44 



A VOYAGE TO 



»779» together in the crowd, and thus incapable of ufing their 

 arms, if any occafion mould require it, propofed to the 

 Captain, to draw them up along the rocks, clofe to the 

 water's edge ; and the crowd readily making way for them 

 to pafs, they were drawn up in a line, at the diftance of 

 about thirty yards from the place where the king was 

 fitting. 



All this time, the old king remained on the ground, with 

 the flrongeft marks of terror and dejection in his counte- 

 nance ; Captain Cook, not willing to abandon the object for 

 which he had come on more, continuing to urge him, in 

 the moil prcfling manner, to proceed ; whilft, on the other 

 hand, whenever the king appeared inclined to follow him, 

 the Chiefs, who flood round him, interpofed, at iirft with 

 prayers and entreaties, but afterward, having recou rfe to^ 

 force and violence, and infifted on his (laying where he was„ 

 Captain Cook therefore finding, that the alarm had fpread: 

 too generally, and that it was in vain to think any longer of 

 getting him off, without bloodmed, at lad: gave up the 

 point; obfervingto Mr. Phillips, that it would be impoiliblc 

 to compel him to go on board, without the rilk of killing a 

 great number of the inhabitants. 



Though the cnterprizc, which had carried Captain Cook 

 on more had now failed, and was abandoned, yet his per- 

 fon did not appear to have been in the leaf! danger, till an 

 accident happened, which gave a fatal turn to the affair. 

 The boats, which had been (lationcd acrofs the bay, having 

 fired at fome canoes, that were attempting to get out, unfor- 

 tunately had killed a Chief of the iirfl rank. The news of 

 his death arrived at the village where Captain Cook was, juit 

 as he had left the king, and was walking llowly toward the 

 more. The ferment it occafioncd was very confpicuous; 



the 



