»779*
February.
Saturday 13.
w h ich thofe have to encounter, who, in a ll their tranf-
aiftions w ith thefe ilrangers, have to fleer their courfe amidft
fo m u ch uncertainty, where a trifling error may be attended
w ith even the moft fatal confequences. However true or
fa lfe our conjectures may be, things wen t on in the ir ufual
quiet courfe, till the afternoon o f the 13th.
T ow a rd the evenin g o f that day, the officer w ho com manded
the watering-party o f the Difcovery, came to inform
me, that feveral Chiefs had affembled at the well near
the beach, driving awa y the natives, whom he had hired to
affift the failors in ro llin g down the calks to the fliore. He
told me, at the fame time, that he thought their behaviour
extremely fufpicious, and that they meant to g iv e him fome
farther difturbance. At his requefl, therefore, I fent a marine
a long w ith him, but fuffered h im to take only hisfide-
arms. In a fhort time, the officer returned, and on his acq
u a intin g me, that the iflanders had armed themfelves with
ftones, and were grown ve ry tumultuous, I went m y fe lf to
the fpot, attended b y a marine, w ith his mufquet. Seeing
u s approach, they threw away their ftones, and, on m y
fpe a k in g to fome o f the Chiefs, the mob were driven aw a y ,
and thofe w ho chofe it, were fuffered to affift in filling the
caiks. Having le ft thin gs quiet here, I went to meet Cap tain
Cook, w hom I faw comin g on ihore, in the pinnace. I
related to h im w hat had juft p affed ; and he ordered me, in
cafe o f their b e g in n in g to throw ftones, or behave info-
len tly, immediately to fire a ball at the offenders. I accordin
g ly gave orders to the corporal, to have the pieces o f the
fentinels loaded w ith ball, inftead o f fmall Ihot.
Soon after our return to the tents, w e were alarmed by a
continued fire o f mulquets, from the Difcovery, w h ich we
obferved
obferved to be directed at a canoe, that w e faw paddling l779-
n i n r February.
toward the ihore, in great hafte, purfued b y one o f o u r ' v—
fmall boats. We immediately concluded, that the firin g
was in confequence o f fome theft, and Captain Cook o rdered
me to fo llow h im with a marine armed, and to endeavour
to fe ize the people, as th e y came on ihore. Accordingly
w e ran toward the place w h e re w e fuppofed the
canoe would land, but were too l a t e ; the people having,
quitted it, and made their efcape. into the country before
our arrival.
We were at this time ignorant, that the goods had been
already reftored ; and as we thought it probable, from the
circumftances w e had at firft obferved, that they m igh t be
o f importance, were u nw illin g to re linqu iih ou r hopes o f
recovering them. H a v in g therefore inquired o f the natives,,
w hich w ay the people had fled, w e followed them, till it
was near da rk , when ju d g in g ourielves to be about th re e
miles from the tents, and fufpedting, that the natives, who»
frequently encouraged us in the purfuir, were amufing us
w ith falfe information, w e thought it in vain to con tin u e
our fearch any longer, and returned to the beach.
Du ring our abfence,. a difference, o f a more ferious and;
unpleafant nature, had happened. T he officer, who had
been lent in the fmall boat, and was re turn in g on board,,
with the goods w h ich had been reftored, abferving Captain
Cook and me engaged in the purfuit o f the offenders,,
thought it his duty to feize the canoe, w h ich was left drawn,
up on the ihore. Unfortunately, this canoe belonged to>
Pareea, w h o arriving, at the fame moment, from o n board
the Difcovery, claimed his property, with many proteffations.
o f his innocence. T h e officer re fufing to g iv e it up, and
b e in g