21. The Endeavour founders again, and a long visit with a native
village to repair the ship.
On Friday the 12th of January, 1770, being in latitude 38°10',
we discovered a remarkable peak nearly equal in height to that
of Teneriffe, which was covered at its summit with snow. On Monday
the 15th in the morning we discovered a bay, about eleven leagues
to the S.S.W. and sailed towards it; but a little after, being
two miles from the shore, we were nearly driven upon a ledge of
sunken rocks, which extend about a mile and an half from the land:
but it being almost calm we hoisted out our boats, and towed the
ship without danger. We then sent the pinnace to examine a small
cove before us, but soon after recalled her on seeing the natives
launch and arm their canoes. In sailing towards the bay, we observed
an Indian town, where the inhabitants, by waving their hands almost
incessantly, seemed to invite us to land. In passing the point
of the bay we saw an armed sentinel on duty, who was twice afterwards
relieved. About noon we anchored, and were soon after visited
by many of the natives in their canoes; but none of them would
venture on board, except an old man, who was apparently of some
distinction among them; but in attempting to climb up the ship's
side, he was several times forcibly with-held by his countrymen.
At length, however, he came on board, and Tobia joining noses
with him according to the custom of New Zealand, their apprehensions
were thereby removed, and beginning a loud laugh they immediately
came up the side without the least constraint of timidity. As
we passed the town an old Indian, in a singular kind of habit,
came down to the water-side, attended by several of his countrymen,
and there performed some mysterious rites, with a matt and feathers,
&c.
22. Cook loses his temper and finds human bones in a basket.
Tuesday the 16th, as we prepared to careen our ship, several Indians
in canoes came along side with fish for sale, which they offered
to the deputy-purser; but on his giving them the stipulated price,
they suddenly withdrew their fish and would have killed him with
their hepatoos, had he not precipitately escaped. This insidious
attempt being represented to captain Cooke, he seized a fowling-piece,
ready loaded with duck shot, and fired at the aggressor, who being
almost directly under him, received the charge in his knee, which
was thereby shattered in pieces, a few scattering shot likewise
passed through his great tow. His wounds producing a plentiful
hemorrhage, he bathed them in salt water, and the pain being acute,
he angrily threw the fish which he had sold, and for which he
had been paid, into the sea. The Indians who were in the other
canoes, did not appear surprized either at the report of the gun
or the wounds it had made, thought they all paddled around and
examined them: nor did the wounded Indian retire, but wrapping
himself up in mats he continued about the ship several hours.
A little before this transaction, two of these Indians being prevented
from coming on board by the master, who thought there were more
on the deck than could be prudently admitted, they immediately
drew their spears to assault him, and force admittance, and nothing
but actual violence could drive them back to their canoes.
The same afternoon the captain, with several gentlemen, went in
the pinnace to the other side of the Bay, where they met several
Indians, who were employed in fishing. They had several baskets
in their canoes, which we examined; and, to our great surprize,
found in them several limbs, and other parts of human bodies,
which had been roasted, and of which it was evident they had lately
eaten by the marks of their teeth, which we discovered in the
flesh, and which appeared to have been recently gnawed and torn.
We had been before assured, that the inhabitants of new Zealand
were cannibals from their own concurrent testimonies in many different
places, but had never ocular demonstration of the fact until this
time.
When we enquired of these people, how this human flesh came into
their possession, they told us that five or six days before a
canoe, containing ten men, with two women, had been driven into
their bay from a different district, and that they had attacked
and kill them all, excepting one woman, who, in attempting to
swim, had been drowned; and that their bodies were afterwards
divided among them, of which the flesh we had seen was a part.
Perhaps they thought, like a celebrated philosopher, that it was
as well to feed on the bodies of their enemies, (for by their
own accounts they eat no other) as to leave them to be devoured
by crows. It is however certain they had no belief of any turpitude
in this practice, because they were not ashamed of it; but, on
the contrary, when we took up an arm for examination, they imagined
us to be desirous of the same kind of food, and with great good-nature
promised that they would the next day spare a human head ready
roasted, if we would come or send to fetch it. Some gentlemen,
who never left their own homes, have ventured, on the strength
of speculative reasoning, to question the veracity of those travellers
who have published accounts of cannibals in Africa and America;
treating as falsehoods every relation, which, from their ignorance
of human nature, appears to them improbable: but let them no indulge
the same freedom on this occasion; the fact will be too well attested
to be rendered doubtful by their visionary impertinent objections.
