390 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



his den with greater courage and fierceness, till at last, after 

 having kept two of our people at bay for a considerable 

 time, he expired covered with wounds. 



" Soon after the village was destroyed, we saw, coming 

 down the hill, a man, attended by fifteen or twenty boys, 

 holding pieces of white cloth, green boughs, plantains, etc., 

 in their hands. As they approached nearer, it was found 

 to be our much esteemed friend Kaireekeea, who had fled 

 on our first setting fire to the village, and had now returned, 

 and desired to be sent on board the Resolution. 



" When he arrived we found him exceedingly grave and 

 thoughtful. We endeavoured to make him understand the 

 necessity we were under of setting fire to the village, by 

 which his house, and those of his brethren, were uninten- 

 tionally consumed. He expostulated a little with us on our 

 want of friendship, and on our ingratitude. And, indeed, 

 it was not till now that we learnt the whole extent of the 

 injury we had done them. He told us that, relying on the 

 promises I had made them, and the assurances they had 

 afterwards received from the men who had brought us the 

 remains of Captain Cook, they had not removed their effects 

 back into the country, with the rest of the inhabitants, but 

 had put every thing that was valuable of then* own, as well 

 as what they had collected from us, into a house close to the 

 moral, where they had the mortification to see it all set 

 on fire by ourselves. 



" On coming on board he had seen the heads of his 

 countrymen lying on the deck, at which he was exceedingly 

 shocked, and desired with great earnestness that they 

 might be thrown overboard. This request Captain Clerke 

 instantly ordered to be complied with. 



" In the evening the watering party returned on board, 

 having met with no farther interruption. We passed a 

 gloomy night, the cries and lamentations we heard on shore 

 being far more dreadful than ever. Our only consolation 

 was. the hope that we should have no occasion in future 

 for a repetition of such severities. 



" The natives being at last convinced that it was not the 

 want of ability to punish them which had hitherto made 

 us tolerate their provocations, desisted from giving us any 

 farther molestation ; and in the evening, a chief called 

 Eappo, who had seldom visited us, but whom we knew 

 to be a man of the very first consequence, came with 

 presents from Terreeoboo to sue for peace. These presents 

 were received, and he was dismissed with the same answer 

 which had before been given, that until the remains of 

 Captain Cook should be restored, no peace would be 

 granted. We learned from this person, that the flesh of 



