THE RETURN TO ENGLAND 89 



with a desire to resume his Tahitian dress. 

 Tayeto, his little servant, showed his admira- 

 tion by dancing along the streets and running 

 from one thing to another with cries of astonish- 

 ment. 



The unhealthy air of Batavia began slowly to 

 do its deadly work upon Cook and his com- 

 panions, of whom several were already ill when 

 they left New Guinea. Banks, who was by no 

 means well, rented a house in the country. The 

 rest of the sick men were housed outside the 

 town. A tent was pitched for Tupia on a little 

 island near by. Nevertheless, in spite of every 

 precaution, death exacted a fatal toll from the 

 members of the expedition. Monkhouse, the 

 surgeon, was the first victim. Then it was the 

 turn of Tayeto, whom Tupia survived only for 

 a few days. The melancholy list grew with 

 appalling rapidity. Three seamen and Green's 

 servant succumbed to the ravages of scurvy, ag- 

 gravated by local fevers. Cook himself was at- 

 tacked by fever, but, in spite of the urgent repre- 

 sentations of the doctors, refused to leave the 

 ship. There were no more than ten men on 

 board free from sickness, among them the sail- 

 maker, an old man of eighty, who got drunk 

 every day without fail. 



On December 27th the Endeavour, admirably 

 repaired, left Batavia harbour, where seven of 



