THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
359 
their way toward our boat employed as above. The officer 
in her feeing this, returned to the ffiip, and was followed 
by all the canoes. The boat’s crew had no fooner come 
on board, leaving in her two of their number by way of 
a guard, than fome of the Americans ftepped into her. 
Some prefented their fpears before the two men; others 
call loofe the rope which fattened her to the fhip; and the 
reft attempted to tow her away. But the inftant they faw 
us preparing to oppofe them, they let her go, ftepped out 
of her into their canoes, and made ligns to us to lay down 
our arms, having the appearance of being as perfectly 
unconcerned as if they had done nothing amifs. This, 
though rather a more daring attempt, was hardly equal to 
what they had meditated on board the Difcovery. The 
man who came and carried all his countrymen from the 
Refolution to the other fhip, had firft been on board of 
her; where, after looking down all the hatchways, and fee¬ 
ing nobody but the officer of the watch, and one or two 
more, he no doubt thought they might plunder her with 
eafe ; efpecially as ffie lay at fome diftance from us. It was 
unqueftionably with this view, that they all repaired to her. 
Several of them, without any ceremony, went on board; 
drew their knives ; made figns to the officer and people on 
deck to keep off; and began to look about them for plun¬ 
der. The firft thing they met with was the rudder of one 
of the boats, which they threw over-board to thofe of their 
party who had remained in the canoes. Before they had 
time to find another object that pleafed their fancy, the 
crew were alarmed, and began to come upon deck armed 
with cutlaffes. On feeing this, the whole company of plun¬ 
derers fneaked off into their canoes, with as much deli¬ 
beration and indifference as they had given up the boat; 
and 
