THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
65 
tures. Some of our people faid, they could diftinguilli feve- 
ral of the natives parading about in the clothes of our un¬ 
fortunate comrades; and, among them, a Chief brandilhing 
Captain Cook’s hanger, and a woman holding the fcabbard. 
Indeed, there can be no doubt, but that our behaviour had 
given them a mean opinion of our courage; for they could 
have but little notion of the motives of humanity that db 
redled it. 
In confequence of the report I made to Captain Clerke, of 
what I conceived to be the prefent temper and difpolition of 
the illanders, the moft effectual meafures were taken to 
guard againft any attack they might make in the night. 
The boats were moored with top-chains ; additional fenti- 
nels were polled on both Ihips; and guard-boats were fta- 
tioned to row round them, in order to prevent the natives 
from cutting the cables. During the night we obferved a 
prodigious number of lights on the hills, which made 
fome of us imagine they were removing their effe£ls back 
into the country, in confequence of our threats. But I ra¬ 
ther believe them to have been the facrifices that were 
performing on account of the war, in which they imagined 
themfelves about to be engaged; and moll probably the 
bodies of our Bain countrymen were, at that time, burn¬ 
ing. We afterward faw fires of the fame kind, as we pair¬ 
ed the illand of Morotoi; and which, we were told by fome 
natives then on board, were made on account of the war 
they had declared againft a neighbouring illand. And this 
agrees with what we learned amongft the Friendly and 
Society Illes, that, previous to any expedition againft an 
enemy, the Chiefs always endeavoured to animate and in¬ 
flame the courage of the people by feafts and rejoicings in 
the night. 
Yol. III. K We 
„ \ 779 ‘ 
February. 
