THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Gj 



ral of the natives parading about in the clothes of our un- \779- 

 fortunate comrades ; and, among them, a Chief brandilliing 

 Captain Cook's hanger, and a woman holding the fcabbard. 

 Indeed, there can be no doubt, but that our behaviour had 

 given them a mean opinion of our courage ; for they could 

 have but little notion of the motives of humanity that di- 

 rected it. 



In confequence of the report I made to Captain Clerkc, of 

 what I conceived to be the prefent temper and difpofition of 

 the iflanders, the moft effectual meafurcs were taken to 

 guard againft any attack they might make in the night. The 

 boats were moored with top-chains ; additional fentinels 

 were ported on both (hips ; and guard-boats were ftationed 

 to row round them, in order to prevent the natives from cut- 

 ting the cables. During the night we obferved a prodi- 

 gious number of lights on the hills, which made fome of 

 us imagine, they were removing their effects back into the 

 country, in confequence of our threats. But I rather be- 

 lieve them to have been the facrifices that were performing 

 on account of the war, in which they imagined thcmfelves 

 about to be engaged; and moil probably the bodies of our 

 flain countrymen were, at that time, burning. We after- 

 ward faw fires of the fame kind, as we paffed the ifland of 

 Morotoi; and which, we were told by fome natives then on 

 board, were made on account of the war they had declared 

 againft a neighbouring ifland. And this agrees with what 

 we learned amongft the Friendly and Society Ifles, that, 

 previous to any expedition againft an enemy, the Chiefs al- 

 ways endeavoured to animate and inflame the courage of 

 the people by feafts and rejoicings in the night. 



We remained the whole night undifturbed, except by the 



howlings and lamentations which were heard on more : 



Vol. III. K and 



