the Armourers Forge set up to repair the
Iron work &c Serve'd Fresh Pork to the Ships Compney to day for
the first time, this is like to be a very scarce Article with us but as to
Bread fruit Cocoa-nuts and Plantains the Natives supply us with as
much as we can distroy.
1
WEDNESDAY rgth. This morning Lycurgus, whose real name is
Toobouratomita' came with his Family from the westward in order
from what we could understand to live near us, he brought with him
the covering of a house with several other Materials for building one;
we intend to requite the conf[i]dence this man seems to put in us by
treating him with all imaginable kindness. Got on Shore some empty
casks which we place'd in a double row along the bank of the River
by way of a breast work on that side.'
THURSDAY 2oth. VVind at sE and Squally with rain; all hands
employ'd a Shore, and nothing remarkable e.xcepting that a Hog
weighing about go pounds was brought along side the Ship for sale,
but those who brought it would not part with it for any thing we could
offer them but a carpenters broad a.. ..... and as this was what we could
not part with they carried it away; thus we see those very People who
but two years ago perfcr'd a spike Nail to an A.xe of any sort, have
now so far learnt the use of them that they will not part with a Pig of
ro or 12 pounds weight for any thing under a Hatchet and even those
of an or small sort are in no great esteem with them, and
small Nalls such as rod 2od or any under 40d are of no Value attall;
but Beeds particularly white cut glass Beeds are much Value'd by
them.
4
1
It wo.s the height of the breadfruit season.
2
An would be Tupuwr:u-Uin:'l..iti: T amaili, the son, Tupu-raa, a noble
name. But Arii T<um..:u gwes the longer version Tepau i Ahurai. Tam.ai.ti. Cook first writes
the name 'Tobia Tomita.'.
3
Meanwhile shipboard work went on: 't:0 of the Ships Company in the fore Hold
pumping out the Salt wo.tcr' .-Mon.khouse.
1
Nails were sold at so :nanY a hundred, e_.g. tenpenny nails, 2:1- in. long, were
tod_ a hundred. _A 20d r:_ail was 3m. long, a 4od nail4! in. Parkinson (p. 19) allows the
nauves a :nore liberal mm_d: '1.1le rates, or terms, on which we trafficked with the natives,
were a spike for a _small p1g:. a sr;nalle_r for a foy-'1: a hatchet for a hog; and twenty cocoaw
nuts, for a rruddling-SIZed nail. Several yards of tapa cloth were obtained
for a smgle nail, says Anon I 771, p. 54 Later on Parkinson (p. 72) mentions purchase of
ten ten spikes each, at Raia_tea on I _August. also Cook's entry<?f p. I 18
belo'\. It :;hould be added that the Wand p1gs, the objects of so much soliClta.Uon, were not
a lo.rge race, as may be gathered from Cook's reference to 'a Pig of 10 or 12 pounds weight'.
They sa:ys Ell.b: izl: I 82g, 'from the present breed, which is a mixture
of Enghsh and !S_parush. They are dccnbed as having been smaller than the generality of
hogs now are, w1th long-legN, long noses, curly or almost woolly hair, and short erect ears.'
--Polynesian.Rmarches, I, p. 349
L
1769]
A TAHITIAN CORPSE [83
Mr Banks and Dr Selander lay ashore tonight lor the frrst time,
their Markee's being set up within the walls of the Fort and fit for
their riceptoin.l
FRIDAY 21st. Got the Copper Oven aShore and fix'd it in the Bank
of the breast works.
Yesterday as Mr Green and Dr Munkhouse were taking a Walk
they happen' d to meet with the Body of the Man we had Shot, as the
Natives by signs made them fully understand, the manner in which
the body was enterr' d being a little e.xtraordinary I went to day with
some others to sec it. Close by the House wherein he resided when
living was built a small Shade,' but whether for the purpose or no I
cannot say for it was in all respects like some of the Shades or house's
they live in. This Shade was about 14 or r6 feet long, ro or 12 broad
and of a proportional height, one end was wholy open the other end
[and] the two sides were partly inclosed with a kind of wicker'd
work. In this shade lay the Corps upon a Bier or frame of wood with
a Matted bottom like a Cot frame use'd at sea, and supported by 4
posts about 5 feet from the Ground, the Body was cover' d with a Mat
and over that a white Cloth, along side of the Body lay a wooden
Club, one of their weaphons of warr. The head of the Corps lay
next the close end of the Shad[e], and at this end lay 2 Cocoa-nut
Shells such as they some times use to carry water in. At the other end
of the Shade was a bunch of Green leaves with some dry' d twigs tied
all together and stuck in the ground and a stone lying by them about
as big as a Cocoa-nut, ncar to these lay a young Plantain tree, such
as they use as Emblems of Peace, and by it lay a stone Axe; at the
open end of the Shade was
3
hung in several Strings a great number of
Palm nuts. Without the Shad[e] was Stuck upright in the ground the
Stem of a Plantain tree about 5 feet high on the Top of which stud a
Cocoa-nut shell full of fresh water, and on the side of the Post
hung a small Bag wherein were' a few peices of Bread fruit roasted
ready for eating some of the peices were fresh and others stale. The
Natives did not seem to like that we should go near the Body and
stud at a little distance themselves while we examine'd these
matters and appear'd to be please'd when we came away. It cer-
tainly was no very agreeable place for it Stunk intollerably and yet it
was not above ro yards from the Huts wherein several of the Living
resided. The first day we landed we saw the Skeleton of a human
being laying in this manner under a Shade that was just big enough to
1
'Mr Banks went on shore to reside being fitted with ye needfull. '-Clerke.
! M shtd A sluuie. M generally reads shed for this word.
A altered to were by Cook.
4
A..\1 was.
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [April
cover it, and some days after that when some of the gentlemen went
with a design to examine it more narrowly it was gone.
It was at this time thought that this manner of cnterring their
Dead was not common to all ranks of people as this was the first we
had seen except the Skeleton just mentioned, but various were the
opinions concerning the Provisions &claid about the dead; upon the
whole it should seem that these people not only belcive in a Supream
being but on a futerue state also, and that this must be meant either
as an offering to some Dcitie, or for the use of the dead in the other
world, but this last is not very probable as there appear'd to be no
Priest craft
1
in the thing, for what ever provisions were put there, it
appear'd very plain to us that there it remaind untill it consum'd
away of it self. It is most likely that we shall see more of this before
we leave the Island, but if it is a Religious ceremoney we may not be
able to understand it, for the Misteries of most Religions are very
dark and not easily understud even by those who profess them.
