554 cook's first voyage nov. 



at this champion, who stopped short upon feeling the 

 shot, and then ran away with the rest: they did not 

 however disperse, but got together upon a rising 

 ground, and seemed only to want some leader of re- 

 solution to renew their attack. As they were now 

 beyond the reach of small shot, we fired with ball, 

 but as none of them took place, they still continued 

 in a body, and in this situation we remained about a 

 quarter of an hour : in the mean time the ship, from 

 whence a much greater number of Indians were seen 

 than could be discovered in our situation, brought 

 her broad-side to bear, and entirely dispersed them, 

 by firing a few shot over their heads. In this skir- 

 mish only two of the Indians were hurt with the small 

 shot, and not a single life w^as lost, which would not 

 have been the case, if I had not restrained the men, 

 who, either from fear or the love of mischief, 

 showed as much impatience to destroy them as a 

 sportsman to kill his game. When we were in quiet 

 possession of our cove, we laid down our arms and 

 began to gather celery, which grew here in great 

 plenty: after a little time we recollected to have seen 

 some of the people hide themselves in a cave of one 

 of the rocks, we therefore went towards the place, 

 when an old Indian, who proved to be the chief that 

 I had presented with a piece of broad cloth in the 

 morning, came out with his wife and his brother, and 

 in a supplicating posture put themselves under our 

 protection. We spoke kindly to them, and the old 

 man then told us that he had another brother, who 

 was one of those that had been wounded by the small 

 shot, and enquired, with much solicitude and concern, 

 if he would die. We assured him that he would not, 

 and at the same time put into his hand both a musket- 

 ball and some small shot, telling him, that those only 

 who were wounded with the ball would die, and that 

 the others would recover; at the same time assuring 

 him, that if we were attacked again, we should 

 certainly defend ourselves with the ball, which would 



