

1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 183 



behind a beach near one of the villages, which the 

 natives told him contained fresh water ; and that 

 there was anchoring-ground before it. He also re- 

 ported, that he had attempted to land in another 

 place, but was prevented by the natives, who, coming 

 down to the boats in great numbers, attempted to 

 take away the oars, muskets, and, in short, every 

 thing that they could lay hold of; and pressed so 

 thick upon him, that he was obliged to fire, by which 

 one man was killed. But this unhappy circumstance 

 I did not know till after we had left the island ; so 

 that all my measures were directed as if nothing of 

 the kind had happened. Mr. Williamson told me, 

 that, after the man fell, his countrymen took him up, 

 carried him off) and then retired from the boat ; but 

 still they made signals for our people to land, which 

 he declined. Jt did not appear to Mr. Williamson, 

 that the natives had any design to kill, or even to 

 hurt, any of his party ; but they seemed excited by 

 mere curiosity, to get from them what they had, being 

 at the same time ready to give in return any thing 

 of their own. 



After the boats were on board, I dispatched one 

 of them to lie in the best anchoring-ground \ and as 

 soon as she had got to this station, I bore down with 

 the ships, and anchored in twenty-five fathoms water ; 

 the bottom a fine grey sand. The east point of the 

 road, which was the low point before mentioned, 

 bore S. 51 E. ; the west point, N. 65 W. ; and the 

 village, behind which the water was said to be, 

 N. E. by E., distant one mile. But, little more than 

 a quarter of a mile from us, there were breakers, 

 which I did not see till after the Resolution was 

 placed. The Discovery anchored to the eastward of 

 us, and farther from the land. The ships being thus 

 stationed, between three and four o'clock I went 

 ashore with three armed boats, and twelve marines, 

 to examine the water, and to try the disposition of 

 the inhabitants, several hundred of whom were as- 



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