SATURDAy 22ndtoTHURSDAY 27th. Nothing worthy of note happend,
the people were continueally at work upon the Fort and the Natives
were so far reconciled to us that they rather assisted us than not.
This day we Mounted Six swivels at the Fort, which was now nearly
finished, this Struck the Natives with some fear, and some fishermen
who live'd upon the point move'd farther off, and old Owhaa told us
by signs that after 4 Days we should fire great guns from the Ship,
there were some other circumstances that cooperate' d with this
mans Prophecy, whither an opinion hath prcvail'd amongest them
that after that time we intend to fire upon them, or that they in-
tend to attack us we know not, the first we do not intend unless the
latter takes place which is highly improbable.'
FRIDAy 28th. This Morning a greatnumberofthe Natives came to us
in their Canoes from different parts of the Island several of whome
we had not seen before, one of these was the Woman called by the
Dolphin the Queen of this Island. She first went to Mr Banks's Tent
at the Fort where she was not known till the Master happening to go
aShore who knew her and brought her on board with two men and
several Women who seem'd to be all of her Family. I made them all
1
G wil.chcraft.
the C:l.ptain gave the People liberty to dispose of themselves :t.S they pleas'd, only
under such restrictions as was necess:1ry for their sa.fety.'-Add. MS 8959, 24 April. This
was Sunday. by ship's reckoning. The men whenever possible were given a. weekly h.alf..
day off, but Cook was still being cautious. Wilkinson words the proviso thus: 'but to Take
Care to be upon their guard for there o, ... ;n Softy as the Indians are very Tracherous'. He
adds for the follov.:ing day, 'we find the woman of this Island to be very Kind In all
Respects as Us.al when we were here in the Dolphin'.
1769]
PUREA AND TUTEHA [85
some presents or other, but to Obaii.ea, for such is this womans name,
I gave several things, in return for which, as soon as I went a Shore
with her, she gave me a Hog and several Bunches of Plantains, these
she caused to be carried from her Canoe's up to the Fort in a kind of a
Procession she and I bringing up the rear. This Woman is about 40
years of Age and like most of the other Women very Masculine.
1
She
is head or Chief of her own Family or Tribe but to all appcarence
hath no authority over the rest of the Inhabitants whatever she
might have had when the Dolphin was here. Hercules, whose real
name is Tootaha, is to all appearences the Chief man of the Island'
and hath generally Viseted us twice a Week sence we have been here,
and came always attended by a number of Canoes and people, and
at those times we were sure to have a supply, more or less, of every
thing the Island afforded, both from himself and from those that
came with him, and it is a Chance thing that we got a Hog at any
other time; he was with us at this time and did not appear very well
pleased at the Notice we took of Obariea but I soon put him into a
good humor by takeing him on board and makeing him some
presents.
3
SATURDAY 29th. This Day got the four Guns out of the Hold and
mounted 2 of them on the Quarter Deck, and the other 2 in the Fort
on the bank of the River. For this day or 2 past about go Double
Canoes, in which might be between 2 & goo people, had come into
our neighbourhood this made us keep a very good lookout & a
strick eye over all their motions.
4
sUNDAy goth. This being the Day that Owhaa told us that we should
fire our Guns no one of us went from the Fort such as were
sent out to watch the Motions of the natives,! however the day past
over vvithout any Visable alteration in the beheavour of any one of
them. Queen Obaria visited us this morning pretty early and made
1
' . _a fat, bouncing, good-lookin:;dame.'-Parkinson, p. <21.
z Tuteha was ceruinly not the chi.:fm:l.Il of the isl;md, but C.\.ertcJ con:;.iderable power
in the Haapapc or Matav:ll district as well as in Atchuru. Cf. Introduction, pp. dx.x.x-xi.
a but 1 soon ... some presmts not in AMG. Add. MS :27955 has a preliminary uf the
entries for :::8, 29 and 30 April which add some detail tO the Journal, amusing for the :::8th-
particularly on the present he made to Purea: 'what seem'd to please her mPst was a childs
Doll which I made her understand was the Pictcr of my Wife'. Such drollery is unusual in
Cook, and he mav have omitted its mention from the Journal as unw(,rthv of the dignity
of such a documt:Ut. Sec Append.ix II I, 3
this day ... all their motions not in /UvlG: a later additivlJ to th( 1\.lS. It i;; odd that
Cook does not mention under this date his punishment ofHen0' jcfE, the sltip\; butcher.
for his truculence towards a Tahitian woman, recounted both by M()lyucux (Appendix
IV, 2 below) and by Banks. Cf. the puniiliment meted out to other scoundrelly persons,
12june below.
" except such ... natives not in A.MG: interlinear addition to the MS.
86] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [Mqy
me sencible that I must give her a hatchet & then she would give me
a Pig. I agree' d to her plan and the Pig was produced.'
[MAY 1769]
MONDAY May the xst. This morning Tootaha came on board the
Ship and was very dcsireous of seeing into every Chest and Drawer
that was in the Cabbin. I satisfied his curiosity so far as to open most
of those that belong'd to me, he saw several things that he took a
fancy to and collected them together, but at last he cast his eye upon
the Adze I had from Mr Stephens' that was made in immitation of
one of their Stone Adzes or axes, the moment he lay his hands upon
it he of his own accord put away every thing he had got before and
ask'd me if I would give him that, which I very readily did and he
went away without asking for any one thing more, which I by ex-
perence knew was a sure sign that he was well pleased with what he
had got,
This day one of the Natives who appear' d to be a Chief dined with
us as he had done some days before, but than there were always some
Women present and one or another of them put the Victuals into
his mouth but this day there happen'd to be none to perform that
office; when he was helpt to Victuals and desired to eat he sat in the
chair like a Stattute without once attempting to put one morsel to
his mouth and would certainly have gone without his dinner if one
of the Servants had not fed him.' We have often found the Women
very officious in feeding of us, from which it would seem that it is a
Custom upon some occations for them to feed the Chiefs, however
this is the only instance of that kind we have seen, or that they could
not help themselves as well as any of us.
This afternoon we set up the Observatory and took the Astro-
nomical Quad' a shore for the first time, together with some other
Instruments. The Fort being no[ w J finished and made as Tenable" as
the Time, Nature and situation of the ground, and materials we had
to work upon would admit of. The North and south parts consisted of
a Bank of earth feet high on the inside, and a Ditch without, 10
feet broad and 6 feet deep: on the west side faceing the Bay a Bank of
earth 4 feet high and Pallisades upon that, but no ditch the works
1
Quem Obaria ... was produced not in A.1.1G: a later addition to the MS.
