72 COOK'S VOYAGE TO FEB. 



returned, and desired to be sent on board the Reso- 

 lution. 



When he arrived, we found him exceedingly grave 

 and thoughtful. We endeavoured to make him un- 

 derstand the necessity we were under of setting fire 

 to the village, by which his house, and those of his 

 brethren, were unintentionally consumed. He ex- 

 postulated a little with us on our want of friendship, 

 and on our ingratitude. And, indeed, it was not till 

 now that we learnt the whole extent of the injury 

 we had done them. He told us, that, relying on the 

 promises I had made them, and on the assurances 

 they had afterward received from the men, who had 

 brought us the remains of Captain Cook, they had 

 not removed their effects back into the country, with 

 the rest of the inhabitants, but had put every thing 

 that was valuable of their own, as well as what they 

 had collected from us, into a house close to the 

 Moral, where they had the mortification to see it alt 

 set on fire by ourselves. 



On coming on board, he had seen the heads of his 

 countrymen lying on the deck, at which he was ex- 

 ceedingly shocked, and desired, with great earnest- 

 ness, that they might be thrown overboard. This 

 request Captain Clerke instantly ordered to be com- 

 plied with. 



In the evening, the watering party returned on 

 board, having met with no farther interruption. We 

 passed a gloomy night ; the cries and lamentations 

 we heard on shore being far more dreadful than ever. 

 Our only consolation was, the hope that we should 

 have no occasion in future for a repetition of such 

 severities. 



It is very extraordinary, that, amidst all these dis- 

 turbances, the women of the island, who were on 

 board, never offered to leave us, nor discovered the 

 smallest apprehensions either for themselves or their 

 friends ashore. So entirely unconcerned did they 



