FIRST VOYAGE 95 



the council the next morning, when his petition should be 

 laid before them, and everything he solicited would be 

 readily granted. 



Late in the evening of this day, there happened a most 

 terrible storm of thunder and lightning, accompanied with 

 very heavy rain, by which a Dutch East Indiaman was 

 greatly damaged both in her masts and rigging. The En- 

 deavour, though near this Dutch ship, escaped without 

 damage, owing, in Captain Cook's opinion, to an electrical 

 chain, which conducted the lightning over the side of the 

 vessel. A sentinel on board the Endeavour, who was 

 charging his musket at the time of the storm, had it shaken 

 out of his hand, and the ramrod was broken in pieces. 

 The electrical chain looked like a stream of fire, and the 

 ship sustained a very violent shock. 



Next day Captain Cook waited on the gentlemen of the 

 council, who informed him that all his requests should be 

 complied with. 



Their Indian friend, Tupia, had been till this time on 

 board very dangerously ill, yet persisted in refusing every 

 medicine that was offered him. Mr. Banks now sent tor him 

 to his house, in the hope that he might recover his health. 

 While he was in the ship, and even after he was put into 

 the boat, he was indisposed, and low spirited in the utmost 

 degree ; but the moment he came into the town, his whole 

 frame appeared as if reanimated. The houses, the carriages, 

 the people, and many other objects, were totally new to 

 him ; and astonishment took possession of his features at 

 sights so wonderful. But if Tupia was astonished at the 

 scene, his boy, Tayota, was perfectly enraptured, dancing 

 along the streets in an ecstasy of joy, and examining the 

 several objects as they presented themselves, with the 

 most earnest inquisitiveness and curiosity. 



Of all these circumstances which engaged the attention of 

 Tupia, nothing struck him so much as the variety of dresses 

 worn by the inhabitants of Batavia : he inquired the reason 

 of what appeared so extraordinary in his eyes, and being 

 informed that the people were of a variety of nations, and 

 that all were dressed according to the mode of their own 

 country, he requested permission to follow the fashion ; this 

 request being readily complied with, a person was 

 despatched to the ship for some South Sea cloth, 

 with which he soon clothed himself in the dress of 

 Otaheite. 



Captain Cook now applied to several persons to advance 

 him money sufficient to defray the expense of repairing the 

 ship ; but not one could be found in the whole town who 

 had the requisite sum in his possession, or if he had was 



