112 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, by way of ascertaining whether we kept watch, paddled silently off upon 
a small katamaran ; but on being hailed, went quietly away. At daylight, 
the shore opposite the ship was lined with the natives, and katamarans 
commenced coming off to her laden with visiters, who, encouraged by 
their former reception, fearlessly ascended the side, and in a short time 
so crowded the decks, that the necessary duties of the crew were sus- 
pended. Their surprise was, if possible, greater than that of the other 
islanders ; but it did not appear to be excited by any particular object. 
It is said that as a people become civilised, their curiosity increases. 
Here, however, it was excited more from a desire to ascertain what was 
capable of being pilfered than from any thirst for knowledge. Through 
this propensity, every thing underwent a rigid examination. We had 
taken the precaution to put all the moveable articles that could be 
spared below, and nothing was stolen from the upper decks ; but in 
the midshipmen's berth things had not been so carefully secreted, and 
a soup-tureen, a spyglass, and some crockery were soon missing ; the 
former was detected going over the side, and one of the tea-cups was 
observed in the possession of a person swimming away from the ship. 
This afforded a favourable opportunity of showing our determination to 
resist all such depredations ; and indeed it was absolutely necessary to 
do so, as every person appeared to consider he had a right to whatever 
he could carry away with him; and the number of our visiters amounted 
to double that of our own crew, so that it was impossible to watch 
every one of them. Besides, this conduct, if not checked in time, might 
lead to serious consequences, which 1 wished by every means to avoid. 
One of our small boats was consequently sent in pursuit of the thief, 
who was swimming at a considerable rate towards a raft with his prize 
in his hand. His countrymen, observing that he was pursued, would 
not permit him to mingle with them, lest they should participate in 
the blame ; but he eluded detection by diving underneath their rafts, 
until he became exhausted, when he threw the cup to the bowman of 
the boat, and made his escape. Immediately the boat was sent off, all 
the rafts left the ship, and every man upon the decks jumped over- 
board as if by instinct ; but when tranquillity was restored, they re- 
turned for fresh plunder. The rapidity with which the news of a theft 