2
Evidently this was :m iron, or perhaps steel, adze. [Sir] Philip Stephens (qzs-ISQO)
ta.ken as an able young man by Anson from the Victualling Office into the Admiralty, was
secretary from 1763 to 1795 He was M.P. for Sandwich I768-t8o6, F.R.S. IJ7I, and on
resigning his secretaryship w:lS made a baronet and one of the lords of the Admiralty.
3
Probably the chief was at this time under some special tt;pu, which made it impos..o;ible
or him to touch food with his fingers. Tapu was a complic:lted affair: cf. I 9 October bdow.
4
M AstroTVJmatical.
4
AMG Tmanto.ble.
1769] THE QUADRANT STOLEN (87
being at high water mark: on the East side upon the Bank of the River
was place'd a double row of casks: and as this was the weakest side
the 2 four pounders were planted there, and the whole was defended
besides these 2 guns with 6 Swivels and generally about 45 Men with
small arms including the officers and gentlemen who resided
aShore.' I now thqught my self perfectly secure from any thing these
people could attempt.
TUESDAY 2nd. This morning about 9 oClock when Mr Green and I
went to set up the Quadt it was not to be found, it had never been
taken out of the Packing case (which was ab' 18 Inches square),
scnce it came from Mr Bird the Maker,' and the whole was pretty
heavy, so that it was a matter of astonishment to us all how it could
be taken away, as a Centinal stood the whole night within 5 yards of
the door of the Tent where it was put together with several other
Instruments but none of them was missing but this. However it was
not long before we got information that one of the natives had taken
it away and carried it to the Eastward. Immidiatly a resolution was
taken to detain all the large Canoes that were in the Bay, and to
seize upon Tootaha and some others of the Principle people and keep
them in Custody untill the Quadt was produce'd, but this last we did
not think proper immidiatly to put in execution as we had only
Obaria in our power and the detaining of her by force would have
alarm'd ali the rest. In the meantime Mr Banks (who is always very
alert upon all occations wherein the Natives are concern' d) and Mr
Green went into the woods to enquire ofToobouratomita which way
and where the Quadrant was gone; I very soon was inform'd that
1
Hicks gives us the inside :u-rangements: 'Our Works was finished the two Ends having
a Wall of Turf ::md Mudd the Front Pallasadcd the back a line of Water Cask; two four
Pounders pointed to the Country & 6 Swivels to flank the W::ill.s. In the front or West side
Mr :Banks's Bell Tent & two Mo.rkies No end the Observatory, NW Corner Armorers
Forg:e, Oven & Cook Room the so end a Tent for the Ships Company, East Side a Tent
for Captt Observer and Officers, without the Works a Tent for.the Cooper & Sailma.kcr
to Work in.'-Turnbull MS.-'The sandy ground, on which the fort stood, was very
troublesome when the wind was high.'-Parkinson, p. x6 n. Parkinson's drawing of the
fort was much 'improved' by the engraver for inclusion in his book, the walls being con-
siderably heightened, the ditch omitted, and a fancy landscape added behind. Cook's own
more literal, rendering, Add. MS 7o8s.S--where he gives both plan and
much to be preferred. See Chart VI.
::This was John Bird (170g-76), the mathematica.l instrument maker who was par-
ticularly cclcbroted for his astronomical quadrants. In early life a Durham cloth-weaver,
he became interested in engraving dial-plates for clocks, and ropidly displayed a talent for
delicate and precise work which brought him European fame. The brass quadrant of eight
foot radius be made in 1749-50 for James Bradley, the astronomer royal, as part of the
refitting of the Observa.tory, 'marked an epoch in practical astronomy' (D.N.B.):
he was th<."llceforth closely associated with Bra.dley's discoveries, while the chief continental
observatories hastened to order his handiwork. He was the author of The lvlcthod of dividing
Astronomi&allnst1'TJJfiCits (I 767) and The Method of constru&ting Mural Quadrants ( 1 768), both
published by the commissioners of longitude. He made the astronomical quadrant that
Cook used in Newfoundland.
88] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [Mqy
these Three were gone to the Eastward in quest of it and some time
after I follow'd my self with a small party of Men, but before I went
away I gave orders that ifTootaba came either to the Ship or the Fort
he was not to he detain'd, for I found that he had no hand in takeing
away the Quadrant and that there was almost a certainty of gering
it again. I met M' Banks and M' Green about 4 Miles from the Fort
returning with the Quadrant, this was about Sunset and we all got
back to the Fort about 8 oClock, where I found Tootaha in Custody
and a Number of the Natives Crowding about the gate of the Fort.
My going into the Woods with a party of arrn'd men so alarm'd the
Natives that in the evening they began to move off with their effects
and a double Canoe puting off from the Bottom of the Bay was
observ'd by the Ship and a boat sent after her, in this Canoe happen'd
to be Tootaha and as soon as our boat came up with her he and all
the people that were in the Canoe jump'd over board, and he only
was taken up and brought on board the Ship together with the
Canoe, the rest were permitcd to SVvim ashore. From the Ship
Tootaha was sent to the Fort, where Mr Hicks thought proper to
detain him untill I return'd. The scene between Toobouratomita and
Tootaha when the former came into the Fort and found the latter in
custody, was realy movcing, they wept over each other for some time,
as for Tootaha he was so far prepossess'd with the thought that he was
to be kill' d that he could not be made sensible to the contrary till he
was carried out of the Fort to the people, many of whom express'd
their joy by ernbraceing him; and after all he would not go away
untill he had given us two Hoggs notwithstanding we did all in our
power to hinder him, for it is very certain that the treatment he had
met with from us did not merit such a reward. However we had it in
our power to make him a present of equal Value whenever we pleased.
