1777. evening' a boat was fent to brin g them on board. As our
■ °-er‘ . people were ge ttin g them into the boat, one was carried o ff
undifcovered. It being immediately miffed, I made no
doubt o f recovering it without, much trouble, as there had
not been time to carry it to any confiderable diflance. Ten
or twelve o f the natives fet out, foon after, different ways,
to b rin g it back, or to lo ok for it ; for not one o f them
w ou ld own that it was ftolen, but a ll tried to perfuade us,
that it had ftrayed into the-woods ; and, indeed, I thought
fo m y felf. I was convinced to the contrary, however, when
I found that not one o f thofe w ho went in p u rfu k o f it, returned
;, To that their only view was to amufe me, till their
prize was beyond m y reach ; and night coming on, put a
flop to all farther fearch. About this time, the boat returned
w ith the other goat, b rin g in g alfo one o f the men
w ho had ftolen i t ; the firft inftance o f the kind that I had
met with amongft thefe iflands.
Wcdnef. 8. T h e next morning, I found that moft o f the inhabitants
in the neighbourhood, had moved o f f ; carrying with them
a corpfe w h ich lay on a toopapaoo oppoiire the ih ip ; and that
Maheine h im fe lf had retired to the mpil diftant part o f the
ifland. It feemed now no longer doubtful, that a plan had
been laid to fteal what I had refufed to give ; and that,
thou gh they had reftored one, they were refolved to keep
the o th e r ; w hich was a ihe-goat, and b ig with kid. I was
equally fixed in my refolution that they ihould not keep it.
I, therefore, applied to the two old men w h o had been in -
ftrumental in g e ttin g back the firft. T h e y told me, that this
had been carried to Watea, a diftr-idt on the South fide o f the
ifland, by Hamoa, the C h ie f o f that p la c e ; but that, i f I
would fend any body for it, it w ou ld be d elivered up. T h e y
offered to con duit fome o f my people crofs the ifland; but
on
on m y learning from them, that a boat m igh t g o and re- >777.
turn the fame day, I fent one/with two petty officers, Mr. > ,- ,.1
Roberts and Mr. Shuttle worth ; one to remain with the boat,
in cafe £he could not get to the place, while the other
ihould go with the guides, and one or two o f our people.
Late in the evening, the boat returned, and the officers
infqrmed me, that after proceeding as far in the boat as
rocks and ihoals would permit, Mr. Shuttleworth, with two
marines, and one o f the gu ides, landed and travelled to
Watea, to the houfe o f Hamoa, where the people o f the
place arnufed them for fome time, b y telling them, that the
goat would foon be brought, and pretended they had fent
for it. It however never c am e ; and the approach o f night
obliged Mr. Shuttleworth to return to the boat without it.
I was now ve ry forry, that I had proceeded fo f a r ; as I '
could not retreat with any tolerable credit, and without g iv in
g encouragement to the people o f the other iflands we had
ye t to vifit, to rob us with impunity. I afked Omai and the
two old men, what methods I ihould next take ; and they,
without hefitation, advifed me to go w ith a party o f men
into the country, and ihoot every foul I ihould meet with.
Th is bloody counfel I could not fo llow ; but I refolved to
march a party o f men crofs the ifland ; and, at day-break Thurfday 9.
the next morning, fet out with thirty-five o f my people, accompanied
b y one o f the old men, by Omai, and three or four
o f his attendants. At the fame time, I ordered Lieutenant
Williamfon, w ith three armed boats, round the Weftern part
o f the ifland, to meet us.
I had no fooner landed with my party, than the few natives
who ftill remained in the neighbourhood, fled before us. T h e
firft man that we m et with upon our march, run fome riik o f
3 his