214 CAPTAIN- COOK 



lution's captain, who experienced much trouble 

 in finding places for his numerous messmates. 



As the women of these parts were not, as at 

 Tahiti, deprived of the right of sitting at the 

 same table as men, they followed their husbands 

 without the least ceremony, and came to swell 

 agreeably the ranks of the guests, to the utter 

 despair of the ship's cooks. 



In spite of all the courtesy, friendship and 

 even generosity of the natives, thefts increased, 

 even on the part of the chiefs. One day one of 

 them was discovered carrying off under the cloth 

 which served him as clothing the winch of the 

 machine with which wire ropes were twisted. 

 Cook sentenced him to two lashes, and kept him 

 prisoner until he had purchased his liberty at 

 the price of a pig. This example had its effect, 

 and respect for the property of others was ob- 

 served by the upper classes. It was not the 

 same, alas! among the islanders of inferior sta- 

 tion. Lashes left them impenitent, and they took 

 their punishment with the most perfect indiffer- 

 ence. 



Gierke, the Captain of the Discovery, had a 

 bright idea for putting an end to the light-fin- 

 gered habits of the islanders. He delivered the 

 thieves into the hands of the barber, who cut off 

 all their hair. Ridicule kills, even among sav- 

 ages, and the culprits, on their return to their 



