©CTOBER.
fatal to them; and they likewife attacked the Chips in more
than a hundred large canoes full of men, who felt the
effedts of European artillery. At laft M. Crozet, feeing it
impoffible to fupply the Chips with malts, unlefs he could
drive the natives from this neighbourhood, went to attack
their hippah, which was one of the greateft and ftrongeft.
He put the carpenters in the front, to cut down the pal-
Iifadoes, behind which the natives Hood in great numbers
on the fighting ftages, defcribed in captain Cook’s former
voyage *. His people drove the natives from thefe ftages
by keeping up a regular fire, which did fome execution.
The carpenters could now approach without danger, and
in a few moments cut a breach in the fortification. A
chief inftantly ftepped into it with a long fpear in his
hand. He was Ihot dead by M. Crozet’ s markfmen, and
prefently another occupied his place, ftepping on the dead
body. He likewife fell a vidtim to his intrepid courage,
and in the fame manner eight chiefs fucceffively defended,
and bravely fell on this pofl: of honour. The reft feeing
their leaders dead, took flight, and the French purfued and
killed numbers of them. M. Crozet offered fifty dollars
to any perfon who fhould take a New Zeelander alive, but
this was abfolutely impradticable. A foldier feized an old
man, and began to drag him towards his captain, but the
favage being unarmed, bit into the flelhy part of the French-
* See Hawkefworth, vol, II. p. 342, 344.
man’s
man’s hand, of which the exquifite pain fo enraged him, 'October.
that be ran the New Zeelander through with the bayonet.
M. Crozet found great quantities of drefles, arms, tools,
and raw flax in this hippah, together with a prodigious
ftore of dried fifli, and roots, which feemed to be intended
for winter provifion. He completed the repairs in his
fhip without interruption, after accomplifliing this enter-
prize, and profecuted his voyage after a flay of fixty-four
days in-the Bay of Iflands.
The character of the New Zeelanders would appear to
no great advantage in this tranfaftion with the French, if
we fuppofed that nothing paffed previous to the maffacre
to rouze their indignation. But the whole tenour of their
behaviour to Europeans, feems to acquit them of treachery
and cruel malevolence. It is therefore greatly to be fuf-
pefted that they took umbrage at fome affront, perhaps unwittingly
committed by the ftrangers, and revenged it with
that paflionate fury Which hurries on the favage into ex-
ceffes. We had no reafon to doubt the veracity of the people
at Queen Charlotte’s Sound, fince they accufed their own
countrymen of theft; but it plainly appears from thefe in-
ftances, that the rafh afition of revenging this theft with'
death, and moft probably revenging it indifcriminately on
a whole body of natives, muft have provoked them to retaliate:
Born to live our ftated time on this globe, e v e ry
nne who puts a premature period to. our exiftence here,
Vol. II. , 000 . offends