1774.] THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. three degrees of latitude and two degrees of longitude, and comprising Anamooka, which Tasman, who first discovered it, named Rotterdam, Tongataboo or Amsterdam, Eaoowee or Middleburg, and Pylstart Islands. But this appellation, to which these islands were entitled by the firm alliance and friendship which seemed to exist among their inhabitants, and their courteous behaviour to strangers, might perhaps be extended much farther, so as to include the Boscawen and Keppel Isles discovered by Captain Wallis, and inhabited by people of the same friendly manners. 66 Pursuing their course to the west, our navigators discovered on the 16th of July, land, which was justly conjectured to be the Terra Australis del Espirito Santo' of Quiros. After exploring the coast for a few days, Cook came to an anchor in a harbour in the Island of Mallicolo. The inhabitants of this island were the most ugly and deformed race which our navigators had yet seen, and differed in every respect from the other inhabitants of the Southern Ocean. They were dark coloured, of small stature, with long heads, flat faces, and countenances resembling that of a monkey. Their language, also, was found not to have any discoverable affinity with that prevailing through the islands with which the English had any acquaintance. This people differed likewise from the great Polynesian race not more by their language and figure than by their scrupulous honesty. As our navigators proceeded towards the south from Mallicolo, they passed by a group which Cook named Shepherd's Isles. Farther to the south was discovered a large island agreeably diversified with woods and lawns over the whole surface, and exhibiting a most beautiful and delightful prospect. This our navigator named Sandwich Island in compliment to his friend and patron the Earl of Sandwich. Still farther to the south was seen another large island, called by the natives Erromango, which he coasted for three days, and then came to an anchor in the intention of pro 535 curing a supply of wood and water. This, however, could not be effected without a violent conflict with the natives, who were both fierce and treacherous. It was observed that they differed from the inhabitants of Mallicolo both in language and physical conformation; they were well shaped and had tolerable features, but dark coloured, and with hair crisp and somewhat woolly. From this place Cook sailed for an island which had been descried some time before at a distance. He found that it was called Tanna by the inhabitants, from whom also he learned the names of three other islands in its neighbourhood, Inmer, Erronan, and Anaton. Two languages were found to be spoken in Tanna; one of them, which was said to have been introduced from Erronan, was nearly the same with that of the Friendly Islands; the other, which our navigators considered peculiar to Tanna, Erromango, and Anaton, was different from any they had hitherto met with in the course of their researches. The people at Tanna were well proportioned, but not robust. They had good features and agreeable countenances. Though active, and fond of martial exercises, they seemed incapable of patient labour. It appeared that they practised circumcision, and that they were eaters of human flesh; though, as their island abounded with hogs and fowls, and a variety of fruits, they could not be driven by necessity to adopt this horrid practice. "Captain Cook devoted above a month to the survey of this archipel ago, with which previous navigators had made but a superficial acquaintance. The northern islands were discovered in 1606 by Quiros, who supposed them to be portions of the great southern continent. Bougainville, in 1768, dispelled this idea, though he did not proceed to examine the islands near which he sailed; but Captain Cook, besides ascertaining the extent and situation of the islands already known, explored the whole group; and, conceiving that in consequence he had a right to name them, bestowed on them the appella- | of touching at New Zealand during tion of the New Hebrides. this voyage. On searching for the bottle which Cook had left behind on his last visit, containing the particulars of his arrival, it was found to have been taken away; and from other circumstances it was evident that the Adventure had visited the harbour after the Resolution had left it. While the Resolution remained here, the intercourse maintained with the natives was of the most friendly description. Captain Cook continued his efforts to stock the island with useful animals, and for that purpose ordered a boar and sow to be put on shore. "The season was now approaching when it would be necessary to resume his researches in a high southern latitude, and he hastened therefore to New Zealand, where he intended to refresh his people and prepare for a navigation of considerable length. He sailed from the New Hebrides on the 1st of September, and on the 4th discovered