CHAPTER VIII SOUTH SEA ISLANDS TO NEW ZEALAND (THAMES RIVER) AUG. 15-Nov. 22, 1769 Waterspout-Comet: its effect on natives-Diary at sea-Condition of ship's supplies-Port Egmont hens-Land of New Zealand made-A native shot-Conflict with natives-Capture of a canoe-Poverty Bay-Natives come on board-Their appearance and clothing-Boy seized by nativesAppearance of the land-Occupations of the natives-Bracken as foodMode of fighting-Religion-A large canoe-Natives throw stones on board-Coast along New Zealand-Habits of natives-Transit of Mercury -Shags-Oysters-Lobster-catching—Heppahs or forts-Thames River— Timber trees. 16th August 1769. Early this morning we were told that land was in sight. It proved to be a cloud, but at first sight was so like land that it deceived every man in the ship; even Tupia gave it a name. 17th. A heavy swell from the south-west all day, so we are not yet under the lee of the continent. Our taros (roots like a yam, called in the West Indies cocos) failed us to-day; many of them were rotten. They would probably have kept longer had we had either time or opportunity of drying them well, but I believe that at the best they are very much inferior to either yams or potatoes for keeping. About nine it began 24th. The morning was calm. to blow fresh with rain, which came on without the least warning; at the same time a waterspout was seen to leeward. It appeared to me so inconsiderable, that had it not been pointed out to me, I should not have particularly noticed the appearance. It resembled a line of thick mist, as thick as a middling-sized tree, which reached, not in a straight line, almost to the water's edge, and in a few minutes totally disappeared. Its distance, I suppose, made it appear so trifling, as the seamen judged it to be not less than two or three miles from us. 29th. In the course of last night a phenomenon was seen in the heavens which Mr. Green says is either a comet or a nebula; he does not know which; the seamen have observed it these three nights. 30th. Our comet is this morning acknowledged, and proves a very large one, but very faint. Tupia, as soon as he saw it, declared that the people of Bola-Bola would, upon the sight of it, kill the people of Ulhietea, of whom as many as were able would fly into the mountains. Several birds were seen pintados, albatrosses of both kinds, the little silver-backed bird which we saw off the Falkland Isles and Cape Horn (Procellaria velox), and a gray shearwater. Peter saw a green bird about the size of a dove: the colour makes us hope that it is a land bird; it took, however, not the least notice of the ship. Some seaweed was also seen to pass by the ship, but as it was a very small piece, our hopes are not very sanguine on that head. 31st. Many millions, I may safely say, of the Procellaria velox mentioned yesterday were about the ship to-day; they were grayish on the back, and some had a dark-coloured mark going in a crooked direction over the back and wings. I tried to-day to catch some of these numerous attendants with a hook; but after the whole morning spent in the attempt caught only one pintado, which proved to be Procellaria capensis, Linn. 19th September. Shot Procellaria velox (the dove of the 31st), P. vagabunda (a gray-backed shearwater) and a Passerina. Took with the dipping-net Medusa vitrea, Phyllodoce velella (to one species of which adhered Lepas anatifera), Doris complanata, Helix violacea, and a Cancer. 23rd. Dr. Solander has been unwell for some days, so to-day I opened Dr. Hulme's essence of lemon juice, Mr. Monkhouse having prescribed it for him; it proved perfectly 1 A species of Ianthina. SEPT. 1769 CONDITION OF SHIP'S PROVISIONS 181 good, little, if at all, inferior in taste to fresh lemon juice. We also to-day made a pie of the North American apples which Dr. Fothergill had given me, and which proved very good; if not quite equal to the apple pies which our friends in England are now eating, good enough to please us who have been so long deprived of the fruits of our native country. In the main, however, we are very well off for refreshments and provisions of most sorts. Our ship's beef and pork are excellent; peas, flour, and oatmeal are at present, and have been in general, very good; our water is as sweet and has rather more spirit than it had when drank out of the. river at Otahite; our bread, indeed, is but indifferent, occasioned by the quantity of vermin that are in it. I have often seen hundreds, nay, thousands, shaken out of a single biscuit. We in the cabin have, however, an easy remedy for this, by baking it in an oven, not too hot, which makes them all walk off; but this cannot be allowed to the ship's people, who must find the taste of these animals very disagreeable, as they every one taste as strong as mustard, or rather spirits of hartshorn. They are of five kinds, three Tenebrio, one Ptinus, and the Phalangium canchroides; this last, however, is scarce in the common bread, but vastly plentiful in white meal biscuits, as long as we had any left. Wheat has