l60 VO\AGE IN SEARCH 



main force, from fome of us, feveral articles, 

 with which they fled into the woods. 



We were afTembled together, to the number 

 of thirty, and were quenching our thirft with 

 the delicious juice of the cocoa-nuts which T/W/j 

 had prefented to the Admiral, when an iflander 

 had the audacioufnefs to fnatch a knife out of 

 the hands of one of our party : indignant at fo 

 much eiirontery, feveral ran immediately after 

 the robber, and purfued him as far as the Ifland 

 of Tongataboo ; but, feeing themfelves fur- 

 rounded by a great number of the inhabitants, 

 they quickly returned towards our anchoring- 

 place. However, the fmith of the Recherche, 

 a German by birth, thought that he muft dif- 

 playmore courage than the others, byadvancing 

 alone into the midll of thcfe iflaiidcrs. Thr 

 latter foon faced about upon him, purfued him 

 in their turn as foon. as they favr him meafure 

 back his ftcps, and would even have flruck him 

 with their clubs, liad he not kept them at bay 

 for along time, bypcMuting at the moft audaci- 

 ous a bad pillol, which he made feveral attempts 

 to fire : being no more than about fcven hun- 

 dred uK^ters diilance from the iliips, he was 

 thinking himfclf entirely fecurc from every 

 attempt on their part, when one of them fplit 

 his feuU with a fcrokc of liis club, Vv hile another 



threw 



