■ aIc” «. their operation without being molefted. The buoy, however,
which belonged to our firft anchor, appeared fo tempting,
that an old Indian, who was quite bald, put off in his
canoe, and endeavoured to carry it away, at firft by towing
it, but afterwards by detaching it from its rope. As foon
as we perceived that he was ferioufly at work about it,
captain Cook called to him to defift, but he was not able fo
much as to divert his attention. The captain fired a
mufket loaded with fmall fliot at him ; and fome of the fhot
having ftruck him, he immediately threw the buoy out of
his canoe. A few moments after, however, feeling himfelf
very little hurt, he returned once more to complete his
former undertaking. A mulket, with a ball, was now fired
rather fhort of him into the fea ; upon this he left the buoy,
and came long fide to prefent us with a coco-nut. There
was fomething bold and generous in his behaviour, which
I think plainly indicated, that he offered us his friendfhip,
after making trial of our fpirit. Our boat having laid the
anchor in the ground with another buoy, came on board,
and we began to warp in by it. The buoy tempted another
native, notwithftanding the correction which his countryman
had received. He was afraid of taking it up; but
paddled feveral times towards it, and as often turned back
again. At laft the temptation prevailed, and he began to
haul it into his canoe, A large mulketoon was fired at him,
and the ball fell clofe to him, ftriking the water feveral
times,
times, and at laft dropping on the beach. A number of
people ftood near the place, and immediately ran o ff; but
the man in the canoe returned again to the buoy. Another
mulketoon, a fwivel, and laft of all a cannon were fired,
which terrified him and all the natives both on the water
and on fliore, without doing them any hurt.
We brought thfe fhip deeper into the bay, after this little
difturbance ; but in warping her in, £he ftruck aground feveral
times, being drawn out of the deep channel. The
water was very fmooth, and the bottom covered with mud,
fo that (he could receive no material damage,'and the fault
was eafily redreffed. We then went to dinner very quietly,
and afterwards proceeded to the beach in three boats, well
manned, efpecially by all our marines. The opportunity
feemed very favourable, as the number of natives in fight
was very fmall, and not likely to give us any trouble. A
few of them, who were feated in the grafs along the beach,
ran off upon our landing, but returned as foon as we
beckoned to them. On our left, or to the weftward, we
faw a body of about a hundred and fifty, well armed, who
advanced towards us with the green branches of coco-palm,
which they prefented us in fign of peace. We diftributed
medals, Taheitee cloth, and iron ware, to conciliate their
good w ill; and afterwards exchanged thefe articles for a
few coco-nuts which they brought us, after we had pointed
to the trees, and made our wants intelligible by different
V ol . II. Mm geftures.
* 774-
A ugust.