. 1774- _ had no intention to try others. So the affair dropt, and the
Tuefday 17. council broke up.
In the evening, iomeof the gentlemen went to a dramatic
entertainment. The piece reprefented a girl as running
away with us from Otaheite; which was in fome degree
true; as a young woman had taken a paffage with us down
to Ulietea, and happened now to be prefent at the repre-
fentation of her own adventures; which had fuch an effedt
upon her, that it was with great difficulty our gentlemen
could prevail upon her to fee the play out, or to refrain from
tears while it was a citing. The piece concluded with the reception
ffie was fuppofed to meet with from her friends at
her return; which was not a very favourable one. Thefe
people can add little extempore pieces to their entertainments
when they fee occafion. Is it not then reafonable to fuppofe
that it was intended as a fatire againft this girl, and to dif-
courage others from following her fteps ?
Wedncf. 18. In the morning of the 18th, Oree came on board with a
prefent of fruit, flayed dinner, and in the afternoon defired
to fee fome great guns fired, fhotted, which I complied with.
The reafon of his making this requeft was his hearing, from
Oedidee and our Otaheitean pallengers, that we had fo done
at their ifland. The chief would have had us fire at the
hills; but I did not approve of that, left the fliot Ihould fall
fliort, and do fome mifchief. Befides, the effedt was better
feen in the water. Some of the petty officers, who had leave
to go into the country for their amufement, took two of the
natives with them to be their guides, and to carry their bags,'
containing nails, hatchets, &c. the current cafli we traded
with here; which the fellows made off with in the following
artful manner. The gentlemen had with them two
2 mufquets
mufquets for fhooting birds. After a fhower of rain, their
guides pointed out fome for them to flioot. One of the mufquets
having miffed fire feveral times, and the other having
gone off, the inftant the fellows faw themfelves fecure from
both, they ran away, leaving the gentlemen gazing after
them with fo much furprife, that no one had prefence of
mind to purfue them.
The 19th, fliowery morning ; fair afternoon ; nothing happened
worthy note.
Early in the morning of the 20th, three of the officers fet Friday jo..
out on a fhooting party, rather contrary to my inclination ;
as I found the natives, at leaf! fome of them, were continually
watching every opportunity to rob ftraggling parties,
and were daily growing more daring. About three o’clock
in the afternoon, I got intelligence that they were feized and
ftripped of every thing they had about them. Upon this I
immediately went on fliore with a boat’s crew, accompanied
by Mr. Forfter, and took poffeffion of a large houfe with all
its effects, and two chiefs whom I found in it; but this we
did in fuch a manner that they hardly knew what we were
about, being unwilling to alarm the neighbourhood. In this
fituationl remained'till I heard the officers had got backfafe,
and had all their things reftored to them ; then I quitted the
houfe ; and prefently after every thing in it was carried off.
When I got on board I was informed of the whole affair by
the officers themfelves. Some little infult on their part, induced
the natives to feize their guns, on which a fcuffle en-
fued, fome chiefs interfered, took, the officers out of. the •
crowd, and caufed every thing which had been taken fromi
them to be reftored. This was at a place where we had be--
fore been told, that a fet of fellows had.formed themfelves.-
info*
177+.
May.
Thurfday