352 cook's first voyage Nor. 



west side of one of the many islands which line it on 

 the south-east, in four fathom and an half water ; we 

 shoaled our water to this depth all at once, and if 

 this had not happened, I should not have come to an 

 anchor so soon. The master was immediately sent 

 out with two boats to sound, and he soon discovered 

 that we had got upon a bank, which runs out from 

 the north-west end of the island, and that on the 

 outside of it there was from eight to ten fathom. 



In the mean time the natives, to the number of 

 near four hundred, crowded upon us in their caHoes, 

 and some of them were admitted on board : to one, 

 who seemed to be a chief, I gave a piece of broad 

 cloth, and distributed some trifling presents among 

 the rest. I perceived that some of these people had 

 been about the ship when she was off at sea, and that 

 they knew the power of our fire-arms, for the very 

 sight of a gun threw them into manifest confusion : 

 under this impression, they traded very fairly ; but 

 the people in one of the canoes took the opportunity 

 of our being at dinner to tow away our buoy : a 

 musket was fired over them without effect, we then 

 endeavoured to reach them with some small shot, but 

 they were too far off: by this time they had got the 

 buoy into their canoe, and we were obliged to fire a 

 musket at them with ball : this hit one of them, and 

 they immediately threw the buoy over board : a 

 round shot was then fired over them, which struck 

 the water and went ashore. Two or three of the 

 canoes immediately landed their people, who ran 

 about the beach, as we imagined, in search of the 

 ball. Tupia called to them, and assured them that, 

 while they were honest, they should be safe, and with 

 a little persuasion many of them returned to the ship, 

 and their behaviour was such as left us no reason to 

 suspect that they intended to give us any farther 

 trouble. 



After the ship ,was removed into deeper water, and 

 properly secured, I went with the pinnace and yawl. 



