Life of Captain James Cook — 1776 to 1777 Third Voyage - Part 2

A NATIVE CEREMONY.

As the wind proved contrary, and it was understood that the king's son was to be initiated into the estate of manhood, eating with his father for the first time, Cook determined to remain a few days longer.

A party of the officers went over to the island of Moa, where the ceremony was to be held, and found the king in a very dirty enclosure, drinking kava; and as the method of preparing this beverage was uninviting to Europeans, they went for a walk till about ten o'clock.

Finding large numbers of people assembling in an open space near a large building they rejoined the king, taking off their hats and untying their hair, "that we might appear the more decent" in the eyes of the natives.

The proceedings consisted of marching of men laden with yams tied on to sticks, of considerable speech-making, and various performances of which the signification could not be understood, and then the prince made his appearance.

He seated himself with a few of his friends on the ground, and some women wound a long piece of cloth round them, and after some more speech-making and mysterious pantomime with sticks representing yams, the proceedings ended for the day.

As there were signs that so many white onlookers was not altogether acceptable to the natives, some of the party returned to the ships; but Cook resolved to see it out, and joined the king at supper, and the latter enjoyed some brandy and water so much that Cook says "he went to bed quite grogish.

" After breakfast Cook paid a visit to the prince and presented him was enough English cloth to make a suit, receiving native cloth in return.

After dinner the people mustered for the remains of the ceremony, and Cook determined to join the principal party, so he seated himself with it, and would not understand when requested to leave.

He was then requested to bare his shoulders as a mark of respect, and immediately did so, and was then no further molested.

A somewhat similar performance was gone through as the day before, but the significance of which could not be ascertained, and then suddenly all the people turned their backs on king and prince, who, Cook was afterwards informed, had had pieces of roast yam given them to eat.

An exhibition of boxing and wrestling was then given, and after a speech or two the proceedings terminated.

Cook was informed that in about three months a much greater affair would take place at which ten men would be sacrificed.

On 10th July the ships sailed through a very difficult passage, arriving off Middleburg on the 12th, where they were visited by their old friend Taoofa.

The country appeared flourishing, and they obtained some turnips raised from seed sown at Cook's last visit.

An exhibition of boxing was given, and was to have been repeated the following night, but unfortunately some of the natives fell upon a sailor and stripped him of his clothes.

Cook thereupon seized two canoes and a pig, demanding that the culprits should be given up.

A man who had the shirt and trousers was brought, and so the canoes were returned and the pig paid for, and next day the thief was liberated.

The remainder of the sailor's clothes were afterwards found, but so much torn as to be worthless.

They left the Friendly Islands on the 17th, after a stay of more than two months, during which time they had been living almost entirely on food they had purchased from the natives, with whom they had been on fairly good terms.

The 29th brought them into a very heavy squall which cost the Resolution a couple of staysails and her consort a main topmast and main topgallant yard, springing the head of her main-mast so badly that the rigging of a jury-mast was attended with some danger, but it was at length accomplished, a spare jibboom being furnished for the purpose by the Resolution.

Otaheite was reached on 12th August, and amongst the first visitors on board were Omai's brother-in-law and others who knew him before he went away; they treated him as if he was an Englishman and a stranger, but when he took his brother-in-law to his cabin and gave him some of the valuable red feathers a change came over them all, and they expressed the greatest interest in him.

Cook says Omai "would take no advice, but permitted himself to be made the dupe of every designing knave."

Of these red feathers Cook says they were of such value that "not more than might be got from a tomtit, would purchase a hog of 40 or 50 pounds weight."

Nails and beads were not looked at, although they had previously been very acceptable.

SPANISH SHIPS.

Two ships from Lima were found to have visited the island twice since Cook's last call, and the first time the Spaniards built a house with material they had with them.

They left four men in charge, and were away for about ten months.

At the second visit their Commodore died, and was buried near the house which was left at their departure, and the natives built a shade over it to protect it from the weather.

It consisted of two rooms, furnished with table, bed, bench, and a few other trifles, and the timbers were found to have been carefully marked to facilitate erection.

