294 JOHN LEDYARD. 



those he could wish to see, than from an attack, or 

 even much insult. The disposition of our guards, 

 when the movements began, was thus : Cook in 

 his pinnace with six private marines ; a corporal, 

 sergeant, and two lieutenants of marines went 

 ahead, followed by the launch with other marines 

 and seamen on one quarter, and the small cutter on 

 the other, with only the crew on board. This part 

 of the guard rowed for Kearakekua. Our large 

 cutter and two boats from the Discovery had orders 

 to proceed to the mouth of the bay, form at equal 

 distances across, and prevent any communication 

 by water from any other part of the island to the 

 towns within the bay, or from those without. Cook 

 landed at Kiverua about nine o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, with the marines in the pinnace, and went by a 

 circuitous march to the house of Teraiobu, in order 

 to evade the suspicion of any design. This route 

 led through a considerable part of the town, which 

 discovered every symptom of mischief, though 

 Cook, blinded by some fatal cause, could not per- 

 ceive it, or, too self-confident, would not regard it. 



"The town was evacuated by the women and 

 children, who had retired to the circumjacent 

 hills, and appeared almost destitute of men; but 

 there were at that time two hundred chiefs, and 

 more than twice that number of other men, de- 



