Narrative of the Voyages Round the World Part 16

When the ships were brought to an anchor, our commander went on sh.o.r.e; and, at the very instant of his doing it, the collected body of the natives all fell flat upon their faces, and continued in that humble posture, till, by expressive signs, he prevailed upon them to rise.

Other ceremonies followed; and the next day a trade was set on foot for hogs and potatoes, which the people of the island gave in exchange for nails and pieces of iron, formed into something like chisels. So far was any obstruction from being met with in watering, that, on the contrary, the inhabitants a.s.sisted our men in rolling the casks to and from the pool; and readily performed whatever was required.

Affairs thus going on to the captain's satisfaction, he made an excursion into the country, accompanied by Mr. Anderson and Mr.

Webber, the former of whom was as well qualified to describe with the pen, as the latter was to represent with his pencil, whatever might occur worthy of observation. In this excursion, the gentlemen, among other objects that called for their attention, found a _Morai_.

On the return of our commander, he had the pleasure of finding that a brisk trade for pigs, fowls, and roots was carrying on with the greatest good order, and without any attempt to cheat, or steal, on the part of the natives. The rapacious disposition they at first displayed was entirely corrected by their conviction that it could not be exercised with impunity. Among the articles which they brought to barter, the most remarkable was a particular sort of cloak and cap, that might be reckoned elegant, even in countries where dress is eminently the object of attention. The cloak was richly adorned with red and yellow feathers, which in themselves were highly beautiful, and the newness and freshness of which added not a little to their beauty.

On the 22nd, a circ.u.mstance occurred, which gave the English room to suspect that the people of the island are eaters of human flesh. Not, however, to rest the belief of the existence of so horrid a practice on the foundation of suspicion only, Captain Cook was anxious to inquire into the truth of the fact, the result of which was its being fully confirmed. An old man, in particular, who was asked upon the subject, answered in the affirmative, and seemed to laugh at the simplicity of such a question. His answer was equally affirmative on a repet.i.tion of the inquiry; and he added, that the flesh of men was excellent food, or, as he expressed it, "savoury eating". It is understood that enemies slain in battle are the sole objects of this abominable custom.

The island, at which our voyagers had now touched, was called Atooi by the natives. Near it was another island, named Oneeheow, where our commander came to an anchor on the 29th of the month. The inhabitants were found to resemble those of Atooi in their dispositions, manners, and customs; and proofs, too convincing, appeared that the horrid banquet of human flesh is here as much relished, amidst plenty, as it is in New Zealand. From a desire of benefiting these people by furnishing them with additional articles of food, the captain left them a ram goat and two ewes, a boar and sow pig of the English breed, and the seeds of melons, pumpkins and onions. These benevolent presents would have been made to Atooi, the larger island, had not our navigators been unexpectedly driven from it by stress of weather.

Though the soil of Oneeheow seemed in general poor it was observable, that the ground was covered with shrubs and plants, some of which perfumed the air with a more delicious fragrancy than what Captain Cook had met with at any other of the countries that had been visited by him in this part of the world.

It is a curious circ.u.mstance, with regard to the islands in the Pacific Ocean which the late European voyages have added to the geography of the globe, that they have generally been found to lie in groups, or cl.u.s.ters. The single intermediate islands, which have as yet been discovered, are few in proportion to the others; though there are probably many more of them that are still unknown, and may serve as steps, by which the several cl.u.s.ters are to some degree connected together. Of the archipelago now first visited, there were five only with which our commander became at this time acquainted. The names of these, as given by the natives, were Woahoo, Atooi, Oneeheow, Oreehoua, and Tahoora. To the whole group Captain Cook gave the appellation of Sandwich Islands, in honour of his great friend and patron, the Earl of Sandwich.

Concerning the island of Atooi, which is the largest of the five, and which was the princ.i.p.al scene of the captain's operations, he collected, in conjunction with Mr. Anderson, a considerable degree of information. The land, as to its general appearance, does not in the least resemble any of the islands that our voyagers had hitherto visited within the tropic, on the south side of the equator; excepting so far as regards its hills near the centre, which slope gently towards the sea. Hogs, dogs, and fowls, were the only tame or domestic animals that were to be found; and these were of the same kind with those which exist in the countries of the South Pacific Ocean. Among the inhabitants (who are of a middle stature, and firmly made), there is a more remarkable equality in the size, colour, and figure of both s.e.xes, than our commander had observed in most other places. They appeared to be blessed with a frank and cheerful disposition; and, in Captain Cook's opinion, they are equally free from the fickle levity which distinguishes the natives of Otaheite, and the sedate cast discernable amongst many of those at Tongataboo. It is a very pleasing circ.u.mstance in their character, that they pay a particular attention to their women, and readily lend a.s.sistance to their wives in the tender offices of maternal duty. On all occasions, they seemed to be deeply impressed with a consciousness of their own inferiority; being alike strangers to the preposterous pride of the more polished j.a.panese, and of the ruder Greenlander. Contrary to the general practice of the countries that had hitherto been discovered in the Pacific Ocean, the people of the Sandwich Islands have not their ears perforated; nor have they the least idea of wearing ornaments in them, though, in other respects, they are sufficiently fond of adorning their persons. In every thing manufactured by them, there is an uncommon degree of neatness and ingenuity; and the elegant form and polish of some of their fishing-hooks could not be exceeded by any European artist, even if he should add all his knowledge in design to the number and convenience of his tools. From what was seen of their agriculture, sufficient proofs were afforded, that they are not novices in that art; and that the quant.i.ty and goodness of their vegetable productions may as much be attributed to skilful culture, as to natural fertility of soil. Amidst all the resemblances between the natives of Atooi, and those of Otaheite, the coincidence of their languages was the most striking; being almost word for word the same.

