A VOYAGE TO 
128 
• 1 777- 
February. 
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different times, and who, I think, could have no intereft * 
; in deceiving us. The fecond manner of relating the tranf- 
aCtion, refts upon the authority of the young New Zealan¬ 
der, who chofe to abandon his country and go away with 
us, and who, confequently, could have no poflibie view in 
difguifing the truth. All agreeing that the quarrel hap¬ 
pened when the boat’s crew were fitting at their meal, it is 
highly probable that both accounts are true, as they per¬ 
fectly coincide. For we may very naturally fuppofe, that 
while fome of the natives were Healing from the man who 
had been left in the boat, others of them might take the 
fame liberties with the property of our people who were 
on fhore. 
Be this as it will, all agree, that the quarrel firft took its 
rife from fome thefts, in the commiffion of which the na¬ 
tives were detected. All agree, alfo, that there was no pre¬ 
meditated plan of bloodfhed, and that, if thefe thefts had 
not been, unfortunately, too haftily refented, no mifchief 
would have happened. For Kahoora’s greateft enemies, 
thofe who folicited his deftruCtion moft earneftly, at the 
fame time confeffed that he had no intention to quarrel, 
much lefs to kill, till the fray had actually commenced. It 
alfo appears that the unhappy victims were under no fort of 
apprehenfion of their fate; otherwife they never would 
have ventured to lit down to a repaft at fo conliderable a 
diftance from their boat, amongft people who were the 
next moment to be their murderers. What became of the 
boat I never could learn. Some faid fhe was pulled to 
pieces and burnt; others told us that fhe was carried, they 
knew not whither, by a party of ftrangers. 
We ftayed here till the evening, when, having loaded 
the reft of the boats with grafs, celery, fcurvy-grafs, &c. 
we 
