1779- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. .57 



parable; that the natives had a strong claim to our 

 regard, on account of their former friendship and 

 kindness; and the more especially, as the late melan- 

 choly accident did not appear to have arisen from 

 any premeditated design ; that, on the part of Ter- 

 reeoboo, his ignorance of the theft, his readiness to 

 accompany Captain Cook on board, and his having 

 actually sent his two sons into the boat, must free 

 him from the smallest degree of suspicion; that the 

 conduct of his women and the Erees might easily be 

 accounted for, from the apprehensions occasioned by 

 the armed force with which Captain Cook came on 

 shore, and the hostile preparations in the bay ; appear- 

 ances so different from the terms of friendship and 

 confidence, in which both parties had hitherto lived, 

 that the arming of the natives was evidently with a 

 design to resist the attempt, which they had some rea- 

 son to imagine would be made, to carry off their king 

 by force, and was naturally to be expected from a peo- 

 ple full of affection and attachment to their chiefs. 



To these motives of humanity, others of a pruden- 

 tial nature were added; that we were in want of 

 water, and other refreshments; that our foremast 

 would require six or eight days' work before it could 

 be stepped; that the spring was advancing apace; 

 and that the speedy prosecution of our next northern 

 expedition ought now to be our sole object; that 

 therefore to engage in a vindictive contest with the 

 inhabitants, might not only lay us under the imput- 

 ation of unnecessary cruelty, but would occasion an 

 unavoidable delay in the equipment of the ships. 



In this latter opinion Captain Clerke concurred; 

 and though I was convinced, that an early display of 

 vigorous resentment would more effectually have an- 

 swered every object both of prudence and humanity, 

 I was not sorry that the measures I had recommended 

 were rejected. For though the contemptuous beha- 

 viour of the natives, and their subsequent opposition 

 to our necessary operations on shore, arising, I have 



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