106 cook's VOYAGE TO NOV. 



between the V2ih and 13th, when John Harrison, a 

 marine, who was sentinel at the observatory, desert- 

 ed ; carrying with him his musket and accoutrements. 

 Having in the morning got intelligence which way 

 he had moved off, a party was sent after him ; but 

 they returned in the evening, after an ineffectual en- 

 quiry and search. The next day, I applied to the 

 chief to interest himself in this matter. He pro- 

 mised to send a party of his men after him, and gave 

 me hopes that he should be brought back the same 

 day. But this did not happen ; and I had reason to 

 suspect that no steps had been taken by him. We 

 had, at this time, a great number of the natives 

 about the ships, and some thefts were committed ; 

 the consequence of which being dreaded by them, 

 very few visitors came near us the next morning. 

 The chief himself joined in the alarm, and he and 

 his whole family fled. 1 thought this a good oppor- 

 tunity to oblige them to deliver up the deserter ; and 

 having got intelligence that he was at a place called 

 Hamoa, on the other side of the island, I went thi- 

 ther with two armed boats, accompanied by one of 

 the natives ; and, in our way, we found the chief, 

 who also embarked with me. I landed about a mile 

 and a half from the place, with a few people, and 

 marched quickly up to it, lest the sight of the boats 

 should give the alarm, and allow the man time to 

 escape to the mountains. But this precaution was 

 unnecessary ; for the natives there had got inform- 

 ation of my coming, and were prepared to deliver 

 him up. 



I found Harrison, with the musket lying before 

 him, sitting down between two women, who, the 

 moment that I entered the house, rose up to plead in 

 his behalf. As it was highly proper to discourage 

 such proceedings, I frowned upon them, and bid 

 them begone. Upon this they burst into tears, and 

 walked off. Paha, the chief of the district, now 

 came with a plantain tree, and a sucking pig, which 



