386 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



natives to a parley, and, if possible, to obtain a conference 

 with some of the chiefs. 



" I left the ships about four o'clock in the afternoon, and 

 as we approached the shore I perceived every indication of 

 a hostile reception. The whole crowd of natives was in 

 motion, the women and children retiring, the men putting 

 on their war-mats, and arming themselves with long spears 

 and daggers. Concluding, therefore, that all attempts to 

 bring them to a parley would be in vain unless I first gave 

 them some ground for mutual confidence, I ordered the 

 armed boats to stop, and went on in the small boat alone, 

 with a white flag in my hand, which, by a general cry of joy 

 from the natives, I had the satisfaction to find was instantly 

 understood. The women immediately returned from the 

 side of the hill whither they had retired, the men threw oft 

 their mats, and all sat down together by the water-side, ex- 

 tending their arms, and inviting me to come on shore. 



" Though this behaviour was very expressive of a friendly 

 disposition, yet I could not help entertaining some sus- 

 picions of its sincerity. But when I saw Koah with a 

 boldness and assurance altogether unaccountable, swim- 

 ming off toward the boat with a white flag in his hand, I 

 thought it necessary to return this mark of confidence, and 

 therefore received him into the boat, though armed ; a 

 circumstance which did not tend to lessen my suspicions. I 

 must confess I had long harboured an unfavourable opinion 

 of this man. I told him that I had come to demand the 

 body of Captain Cook, and to declare war against them 

 unless it was instantly restored. He assured me that this 

 should be done as soon as possible, and that he would go 

 himself for that purpose ; and after begging of me a piece of 

 iron, with as much assurance as if nothing extraordinary 

 had happened, he leaped into the sea and swam ashore, 

 calling out to his countrymen that we were all friends again. 



" We waited near an hour with great anxiety for his 

 return ; during which time the rest of the boats had ap- 

 proached so near the shore as to enter into conversation with 

 a party of the natives at some distance from us ; by whom 

 they were plainly given to understand that the body had 

 been cut to pieces, and carried up the country ; but of this 

 circumstance I was not informed till our return to the ships. 



" After various delays, negotiations, and hostile prepara- 

 tions, about eight o'clock, it being very dark, a canoe was 

 heard paddling toward the ship ; and as soon as it was seen, 

 both the sentinels on deck fired into it. There were two 

 persons in the canoe, and they immediately roared out 

 * Tinnee ' (which was the way in which they pronounced 

 my name), and said they were friends, and had something 



