JE:Duskey Bay is one of the finest Harbours (or rather, Sounds) in the World, and one of the properest for ships to refit at in those Seas, capable of containing all the Navys of Europe with perfect safety. The country about it is compleatly covered with Wood of large growth.

Here we hauled the Ship's stern into a very small cove,¹ and within a hundred yards of the mouth of a Rivulet, which came (as we afterwards found) from a beautiful Lake, a mile broad, about a mile and a half up the Country, surrounded by very high hills covered with wood and containing many beautiful birds. The Ship's side laying within ten yards of the shore, with trees cut down, one end laid up on the ship's side, the other end on the shore, and covered with boards, making a bridge from the Ship to the Shore.

In this situation we lay six weeks, repairing the rigging, Water Casks, Sails, and every thing else that wanted repair - taking in Water, wood, and so on. At first we did not suppose that we had any of the Natives near us, but upon one of Capt. Cook's Shooting Parties he found a Family, consisting of a very fine old Man of about 60, 6 feet high, with a Wife something younger, and a daughter about 22, the finest woman we saw in the country, 5 feet 8 inches or 9 inches high, which he had taken to his second Wife, and had a young child by her, which seemed to be the Old Wife's business to nurse.² This family Capt. Cook by little presents and other acts of kindness induced to come near the Ship. Viewing her for a day, they came on board, and seemed very curious and much surprized at the Ship, her Guns, and so on.

Upon another occasion Capt. Cook found more Natives, at a distance up the Sound, and took much pains to gain an intercourse with them, but they never came near the Ship. And certainly, no man could be better calculated to gain the confidence of Savages than Capt. Cook. He was brave, uncommonly Cool, Humane, and Patient. He would land alone unarmed, or lay aside his Arms, and sit down when they threatened with theirs, throwing them Beads, Knives, and other little presents, then by degrees advancing nearer, till by patience and forbearance, he gained their friendship and an intercourse with them, which to people in our situation was of the utmost consequence.

Having got all ready for Sea we sailed out by a different way, so near the shore sometimes as to touch the Trees with our yards and Ensign staff, and in sailing along the coast for Queen Charlotte Sound, we were rather alarmed by the appearance of the sky, it falling calm and dark, portending a terrible storm, when by degrees we saw Seven Water Spouts, arising from the Sea to the Heavens in large Columns, one of which formed within a hundred yards of us, obliging us to have all our Sails close down, for had the body of wind caught hold of us, that formed the Water Spout, in all probability our Masts would have gone by the board, and we could not do anything to avoid it, but most fortunately it took a contrary direction, and a fair wind springing up, we proceeded on our way.

RP: After we were clear of the Spout we again made sail, and by Morning were a brest of Point Jackson, stand into Queen Charlottes Sound, here to unspeakeable joy we saw the flashes of two guns from out of the Bay, this we knew to be our Consort, as we had little wind we did not get in untill near night so they sent out a Boat with refreshments to us but were much surprized at our haveing fresh things on board; congratulations being over, and both ships crews in health, we got safe to an Anchor, and were saluted by the Adventure; which we return'd with equal salutation. We were much surprized to find her not ready for sea, as she had been here ever since the 8th of April (about 6 weeks), and Capt. Furneaux designed not to have moved untill next spring had we not come, so that she detain'd us longer here then we thought of staying.

JE:During our stay here, which was near three Weeks, we saw many of the Natives, both Men and Women.³ They are desperate, fearless, ferocious Cannibals, the Men generaly about six feet high, with Limbs and sinews like an Ox, dark copper coloured faces, fine white teeth, and eyes that strike fire, when angry, and I declare that I have seen a couple of them, in giving us the War Song on the Quarter deck, work themselves into a frenzey, foaming at the mouth, and perfectly shaking the whole Quarter deck with their feet. (Cook has given a good drawing of them.) And in this state they attack their Enemies, and will rush upon Bayonets or anything else (The Women are in general short and broad, and no beauties).

Yet with those desperate people we kept up a friendly intercourse, they bringing us plenty of fish in exchange for Beads, Knives, Hatchets, and so on, and selling their Implements of War - which are Clubs, Spears, & Pattows, a desperate weapon for close quarters. We saw some of their War Canoes, with 40 or 50 Men in each, who in their anger, would strike the sides of the Ship with their weapons.

Some of the people took up their abode in the Bay near us, for some days, neighbours that few people but ourselves would have liked.

RP:Whilst we lay here the Natives visited us many times behaveing with the greatest civilety and selling us fish in great numbers. Amongst them, I could observe but few of our old acquaintances, and on inquiry we found that they had had a battle with the Inhabitants of the Northern Island in which numbers had been killed.

Whilst I was here I went up the Sound in a Boat to one of their villages where we was detaind for some days by a foul wind, and heavy rains, they behav'd very well all the time tho' I took care of two things, the one was not to give affront and be allways on my guard against them; the other was allways before Night to stand out to sea, till day and then stand in shore into some little cove where they did not know of me; by this means we got back safe.

Their Towns consisted of a number of little Hutts, with a hole just big enough to creep in at and when you was in to lay down, out of the inclemency of the weather, they dress their victuals at a little fire before the door where they eat it; they live chiefly on fish exept when they get the chance of an Enimy.

They are very miserable on account of their Intestine wars, every sound or bay being at varience with their Neighbours - they go out in parties of sometimes 200 men in boats and tracing the shores if they can surprize any small parties, they attack them, plundering their Houses and carrying off the Dead Bodies for Provision - this way of waring makes them very watchfull and cautious, and I observ'd that before we came to any chief town we allways found an advance Party; whose business was on the sight of any strangers; to allarm the the chief town and give them an opportunity of either putting their town in a state of defence or retiring to one of their Hippas or forts which they have at certain distances and generally built on a rock in the sea, difficult of access and well provided against a siege; but this is their last resource and wht I fancy they are seldom reduced too; as the parties near here are more for plunder and surprize than for fair fighting.

June the 7th we sail'd from Charlottes Sound haveing left behind us a breed of Goats and one of Hoggs Landed in strange coves for fear the Indians should kill them.

On the 8th we pass'd that dangerous and disagreable passage Cooks Straits, the Tide running with such rapidity, that it occasioned the surface of the water to bubble up and boil like a Caldron; tho' this I believe to be occasion'd by the many rocks and foul Ground which we were happy enough to escape. Both sides of the Straits are high Lands and Steep with numberless rocks even with the waters edge.

JE:We left New Zealand, on discoveries towards Otaheite and had a circuitous and most dangerous navigation, amongst small low Islands, shoals, and coral rocks, in many cases not to be seen, in the night, until very near them, or alarmed by the Roaring of the breakers, several of them never seen before. We were frequently obliged to have a boat go before the Ship with a Lead and Line, to sound and to carry a light at her Mast head to warn us of our danger before we got too near. And in two or three instances in these Seas, we had only just time to tack the Ship to prevent her sticking fast upon the Reef; her stern was tailing amongst the breakers. Under such circumstances, it is easy to conceive that it required both the abilities of a good officer, and a brave, cool Man.

© 1999 Michael Dickinson

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