HISTORIC EVENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 489, 30 July 1902, Page 2

HISTORIC EVENT.

LAND IN'O' OF CAPTAIN COOK IN NEW ZEALAND,

GISBORNE AND TOLAOO BAV.

(Written by IBs Lordship Bishop Williams.)

The interest which will always attach to the tirst visit of Captain Cook to tho shores of New Zealand is sufficient justification for any attempt to elucidate any portion of his narrative, and, by tho aid of personal acquaintance with the localities touched at, and reference to Maori traditions of tho events, to enable any reader to present to his mind a more vivid picturo of all tho circumstances. When, as in this case, places are not described in minute detail, it is often a matter of considerable difficulty to identify any particu-lar-spot; though this difficulty may often in a great measure bo overcome by careful examination of the ground, and closo attention to every hint contained in tho narrative which may serve as a clue to the identification of tho actual site of any occurrence. This, then, is what it is proposed to attempt in this paper with refereuco to Captain Cook's visit to Poverty Hay and Tolago Bay. It was on Friday, tho Oth October, 1769, that tho land was first seen from tho masthead, bearing west by north, tho longitude of the ship having been ascertained to bo ISOdeg sf>min W. On Saturday, the 7th October, it fell calm till tho afternoon. At 5 p.m. Cook noticed a deep bay, and stood in for it, but when night came he kept plying oil and on till daylight. In the morning (Sunday, Bth October) he found himself considerably to leeward of tho bay, the wind boiug at north, and it was not till -1 o’clock in tho afternoon that ho anchored “on tho northwest sido of the bay, before tho entrance to a small river, .... at about half a leaguo from the shore.'’ “In tho evening,’'Cook says, “ I went on shore, accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr. colander, with tho pinnace and yawl and a party of men. Wo landed abreast of tho ship, on the east sido of tho river, which was hero about forty yards broad ; but, seeing somo natives on tho west side, whom I wished to speak with, and finding the river not fordablo, I ordered tho yawl in to carry us ovor, and left tho pinnaco at the ontrauco. When wo camo near the placo where the people were assembled they all ran away ; howover, we landed, and, leaving four boys to take care of tho yawl, we walked up to somo huts, which were about two or throo hundred yards from tho water-side. When wo had got some distance from the boat, four moil, armed with long lancos, rushed out of tho woods, and, running up to attack tho boat, would certainly have cut her off if tho people in the pinnace had not discovered them, and called to the boys to drop doWD tho stream. Tho boys instantly obeyed, but, being closely pursued by the natives, tho cockswain of tho pinnace, who had chargo of tho boats, firod a muskot ovor their heads. At this they stopped and looked round them, but in a fow minutes renewed tho pursuit, brandishing their lances in a threatening inunnor. Tho cockswain then fired a second musket ovor their heads, but of this thoy took no notice, and, one of them lifting up his spear to dart it at tho boat, another picco was fired, which shot him dead. When ho fell the other threo stood motionless for somo minutes, as if petrified with astonishment. As soon as thoy recovered thoy wont back, dragging after them tho dead body, which, however thoy soon left, that it might not encumber their flight. At tho report of tho first musket wo drew together, having straggled to a littlo distance from each other, and made the boßt of our way back to tho boat; and, crossing the river, wo soon saw tho nativo lying doad upon tho ground. Upon examining the body we found that ho had been shot through the heart. . . . Wo returned immediately to tho ship, where wo could hear tho people on shore talking with great earnestness, and in a very loud tone — probably about what had liappenod, and what should bo done.” Tho placo of landing was evidently wbufc is now commonly called tho boat-harbour, immediately on tho south-east sido of tho mouth of tho river, and separated from it by a narrow reef of rocks. From this place Cook and his companions walked about two hundred yards to a sandy point clear of tho shelving rocks, as tho most convonicnt placo from which to cross ovor to tho point formed by the junction of the Waikanao Creek with tho river, where tho natives were first soon, who ran away as tho strangers approached them. Tho huts for which they wore making when the attack was made upon the boat were probably not far from tho north bank of tho Waikatmc, a short distance above tho present signal-station. Tho four men who attacked tho boat aro said to havo rushed out of the woods on tho east side of tho rivor. Thera arc no woods in tho neighbourhood now, nor havo there boon any during the last fifty years ; but woods aro said by the natives to havo existed formerly on tho hill-side, within a short distance of high-water mark, which would form a convenient hiding-place for tho natives, whence they might observe the movements of the strangers without boing seen themselves. Tho four men belongod to tho Ngationeono hapu of the tribe called Toi-tanga-a-Hauiti, and tho name of tho -ono who was shot was To Maro. On Monday morning, tho 9th October, a party of natives was observed at tho spot at which thoy had been seen the previous evening, and Cook determined at once to try to open up friendly intercourse with them. Three boats were ordered, manned with seamen and marines, and with these ho proceeded towards tho shore. Cook, with three others, landed first from tho small boat; but they had not advanced far towards the natives when tho latter all started jp and showed themselves to be well armed with spears and meres, manifesting at tho same time unmistakeablo tj signs of hostility. Cook therefore determined to return at once to the boats, and to get the marines landed. This was soon done, and they marched, with a jact£ carried before them, to a little bank about fifty yards from the water-side. Hero they were drawn up, and Cook again advanced, with Tupaea, Messrs Banks, Green, and Monkhouso, and Dr. Solander. Tupaea was directed to speak to the natives, and it was soon evident that he | could readily make himself understood. After some parleying about twenty or thirty were induced to swim over, most of J them, however, bringing their arms with them. All attempts to establish friendly intercourse were vain, as the only object the natives seemed to have in view was to get possession of the arms of the strangers, which, as they could not obtain them by barter, they tried to snatch out of their hands. What followed is best described in Cook’s own words. “In a few minutes, Mr Green happening to turn about, one of them snatched away his hanger, and, retiring to a little distance, waved it round his head with a shout of exultation. The rest now began to be extremely insolent) and we saw more coming to join them from tho opposite sido of the river; it was therefore become necessary to repress them, and Mr Banks fired at the man who had taken the hanger with small shot, at the distance of about fifteen yards. When the shot struck him he ceased his

(cry, hut, instead of returning the hanger, continued to flourish it over his head, at the same time slowly retreating to a greater distance. Mr Monkhousc, seeing this, fired at him with ball, and he instantly dropped. Upon this, the main body, who had retired to a rock in the middle of the river on the first discharge, began to return. Two that were near to the man who had been killed ran up to the body ; one seized his weapon of green tale, and the other endeavored to secure the hanger, which Mr Monkhouse had but just time to prevent. As all that had retired to the I rock were now advancing, three of us discharged our pieces, loaded only with small shot, upon which they swam back for the shore, and we perceived, upon their landing, that two or three of them wcie wounded. They retired slowly up the country, and we re-embarked m our boats." (To be continued.)