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

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observed, were planted as thick as possible round the edge of these pits, so that the rats in coming at themare the more liable to tumble in.Next morning we found the tiller sprung in the rudder head, and, by some strange neglect, we had not aspare one on board, which we were ignorant of till now it was wanting. I knew but of one tree in theneighbourhood fit for this purpose, which I sent the carpenter on shore to look at, and an officer, with aparty of men, to cut it down, provided he could obtain leave of the natives; if not, he was ordered toacquaint me. He understood that no one had any objection, and set the people to work accordingly. But asthe tree was large, this required some time; and, before it was down, word was brought me that our friendPaowang was not pleased. Upon this I gave orders to desist, as we found that, by scarfing a piece to theinner end of the tiller, and letting it farther into the rudder-head, it would still perform its office. But as itwas necessary to have a spare one on board, I went on shore, sent for Paowang, made him a present of adog and a piece of cloth, and then explained to him that our great steering paddle was broken, and that Iwanted that tree to make a new one. It was easy to see how well pleased every one present was, with themeans I took to obtain it. With one voice they gave their consent, Paowang joining his also, which heperhaps could not have done without the others; for I do not know that he had either more property, ormore authority, than the rest. This point being obtained, I took our friend on board to dinner, and after itwas over, went with him ashore, to pay a visit to an old chief, who was said to be king of the island; whichwas a doubt with me. Paowang took little or no notice of him. I made him a present, after which heimmediately went away, as if he got all he came for. His name was Geogy, and they gave him the title ofAreeke. He was very old, but had a merry open countenance. He wore round his waist a broad red-andwhitechequered belt, the materials and manufacture of which seemed the same as that of Otaheite cloth;but this was hardly a mark of distinction. He had with him a son, not less than forty-five or fifty years ofage. A great number of people were at this time at the landing-place, most of them from distant parts. Thebehaviour of many was friendly; while others were daring and insolent, which I thought proper to put upwith, as our stay was nearly at an end.On the 17th, about ten o'clock, I went ashore, and found in the crowd old Geogy and his son, who soonmade me understand that they wanted to dine with me; and accordingly I brought them and two more onboard. They all called them Areekees (or kings); but I doubt if any of them had the least pretensions to thattitle over the whole island. It had been remarked, that one of these kings had not authority enough to orderone of the people up into a cocoa-nut tree, to bring him down some nuts. Although he spoke to several, hewas at last obliged to go himself, and, by way of revenge, as it was thought, left not a nut on the tree,taking what he wanted himself, and giving the rest to some of our people.When I got them on board, I went with them all over the ship, which they viewed with uncommon surpriseand attention. We happened to have for their entertainment a kind of pie or pudding made of plantains, andsome sort of greens which we had got from one of the natives. On this and on yams they made a heartydinner; for, as to the salt beef and pork, they would hardly taste them. In the afternoon, having made eachof them a present of a hatchet, a spike-nail, and some medals, I conducted them ashore.Mr Forster and I then went over to the other side of the harbour, and, having tried, with Fahrenheit'sthermometer, the head of one of the hot springs, we found that the mercury rose to 191°. At this time thetide was up within two or three feet of the spring, so that we judged, it might, in some degree, be cooled byit. We were mistaken however, for on repeating the experiment next morning, when the tide was out, themercury rose no higher than 187°; but, at another spring, where the water bubbled out of the sand fromunder the rock at the S.W. corner of the harbour, the mercury in the same thermometer rose to 202°-1/2,which is but little colder than boiling water. The hot places before mentioned are from about three to four
hundred feet perpendicular above these springs, and on the slope of the same ridge with the volcano; thatis, there are no vallies between them, but such as are formed in the ridge itself; nor is the volcano on thehighest part of the ridge, but on the S.E. side of it. This is, I have been told, contrary to the general opinionof philosophers, who say that volcanos must be on the summits of the highest hills. So far is this frombeing the case on this island, that some of its hills are more than double the height of that on which thevolcano is, and close to it. To these remarks I must add, that, in wet or moist weather, the volcano wasmost violent. There seems to be room for some philosophical reasoning on these phenomena of nature; butnot having any talent that way, I must content myself with stating facts as I found them, and leave thecauses to men of more abilities.[7][7] The elder Forster has some judicious and important remarks on volcanos, in his observations, butthey are too long to be given here. "It may be remarked," says his son, "that the volcano and itsproductions seem to contribute greatly to that prodigious luxuriance of vegetation which is soremarkable on this island. Many plants here attain twice the height which they have in othercountries; their leaves are broader, their flowers larger, and more richly scented. The sameobservation has been made in various volcanic countries. The soil of Vesuvius and Etna is reckonedthe most fertile in Italy and Sicily; and some of the best flavoured wines which Italy produces areraised upon it. The volcanic ground on the Habichtswald in Hesse, though situated in a high, cold,and barren country, is surprisingly fertile, and covered with verdure. All kinds of plants, indigenousand foreign, thrive with luxuriance, and make this beautiful spot, on which the gardens of thelandgrave are situated, the admiration of all beholders. Nay, to confine ourselves to our own voyage,the Society Islands, the Marquesas, and some of the Friendly Islands, where we found volcanicremains, as well as Ambrrym and Tanna, where we actually saw burning mountains, have a rich andfertile soil, in which nature displays the magnificence of the vegetable kingdom. Easter Island itself,wholly overturned by some volcanic eruption, produces different vegetables and useful roots,without any other soil than flags, cinders, and pumice-stones; though the burning heat of the sun,from which there is no shelter, should seem sufficient to shrivel and destroy every plant."