1 64 cook's first voyage JUNE, 



lay down, and observed that Mathiabo was not with 

 us ; but we supposed that he was gone to bathe, as 

 the Indians always do before they sleep. We had not 

 waited long, however, when an Indian, who was a 

 stranger to us, came and told Mr. Banks, that the 

 cloak and Mathiabo had disappeared together. This 

 man had so far gained our confidence, that w^e did 

 not at first believe the report ; but it being soon after 

 confirmed by Tuahow, our own Indian, we knew no 

 time was to be lost. As it was impossible for us to 

 pursue the thief with any hope of success, without 

 the assistance of the people about us, Mr. Banks 

 started up, and telling our case, required them to 

 recover the cloak ; and to enforce this requisition^ 

 showed one of his pocket-pistols, which he always 

 kept about him. Upon the sight of the pistol, the 

 whole company took the alarm, and, instead of as- 

 sisting to catch the thief, or recover what had been 

 stolen, began with great precipitation to leave the 

 place : one of them, however, was seized ; upon 

 which he immediately offered to direct the chase : I 

 set out, therefore, with Mr. Banks ; and though we 

 ran all the way, the alarm had got before us ; for in 

 about ten minutes we met a man bringing back the 

 cloak, which the thief had relinquished in great ter- 

 ror ; and as we did not then think fit to continue the 

 pursuit, he made his escape. When we returned, we 

 found the house, in which there had been between 

 two and three hundred people, entirely deserted. It 

 being, however, soon known that we had no resent- 

 ment against any body but Mathiabo, the chief, 

 Wiverou, our host, with his wife, and many others, 

 returned, and took up their lodgings with us for the 

 night. In this place, however, we were destined to 

 more confusion and trouble ; for about five o'clock in 

 the morning our sentry alarmed us, with an account 

 that the boat was missing : he had seen her, he said, 

 about half an hour before, at her grappling, which 

 was not above fifty yards from the shore ; but, upon 