Had the Sandwich Islands been discovered by the Spaniards at an early period, they would undoubtedly have taken advantage of so excellent a situation, and have made use of them as refreshing places, for their ships, which sail annually from Acapulca for Manilla. Happy, too, would it have been for Lord Anson, if he had known that there existed a group of islands, half way between America and Tinian, where all his wants could effectually have been supplied, and the different hardships to which he was exposed have been avoided.

On the second of February, our navigators pursued their course to the northward, in doing which the incidents they met with were almost entirely of a nautical kind. The long looked-for coast of New Albion was seen on the 7th of March, the ships being then in the lat.i.tude of 44 33' north, and in the longitude of 235 20' east. As the vessels ranged along the west side of America, Captain Cook gave names to several capes and headlands which appeared in sight. At length, on the 29th, the captain came to an anchor at an inlet, where the appearance of the country differed much from what had been seen before; being full of mountains, the summits of which were covered with snow; while the valleys between them, and the grounds on the sea-coast, high as well as low, were covered, to a considerable breadth, was high, straight trees, which formed a beautiful prospect, as of one vast forest. It was immediately found, that the coast was inhabited; and there soon came off to the Resolution three canoes, containing eighteen of the natives; who could not, however, be prevailed upon to venture themselves on board. Notwithstanding this, they displayed a peaceable disposition; shewed great readiness to part with any thing they had, in exchange for what was offered them; and expressed a stronger desire for iron than for any other of our commercial articles, appearing to be perfectly acquainted with the use of that metal. From these favourable circ.u.mstances, our voyagers had reason to hope, that they should find this a comfortable station to supply all their wants, and to make them forget the hardships and delays which they had experienced during a constant succession of adverse winds, and boisterous weather, almost ever since their arrival upon the coast of America.

The ships having happily found an excellent inlet, the coasts of which appeared to be inhabited by a race of people who were disposed to maintain a friendly intercourse with strangers, Captain Cook's first object was to search for a commodious harbour; and he had little trouble in discovering what he wanted. A trade having immediately commenced, the articles which the inhabitants offered for sale were the skins of various animals, such as bears, wolves, foxes, deer, rac.o.o.ns, polecats, martins; and, in particular, of the sea-otters. To these were added, besides the skins in their native shape, garments made of them; another sort of clothing, formed from the bark of a tree; and various different pieces of workmanship. But of all the articles brought to market, the most extraordinary were human skulls, and hands not yet quite stripped of their flesh; some of which had evident marks of their having been upon the fire. The things, which the natives took in exchange for their commodities, were knives, chisels, pieces of iron and tin, nails, looking-gla.s.ses, b.u.t.tons, or any kind of metal. Gla.s.s beads did not strike their imaginations; and cloth of every sort they rejected. Though commerce, in general, was carried on with mutual honesty, there were some among these people who were as much inclined to thievery as the islanders in the Southern Ocean. They were, at the same time, far more dangerous thieves; for, possessing sharp iron instruments, they could cut a hook from a tackle, or any other piece of iron from a rope, the moment that the backs of the English were turned. The dexterity with which they conducted their operations of this nature, frequently eluded the most cautious vigilance. Some slighter instances of deception, in the way of traffic, Captain Cook thought it better to bear with, than to make them the foundation of a quarrel; and to this he was the rather determined, as the English articles were now reduced to objects of a trifling nature. In the progress of the commerce, the natives would deal for nothing but metal; and, at length, bra.s.s was so eagerly sought for, in preference to iron, that, before our navigators quitted the place, scarcely a bit of it was left in the ships, excepting what belonged to the necessary instruments. Whole suits of clothes were stripped of every b.u.t.ton: bureaus were deprived of their furniture; copper kettles, tin canisters, candlesticks, and whatever of the like kind could be found, all went to wreck; so that these Americans became possessors of a greater medley and variety of things from our people, than any other nation that had been visited in the course of the voyage.

Of all the uncivilized tribes which our commander had met with in his several navigations, he never found any who had such strict notions of their having a right to the exclusive property of everything which their country produces, as the inhabitants of the sound where he was now stationed. At first, they wanted to be paid for the wood and water that were carried on board; and had the captain been upon the spot, when these demands were made, he would certainly have complied with them; but the workmen, in his absence, maintained a different opinion, and refused to submit to any such claims. When some gra.s.s, which appeared to be of no use to the natives, was wanted to be cut, as food for the few goats and sheep which still remained on board, they insisted that it should be purchased, and were very unreasonable in their terms; notwithstanding which Captain Cook consented to gratify them, as far as he was able. It was always a sacred rule with him, never to take any of the property of the people whom he visited, without making them an ample compensation.

