THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN COOK 251 



welcoming and respectful crowd. An officer of 

 the Discovery who landed with a party was re- 

 ceived with a shower of stones. Insolent pilfer- 

 ing took place. One of the Discovery's boats was 

 taken, and would have been destroyed but for 

 the intervention of a chief, Pareea, who, how- 

 ever, seemed no longer to be inspired by friendly 

 sentiments towards the strangers. 



When Cook was informed of these incidents, 

 he was greatly upset. In spite of the gratitude 

 which he felt towards the natives, he was not at 

 all inclined to act weakly, and he said to Lieu- 

 tenant King, ''I greatly fear that the islanders 

 will force me to take stern measures, for it would 

 never do to let them think that they had the ad- 

 vantage of us." As it was too late to do anything 

 that evening. Cook contented himself with driv- 

 ing from the ship the men and women who were 

 on board. 



During the night the natives stole the Discov- 

 ery's cutter by cutting adrift the buoy to which 

 she was moored. 



Cook, resolved at all costs to recover the cutter 

 and to put an end to the intolerable conduct of 

 the Hawaiians, determined to employ the means 

 which had always succeeded, and which con- 

 sisted in bringing on board and keeping as host- 

 ages the King or several of the principal chiefs. 

 He also ordered that all canoes attempting to 



