1769. ROUND THE WORLD. 103 



they were bloodshot, and he seemed to be very 

 short-sighted. 



At their return they were met by Tubourai Ta- 

 maide, and his women, who, at seeing them, felt 

 a joy which, not being able to express, they burst 

 into tears, and wept some time before their passion 

 could be restrained. 



This evening Dr. Solander lent his knife to one 

 of these women, who neglected to return it, and the 

 next morning Mr. Banks's also was missing ; upon 

 this occasion I must bear my testimony, that the 

 people of this country, of all ranks, men and w^omen, 

 are the errantest thieves upon the face of the earth. 

 The very day after we arrived here, when they came 

 on board us, the chiefs were employed in stealing 

 what they could in the cabin, and their dependents 

 were no less industrious in other parts of the ship : 

 they snatched up every thing that it was possible for 

 them to secrete till they got on shore, even to the 

 glass ports, two of which they carried off undetected. 

 Tubourai Tamaide was the only one except Tootahah 

 who had not been found guilty; and the presumption, 

 arising from this circumstance, that he was exempt 

 from a vice, of which the whole nation besides were 

 guilty, cannot be supposed to outweigh strong ap- 

 pearances to the contrary. Mr. Banks, therefore, 

 though not without some reluctance, accused him of 

 having stolen his knife : he solemnly and steadily 

 denied that he knew any thing of it ; upon which 

 Mr. Banks made him understand, that whoever had 

 taken it, he was determined to have it returned : 

 upon this resolute declaration, one of the natives 

 who was present produced a rag, in which three 

 knives were very carefully tied up. One was that 

 which Dr. Solander had lent to the woman, another 

 was a table-knife belonging to me, and the owner of 

 the third was not known. With these the chief imme- 

 diately set out, in order to make restitution of them 

 to their owners at the tents. Mr, Banks remained 



H 4 



