1769. ROUND THE WORLD. 113 



CHAP. XL 



THE OBSERVATORY SET UP ; THE (QUADRANT STOLEX, AND 

 CONSEQUENCES OF THE THEFT : A VISIT TO TOOTAHAH : 

 DESCRIPTION OF A WRESTLING-MATCH : EUROPEAN SEEDS 

 SOWN : NAMES GIVEN TO OUR PEOPLE BY THE INDIANS. 



In the afternoon of Monday the first of May, ^ve set 

 up the observatory, and took tlie astronomical qua- 

 drant, with some other instruments, on shore, for the 

 first time. 



The next morning, about nine o'clock, I went on 

 shore with Mr. Green to fix -the quadrant in a situa- 

 tion for use, when to our inexpressible surprise and 

 concern it was not to be found. It had been depo- 

 sited in the tent which was reserved for my use, 

 where, as I passed the night on board, nobody slept : 

 it had never been taken out of the packing-case, 

 which was eighteen inches square, and the whole was 

 of considerable weight ; a sentinel had been posted 

 the whole night within five yards of the tent door, 

 and none of the other instruments were missing. 

 We at first suspected that it might have been stolen 

 by some of our own people, who seeing a deal box, 

 and not knowing the contents, might think it con- 

 tained nails, or some other subjects of traffic with the 

 natives. A large reward was therefore ofi'ered to 

 any one who could find it, as, without this, we could 

 not perform the service for which our voyage was 

 principally undertaken. Our search in the mean 

 time was not confined to the fort and places adja- 

 cent, but as the case might possibly have been car- 

 ried back to the ship, if any of our own people had 

 been the thieves, the most diligent search was made 

 for it on board ; all the parties, however, returned 



VOL. I. I 



