183 



but that, in respect to the thieves, it was impossible to bring 

 them in, they having absconded over the hills, and sought 

 refuge among the Happahs, Lieut. Gamble now marched 

 his men over several of their public squares, and found a 

 number of the natives prepared with swine and cocoa- 

 nuts, to conciliate his favour. At half past 11, A. M. he 

 set out for the encampment with five chiefs, and two of 

 their greatest warriors, prisoners of war; apprising them, 

 at the same time, that he intended to detain them on board 

 the Greenwich, as hostages, until the restoration of the 

 swine, and surrender of the thieves; and that, in case 

 these stipulations were not complied within twelve hourSj 

 he would put them all to death, and march immediately 

 again into the valley, in quest of his property and the 

 rogues. Although the day closed very pleasantly and ad- 

 vantageously for the Americans, yet, as it rained with 

 great violence in the early part of it, they were under con- 

 siderable apprehension lest their ammunition, though well 

 secured, might be spoiled. 



Lieut. Gamble could account in no other way for the 

 cowardice of the natives, seeing the extensive preparations 

 they had made to assail him, than that they must have been 

 deceived as to the actual amount of the force under his 

 command. For, having previously understood that he 

 qould muster no more than tw(tnty men, and now con- 

 ceiving, very probably, from the manner in which he 

 marched, that he had five times that number, they became 

 confused and terrified, and without further reconnoitering, 

 fled in every direction. The effect may, however, be at- 

 tributed, with more propriety^ to ihe firing of the cannon 

 on board the ships, and at the fort ; as this must necessa- 

 rily have created a greater panic among them ; and, more- 

 over, induced them to believe that a reinforcement could 

 be called up by the Americans, in case it should become 

 necessary. 



On visiting the New Zealander this day, lieut. Gamble 

 found several of her crew attacked with an unusual and 

 strange swelling in the legs. Upon inquiry, it appeared 

 that some had suifered with this novel complaint nearly 

 two weeks. In every case the inflammation seated itself 

 at the second joint of the leg, and in one or two, the knees 

 were swollen to the size of the body. By applying pow- 



