>779- and early the next morning, Koah came along-fide the Re-
w ;th a prefent o f cloth, and a fmall pig, w h ich he
Monday 15. ieave t0 p refent to me. I have mentioned before,
that I was fuppofed, b y the natives, to be the fon o f Captain
Co o k ; and as he, in his life-time , had a lways fuffered
them to believe it, 1 was probably confidered as the Chief,
a fter his death. As foon as I came on deck, 1 queftioned
h im about the body ; and, on his returning me n othing but
evafive anfwers, I refufed to accept his prefents; and was
go in g to difmifs him, w ith fome expreffions o f ang er and
refentment, had not Captain Clerke, ju d g in g it beft, at all
events, to keep u p the appearance o f friendlhip, thought
it more proper, that he ihould be treated w ith the ufua l re-
fp e it.
T h is treacherous fe llow came frequen tly to us, d uring
the courfe o f the forenoon, w ith fome trifling prefent or
o th e r ; and as I a lways obferved h im e y e in g every part o f
the ihip with great attention, I took care he ihould fee w e
w ere w e ll prepared fo r our defence.
H e was exceedingly urgent, both w ith Captain Clerke and
m y fe lf, to g o on Ihore, la y in g a ll the blame o f the detention
o f the bodies on the other C h ie fs ; and a llu rin g us, that
every thin g m igh t be fettled to our fatisfadfion, by a per-
fonal interview w ith Terreeoboo. ¡ However, his con d u it
was too fufpicious to make it prudent to comply with this
re q u e ft; and indeed a fact came afterward to Our kn ow ledge,
w h ich proved the entire falfehood o f his pretenfions.
For we were told, that, immediately a fter the aition in
w h ich Captain Cook was killed , the old k in g had retired
to a cave in the fteep part o f the mountain, that hangs over
the bay, w h ich was accefiibie on ly by the help o f ropes,
i and
n
and where he remained for many days, ha vin g his victuals ‘ 779-
let down to him b.y cords. . cor“^
When Koah returned from the fhips, w e could perceive
that his countrymen, who had been collected, by break o f
day, in vaft crowds on thé fhore, thronged about him with
great eagernefs ; as i f to learn the in telligence he had acquired,
and what was to be done in confequence o f it. It is'
very probable, that the y expeéted w e ihould attempt to put
our threats in execution ; and they feemed fu lly refolved to
Hand their ground. D u rin g the w ho le morning, w e heard
conchs b lowin g in different parts o f the coaft ; large parties
were feen marching over the h i lls ; and, in fliort, appearances
were fo alarming, that we carried out a ftream anchor,
to enable us to haul the ihip abreafl o f the town, in cafe o f
an attack ; and Rationed boats o ff the North point o f the
bay, to prevent a furprife from that quarter.
T h e breach o f their engagement to reftore the bodies o f
the flain, and the w ar lik e pofture, in w h ich they, at this
time, appeared, occafioned fre ih debates amongft us con cerning
the meafures next to be purfued. It was, at laft,
determined, that nothing ihould be fuffered to interfere
w ith the repair o f the mail, and the preparations fo r o u r
departure ; but that w e ihould, neverthelefs, continue our
négociations fo r the recovery o f the bodies.
T h e greateft part o f the day was taken up in g e ttin g the
fore-maft into a proper fituation on deck, for the carpenters
to w ork upon it ; and in m a k in g the neceflary alterations in
the commiflions o f the officers. T he command o f the expedition
having devolved on Captain Clerke, he removed
on board the Refolution, appointed Lieutenant Gore to be
Captain o f the Difcovery, and promoted Mr. Harvey, a raidie
2 ihipman,"