c o 
fiances would afford, it was a nobler motive that had 
prompted the fociety to notice captain Cook in the ho¬ 
nourable manner which had occafioned his then addrefs.” 
After defcahting on the means ufed on the voyage to pre- 
ferve tiie lives of the failors, lie concluded Jus difcourfe 
in tliefe terms: “ Allow me then, gentlemen, to deliver 
this medal, with his unperifhing name engraven upon it, 
into the hands of one who will be happy to receive that 
trull, and to hear that this refpedlable body never more 
cordially, nor more meritorioufly, bellowed that faithful 
fymbol of their elteem and affedtion. For if Rome de¬ 
creed the civic crown to him who faved the life of a 
Angle citizen, what wreaths are due to that man who, 
having himfelf faved many, perpetuates in your tranfae- 
tions the means by which Britain may now, on the mod 
diflant voyages, fave numbers of her intrepid fons, her 
mariners ; who, braving every danger, have fo liberally 
contributed to the fame, to the opulence, and to the 
maritime empire, of their country ?”• 
It will give pain to every fenfible mind to refledl, that 
this honourable teftimony to the merit of our gallant 
commander never came to his knowledge. While his 
friends were waiting with the mod earned folicitude for 
tidings concerning him, and the whole nation exprefl'ed 
an anxious impatience to be informed of his fuccefs, ad¬ 
vice was received from captain Clerke, in a letter dated 
at Kamptlkatca, the 8th of June, 1779; f rom which we 
learnt, that captain Cook was killed on the 14th of Fe¬ 
bruary, 1779. His death happened in the following 
manner, which we fhall give in the words of Mr. David 
Samwell, furgeon of the Difco.very. “ Some of the In¬ 
dians of Owhyee in the night took away the Difcovery’s 
large cutter, which lay fwamped at the buoy of ond of 
her anchors: they had carried her off fo quietly that we 
did not mifs her till the morning, Sunday, February 14. 
Captain Clerke lod no time in waiting upon captain Cook 
to acquaint him with the accident: he returned on-board 
with orders for the launch and fmall cutter to go, under 
the command of the fecond lieutenant,- and lie off the 
eall point of the bay, in order to intercept all canoes that 
might attempt to get out; and, if he found it neceffary, 
to fire upon them. At the fame time, the third lieute¬ 
nant of the Refolution, with the launch and fmall cutter, 
was fent on the fame fervice, to the oppolite point of the 
bay ; and the mailer was difpatched in the large cutter, 
in purfuit of a double canoe, already under fail, mak¬ 
ing the bell of her way out’of the harbour. He foon 
came up with her, and by firing a few mulkets drove 
her on-fhore, and the Indians left it A : this happened to 
be the canoe of Omea, a man who bore the title of Orono. 
He was on-board himfelf, and it would have been fortu¬ 
nate if our people had fecured him, for his perfon was 
held as facred as that of the king. During this time 
captain Cook was preparing to go alhore himfelf at the 
town of Kavaroah, in order to fecure the perfon of Ka- 
riopoo, before lie fhould have time to withdraw himfelf 
to another part of the ifland out of our reach. This ap¬ 
peared the moll effectual ItCp that could be taken on the 
prefent occafion, for the recovery of the boat. It was 
the meafure he had invariably purfued, in fimilar cafes, 
at other iflands in thefe feas, and it had always been at¬ 
tended with the defired fuccefs: in fa£t, it would be dif¬ 
ficult to point out any other mode of proceeding on thefe 
emergencies, likely to attain the objedl in view. We had 
reafon to luppofe that the king and his attendants had 
fled when the alarm was lirft given; in that cafe, it was 
captain Cook's intention to fecure the large canoes which 
were hauled up on the beach. He left the lliip about 
leven o’clock, attended by the lieutenant of marines, a 
ferjeant, corporal, and feven private men ; the pinnace’s 
crew were alfo armed, and under the command of Mr. 
Roberts. As they rowed towards the Ihore, captain Cook 
ordered the launch to leave her flation at the well point 
of the bay, in order to afiill his own boat. This is a cir- 
cumfiance worthy of notice; for it clearly fnews, that he 
Vo l. V. No. 262 . 
