THIRD VOYAGE 389 



the beach, in order to cover that service. We soon found 

 that the intelligence which the priests had sent us was not 

 without foundation, and that the natives were resolved to 

 take every opportunity of annoying us, when it could be 

 done without much risk. 



" Throughout all this group of islands, the villages, for 

 the most part, are situated near the sea, and the adjacent 

 ground is enclosed with stone walls, about three feet high. 

 They consist of loose stones, and the inhabitants are very 

 dexterous in shifting them with great quickness to such 

 situations as the direction of the attack may require. In 

 the sides of the mountain which hangs over the bay, they 

 have also little holes or caves, of considerable depth, trje 

 entrance of which is secured by a fence of the same kind. 

 From behind both these defences the natives kept perpetu- 

 ally harassing our waterers with stones ; nor could the small 

 force we had on shore, with the advantage of muskets, 

 compel them to retreat. 



" In this exposed situation our people were so taken 

 up in attending to their own safety, that they employed the 

 whole forenoon in filling only one tun of water. As it was 

 therefore impossible to perform this service till their 

 assailants were driven to a greater distance, the Discovery 

 was ordered to dislodge them with her great guns ; which 

 being effected by a few discharges, the men landed without 

 molestation. However, the natives soon after made their 

 appearance again in their usual mode of attack ; and it was 

 now found absolutely necessary to burn down some 

 straggling houses near the wall, behind which they had 

 taken shelter. In executing these orders, I am sorry to 

 add, that our people were hurried into acts of unnecessary 

 cruelty and devastation. 



" Their orders were only to burn a few straggling huts 

 which afforded shelter to the natives. We were therefore 

 a good deal surprised to see the whole village on fire ; 

 before a boat, that was sent to stop the progress of the 

 mischief, could reach the shore, the houses of our old and 

 constant friends, the priests, were all in flames. I cannot 

 enough lament the illness that confined me on board this 

 day. The priests had always been under my protection. 



" Several of the natives were shot in making their escape 

 from the flames ; and our people cut off the heads of two of 

 them and brought them on board. The fate of one poor 

 islander was much lamented by us all. As he was coming 

 to the well for water, he was shot at by one of the marines. 

 The ball struck his calibash, which he immediately threw 

 from him and fled. He was pursued into one of the caves 

 I have before described, and no lion could have defended 



