178 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



round a rocky point, where, on a fine sandy beach, the 

 Captain stepped out of the boat without wetting a foot, in 

 the face of a vast multitude, with only a green branch in 

 his hand. They received him with great courtesy and polite- 

 ness ; and would retire back from the boat on his making 

 the least motion with his hand. A man, whom he took to 

 be a chief, seeing this, made them form a semicircle round 

 the boat's bow, and beat such as attempted to break through 

 this order. This man he loaded with presents, giving like- 

 wise to others, and asked by signs for fresh water, in hopes 

 of seeing where they got it. The chief immediately sent 

 a man for some, who ran to a house and presently returned 

 with a little in a bamboo ; so that he gained but little 

 information by this. He next asked, by the same means, 

 for something to eat ; and they as readily brought him 

 a yam and some cocoa-nuts. 



In short, he was charmed with their behaviour ; and the 

 only thing which could give the least suspicion was, that 

 most of them were armed with clubs, spears, darts, bows 

 and arrows. For this reason the captain kept his eye con- 

 tinually upon the chief, and watched his looks as well as 

 his actions. He made many signs to haul the boat upon 

 the shore, and at last slipped into the crowd, where he 

 observed him speak to several people, and then return, 

 repeating signs to haul the boat up, and hesitating a good 

 deal before he would receive some spike-nails which were 

 then offered him. This made him suspect something was 

 intended, and immediately he stepped into the boat, telling 

 them by signs that he should soon return. But they were 

 not for parting so soon, and now attempted by force, what 

 they could not obtain by gentler means. 



As they were putting off the boat, the natives laid hold 

 of the gang-board and unhooked it off the boat's stern. 

 But as they did not take it away, it was thought this had 

 been done by accident, and Captain Cook ordered the boat 

 in again to take it up. Then the natives hooked it over 

 the boat's stem, and attempted to haul her ashore ; others 

 at the same time snatched the oars out of the seamen's 

 hands. On pointing a musket at them, they in some 

 measure desisted, but returned in an instant seemingly 

 determined to effect their purpose. At the head of this 

 party was the chief. Signs and threats having no effect, 

 the safety of the boats' crew became the only consideration ; 

 and yet the Captain was unwilling to fire on the multitude, 

 and resolved to make the chief alone fall a victim to his 

 own treachery; but his musket at this critical moment 

 missed fire. , Whatever idea they might have formed of 

 their arms, the natives must now have looked upon them 



