123 CAPTAIN COOK 



offered to sell him a lot of fruit, among them 

 some coconuts. Cook accepted the offer, but 

 when he took possession of the goods he found 

 that all the milk had been drawn from the nuts. 

 He mentioned the fraud to the native, who ap- 

 peared not to understand him, but who expressed 

 the greatest surprise when he saw some of them 

 opened, and sent some bananas and plantains in 

 compensation. 



The fruit which the Englishmen procured in 

 Oaiti-Piha Bay helped to cure the many in- 

 valids of the Adventure. The state of health on 

 board the Resolution was most satisfactory. 

 Only a single marine died, two days after the 

 arrival of the ship at Tahiti. He had been suf- 

 fering for a long time from several grave or- 

 ganic diseases, but he showed no symptom of 

 scurvy. 



On August 24th the two ships weighed anchor, 

 and moored again the next evening in Matavai 

 Bay, where the Endeavour had remained for 

 three months in 1769. 



"Toote," as the Tahitians called Cook, was 

 received by his old friends with transports of 

 enthusiasm. All those who had accompanied 

 him on his last voyage were surrounded by na- 

 tives, who recognised them, embraced them, and 

 stole from them. Touching scenes took place; 

 tears of joy fell in abundance, the smiles of the 