Near by was a cross having the following inscription cut on it: CHRISTUS VINCIT,

CAROLUS III.

IMPERAT, 1774.

Cook caused to be cut on the back: GEORGIUS TERTIUS REX.

ANNIS 1767, 69, 73, 74, ET 78.

At the end of their first visit the Spaniards took away four natives to Lima; one died, one remained at Lima, and the other two returned with the ships; but Cook thinks they were not improved by their experience, and had not added to their respectability in the eyes of their countrymen.

In view of the cold climate to be faced in the near future, Cook was desirous to save his stock of spirits, and mustered the crew of the Resolution in order to explain the position; he pointed out that the supply of coconuts was abundant, and the benefit of the spirits would be appreciated amongst the cold winds and ice of the north, but left the decision to them.

He was gratified to find the crew was willing to accept his suggestion, and ordered Clerke to put the matter before the crew of the Discovery, when it was again well received.

An order was accordingly issued to stop: "serving grog except on Saturday nights, when they had full allowance to drink to their female friends in England, lest amongst the pretty girls of Otaheite, they should be wholly forgotten."

During a state visit paid by the chief of the district, at which Omai attended "dressed in a strange medley of all he was possessed of," Cook was informed that the Spaniards laid claim to the country, and had given instructions that Cook was not to be allowed to land if he returned.

However, the chief executed a formal surrender of his province to Cook, and presents were exchanged, the whole ceremony ending with a display of fireworks which "both pleased and astonished" the natives.

Some of the civilians reported that they had discovered a Roman Catholic chapel in their walks; but on inspection it proved to be what Cook at once suspected, the grave of a chief decorated with different coloured cloths and mats, and a piece of scarlet broadcloth which had been given by the Spaniards.

RED FEATHERS.

On the 23rd August the two ships arrived in Matavai Bay, where they were well received by Otoo, who was gratified by a present of a fine linen suit, a hat with a gold band, some tools, a feather helmet from the Friendly Islands, and, what he seemed to value most, a large bunch of the celebrated red feathers.

In return he sent on board the ships enough food to have lasted both crews for a week, if it had only been possible to keep it good for that length of time.

The royal family dined on board the Resolution; and after dinner Cook and Omai called on Oparee, taking with them a peacock and peahen sent to the island by Lord Bessborough, a turkey cock and hen, a gander and three geese, a drake and four ducks to make a start in stocking the island.

A gander was seen, which the natives said had been left by Wallis ten years previously; several goats and a bull left by the Spaniards were also seen, so Cook landed three cows as company for the last.

The horses and sheep were also landed, and Cook remarks that getting rid of all these animals lightened him: "of a very heavy burden; the trouble and vexation that attended the bringing these animals thus far is hardly to be conceived.

But the satisfaction I felt in having been so fortunate as to fulfil His Majesty's design in sending such useful animals to two worthy nations sufficiently recompensed me for the many anxious hours I had on their account."

Whilst here, the two ships were thoroughly overhauled and everywhere put into as good a state of repair as the appliances available would permit.

The stores were found to be in a better state than had been expected, and very little of the bread was damaged.

Gardens were laid out and planted with potatoes, melons, pineapples, etc. ; but Cook was not very sanguine of their success, for he had seen how a vine planted by the Spaniards had been spitefully trampled down, as the natives, tasting the grapes before they were ripe, had concluded it was poisonous.

It was carefully pruned into proper shape again, and Omai was instructed to set forth its merits and how it should be cultivated.

Towards the end of the month a man reported that the two Spanish ships had returned, and showed a piece of cloth he said he had obtained from them, so Cook, not knowing if England and Spain were on friendly terms, prepared for the worst, and the two ships made ready for defence if necessary.

Lieutenant Williamson was despatched in a boat for news, but could see no ships, nor signs of any having been on the coast since the English left their last port of call.

A HUMAN SACRIFICE.

At their last visit an expedition was being prepared against the revolted island of Eimeo, but it did not seem to have been very successful in its object, for there were still disturbances going on between the two nations, and on 30th August news came that the Otaheitans had been driven up into the hills.

