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

me before that time, he was then to make the best of his way back to Queen Charlotte's Sound,where he was to wait until the 20th of November: After which (if not joined by me,) he was to put tosea, and carry into execution their lordships' instructions.Some may think it an extraordinary step in me to proceed on discoveries as far south at 46° degreesof latitude, in the very depth of winter. But though it most be owned, that winter is by no meansfavourable for discoveries, it nevertheless appeared to me necessary that something should be donein it, in order to lessen the work I was upon; lest I should not be able to finish the discovery of thesouthern part of the South Pacific Ocean the ensuing summer. Besides, if I should discover any landin my route to the east, I should be ready to begin, with the summer, to explore it. Setting aside allthese considerations, I had little to fear; having two good ships well provided; and healthy crews.Where then could I spend my time better? If I did nothing more, I was at least in hopes of being ableto point out to posterity, that these seas may be navigated, and that it is practicable to go ondiscoveries; even in the very depth of winter.During our stay in the sound, I had observed that this second visit made to this country, had notmended the morals of the natives of either sex. I had always looked upon the females of NewZealand to be more chaste than the generality of Indian women. Whatever favours a few of themmight have granted to the people in the Endeavour, it was generally done in a private manner, andthe men did not seem to interest themselves much in it. But now, I was told, they were the chiefpromoters of a shameful traffic, and that for a spike-nail, or any other thing they value, they wouldoblige the women to prostitute themselves, whether they would or no; and even without any regardto that privacy which decency required.[3][3] "Our crews, who had not conversed with women since our departure from the Cape,found these ladies very agreeable, and from the manner in which their advances werereceived, it appeared very plainly that chastity was not rigorously observed here, and thatthe sex were far from being impregnable. However, their favours did not depend upon theirown inclination, but the men, as absolute masters, were always to be consulted upon theoccasion; if a spike-nail, or a shirt, or a similar present, had been given for theirconnivance, the lady was at liberty to make her lover happy, and to exact, if possible, thetribute of another present for herself. Some among them, however, submitted withreluctance to this vile prostitution: and but for the authority and menaces of the men, wouldnot have complied with the desires of a set of people, who could, with unconcern, beholdtheir tears and hear their complaints. Whether the members of a civilized society, whocould act such a brutal part, or the barbarians who could force their own women to submitto such indignity, deserve the greatest abhorrence, is a question not easily to be decided.Encouraged by the lucrative nature of this infamous commerce, the New Zealanders wentthrough the whole vessel, offering their daughters and sisters promiscuously to everyperson's embraces, in exchange for our iron tools, which they knew could not be purchasedat an easier rate. It does not appear, that their married women were ever suffered to havethis kind of intercourse with our people. Their ideas of female chastity are, in this respect,so different from ours, that a girl may favour a number of lovers without any detriment toher character; but if she marries, conjugal fidelity is exacted from her with the greatestrigour. It may therefore be alleged, that as the New Zealanders place no value on thecontinence of their unmarried women, the arrival of Europeans among them does not injuretheir moral characters in this respect; but we doubt whether they ever debased themselvesso much as to make a trade of their women, before we created new wants by shewing theseiron tools, for the possession of which they do not hesitate to commit an action, that, in oureyes, deprives them of the very shadow of sensibility. It is unhappy enough, that theunavoidable consequence of all our voyages of discovery has always been the loss of anumber of innocent lives; but this heavy injury done to the little uncivilized communitieswhich Europeans have visited, is trifling when compared to the irretrievable harm entailedupon them by corrupting their morals. If these evils were compensated in some measure bythe introduction of some real benefit in these countries, or by the abolition of some otherimmoral custom among their inhabitants, we might at least comfort ourselves, that what