114 cook's voyage to tfov. 



place ; and when he found, at last, that I could not 

 be prevailed upon, he went oft' with the rest of his 

 people, in spite of all I could do or say to stop him. 

 But as I had no suspicion at this time of their de- 

 sign, I imagined that some sudden fright had seized 

 them, which would, as usual, soon be over. Find- 

 ing themselves disappointed as to me, they fixed on 

 those who were more in their power. It was fortu- 

 nate for all parties, that they did not succeed ; and 

 not less fortunate that no mischief was done on the 

 occasion ; for not a musket was fired, except two 

 or three to stop the canoes. To that firing, per- 

 haps, Messrs. Gierke and Gore owed their safety * ; 

 for at that very instant, a party of the natives armed 

 with clubs were advancing toward them ; and on 

 hearing the report of the muskets, they dispersed. 



This conspiracy, as it may be called, was first 

 discovered by a girl, whom one of the officers had 

 brought from Huaheine. She, overhearing some of 

 the Uiieteans say, that they would seize Captain 

 Gierke and Mr. Gore, ran to acquaint the first of 

 our people that she met with. Those who were 

 charged with the execution of the design threatened 

 to kill her, as soon as we should leave the island, for 

 disappointing them. Being aware of this, we con- 

 trived that her friends should come some days after 

 and take her out of the ship, to convey her to a place 

 of safety, where she might lie concealed, till they 

 should have an opportunity of sending her back to 

 Huaheine. 



On the 27th, our observatories were taken down 

 and every thing we had ashore carried on board ; the 

 moorings of the ships were cast offi and we trans- 

 ported them a little way down the harbour, where 



* Perhaps they owed their safety principally to Captain Clerke's 

 walking with a pistol in his hand, which he once fired. This cir- 

 cumstance is omitted both in Captain Cook's and in Mr. Ander- 

 son's journal ; but is here mentioned on the authority of Captain 

 King. 



