[At Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand]
P.M., had the winds Westerly, with some very heavy
Showers of Rain. We had no sooner come to an Anchor than between 300 and
400 of the Natives Assembled in their Canoes about the Ship; some few
were admitted on board, and to one of the Chiefs I gave a piece of Broad
Cloth and distributed a few Nails, etc., among some others of them. Many
of these People had been off to the Ship when we were at Sea, and seem'd
to be very sencible of the use of Fire Arms, and in the Trade we had with
them they behaved Tolerable well, but continued so not long, before some
of them wanted to take away the Buoy,* (* The buoy on the anchor) and
would not desist at the firing of several Musquets until one of them was
hurt by small Shott, after which they withdrew a small distance from the
Ship, and this was thought a good opportunity to try what Effect a Great
Gun would have, as they paid so little respect to a Musquet, and
accordingly one was fir'd over their Heads. This, I believe, would have
sent them quite off, if it had not been for Tupia, who soon prevail'd on
them to return to the Ship, when their behaviour was such as gave us no
room to suspect that they meant to give us any farther Trouble.
After the Ship was moved into Deeper Water I went with the Pinnace and
Yawl, mann'd and Arm'd, and landed upon the Island, accompanied by Mr.
Banks and Dr. Solander. We had scarce landed before all the Canoes left
the Ship and landed at different parts of the Island, and before we could
well look about us we were surrounded by 2 or 300 People, and,
notwithstanding that they were all Arm'd, they came upon us in such a
confused, straggling manner that we hardly suspected that they meant us
any harm; but in this we were very soon undeceived, for upon our
Endeavouring to draw a line on the sand between us and them they set up
the War dance, and immediately some of them attempted to seize the 2
Boats. Being disappointed in this, they next attempted to break in upon
us, upon which I fir'd a Musquet loaded with small Shott at one of the
Forwardest of them, and Mr. Banks and 2 of the Men fir'd immediately
after. This made them retire back a little, but in less than a minute one
of the Chiefs rallied them again. Dr. Solander, seeing this, gave him a
peppering with small Shott, which sent him off and made them retire a
Second time. They attempted to rally several times after, and only seem'd
to want some one of resolution to head them; but they were at last
intirely dispers'd by the Ship firing a few shott over their Heads and a
Musquet now and then from us. In this Skirmish only one or 2 of them was
Hurt with small Shott, for I avoided killing any one of them as much as
Possible, and for that reason withheld our people from firing. We had
observed that some had hid themselves in a Cave in one of the Rocks, and
sometime after the whole was over we went Towards them. The Chief who I
have mentioned to have been on board the Ship hapned to be one of these;
he, his wife, and another came out to meet us, but the rest made off.
Those 3 people came and sat down by us, and we gave them of such things
as we had about us. After this we went to another part of the Island,
where some of the inhabitants came to us, and were as meek as lambs.
Having taken a View of the Bay from the Island and Loaded both Boats with
Sellery, which we found here in great plenty, we return'd on board, and
at 4 A.M. hove up the Anchor in order to put to Sea, with a light breeze
at East, but it soon falling Calm, obliged us to come too again, and
about 8 or 9 o'Clock, seeing no probability of our getting to Sea, I sent
the Master to Sound the Harbour. But before this I order'd Matthew Cox,
Henry Stevens, and Emanl Parreyra to be punished with a dozen lashes each
for leaving their duty when ashore last night, and digging up Potatoes
out of one of the Plantations.* (* Cook's care to deal fairly with
natives is evinced by this punishment) The first of the 3 I remitted
back to Confinement because he insisted that there was no harm in what he
had done. All this Forenoon had abundance of the Natives about the Ship
and some few on board. We Trafficked with them for a few Trifles, in
which they dealt very fair and friendly.
Joseph Banks Journal
Several canoes came off to the ship very Early but sold little or nothing, indeed no merchandice that we can shew them seems to take with them. Our Island cloth which usd to be so much esteemd has now intirely lost its value: they have for some days told us that they have of it ashore and shewd us small peices in their Ears which they said was of their own manufacture, this at once accounts for their having been once so fond of it and now setting so little value upon it. Towards noon however they sold a little dryd fish for paper cheifly or very white Island Cloth. Among other things they told us that the man who was shot at with small shot on the 7th was dead, shot they said struck his Eye and I suppose found there an easy passage to his brain.
In the Even we went ashore upon the Continent: the people receivd us very civily and as tame as we could wish.
One general observation I here set down, that they Always after one nights consideration have acknowledgd our superiority but hardly before: I have often seen a man whose next neighbour was wounded or killd by our shot not give himself the trouble to enquire how or by what means he was hurt, so that at the time of their attacks they I beleive work themselves up into a kind of artificial Courage which does not allow them time to think much.
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