V- 



A VOYAGE TO 



'•779- flioultl meet with any moleflation at the watering-place, the 



February. 



next day, they fhould then be left at liberty to chaflife 

 them. 



It is fomewhat remarkable, that, before we could bring 

 our guns to bear, the iflanders had fufpected our intentions, 

 from the flir they faw in the fhip, and had retired behind 

 their houfes and walls. We were therefore obliged to fire, 

 in fome meafure, at random; notwithstanding which, our 

 fliot produced all the effects that could have been defired. 

 For, foon after, we faw Koah paddling toward us, with ex- 

 treme hade, and, on his arrival, we learned, that fome 

 people had been killed, and amongft the reft, Maiha-maiha, 

 a principal Chief, and a near relation of the king*. 



Soon after the arrival of Koah, two boys fwam off from 

 the Moral toward the (hips, having each a long fpear in his 

 hand ; and after they had approached pretty near, they be- 

 gan to chant a fong, in a very folemn manner; the fubject 

 of whicrC from their often mentioning the word Orono, and 

 pointing to the village where Captain Cook was killed, we 

 concluded to be the late calamitous difaftcr. Having fung 

 in a plaintive drain for about twelve or fifteen minutes, 

 during the whole of which time they remained in the wa- 

 ter, they went on board the Difcovcry, and delivered their 

 fpcars ; and, after making a fliort (lay, returned on more. 

 Who fent them, or what was the object of this ceremony, 

 we were never able to learn. 



At night, the ufual precautions were taken for the fecu- 

 rity of the lhips; and as foon as it was dark, our two 



* The word matte, is commonly ufed, in the language of thefe iflands, to exprefs 

 either killing or wounding ; and we were afterward told, that this Chief had only 

 received a Oight blow on the face from a ftonc, which had been {truck by one of the 

 balls. 



friends, 



