1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 79 



ing with them a corpse which lay on a toopapaoo oppo- 

 site the ship \ and that Maheine himself had retired 

 to the most distant part of the island. It seemed 

 now no longer doubtful, that a plan had been laid 

 to steal what I had refused to give ; and that, though 

 they had restored one, they were resolved to keep the 

 other ; which was a she-goat and big with kid. I was 

 equally fixed in my resolution that they should not 

 keep it. I therefore applied to the two old men who 

 had been instrumental in getting back the first. They 

 told me, that this had been carried to Watea, a dis- 

 trict on the south side of the island, by Hamoa, the 

 chief of that place ; but that, if I would send any body 

 for it, it would be delivered up. They offered to 

 conduct some of my people cross the island ; but on 

 my learning from them that a boat might go and re- 

 turn the same day, I sent one, with two petty officers, 

 Mr. Roberts and Mr. Shuttleworth ; one to remain 

 with the boat, in case she could not get to the place, 

 while the other should go with the guides, and one 

 or two of our people. 



Late in the evening the boat returned, and the 

 officers informed me, that after proceeding as far in 

 the boat as rocks and shoals would permit, Mr. Shut- 

 tleworth with two marines and one of the guides 

 landed and travelled to Watea, to the house of Hamoa, 

 where the people of the place amused them for some 

 time, by telling them that the goat would soon be 

 brought, and pretended they had sent for it. It, 

 however, never came, and the approach of night 

 obliged Mr. Shuttleworth to return to the boat with- 

 out it. 



I was now T very sorry that I had proceeded so far, 

 as I could not retreat with any tolerable credit, and 

 without giving encouragement to the people of the 

 other islands we had yet to visit, to rob us with im- 

 punity. I asked Omai and the two old men what 

 methods I should next take ; and they, without hesi- 

 tation, advised me to go with a party of men into the 



