r was taken in, easily kept under by the
pumps. She was laid over on a sandbank on the opposite side of the river
and more carefully examined, the sheathing being found to be very badly
damaged. The carpenter, in whom Cook had every confidence, reported that,
with the means at his disposal, he could not make a satisfactory job, but
he thought they might push on to some place where greater facilities
could be obtained. She was therefore taken alongside the staging, the
stores and ballast replaced, everything got ready for the prosecution of
the voyage, and the Master sent off in the pinnace to look for a passage
to the north-east; but was unsuccessful. He was again sent out, but again
reported badly; the shoals appeared to get worse the further he went. He,
however, brought back with him three turtles weighing about 800 pounds,
which were most welcome as the crew had now been some months without
fresh meat; a second trip to where these were caught resulted in getting
three or four more, and a large supply of shell-fish. They had made
several attempts to get on good terms with the few natives they had seen,
and on one occasion two or three who were fishing had a long and animated
conversation with Tupia, in which neither party could understand the
other, though one or two were persuaded to visit the camp. Shortly before
the last of the stores were taken in, Cook and Banks received friendly
overtures from a small party, and ten of them visited the ship. They were
offered various gifts, but seemed to set little value on anything except
the turtles. They made signs they wanted them, and when they found these
signs ignored, attempted to carry off two, and when their aim was
frustrated, went ashore to where some of the crew were at work. One of
them took a lighted stick from under the pitch kettle, and, making a wide
circuit round the place, fired the grass as he ran. Fortunately there
were not many things left ashore, and the powder had just been safely got
on board, so the most serious damage appears to have been the premature
roasting of a young pig. They then went off to where others of the crew
were washing, and drying the fishing nets, and another attempt was made
to burn the grass; but a charge of small shot caused a retreat, and on
their way they set fire to the undergrowth to cover their repulse. Banks
was greatly impressed with the manner in which the grass and undergrowth
burnt, and declared he would never pitch tents