land, near which the Resolution came to anchor the next day. The inhabitants were a strong, active, and handsome race, bearing some resemblance to the people of Tanna, and those of the Friendly Isles. The same mixed character was observed in their language. They had never seen Europeans before, but were friendly and obliging in their behaviour; and what is still more remarkable in the South Seas, strictly honest in all their dealings. To this island Captain Cook gave the name of New Caledonia; and though compelled by necessity to leave it before it was fully surveyed, he had, nevertheless, examined it sufficiently to prove, that, excepting New Zealand, it is perhaps the largest island in the South Pacific Ocean. As the Resolution pursued her course from New Caledonia, land was discovered, which, on a nearer approach, was found to be an island of good height, and about five leagues in circuit. It was uninhabited, and probably our English navigators were the first persons who had ever set foot on it. In its vegetable productions it bore a close resemblance to New Zealand. The flax plant of that country was here particularly luxuriant; but the chief produce of the island was a majestic species of pine, of such a size that, breast high, two men could scarcely clasp the trunk. This little spot was named Norfolk Island. Its fine woods and fertile soil allured, some years later, a party of British settlers; who finally abandoned it, however, from the inaccessible nature of its coast. "On the 18th of October the Resolution came to anchor in Queen Charlotte's Sound. This was the third time "On the 10th of November he left New Zealand to pursue his voyage to the east. Towards the close of that month, he had reached the Latitude of 55° 48' S., when, deeming it useless to search any longer for a continent in that direction, he bore away for Cape Horn; and on the 17th of December had sight of Tierra del Fuego. This is the first instance of a run quite across the Southern Pacific. It now only remained for our navigator to cross also the Southern Atlantic to the point whence he had commenced his explorations. Having completed his examination of Tierra del Fuego and Staaten Land, he proceeded towards the east; and, after a voyage of ten days, land was seen at a distance, nearly covered with snow. On approaching the shore, it was found to be terminated in many places by perpendicular ice cliffs of considerable height. Pieces continually broke off with a noise like the report of cannon, and floated out to sea. The general aspect of the country was savage and horrid in the extreme. The wild rocks raised their lofty summits till they were lost in the clouds, and the valleys lay covered with everlasting snow. Our navigator, who at first view of this land supposed that it might be a continent, confesses that he was not much disappointed on discovering his error; 'for to judge of the bulk by the sample, it would not be worth discovering." In Latitude 59°, and about eight degrees to the east of New Georgia, as this inhospit 1774.] BARBAROUS TREATMENT OF CREW OF ADVENTURE. 537 able shore was named, land was again | out- Look underneath.' They dug seen, presenting an elevated coast, whose lofty snow-clad summits reached above the clouds. To this bleak region Cook gave the name of the Southern Thule, as it was the most southern land which had yet been discovered; but on leaving the coast he gave to the whole country the general appellation of Sandwich Land, which he concluded to be either a group of islands or a point of the southern continent. But the great quantities of ice which he met with led him to infer the existence of a large tract of land near the South Pole. He now sailed as far as the latitude assigned to Bouvet's supposed discovery; but no indications of land occurred, nor was it possible to believe any longer in the existence of Cape Circumcision. "Cook had now made a circuit of the Southern Ocean in a high latitude, and traversed it in such a manner as to demonstrate that no southern continent existed unless near the Pole, and beyond the reach of navigation. During this circumnavigation of the globe, from the time of his leaving the Cape of Good Hope to his return to it again, he had sailed no less than 20,000 leagues. On the 13th of July 1775, he landed at Portsmouth, having been absent from Great Britain three years and eighteen days, during which time, and under all changes of climate, he had lost but four men, and only one of them by sickness. "It has been related above that Captain Cook, on approaching New Zealand for the second time in the course of this voyage, lost sight of the Adventure, and never joined company with that ship again. Captain Furneaux was long baffled by adverse winds in his attempt to reach Queen Charlotte's Sound, which was appointed the rendezvous for the ships in case of separation. At length, on the 30th of November, the Adventure got safe into the desired port. The Resolution not being there, Captain Furneaux and his