and cloth being depofited upon the floor, the CHAP. CHAP. IX. A Place fixed upon for an Obfervatory and Fort: an Excurfion into the Woods, and its Confequences. The Fort erected: a Vifit from feveral Chiefs on board and at the Fort, with fome Account of the Mufic of the Natives, and the Manner in which they difpofe of their Dead. Ο 1769. April. N the next morning, Saturday the 15th, feveral of the Chiefs whom we had feen the day before came on board, and brought Saturd. 15. with them, hogs, bread-fruit, and other refreshments, for which we gave them hatchets and linen, and fuch things as feemed to be most acceptable. As in my excursion to the weftward, I had not found any more convenient harbour than that in which we lay, I determined to go on fhore and fix upon fome spot, commanded by the ship's guns, where I might throw up a small fort for our defence, and prepare for making our aftronomical obfervation. I therefore took a party of men, and landed without delay, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, 1769. April. Solander, and the aftronomer, Mr. Green. We foon fixed upon a part of the fandy beach, on Saturd. 15. the N. E. point of the bay, which was in every respect convenient for our purpose, and not near any habitation of the natives. Having marked out the ground that we intended to occupy, a fmall tent belonging to Mr. Banks was fet up, which had been brought on fhore for that purpose by this time a great number of the people had gathered about us; but, as it appeared, only to look on, there not being a single weapon of any kind among them. I intimated, however, that none of them were to come within the line I had drawn, except one who appeared to be a Chief, and Owhaw. To these two perfons I addreffed myself by signs, and endeavoured to make them understand, that we wanted the ground which we had marked out to fleep upon for a certain number of nights, and that then we should go away. Whether I was understood I cannot certainly determine; but the people behaved with a deference and respect that at once pleased and surprised us: they fat down peaceably without the circle, and looked on, without giving us any interruption, till we had done, which was upwards of two hours. As we had seen no poultry, and but two hogs, in our walk when we were laft on fhore at this place, we fufpected that, upon our arrival, they had been driven farther up the country; and the the rather, as Owhaw was very importunate VOL. II. Z 1769. April. Saturd, 15. 1769. April. Saturd. 15. when we came up, we found it entirely deferted, except by our own people. It appeared, that one of the Indians who remained about the tent after we left it, had watched his opportunity, and, taking the centry unawares, had snatched away his mufquet. Upon this, the petty officer, a midshipman, who commanded the party, perhaps from a fudden fear of farther violence, perhaps from the natural petulance of power newly acquired, and perhaps from a brutality in his nature, ordered the marines to fire: the men, with as little confideration or humanity as the officer, immediately discharged their pieces among the thickeft of the flying crowd, confifting of more than a hundred; and obferving that the thief did not fall, pursued him, and shot him dead. We afterwards learnt, that none of the others were either killed or wounded. Owhaw, who had never left us, obferving that we were now totally deferted, got together a few of those who had fled, though not without fome difficulty, and ranged them about us : we endeavoured to justify our people as well as we could, and to convince the Indians that if they did no wrong to us, we should do no wrong to them they went away without any appearance of distruft or refentment; and having ftruck our tent, we returned to the ship, but by |