At Their Foot Lay
The Plain, Crowned With Its Fertile Bread-Fruit Trees, Over Which Rose
Innumerable Palms, The Princes Of The Grove.
Here everything seemed as
yet asleep, the morning scarce dawned, and a peaceful shade still
rested on the landscape.
We discovered, however, a number of houses
among the trees, and many canoes hauled up along the sandy beaches.
About half a mile from the shore a ledge of rocks level with the
water, extended parallel to the land, on which the surf broke, leaving
a smooth and secure harbour within. The sun beginning to illuminate
the plain, its inhabitants arose, and enlivened the scene. Having
perceived the large vessels on their coast, several of them hastened
to the beach, launched their canoes, and paddled towards us, who were
highly delighted in watching all their occupations." - G.F.
[2] "The natives on board, seeing us work so hard, assisted us in
manning the capstern, hauling in ropes, and performing all sorts of
labour. If they had had the least spark of a treacherous disposition,
they could not have found a better opportunity of distressing us; but
they approved themselves good-natured, and friendly in this, as on all
other occasions." - G.F.
[3] We tried all possible means to engage the people to sell some of
their hogs to us, and offered hatchets, shirts, and other goods of
value to the Taheitans; but still without success, their constant
answer being, that these animals were the king's (aree's) property.
Instead of acquiescing in this refusal, and acknowledging the kind
disposition of the natives, who furnished us at least with the means
of recovering our strength, and restoring our stock, a proposal was
made to the captains, by some persons in the ships, to sweep away, by
force, a sufficient number of hogs for our use, and afterwards to
return such a quantity of our goods in exchange to the natives, as we
should think adequate to the spoil we had taken. This proposal, which
nothing but the most tyrannical principles, and the meanest
selfishness could have dictated, was received with the contempt and
indignation which it justly deserved." - G.F.
This remark is of an earlier date than what is mentioned in the text,
but, in the whole, is more suitably introduced here. It is to the
praise of Cook, that his decision of character was founded on very
liberal views of morality; and that he possessed independence of soul
to manifest abhorrence of sinister suggestions, at the risk of losing
both the advantage aimed at, and the partiality of those who made
them. An apprehension of giving offence to men who are either esteemed
or felt to be useful, has perhaps occasioned as much iniquitous
conduct where the law of the strongest might be adopted, as ever
resulted from the influence of directly vicious principles. But from
this most mischievous weakness, it was one of the excellencies of that
truly great man to be exempt. - E.
SECTION XI.
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