40 cook's VOYAGE TO FEB. 



lost at any of the islands in this ocean, to get the 

 king, or some of the principal Erees, on board, and 

 to keep them as hostages till it was restored. This 

 method, which had been always attended with suc- 

 cess, he meant to pursue on the present occasion ; 

 and, at the same time, had given orders to stop all 

 the canoes that should attempt to leave the bay, 

 with an intention of seizing and destroying them, if 

 he could not recover the cutter by peaceable means. 



Accordingly the boats of both ships, well manned 

 and armed, were stationed across the bay ; and, be- 

 fore I left the ship, some great guns had been fired 

 at two large canoes, that were attempting to make 

 their escape. 



It was between seven and eight o'clock when we 

 quitted the ship together ; Captain Cook in the pin- 

 nace, having Mr. Phillips and nine marines with 

 him ;. and myself in the small boat. The last orders 

 I received from him were, to quiet the minds of the 

 natives, on our side of the bay, by assuring them 

 they should not be hurt ; to keep my people together; 

 and to be on my guard. We then parted ; the cap- 

 tain went toward Kowrowa, where the king resided ; 

 and, I proceeded to the beach. My first care, on 

 going ashore, was to give strict orders to the marines 

 to remain within their tent, to load their pieces with 

 ball, and not to quit their arms. Afterward I took a walk 

 to the huts of old Kaoo, and the priests, and ex- 

 plained to them, as well as I could, the object of the 

 hostile preparations, which had exceedingly alarmed 

 them. I found, that they had already heard of the 

 cutter's being stolen, and I assured them, that 

 though Captain Cook was resolved to recover it, and 

 to punish the authors of the theft, yet that they, and 

 the people of the village on our side, need not be 

 under the smallest apprehension of suffering any evil 

 from us. T desired the priests to explain this to the 

 people, and to tell them not -to be alarmed, but to 

 continue peaceable and quiet. Kaoo asked me, with 



