JOHN LEDYARD. 299 



was from their bravery, or ignorance of the real 

 cause that deprived so many of them of life, that 

 they made such a stand, may be questioned, since 

 it is certain that they in general, if not universally, 

 understood heretofore that it was the fire only of 

 our arms that destroyed them. This opinion seems 

 to be strengthened by the circumstance of the large, 

 thick mats they were observed to wear, which were 

 also constantly kept wet; and, furthermore, the 

 Indian that Cook fired at with a blank discovered 

 no fear when he found his mat unburnt, saying in 

 their language, when he showed it to the by-stand- 

 ers, that no fire had touched it. This may be sup- 

 posed at least to have had some influence. It is, 

 however, certain, whether from one or both these 

 causes, that the numbers that fell made no apparent 

 impression on those who survived: they were im- 

 mediately taken off, and had their places supplied in 

 a constant succession. 



" Lieutenant Gore, who commanded as first lieu- 

 tenant under Cook in the Eesolution, which lay 

 opposite the place where this attack was made, per- 

 ceiving with his glass that the guard on shore was 

 cut off, and that Cook had fallen, immediately 

 passed a spring upon one of the cables, and, bring- 

 ing the ship's starboard guns to bear, fired two 

 r^und-shot over the boats into the middle of the 