company began to entertain doubts of her safety; but on going on shore they observed on an old stump of a tree these words cut accordingly, and soon found a bottle corked and waxed down, with a letter in it from Captain Cook, signifying his arrival on the 3d and departure on the 24th. Great exertions were now made to get the Adventure ready for sea, and on the 17th of December, the preparations being completed, Mr Rowe, a midshipman, with nine men, were sent in the large cutter to gather a stock of wild greens for the ship's company. As the boat did not return the same evening nor the next morning, and the ship was now ready for sea, Mr Burney, the second lieutenant, proceeded in search of her in the launch, manned with the boat's crew and ten marines. The launch proceeded, firing guns into all the coves by way of signals, but no traces of the cutter were found till they reached Grass Cove. Here a great many baskets were seen lying on the beach tied up; when cut open, some of them were found to be full of roasted flesh, and some of fern root, which served the natives for bread. On further search, some shoes were picked up and a hand, which was immediately known to have belonged to Thomas Hill, one of the forecastle men, the initials of his name being marked on it with an Otaheitan tatooing instrument. The natives were collected in considerable numbers round Grass Cove, shouting and inviting the English to land, but evidently with no friendly intentions. From their numbers, and the suspicion which their conduct excited in our people, Lieutenant Burney did not deem it prudent to trust himself among them; but he pursued his examination far enough to obtain a melancholy certainty as to the fate of his unfortunate companions. On the beach,' he says, were two bundles of celery, which had been gathered for loading the cutter; a broken oar was stuck upright in the ground, to which the natives had tied their canoes, a proof that the attack had been made here. I then searched all along at the back of the beach to see if the cutter was there. We found no boat, but instead ་ of her such a shocking scene of carnage and barbarity as can never be mentioned nor thought of but with horror; for the heads, hearts, and lungs of several of our people were seen lying on the beach; and, at a little distance, the dogs gnawing their entrails.' The men who had thus fallen victims to the barbarity of the natives were among the healthiest and best of the ship's crew. "The Adventure was detained in the sound four days after this lamentable occurrence, during which time no natives were seen. On the 23d of December, however, she got to sea; and in little more than a month reached Cape Horn, being favoured by a strong current running to the east, and by westerly winds which blow continually in the summer season in the great ocean. Captain Furneaux continued his course eastward to the Cape of Good Hope, where he refitted his ship and refreshed his people. He then sailed for England, and anchored at Spithead on the 14th of July 1774. east from New Guinea he discovered land, to which he gave the name of the Land of the Arsacides, and which was, in fact, a part of that long chain of islands that had already been seen by Bougainville, who gave the name of Louisiade to the portion which he had examined. Surville, in his intercourse with the natives, found them to be of a fierce, intractable, and treacherous disposition, and chose to designate them Arsacides, a name which he supposed to be equivalent to the word assassins. Surville afterwards visited New Zealand, and anchored in a bay, to which he gave the name of Lauriston. Captain Cook, who named it Double Bay, was at the same time employed in surveying its shores, yet these two navigators did not meet nor descry each other. The French commander, having lost his boat while anchoring here, went on shore with an armed party to punish the natives, whom he supposed to have stolen it. In a short time he burned several villages, and carried off a native chief. This outrage, perpetrated by some of the first Europeans who visited them, was soon afterwards repaid with cruel reprisals by the New Zealanders. The chief died at Juan Fernandez, and Surville was drowned while going on shore at Valparaiso. "In 1769 some discoveries of importance were made in the South Seas by a French mercantile adventurer. Two ships were fitted out in Bengal by MM. Law and Chevalier for a trading voyage to Peru, and were placed under the command of M. de Surville. While he was preparing to "The Land of the Arsacides, which embark, news arrived in India that Surville had coasted on the north-eastthe English had discovered in the ern side, was again discovered in 1789 South Sea, 700 leagues from Peru, by Lieutenant Shortland of the British and in Lat. 27° S., an island exceed- navy on his voyage from Port Jackson ingly rich, and inhabited by Jews. to the East Indies. He followed its This story gained credit, being con- southern shores, to which he gave