A VOYAGE TO 
84 
1777- people were getting them into the boat, one was carried off 
t -°- r b undifcovered. It being immediately miffed, I made no 
doubt of recovering it without much trouble, as there had 
not been time to carry it to any considerable diftance. Ten 
or twelve of the natives fet out, foon after, different ways, 
to bring it back, or to look for it; for not one of them 
would own that it was ftolen, but all tried to perfuade us, 
that it had ftrayed into the woods; and, indeed, I thought 
fo myfelf. I was convinced to the contrary, however, when 
I found that not one of thofe who went in purfuit of it, re¬ 
turned ; fo that their only view was to amufe me, till their 
prize was beyond my reach; and night coming on, put a 
flop to all farther fearch. About this time, the boat re¬ 
turned with the other goat, bringing alfo one of the men 
who had ftolen it; the firft inftance of the kind that I had 
met with amongft thefe iflands. 
Wednef. 8 . The next morning, I found that moft of the inhabitants 
in the neighbourhood had moved off; carrying with them 
a corpfe which lay on a toopapaoo oppolite the Ship; and that 
Maheine himfelf had retired to the moft diftant part of the 
illand. It feemed now no longer doubtful, that a plan had 
been laid to fteal what I had refufed to give ; and that, 
though they had reftored one, they were refolved to keep 
the other ; which was a fhe-goat, and big with kid. I was 
equally fixed in my refolution that they Should not keep it. 
I, therefore, applied to the two old men who had been in- 
ftrumental in getting back the firft. They told me, that this 
had been carried to Watea, a diftridt on the South fide of the 
illand, by Harnoa, the Chief of that place; but that, if I 
would fend any body for it, it would be delivered up. They 
offered to condudt fome of my people crofs the illand; but 
on my learning from them, that a boat might go and re¬ 
turn 
