THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
' 123 
thought it prudent to avoid putting myfelf in their power; 
and had cautioned Captain Clerke, and the officers, not to 
go far from the fhips. In the courfe of the afternoon, the 
Chief afked me, three feveral times, if I would not go to the 
bathing-place; and when he found, at laft, that I could 
not be prevailed upon, he went off, with the reft of his 
people, in fpite of all that I could do or fay to ftop him. 
But as I had no fufpicion, at this time, of their deftgn, I 
imagined that fome fudden fright had feized them, which 
would, as ufual, foon be over. Finding themfelves difap- 
pointed as to me, they fixed on thofe who were more in 
their power. It was fortunate, for all parties, that they did 
not fucceed; and not lefs fortunate, that no mifchief was 
done on the occafion. For not a mufquet was fired, except 
two or three, to ftop the canoes. To that firing, perhaps, 
Meffrs. Clerke and Gore owed their fafety *; for, at that 
very inftant, a party of the natives, armed with clubs, were 
advancing toward them ; and on hearing the report of the 
mufquets, they difperfed. 
This confpiracy, as it may be called, was firft difcovered 
by a girl, whom one of the officers had brought from 
Huaheine. She, overhearing fome of the Ulieteans fay, 
that they would feize Captain Clerke and Mr. Gore, ran to 
acquaint the firft of our people that fhe met with. Thofe 
who were charged with the execution of the defign threat¬ 
ened to kill her as foon as we fliould leave the iftand, 
for difappointing them. Being aware of this, we con¬ 
trived that her friends Ihould come, fome days after, and 
1777- 
November. 
* Perhaps they owed their fafety, principally, to Captain Clerke’s walking with a 
piftol in his hand, which he once fired. This circumftance is omitted both in Captain 
Cook’s and in Mr. Anderfon’s journal; but it is here mentioned on the authority of 
Captain King. 
R 2 
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