We had now time to consider how the quadrant was Stoln: it is
very probable that the man who took it had seen the box brought
into the Tent or else had been well inform'd by others and had from
that moment resolved to steal it, for about sunset last night a man was
seen crawling a long the bank of the River behind the Fort, but on
being spoken to he went away; however it is very clear that he was
watching for an opportunity to get into the Fort in the dusk of the
evening before the centinals were call'd in and while the most of our
people, after leaving of work, were diverting themselves with the
natives. However my self and some others were never out of the
Fort and I did not stir out of the Tent where the quadt was till Sun
set, then walk'd several times round the Inside of the Fort after which
I went into M' Banks's Markee and order'd the Drumer to beat the
'769]
RELATIONS WITH TUTEHA [8g
Tattoo, in the doing of which he went 3 times round the works yet in
one of these Short intervals when either mine or the drumers back
[was J turn'd the man found means to carry off the Box for imrnidiately
upon beating the Tattoo every boddy came into the Fort, the
centinals call'd and place'd in the inside when it wold have been
impossible for him to have done it. Indeed we found it difficult to
beleive that a naked Indian frighten'd of f[i]rearms as they are,
would have made such an atternp'd at the certain risk of his life.'
WEDNESDAY 3rd. Very early this morning Tootaba sent for the
Canoe we had detain' d yesterday and in the afternoon sent a man for
an Ax and a Shirt in return for the Hogs he gave us last night, but as
this man told us that Tootaha would not come near us himself in less
then r o days we thought proper not to send them to try if he would
not come himself for them so0ner.
2
THURSDAY 4th. Some people carne to the Fort to day from York
Island, one of them gave us an account of 22 Islands lying in the
neighbourhood of this. Set up the two Clocks, the one in the Tent
wherein Mr Green and I lay and the other in the observatory.
3
This
evening Tootaha sent a Man again for the Ax and Shirt, and we sent
him word by the same Man, that M' Banks and I would come and
see him tomorrow and bring them along with us; for it now became
necessary that we should take some step to reconcile this man to us in
order to procure a Sufficient supply of Bread fruit and Cocoa-nuts
which we have not had for these t\vo days past, owing as we appre-
hend to Tootaba's being still displcas'd with our late conduct,' or
otherways the people take this method to shew their resentment of the
treatment their Chief met with.
FRIDAy 5th. Early this Morning Tootaha sent some of his people to
put us in mind of our promise and they' seern'd very uneasy until! we
l Nothing of this last paragraph finds pl:l.ce in AMG. In the fair COJ?Y of the MS _Cook
evidently left a spa.ce to add it, for it finishes at the bottom of f.sb . the top third of
sc blank. Some minor damage was done to the instrument, but Wil.k.inson (4 May) tdb
us, 'upon the Second Exami.na.tion of the Quadrent it was Rep::i.r::Lble. Mr
one of Mr Banks Ingenios Gentleman has under Taken 1t to Repall'. Mr .Banks bemg
Fortun.atily in Possession of a Set of watch Makers Tools & These Happy Crrcumstanct--s
makes all Easy again'. . .
AM a woman Appeard with her Child whos Father beLong to the Dolphm as She
Told us by Sighns and indet.>d many Circumstances Make it highly Probable.'- Wilkinson,
3
clock used in the obser.-atory, one made for the Royal Society by John Shelton in
x 760, is still going and in use in the rooms of the Royal Society; it is described by H. Alan
Uoyd, 'A link with Captain Cook and H.M.S . .&uklWOtu', in Erukwour, X, No. 40 (October
1951), pp. 2oo-4. .
4 Tooto.ha's ... conduct: this is altered over the line from the .--\1-..1G vc.rswn, Tootalw. not
being rccoru:ikd to us.
.'-\M: these. Cook first wrote t.iuJe in the MS.
go] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [May
set out, which Mr Banks Dr Solander and myself did about 10 oClock
in the Pinnace having one of these men with us, as soon as we came
to Appara,l the place where Tootaha resides, we saw a great number
of people at the landing place near his house; one amongest them
who had a large Turband about his head and a long white Stick in
his hand, drove the others from the landing place by beating them
with his stick and throwing stones at them, and at the same time
directed us where abouts to land, after we landed he conducted us to
the chief but in this there was no order every one crowding upon us
calling out Tyo' Tootaha, that is Tootaha was our friend. We found
the chief siting under the shade of a large tree' with a circle of Old
men round him, he made us sit down by him and immidiatly ask'd
for the Ax, I then gave him one together with an upper gannent
made of Broad Cloth after their fashion and a Shirt; the garment he
put on, but the Shirt he gave to the man who first rccived us at
landing who was now seated by us and the Chief seem' d desirious
that we should take particular notice of him.' By this time Obarca and
several other Women whome we knew came and sat down by us.
Tootaha did not stay long before he went away, as we thought to
shew himself to the people in his new dress, but he was not gone long
before he return'd and took his scat again for a few Minutes, then
went away again as we were told to order something to be got for us
to eat and at this time we gladly would have gone too being almost
suffocated with the crowd that was about us. However here we
remaind for about 10 Minutes longer when word was brought us that
the Chief wanted us, we were then conducted to our own boat where
we found him siting alone under the av.rning, he made signs to us to
come into him which we did and as many with us as the boat would
hold; here he order'd some Bread fruit and Cocoa-nuts to be brought
of both of which we taistcd. After we had sat here some time a
Message was brought to the Chief who immidiatly went out of the
Boat and we were disired to follow and were conducted to a large
Area or Courtyard on one side of his Long' House where we were
1 Pare, the district west Bay, is meant, not Pap:l.ra on the south of the island.
Cook seems to have added the preliminary A to the n::une as a mis-heard 0. On his chart
of the island he spells the name Oparre. Davies in his Tahitian dictionary of 185t notes
that 0 was an article prefixed to proper Il:lmes when in the nominative ease: hence Cook's
App:::Lra or Oparre was analogous with his Otaheite. In a certain conte.xt it also was
virtu.:illy equiv::Uent to 'it is', like the Maori Jro, which will also be found bdow incor-
porated in proper names, e.g. 0 Tahiti, 'it is Tahiti'. The e.xact site seems to have been at
Point U tuha.ihai in the district, properly speaking, of Arue, where Tuteha had a mar at.
:: T aio, friend, or more closely. blood-brother.
3
M selling in the S!uuic under a large tru.
'He may have been Tuteha's tav:m.ihou, or ::tdministrator, one of the chief functionaries
of ::t great chief, possibly a blood-rel::ttive.
.t-'\M omit, or rather the word is ::tlater insertion by Cook in the MS. The 'Long House'
was apparently the 'arioi house' or place of public entertainment.
