A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 | Page 3

King
and Anderson visit the King's Brother. Their Entertainment. Another
Mourning Ceremony. Manner of passing the Night. Remarks on the

Country they passed through. Preparations made for Sailing. An
Eclipse of the Sun, imperfectly observed. Mr Anderson's Account of
the Island, and its Productions,
SECT. IX. A grand Solemnity, called Natche, in Honour of the King's
Son, performed. The Procession and other Ceremonies, during the first
Day, described. The Manner of passing the Night at the King's House.
Continuation of the Solemnity the next Day; Conjectures about the
Nature of it. Departure from Tongataboo, and the Arrival at Eooa.
Account of that Island, and Transactions there,
X. Advantages derived from visiting the Friendly Islands. Best Articles
for Traffic. Refreshments that may be procured. The Number of the
Islands, and their Names. Keppel's and Boscawen's Islands belong to
them. Account of Vavaoo, of Hamao, of Feejee. Voyages of the
Natives in their Canoes. Difficulty of procuring exact Information.
Persons of the Inhabitants of both Sexes. Their Colour. Diseases. Their
general Character. Manner of wearing their Hair. Of puncturing their
Bodies. Their Clothing and Ornaments. Personal Cleanliness,
XI. Employments of the Women at the Friendly Islands. Of the Men.
Agriculture. Construction of their Houses. Their working Tools.
Cordage and fishing Implements. Musical Instruments. Weapons. Food
and Cookery. Amusements. Marriage. Mourning Ceremonies for the
Dead. Their Divinities. Notions about the Soul, and a future State.
Their Places of Worship. Government. Manner of paying Obeisance to
the King. Account of the Royal Family. Remarks on their Language,
and Specimen of it. Nautical and other Observations,
A Vocabulary of the Language of the Friendly Isles,
A Vocabulary of the Language of Atooi, one of the Sandwich Islands,

A GENERAL HISTORY AND COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND
TRAVELS.

PART III. BOOK II. (CONTINUED.)
[An Account of a Voyage towards the South Pole, and round the World,
performed in his Majesty's ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the
Years 1772, 3, 4, and 5: Written by James Cook, Commander of the
Resolution.]

CHAPTER IV.
--Continued.
FROM LEAVING NEW ZEALAND TO OUR RETURN TO
ENGLAND.
SECTION III.
_Range from Christmas Sound, round Cape Horn, through Strait Le
Maire, and round Staten Land; with an Account of the Discovery of a
Harbour in that Island, and a Description of the Coasts._
At four o'clock in the morning on the 28th, we began to unmoor, and at
eight weighed, and stood out to sea, with a light breeze at N.W., which
afterwards freshened, and was attended with rain. At noon, the east
point of the sound (Point Nativity) bore N. 1/2 W., distant one and a
half leagues, and St Ildefonzo Isles S.E. 1/2 S., distant seven leagues.
The coast seemed to trend in the direction of E. by S.; but the weather
being very hazy, nothing appeared distinct.
We continued to steer S.E. by E. and E.S.E.; with a fresh breeze at
W.N.W., till four o'clock p.m., when we hauled to the south, in order to
have a nearer view of St Ildefonzo Isles. At this time we were abreast
of an inlet, which lies E.S.E, about seven leagues from the sound; but it
must be observed that there are some isles without this distinction. At
the west point of the inlet are two high peaked hills, and below them, to
the east, two round hills, or isles, which lie in the direction of N.E. and
S.W. of each other. An island, or what appeared to be an island, lay in
the entrance; and another but smaller inlet appeared to the west of this:
Indeed the coast appeared indented and broken as usual.
At half past five o'clock, the weather clearing up, gave us a good sight
of Ildefonzo Isles. They are a group of islands and rocks above water,

situated about six leagues from the main, and in the latitude of 55° 53'
S., longitude 69° 41' W.
We now resumed our course to the east, and, at sun-set, the most
advanced land bore S.E. by E. 3/4 E.; and a point, which I judged to be
the west point of Nassau Bay, discovered by the Dutch fleet under the
command of Admiral Hermite in 1624, bore N. 80° E., six leagues
distant. In some charts this point is called False Cape Horn, as being
the southern point of Terra del Fuego. It is situated in latitude 55° 39' S.
From the inlet above-mentioned to this false cape, the direction of the
coast is nearly east, half a point south, distant fourteen or fifteen
leagues.
At ten o'clock, having shortened sail, we spent the night in making
short boards under the top-sails, and at three next morning made sail,
and steered S.E. by S., with a fresh breeze at W.S.W., the weather
somewhat hazy. At this time the west entrance