Part 8 (1/2)

They had long suspected the natives were addicted to cannibalism, and now they proved it, as they purchased the bone of a forearm of a man, from which the flesh had been recently picked, and were given to understand that a few days before a strange canoe had arrived, and its occupants had been killed and eaten. They only ate their enemies, but held all strangers to be such. The place where the s.h.i.+p was careened was, according to Wharton, about 70 miles from Ma.s.sacre Bay, where Tasman's men were killed, and Cook endeavoured to find out if there were any traditions of visits from s.h.i.+ps to the neighbourhood, but could gain no information. The natives became friendly as time went on, and brought good fish which they sold for nails, cloth, paper (a great favourite at first, but when they found it would not stand water, worthless), and Cook says: ”In this Traffic they never once attempted to defraud us of any one thing, but dealt as fair as people could do.”

The surrounding country was too thickly timbered for them to see much, but one day, being out in a boat trying to find the end of the inlet, Cook took the opportunity of climbing a thickly timbered hill, and from there saw, far away to the eastward, that the seas which washed both west and eastern coasts were united, and that one part of New Zealand, at any rate, was an island, and he had thus solved one of the problems he had given him in England. They also saw that much of their immediate neighbourhood was not mainland as they had thought, but consisted of a number of small islands.

A MORE SENSIBLE PEOPLE.

The population of the district was estimated at only some three or four hundred, and appeared to subsist on fish and fern roots. They were evidently poorer than those seen previously, and their canoes are described as ”mean and almost without ornament.” They soon understood the value of iron, and readily took spike nails when trading, and greatly preferred ”Kersey and Broadcloth to the Otaheite cloth, which show'd them to be a more sensible people than many of their neighbours,” says Cook.

An old man, who had previously paid several visits, complained that one of the s.h.i.+ps boats had fired on and wounded two Maoris, one of whom was since dead. On enquiry, Cook found that the Master and five petty officers, fis.h.i.+ng beyond the usual limits, were approached by two canoes in what they thought was a threatening manner and had fired to keep them off. A second native a.s.sured Cook no death had occurred, and enquiry failed to discover one; but Cook very severely condemned the action of his men as totally unjustifiable. The s.h.i.+p had, by this time, been brought into fairly good trim, being clean, freshly caulked and tarred, and broken ironwork all repaired, so preparations were made to push through the straits; but, before leaving, two posts were set up, one near the watering place, and the other on the island, Motuara, on which the name of the s.h.i.+p and the date of the visit had been cut, and possession was taken of this land, the king's health being drunk, and the empty bottle presented to the old man who had complained about the shooting, and who was greatly delighted with his present; he also was given some silver threepenny pieces, dated 1763, and spike nails marked with the broad arrow.

On getting out into the strait a very strong current nearly drove them on to a small island, the anchor would not hold, and only a change in the current, probably caused by the tide, saved them. The southern point of the North Island was named ”Cape Pallisser, in honour of my worthy friend, Captain Pallisser,” and the north point of the South Island was called Cape Campbell, after Captain John Campbell, F.R.S., who had been one of Cook's strongest supporters as Observer for the Royal Society.

When through the straits Cook was turning south, but finding some of his people were not quite satisfied as to the part they had pa.s.sed being an island, he took a northerly course till Cape Turnagain was recognised, when he at once went about for the south. Banks says:

”At this time there were two parties on board, one who wished that the land in sight might, and the others that it might not, prove to be a continent. I myself have always been most firm in the former wish, though sorry I am to say that my party is so small that there are none heartily of it than myself, and one poor mids.h.i.+pman, the rest begin to sigh for roast beef.”