The grand operation of our navigators, to their present station, was to put the ships into a complete repair for the prosecution of the expedition. While this business was carrying on, our commander took the opportunity of examining every part of the sound; in the course of which he gained a farther knowledge of the inhabitants, who in general, received him with great civility. In one instance he met with a surly chief, who could not be softened with presents, though he condesended to accept of them. The females of the place over which he presided shewed a more agreeable disposition; for some of the young women expeditiously dressed themselves in their best apparel, and, a.s.sembling in a body, welcomed the English to their village, by joining in a song, which was far from being harsh or dissagreeable. On another occasion, the captain was entertained with singing. Being visited by a number of strangers, on the 22nd of April, as they advanced towards the ships, they all stood up in their canoes, and began to sing. Some of their songs, in which the whole body joined, were in a slow, and others in a quicker time; and their notes were accompanied with the most regular motions of their hands; or with beating in concert, with their paddles, on the sides of their canoes; to which were added other very expressive gestures. At the end of each song, they continued silent for a few moments, and then began again, sometimes p.r.o.nouncing the word _Hooee!_ forcibly as a chorus.

Among the natives of the country, there was one chief who attached himself to our commander in a particular manner. Captain Cook having, at parting, bestowed upon him a small present, received, in return, a beaver skin, of much greater value. This called upon the captain to make some addition to his present, with which the chief was so much pleased, that he insisted on our commander's acceptance of the beaver-skin cloak which he then wore; and of which he was particularly fond. Admiring this instance of generosity, and desirous that he should not suffer by his friendship, the captain gave him a new broad-sword, with a bra.s.s hilt; the possession of which rendered him completely happy.

On Captain Cook's first arrival in this inlet, he had honoured it with the name of King George's Sound; but he afterward found that it is called Nootka by the natives. During his stay in the place, he displayed his usual sagacity and diligence, in conjunction with Mr.

Anderson, in collecting every thing that could be learned concerning the neighbouring country and its inhabitants; and the account is interesting, as it exhibits a picture of productions, people, and manners very different from what had occurred in the Southern Ocean. I can only, as on former occasions, slightly advert to a few of the more leading circ.u.mstances. The climate, so far as our navigators had experience of it, was found to be in an eminent degree milder than that on the east coast of America, in the same parallel of lat.i.tude: and it was remarkable, that the thermometer, even in the night, never fell lower than 42; while in the day it frequently rose to 60. With regard to trees, those of which the woods are chiefly composed, are the Canadian pine, the white cypress and the wild pine, with two or three different sorts of pine that are less common. In the other vegetable productions there appeared but little variety: but it is to be considered, that, at so early a season, several might not yet have sprung up; and that many more might be concealed from our voyagers, in consequence of the narrow sphere of their researches. Of the land animals, the most common were bears, deer, foxes, and wolves. The sea animals, which were seen off the coast, were whales, porpoises, and seals. Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the different species, but very scarce as to numbers; and the few which are to be met with are so shy, that, in all probability, they are continually hara.s.sed by the natives; either to eat them as food, or to get possession of their feathers, which are used as ornaments. Fish are more plentiful in quant.i.ty than birds, but were not found in any great variety; and yet, from several circ.u.mstances, there was reason to believe, that the variety is considerably increased at certain seasons. The only animals that were observed of the reptile kind were snakes and water-lizards; but the insect tribe seemed to be more numerous.

With respect to the inhabitants of the country, their persons are generally under the common stature; but not slender in proportion, being usually pretty full or plump, though without being muscular.

From their bringing to sale human skulls and bones, it may justly be inferred, that they treat their enemies with a degree of brutal cruelty; notwithstanding which, it does not follow, that they are to be reproached with any charge of peculiar inhumanity: for the circ.u.mstance now mentioned only marks a general agreement of character with that of almost every tribe of uncivilized men, in every age, and in every part of the globe. Our navigators had no reason to complain of the disposition of the natives, who appeared to be a docile courteous, good-natured people; rather phlegmatic in the usual cast of their tempers, but quick in resenting what they apprehend to be an injury, and easily permitting their anger to subside. Their other pa.s.sions, and especially their curiosity, seemed to lie in some measure dormant; one cause of which may be found in the indolence that, for the most part, is prevalent amongst them. The chief employments of the men are those of fishing, and of killing land or sea animals, for the sustenance of their families; while the women are occupied in manufacturing their flaxen or woollen garments, or in other domestic offices. It must be mentioned to their honour, that they were always properly clothed, and behaved with the utmost decorum; justly deserving all commendation, for a bashfulness and modesty becoming their s.e.x: and this was the more meritorious in them, as the male inhabitants discovered no sense of shame. In their manufactures and mechanic arts, these people have arrived to a greater degree of extent and ingenuity, both with regard to the design and the execution, than could have been expected from their natural disposition, and the little progress to which they have arrived in general civilization. Their dexterity, in particular, with respect to works of wood, must princ.i.p.ally be ascribe to the a.s.sistance they receive from iron tools, which are in universal use amongst them, and in the application of which they are very dexterous. Whence they have derived their knowledge of iron was a matter of speculation with Captain Cook. The most probable opinion is, that this and other metals may have been introduced by way of Hudson's Bay and Canada, and thus successively have been conveyed across the continent, from tribe to tribe. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose, that those metals may sometimes be brought, in the same manner, from the north-western parts of Mexico.[11] The language of Nootka is by no means harsh or disagreeable; for it abounds, upon the whole, rather with what may be called l.a.b.i.al and dental, than with guttural sounds. A large vocabulary of it was collected by Mr. Anderson.

