[22 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777- 
November. 
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of our people for their releafe; or, at lealf, their impatience 
was fo great, that it hurried them to meditate an attempt 
which might have involved them in ft ill greater diftrefs, had 
it not been fortunately prevented. Between five and fix 
o’clock in the evening, I obferved that all their canoes, in 
and about the harbour, began to move off, as if fome hid¬ 
den panic had feized them. I was afhore, abreaft of the 
fhip, at the time, and inquired, in vain, to find out the 
caufe; till our people called to us from the Difcovery, and 
told us, that a party of the natives had feized Captain Clerke 
and Mr. Gore, who had walked out a little way from the 
fhips. Struck with the boldnefs of this plan of retaliation, 
which feemed to counteract me fo effectually in my own 
way, there was no time to deliberate. I inftantly ordered 
the people to arm ; and, in lefs than five minutes, a ftrong 
party, under the command of Mr. King, was fent to refcue 
our two gentlemen. At the fame time, two armed boats, 
and a party under Mr. Williamfon, went after the flying 
canoes, to cut off their retreat to the fhore. Thefe feverai 
detachments were hardly out of fight, before an account 
arrived that we had been mifinformed; upon which I fent, 
and called them all in. 
It was evident, however, from feverai corroborating cir- 
cumftances, that the defign of feizing Captain Clerke had 
really been in agitation amongft the natives. Nay, they 
made no fecret in fpeaking of it the next day. But their 
firft and great plan of operations was to have laid hold of 
me. It was my cuftom, every evening, to bathe in the frefh 
water. Very often I went alone; and always without arms. 
Expecting me to go, as ufual, this evening, they had de¬ 
termined to feize me, and Captain Clerke too, if he had 
accompanied me. But I had, after confining Oreo’s family, 
3 thought 
