Still, However, There Was
Something Mysterious In The Former Accounts, Which Intimated That Some
Europeans Were Killed; And We Continued To Doubt Whether We Had
Rightly Understood This Part Of Their Conversation, Till We Received
More Certain Intelligence At Our Return To The Cape Of Good Hope." -
G.F.
[5] The reader will think the following incident and remark worthy of
being preserved; "After staying here about a
Quarter of an hour,
Captain Cook re-embarked with us, which was the more advisable, as
many of the natives, who arrived last, brought their arms, and the
whole crowd now amounted to two hundred and upwards, a much greater
number than we had suspected the sound to contain, or had ever seen
together. We had already put off, when a sailor acquainted the
captain, that he had bought a bundle of fish from one of the natives,
for which he had not paid him. Captain Cook took the last nail which
was left, and calling to the native, threw it on the beach at his
feet. The savage being offended, or thinking himself attacked, picked
up a stone, and threw it into the boat with great force, but luckily
without hitting any one of us. We now called to him again, and pointed
to the nail which we had thrown towards him. As soon as he had seen
it, and picked it up, he laughed at his own petulance, and seemed
highly pleased with our conduct towards him. This circumstance, with a
little rashness on our part, might have become very fatal to us, or
might at least have involved us in a dangerous quarrel. If we had
resented the affront of being pelted with a stone, the whole body
would have joined in the cause of their countryman, and we must have
fallen an easy prey to their numbers, being at the distance of five or
six leagues from the ship, without any hopes of assistance." - G.F.
CHAPTER IV.
FROM LEAVING NEW ZEALAND TO OUR RETURN TO ENGLAND.
SECTION I.
The Run from New Zealand to Terra del Fuego, with the Range from Cape
Deseada to Christmas Sound, and Description of that Part of the Coast.
At day-break on the 10th, with a fine breeze at W.N.W., we weighed and
stood out of the Sound; and, after getting round the Two Brothers, steered
for Cape Campbell, which is at the S.W. entrance of the Strait, all sails
set, with a fine breeze at north. At four in the afternoon, we passed the
Cape, at the distance of four or five leagues, and then steered S.S.E. 1/2
E. with the wind at N.W., a gentle gale, and cloudy weather.
Next morning the wind veered round by the west to south, and forced us more
to the east than I intended. At seven o'clock in the evening, the snowy
mountains bore W. by S., and Cape Palliser N. 1/2 W., distant sixteen or
seventeen leagues; from which cape I, for the third time, took my
departure.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 444 of 461
Words from 230471 to 230984
of 239428
