Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage by John Rickman

Author:John, Rickman [John, Rickman]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Historical Geography
ISBN: 9781108071819
Google: kK0ZBAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2014-08-21T01:38:28+00:00

We saw no plantations which exhibited the least trace of knowledge in the cultivation of the earth ; all seemed to remain in a pure state of nature ; shrubs there were in the woods that put forth blossoms ; and trees that promised in time to bring forth fruit ; but except some currant bushes, wild rasberries and junipers, we saw none bearing fruit that were known to any but Mr. Nelson.

The men were not ill made, but they disfigured themselves with grease and coarse paint ; they were of a dark copper colour, with lank black hair, which they tied in a knot behind, but they so bepowdered, or rather befeathered it with down, that the colour was hardly discernable ; their cloathing was a cloak made of skins of beasts, which covered them from the neck to their knees, and gave them a savage appearance ; some of them wore high fur caps ; but the chiefs among them had their heads dressed in a more becoming manner. In that consisted their chief distinction, Their heads were bound round with fillets, decorated with feathers, which adds so striking a grace to the human figure, that almost every nation in the known world have agreed, in making plumes of feathers a part of their warriors dress. Their weapons of war were spears from 20 to 30 feet long i their bows about three feet and a half ; their arrows two feet, pointed with bone or slinr, some few with iron ; but they had one horrid weapon peculiar to themselves, resembling a man’s head with hair ; it had eyes and nose, but where the mouth should be, a sharp piece of bone or flint about six inches long was firmly morticed and cemented; in the neck part was a hole, through which they passed a strong cord, and fastened it to the right arm ; this we saw none of the warriors without ; many of them had besides, a knife about twelve inches long, of which they were very choice. We saw no musical instrument among them ; but some had musical voices, and seemed fond of dancing and tumbling in a bearish way. Their canoes were of an uncommon length, many of them from 30 to 40 yards long, made of the main body of one of their enormous trees, of which we have already spoken ; their breadth from four to five feet over in the middle, and gradually narrowing, like all others to both ends, but the stem much higher than the stern. They were strengthened by bars of wood placed across at certain distances, and were rowed by paddles about six feet long, sharp at the lower ends. Some of those canoes were roughly carved and painted with the figures of the fun, moon, and stars, probably the objects of their worship ; but what was remarkable, they had no outriggers to prevent their oversetting, like those in southern isles.

The women

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