genial to the avaricious cravings of the name of New Georgia, and passed mankind; and even those who sus- through the Straits of Bougainville, pected fiction in the mention of Jews which he named from himself, being were still willing to believe that the apparently ignorant of the discoveries newly-discovered country was emin- of the French navigators. The chain ently rich. Surville, touching at the of large islands thus seen successively Bashee Islands, carried off three of and partially by Bougainville, Surthe natives to supply the deficiencies ville, and Shortland, and which stretch of his crew, thus furnishing a conspi- from north-west to south-east, between cuous example of that overbearing New Guinea and the New Hebrides, violence which has almost universally are unquestionably the Salomon Isforced weak and uncivilised nations lands of the early Spanish navigators. to regard Europeans as their natural The Egmont Island of Carteret, who enemies. In running to the south-sought the Salomon Islands, and who 1774.] KERGUELEN'S EXPLORATIONS. 539 he was separated from the corvette which accompanied him. To the bleak and sterile shores which he had discovered he gave his own name; took formal possession of them for his sovereign; and, on his return to France, described their appearance in such glowing terms, that Louis XV., deceived by his representations, hung to his button-hole, with his own hand, the cross of St Louis. Kerguelen's enemies, however, insisted that he had seen ice at a distance, and mistaken it for land; they called on him to show some of the productions of the country as a proof of his discovery, and insinuated that he had purposely got rid of his comrade that he might be at liberty to indulge in gross fictions. The King, however, afforded him the means of refuting these aspersions. Kerguelen sailed approached them very closely without | remained six days. During this time being aware of it, may be considered as belonging to the archipelago. "It has been already mentioned that Bougainville brought home with him to France a native of Otaheite named Aootooroo. When the fame of Cook's discoveries began to excite a general interest in Europe, Captain Marion du Fresne, animated with a desire to emulate the glory of the English navigator, offered to take back the Otaheitean to his native land from the Isle of France at his own expense. The offer was accepted, and Kerguelen, a navigator of some note, was commissioned to carry Aootooroo to the Isle of France, and then to proceed to examine more carefully the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Otaheitean died at Madagascar, but Marion did not on that account relinquish his plans, but proceeded in the ardent hope of making some important discoveries. He arrived at New Zealand without any accident, and anchored in the Bay of Islands, where his people lived on terms of familiarity, and apparently of cordial friendship with the natives; but some offence was given unawares to the passionate and capricious savages. Marion was murdered, with sixteen officers and men who had accompanied him on shore. Another party of eleven men, who were employed cutting wood in a different quarter, were at the same time set upon suddenly, and only one escaped to the ships to relate the dismal fate of his companions. When the French landed to seek the remains of their unfortunate commander, the natives insultingly cried to them from their fastnesses, Tacowry (the chief of the district) has killed and eaten Marion.' After this melancholy accident the ships returned to the Isle of France under the command of M. Duclesmeur, all plans of discovery being abandoned. "Kerguelen, in the meantime, sailed from the Isle of France in January 1772; and, on the 12th of February, discovered in Lat. 50° 5' S., high land, near the coast of which he again to the Southern Atlantic, and, in December 1773, again discovered land: by the 6th of January following he had traced its coasts above eighty leagues. It was, however, a barren, inhospitable, and, in general, an unapproachable shore, affording nothing that could satisfy the French nation of the importance of his discoveries. On his return he was accused of culpable indifference to the safety of his men and officers, or rather of purposely exposing those whom he disliked to dangers which eventually proved fatal. Being unable to exculpate himself, he was deprived of his rank and thrown into prison. "No expedition, fitted out for the purpose of maritime discovery, had ever equalled that from which Captain Cook had now returned, in the magnitude and arduous nature of its peculiar object; and none had ever so completely answered its intentions and performed its task with so little loss of life or injury to the ships. The success of Cook's voyage was gratifying in the highest degree to those who had patronised the undertaking. The Earl of Sandwich was still at the head of the Admiralty, and felt naturally disposed to reward liberally one whose courage and |
