17?4. ROUND THE WORLD. 3^9 



that something had happened, which had alarmed 

 the king. In order, therefore, to be fully informed, I 

 went ashore with Tee and Tarevatoo, who had slept 

 aboard all night. As soon as we landed, I was in- 

 formed of the whole by the serjeant who commanded 

 the party. I found the natives all alarmed, and the 

 most of them fled. Tarevatoo slipped from me in a 

 moment, and hardly any remained by me but Tee. 

 With him I went to look for Otoo ; and, as we 

 advanced, I endeavoured to allay the fears of the 

 people, but at the same time insisted on the musket 

 being restored. After travelling some distance into 

 the country, inquiring of every one we saw for Otoo, 

 Tee stopped all at once, and advised me to return, 

 saying that Otoo was gone to the mountains, and he 

 would proceed and tell him that I was still his friend; 

 a question which had been asked me fifty times by 

 different people, and if I was angry, &c. Tee also 

 promised that he would use his endeavours to recover 

 the musket. I was now satisfied it was to no purpose 

 to go farther ; for, although I was alone and un- 

 armed, Otoo's fears were such, that he durst not see 

 me ; and, therefore, I took Tee's advice, and returned 

 aboard. After this I sent Oedidee to Otoo to let 

 him know that his fears were ill-grounded ; for that I 

 only required the return of the musket, which I knew 

 was in his power. 



Soon after Oedidee was gone, we observed six 

 large canoes coming round Point Venus. Some 

 people whom I had sent out, to watch the conduct 

 of the neighbouring inhabitants, informed me they 

 were laden with baggage, fruit, hogs, &c. There 

 being room for suspecting that some person belong- 

 ing to these canoes had committed the theft, I pre- 

 sently came to a resolution to intercept them ; and 

 having put off in a boat for that purpose, gave orders 

 for another to follow. One of the canoes, which was 

 some distance ahead of the rest, came directly for the 

 ship. I went alongside this, and found two or three 



