380 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



hailed by the Discovery, and informed that their cutter had 

 been stolen during the night from the buoy where it was 

 moored. 



" When I arrived on board I found the marines arming, 

 and Captain Cook loading his double-barrelled gfcn. It had 

 been his usual practice whenever anything of consequence 

 was lost at any of the islands in this ocean, to get the king 

 or some of the principal earees on board, and to keep them 

 as hostages till it was restored. This method, which had 

 been always attended with success, he meant to pursue on 

 the present occasion. 



" It was between seven and eight o'clock when we quitted 

 the ship together ; Captain Cook in the pinnace, having Mr. 

 Phillips and nine marines with him, and myself in the small 

 boat. The last orders I received from him were, to quiet the 

 minds of the natives on our side of the bay, by assuring 

 them they should not be hurt ; to keep my people together, 

 and to be on my guard. We then parted ; the Captain 

 went toward Kowrowa, where the king resided, and I pro- 

 ceeded to the beach. My first care on going ashore was, to 

 give strict orders to the marines to remain within the tent, 

 to load their pieces with ball, and not to quit their arms. 

 Afterwards I took a walk to the huts of old Kaoo and the 

 priests, and explained to them as well as I could the object 

 of the hostile preparations, which had exceedingly alarmed 

 them. I found that they had already heard of the cutter's 

 being stolen, and I assured them, that though Captain Cook 

 was resolved to recover it, and to punish the authors of the 

 theft, yet that they, and the people of the village on our side, 

 need not be under the smallest apprehension of suffering 

 any evil from us. Kaoo asked me with great earnestness 

 if Terreeoboo was to be hurt ? I assured him he was not ; 

 and both he and the rest of his brethren seemed much 

 satisfied with this assurance. 



" In the meantime Captain Cook having called off the 

 launch, which was stationed at the north point of the bay, 

 and taken it along with him, proceeded to Kowrowa, and 

 landed with the lieutenant and nine marines. He immedi- 

 ately marched to the village, where he was received with 

 the usual marks of respect, the people prostrating them- 

 selves before him, and bringing their accustomed offerings 

 of small hogs. Finding that there was no suspicion of his 

 design, his next step was to inquire for Terreeoboo, and the 

 two boys, his sons, who had been his constant guests onboard 

 the Resolution. In a short time the boys returned along 

 with the natives, who had been sent in search of them, 

 and immediately led Captain Cook to the house where the 

 king had slept. They found the old man just awoke from 



