152 CAPTAIN COOK 



justice to punish this man. "As I knew he would 

 not do it," added Cook, "I was resolved to do it 

 myself." 



He consequently ordered that the thief should 

 be taken on shore, where he went himself, with 

 Otoo and the native chiefs. He then put the 

 guard under arms and tied the Indian to a post. 

 When these preparations had been made. Cook, 

 addressing the king, complained of the conduct 

 of his people, setting out that the Englishmen 

 never took anything without paying for it, and 

 that the punishment of this man would be the 

 means of saving the lives of other Tahitians who 

 should be tempted to further thefts for which 

 sooner or later they would be shot. After this 

 harangue the culprit received twenty-four lashes. 

 The crowd which had collected fled in terror, 

 but Towha called them back and spoke in his 

 turn, exhorting his countrymen to behave them- 

 selves better in future towards the generous 

 strangers. 



In order to impress the natives more deeply, 

 Cook closed the court of justice by putting his 

 men through their exercises and making them 

 fire at the word of command. 



Otoo regaled the Englishmen during their 

 visit to his island with the spectacle of a grand 

 naval review. The number of his war vessels 



