177^. ROUND THE WORLD. SS5 



the consequences from what they had got. If it were 

 a trifle, and such an article as we usually gave them, 

 little or no notice was taken of it ; but if the con- 

 trary, every one took the alarm, and moved off with 

 his moveables in all haste. The chief then was 

 mataoued, giving orders to bring us no supplies, and 

 flying to some distant part. All this was sometimes 

 done so suddenly, that we obtained, by these appear- 

 ances, the first intelligence of our being robbed. 

 Whether we obliged them to make restitution or no, 

 the chief must be reconciled before any of the people 

 were permitted to bring in any refreshments. They 

 knew very well we could not do without them ; and, 

 therefore, never failed strictly to observe this rule, 

 without ever considering, that all their war canoes, 

 on which the strength of their nation depends, their 

 houses, and even the very fruit they refused to sup- 

 ply us with, were entirely in our power. It is hard 

 to say how they would act, were one to destroy any 

 of these things. Except the detaining some of their 

 canoes for a while, I never touched the least article 

 of their property. Of the two extremes, I always 

 chose that which appeared the most equitable and 

 mild. A trifling present to the chief always suc- 

 ceeded to my wish, and very often put things upon a 

 better footing than they had been before. That they 

 were the first aggressors, had very little influence on 

 my conduct in this respect, because no difference 

 happened but when it was so. My people very rarely 

 or never broke through the rules I thought it ne- 

 cessary to prescribe. Had I observed a different 

 conduct, I must have been the loser by it in the end; 

 and all I could expect, after destroying some part of 

 their property, would have been the empty honour of 

 obliging them to make the first overture towards an 

 accommodation. But who knows if this would have 

 been the event ? Three things made them our fast 

 friends. Their own good nature and benevolent dis- 

 position ; gentle treatment on our part ; and the 



