232 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



into the ship. This shyness was to be accounted for only 

 on this supposition, that they were apprehensive we had 

 revisited their country in order to revenge the death of 

 Captain Furneaux's people. 



" On the 13th we set up two tents, one from each ship, 

 on the same spot where we had pitched them formerly. 

 The observatories were at the same time erected ; and 

 Messrs. King and Bayly began their operations immediately. 



" During the course of this day a great number of families 

 came from different parts of the coast, and took up their 

 residence close to us, so that there was not a spot in the 

 cove where a hut could be put up that was not occupied 

 by them, except the place where we had fixed our little 

 encampment. 



" It is curious to observe with what facility they build 

 their huts. I have seen about twenty of them erected on 

 a spot of ground, that, not an hour before, was covered with 

 shrubs and plants. They generally bring some part of the 

 materials with them, the rest they find upon the premises. 

 I was present when a number of people landed and built 

 one of these villages. 



" Besides the natives who took up their abode close to 

 us, we were occasionally visited by others whose residence 

 was not afar off ; and by some who lived more remote. 

 Their articles of commerce were, curiosities, fish, and 

 women. The two first always came to a good market, 

 which the latter did not. The seamen had taken a kind 

 of dislike to these people, and were either unwilling, or 

 afraid to associate with them ; which produced this good 

 effect, that I knew no instance of a man's quitting his 

 station to go to their habitations. 



" Amongst our occasional visitors was a chief named 

 Kahoora, who, as I was informed, headed the party that 

 cut off Captain Furneaux's people, and himself killed Mr. 

 Rowe, the officer who commanded. To judge of the 

 character of Kahoora, by what I had heard from many of 

 his countrymen, he seemed to be more feared than beloved 

 amongst them. Not satisfied with telling me that he was 

 a very bad man, some of them even importuned me to kill 

 him : and I believe they were not a little surprised that I 

 did not listen to them ; for according to their ideas of equity 

 this ought to have been done. But if I had followed 

 the advice of all our pretended friends, I might have 

 extirpated the whole race ; for the people of each hamlet 

 or village, by turns, applied to me to destroy the other. 



" On the 16th, at daybreak, I set out with a party of men, 

 in five boats, to collect food for our cattle. Captain Clerke, 

 and several of the officers, Omai, and two of the natives 



