184 NEW ZEALAND CHAP, vm 



from the shore in a river ; the people followed them and 

 threatened with long lances ; the pinnace soon came to their 

 assistance, fired upon the natives, and killed the chief. The 

 other three dragged the body about a hundred yards and 

 then left it. At the report of the muskets we drew 

 together and went to the place where the body was left ; it 

 was shot through the heart. He was a middle-sized man, 

 tattowed on the face on one cheek only, in spiral lines very 

 regularly formed. He was covered with a fine cloth of a 

 manufacture totally new to us ; it was tied on exactly as 

 represented in Mr. Dalrymple's book, 1 p. 6 3 ; his hair was 

 also tied in a knot on the top of his head, but there was no 

 feather stuck in it ; his complexion brown but not very dark. 



Soon after we came on board we very distinctly heard 

 the people ashore talking very loud, although they were not 

 less than two miles distant from us. 



9th. On attempting to land this morning the Indians 

 received us with threatening demonstrations, but a musket 

 fired wide of them intimidated them, and they allowed us 

 to approach near enough to parley. Tupia found their 

 language so near his own that he could tolerably well 

 understand them. He induced them to lay down their 

 arms, and we gave them some beads and iron, neither of 

 which they seemed to value ; indeed, they seemed totally 

 ignorant of the use of the latter. They constantly 

 attempted to seize our arms, or anything they could get, so 

 that we were obliged to fire on them and disperse them ; 

 none were, we hope, killed. Soon after we intercepted a 

 native canoe; but when we came up with it, the owners 

 made so desperate a resistance that we were compelled to 

 fire upon them, killing four; the other three (boys) 

 attempted to swim to shore, but were captured and taken 

 on board the ship. On finding that they were not to be 

 killed, they at once recovered their spirits, and soon 

 appeared to have forgotten everything that had happened. 

 At supper they ate an enormous quantity of bread, and 



1 An Account of the Discoveries made in the South Pacifick Ocean, previous to 

 1764. By Alexander Dalrymple. London, 1767. 



