1769. ROUND THE WORLD. 251 



While we were on shore, we found that Tupia had 

 commended them beyond their merit, when he said 

 that they would not steal; for one of them was de- 

 tected in the fact. But when he w^as seized by the 

 hair, the rest, instead of running away, as the peo- 

 ple at Otaheite would have done, gathered round, 

 and inquired what provocation had been given : but 

 this also may be accounted for without giving them 

 credit for superior courage ; they had no experience 

 of the consequence of European resentment, which 

 the people at Otaheite had in many instances pur- 

 chased with life. It must, however, be acknowledged, 

 to their honour, that when they understood what had 

 happened, they showed strong signs of disapproba- 

 tion, and prescribed a good beating for the thief, 

 which was immediately administered. 



We now made sail for the island of ULiETEr\, which 

 lie's S. W. by W. distant seven or eight leagues from 

 Huaheine, and at half an hour after six in the even- 

 ing, we were within three leagues of the shore, on the 

 eastern side. We stood off and on all night, and 

 when the day broke the next morning, we stood in 

 for the shore : we soon after discovered an opening 

 in the reef which lies before theishmd, Avithin which 

 Tupia told us there was a good harbour. I did not, 

 however, implicitly take his word ; but sent the mas- 

 ter out in the pinnace to examine it : he soon made 

 the signal for the ship to follow ; we accordingly stood 

 in, and anchored in two-and-twenty fathom, with 

 soft ground. 



The natives soon came off to us in two canoes, each 

 of which brought a woman and a pig. The woman 

 we supposed was a mark of confidence, and the pig 

 was a present ; we received both with proper acknow- 

 ledgments, and complimented each of the ladies with 

 a spike nail and some beads, much to their satisfac- 

 tion. We were told by Tupia, who had always ex- 

 pressed much fear of the men of Bolabola, that they 

 had made a conquest of this island ; and that, if we 