A grand meeting was held to discuss matters, and great efforts were made to enlist the services of Cook; but he would not assist in any way, as he did not understand the cause of the quarrel, and he had always found the inhabitants of Eimeo friendly towards him.

Having heard that a chief named Towha had killed a man as a sacrifice to their God, Cook obtained permission to witness the remaining ceremonies as he thought it offered an opportunity to learn something of the religion of this people.

He therefore started with Dr. Anderson, Mr. Webber, and the chief Potatow in a boat, accompanied by Omai in a canoe, for the scene of action.

On their arrival the sailors were instructed to remain in the boat, and the gentlemen were requested to remove their hats as soon as they reached the Morai where the ceremonial was to take place.

When they got there the body of the victim was seen in a small canoe in front of the Morai and just in the wash of the sea, in charge of four priests and their attendants, the king and his party some twenty or thirty paces away, and the rest of the spectators a little further still.

Two priests came forward to Otoo, one placing a young plantain tree in front of him, and the other touching his foot with a bunch of red feathers, and then rejoining the others, who immediately went off to a smaller Morai near, and, seating themselves facing the sea, one commenced reciting a long prayer, occasionally sending one of his attendants to place a young plantain on the body.

Whilst this recitation was going on an attendant stood near holding two small bundles "seemingly of cloth; in one, as we afterwards found, was the Royal Maro, and the other, if I may be allowed the expression, was the ark of the Eatua" [God].

This prayer being ended, the priests returned to the beach, and more prayers were said, the plantains being moved, one by one, from the body and placed in front of the priests.

Then the body, wrapped in leaves, was put on the beach, with the feet to the sea, and the priests gathered round, some sitting, some standing, the prayers still going on.

The leaves were then stripped off the body, and it was turned sideways on to the sea, and one priest standing at the feet repeated another long prayer in which he was occasionally joined by the others.

Each priest at this time held in his hand a bunch of the red feathers.

Some hair was now pulled from the head of the corpse, and an eye taken out, wrapped in leaves and presented to Otoo, who did not touch them, but sent them back with a bunch of feathers, soon after sending a second bunch he had asked Cook to put in his pocket for him when starting.

At this time a king-fisher made a noise in some trees near, and Otoo remarked, "That is the Eatua," evidently looking on it as a good omen.

The body was now moved away to the foot of one of the small Morais, the two bundles of cloth being placed on the Morai at its head and the tufts of feathers at its feet, the priests surrounding the body and the people gathering in closer.

More speeches were made, and a second lock of hair plucked from the head and placed on the Morai.

Then the red feathers were placed on the cloth bundles, which were carried over to the great Morai and laid against a pile of stones, to which the body was also brought, and the attendants proceeded to dig a grave, whilst the priests continued their recitations.

The body was then buried, and a dog Towha had sent over (a very poor one, says Cook) was partially cooked and presented to the priests, who called on Eatua to come and see what was prepared for him, at the same time putting it on a small altar on which were the remains of two dogs and three pigs, which smelt so intolerably that the white men were compelled to move further away than they wished.

This ended the ceremony for the day.

THE KING'S MARO.

Next morning they all returned to the Morai; a pig was sacrificed and placed on the same altar, and about eight o'clock the priests, Otoo, and a great number of people assembled.

The two bundles were still in the same place as on the previous night, but two drums were now standing in front of them between which Otoo and Cook seated themselves.

The priests, placing a plantain tree in front of the king, resumed their praying, each having his bunch of feathers in his hand.

They then moved off to a place between the Morai and the king and placed the feathers bunch by bunch on the bundles, the prayers still going on.

Four pigs were then produced, one immediately killed, and the others put in a sty for future use.

The bundle containing the king's Maro was now untied and spread carefully on the ground before the priests.

The Maro was about five yards long by fifteen inches broad, composed of red and yellow feathers, chiefly yellow.

