‘jaiyl ^etC*1 Toota^ah on board the fliip, which he did, without
alarming either him or his people. If the Indian guides
proved faithful and in earned, I had reafon to expert the return
of my people with the deferters before evening. Being
difappointed, my fufpicions increafed; and night coming
on, I thought it was not fafe to let the people whom I had
detained as hoftages continue at the fort, and I therefore
ordered Tubourai Tamaide, Oberea, and fome others, to be
taken on board the fliip. This fpread a general alarm, and
feveral of them, efpecially the women, exprefled their ap-
prehenfions with great emotion and many tears when they
were put into the boat. I went on board with them, and
Mr. Banks remained on Ihore, with fome others whom I
thought it of lefs confequence to fecure.
About nine o’clock, Webb was brought back by fome of
the natives, who declared, that Gibfon, and the petty officer
and corporal, would be detained till Tootahah fliould be fet
at liberty. The tables were now turned upon m e ; but I
had proceeded too far to retreat. I immediately difpatched
Mr. Hicks in the long-boat, with a ftrong party of men, to
refcue the prifoners, and told Tootahah that it behoved
him to fend fome of his people with them, with orders to
afford them effectual affiftance, and to demand the releafe o f
my men in his name, for that I fliould expert him to an-
fwer for the contrary. He readily complied; this party recovered
my men without the leaft oppofition; and about
Wdam; feven o’clock in the morning, returned with them to the
fliip, though they had not been able to recover the arms
which had been taken from them when they were feized i
thefe, however, were brought on board in lefs than half an
hour, and the Chiefs were immediately fet at liberty.
When I queftioned the petty officer concerning what had
happened on fiiore, he told me, that neither the natives who
went
went with him, nor thofe whom they met in their way,
would give them any intelligence of the deferters; but, on
the contrary, became very troublefome: that, as he was returning
for further orders to the fliip, he and his comrade
were fuddenly feized by a number of armed men, who
having learnt that Tootahah was confined, had concealed
themfelves in a wood for that purpofe, and, who having
taken them at a difadvantage, forced their weapons out of
their hands, and declared, that they would detain them till
their Chief fliould be fet at liberty. He faid, however, that
the Indians were not unanimous in this meafure; that
fome were for fetting them at liberty, and others for detaining
them: that an eager difpute enfued, and that from
words they came to blows, but that the party for detaining
them at length prevailed: that foon after, Webb and Gibfon
were brought in by a party of the natives, as prifoners, that
they alfo might be fecured as hoftages for the Chief; but that
it was after fome debate refolved to fend Webb to inform me
of their refolution, to affure me that his companions were
fafe, and direft me where I might fend my anfwer. Thus
it appears that whatever were the difadvantages of feizing
the Chiefs, I fliould never have recovered my men by any
other method. When the Chiefs were fet on Ihore from the
fliip, thofe at the fort were alfo fet at liberty, and, after
flaying with Mr. Banks about an hour, they all went away.
Upon this occafion, as they had done upon another of the
fame kind, they exprefled their joy by an undeferved liberality,
ftrongly urging us to accept of four hogs. Thefe we.
abfolutely refufed as a prefent, and they as abfolutely re-
fufing to be paid for them, the hogs did not change matters.
Upon examining the deferters, we found that the account
which the Indians had given of them was true: they had
ftrongly attached themfelves to two girls, and it was their
Vor. II. A a intention
1769.
Tuefda y 11.