TAHITIAN WRESTLING [91
entertaind with publick Wrestling. Tootaha seated himself at one
end of the place and several of his principal men sat round him in a
semicircle, We were desired to sit down here likewise but we rather
choose to walk about. Every thing being now ready several men
enter'd the Theater, 8, ro, or 12 and some times more, these walked
about in a Stooping dancing posture forming a large Corve with
their arms and almost every moment app[l]ying their left arm bent
near their bodys and with their right hand open struck with a
smack their left fore arm [and] breast,' in this Manner they walk'd
about until! one challenge'd another which was done by motion and
rresture without speaking one word. The Two antagonist[s] would
fuen meet and endeavour to seize each other by the thighs, but if
that faild they would seize each other by the hair of the head or
where ever they could and then wristle together until! by main
Strength the one or the other was thrown on his Back, this was
always (except once) follow'd by three hurras from some old men
who sat in the house and at the same time a nether compney of men
would dance for about a J\tlinute, the wrestlers all the time continuing
their game takcing the least Notice of any thing else. The
only de.xterity the wrestlers seem'd to make use of was in first seizing
each other for after they had closc'd it was all decided by main
Strength. It would sometimes happen that neither the one nor the
other could throw his antagonist, in this case they would either part
by mutal consent or were parted by others. The conqueror never
exulted over the Conquer'd, neither did the Conquer'd ever repine
at his ill luck, but the whole was carried on with great good humour.
Notwithstanding during the Combat their countenances appear'd
to express as much fury as if they had been realy in earnest. The
Women seem' d in a manner wholy to be e.xcluded from this di-
version.' There were present young and old near 500 people, the
Women do no[ t] seem to pertake of this deversion, only some few
of the principal ones were present and that appear'd to be owing to
our being there. After this was over we was given to understand that
we were to go to dinner and were desired to follow Tootaha who led
us into our ov.rn boat and soon after came a small Pig ready Roasted
with some bread fruit and cocoa-nuts, and here we thought we were
to have dine'd but Tootaha after waiting about 10 Minutes in
1 Stwping dancing pasture ... breast. Cook deleted and added to his origin::U words in the
MS to get this text, the original ones being given in AMG, sf.?Oping Poster z:;ith there left
hand upon their right breast, and with tlu:i:r Right hand Open slruck wzth a smack their left Arm 0
fore Ann.
2 The foregoing two sentences are in A but not M or G. In the MS they arc added
marginally.
92] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [Mqy
puxfound silence
1
made signs to us to put of the Boat and go a
Board which we did bringing him and Toobouratomita along with us:
as soon as we got on board we all dine' d on the Cheer the Chief had
provided.
We soon found the good effects of having made friends with this
man for it was no sooner known to the Natives that he was on board
the Ship than they brought Bread fruit, Cocoa-nuts &ea to the Fort.
SATURDAY 6th and SUNDAY 7th. Nothing remarkable only that the
Natives supply us '1\f'ith as much bread fruit & Cocoa-nuts as we can
destroy.
MONDAY 8th. Early this Morning the Master went to the Eastward
in the Pinnace to try if he could not procure some Hogs and Fowls
from that quarter, but he retumd in the evening without success, he
saw but a very few and those the Inhabitants pretended belonged to
Tootaha: so great is this mans influence or authority over them that
they dare part ""i.th nothing without his consent, or other wise they
only make usc of his name to excuse themselves from parting with the
few they have, for it is very certain these things arc in no great plenty
with them.
TUESDAY gth, WEDNESDAY lOth and THURSDAY I rth. Nothing
remarkable happen' d for the three days. Obarea, the Dolphins
Queen, made us a Visit for the first time sence the Quadrant was
Stolen, she introduce' d her self with a small Pigg for which she had a
Hatchet and as soon as She got it she lugg'd out a Broken Ax and
several peices of Old Iron, these I believe she must have had from
the Dolphin, the Ax she wanted to be mended and A.'<es made of the
Old Iron. I obliged her in the first but excusc'd my self from the
latter. Sence the Natives have Seen the Forge at work they have
frequently brought pieces of Iron to be made into one sort of Tools
or other, which hath generally been done when ever it did not
hinder our own work, being willing to oblige them in every thing in
my power; these peices of Old Iron the natives must have got from
the Dolphin, as we know of no other Ship being here and very
probably some from us; for there is no species of theft they will not
commit to get this Artic[l]c and I may say the same of the common
seamen when in these parts.
2
FRIDAY Ioth. Clowdy weather with Showers of Rain. This Morning
a Man and two young women vvith some others came to the Fort
whome we had not seen before: and as their manner ofintroduceing
1
in purfoun.dsilence iilterlinear, not in AMG.
Ship"s work: 'Gammoned the Bowsprit' .-Clerke: see also Molyneu.x. The Eruk(J1)ou:r
W:L_-; given a pretty thorough overhaul while at Matava.i Bay.
I769)
SURPRISING CEREMO);'IES [93
themselves was a little uncommon I shall insert it: Mr Banks was as
usual at the gate of the Fort trading with the people, when he was
told that some Strangers were coming and therefore stood to receive
them, the compney had with them about a Doz young Plantains
Trees and some other small Plants, these they laid down about 20
feet from Mr Banks, the People then made a lane between him and
them, when this was done the Man (who appear'd to be only a
Servant to the 2 Women) brought the young Plantains Singley,
together with some of the other Plants and gave them to Mr Banks,
and at the delivery of each pronounce' d a Short sentence, which we
understood not,' after he had thus dispose'd of all his Plantain trees he
took several peices of Cloth and spread them on the ground, one of
the Young Women then step'd upon the Cloth and with as much
Innocency as one could possibly conceve, expose'd herself intirely
naked from the waist downwards, in this manner she turn'd her Self
once or twice round, I am not certain which, then step'd of the
Cloth and drop'd down her clothes, more Cloth was then spread upon
the Former and she again perform'd the same ceremony; the Cloth
was then rowled up and given to Mr Banks and the two young women
went and embraced him which ended the Ceremoney.'
SATURDAy Igth. Nothing worthy of note happen'd dureing the day,
in the night one of the Natives attempted to get into the Fort by
climing over the Walls but being discover'd by the Centinals he made
off; the Iron and Iron tools daily in use at the Armourers Forge are
temptations that these people cannot possibly withstand.
SUNDAy I 4th. This day we perform'd divine in one of the
Tents in the Fort where several of the Natives attended and behaved
with great decency the whole time: this day closed with an odd Scene'
at the Gate of the Fort where a young fellow above 6 feet high Jay
a little Girl about IO or I 2 years of age publickly before several
1
M first had did not wukrstand, which Cook alters to the rcadin)::" in the text.