At one end was a border of eight pieces about the size and shape of horse-shoes fringed with black pigeon's feathers; the other end was forked, the ends being of unequal length.

The feathers were arranged in two rows and had a very good effect.

They were fastened on a piece of native cloth, and then sewn to the English pendant which Wallis left flying when he sailed from Matavai Bay.

After the priests had repeated another prayer, the emblem of royalty was carefully folded up and replaced on the Morai, and then one end of what Cook called the Ark of the Eatua was opened, but the visitors were not permitted to see what it contained.

The entrails of the pig were then prayed over, and one of the priests stirred them gently with a stick, evidently trying to draw a favourable omen from their movements.

They were then thrown on the fire, the partly-cooked pig was deposited on the altar, and when the bunches of feathers that had been used had been placed in the Ark, the ceremony was over.

The meanings of all this could not be discovered, but it was found that when a victim was wanted, a chief picked him out and sent his servants to kill him.

This was done without any warning to the man who was to suffer, usually by a blow with a stone on the head, and it appeared that at the subsequent ceremony the presence of the king was absolutely indispensable.

Chiefs of an enemy's tribe who were killed in battle were buried with some state in the Morais, the common men at the foot.

On the way back to the ship Cook called on Towha, who had supplied the victim.

He was anxious to ascertain Cook's opinion of the affair, and was not pleased to learn that Cook thought such a proceeding was more likely to offend the Deity than to please him.

He then enquired if the English ever practised such ceremonies, and was very angry when he was informed that if the greatest chief in England killed one of his men he would be hanged; and Cook says they left him "with as great a contempt for our customs as we could possibly have for theirs."

The servants evidently listened to Omai with great interest and a different opinion on the subject than that of their master.

They went to inspect the body of a chief who had been embalmed; they were not allowed to examine it very closely, but it was so well done that they were unable to perceive the slightest unpleasant smell, though the man had been dead some months.

All chiefs who died a natural death were preserved in this manner, and from time to time were exposed to public view, the intervals between the exposures gradually extending till at length they were hardly ever seen.

The method of preservation was not ascertained, and was probably a secret of the priests.

EQUESTRIAN EXERCISE.

Cook and Clerke astonished the natives by riding the horses that had been brought out; their progress through the country was always watched with great interest, and Cook thought that this use of the animals impressed the people more than anything else done by the whites.

Omai tried his powers on several occasions, but as he was always thrown before he got securely into the saddle, his efforts only produced entertainment for the spectators.

It is curious to note that forty years afterwards the people had so thoroughly lost even the tradition of such use of the horse that Mr. Ellis relates how, when one was landed for the use of Pomare, the natives assisted to get it ashore, but when once landed they ran away and hid in fear of the "man-carrying pig."

About this time Cook suffered from a bad attack of rheumatism in the legs, and was successfully treated by Otoo's mother, three sisters, and eight other women.

The process he underwent, called Romy, consisted of squeezing and kneading from head to foot, more especially about the parts affected.

Cook says he was glad to escape from their ministrations after about a quarter of an hour, but he felt relief, and, after submitting to four operations of the kind he was completely cured.

Otoo was very desirous to send a present of a canoe to King George, and Cook was very willing to take it, but when he found it was a large double canoe he was obliged to decline from want of space.

As the desire to send it was quite spontaneous on Otoo's part, and as the canoe was a very fine specimen of native work, the refusal was given with great regret.

In a journal published by Newbery, the anonymous writer says that two officers fought a duel whilst the ships were at Otaheite.

He does not give the cause, but says three shots were exchanged, resulting in one hat being spoiled, and then the antagonists shook hands and were better friends afterwards.

The story is not confirmed by any of the other journals.

On 29th September, after giving Otoo a short run out to sea and back, the two ships sailed for the north side of Eimeo, arriving the next day, and were greeted by a chief, Maheine, who was bald-headed.

Of this defect he seemed much ashamed, and always appeared with his head covered with a sort of turban.

Cook thinks perhaps this shame rose from the fact that natives caught stealing on the ships were often punished by having their heads shaved, and adds that "one or two of the gentlemen whose heads were not overburdened with hair, lay under violent suspicions of being titos (thieves)."

