208 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGE 



posed it was dog's flesh, and I was of the same opinion ; 

 for I still doubted their being cannibals. But we were soon 

 convinced by the most horrid and undeniable proof. 



" A great many baskets (about twenty) lying on the beach 

 tied up, we cut them open. Some were full of roasted flesh, 

 and some of fern-root, which serves them for bread. On 

 farther search, we found more shoes, and a hand, which we 

 immediately knew to have belonged to Thomas Hill, one of 

 our forecastlemen, it being marked T. H. with an Otaheite 

 tattoo-instrument. I went with some of the people a little 

 way up the woods, but saw nothing else. Coming down 

 again, there was a round spot, covered with fresh earth, 

 about four feet diameter, where something had been buried. 

 Having no spade, we began to dig with a cutlass ; and in the 

 meantime I launched the canoe with intent to destroy her ; 

 but seeing a great smoke ascending over the nearest hill, I 

 got all the people into the boat, and made what haste 

 I could to be with them before sunset. 



" On opening the next bay, which was Grass Cove, we saw 

 four canoes, and a great many people on the beach, who, on 

 our approach, retreated to a small hill, within a ship's length 

 of the water side, where they stood talking to us. A large 

 fire was on the top of the high land, beyond the woods, 

 whence, all the way down the hill, the place was thronged 

 like a fair. The savages on the little hill still kept hallooing, 

 and making signs for us to land ; however, as soon as we 

 got close in, we all fired. The first volley did not seem to 

 affect them much ; but on the second, they began to 

 scramble away as fast as they could, some of them howling. 

 We continued firing as long as we could see the glimpse of 

 any of them through the bushes. Amongst the Indians* 

 were two very stout men, who never offered to move till 

 they found themselves forsaken by their companions ; and 

 then they marched away with great composure and deli- 

 beration, their pride not suffering them to run. One of 

 them, however, got a fall, and either lay there, or crawled 

 off on all fours. The other got clear, without any apparent 

 hurt. I then landed with the marines, and Mr. Fannin 

 remained to guard the boat. 



" On the beach were two bundles of celery, which had 

 been gathered for loading the cutter. A broken oar was 

 stuck upright in the ground, to which the natives had tied 

 their canoes ; a proof that the attack had been made here. 

 I then searched all along at the back of the beach, to see if 

 the cutter was there. We found no boat, but instead of her, 

 such a shocking scene of carnage and barbarity, as can 

 never be mentioned or thought of but with horror ; for the 

 heads, hearts, and lungs of several of our people were seen 



