of friendfhip, and repetitions of the word At once,
taking the advantage of an unguarded moment, they tore
from his fide a hanger, the only weapon he had, and gave
him a blow over his head as he was Hooping to arm him-
felf with a ftone. He Humbled, and they tore a black fat-
tin waiflcoat and feveral loofe parts of drefs from him.
However, difengaging liimfelf, he ran towards the beach
and outflripped them, when fome bind, weeds caught his
feet, and detained him till the villains came up. They
gave him repeated blows over his temples and fhoulders,
which fiunned him ; dripped his fhirt over his head, and
were jufi preparing to cut his hands, becaufe the fleeve-.
buttons held the fhirt, when be fortunately opened them
with his teeth, and they made off with their booty. Not
above fifty yards farther on, fame natives were at dinner,
who, feeing him paffing 'by, came out and invited him to
flop, but he hurried on towards the fea. In his way,
however, he met two natives, who immediately took off
their own cloth, (ahowj dreffed him in it, and attended
him to the trading-place, Thefe honeft people were rewarded
to the beft of our power with various prefents, and
we all hurried on board to reinforce our party. Dr. Sparr-
man being dreffed again, accompanied us. to Oree’s houfe
to whom we made our complaint. The old chief immediately
refolved to affiH captain Cook in the fearch after
the thieves, but his noble refolution filled all his relations
with
with terror. Upwards of fifty people of both fexes began
to weep when he Hepped into the boat; fome with the
mofl pathetic and moving geflures tried to diffuade him;
and others held him back and» embraced him ; but he was
not to be prevailed upon, and went off with us, faying,
that he had nothing to apprehend, becaufe he was not the
guilty perfon. My father offered to remain on fhore as
an hoflage, but he would not admit of it, and took only
one of his relations in the boat with him. We rowed up
a deep creek oppofite the fhips, where this villainy had been
committed, and aftervyards took a long walk into the
country to no purpofe; for all Oree’s meflengqrs, who
were fent to apprehend the robbers, did not perform their
duty. At laH we returned to the boat, where Oree reembarked
with us, notwithflanding the tears of an old
lady and of her handfome daughter. The young woman,
in a fit of frantic grief, took up fome fhells and cut herfelf
on the head with them, but her mother tore them out of
her hands, and aftually accompanied Oree to the flrip.
Here he dined with us very heartily, but the woman, according
to the euflom. of the country, would not touch our
provifions. After dinner we brought him back to his
houfe, which was crouded with different groups of the
principal families on the ifiand, who fat on the ground,
and many of whom fhed tears plentifully. We fat down
amongH thefe difconfolate people, and with all the Tahei-
Vol. I. D d d
1773.
SEPTEHBES#
tian