A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

We had no sooner anchored than we were visited by the natives, several of whom I remembered to haveseen when I was here in the Endeavour, particularly an old man named Goubiah.[1] In the afternoon, Igave orders for all the empty water casks to be landed, in order to be repaired, cleaned, and filled, tents tobe set up for the sail-makers, coopers, and others, whose business made it necessary for them to be onshore. The next day we began to caulk the ship's sides and decks, to overhaul her rigging, repair the sails,cut wood for fuel, and set up the smith's forge to repair the iron-work; all of which were absolutelynecessary. We also made some hauls with the seine, but caught no fish; which deficiency the natives insome measure, made up, by bringing us a good quantity, and exchanging them for pieces of Otaheiteancloth, &c.[1] "They expressed great satisfaction at our calling them by their names, doubtless because it servedto persuade them that we were particularly concerned for their welfare, by retaining them inmemory. The weather was fair and warm, considering the season, but our New Zealanders were allcovered with shaggy cloaks, which are their winter dresses."--G.F.On the 5th, the most part of our bread being in casks, I ordered some to be opened, when, to ourmortification, we found a good deal of it damaged. To repair this loss in the best manner we could, all thecasks were opened; the bread was picked, and the copper oven set up, to bake such parcels of it, as, by thatmeans, could be recovered. Some time this morning, the natives stole, out of one of the tents, a bag ofclothes belonging to one of the seamen. As soon as I was informed of it, I went to them in an adjoiningcove, demanded the clothes again, and, after some time spent in friendly application, recovered them.Since we were among thieves, and had come off so well, I was not sorry for what had happened, as ittaught our people to keep a better lookout for the future.With these people I saw the youngest of the two sows Captain Furneaux had put on shore in CannibalCove, when we were last here: It was lame of one of its hind legs; otherwise in good case, and very tame.If we understood these people right, the boar and other sow were also taken away and separated, but notkilled. We were likewise told, that the two goats I had put on shore up the Sound, had been killed by thatold rascal Goubiah. Thus all our endeavours to stock this country with useful animals were likely to befrustrated, by the very people we meant to serve. Our gardens had fared somewhat better. Every thing inthem, except the potatoes, they had left entirely to nature, who had acted her part so well, that we foundmost articles in a flourishing state: A proof that the winter must have been mild. The potatoes had most ofthem been dug up; some, however, still remained, and were growing, though I think it is probable they willnever be got out of the ground.[2][2] "We found almost all the radishes and turnips shot into seed, the cabbages and carrots very fine,and abundance of onions and parsley in good order; the pease and beans were almost entirely lost,and seemed to have been destroyed by rats. The potatoes were likewise all extirpated; but, fromappearances, we guessed this to have been the work of the natives. The thriving state of ourEuropean pot-herbs, gave us a strong and convincing proof of the mildness of the winter in this partof New Zealand, where it seems it had never frozen hard enough to kill these plants, which perish inour winters. The indigenous plants of this country were not yet so forward; the deciduous trees andshrubs, in particular, were but just beginning to look green, and the vivid colour of their fresh leaveswell contrasted with the dark wintery hue of the evergreens. The flag, of which the natives preparetheir hemp, was, however, in flower, together with some other early species."--G.F.Next morning I sent over to the cove, where the natives reside, to haul the seine; and took with me a boar,and a young sow, two cocks, and two hens, we had brought from the isles. These I gave to the natives,