1774* ROUND THE WORLD. 11 



to have followed in another boat myself, but rather 

 unluckily deferred it till after breakfast. The launch 

 was no sooner landed than the natives gathered about 

 her, behaving in so rude a manner, that the officers 

 were in some doubt if they should land the casks ; 

 but, as they expected me on shore soon, they ventur- 

 ed, and, with difficulty, got them filled, and into 

 the boat again. In the doing of this, Mr. Gierke's 

 gun was snatched from him, and carried off'; as were 

 also some of the cooper's tools ; and several of the 

 people were stripped of one thing or another. All 

 this was done, as it were, by stealth ; for they laid 

 hold of nothing by main force. I landed just as the 

 launch was ready to put off'; and the natives, who 

 were pretty numerous on the beach, as soon as they 

 saw me, fled ; so that I suspected something had hap- 

 pened. However, I prevailed on many to stay, and 

 Mr. Gierke came, and informed me of all the pre- 

 ceding circumstances. I quickly came to a resolution 

 to oblige them to make restitution ; and, for this pur- 

 pose, ordered all the marines to be armed, and sent 

 on shore. Mr. Forster and his party being gone into 

 the country, I ordered two or three guns to be fired 

 from the ship, in order to alarm him ; not knowing 

 how the natives might act on this occasion. These 

 orders being given, I sent all the boats off but one, 

 with which 1 stayed, having a good many of the 

 natives about me, who behaved with their usual cour- 

 tesy. 1 made them so sensible of my intention, that 

 long before the marines came, Mr. Clerke's musquet 

 was brought, but they used many excuses to divert 

 me from insisting on the other. At length Mr. Edge- 

 cumbe arriving with the marines, this darmed them 

 so much, that some of them fled. The first step I 

 took was to seize on two large double-sailing canoes, 

 which were in the cove. One fellow making resist- 

 ance, I fired some small shot at him, and sent him 

 limping off. The natives being now convinced that 

 I was in earnest, all fled ; but on my calling to them, 



