James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 196

[Page 196]
New Zealand
1770 January
[Written in margin] Charlotta Sound
Iron braces that supply'd the want of a Transom have broke every time they have been repaired. Coopers still employ'd repairing the Casks, some hands with the Longboat getting on board Stones to put into the bottom of the bread room to bring the Ship more by the stern, while others were employ'd cutting wood, repairing the rigging & fishing.

Sunday 28th Strong Gales westerly PM fair & Cloudy, the remainder thick hazey weather with much rain.

Monday 29th Winds as Yesterday PM rainy wear the remainder fair & cloudy Pretty early in the AM an old Man who had made us several visits upon our first Arrival here came on board & told us that one of our boats had fir'd upon & wounded two of their people one of which was dead of his wounds this affair happened on Sunday was a week & never before now came to my Knowledge, on that day the Master & 5 Petty officers desired to have a small boat to go a fishing but instead of keeping within the usual bounds & under the protection of the Ship they went over to the Hippa on the Island from which some of the inhabitants put off in 2 Canoes, as they thought to attack them, this caused the Master to fire & according to the report of the old Man wounded two one of which is since dead, but this last circumstance was soon after contradicted by another of the Natives who Mr Green & Tupia saw ashore & I wish this last report may be true because I find the reasons for firing upon them are not very Justifiable. This morning I went out to the mouth of the Inlet & landed upon the Wt point & from the Top of a pretty high hill which is there, I had a view of the Coast to the NWt the farthest land I could see in that Quarter was an Island about 10 Leags off & lying pretty near the Main and is the same as hath been beforementioned, between this Island & the place where I was, lay some other Islands close under the Shore which forms several Bays wherein there appears to be safe Anchorage for Shipping. After I had set the difft points etc we errected upon the Top of the Hill a Tower or pile of Stones in which we left a peice of Silver Coin, some Musquet Balls, Beads etc and left flying upon it a peice of an old Pendant: after this we return'd to the Boat & in our way to the Ship visited some of the Natives we met with alongshore & purchased of them a small quantity of fish.

Tuesday 30th Winds at NWt Gentle breezes & fair wear. Early in the AM a boat was sent to one of the Islands to get Sellery to boil for the Peoples breakfasts while our people were gathering it near some Empty hutts about 20 of the Natives landed there Men Women & Children, they had no sooner got out ne on account of their husbands having been lately kill'd & devoured by their enimies; while the women was were performing this ceremony the men went about repairing the hutts without showing the least concern —

The Carpenter went into the woods with part of his crew to cut & square some timber to saw into boards for the use of the Ship & to prepare two posts to be set up as marks — with Inscriptions upon them