--G.F.The tiller was now finished; but, as the wind was unfavourable for sailing, the guard was sent on shore onthe 19th as before, and a party of men to cut up and bring off the remainder of the tree from which we hadgot the tiller. Having nothing else to do, I went on shore with them, and finding a good number of thenatives collected about the landing-place as usual, I distributed among them all the articles I had with me,and then went on board for more. In less than an hour I returned, just as our people were getting some largelogs into the boat. At the same time four or five of the natives stepped forward to see what we were about,and as we did not allow them to come within certain limits, unless to pass along the beach, the centryordered them, back, which they readily complied with. At this time, having my eyes fixed on them, Iobserved the sentry present his piece (as I thought at these men,) and was just going to reprove him for it,because I had observed that, whenever this was done, some of the natives would hold up their arms, to letus see they were equally ready. But I was astonished beyond measure when the sentry fired, for I saw notthe least cause. At this outrage most of the people fled; it was only a few I could prevail on to remain. Asthey ran off, I observed one man to fall; and he was immediately lifted up by two others, who took him intothe water, and washed his wound, and then led him off. Presently after, some came and described to me thenature of his wound; and as I found he was not carried far, I sent for the surgeon. As soon as he arrived, Iwent with him to the man, whom, we found expiring. The ball had struck his left arm, which was muchshattered, and then entered his body by the short ribs, one of which was broken. The rascal who fired,pretended that a man had laid an arrow across his bow, and was going to shoot at him, so that heapprehended himself in danger. But this was no more than they had always done, and with no other viewthan to shew they were armed as well as we; at least I have reason to think so, as they never went farther.What made this incident the more unfortunate was, it not appearing to be the man who bent the bow, thatwas shot, but one who stood by him. This affair threw the natives into the utmost consternation; and a few
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AGENERALHISTORY AND COLLECTIONOFVOY
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Produce, and Inhabitants: Astronomi
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SECTION I. Passage from Ulietea to
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First Voyage, &c., second edition.
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After leaving these islands, Quiros
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of his instructions, he did not fin
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had been well ascertained, and foun
Page 16 and 17:
[14] Till the discovery of what has
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third lieutenants, the lieutenant o
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have made, would have done honour t
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learning from his voyage; that he w
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long as the condition of the ships,
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occasional use of fires to destroy
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To record incidents such as these,
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on this occasion, was not omitted.T
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At two in the afternoon on the 29th
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[10] Mr G.F. speaks with much more
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steering directly for, till we were
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ears; they immediately rowed toward
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On the 24th, the wind blew from N.W
Page 42 and 43:
This longitude is nearly the same t
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Myself, being the mean of six dista
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land.At nine o'clock, the wind veer
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elieve that land of any extent lay
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seen in the heavens, similar to tho
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and dashing of the waves into the c
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longitude was 121° 9'. At three o'
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We continued to advance to the N.E.
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come nearer. After dinner I took tw
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discover himself, had taken some li
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These he never would suffer to go o
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continued without intermission till
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emote from the present trading part
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which is not more remarkable for th
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clouds, and seemed to forebode much
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which appears supernatural, and wil
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hills; plenty of water which falls
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and with much difficulty we saved h
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myself the morning after my arrival
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lioness. It certainly bore much res
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me before that time, he was then to
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their existence. But nature, we may
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subject, this disease was indigenou
Page 88 and 89:
and seldom higher than 54, at the s
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the time, blew from different direc
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inhabiting the lithophytes. They ra
Page 94 and 95:
were striking, and left us a little
Page 96 and 97:
After the first salutation was over
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presented the king with two fine go
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former. I told them to return me th
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the harbour, I chose to turn in by
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going. As his intention in coming i
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which taught him to avoid the socie
Page 108 and 109:
On the 11th, early in the morning,
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one; at last, all my enquiries gave
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disease existed at Otaheite previou
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is soft and pulpy, then they spit i
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many parts of England."-G.F.After r
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they did not seem willing to part w
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extraordinary value at Otaheite and
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After we had done examining this pl
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The officer informed me that the na
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ass kettle, a saw, two large spikes
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[1] This subject is resumed in the
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desirous of those we had on board.