[Footnote 11: Two silver spoons of a construction similar to what may sometimes be seen in Flemish pictures of still life, were procured here by Mr. Gore, who bought them from a native, who wore them, tied together with a leather thong, as an ornament round his neck. Mr. Gore gave the spoons to Sir Joseph Banks.]

Whilst Captain Cook was at Nootka Sound, great attention was paid by him, as usual, to astronomical and nautical subjects. The observations which he had an opportunity of making were, indeed, so numerous, as to form a very considerable addition to geographical and philosophical science.

On the 26th, the repairs of the ships having been completed, every thing was ready for the captain's departure. When, in the afternoon of that day, the vessels were upon the point of sailing, the mercury in the barometer fell unusually low; and there was every other presage of an approaching storm, which might reasonably be expected to come from the southward. This circ.u.mstance induced our commander in some degree to hesitate, and especially as night was at hand, whether he should venture to sail, or wait till the next morning. But his anxious impatience to proceed upon the voyage, and the fear of losing the present opportunity of getting out of the sound, made a greater impression upon his mind, than any apprehension of immediate danger.

He determined, therefore, to put to sea at all events; and accordingly carried his design into execution that evening. He was not deceived in his expectations of a storm. Scarcely were the vessels out of the sound before the wind increased to a strong gale, with squalls and rain, accompanied by so dark a sky, that the length of the ships could not be seen. Happily the wind took a direction that blew our navigators from the coast; and though, on the 27th, the tempest rose to a perfect hurricane, and the Resolution sprang a leak, no material damage ensued.

In the prosecution of the voyage to the north, and back again to the Sandwich Islands, the facts that occurred were chiefly of a nautical kind. Minutely to record these is not the purpose of the present work, and indeed would extend it to an unreasonable length.

From this long and important navigation, I can only select some few incidents, that may be accommodated to the taste and expectations of the generality of readers.

One thing it is not improper here to observe; which is, that the captain, in his pa.s.sage along the coast of America, kept at a distance from that coast, whenever the wind blew strongly upon it, and sailed on till he could approach it again with safety. Hence several great gaps were left unexplored, and particularly between the lat.i.tudes of 50 and 55. The exact situation, for instance, of the supposed Straits of Anian was not ascertained. Every one who is acquainted with the character of our commander will be sensible, that if he had lived to return again to the north in 1779. he would have endeavoured to explore the parts which had been left unexamined.

The first place at which Captain Cook landed, after his departure from Nootka Sound, was at an island, of eleven or twelve leagues in length, the south-west point of which lies in the lat.i.tude of 59 49' north, and the longitude of 216 58' east. Here, on the 11th of May, at the foot of a tree, on a little eminence not far from the sh.o.r.e, he left a bottle, with a paper in it, on which were inscribed the names of the ships, and the date of the discovery. Together with the bottle, he enclosed two silver twopenny pieces of his majesty's coin, which had been struck in 1772. These, with many others, had been given him by the Reverend Dr. Kaye, the present Dean of Lincoln; and our commander, as a mark of his esteem and regard for that learned and respectable gentleman, named the island, after him, Kaye's island.

At an inlet, where the ships came to an anchor, on the 12th, and to which Captain Cook gave the appellation of Prince William's Sound, he had an opportunity not only of stopping the leak which the Resolution had sprung in the late storm, and of prosecuting his nautical and geographical discoveries, but of making considerable additions to his knowledge of the inhabitants of the American coast. From every observation which was made concerning the persons of the natives of this part of the coast, it appeared, that they had a striking resemblance to those of the Esquimaux and Greenlanders. Their canoes, their weapons, and their instruments for fishing and hunting, are likewise exactly the same, in point of materials and construction, that are used in Greenland. The animals in the neighbourhood of Prince William's Sound are, in general, similar to those which are found at Nootka. One of the most beautiful skins here offered for sale, was, however, that of a small animal, which seemed to be peculiar to the place. Mr. Anderson was inclined to think that it is the animal which is described by Mr. Pennant, under the name of the _casan_ marmot. Among the birds seen in this country, were the white-headed eagle; the s.h.a.g; and the _alcedo_, or great king-fisher, the colours of which were very fine and bright. The humming-bird, also, came frequently and flew about the ship, while at anchor; but it can scarcely be supposed, that it can be able to subsist here during the severity of winter. Waterfowl, upon the whole, are in considerable plenty; and there is a species of diver, about the size of a partridge, which seems peculiar to the place. Torsk and halibut were almost the only kinds of fish that were obtained by our voyagers.

Vegetables, of any sort, were few in number; and the trees were chiefly the Canadian and spruce pine, some of which were of a considerable height and thickness. The beads and iron, that were found among the people of the coast, must undoubtedly have been derived from some civilized nation; and yet there was ample reason to believe that our English navigators were the first Europeans with whom the natives had ever held a direct communication. From what quarter, then, had they gotten our manufactures? Most probably, through the intervention of the more inland tribes, from Hudson's Bay, or the settlements on the Canadian lakes. This, indeed, must certainly have been the case, if iron was known, amongst the inhabitants of this part of the American coast, prior to the discovery of it by the Russians, and before there was any traffic with them carried on from Kamtschatka.

