May.' WaS feturn’nS back, he met Tubourai Tamaide, near his oc-
cafional dwelling, and flopping to fpend a little time with«
him, he fuddenly took the gun out of Mr. Banks’s hand,
cocked it, and, holding it up in the air, drew the trigger;-
fortunately for him, it flaflied in the pan.: Mr. Banks immediately
took it from him, not a little furprifed how he had
acquired fuffxcient knowlege of a gun to difcharge it, and reproved
him with great feverity for what he had done. As it
was of infinite importance to keep the Indians totally ignorant
of the management of fire-arms, he had taken every
opportunity of intimating that they could never offend him:
fo highly as by even touching his piece; it was now proper
to enforce this prohibition, and he therefore added threats to«
his reproof; the Indian bore all patiently y but the moment
Mr. Banks crofled the river, he fet off with all his family
and furniture for his houfe at Eparre. This being, quickly-
known from the Indians at the fort, and great inconvenience:
being apprehended from the difpleafure of this man, who-
upon all occafions had been particularly uieful, Mr. Banks:
determined to follow him without delay, and folicit his return
: he fet out the lame evening, accompanied by. Mr. Mol-
lineux, and found him fitting in the middle of a large circle-
of people, to whom, he had probably related what, had happened,
and his fears of the confequences; he was himfelf
the very piffure o f grief and dejedlion, and the fame paffions.
were ftrongly marked in the countenances of all the people
that furrounded him. When Mr. Banks and Mr. Mollineux.
went into the circle, one of the women expreffed her trouble,
as Terapo had done upon another occafion, and ftruck a
fhark’s tooth into her head feveral times, till it was covered
with blood. Mr. Banks loft no time in putting an end to this
univerfal diftrefs; he affured the Chief, that every thing
which had palled Ihould be forgotten, that there was not
S the
the leaft animality remaining on one fide, nor any thing to be- U69-
feared on the other. The Chief was foon foothed into eonfi- i---- ;---->
denceand complacency, a double'canoe was ordered to be got
ready, they all returned together to the fort before fupper,
and as a pledge of perfect reconciliation, both he and his wife
llept all night in Mr. Banks’s tent: their prefence; however,«
was no palladium; for, between eleven and twelve o’clock,
one of the natives attempted to get into the fort by fcaling the
walls, with a defign, no doubt, to fteal whatever he Ihould
happen to*find; he was difcovered by the centinel, who happily
did not fire, and he ran away much fafter than any of
our people could follow him. The iron, and iron-tools,
which were in continual ufe at the armourer’s forge,; that
was fet up within the works, were temptations to thefc
which none of thefe people could with Hand.
On the 14th,. which was Sunday, I diredfed that Divine Sunday *4*
Service Ihould be performed at the fort; we were defirous-
that fome of the principal Indians Ihould be prefent, but
when the hour came, moll of them were returned home.
Mr. Banks, however, croffed the river, and brought back Tubourai
Tamaide and his wife Tomio, hoping that it would-
give occafion to> fome enquiries on their part, and-fome in - ’
flrudtion on ours : having featcd them, he placed himfelf
between them, and during the whole fervrce, they very attentively
obferved. his behaviour, and very exactly imitated
it ; Handing, fitting,, or kneeling, as they faw him do: they
were confcious that we were employed about fomewhat fe.-
rious and important, as appeared, by their calling to- the Indians
without the fort to be fijent; yet when the fervice was
over, neither of them alked any queftions, nor would they
attend to any attempt that was made to explain what had
been done..
Suehi