<)6 cook's first voyage APRIL, 



it ; others imputed his importunity to liis desire that 

 we should confine ourselves to the beach ; and it was 

 remarked that neither Owhaw nor the chiefs who 

 remained with us after he had sent the rest of the 

 people away would have inferred the breach of peace 

 from the firing at the tent, if they had had no reason 

 to suspect that some injury had been offered by their 

 countrymen ; especially as Mr. Banks had just fired 

 at the ducks : and yet that they did infer a breach of 

 peace from that incident was manifest from their 

 waving their hands for the people to disperse, and 

 instantly pulling green branches from the trees. But 

 what were the real circumstances of this unhappy 

 affair, and whether either and which of these conjec- 

 tures were true, can never certainly be known. 



The next morning but few of the natives were 

 seen upon the beach, and not one of them came off 

 to the ship. This convinced us that our endeavours 

 to quiet their apprehensions had not been effectual ; 

 and we remarked with particular regret, that we were 

 deserted even by Owhaw, who had hitherto been so 

 constant in his attachment, and so active in renewing 

 the peace that had been broken. 



Appearances being thus unfavourable, I warped 

 the ship nearer to the shore, and moored her in such 

 a manner as to command all the N. E. part of the 

 bay, particularly the place which I had marked out 

 for the building a fort. In the evening, however, I 

 went on shore with only a boat's crew, and some of 

 the gentlemen : the natives gathered about us, but 

 not in the same number as before : there were, I 

 believe, between thirty and forty, and they trafficked 

 with us for cocoa-nuts and other fruit, to all appear- 

 ance as friendly as ever. 



On the 17th, early in the morning, we had the 

 misfortune to lose Mr. Buchan, the person whom 

 Mr. Banks had brought out as a painter of landscapes 

 and figures. He was a sober, diligent, and ingenious 

 young man, and greatly regretted by Mr. Banks; 