From what was seen of Prince William's Sound, Captain Cook judged that it occupied, at least, a degree and a half of lat.i.tude, and two of longitude, exclusively of the arms or branches, the extent of which is not known.

Some days after leaving this sound our navigators came to an inlet, from which great things were expected. Hopes were strongly entertained, that it would be found to communicate either with the sea to the north, or with Baffin's or Hudson's Bay to the east; and accordingly it became the object of very accurate and serious examination. The captain was soon persuaded that the expectations formed from it were groundless; notwithstanding which, he persisted in the search of a pa.s.sage, more, indeed, to satisfy other people, than to confirm his own opinion. In consequence of a complete investigation of the inlet, indubitable marks occurred of its being a river. This river, without seeing the least appearance of its source, was traced by our voyagers, as high as the lat.i.tude of 61 34', and the longitude of 210, being seventy leagues from its entrance. During the course of the navigation, on the first of June, Lieutenant King was ordered on sh.o.r.e, to display the royal flag, and to take possession of the country in his majesty's name. The lieutenant, at the same time, buried in the ground a bottle, containing some pieces of English coin, of the year 1772, and a paper, on which the names of the ships were inscribed, and the date of the present discovery. The great river now discovered, promises to vie with the most considerable ones already known; and, by itself and its branches, lies open to a very extensive inland communication. If, therefore, the knowledge of it should be of future service, the time which was spent in exploring it ought the less to be regretted. But to Captain Cook, who had a much greater object in view, the delay that was hence occasioned was a real loss, because the season was advancing apace. It was, however, a satisfaction to him to reflect, that if he had not examined this very considerable inlet, it would have been a.s.sumed, by speculative fabricators of geography, as a fact, that there was a pa.s.sage through it to the North Sea, or to Baffin's or Hudson's Bay. Perhaps, too, it would have been marked, on future maps of the world, with greater precision, and more, certain signs of reality, than the invisible, because imaginary, Straits of de Fuca and de Fonte. In describing the inlet, our commander had left a blank which was not filled up with any particular name; and, therefore, the Earl of Sandwich directed, with the greatest propriety, that it should be called Cook's River.

All the natives who were met with, during the examination of this river, appeared, from every mark of resemblance, to be of the same nation with the inhabitants of Prince Willam's Sound; but from the people of Nootka, or King George's Sound, they essentially differed, both in their persons and their language. The only things which were seen among them, that were not of their own manufacture, were a few gla.s.s beads, the iron points of their spears, and knives of the same metal. Whencesoever these articles might be derived, it was evident, that they had never had any immediate intercourse with the Russians; since, if that had been the case, our voyagers would scarcely have found them clothed in such valuable skins as those of the sea-otter. A very beneficial fur-trade might undoubtedly be carried on with the inhabitants of this vast coast. But without a practicable northern pa.s.sage, the situation is too remote to render it probable, that Great Britain should hence ever derive any material advantage; though it is impossible to say with certainty, how far the spirit of commerce, for which the English nation is so eminently distinguished, may extend.

The most valuable, or rather the only valuable skins, which Captain Cook saw on the west side of America, were those of the sea-otter; for as to the skins of all the other animals of the country, and especially of the foxes and martins, they seemed to be of an inferior quality.

It was on the 6th of June that our navigators got clear of Cook's River. Proceeding in the course of their discoveries, when they were sailing, on the 19th, amidst the group of islands, which were called, by Beering, Schumagin's Islands, Captain Clerke fired three guns, and brought to, expressing by the proper signals, that he wished to speak with Captain Cook. At this our commander was not a little alarmed; and as no apparent danger had been remarked in the pa.s.sage through the channel where the vessels now were, it was apprehended, that some accident, such as springing a leak, must have happened. On Captain Clerke's coming on board the Resolution, he related that several of the natives had followed his ship; that one of them had made many signs, taking off his cap, and bowing after the manner of Europeans; and that, at length, he had fastened to a rope, which was handed down to him, a small thin wooden case or box. Having delivered his parcel safe, and spoken something, accompanied with more signs, the canoes dropped astern, and left the Discovery. On opening the box, a piece of paper was found, folded up carefully, upon which something was written, that was reasonably supposed to be in the Russian language.

To the paper was prefixed the date 1778, and in the body of the note there was a reference to the year 1776. Although no person on board was learned enough to decipher the alphabet of the writer, his numerals sufficiently marked, that others had preceded our voyagers in visiting this dreary part of the globe; and the prospect of soon meeting with men, who were united to them in ties somewhat closer than those of our common nature, and who were not strangers to the arts and commerce of civilized life, could not but afford a sensible satisfaction to people who, for such a length of time, had been conversant with the savages of the Pacific Ocean, and of the North American continent. Captain Clerke was, at first, of opinion that some Russians had been shipwrecked; but no such idea occurred to Captain Cook. He rather thought, that the paper contained a note of information, left by some Russian traders, to be delivered to the next of their countrymen who should arrive; and that the natives, seeing the English pa.s.s, and supposing them to be Russians, had resolved to bring off the note. Accordingly, our commander pursued his voyage, without inquiring farther into the matter.