been boiled for the breakfasts of the ship's company two or three times a week, in the same manner as frumenty is made. This has, I believe, been a very useful refreshment to them, as well as an agreeable food, which I myself and most of the officers in the ship have constantly breakfasted upon in the cold weather. The grain was originally of a good quality, and has kept without the least damage. This, however, cannot be said of the malt, of which we have plainly had two kinds, one very good, which was used up some time ago. What we are at present using is good for nothing at all; it was originally of a bad light grain, and so little care has been taken in making it that the tails are left in with innumerable other kinds of dirt; add to all this that it has been damped on board ship; so that, with all the care that can be used, it will scarce give a tincture to water. Portable soup is very good; it has now and then required an airing to prevent it from moulding. Sour crout is as good as ever. So much for the ship's company: we ourselves are hardly as well off as they. Our live stock consists of seventeen sheep, four or five fowls, as many South Sea hogs, four or five Muscovy ducks, and an English boar and sow with a litter of pigs. In the use of these we are rather sparing, as the time of our getting a fresh supply is rather precarious. Salt stock we have nothing worth mentioning, except a kind of salt beef and salted cabbage. Our malt liquors have answered extremely well; we have now both small beer and porter upon tap, as good as I ever drank them, especially the latter. The small beer had some art used to make it keep. Our wine I cannot say much for, though I believe it to be good in its nature; we have not had a glass full these many months, I believe chiefly owing to the carelessness or ignorance of the steward. 2nd October. Took Dagysa rostrata, serena, and polyedra ; Beroe incrassata and coarctata; Medusa vitrea; Phyllodoce velella, with several other things which are all put in spirits; Diomedea exulans; Procellaria velox, palmipes, latirostris, and longipes; and Nectris fuliginosa. 3rd. In the course of the day several pieces of a new species of seaweed were taken, and one piece of wood covered with striated barnacles (Lepas anserina). 5th. Two seals passed the ship asleep, and three birds which Mr. Gore calls Port Egmont hens (Larus catarrhactes). He says they are a sure sign of our being near land. They are something larger than a crow; in flight much like one, flapping their wings often with a slow motion. Their bodies and wings are of a dark chocolate or soot colour; under each wing is a small broadish bar of a dirty white, which makes them so remarkable that it is hardly possible to mistake them. They are seen, as he says, all along the coast of South America and the Falkland Isles. I myself remember to have seen them at Terra del Fuego, but by some accident did not note them down. ост. 1769 OFF NEW ZEALAND 183 7th. This morning the land was plainly seen from the deck; it appears to be very large. About eleven a large smoke was seen, and soon after several more sure signs of inhabitants. I shot Nectris munda and Procellaria velox, and took with the dipping-net Dagysa gemma, and a good deal of Fucus sertularia, etc., the examination of which is postponed till we shall have more time than we are likely to have at present. 8th. This morning we are very near the land, which forms many white cliffs like chalk. The hills are in general clothed with trees; in the valleys some appear to be very large. The whole appearance is not so fruitful as we could wish. We stood in for a large bay in hopes of finding a harbour, and before we were well within the heads we saw several canoes standing across the bay, which after a little time returned to the place they came from without appearing to take the least notice of us. Some houses were also seen, which appeared low but neat; near one of them there were a good many people collected, who sat down upon the beach, seemingly observing us. On a small peninsular at the north-east head we could plainly see a regular paling, pretty high, inclosing the top of a hill, for what purpose many conjectures were made; most are of opinion, or say at least, that it must be either a park of deer or a field of oxen and sheep. By four o'clock we came to an anchor nearly two miles from the shore. The bay appears to be quite open, without the least shelter; the two sides of it make in high white cliffs; the middle is lowland, with hills gradually rising behind one another to a chain of high mountains inland. Here we saw many great smokes, some near the beach, others between the hills, some very far within land, which we looked upon as great indications of a populous country. In the evening I went ashore with the marines. We marched from the boats in hopes of finding water, etc., and saw a few of the natives, who ran away immediately on seeing us. While we were absent four of them attacked our small boat, in which were only four boys. They got off |