One of the few remaining goats was stolen, but after threats of serious reprisals was given up, together with the thief, who was eventually discharged with a caution; but on a second one disappearing and not being found after careful search, Cook felt that he must make an example, or nothing would be safe, so he ordered one or two houses and canoes to be destroyed, and sent word to Maheine that he would not leave a canoe on the island if the goat was not returned.

The goat was recovered, and the next day the people were as friendly as if nothing had occurred.

Cook was particularly annoyed, for he had sent a present of red feathers to Otoo, and requested him to send in return a couple of goats to Eimeo.

OMAI SETTLED.

On 11th October the ships sailed for Huaheine, and when they arrived Cook was so ill he had to be landed from the ship, but he makes no mention of it in his Journal.

He thought this island would be more suitable for Omai than Otaheite, and as Omai was agreeable a piece of ground was obtained from the chief and a small house erected and a garden laid out and planted.

The interest of the different chiefs of the neighbourhood was sought on Omai's behalf, and as it was seen that some of the natives were inclined to take advantage of his good nature, Cook let it be understood that if, should he return and find Omai in an satisfactory condition, some one would feel the weight of his displeasure.

Then the most serious thing that can be brought against Cook's treatment of the natives occurred.

In extenuation it must be remembered that he admits that he was inclined to be hot-tempered, though it did not last; he had been constantly irritated by repeated losses, and he was at the time really seriously ill, and also when all was over he sincerely regretted he had taken such strong measures.

Mr. Bayley's sextant was stolen from the observatory: Cook at once demanded from the chiefs that it should be returned, but they paid no attention.

The thief, however, was pointed out, seized, and taken on board ship; the sextant was recovered, but Cook says, finding the thief to be "a hardened scoundrel, I punished him with greater severity than I have ever done any one before, and then dismissed him."

He is said to have had his head shaved and his ears cut off, but Gilbert (midshipman on the Discovery) says this was not done till he had been rearrested for damaging Omai's garden, trying to set fire to the house, and threatening to kill Omai as soon as the ships left.

Cook had intended to remove him from the island, but, being in irons, he stole the keys from a sleeping guard and made his escape.

Omai found that many of the articles which were practically useless to him, would be appreciated on the ships, so he very wisely changed them for hatchets and other useful articles.

A notice of the visit with the names of the ships was cut on the end of Omai's house, and, after firing a salute of five guns, the ships sailed on 2nd November.

Omai accompanied them for a short way, and Mr. King says that when he parted from Cook he completely broke down and cried all the way ashore.

Cook speaks well of him, saying he seldom had to find fault with him, that he had many good qualities, but, like the rest of his race, he lacked powers of observation, application, and perseverance.

DESERTIONS.

On the 3rd they were off Ulietea, and as they were able to run in close to the shore a staging was erected, and the ballast ports were opened so as to give the rats, which had become very troublesome, a chance of going ashore.

One of the marines also took the opportunity to desert, taking his musket with him, but after a little trouble was arrested; and having previously borne a very good character, he was let off with a short imprisonment.

A second desertion occurred from the Discovery, Mr. Mouat, midshipman, and a seaman getting away.

Cook says the affair gave him more trouble than both men were worth, but he insisted on getting them back to prevent others following their example, and "to save the son of a brother officer from being lost to the world."

They were found to have gone off in a canoe to another island, and Cook ordered Clerke to detain the chief, his son, daughter, and son-in-law on the Discovery, where they had gone to dine, and to inform them they would be kept as hostages till the runaways were returned.

Three days afterwards the deserters were brought back, and the hostages were at once released.

It was afterwards found out that there had been a plot to seize Cook in retaliation, when he went for his usual bath in the evening, but, as it happened, he was so much worried that he put it off and so escaped.

Burney notes that Cook could not swim.

Before leaving they received a message from Omai, saying he was all right, but asking for another goat as one of his was dead.

Clerke was able to oblige him with two kids, one of each sex.