184 
AN ACCOUNT OF 
1783- The cook having been very negligent in his bufinefs, fpoil- 
■OCTOBER. r 
Wednefday ing often the rice, and being fufpedled, in concert with one of 
15. 
the China-men , his affiftant, of appropriating to themfelves 
part of the very fmall quantity of meat they could afford to 
boil with it; he was ordered to be punifhed with a Cobbing . 
In confequence of the regulations before mentioned to have 
been made amongft themfelves, this was carried by a majority* 
The Cobbing was performed by flripping him to the waift, and 
tying his hands again ft a tree, to keep him extended; when 
one man, with a thin flat piece of wood, like a battledore, 
impofed the number of ftripes he was ordered to receive* 
The cook’s affiftant was alfo punifhed in like manner; and 
another China-man for wounding one of his countrymen on 
the head with a ftone. Raa Kook, feeing thefe fellows tied 
up, appeared concerned, and applied to Captain Wilson to 
beg them off; but the fafety of this little community abfo- 
lutely required that regularity and obedience fhould be pre- 
ferved ; and this was fully explained to the General, as an 
apology for his requeft not being complied with. He flood 
by, however, whilft the punifhment was inflkSled ; and not 
finding it was of a ferious nature, feemed convinced our 
people were right; and when the China-men came to receive 
the fame difcipline, they fet up fo lamentable a cry, that he 
was even diverted by their pufillanimity. 
This afternoon three canoes came to the watering-place, 
in one of which was a woman, the firft that had been feen 
* 
at 
