1779- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 39 



noses (as their custom is) with the officers, in token 

 of friendship, and paddled over to the village of 

 Kowrowa. 



When Captain Cook was informed of what had 

 passed, he expressed much uneasiness at it, and as 

 we were returning on board, " I am afraid/' said he, 

 " that these people will oblige me to use some vio- 

 " lent measures ; for," he added, " they must not be 

 " left to imagine that they have gained an advantage 

 " over us." However, as it was too late to take any 

 steps this evening, he contented himself with giving 

 orders, that every man and woman on board should 

 be immediately turned out of the ship. As soon as 

 this order was executed I returned on shore ; and 

 our former confidence in the natives being now much 

 abated, by the events of the day, I posted a double 

 guard on the Moral, with orders to call me, if they 

 saw any men lurking about the beach. At about 

 eleven o'clock, five islanders were observed creeping- 

 round the bottom of the Moral ; they seemed very 

 cautious in approaching us, and, at last, finding 

 themselves discovered, retired out of sight. About 

 midnight, one of them venturing up close to the ob- 

 servatory, the sentinel fired over him ; on which the 

 men fled, and we passed the remainder of the night 

 without farther disturbance. 



Next morning, at day-light, I went on board the 

 Resolution for the time-keeper, and, in my way, was 

 hailed by the Discovery, and informed that their 

 cutter had been stolen during the night from the 

 buoy where it was moored. 



When I arrived on board, I found the marines arm- 

 ing, and Captain Cook loading his double-barrelled 

 gun. Whilst I was relating to him what had hap- 

 pened to us in the night, he interrupted me with 

 some eagerness, and acquainted me with the loss of 

 the Discovery's cutter, and with the preparations he 

 was making for its recovery. It had been his usual 

 practice, whenever any thing of consequence was 



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