1769' ROUND THE WORLD. 115 



at home, and to take from them what they had ven- 

 tured their lives to get ; and what, notwithstanding 

 our conjectures, tliey appeared desirous to keep : 

 these were discouraging circumstances, and tlieir si- 

 tuation would become more critical at every step. 

 They determined, however, not to relinquish their 

 enterprise, nor to pursue it without taking the best 

 measures for their security that were in their power. 

 It was therefore determined, that Mr. Banks and 

 Mr. Green should go on, and that the midshipman 

 should return to me, and desire that I would send a 

 party of men after them, acquainting me at the same 

 time, that it was impossible they should return till it 

 was dark. Upon receiving this message, I set out, 

 with such a party as I thought sufficient for the oc- 

 casion ; leaving orders, both at the ship and at the 

 fort, that no canoe should be suffered to go out of 

 the bay, but that none of the natives should be seized 

 or detained. 



In the mean time, Mr. Banks and Mr. Green pur- 

 sued their journey, under the auspices of Tubourai 

 Tamaide, and in the very spot which he had speci- 

 fied, they met one of his own people, with part of 

 the quadrant in his hand. At this most welcome 

 sight they stopped ; and a great number of Indians 

 immediately came up, some of whom pressing rather 

 rudely upon them, Mr. Banks thought it necessary 

 to show one of his pistols, the sight of which reduced 

 them instantly to order : as the crowd that gathered 

 round them was every moment increasing, he mark- 

 ed out a circle in the grass, and they ranged them- 

 selves on the outside of it to the number of several 

 hundreds with great quietness and decorum. Into 

 the middle of this circle, the box, which was now 

 arrived, was ordered to be brought, with several 

 reading-glasses, and other small matters, whicli in 

 their hurry they had put into a pistol-case, that Mr. 

 Banks knew to be his property, it having been some 

 time before stolen from the tents, w^ith a horse pistol 



I 2 