On the 21st, amongst some hills, on the main land, that towered above the clouds to a most amazing height, one was discovered to have a volcano, which continually threw up vast columns of black smoke. It doth not stand far from the coast; and it lies in the lat.i.tude of 54 48', and the longitude of 195 45'. The mountain was rendered remarkable by its figure, which is a complete cone, and the volcano is at the very summit. While, in the afternoon of the same day, during a calm of three hours the English were fishing with great success for halibuts, a small canoe, conducted by one man, came to them from an island in the neighbourhood. On approaching the ship, he took off his cap, and bowed, as the native had done, who had visited the Discovery a day or two before. From the acquired politeness of these people, as well as from the note already mentioned, it was evident that the Russians must have a communication and traffic with them; and of this a fresh proof occurred in the present visitor; for he wore a pair of green cloth breeches, and a jacket of black cloth, or stuff, under the gut-shirt or frock of his own country.

In the prosecution of the voyage, on the 26th, there was so thick a fog, that our navigators could not see a hundred yards before them; notwithstanding which, as the weather was moderate, the captain did not intermit his course. At length, however, being alarmed at the sound of breakers on one side of the ship, he immediately brought her to, and came to anchor; and the Discovery, by his order, did the same.

A few hours after, the fog having in some degree cleared away, it appeared, that both the vessels had escaped a very imminent danger.

Providence, in the dark, had conducted them between rocks which our commander would not have ventured to pa.s.s through in a clear day, and had conveyed them to an anchoring place, as good as he could possibly have fixed upon, had the choice been entirely at his option.

On the 27th, our voyagers reached an island, that is known by the name of Oonalashka; the inhabitants of which behaved with a degree of politeness uncommon to savage tribes. A young man, who had overset his canoe, being obliged by this accident to come on board the ship, went down into Captain Cook's cabin, upon the first invitation, without expressing the least reluctance or uneasiness. His own clothes being wet, the captain gave him others, in which he dressed himself with as much ease as any Englishman could have done. From the behaviour of this youth, and that of some of the rest of the natives, it was evident, that these people were no strangers to Europeans, and to several of their customs. There was something, however, in the English ships, that greatly excited their attention; for such as could not come off in canoes, a.s.sembled on the neighbouring hills to look at them. In one instance it was apparent, that the inhabitants were so far from having made any progress in politeness, that they were still immersed in the most savage manners. For as our commander was walking along the sh.o.r.e, on the 29th, he met with a group of them, of both s.e.xes, who were seated on the gra.s.s, at a repast, consisting of raw fish, which they seemed to eat with as much relish, as persons in civilized life would experience from a turbot, served up in the richest sauce. Soon after the vessels had come to an anchor at Oonalashka, a native of the island brought on board such another note as had been given to Captain Clerke. He presented it to Captain Cook; but, as it was written in the Russian language, and could be of no use to the English, though it might be of consequence to others, the captain returned it to the bearer, and dismissed him with a few presents; for which he expressed his thanks by making several low bows as he retired.

On the 2nd of July, our voyagers put to sea from Oonalashka; and, pursuing their course of navigation and discovery, came, on the 16th, within sight of a promontory, near which our commander ordered Lieutenant Williamson to land, that he might see what direction the coast took beyond it, and what the country produced. Accordingly, Mr.

Williamson went on sh.o.r.e, and reported, on his return, that, having landed on the point, and climbed the highest hill, he found that the farthest part of the coast in sight bore nearly north. At the same time, he took possession of the country in his majesty's name, and left a bottle, in which was enclosed a piece of paper, containing an inscription of the names of the ships, together with the date of the discovery. To the promontory he gave the name of Cape Newenham. The land, as far as Mr. Williamson could see, produces neither tree nor shrub; but the lower grounds were not dest.i.tute of gra.s.s, and of some other plants, very few of which were in flower.

When our navigators, on the 3rd of August, had advanced to the lat.i.tude of 62 34', a great loss was sustained by them in the death of Mr. Anderson, the surgeon of the Resolution, who had been lingering under a consumption for more than twelve months. He was a young man of a cultivated understanding and agreeable manners, and was well skilled in his own profession; besides which, he had acquired a considerable degree of knowledge in other branches of science. How useful an a.s.sistant he was to Captain Cook, hath often appeared in the present narrative. Had his life been spared, the public would undoubtedly have received from him such communications, on various parts of the natural history of the several places that had been visited, as would justly have ent.i.tled him to very high commendation. The proofs of his abilities that now remain, will hand down the name of Anderson, in conjunction with that of Cook, to posterity. Soon after he had breathed his last, land having been seen at a distance, which was supposed to be an island, our commander honoured it with the appellation of Anderson's Island. The next day he removed Mr. Law, the surgeon of the Discovery, into the Resolution, and appointed Mr.

Samwell, the surgeon's first mate of the Resolution, to be surgeon of the Discovery.

On the 9th, Captain Cook came to an anchor under a point of land, to which he gave the name of Cape Prince of Wales, and which is remarkable by being the most western extremity of America hitherto explored. This extremity is distant from the eastern Cape of Siberia only thirteen leagues: and thus our commander had the glory of ascertaining the vicinity of the two continents, which had only been conjectured from the reports of the neighbouring Asiatic inhabitants, and the imperfect observations of the Russian navigators.

