PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
117 
it Was better adapted to preserve peace than the opposite plan adopted CIMP 
Perouse at Easter Island, w'ho, though one of the most enlightened 
navigators, was, of all, the most unfortunate. 
To seize one of the natives, or upon something that was of more 
value to them than the goods they had stolen, was the most effectual 
'vay of recovering what was lost, and by at once adopting this mode of 
proceeding might prevent a recurrence of such a circumstance ; I con- 
sequently took away a net and some rafts that were lying upon the 
shore. The net was about forty feet in length, made with the bark of 
the porou tree (hibiscus tiliaceus), precisely in the same manner as 
our seins are, but weighted with stones and rounded pieces of coral 
instead of lead. To obtain possession of these articles without strife, it 
''’as necessary to drive away a party that was seated upon a large tr^ 
near them, and a carronade was fired over their heads : but of this 
they took no notice, probably considering themselves safe at so great a 
'iistance, and having had no experience to the contrary, supposed that 
®nch weapons w^ere calculated only to intimidate by noise. The next 
§nn dispersing the sand amongst them, they speedily resigned their 
®nats, and with all the inhabitants went to the upper village. After 
this our communication was for a time suspended, as the natives kept 
^^oof, and the boats were required to proceed with the watering. 
At daylight on the 2d of January, we commenced filling our casks 
from two good streams, which supplied water much faster than it could 
he got off. 
We perceived the natives collected in a large body at the village, 
^nd soon afterwards some men stole along the beach to reconnoitre the 
'vatering party ; but they were prevented offering any molestation by 
a gun being fired from the ship. On this day I observed the old cus- 
tom of taking possession of the groupe, and hoisted the English ensign 
''pon the shore, turned a turf, and sowed several useful seeds, which it 
is to be hoped vvill spring up to the benefit of the natives. I named 
the island on which Mount Duff stood, after my first Lieutenant, Mr. 
I*eard, and the others in succession, Belcher, Wainwright, Elson, Collie, 
and Marsh, after the other officers, and the lagoon in which the ship 
'vas anchored after herself. 
