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Captain Cook's Second Voyage
order this bookJohn Elliot & Richard Pickersgill Price £30.00  Lieutenant John Elliott wrote his memoirs for the private amusement of his wife and children, covering his childhood and his career as a naval officer. That part of the manuscript which leads up to the conclusion of Cook's second voyage in the Resolution is included in this book, and is written in such a clear and highly readable style, that it should appeal to a general audience as well as to the specialist student. Also included in the book is Pickersgill's journal of the second voyage in the Resolution; Elliott describes him as "a good officer and astronomer but liking ye Grog", and his voice was one of the most idiosyncratic and distinctive of all the officers who accompanied Cook. Although his journal ended in October 1773, it is of special interest because of the descriptions of the many "shore tasks" to which he was assigned: the expeditions inland - in Madeira and Tahiti particularly - provide fascinating details not found in any other accounts of Cook's voyages.From Chapter 3, "New Zealand and the First Tropical Interlude": "One extraordinary custom at Otaheite is that the Men do not allow the Women (Pretty as they are) to Eat before them - that is, in their presence. And it is no uncommon thing to see a Chief, in a half sitting posture, with a female on each side, feeding him. The Women, and every other person, uncover the Upper parts of the body when ever the King makes his appearance. Having got a good stock of Hogs and fruit, we sailed from Ulietea towards the Friendly Isles on the 17th of September, leaving our kind friends of the Society Isles with much regret. OCTOBER 1773. Arriving at Middleburg [Eua], we landed amongst a large collection of Friendly people, who received us with the greatest kindness (Cook has given a Beautiful drawing of this landing) supplying us with every thing they had, very readily - Hogs, Fowls, Yams, Fruit, etc., altho it is supposed they had not seen a European for 150 years. Both sexes are stout and well made, Humane and friendly, but not so fair or courtly as our friends at the Society Isles. (Indeed they are a race of people by themselves). From Middleburg we sailed to Amsterdam [Tongatapu], but as the foregoing account will answer for both, I have little more to add to it. Only I shall add one Anecdote, which occurred while we stopped here. And that was, that upon some occasion, one of our Men gave one of the Natives a blow, which he returned immediately, and a battle ensued, in which the Islander had the advantage of the Britton, which surprized us very much, and Capt. forbad such tryals of skill in future. For it be highly impolitic to let them suppose that they were equal to us in anything. " |