The east coast was followed down to Banks Peninsula, which was at first thought might be an island, and is marked by dotted lines as doubtful in Cook's chart, when Gore thought he had seen land to the east, and Cook, though convinced it was a mistake, ran out to make sure. On returning the winds proved contrary, and their progress was very slow, but they several times succeeded in running close in to the land, and from what they could see concluded it was very barren, with high ranges in the interior and with very few evidences of inhabitants. A favourable breeze springing up from the north, they tried to make the most of it, ”and by that means carried away the main topgallant mast and fore topmast steering-sail boom, but these were soon replaced by others.” A high bluff was named after Admiral Saunders, and near were several bays, ”wherein there appear'd to be anchorage and shelter from South-West, Westerly, and North-West winds.” One of these is now Otago Harbour, the port of Dunedin.

THE TRAPS.

On 26th February it blew hard from west-south-west, so they stood southward. They lost the fore-sail, and then the wind moderated, only to come on with increased fury about daylight, when their main topsail went.

The storm continued for forty-eight hours, and half that time they lay to, heading south. After being lost for seven days the land was again sighted near Cape Saunders, and at night a large fire was seen on sh.o.r.e.

On 6th March, being satisfied that he had pa.s.sed the south point of the island, Cook altered his course to the west, and nearly ran on some partially submerged rocks a few miles to the south-east of Stewart Island, to which he gave the suggestive name of the Traps. They were again blown off, but picked up the land again at the western end of Foveaux Straits. Again they had to run off, returning to near Dusky Bay, which he wished to enter as he thought it looked a likely harbour, but the difficulty of getting out again and consequent waste of time prevented him. Off Cape Foulwind--suggestive name--they were again blown out to sea, but soon recovered their position, and Cook describes the land:

”No country upon earth can appear with a more rugged and barren aspect than this does from the sea, for as far inland as the eye can reach nothing is to be seen but the summits of these rocky mountains, which seem to lay so near one another as not to admit any vallies between them.”

On the 24th they rounded the north point of the South Island, and on the 27th Cook writes: ”As we have now circ.u.mnavigated the whole of this country, it is time for me to think of quitting it.” He had thus carried out to the fullest extent the instructions to determine the situation and nature of the land seen by Tasman in 1642, and had done it in the most conclusive manner possible--by sailing round it--and thus upset Mr.

Dalrymple's favourite theory that it formed part of a continent.

In Admiralty Bay, which he entered to refit for the homeward voyage, the sails were found to require a thorough overhaul, for, as Banks says, they:

”were ill-provided from the first, and were now worn and damaged by the rough work they had gone through, particularly on the New Zealand coast, and they gave no little trouble to get into order again.”

The two points forming the bay were appropriately named after the Secretaries of the Admiralty, Stephens and Jackson.

The opinion was expressed that European fruits, grain, etc., would grow well in New Zealand, and an agricultural population would be successful.

Timber of excellent quality was plentiful, and it was believed that New Zealand flax promised to be of considerable commercial value. Fish was found in great quant.i.ties, the lobsters and oysters being specially remarkable for quality and quant.i.ty. No quadrupeds except dogs and rats were seen, and birds did not seem very plentiful. The minerals, in Cook's opinion, did not appear of much value, but he admitted that he was not an authority on the subject. Banks notes the southern islanders appeared to be an inferior race to those of the north, the latter probably more closely allied to the Otaheitan type; many of their customs were similar, and their language practically identical. Tupia had no difficulty in making himself understood.

It would seem that even at this time founding a colony in the southern hemisphere had been under discussion, for Cook says that if a settlement were decided on in New Zealand, he would recommend the Estuary of the Thames and the Bay of Islands as most suitable for the purpose.

Speaking of his chart of New Zealand, Cook points out frankly the places where he thinks he may have fallen into error, and gives his reasons for so thinking, and the opinions of others are worth recording.

A DULL SAILOR.

Admiral Wharton says:

”Never has a coast been as well laid down by a first explorer, and it must have required unceasing vigilance and continual observation in fair weather and foul, to arrive at such a satisfactory conclusion, and with such a dull sailor as the Endeavour was, the six and a half months occupied in the work (2,400 miles of coast) must be counted as a short interval in which to do it.”

M. Crozet, second to M. Marion du Fresne in command of the French expedition that was out in the following year, says: