50 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



encouraged them to come alongside the boat, and they 

 accepted of some nails, which were given them, with much 

 apparent pleasure and satisfaction. In a few minutes, how- 

 ever, several of them unexpectedly boarded the boat, with 

 an intention of dragging her on shore ; some muskets were 

 immediately discharged over their heads, which had the 

 desired effect, all of them leaping into the sea, and put back 

 to the shore as fast as they could paddle. This is another 

 proof of Captain Cook's humanity, which is conspicuous 

 throughout. Captain Cook now gave up all hopes of estab- 

 lishing a friendly intercourse with these people, and returned 

 to the ship. 



The island Ohiteroa does not shoot up into high peaks, 

 like the others which they visited, but is more level and 

 uniform, and divided into small hillocks, some of which are 

 covered with groves of trees ; they saw no bread-fruit, 

 and not many cocoa-nut trees, but great numbers of the 

 tree called Etoa were planted all along the shore. 



On the 15th, they sailed to the southward, and on the 

 25th they celebrated the anniversary of their leaving Eng- 

 land, from whence they had been absent one year ; a large 

 Cheshire cheese, which had been carefully preserved for that 

 purpose, was brought out, and a barrel of porter tapped, 

 which proved to be as good as any they had ever drank in 

 England. 



On the 28th of August, the boatswain's mate died. " His 

 death was occasioned by the boatswain, out of mere good 

 nature, having given him part of a bottle of rum, which it 

 is supposed he drank all at once. He was found to be very 

 much in liquor last night ; but as this was no more than 

 what was common with him when he could get any, no 

 farther notice was taken of him, than to put him to bed, 

 where this morning, about eight o'clock, he was found 

 speechless, and past recovery." * 



On the 7th of October, they discovered land at west by 

 north, and in the afternoon of the next day, they came to 

 an anchor opposite the mouth of a little river, about a mile 

 and a half from the shore. The Captain, with Mr. Banks, 

 Dr. Solander, and some other gentlemen, accompanied by 

 a party of marines, went on shore in the evening, and pro- 

 ceeded to a few small houses which they saw at a little 

 distance. Taking the advantage of their absence from the 

 boat, some of the natives, who had concealed themselves 

 behind the bushes, suddenly rushed out, and ran towards 

 it, brandishing the long wooden lances which they had in 

 their hands in a threatening manner. The cockswain fired 

 a musquetoon over their heads, wMch did not seem to 

 * Extract, Captain Cook's Jog, Records, Admiralty, Whitehall. 



