24 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779. 
January. 
4 -—v- 
throughout, which we before fo much admired in the 
Friendly Iflanders. As thefe games were given at our de¬ 
fire, we found it was univerfally expeCted, that we fhould 
have borne our part in them; but our people, though 
much prefled by the natives, turned a deaf ear to their 
challenge, remembering full well the blows they got at the 
Friendly Iflands. 
This day died William Watman, a feaman of the gun¬ 
ner’s crew; an event which I mention the more particu¬ 
larly, as death had hitherto been very rare amongfl: us. 
He was an old man, and much refpeCted on account of his 
attachment to Captain Cook. He had formerly ferved as a 
marine twenty-one years; after which he entered as a fea¬ 
man on board the Refolution in 1772, and ferved with Cap¬ 
tain Cook in his voyage toward the South Pole. At their 
return, he was admitted into Greenwich hofpital, through 
the Captain’s intereft, at the fame time with himfelf; 
and being refolved to follow throughout the fortunes of 
his benefactor, he alfo quitted it along with him, on his 
being appointed to the command of the prefent expedi¬ 
tion. During the voyage, he had frequently been fub- 
jeCt to flight fevers, and was a convalefcent when we 
came into the bay, where being fent on fhore for a few 
days, he conceived himfelf perfectly recovered, and, at 
his own defire, returned on board; but the day follow¬ 
ing, he had a paralytic ftroke, which in two days more 
carried him off. 
At the requeit of the king of the ifiand, he was buried 
on the Morale and the ceremony was performed with as 
much folemnity as our fituation permitted. Old Kaoo and 
his brethren were fpeCtators, and preferred the molt: pro¬ 
found filence and attention, whilft the fervice was reading. 
When 
