SECOND VOYAGE 153 



the exchanges were very much in the sailors' favour, till 

 an old man, who was no stranger, came and assisted his 

 countrymen with his advice, which in a moment turned 

 the trade above 1000 per cent, against them. 



After these people were gone the Captain took three 

 sows and a boar, two cocks and two hens, which he landed 

 in the bottom of the West Bay, carrying them a little way 

 into the woods, where he left them with as much food as 

 would serve them ten or twelve days. This was done with 

 a view of keeping them in the woods, lest they should come 

 down to the shore in search of food, and be discovered 

 by the natives. 



Having now put the ship in a condition for sea, and to 

 encounter the southern latitudes, the tents were struck, and 

 everything got on board. 



The boatswain with a party of men, being in the woods 

 cutting broom, some of them found a private hut of the 

 natives, in which were deposited most of the treasure they 

 had received from them, as well as some other articles of 

 their own. Complaint was soon made by the natives that 

 some articles had been carried off, and they particularly 

 charged one man with the theft. The Captain having 

 ordered him to be punished before them, they went away 

 seemingly satisfied, although they did not recover any of 

 the things they had lost, nor could by any means find out 

 what had become of them. It was ever a maxim with 

 Captain Cook to punish the least crimes of any of his 

 people, committed against these uncivilized nations. Their 

 robbing with impunity is by no means a reason why 

 Europeans should treat these uninformed people in the same 

 manner. 



Calm light airs from the north, all day on the 23rd, 

 hindered them from putting to sea as intended. In the 

 afternoon some of the officers went on shore to amuse 

 themselves, where they saw the head and bowels of a youth, 

 who had lately been killed, lying on the beach, and the 

 heart stuck on a forked stick, which was fixed to the head 

 of one of the largest canoes. One of the gentlemen bought 

 the head and brought it on board, where a piece of the 

 flesh was broiled and eaten by one of the natives, before 

 all the officers and most of the men. Captain Cook was 

 on shore at this time, but, soon after returning on board, 

 was informed of the above circumstances, and found the 

 quarter-deck crowded with the natives, and the mangled 

 head, or rather part of it, lying on the taffrail. The skull 

 had been broken on the left side, just above the temples, 

 and the remains of the face had all the appearance of a 

 youth under twenty. 



