84 AVOYAGETO 



'777- evening a boat was fent to bring them on board. As our 



Oaober. ° ° • , or 



v_-^~,.^ people were getting them into the boat, one was earned on 

 undifcovered. It being immediately milFed, I made no 

 doubt of recovering it without much trouble, as there had 

 not been time to carry it to any confiderable diflance. Ten 

 or twelve of the natives fet out, foon after, different ways, 

 to bring it back, or to look for it ; for not one of them 

 would own that it was ftolen, but all tried to perfuade us, 

 that it had flrayed into the woods ; and, indeed, I thought 

 fo myfclf. I was convinced to the contrary, however, when 

 I found that not one of thofe who went in purfuit of it, re- 

 turned ; fo that their only view was to amufe me, till their 

 prize was beyond my reach ; and night coming on, put a 

 Hop to all farther fearch. About this time, the boat re- 

 turned with the other goat, bringing alfo one of the men 

 ■who had ftolen it ; the firft inftance of the kind that I had 

 met with amongft; thefe iflands. 



Wednef. 8. The ncxt morning, I found that mofl: of the inhabitants 

 in the neighbourhood, had moved off; carrying with them 

 a corpfe which lay on a toopapaoo oppofite the fliip; and that 

 JMaheine himfelf had retired to the mod diftant part of the 

 ifland. It Itemed now no longer doubtful, that a plan had 

 been laid to fteal v/hat I had refufed to give ; and that, 

 though they had reftored one, they were refolved to keep 

 the other; which was a (he-goat, and big with kid. I was 

 equally fixed in my refolution that they Ihould not keep it. 

 I, therefore, applied to the two old men who had been in- 

 flrumcntal in getting back the full. They told me, that this 

 had been carried to Watea, a diftrid on the South fide of the 

 ifland, by Hamoa, the Cliief of that place ; but that, if I 

 would fend any body for it, it would be delivered up. They 

 offered to conduct fome of my people crofs the iQandj but 



on 