2
This pleasant interlude in commerce may have beCn some sort of fertilisation ceremony
plaintai.n was certainly phallic-the general effect of which was to pl::J.ce the young
women of the district at the disposal of Mr Banks, also young, handsome and ingratiating.
We gather from Banks's journal that the young woman principally concerned did in fact
succeed in attr:lcting his attention. On the other hand, in the diary of Ma....Umo Rodriguez
for 177.5 we h:lve the following: 'Some women decked in quantities of native cloth presented
themselves before the Chief; in order to strip themselves and make an of the cloth
to the said Chiefs, being left with only a maroon to cover their nakedness. They call this
festival a taurua ... .'Corney (III, p. 4:;1, n. ::::) comments, 'An ancient custom, noticed by
Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks. There was no impropriety about it. In Fiji it is still
followed, but by men'. There was no impropriety about the ceremony with which B:mk..-.
was honoured, but it certainly had marked points of difference from one Rodriguez
describes. Cf. Bligh, who describes girls, niter dancing, leaving their dresses behind them
on the mat on which they had danced, as a present to the chief guest.-Log of the
Bounty, II, p. 6t.
3
A sclu:en, M Suen, G Schaen., a sufficient variety.
94]
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [M'!J'
of our people and a number of the Natives. What makes me mention
this, is because, it appear' d to be done more from Custom than
Lewdness/ for there were several women present particularly Obarea
and several others of the better sort and these were so far from
shewing the least disaprobation that they instructed the girl how she
should act her part, who young as she was, did not seem to want it.
MONDAY 15th. Winds Variable and Clowdy weather. Last night one
of our Water casks was taken away from the outside of the Fort where
they stood full of water; in the Morning there was not one of the
Natives but what knew it was gone, yet contrary to what we had
always met with on these occasions, not one of them would give us
any
2
information about it, and I thought it of too little consequence to
take any methods to oblige them.
In the Evening Toobouratomita and his Wife and a Man be-
longing to Tootaha, would needs lay all night by the Casks to prevent
any more from being taken away, but as we h3.d place'd a Centinal
there this care of theirs became unnecessary and they were prevaild
upon to go home, but before they went away they made signs to the
Centinal to keep his eys open; from this it should seem that they
knew that an attempt would be made in the night to take away more
which would have been done had not the Centinal prevented it.
TUESDAY 16th. Winds Westerly, the Morning dowdy with heavy
showers of rain, the remainder of the day fair weather: from this day
nothing worth remark happen'd untill
MONDAY 22nd which was usher'd in with thick Clowdy weather and
excessive hard Showers of rain and very much Thunder and Light-
ning which continued the greatest part of the Day.'
1
It seems to been ceremonial, as Cook guessed. But cf. R.t:m.arks on Afr.
Forster's Account qf Captain Cook's last round the World (1778), p. 52 n. Wales
eluded th.:J.t the 'Point Venus scene' was the contrivance ofPurea, 'an old demirep of quality
there ... Since the above was written, I been informed from the authority of a
gentleman who w:l.S in the Endeavour, and saw the tr.l.nSa.Ction here alluded to, that it is
very imperfectly, and in some measure erroneously, related by Dr Ha.wkesworth. Oberea
obliged the tv.o persons to auempt what is there said to have been done, but they were
exceeding-ly terrified, and by no means able to perform it. The same authority adds, that
most of the natives reprobated Oberea in very severe terms for the part which she had in
it.' Hawkcsworth, how eYer, merely repeated Cook.
G t!u: least.
3
'AM vcrry thick cloudy Wear with much rain & such thunder and Lightning as is
seldom to be heard or seen in any P::u-t of the World wha.tsoever.'-Anon ISS- .. such
thunder and lightning as very few of us had known before.' -Green. Wi.lkinson gives us
further information on this week: [r6 May] 'Many Compb.nts among the People of the
Venereal Kind.' [19 May] "P.M. The People at Liberty to Refresh for th.ay Now begin
to be very Bad with the Venera! Dcsorder, which we have great Reason to think was left
here by tv.o Spanish Ships that Arrivd here IO Monts after the Dolphin.' For Cook's
rt"flections on this matter seep. 99 below.
I
1769) THE DESTRUCTIVE \VORM
[95
TUESDAY 23rd. Winds Southerly and fair weather in the Fore noon
but in the after-noon showery. We have had a Scarcity of all sorts of
fruit for these 2 days past which we immagine to be owning to the
wet weather.
WEDNESDAY 24th. Fine Clear weather all this Day. Having found
the Long-boat leakey for these few days past we haled her ashore to
day to stop the leakes, when to our great surprise we found her
bottom so much eaten by the worms
1
that it was necessary to give her
a new one, and all the Carpenters were immidiatly set to work upon
her.
THURSDAY 25th. Most part of these 24 hours Clowdy with frequent
showers of rain.
FRIDAy 26th. Some flying showers of rain. This morning we haled
the Pinnace a Shore to examine her bottom and had the satisfaction
to find that not one worm had touched it, notwithstanding she hath
been in the water nearly as long as the Long-boat; this must be
owing to the white Lead with which her bottom is painted, the Long-
boats being pay'd with Varnish of Pine, for no other reason can be
assignd why the one should be preserv' d and the other distroyd,
when they are both built on the same sort of wood and have been in
equall use. From this circumstance alone the bottoms of all Boats
sent into Countrys where these Worms are ought to be painted with
white lead, and the Ship supply' d with a good Stock in order to give
them a new coat whenever its necessary, by this means they would
be preservc'd free from these distructive vermin. The Long-boats
bottom being so much destroy'd appear'd a little extraordinary as the
Dolphins Launch was in the water at this very place full as long and
no such thing happen'd to her, as the officers that were in the
Dolphin say.
SATURDAY 27th. Winds Variable and fair weather.
SUNDAY 28th.' Winds Southerly and clear weather. This morning,
my self, Mr Banks and Dr Solander set out in the Pinnace to pay
Tootaha a Viset who had moved from Apparra to the sw part of the
1
Shipworm, T aediJ sp.
having mentioned the performance of'divine Service' on the qth of this month
above, mentions it no more. His instincts do not seem to have been rdip;iuus. But we gather
from other journals that Lord Morton's injunction. and that of the ii.r.>t Article of War,
was heeded with some frequency. Thus Bootie for this day: 'AM Perform'd Divine Service
to the ships Company on shore servd fresh Pork': and ou 16 and Q5 June. This last
day in the afternoon again 'People (werel at their own Leisure'. But whateVt..'f grace was
derived from the divine service and the fresh pork, "their own Leisure' does not seem to
have been very holv. \Vc learn from Molyneux that not Cook, but Monkhouse the surgeon,
read the service.
96] VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour [May
Isl
0
.1 What induced us to make him this Viset was a message we had
received from him some days ago importing that if we would go to
him he would give us several Hogs, we had no great faith in this
yet we was' resolved to try, and set out accordingly, it was night
before we reached the place where he was and as we had left the
Boat about half way behind us we were oblige'd to take up our
quarters with him for the night. The Chief received us in a very
friendly manner and a Pig was order'd to be kill'd & dressed for
supper, but we saved his Life for the present thinking it would do us
more service in a nether place and we supp'd on fruit and what else
we could get: here was' along with the Chief Obarea and many more
that we knowed, they all seem'd to be travellers like ourselves, for
nither the Canoes they had along with them nor the houses where
they were were sufficient to contain the one half of them. We were in
all Si.-..: of us and after supper began to look out for lodgings. Mr
Banks went to one place Dr Selander to a nother, while I and the
other three went to a third, we all of us took as much care of the little
we had about us as possible knowing very well what sort of people we
were among, yet notwithstanding all the care we took before r2
oClock the most of us had lost something or other, for my own part I
had my stockings taken from under my head and yet I am certain
that I was not a Sleep the whole time, Obarea took charge of Mr
Banks's things and yet they were stolen from her as she pretended,'
Tootaha was acquainted with what had happen'd I believe by
Obarea her self and both he and her' made some stir about it but this
was all mcer shew and ended in nothing; a little time after this
Tootaha came to the Hutt where I and those with me lay and enter-
tain'd us with a consort of J\.fusick, consisting of three Drums four
Flutes and singing, this lasted about an hour and then they retire'd;
the Musick and singing was so much of a peice that I was very glad
when it was over. We stay'd with them till near noon the next day in
hopes of geting some of our things again, and likewise some Hogs but
we were at last obliged to come away with the one we had save'd out
of the fire last night, and a promise from Tootaha that he would come
to the Ship in a Day or two with more and bring with him the things
that we had lost, a promise that we had no reason to expect he will
fulfill. Thus ended our Viset and we got to the Fort late in the evening.
1
Prob::.blv near his Atehuru martu, some distance south of Point Pun:l.:luia., ne:lr the:
river possibly farther south. See Chart V for Cook's 'Atuhourou'.
:A u:crc altered from was bv Cook.
3
A ucre simib.rlv altered by Cook.
'Mr Banks', Parkinson (p. 31) 'lost his white jacket aOd waistcoat, with silver
frogs'; so that our gentleman of liber.U fortune went attired with ek-ga.nce, even in the
wilderness.
M him and her, A lw and ;}1..(. .:... uxn: altered from was by Cook.
j
VENUS OBSERVED
[97
TUESDAy soth. We are now very buisy in preparing our Instruments
&c for the Observation and Instructing such Gentlemen in the use
of them as I intend to send to other parts to Observe for fear we
should fail here.
WEDNESDAy 31st. Late this Evening the Carpenters finished the
Long-boat.
[jUNE 1769)
THURSDAy rst June 1769. This day I sent Lieutenant Gore in the
Long-boat to York Island
1
with Dr Munkhouse and Mr Sporing (a
Gentleman belonging to Mr Banks) to observe the Transit of Venus,
Mr Green having furnished them with Instruments for that purpose.
Mr Banks and some of the Natives of this Island went along with
them.
FRIDAY 2nd of June. Very early this morning Lieu tnt Hicks, Mr
Clerk, Mr Petersgill' and M' Saunders, went away in the Pinnace to
the Eastward, with orders to fi.x upon some convenient situation on
this Island' and there to observe the Transit of Venus-they being
likewise provided with Instruments for that purpose.
SATURDAY srd. This day prov'd as favourable to our purpose as we
could wish, not a Clowd was to be seen the whole day and the Air
was perfectly clear, so that we had every advantage we could desire
in Observing the whole of the passage of the Planet Venus over the
Suns disk: we very distinctly saw an Atmosphere or dusky shade
round the body of the Planet which very much disturbed the times
1
'York Island' is called on the chart Eimeo=Aimeo or A.imeho, the old name of
From the description given by Banks we gather that this group went to the islet,
no more than a flat coral rock, of Irioa. Gore simply says: 'Found a Convenient Place
(by Mr Banks's direction) :md la.nded in Se::u-ch of a Proper Place to fi.'i: for Making the
Observation'. Off the north-west point of Moo rea are two larger islets called Tiahura. and
Fareone :md to the west again a.nother minute speck called Tarehu, but only Irioa a.n::>wers
to the description. The party rowed along outside the reef ;md entered, presumably.
through the Passe Taotoi. Irioa is just inside the reef west of this opening. Ba.nks looked
after the com.missaria.t while Gore a.nd Monkhouse did the observing. According to Gore
and Molyneux Monkhouse's brother Jona.th:m went as ;m observer also. Ba.nks says that
'Tuboura' .::wd his wife 'Ta.mio' went.
:: A Petersgill MG PU:kersgill.
went to the islet Cook called 'Booarou'. Puuru or Pua.ru is off the north-east
comer of the Hitia.a district, just south of a larger islet, belonging to Mahaena, Isle
Nansouty or Taa.upiri; it is not far north ofBougainville's Passe de la Boudeusc. But Cook
was wrong about the name. His chart Add. MS 7085.6 marks but does not name the two
islands; the cha.rt in Ha.wke:.-worth makes 'Boourou' the northern, and 'Taa.wirry' the
southern, of the two. There was no reason why Hicks should pass by the first suitable islet
he came to in favour of a smaller one, ;md conjecture that the observation was made from
Taa.upiri is borne out by a ch::u-t: by Pickersgill, H.D. 497/8, of'A Bay where Two Spanish
Ships Lay in Ota.hite .. .'Here Puuru is u:cnamed, while Taa.upiri is called 'Lord Mortons
Island', v-:ith the note appended, 'where we obsd. the Late Transit ofVenus'.
,,
gSJ
VOYAGE OF THE Endeavour
[June
of the Contacts particularly the two internal ones. D' Selander
observed as well as 1\.fr Green and my self, and we differ'd from one
another in obscrvcing the times of the Contacts much more than
could be expected.
