A Number Of The Head Men
Came On Board Us, And It Was With Some Difficulty We Got Them Out Of The
Ship By Fair Means; But On The Appearance Of A Musket With A Fixed Bayonet,
They All Went Into Their Canoes Very Quickly.
We were daily visited by more
or less, who brought us fish in great plenty for nails, beads, and other
trifles, and behaved very peaceably.
We settled the astronomer with his instruments, and a sufficient guard, on
a small island, that is joined to Motuara at low water, called the Hippa,
where there was an old fortified town that the natives had forsaken. Their
houses served our people to live in; and, by sinking them about a foot
inside, we made them very comfortable. Having done this, we struck our
tents on the Motuara, and having removed the ship farther into the cove on
the west shore, moored her for the winter. We then erected our tents near
the river or watering-place, and sent ashore all the spars and lumber off
the decks, that they might be caulked; and gave her a winter coat to
preserve the hull and rigging. On the 11th of May, we felt two severe
shocks of an earthquake, but received no kind of damage. On the 17th, we
were surprised by the people firing guns on the Hippa, and having sent the
boat, as soon as she opened the sound, had the pleasure of seeing the
Resolution off the mouth of it. We immediately sent out the boats to tow
her in, it being calm. In the evening she anchored about a mile without us;
and next morning weighed and warped within us. Both ships felt uncommon joy
at our meeting, after an absence of fourteen weeks.[1]
[1] It is, perhaps, unnecessary to state, that the opinion expressed
in this section, as to there being no straits between New Holland and
Diemen's Land, is erroneous. The reader must have previously known
this. - E.
SECTION VIII.
Transactions in Queen Charlotte's Sound, with some Remarks on the
Inhabitants.
Knowing that scurvy-grass, celery, and other vegetables, were to be found
in this sound, I went myself the morning after my arrival, at day-break, to
look for some, and returned on board at breakfast with a boat-load. Being
now satisfied, that enough was to be got for the crews of both ships, I
gave orders that they should be boiled, with wheat and portable broth,
every morning for breakfast; and with peas and broth for dinner; knowing
from experience, that these vegetables, thus dressed, are extremely
beneficial, in removing all manner of scorbutic complaints.
I have already mentioned a desire I had of visiting Van Diemen's Land, in
order to inform myself if it made a part of New Holland; and I certainly
should have done this, had the winds proved favourable. But as Captain
Furneaux had now, in a great measure, cleared up that point, I could have
no business there; and therefore came to a resolution to continue our
researches to the east, between the latitudes of 41 deg.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 107 of 461
Words from 55041 to 55562
of 239428
