64 CAPTAIN COOK 



fired a second shot to frighten them. Far from 

 evincing the least fear, one of the natives brand- 

 ished his spear to hurl at the boat. A third shot 

 killed him on the spot. 



Such v^as the first meeting of the Englishmen 

 with the natives of New Zealand. The rest of 

 their intercourse was not to be much better. On 

 the next day Cook filled three boats with seamen 

 and marines, and with the three scientists, his 

 officers and Tupia, set out towards the shore, 

 where about fifty New Zealanders seemed to be 

 awaiting the arrival of the strangers. After sev- 

 eral vain attempts, Tupia made himself under- 

 stood by them, by speaking to them in the Tahi- 

 tian language. About twenty of them crossed 

 the river. The Englishmen offered them some 

 necklaces and ironware, which they accepted 

 with indifference. What they really wanted was 

 to exchange their weapons for those of the new- 

 comers. One of the Maoris seized Green's hunt- 

 ing knife and brandished it triumphantly over 

 his head. Banks fired a shot-gun at him, but 

 although well peppered with shot, he continued 

 to defy the Englishman, brandishing his weapon. 

 A bullet fired by Monkhouse laid him low. 



On the following day Cook, seeing that it was 

 impossible to deal with these natives, and that, 

 besides, the water in the river was brackish, 

 resolved to seek another part of the bay where 