Resuming his course on the 10th, Captain Cook anch.o.r.ed in a bay, the land of which was at first supposed to be part of the island of Alaschka, which is laid down in Mr. Staehlin's map. But, from the figure of the coast, from the situation of the opposite sh.o.r.e of America, and from the longitude, the captain soon began to think, that it was more probably the country of the Tschutski, on the eastern extremity of Asia, which had been explored by Beering in 1728. In the result it appeared, that this was in fact the case. Our commander became fully satisfied in the farther progress of his voyage, that Mr.

Staehlin's map must be erroneous; and he had the honour of restoring the American continent to that s.p.a.ce which the geographer now mentioned had occupied with his imaginary island of Alaschka.

From the Bay of St. Lawrence, belonging to the country of the Tschutski, our navigators steered, on the 11th, to the east, in order to get nearer to the coast of America. After that, proceeding to the north, they reached, on the 17th, the lat.i.tude of 70 33'. On this day, a brightness was perceived in the northern horizon, like that which is reflected from ice, and is commonly called the _blink_.

This was at first but little noticed, from a supposition that there was no probability of meeting with ice so soon: and yet the sharpness of the air, and the gloominess of the weather, had, for two or three days past, seemed to indicate a sudden change. In about an hour's time, the sight of a large field of ice left Captain Cook no longer in doubt with regard to the cause of the brightness of the horizon. The ships, in the same afternoon, being then in the lat.i.tude of 70 41', were close to the edge of the ice, and not able to stand on any farther. On the 18th, when the vessels were in the lat.i.tude of 70 44', the ice on the side of them was as compact as a wall, and was judged to be at least ten or twelve feet in height. Farther to the north, it appeared to be much higher. Its surface was extremely rugged, and in different places there were seen upon it pools of water. A prodigious number of sea-horses lay upon the ice; and some of them, on the nineteenth, were procured for food, there being at this time a want of fresh provisions. When the animals were brought to the vessels, it was no small disappointment to many of the seamen, who had feasted their eyes for several days with the prospect of eating them, to find that they were not sea-cows, as they had supposed, but sea-horses. The disappointment would not have been occasioned, or the difference known, had there not happened to be one or two sailors on board who had been in Greenland, and who declared what these animals were, and that it never was customary to eat of them. Such, however, was the anxiety for a change of diet, as to overcome this prejudice.

Our voyagers lived upon the sea-horses as long as they lasted; and there were few who did not prefer them to the salt meat.

Captain Cook continued, to the 29th, to traverse the Icy Sea beyond Beering's Strait, in various directions, and through numberless obstructions and difficulties. Every day the ice increased, so as to preclude all hopes of attaining, at least during the present year the grand object of the voyage. Indeed, the season was now so far advanced, and the time in which the frost was expected to set in was so near at hand, that it would have been totally inconsistent with prudence, to have made any farther attempts, till the next summer, at finding a pa.s.sage into the Atlantic. The attention, therefore, of our commander was now directed to other important and necessary concerns.

It was of great consequence to meet with a place where our navigators might be supplied with wood and water. But the point which princ.i.p.ally occupied the captain's thoughts was, how he should spend the winter, so as to make some improvements in geography and navigation, and, at the same time, to be in a condition to return to the north, in farther search of a pa.s.sage, in the ensuing summer.

Before Captain Cook proceeded far to the south, he employed a considerable time in examining the sea and coasts in the neighbourhood of Beering's Strait, both on the side of Asia and America. In this examination, he ascertained the accuracy of Beering, so far as he went; demonstrated the errors with which Staehlin's map of the New Northern Archipelago abounds; and made large additions to the geographical knowledge of this part of the world. 'It reflects,' as Mr. c.o.xe justly observes, 'the highest honour even on the British name, that our great navigator extended his discoveries much farther in one expedition, and at so great a distance from the point of his departure, than the Russians accomplished in a long series of years, and in parts belonging or contiguous to their own empire.'

On the 2nd of October, our voyagers came within sight of the island of Oonalashka, and anch.o.r.ed the next day in Samganoodha harbour. Here the first concern was to put the ships under the necessary repair; and, while the carpenters were employed in this business, one third of the people had permission, by turns, to go and collect the berries with which the island abounds, and, which, though now beginning to be in a state of decay, did not a little contribute, in conjunction with spruce-beer, effectually to eradicate every seed of the scurvy, that might exist in either of the vessels. Such a supply of fish was likewise procured, as not only served for present consumption, but afforded a quant.i.ty to be carried out to sea; so that hence a considerable saving was made of the provisions of the ships, which was at this time an object of no small importance.

