William Anderson was the surgeon on Captain James Cook’s third voyage to the South Pacific. The entry, often mistakenly credited to Cook himself, was originally published in 1784 as part of Cook’s three-volume set A 

. Anderson's topic is the disposition of the local people. The text below has been slightly edited and shortened.

Their behavior, on all occasions, seems to indicate a great openness and generosity, [although it is] often said that they are sometimes cruel in punishing their enemies. According to [one person's] representation, they torment them very deliberately; at one time tearing out small pieces of flesh from different parts [of the body]; at another, taking out the eyes; then cutting off the nose; and, lastly, killing them by opening the belly. But this only happens on particular occasions. If cheerfulness argues a conscious innocence, one would suppose that their life is seldom sullied by crimes. This, however, I rather impute to their feelings, which, though lively, seem in no case permanent; for I never saw them, in any misfortune, labour under the appearance of anxiety after the critical moment was past. Neither does care ever seem to wrinkle their brow. On the contrary, even the approach of death does not appear to alter their usual vivacity, I have seen them when brought to the brink of the grave by disease, and when preparing to go to battle, but in neither case ever observed their countenances overclouded with melancholy or serious reflection.

Such a disposition leads them to direct all their aims only to what can give them pleasure and ease. Of their songs they arc immoderately fond, and had much pleasure in chanting their love, their triumphs in war, and their occupations in peace; their travels to other islands, and adventures there; and the peculiar beauties and superior advantages of their own island over the rest, or of different parts of it over other less favourable districts. This marks that they receive grent delight from music; and though they rather expressed a dislike to our complicated compositions, yet were they always delighted with the more melodious sounds produced singly on our instruments, as approaching nearer to the simplicity of their own.

Neither are they strangers to the soothing effects produced by particular sorts of motion; which, in some cases, seem to allay any perturbation of mind, with as much success as music. Of this, I met with a remarkable instance. For on walking one day about Matavai Point, where our tents were erected, I saw a man paddling in a small canoe so quickly, and looking about with such eagerness, on each side, as to command all my attention. At first, I imagined that he had stolen something from one of the ships, and was pursued; but on waiting patiently, saw him repeat his amusement.

He went out from the shore, till he was near the place where the swell begins to take its rise; and watching its first motion very attentively, paddled before it, with great quickness, till he found that it overtook him, and had acquired sufficient force to carry his canoe before it, without passing underneath. He then sat motionless, and was carried along at the same swift rate as the wave, till it landed him upon the beach. Then he started out, emptied his canoe, and went in search of another swell. I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure, while he was driven on so fast and so smoothly, by the sea.

I understood that this exercise, which is called 

, was frequent amongst them; and they have probably more amusements of this sort, which afford them at least as much pleasure as skating, which is the only one of ours with whose effect I could compare it.

1777: CANOE SURFING IN TAHITI, BY WILLIAM ANDERSON. “I COULD NOT HELP CONCLUDING THAT THIS MAN FELT THE MOST SUPREME PLEASURE”

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