THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 41 



was executed, I returned on more ; and our former confidence »/79- 



r*ebrua.r)% 



in the natives being now much abated, by the events of the > *—> 



day, I ported a double guard on the Moral, with orders to 

 call me, if they faw any men lurking about the beach. At 

 about eleven o'clock, five iflanders were obferved creeping 

 round the bottom of the Morai ; they feemed very cautious 

 in approaching us, and, at laft, finding themfelves difco- 

 vered, retired out of fight. About midnight, one of them 

 venturing upclofeto the obfervatory, the fentinel fired over 

 him j on which the men fled, and we palled the remainder 

 of the night without farther difturbance. 



Next morning, at day-light, I went on board the Refolu- Sunday 14, 

 tion for the time-keeper, and, in my way, was hailed by 

 the Difcovery, and informed, that their cutter had been 

 flolen, during the night, from the buoy where it was 

 moored. 



When I arrived on board, I found the marines arming, 

 and Captain Cook loading his double-barrelled gun. Whilft 

 I was relating to him what had happened to us in the night, 

 he interrupted me, with fome eagernefs, and acquainted me 

 with the lofs of the Difcovery 's cutter, and with the prepa- 

 rations he was making for its recovery. It had been his 

 ufual practice, whenever any thing of confequence was lofr, 

 at any of the iflands in this ocean, to get the king, or fomc 

 of the principal Erces, on board, and to keep them as hoft- 

 ages, till it was reilored. This method, which had been 

 always attended with fuccefs, he meant to purfue on the 

 prefent occafion ; and, at the fame time, had given orders 

 to flop all the canoes that mould attempt to leave the bay, 

 with an intention of feizing and deftroying them, if he 

 could not recover the cutter by peaceable means. Accord- 

 Vol. III. G ingly, 



