186 cook's second voyage SEPT. 



insult ; but in order to be better satisfied, Captain 

 Furneaux and I went ashore to Oreo's house, which 

 we found quite empty ; he and all his family gone, 

 and the whole neighbourhood, in a manner, quite 

 deserted. The two men belonging to the Adventure 

 made their appearance, and informed us that they 

 had been very civilly treated by the natives, but 

 could give no account of the cause of their precipi- 

 tate flight. All that we could learn, from the very 

 few who durst come near us, was, that several were 

 killed, others wounded by our guns, pointing out to 

 us where the balls went in and out of the body, &c. 

 This relation gave me a good deal of uneasiness for 

 the safety of our people gone to Otaha, fearing that 

 some disturbance had happened at that island : how- 

 ever, in order to be better informed, I determined, 

 if possible, to see the chief himself. Accordingly 

 we embarked in our boat, having one of the natives 

 with us, and rowed along-shore to the northward, the 

 way we were told he was gone. We soon came in 

 sight of the canoe in which he was ; but before we 

 could come up with her he had got on shore. We 

 landed presently after, and found he was gone still 

 farther. An immense crowd, however, waited our 

 landing, who entreated me to follow him. One man 

 offered to carry me on his back ; but the whole story 

 appearing rather more mysterious than ever, and 

 being all unarmed, I did not choose to separate my- 

 self from the boat, but embarked again, and rowed 

 after him. We soon came before the place where 

 our guide told us he was, and put in the boat accord- 

 ingly. It grounded at some distance from the shore, 

 where we were met by a venerable old lady, wife to 

 the chief. She threw herself into my arms and wept 

 bitterly, insomuch that it was not possible to get one 

 plain word from her. With this old lady in my hand 

 I went ashore, contrary to the advice of my young 

 man from Otaheite, who seemed more afraid than 

 any of us, probably believing every word the people 