O K. iGj 
was not unapprehenfive of meeting with refiflance from 
the natives, or unmindful of the necellary preparation 
for the lafety of himfelf and his people. I will venture 
to fay, that from the appearance of things juft at that 
time, there was not one, betides himfelf, who judged that 
Inch precaution was abfolutely requisite ; fo little did 
his conduct on the occafion bear the marks of ralhnefs 
or a precipitate felf-confidence! He landed, with the ma¬ 
rines, at the upper end of the town of Kavaroah ; the 
Indians immediately flocked round, as ufual, and Ihewed 
him the cullomary marks of refpedl, by proftrating theni- 
felves before him. There were no ligns of hftlilities, 
or much alarm among- them. Captain Cook, however, 
did not feem willing to trull to appearances ; but was 
particularly attentive to the difpofition of the marines, 
and to hav.e them kept clear of the crowd. He firft en¬ 
quired for the king’s fons, two youths who were much 
attached to him, and generally his companions 011-board. 
Melfengers being fent for them, they foon came to him; 
and informing him that their father was alleep, at a 
houfe not far from them, he accompanied them thither, 
and took the marines along with them. As he paffed 
along, the natives every where proftrated themfelves be¬ 
fore him, and feemed to have loll no part of that refpedt 
they had always fliewn to his perfon. He was joined by 
feveral chiefs, among whom was Kanynah, and his bro¬ 
ther Koohowrooah. They kept ths crowd in order, ac¬ 
cording to their ufual cuftom; and being ignorant of his 
intention in coming on-lhore, frequently alked him, if 
he wanted any hogs, or other provifions ; lie told them, 
that h,e did not, and that his bulinefs was to fee the king. 
When he arrived at the houfe, he ordered fome of the 
Indians to go in and inform Kariopoo, that he waited 
without to fpeak with him. They came out two or three 
times, and inltead of returning any anfwer from the king, 
prefented fome pieces of red cloth -to him, which made 
captain Cook fufpe£l that he was not in the houfe ^ he 
therefore defired tiie lieutenant of marines to go in. The 
lieutenant found the old man juft awaked from lleep, 
and leemingly alarmed at the melfage ; but became out 
without helitation. Captain Cook took him by the hand, 
and in a friendly manner alked him to go on-board, to 
which lie very readily confented. Thus far matters 
appeared in a favourable train, and the natives did nOt 
feem much alarmed or apprehCnfive of hoftility on our 
fide ; at which captain Cook expreffed himfelf a little 
furprifed, faying, that as the inhabitants of that town 
appeared innocent of Healing the cutter, he fhould not 
moleit them, but that he mull get the king on-board. 
Kariopoo fat down before his door, and was furrounded 
by a great crowd: Kanynah and his brother were both 
very adlive in keeping order among them. In a little 
time, however, the Indians were obferved arming them¬ 
felves with long fpears, clubs, and daggers, and putting- 
on thick mats, which they ufe as armour. This holtile 
appearance increafed, and became more alarming, o 1 the 
arrival of two men in a canoe from the oppofite fid; of 
the bay, witli the news of a chief, called Kureemoo, 
hkving been -killed by one of the Difcovery’s boats, in 
their paifage acrofs ; they had alfo delivered this account 
to each of the fliips. Upon that information, tire women, 
who were fitting upon the beach at their breakfaft, and 
converfing familiarly with our people in the boats, re¬ 
tired, and a confufed murmur fpread through the crowd. 
An old priell came to captain Cook, with a cocoa-nut in 
his hand, which he held out to him as a prefent, at the 
fame time tinging very loud. He was often defired to be 
filent, but in vain ; he continued importunate and trou- 
blefome, and there was no inch thing as getting rid of 
him or his noife: it feemed as if he meant to divert their 
attention from liis countrymen, who were growing more 
tumultuous, and arming themfelves in every quarter. 
Captain Cook, being at the fame time furrounded by a 
great crowd, thought his fituation rather hazardous; he 
therefore ordered the lieutenant of marines to march his 
U u fmall 