Captain Cook, on the 8th, received by the hands of an Oonalashka man, named Derramoushk, a very singular present, which was that of a rye loaf, or rather a pie in the form of a loaf, for it enclosed some salmon, highly seasoned with pepper. This man had the like present for Captain Clerke, and a note for each of the two captains, written in a character which none on board could understand. It was natural to suppose, that the presents came from some Russians in the neighbourhood; and therefore a few bottles of rum, wine, and porter, were sent to these unknown friends in return; it being rightly judged, that such articles would be more acceptable than any thing besides which it was in the power of our navigators to bestow. Corporal Lediard of the marines,[12] an intelligent man, was, at the same time, directed to accompany Derramoushk, for the purpose of gaining farther information; and with orders, if he met with any Russians, that he should endeavour to make them understand that our voyagers were Englishmen, and the friends and allies of their nation. On the 10th the corporal returned with three. Russian seamen, or furriers, who, with several others, resided at Egoochshac, where they had a dwellinghouse, some storehouses,[12] and a sloop of about thirty tons burden. One of these men was either master or mate of this vessel; another of them wrote a very good hand, and was acquainted with figures: and all of them were sensible and well behaved persons, who were ready to give Captain Cook every possible degree of information.

The great difficulty, in the reception and communication of intelligence, arose from the want of an interpreter. On the 14th, a Russian landed at Oonalashka, whose name was Erasim Gregorioff Sin Ismyloff, and who was the princ.i.p.al person among his countrymen in this and the neighbouring islands. Besides the intelligence which our commander derived from his conversations with Ismyloff, and which were carried on by signs, a.s.sisted by figures and other characters, he obtained from him the sight of two charts, and was permitted to copy them. Both of them were ma.n.u.scripts, and bore every mark of authenticity. The first included the Penshinskian Sea; the coast of Tartary, down to the lat.i.tude of 41; the Curil Islands and the peninsula of Kamtschatka. But it was the second chart that was the most interesting to Captain Cook; for it comprehended all the discoveries made by the Russians to the eastward of Kamtschatka, towards America; which, however, exclusively of the voyages of Beering and Tscherikoff, amounted to little or nothing. Indeed, all the people with whom the captain conversed at Oonalashka, agreed in a.s.suring him, over and over again, that they knew of no other islands, besides those which were laid down upon this chart; and that no Russian had ever seen any part of the continent of America to the northward, excepting that which lies opposite to the country of the Tschutskis.

[Footnote 12: This Corporal Lediard is an extraordinary man, something of whose history cannot fail of being entertaining to my readers. In the winter of 1768, he set out on the singular undertaking of walking across the continent of America; for the accomplishment of which purpose, he determined to travel by the way of Siberia, and to procure a pa.s.sage from that country to the opposite American coast. Being an American by birth, and having; no means of raising the money necessary for his expenses, a subscription was raised for him by Sir Joseph Banks, and some other gentlemen, accounting, in the whole to a little more than fifty pounds. Vith this sum he proceeded to Hamburgh, frum which place he went to Copenhagen, and thence to Petersburgh, where he arrived in the beginning of March, 1787. In his journey from Copenhagen to Petersburgh, finding that the gulf of Bothnia was not frozen over, he was obliged to walk round the whole of it, by Tornaeo. At Petersburgh he staid till the 21st of May, when he obtained leave to accompany a convoy of military stores, which at that time was proceeding to Mr. Bilious, who had been his shipmate in Captain Cook's voyage, and who was then employed by the Empress of Russia, for the purpose of making discoveries in Siberia, and on the north-west coast of America. With this convoy Mr. Lediard set out, and in August reached the city of Irkutsk in Siberia.

After that, he proceeded to the town of Yakutsk, where he met with Captain Billings. From this place he went back to Irkutsh, to spend a part of the winter; proposing, in the spring, to return to Yakutsk, in order to proceed in the summer to Okotsk.

Hitherto, Mr. Lediard had gone on prosperously, and flattered himself with the hopes of succeeding in his undertaking. But, in January last (1788), in consequence of an express from the empress, he was arrested, and, to half an hour's time, carried away, under the guard of two soldiers and an officer, in a post sledge, for Moscow, without his clothes, money, and papers. From Moscow he was conveyed to the city of Moialoff in White Russia, and thence to the town of Tolochin in Poland. There he was informed, that her majesty's orders were, that he was never to enter her dominions again without her express permission. During all this time, he suffered the greatest hardships, from sickness, fatigue, and want of rest; so that he was almost reduced to a skeleton. From Tolochin he made his way to Konigsberg; having had, as he says, a miserable journey, in a miserable country, in a miserable season, in miserable health, and a miserable purse; and disappointed of his darling enterprise. Mr. Lediard informs Sir Joseph Banks, to whom he sent, from time to time, a full account of his transactions, that, though he had been r.e.t.a.r.ded in his pursuits by malice, he had not travelled totally in vain; his observations to Asia being, perhaps, as complete as a longer visit would have rendered them. From his last letter it appears, that he proposed to return, as speedily as possible, from Konigsberg to England.]

When, on the 21st, Mr. Ismyloff took his final leave of the English navigators, our commander intrusted to his care a letter to the lords commissioners of the admiralty, in which was enclosed a chart of all the northern coasts the captain had visited. It was expected, that there would be an opportunity of sending this letter, in the ensuing spring, to Kamtschatka or Okotsk, and that it would reach Petersburgh during the following winter. Mr. Ismyloff, who faithfully and successfully discharged the trust our commander had reposed in him, seemed to possess abilities, that might ent.i.tle him to a higher station in life than that which he occupied. He had a considerable knowledge of astronomy, and was acquainted with the most useful branches of the mathematics. Captain Cook made him a present of an Hadley's octant; and, though it was probably the first he had ever seen, he understood, in a very short time, the various uses to which that instrument can be applied.