64 A V O Y A G E T O 



•779- the body would certainlv be rcftorcd to me. When thev 



February. 



w — , — ^ found tliey could not prevail on me to land, they attempt- 

 ed, under a pretence of wifhing to converfe with more cafe, 

 to decoy our boat among fome rocks, where they would 

 have had it in their power to cut us off from the reft. It 

 was no difficult matter to fee through thefc artifices; and I 

 was, therefore, flrongly inclined to break ofF all further 

 communication with them, when a Chief came to us, who 

 was the particular friend of Captain Clcrke, and of the officers 

 of the Difcovery, on board which fhiphe had failed, when 

 we laft left the bay, intending to take his paiTage to Mo-wee. 

 He told us, he came from Terreeoboo to acquaint us, that 

 the body was carried up the country ; but that it fliould 

 be brought to us the next morning. There appeared a great 

 deal of fincerity in his manner ; and being afked, if he told 

 a falsehood, he hooked his two fore-fingers together, which 

 is underilood amongft thefe iflanders as the fign of truth ; 

 in the ufe of which they are very fcrupulous. 



As I was now at a lofs in what manner to proceed, I fent 

 Mr. Vancouver to acquaint Captain Clcrke with all that had 

 pafTcd ; that my opinion was, they meant not to keep their 

 word with us, and were fo far from being forry at what had 

 happened, that, on the contrary, they were full of fpirits 

 and confidence on account of their late fuccefs, and fought 

 only to gain time, till they could contrive fome fcheme for 

 getting us into their power. Mr. Vancouver came back 

 with orders for me to return on board ; having fir ft: given 

 the natives to underftand, that, if the body was not brought 

 the next morning, the town fliould be dellroyed. 



When they faw that we were going off, tliey endeavoured 

 to provoke us by the mod infuhing and contemptuous ges- 

 tures. Some of our people faid, they could diftinguifh feve- 

 7 ral 



