320 A V O Y A G E T O 



'777- the reef where it flands. It is elevated about ten or twelve 



June. 



*- — , — -J feet above the furface of the fea that furrounds it. The 

 bafe it refts upon, is not above one-third of the circumfe- 

 rence of its projecting fummit, v;hich I judged to be about 

 one hundred feet, and is covered with etoa and pandanus 

 trees. 



When we got on board the fliip, I found that every thing 

 had been quiet during my abfence, not a theft having been 

 committed; of which Feenou, and Futtafaihe, the king's 

 brother, who had undertaken the management of his 

 countrymen, boafted not a little. This fhews what power 

 the Chiefs have, when they have the will to execute it; 

 which we were feldom to expecfl, fmce, whatever was 

 flolen from us, generally, if not always, was conveyed to 

 them. 



The good conducH: of the natives was of fliort duration ; 

 Saturday 28. for, the ucxt day, fix or eight of them alTaulted fome of our 

 people, who were fawing planks. They were fired upon 

 by the fentry ; and one was fuppofed to be wounded, and 

 three others taken. Thefe I kept confined till night; and 

 did not difmifs them without punifhment. After this, they 

 behaved with a little more circumfpecftion, and gave us 

 much lefs trouble. This change of behaviour, was cer- 

 tainly occafioned by the man being wounded ; for, before, 

 they had only been told of the effecfh of fire-arms, but now 

 they had felt it. 7 he repeated infolence of the natives, had 

 induced me to order the mufkets of the fejitrics to be 

 loaded with fmall fl:iot, and to authorize them to fire on par- 

 ticular occafions„ I took it for granted, therefore, that this 

 man had only been wounded with fmall fliot. But Mr. 

 King and Mr. Anderfon, in an excurfion into the country, 

 met with him, and found indubitable marks of his having 

 4 been 



