84 cook's voyage to march, 



usual practice, for the convenience and security of 

 the trading party ; and had no sooner done it, and 

 posted guards to keep off the crowd, than I saw a 

 man laying hold of the bayonet of one of the soldiers' 

 muskets, and endeavouring, with all his force, to 

 wrench it out of his hand. On my coming up to 

 them, the native let go his hold and retired ; but re- 

 turned in a moment with a spear in one hand, and 

 dagger in the other ; and his countrymen had much 

 ado to restrain him from trying his prowess with the 

 soldier. This fray was occasioned by the latter's 

 having given the man a slight prick with his bayonet, 

 in order to make him keep without the line. 



I now perceived, that our situation required great 

 circumspection and management ? and accordingly 

 gave the strictest orders, that no one should fire, nor 

 have recourse to any other act of violence, without 

 positive commands. As soon as I had given these 

 directions, I was called to the assistance of the water- 

 ing party, where I found the natives equally inclined 

 to mischief. They had demanded from our people 

 a large hatchet for every cask of water ; and this not 

 being complied with, they would not suffer the sailors 

 to roll them down to the boats. 



I had no sooner joined them, than one of the 

 natives advanced up to me, with great insolence, and 

 made the same claim. I told him, that, as a friend, 

 I was very willing to present him with a hatchet, but 

 that I should certainly carry off the water without 

 paying any thing for it ; and I immediately ordered 

 the pinnace men to proceed in their business, and 

 called three marines from the traders to protect 

 them. 



Though this shew of spirit succeeded so far as to 

 make the natives desist from any open attempt to in- 

 terrupt us, they still continued to behave in the most 

 teasing and provoking manner. Whilst some of them, 

 under pretence of assisting the men in rolling down 

 the casks, turned them out of their course, and gave 



