160 cook's SECOND VOYAGE AUG, 



some of our people after him, which would have been 

 to little purpose, had not some of the natives, of 

 their own accord, pursued the thief: they knocked 

 him down, took from him the musket, and brought 

 it to us. Fear, on this occasion, certainly operated 

 more with them than principle : they, however, 

 deserve to be applauded for this act of justice ; for, 

 if they had not given their immediate assistance, it 

 would hardly have been in my power to have re- 

 covered the musket by any gentle means whatever ; 

 and by making use of any other, I was sure to lose 

 more than ten times its value. 



The 21st, the wind was at north a fresh breeze. 

 This morning a chief made me a visit, and pre- 

 sented me with a quantity of fruit, among which 

 were a number of cocoa-nuts we had drawn the water 

 from, and afterwards thrown over board. These he 

 had picked up, and tied in bundles so artfully, that we 

 did not at first perceive the cheat. When he was told 

 of it, without betraying the least emotion, and as if he 

 knew nothing of the matter, he opened two or three 

 of them himself, signified to us that he was satisfied 

 that it was so, and then went on shore and sent off a 

 quantity of plantains and bananas. Having got on 

 board a supply of water, fruit, and roots, I determined 

 to sail in the morning to Matavai, as I found it was not 

 likely that I should get an interview with Waheatoua ; 

 without which it was very improbable we should get 

 any hogs. Two of the natives who knew my inten- 

 tion, slept on board, with a view of going with us to 

 Matavai ; but in the morning the wind blew fresh at 

 N. W., and as we could not sail, I sent the trading 

 party on shore as usual. 



In the evening I was informed that Waheatoua 

 was come into the neighbourhood and wanted to see 

 me. In consequence of this information, I deter- 

 mined to wait one day longer in order to have an 

 interview with this prince. Accordingly, early the 

 next morning, I set out in company with Captain 



