38 AVOYAGETO 



' which thofc have to encounter, who, in all their tranf- 



rebruary. 



« — -*—— / a<5tions with thefe ftrangei s, have to ileer their courfe amidfi 

 fo much uncertainty, where a trifling error may be attended 

 with even the mod fatal confequenccs. However true or 

 f'alfc our conjectures may be, things went on iu their ufual 



Saturday 13. q U j et courfe, till the afternoon of the 13th. 



Toward the evening of that day, the officer who com- 

 manded the watering-party of the Difcovcry, came to in- 

 form me, that fcveral Chiefs had aflemblcd at the well near 

 the beach, driving away the natives, whom he had hired to 

 affift the failors in rolling down the cafks to the fhore. He 

 told me, at the fame time, that he thought their behaviour 

 extremely iufpicious, and that ihey meant to give him fomc 

 farther diflurbance. At his requeft, therefore, I lent a ma- 

 rine along with him, but fufTered him to take only his fide- 

 arms. In a fhort time, the officer returned, and on his ac- 

 quainting me, that the iflanders had armed thcmfclvcs with 

 Hones, and were grown very tumultuous, I went myfelf to 

 the fpot, attended by a marine, with his mufquet. Seeing 

 us approach, they threw away their Hones, and, on my 

 fpeaking to fome of the Chiefs, the mob were driven away, 

 and thofc who chofe it, were fuffcred to affift in filling the 

 cafks. Having left things quiet here, I went to meet Cap- 

 tain Cook, whom I faw coming on fhore, in the pinnace. I 

 related to him what had juft palled ; and he ordered me, in 

 cafe of their beginning to throw ftones, or behave info- 

 lently, immediately to fire a ball at the offenders. I accord- 

 ingly gave orders to the corporal, to have the pieces of the 

 fentinels loaded with ball, inilead of fmall fhot. 



Soon after our return to the tents, we were alarmed by a 

 continued fire of mufqucts, from the Difcovcry, which we 



obferved 



