318 THE SEA. 



that of the celebrated Captain Cook, already mentioned in two separate connections. Born 

 in 1728, the son of an agricultural labourer and farm bailiff, he early showed an irresistible 

 inclination for the sea, and could not be chained down to the haberdasher's counter, for 

 which his father had destined him. He commenced his seafaring life as an apprentice on 

 a collier, but soon rose to be mate. He next entered the royal navy, where, from able 

 seaman, his promotion was rapid. Some charts and observations drawn up by him while 

 marine surveyor of the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador brought him much notice 

 from scientific quarters, and the Royal Society offered him the command of an expedition 

 to the Pacific, to make an observation of the transit of Venus. This was the first of his 

 three great voyages, during which he re-discovered New Zealand,* practically took posses- 

 sion of Australia, proved that New Guinea was a separate island, made discoveries in 

 the Antarctic, discovered the Sandwich Islands, and made the northern explorations also 

 mentioned previously. He met his death on the island of Hawaii (Sandwich Islands), in the 

 tragical manner known almost to every schoolboy. 



It would appear that, previous to the fatal day, there had been some little trouble 

 with the natives. One day, the officer who had commanded a watering-party returned to 

 the ship, stating that some chief had driven away the natives employed in rolling the 

 casks to the beach, work which had been gladly performed before for trifling payments. 

 A marine, with side-arms only, was sent back with him, when it was noticed that the 

 islanders were arming with stones, and two others with loaded muskets were sent off to 

 the watering party's assistance, which for the moment quieted the matter. Captain Cook 

 gave orders that, if the natives should venture to attack his men, they should in the 

 future fire on them with balls, instead of small shot, as hitherto. And not long after a 

 volley proceeding from the Discovery, fired after a retreating canoe, announced that 

 his orders were being carried into execution. Ignorant that some stolen goods were there- 

 upon returned, Cook himself, with an officer and a marine, chased these natives on shore, 

 but fruitlessly. Meantime, the officer who had recovered the stolen goods, thinking that 

 he might retaliate, took possession of a canoe on the beach, which act the owner naturally 

 resented, and a scuffle ensued, during which he was knocked down by a blow from an oar. 

 The natives returned the attack with a shower of stones, and would have destroyed 

 the pinnace but for the interference of the very man who had just been knocked on the 

 head, who was, however, still friendly inclined towards the English. 



Captain Cook was naturally annoyed at and perplexed by these occurrences. In the 

 course of the next night a boat was stolen from the Discovery, and Cook at once ordered 

 a body of marines ashore, going with them himself, and taking a double-barrelled gun, 

 one barrel loaded with small shot, and the other with a bullet. The other boats were 

 ordered out to prevent any canoe from leaving the bay until the matter was settled. Arrived 

 ashore, he marched up to the old king, who to every appearance had had no hand in the 

 theft, nor had connived at it, for he promised to go on board with the captain, the latter 

 intending to keep him as a hostage. The chief's two sons were already in the pinnace, 

 when his wife entreated him with tears not to go off to the ship. Two chiefs also, at this 

 juncture, forcibly laid hold of the old man, and made him sit down on the beach. Cook 



* First discovered by Tasman in 1642. 



