1773 ROUND THE WORLD. 247 



nothing was more certain than that something had been 

 stolen by some of the party, if not by the very man the 

 natives had pitched upon. It was ever a maxim with 

 me to punish the least crimes any of my people com- 

 mitted against these uncivilized nations. Their rob- 

 bing us with impunity, is by no means a sufficient 

 reason why we should treat them in the same manner, 

 a conduct we see they themselves cannot justify. 

 They found themselves injured, and sought for re- 

 dress in a legal way. The best method, in my opi- 

 nion, to preserve a good understanding with such 

 people, is, first, by showing them the use of fire-arms, 

 to convince them of the superiority they give you 

 over them, and then to be always upon your guard. 

 When once they are sensible of these things, a re- 

 gard for their own safety will deter them from dis- 

 turbing you, or from being unanimous in forming 

 any plan to attack you, and strict honesty and gentle 

 treatment on your part will make it their interest not 

 to do it. 



Calm or light airs from the north all day on the 

 23d, hindered us from putting to sea as intended. 

 In the afternoon, some of the officers went on shore 

 to amuse themselves among the natives, where they 

 saw the head and bowels of a youth, who had lately 

 been killed, lying on the beach, and the heart stuck 

 on a forked stick which was fixed to the head of one 

 of the largest canoes. One of the gentlemen bought 

 the head and brought it on board, where a piece of 

 the flesh was broiled and eaten by one of the natives, 

 before all the officers and most of the men. I was 

 on shore at this time, but soon after returning on 

 board, was informed of the above circumstances,, and 

 found the quarter-deck crowded with the natives, 

 and the mangled head, or rather part of it (for the 

 under jaw and lip were wanting), lying on the taf- 

 feral. The skull had been broken on the left side 

 just above the temples, and the remains of the face 

 had all the appearance of a youth under twenty. 



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