While we were conversing with our cannibals, we observed something
on shore roasting after the manner practised by the inhabitants
of George's Island, which they told us was a young dog; but suspecting
it to be human flesh, we were going to open the oven, when we
saw the hair and entrails of a dog, which satisfied us concerning
the truth of their account.
23. The crew finds a body and learns more about the Indian's culture.
Wednesday [1/17], having finished careening our ship, we began
to wood and water; but in going to that part of the bay where
we had discovered the baskets of human flesh, we found the body
of a woman floating on the water, which we supposed to be the
same that had been drowned in attempting to escape by swimming,
as before related; but she was soon after claimed by an Indian,
who told us she was his sister, and having died had been sunk
in the sea, according too the custom of their tribe; a custom
which, however, is peculiar to the inhabitants of this bay. In
this part of New Zealand we saw many towns, whose inhabitants
had either fled or been exterminated; some of them appeared to
have been deserted or uninhabited four or five years, being overgrown
with shrubs and high grass. On a small island, lying S.E. from
the place where we anchored, was one of these deserted towns,
most agreeably situated, and consisting of about eighteen houses,
placed in a circular form; it was surrounded and defended by a
wall curiously constructed, by driving two rows of long stakes
or spars into the ground, at convenient distances, and afterwards
filling the intermediate space with what we called broom-stuff,
being a small kind of brush, made into bundles like faggots, and
placed on end, in double rows, supported by others lying parallel
with the ground: in this manner the wall is raised six or seven
feet in height, and, notwithstanding the simplicity of its structure,
it is not easily broken or destroyed, especially when guarded
by men, who fight not only to preserve freedom and property, but
their own bodies from being cruelly butchered and eaten.
24. Cook finds a castle and makes a suggestion to the Indians,
which they do not accept.
At a little distance from this town we saw the remains of a more
regular fortification, situated on a high hill, near a pleasant
bay. The hill itself was almost inaccessible, and on its top was
a level flat, large enough for a town, which was surrounded by
a fence made from spars two feet in circumference, drove deep
into the earth, and about twenty feet in height: these were placed
in contact with each other, and without them was a ditch about
ten fee in breadth: within the fence were several large reservoirs
for water, and stages adjoining to the spars for supporting those
who were placed to guard the town, which appeared to have been
spacious enough to contain two or three hundred houses, though
none were then remaining. The sides of the hill in every part
were so steep, that nobody could ascend them, except by crawling
on his hands and knees.
At the bottom of this hill we observed the ruins of a town, which
had belonged to the proprietors of this castle, and which was
the place of their common residence; for, besides their town,
the natives have always a separate fort or strong hold, which
serves them for a place of retreat, and a magazine for securing
their dried fish, fern root, and other provisions; and, to prevent
its being taken by surprize, they always leave a sufficient number
of armed men therein, and thither they all retreat upon an alarm;
always keeping in readiness a sufficient quantity of water in
reservoirs, and regular piles of spears and stones dispersed along
the stage adjoining to the fence; the height of these stages being
fitted to afford those on guard sufficient shelter behind the
fence, and so much elevation, as not to be impeded by it in flinging
their stones or using their spears, &c.
Some of these castles, which have not the advantages of an elevated
situation, to supply those defects are surrounded by two or three
wide ditches, with a draw-bridge, which, though simple in its
structure, is capable of answering every purpose: and within these
ditches is a fence, made from spars fixed in the earth after the
manner of that which was last described, but with this difference,
that they incline inwardly; a circumstance which we thought favourable
to the besiegers; but, on communicating this opinion to one of
their chiefs, he assured us of the contrary; observing, that if
the spars should be pointed or inclined outwardly toward the enemy,
tat inclination would afford the assailants an opportunity of
sheltering themselves under their points, from which it might
be impossible to dislodge them; and that they would there be able
to dig subterraneous passages into the castle. The same chief
told us that these strong holds were never taken, unless by surprize;
or when the enemy, being masters of the field, converted the siege
into a blockade, and depriving them of all external subsistence,
occasioned a famine within; and when this happens, the besieged,
having no hope of foreign aid, all their friends and countrymen
being shut up in the same castle, are compelled either to perish
with hunger, or sally out and meet the spears of their enemies.
And hence a decisive victory or conquest occasions the entire
depopulation of that district, which was inhabited by the vanquished;
all those who were killed or taken prisoners being devoured by
their enemies. I would however hope, for the honour of mankind,
that this savage practice has been produced among them only from
the grossest depravation of human nature; for in its primitive
state I should be sorry to believe it would feel no repugnance
at a meal, which brutes will not make on the bodies of their own
species.
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