1
Mr Greens Telescope and mine were of the same
Mag[n]ifying power but that of the De was greater then ours. It was
ne[a]rly calm the whole day and the Thermometer c.xpose'd to the
Sun about the middle of the Day rose to a degree of heat (tig)' we
have not before met with.
SUNDAY 4th june. Punished Archd Wolfwith two Dozn Lashes for
theft, having broken into one of the Store rooms and stolen from
thence a large quantity of spike Nails, some few of them were found
upon him.
3
This evening the gentlemen that were sent to observe the
Transit of Venus rcturnd with success. Those that were sent to York
Island were well received by the Natives; that Island appear'd to
them not to be very fruitfull.
MONDAY sth. Got some of the Bread a Shore out of the Bread room
to dry and clean. Yesterday being His Majcstys Birth Day we kept it
to day, and had several of the Chiefs to dine v..rith us.4
TUESDAY 6th. This Day and for some days past we have been in-
form'd by several of the Natives that about 10 or 15 l\.1onths a<ro,l>Two
Ships touched at this Island and stay'd 10 days in a to the
Eastward calle'd Ohidea,
6
the Commanders name was Toottera so at
least they eall'd him and that one of the Natives call'd Orette'
Brother to the Chief of Ohidea went away with him; they likewise
say that these Ship[s] brought the Vcnerial distemper to this Island
' describes the and weather in glowing term-;, 'so that if the
1S not wdlm:tde tt J.S mttrely owmg to the Observers ... I Observed it .... '
.. MG: onut tile figure; in A it is added at the end of the sentence by Cook. In the MS it
J.S mterlincar.
:vas a as we c=m sec from the punishment meted out, twice that
usua.llv given. The sptkc n::tils were t::tkcn for illicit trade with the T:iliitian women, but the
of currency incvit:lbly imperil and to the economy of the :>hip more
1mport:mt, tr.:J.de. Wa.llJ.S had an e\en worse difficulty, for on the Dolphin the men pulled
the nails out of the ship's timbers before thev were discovered.
'NB The Officers din'd .:J.t theTcflt's.' Anon I 53
"A has here (p. 82) a margma.l reference to a note at the end of'Book I': this note reads
our Arri\al at [sic] we had certain informo.tion that the two Ships that
at Isbnd some time before our .-\rrival there were both French ships See page 82
& at the End of Book (4).'
Htti.aa wo.s tht! b:.tt thi.sru.me.ffi:ly be a ofHaitaa.. the \icinity marked
on the modem Immediately the Passe de la. Boudeusc. There is no harbour
a." Bougalnville found at the cost of his anchors. The coast here is rocky and abrupt, and
the sea bcd a tanglc of coral.
7
call'd Orctte is an intcrlintar Cook mav have lcamt the name onlv at Batavia
It is not in M or G. In A Cook inserts after .J./ativt:s. the words whose namt is & . Ereti
however the chief; the brother who went away with Bougainvillc, to cultivate a taste
for the Pans opera, and to be the object of much romantic sentiment was Ahutoru.
'Toottera' may be a rendering of Duclos, Bougainville's second in on the
Boutkust:: hi:> own name was tro:ud'onned to 'Putaveri'.
I
I
l
1769]
THE VENEREAL DISTEMPER [gg
where it is now as common as in any part of the world and which the
people bear with as little concern as if they had been accustomed to
it for ages past. We had not been here many days before some of our
people got this disease and as no such thing happen' d to any of the
Dolphins people while she was here that I ever heard off, I had reason
(notwithstanding the improbability of the tl1ing) to think that we had
brought it along with us which gave me no small uncasmess and

all in my power to prevent its progress, but all I could do was to little
purpose for I may safely say that I was not assisted by any one pers:>n
in ye Ship,' and was oblige'd to have the most part of the Sh1ps
Compncy a Shore every day to work upon the and Stron.g
guard every night and the Women were so hbcral w1th their
favours, or else Nails, Shirts &ca were tcmptat.J.on$ that they could
not withstand, that this distemper very soon spread it self over the
greatest part of the Ships Compney but now I have the sati$faction to
find that the Natives all agree that we did not bring it here.
3
However
this is little satisfaction to them who must suffer by it in a very great
degree and may in time spread it self over all the Islands in South
Seas to the eternal reproach of those who first brought 1t among
I had taken the greatest pains to discover if any of the Ships
Company had the disorder upon him for above a month before our
arrival here and ordered the Surgeon to examine every man the
least suspected who declar'd to me that only one man the was
the least affected with it and his complaint was a canous shm bone;
this man has not had connection with one woman in the Island.'
1
We
have several times seen Iron tools and other articles with these people
that we suspected came not from the Dolphin and these they now
say they had from these two Ships.
l and did: AG and I did. Cook first writes some in the Endt:w.'o/J.f luui brought it here I and
deletes. He has worked over the page ag?od deal, . . . ,
I may ... f Ship interlinear, not m AMC, wh1c.h read llttle as I was obliged
&c. .
3
In the MSfvst in bring it first fu:re Cook dc_I:tcs word lU M ..
4
Howev.:r . .. the Island not in AMG. It J.S an addtuon, O:Uld rnargmal.
a.ud hi:> surgeons took very seriously the venereal for nauvc peoples, <md so lt
appears did Wallis. Banks also discwscs the .matter. Ceroinly .the Endeavour can be
of guilt in relation to Tahiti, where searr;en and nmc t.'ut.ofthe
became infected-but with what? As between WallJ.S Bo!fgamvilk, an
controversy inevitably arose. defended hirosclf m t?:e second edit10n h1s
book (Paris 1772), II, pp. ns-t6. What he thought wo.s syphilJ.S almost
yaws, Framboesia tropica.. an endemic disease in the; .Pacific. The Sp::m_arch who wn:e.
Tahiti in 1774-5 also thought they saw much syphihs, but what And.ia took for
eruptions were probably the granulomata of yaws'.-.Comey, .II, P. n. 9 Yav.-s _1s
marked by ro.spbcrry-like swellings on the skin, and .u. :t 1s not a. \-Tllt:rt:'.U
disease. but is treated in the same way, with an;cnicalrnJcCtlOI'lS, and.lts
this treatment convinced the ships' surgeons that they had to do w1th syphtl!s. Bl1!{h 1:1
1789 took great pains to examine the problem and wrote ?-t some length: '!h:-" accou11t,
he says, 'will appear very different from what has been giVen by former 1'\angators, b.1t