168 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, measurements, I determined, if possible, to enter the lagoon with the 
ship. When we reached the supposed opening, a boat was lowered to 
Feb. examine it; and Tuwarri was sent in her to conciliate the natives, should 
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any be seen in the course of the service. As she drew near the shore, 
several men were observed among the trees ; and the officer in charge of 
the boat, acting under my general orders of being always prepared for 
an attack, desired the muskets to be loaded. Tuwarri, who had pro- 
bably never possessed much courage, at the sight of these preparations 
wished himself anywhere else than in his present situation, and, to judge 
from his countenance, calculated at least upon being killed and eaten 
by cannibals : he was in the greatest agitation as the boat advanced, 
until she came within speaking distance of the strangers, when, instead 
of the supposed monsters ready to devour him, he recognised, to his 
surprise, his own brother and several friends whom he had left at Chain 
Island three years before, all of whom had long given him up as lost, 
and whom he never expected to see again. 
The two brothers met in a manner which did credit to their feel- 
ings, and after the first salutation sat down together upon the beach 
with their hands firmly locked, and entered into serious conversation, 
consisting no doubt of mutual inquiries after friends and relations, and 
Tuwarri’s account of his perilous adventure. They continued with 
their hands grasped until it was time for the boat to return to the ship, 
when they both came on board. This affecting interview increased 
our impatience to have the mystery which overhung the fate of our 
passenger cleared up, and an opportunity fortunately happened for 
doing so. 
The gig, on entering the lagoon, had been met by a boat from an 
English brig (the Dart, employed by the Australian Pearl Company) at 
anchor there, with a number of divers, natives of Chain Island, hired 
into her service : among these was a man who acted as interpreter, and 
who was immediately engaged to communicate to us the particulars of 
Tuwarri’s adventures, which possess so much interest that the reader 
will not, I am sure, regret the relation of them. 
Tuwarri was a native of one of the low coral formations discovered 
by Captain Cook in his first voyage, called Anaa by the natives, but by 
