THE PACIFIC OCEAN. rsj 



pecking me to go, as ufual, this evening, they had deter- j^^'^^'j^^. 

 mined to feize me, and Captain Gierke too, if he had ac- 

 companied me. But I had, after confining Oreo's family, 

 thought it prudent to avoid putting myfelf in their power; 

 and had cautioned Captain Clerke, and the officers, not to 

 go far from the fhips. hi the courfe of the afternoon, the 

 Chief aflccd mc, three feveral times, if I would not go to the 

 bathing-place ; and when he found, at laft, that I could 

 not be prevailed upon, he went off, with the reft of his 

 people, in fpite of all that I could do or fay to ftop him. 

 But as I had no fufpicion, at this time, of their defign, I 

 imagined that fome fuddcn fright had feized them, which 

 would, as ufual, foon be over. Finding therafelves difap- 

 pointed as to me, they fixed on thofc who were more in 

 their power. It was fortunate, for all parties, that they did 

 not fucceed ; and not lefs fortunate, that no mifchief was 

 done on the occafion. For not a mufquet was fired, except 

 two or three, to fi;op the canoes. To that firing, perhaps, 

 MeiTrs. Clerke and Gore owed their fafety * ; for, at that very 

 inftant, a party of the natives, armed with clubs, were ad- 

 vancing toward them ; and on hearing the report of the 

 mufquets, they difperfed. 



This confpiracy, as it may be called, was firft difcovercd 

 by a girl, whom one of the officers had brought from 

 Huahcine. She, overhearing fome of the Ulieteans fay, 

 that they would feize Captain Clerke and Mr. Gore, ran to 

 acquaint the firft of our people that fhe met with. Thofe 

 who were charged with the execution of the defign threat- 



* Perhaps they owed their fafety, principallv, to Captain Gierke's walki;ig v/ith a 

 piftol in his hand, which he once fired. This circumflance is omitted both in Cap- 

 •tain Cook's and in Mr. Aiidcrfon's journal; but it is here mentioned on the autho- 

 .••ity of Captain King. 



R 2 ened 



