for some years past, that their productions are in the greatest plenty; and particularly the most valuable of all the articles, their hogs."* On the eighth of December, he took his departure from Bolabola, and made sail to the northward. Seventeen months had elapsed since he left England, yet he was aware, "that with regard to the principal object of his instructions, the voyage was at this time only beginning." He had now reached the limits of his former navigation, and entered upon a region rarely traversed, and never thoroughly explored. In the night between the 22d and 23d, he crossed the equator in longitude 203° 15′ E.; and, soon after daybreak on the 24th, saw a low island, of a very barren appearance, on which he bestowed the title of Christmas. It was uninhabited, was about fifteen or twenty leagues in circumference, and of semicircular form. No fresh water could be found on it, and only a few low trees; but it abounded with turtle, of which about 300 were caught, " of the green kind, and perhaps as good as any in the world." The voyagers weighed anchor on the 2d January 1778, and resumed their course towards the north, favoured by serene skies and gentle breezes. On reaching the latitude of 10° 30′ N., various birds and turtles were seen every day, and regarded as indications of the vicinity of land. None, however, was discovered till the morning of the 18th, when an island appeared, bearing north-east by east; soon after, another was seen bearing north; and, on the 19th, a third, in a west-north-west direction. Doubts were entertained whether the second, which lay most convenient for approach, had any inhabitants, till some canoes came off, having in each from three Voyage to the Pacific, vol. ii. p. 134. * to six men, who, to the agreeable surprise of our navigators, spoke the language of Otaheite. Though easily prevailed on to come alongside, they could not be persuaded to venture on board. The name of their island was ascertained to be Atooi or Tauai ; they were of a brown complexion, and a considerable diversity was observable in their features, some of which were not very different from those of Europeans. The greater number had their hair, which was naturally black, but dyed of a brown colour, cropt short; others permitted it to flow unconfined in loose tresses; and a few wore it tied in a bunch on the crown of the head. In general they had beards; no ornaments were observed on their persons, nor were their ears bored; some showed punctures on their hands or near the groin; and the pieces of cloth worn by them were curiously stained of various hues. On certain rare occasions they wore a kind of mask, made of a large gourd, with a perforation for the eyes and nose; the top was adorned with small green twigs, and from the lower part hung stripes of cloth. No anchorage being found here, the vessels bore away to leeward, when the canoes departed; but as the discoverers sailed along the coast others succeeded, bringing roasting-pigs and some fine potatoes, which the owners readily exchanged for whatever was offered to them. Several villages were seen,some on the margin of the sea, others in the interior of the country; and the inhabitants were perceived thronging to the shore for the purpose of viewing the ships, which passed the night standing off and on. In the morning, as they were moving towards the land, several canoes approached, and some of the natives had the courage to come on board. Never before, in the course of his voyages, had our navigator witnessed such astonishment as these savages displayed. Their eyes wandered from one object to another in restless amazement; they endeavoured to seize every thing they came near; and the wildness of their looks and actions proved them to be totally unused to European visiters, and ignorant of all their commodities,-iron alone excepted; and of this it was evident that they had merely heard, or obtained a small quantity at a distant period. When asked what it was, they replied, "We do not know; we only understand it as toe or hamaite,"the former signifying a hatchet, and the latter, probably referring to some native instrument, in the construction of which iron might be advantageously substituted for stone or bone. When beads were shown to them, they inquired "Whether they should eat them?" When their use was explained, they were given back as of no value, and a looking-glass was regarded with equal indifference. Plates of earthenware and china-cups were so new to their eyes, that they asked if they were made of wood. About three o'clock, the vessels succeeded in anchoring, and Cook rowed to the land with three armed boats and a party of marines. "The very instant," he says, "I leaped on shore, the collected body of the natives all fell flat upon their faces, and remained in that very humble posture till by expressive signs I prevailed upon them to rise. They then brought a great many small pigs, which they presented to me, with plantain-trees, using much the same ceremonies that we had seen practised on such occasions at the Society and other islands; and a long prayer being spoken by a single person, in which others of the assembly sometimes joined. I expressed my acceptance of their proffered friendship, by giving them in return such presents as I had brought with me from the ship for that purpose.' "* The same deferential obeisance was afterwards paid to him during an excursion which he made through the country; and he believed it to be the mode in which the natives manifested respect to their own chiefs. The people assisted his men in rolling casks to and from the watering-place, readily performed whatever was required of them, and merited the commendations of their visiters by fair dealing; there having been no attempt to cheat or to steal after the first interview. On the morning of the 23d, a breeze sprung up at north-east, when, to avoid being driven on shore, it Voyage to the Pacific, vol. ii. p. 198. * became necessary to stand out to procure sea-room; and the adverse winds and currents having drifted the vessels far from the harbour, after several unsuccessful attempts to regain it, they anchored off the neighbouring island of Oneeheow or Ni-Hau. Here the captain deposited some goats, pigs of the English breed, and various useful seeds, which he had intended for Atooi. The provisions obtained at these islands were reckoned sufficient for nearly four weeks' consumption; and, having thus recruited his stores, on the 2d of February, he made sail with a gentle breeze to the northward. "Of what number," he says, "this newly-discovered archipelago consists, must be left for future investigation." Besides those visited, three others were seen, Woahoo or Oahu, Oreehoua, Tahoora or Taura. This group, lying between the latitudes of 21° 30′, and 22° 15′ N., and 199° 20', and 201° 30' east longitude, received, in honour of the first lord of the admiralty, the name of THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. On the 7th, the wind, having veered to south-east, enabled the voyagers to steer north-east and east till the 12th, when another change induced them to stand to the northward. About a fortnight after, when proceeding more towards the east, they met with rockweed or sea-leek, and now and then a piece of wood floated past. During the whole of this course, scarcely a bird or living creature was seen; but, on the 6th of March, two large fowls settled near the ships. The next day, two seals and several whales were observed; and the dawn of the 7th revealed the anxiously-expected coast of New Albion, in latitude 44° 33′ N., longitude 235° 20′ E. It was richly wooded, of moderate height, and di |