i-7 . after re ceiving a blow on the bead from a Hone, which had
■JFebr“a,y-, nearly fent h im to the bottom, he caught the man by the
hair, and brought h im fafe o ff* .
Our people continued for fome time to k e ep u p a conftant
fire from the boats (which, d uring -the w hole t ran fa it ion,
■were not more than twen ty yards from the land), in order
to afford their unfortunate companions, i f any o f them
ihould (till remain alive, an opportunity o f efcaping. T he fe
efforts, feconded b y a few gu ns, that were fired at the fame
time, from the Refolution, h a v in g forced the natives at laft
to retire, a fmall boat, manned b y five o f our y o u n g midfliipm
en , pulled toward the fhore, where they Taw the bodies,
without any figns o f life , ly in g on the ground.; b u t
ju d g in g it dangerous to atternpt to b rin g them off, w ith fo
fmall a force, and their ammunition being nearly expended,
th e y returned to the fhips, le a v in g them in poffeffion o f the
iflanders, together w ith ten ftands o f arms.
As foon as the general.confternation, w h ich the news o f
this calamity occafioned throughout both crews, had a little
fublided, their attention was called to our party at the Morai,
* From .the annexed plate, the reader will be enabled to form a very clear and
. diftinit idea of the ¡ituation of the feveral places mentioned in this and the three'laft
chapters. On the fartheft point of land, beyond the thips, to the left, is lituated the
" village of. Kowrowa, where Captain Cook was killed.' The pile of ftones, with a
.building on the top, at the other extremity o f the.plate, reprefents the Morai, where
the obfervatories were erected. Bphind the grove of coeoa-hut trees, flood the
cloifters of the priefts. T o the left.of thefe, is part of the village of Kakooa, which
was burnt down on the 17 th o f February; and, farther on, -amongft the rocks, at the
.end of the beach, is the well where we watered. The fteep high ground, above
the beach, is the hill from which the natives annoyed the waterers, by rolling down
ftones.
In the fore ground,, a native is fwimming on one of the boards, as defcrlbed in the
■ feventh chapter. The canoes, and the general air of the people, are. reprefented with
the greateft truth and -fidelity.
where
where the m.aft and fails were on fhore, w ith a gu ard o f
only fix marines. It is impoffible fo r me to defcribe the >— v-—
emotions o f m y own mind, d u r in g the time thefe tranf-
a¿lions had been ca rry in g on, at the other fide o f the bay.
Being at the diftance only o f a fhort mile from the v illa g e
o f Kowrowa, we could fee diftindlly an immenfe crowd collected
on the fpot where Captain Cook had ju ft before
landed. We heard the firin g o f the mufquetry, and could
perceive fome extraordinary buftle and agitation in the m u ltitude.
We afterward faw the natives fly in g , the boats retire
from the fhore, and pallin g and repaffing, in great
flillnefs, between the fhips. I m u ll confefs, that m y h e a r t
foon mifgave me. Where a life fo dear and valuab le was
concerned, it was impoffible not to be alarmed, b y appearances
both n ew and threatening. But, befides this, I kn ew ,
that a long and uninterrupted courfe o f fuccefs, in his tranf-
adlions with the natives o f thefe feas, had g iv en the Captain -
a degree o f confidence, that I was a lwa y s fe a r fu l might, at
fome un lu ck y moment, put h im too much o ff his g u a r d ;
and I n ow faw a ll the dangers to w h ich that confidence
m igh t lead, withou t re ce ivin g much confolation from con-
fidering the experience that had g iv en rife to it.
My firft care, on he ar ing the mufquets fired, was, to affine
the people, who were affembied in confiderable numbers,
round the w all o f our confecrated field, and feemed equ ally
at a lofs with ourfelves how to account fo r what they had
feen and heard, that they ihould not be m o le fted ; and that,
at all events, I was defirous Of continuing on peaceable
terms w ith them. We remained in this pofture, till the
boats had returned on board, w h en Captain Clerke, obferv-
in g, through his telefcope, that w e were furrounded by the
natives, and apprehending they meant to attack us, ordered
two