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Their ornaments are amulets, neckla
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wants the common necessaries of lif
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common features, and cannot, theref
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"Though we were situated under the
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six o'clock, being off Cloudy Bay,
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eing persuaded they would take prop
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we embarked, in order to return on
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youth under twenty.[8][7] An instan
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in the history of almost all nation
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for Cape Teerawhitte, and afterward
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The Sun himselfe cannot forgetHis f
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place where they are formed.[3][3]
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manner, covered with ice; a hard ga
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improvement of discipline, the incr
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[10] A few days before, according t
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pintadoe peterel, some blue peterel
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south, which soon after freshened,
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Endeavour; so that this can hardly
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stocked with abundance of fowls and
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lackish brown cavernous and brittle
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passed along, they observed on a hi
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fresh water worth taking on board.
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towards each end. To these are tied
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perseverance of these islanders in
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I continued to steer to the west ti
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ut could not prevail on the chief t
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are a mile from each other, in the
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grounds, for such an inference.--E.
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abounding, I have been told, with f
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now entirely recovered from the blo
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come forwards in a curve. This fron
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Next day we had a present of a hog
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dinner; after which I went down to
Page 198 and 199: more proper for me to go. All his a
Page 200 and 201: end; and all I could expect, after
Page 202 and 203: We had no sooner dispatched our fri
Page 204 and 205: send him red feathers in abundance.
Page 206 and 207: hundred and ten, besides smaller ca
Page 208 and 209: especially by the ladies; as many o
Page 210 and 211: went on shore with a boat's crew, a
Page 212 and 213: in the neighbourhood; but they were
Page 214 and 215: which, according to the simplicity
Page 216 and 217: their religion, customs, traditions
Page 218 and 219: Before I finish this account of the
Page 220 and 221: heights; and only myself, and four
Page 222 and 223: the same that Tasman watered at. In
Page 224 and 225: officer. One time, after he had bee
Page 226 and 227: uncultivated. There is, however, fa
Page 228 and 229: the 9th, when we had for a few hour
Page 230 and 231: small shot, I gave him the contents
Page 232 and 233: of a negroe. Their beards are very
Page 234 and 235: view of plying up to the eastward o
Page 236 and 237: acceptable entertainment, and were
Page 238 and 239: then, to pop out and throw a dart.
Page 240 and 241: SECTION V.An Intercourse establishe
Page 242 and 243: troublesome to the eyes.Early in th
Page 244 and 245: island. Hence, that gentleman infer
Page 246 and 247: expeditious as it can well be. They
Page 250 and 251: that were prevailed on to stay, ran
Page 252 and 253: We understood that the little isle
Page 254 and 255: weapons; almost every one of them c
Page 256 and 257: appeared over the west end of Tanna
Page 258 and 259: it. The wind being at south, we wer
Page 260 and 261: [6] "Quiros had great reason to ext
Page 262 and 263: went; and the middle of it is in la
Page 264 and 265: untoward circumstances of the world
Page 266 and 267: weather side of it, we stood in wit
Page 268 and 269: appearance of the country.--"We wal
Page 270 and 271: after my return on board.It was of
Page 272 and 273: Accordingly I ordered them to be ta
Page 274 and 275: of it. A nation of women, we may co
Page 276 and 277: I have before observed, that the co
Page 278 and 279: in their country, and the scanty su
Page 280 and 281: hoisted in the boats, and made sail
Page 282 and 283: leagues. In the afternoon, with a f
Page 284 and 285: e done. We had from the top-mast-he
Page 286 and 287: in a space of two hundred leagues;
Page 288 and 289: eighteen fathoms water close to the
Page 290 and 291: [3] "They continued from time to ti
Page 292 and 293: A little within the entrance on the
Page 294 and 295: then squatted herself down, on her
Page 296 and 297: longitude 166° 15' W.On the 20th,
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Two hours after, we made the land,
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inlet was another, with several isl
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harbour is not quite free from this
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enough to spoil the appetite of any
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which we called EMBOTHRIUM coccineu
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