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

youth under twenty.[8][7] An instance of the ferocity of manners of this savage nation, was presented this day. A boy,about six or seven years old, demanded a piece of broiled penguin, which his mother held in herhands. As she did not immediately comply with his demand, he took up a large stone and threw it ather. The woman, incensed at this action, ran to punish him, but she had scarcely given him a singleblow, when her husband came forward, beat her unmercifully, and dashed her against the ground,for attempting to correct her unnatural child. Our people, who were employed in filling water, toldmy father they had frequently seen similar instances of cruelty among them, and particularly, thatthe boys had actually struck their unhappy mother, whilst the father looked on lest she shouldattempt to retaliate. Among all savage nations the weaker sex is ill-treated, and the law of thestrongest is put in force. Their women are mere drudges, who prepare raiment and providedwellings, who cook and frequently collect their food, and are requited by blows, and all kinds ofseverity. At New Zealand, it seems they carry this tyranny to excess, and the males are taught, fromtheir earliest age, to hold their mothers in contempt, contrary to all our principles of morality."--G.F.Mr Forster immediately goes on to relate the remainder of this day's occurrences, so painfullypregnant in discoveries relative to this savage people. The reader, it is believed, will think theaccount in the text abundantly minute, without any addition. What a fine specimen to prove theaccuracy of Rousseau's delineation of our species, in its uncontaminated state!--E.[8] Mr G. Forster informs us, that Mr Pickersgill purchased the head from the savages for a nail, andthat it was afterwards deposited in the collection of Mr John Hunter. He adds, that some of thesepeople expressed an ardent desire of repossessing it, signifying, by the most intelligible gestures,that it was delicious to the taste. This strongly corroborates what Captain Cook afterwards states, oftheir really relishing such kind of food.--E.The sight of the head, and the relation of the above circumstances, struck me with horror, and filled mymind with indignation against these cannibals. Curiosity, however, got the better of my indignation,especially when I considered that it would avail but little; and being desirous of becoming an eye-witnessof a fact which many doubted, I ordered a piece of the flesh to be broiled and brought to the quarter-deck,where one of these cannibals eat it with surprising avidity. This had such an effect on some of our peopleas to make them sick. Oedidee (who came on board with me) was so affected with the sight as to becomeperfectly motionless, and seemed as if metamorphosed into the statue of horror. It is utterly impossible forart to describe that passion with half the force that it appeared in his countenance. When roused from thisstate by some of us, he burst into tears; continued to weep and scold by turns; told them they were vilemen; and that he neither was, nor would be any longer their friend. He even would not suffer them to touchhim; he used the same language to one of the gentlemen who cut off the flesh; and refused to accept, oreven touch the knife with which it was done. Such was Oedidee's indignation against the vile custom; andworthy of imitation by every rational being.I was not able to find out the reason for their undertaking this expedition; all I could understand for certainwas, that they went from hence into Admiralty Bay (the next inlet to the west), and there fought with theirenemies, many of whom they killed. They counted to me fifty; a number which exceeded probability, asthey were not more, if so many, themselves. I think I understood them clearly, that this youth was killedthere; and not brought away prisoner, and afterwards killed. Nor could I learn that they had brought awayany more than this one; which increased the improbability of their having killed so many. We had alsoreason to think that they did not come off without loss; for a young woman was seen, more than once, tocut herself, as is the custom when they lose a friend or relation.