17^9. ROUND THE WORLD. 95 



half a mile, and when we came np, we found it 

 entirely deserted, except by our own people. 



It appeared that one of the Indians who remained 

 about the tent after we left it had watched his op- 

 portunity, and, taking the sentry unawares, had 

 snatched away his musket. Upon this, the petty 

 officer, a midshipman, who commanded the party, 

 perhaps from a sudden fear of farther violence, 

 perhaps from the natural petulance of power newly 

 acquired, and perhaps from a brutality in his 

 nature, ordered the marines to fire : the men, with 

 as little consideration or humanity as the officer, im- 

 mediately discharged their pieces among the thickest 

 of the flying crowd, consisting of more than a hun- 

 dred ; and observing that the thief did not fall, 

 pursued him, and shot him dead. We afterwards 

 learnt that none of the others were either killed or 

 wounded. 



Owhaw, who had never left us, observing that we 

 were now totally deserted, got together a few of those 

 who had fled, though not without some difficulty, 

 and ranged them about us : w^e endeavoured to justify 

 our people as well as we could, and to convince the 

 Indians that if they did no wrong to us, we should 

 do no wrong to them : they went away without any 

 appearance of distrust or resentment ; and having 

 struck our tent, we returned to the ship, but by no 

 means satisfied with the transactions of the day. 



Upon questioning our people more particularly, 

 whose conduct they soon perceived we could not 

 approve, they alleged that the sentinel whose musket 

 was taken away was violently assaulted and thrown 

 down, and that a push was afterwards made at him 

 by the man who took the musket, before any com- 

 mand was given to fire. It was also suggested, 

 that Owhaw had suspicions, at least, if not certain 

 knowledge, that something would be attempted 

 against our people at the tent, which made him so 

 very earnest in his endeavours to prevent our leaving 



