116 MISSIONARY TOUR 
of obsidian or hard vitreous lava •. and along the door 
it is evident that in some remote period a stream of the 
same kind of lava has also flowed. 
There are a number of persons at Kaavaroa, and 
other places in the islands, who either were present 
themselves at the unhappy dispute, which in this vi¬ 
cinity terminated the valuable life of the celebrated 
Captain Cook, or who, from their connexion with those 
who were on the spot, are well acquainted with the 
particulars of that melancholy event. With many of 
them we have frequently conversed, and though their 
narratives differ in a few smaller points, they all agree 
in the main facts with the account published by Cap¬ 
tain King, his successor. 
“ The foreigner/’ they say, “ was not to blame; for, 
in the first instance, our people stole his boat, and he, 
in order to recover it, designed to take our king on 
board his ship, and detain him there till it should be 
restored. Kapena Kuke* and Taraiopu our king were 
walking together towards the shore, when our people, 
conscious of what had been done, thronged round the 
king, and objected to his going any further. His wife 
also joined her entreaties that he would not go on 
board the ships While he was hesitating, a man came 
running from the other side of the bay, entered the 
crowd almost breathless, and exclaimed, 6 It is war !— 
the foreigners have commenced hostilities, have fired 
on a canoe from one of their boats, and killed a chief.’ 
This enraged some of our people, and alarmed the 
chiefs, as they feared Captain Cook would kill the 
King The people armed themselves with stones, clubs, 
and spears. Kanona entreated her husband not to go. 
* Captain Cook’s name is thus pronounced by the natives. 
