it {hatched up the bread as an equivalent; and then the quarrel
began.
The remainder of Kahoora’s account of this unhappy affair,
differed very little from what we had before learnt,
from the reft of his countrymen. He mentioned the narrow
efcape he had, during the fray; a mufquet being levelled it
him, which he avoided by ikulking behind the boat; and
another man, who flood clofe to him, was ihot dead. As
foon as the mufquet was difcharged, he inftantly Seized the
opportunity to attack Mr. Rowe, who commanded the party,
and who defended himfelf with his hanger (with which he
wounded Kahoora in the arm), till he was overpowered by
numbers.
Mr. Burney, who was fent by Captain Furneaux the next
day *, with an armed party, to look for his miffing people,
upon discovering the horrid proofs of their Shocking fate,
had fired Several vollies amongft the crowds of natives who
ftill remained afiembled on the Spot, and were, probably,
partaking of the deteftable banquet. It was natural to fup-
pofe that he had not fired in vain ; and that, therefore, Some
of the murderers and devourers of our unhappy countrymen
had Suffered under our juft refentment. Upon inquiry,
however, into this matter, not only from Kahoora, but
from others who had opportunities of knowing, it appeared
that our fuppofition was groundless, and that not one of the
fhot fired by Mr. Burney’s people had taken effeft, fo as to
kill, or even to hurt, a fingle perfon.
It was evident, that mod of the natives we had met with
fince our arrival, as they knew I was fully acquainted with
* See his Narrative. Cook's Voyage, Vol. ii. p. 255— 259.
the
the hiftory of the maflacre, expeffed I Should avenge it with Fe'b^ y
the death of Kahoora. And many o f them feemed not only v—
to wifh it, but exprelled their furprize at my forbearance.
As he could not be ignorant of this, it was a matter of wonder
to me, that he put himfelf fo often in my power. When
he vifited us while the Ships lay in the Cove, confiding in
the number of his friends that accompanied him, he might
think himfelf fafe. But his two laft vifits had been made
under fuch circumftances, that he could no longer rely
upon this. We were then at anchor in the entrance of the
Sound, and at fome diftance from any ffiore; fo that he
could not have any affiftance from thence, nor flatter himfelf
he could have the means of making his efcape, had I
determined to detain him. And yet, after his firft fears, on
being interrogated, were over,- he was fo far from entertaining
any uneafy fenfations, that, on feeing a portrait o f
one of his countrymen hanging up in the cabin, he defired
to have his own portrait drawn; and fat till Mr. Webber
had finiffied it, without marking the leaft impatience. I
muft confefs, I admired his courage, and was not a little
pleafed to obferve the extent o f the confidence he put in
me. For he placed his whole fafety in the declarations I
had uniformly made to thofe who folicited his death, That
I had always been a friend to them all, and would continue
fo, unlefs they gave me caufe to ait otherwife: that as to
their inhuman treatment of our people, I fhould think no
more of it, the tranfailion having happened long ago, and
when I was not prefent; but that, if ever they made a
fecond attempt of that kind, they, might reft allured of feeling
the weight of my refentment.
For fome time before we arrived at New Zealand, Omai
had exprelled a defire to take one of the natives with him to
9 his.