1769. May. Monday 1. Tuesday 2. CHAP. XI. The Obfervatory fet up; the Quadrant stolen, and Confequences of the Theft : AVifit to Tootabah: Defcription of a Wrestlingmatch: European feeds fown: Names given to our People by the Indians. IN N the afternoon of Monday the first of May, we set up the obfervatory, and took the aftronomical quadrant, with fome other instruments, on fhore, for the first time. The next morning, about nine o'clock, I went on fhore with Mr. Green to fix the quadrant in a fituation for ufe, when to our inexpreffible furprise and concern it was not to be found. It had been deposited in the tent which was reserved for my ufe, where, as I paffed the night on board, nobody flept: it had never been taken out of the packing-cafe, which was eighteen inches fquare, and the whole was of confiderable weight; a centinel had been posted the whole night within five yards of the tent door, and none of the other inftruments were miffing. We at first suspected that it might have been ftolen by fome of our own people, who seeing a deal box, and not knowing the contents, might 1769. May. think it contained nails, or fome other fubjects of traffic with the natives. A large reward was therefore offered to any one who could find it, Tuesday 2.. as, without this, we could not perform the fervice for which our voyage was principally undertaken. Our fearch in the mean time was not confined to the fort and places adjacent, but as the cafe might poffibly have been carried back to the fhip, if any of our own people had been the thieves, the moft diligent fearch was made for it on board; all the parties however returned without any news of the quadrant, Mr. Banks, therefore, who upon fuch occafions declined neither labour nor risk, and who had more influence over the Indians than any of us, deter-, mined to go in fearch of it into the woods; he hoped, that if it had been ftolen by the natives, he fhould find it wherever they had opened the box, as they would immediately discover that to them it would be wholly useless: or, if in this expectation he should be disappointed, that he might recover it by the afcendancy he had acquired over the chiefs. He fet out, accompanied by a midshipman and Mr. Green, and as he was croffing the river he was met by Tubourai Tamaide, who immediately made the figure of a triangle with three bits of Araw upon his hand. By this Mr. Banks knew that the Indians were the thieves; and that, although they had opened the cafe, they were not disposed to part with the contents. 1769. May. Tuesday 2. 1 contents. No time was therefore to be loft, and Mr. Banks made Tubourai Tamaide understand, that he muft inftantly go with him to the place whither the quadrant had been carried; he confented, and they fet out together to the eastward, the chief inquiring at every house which they paffed after the thief by name: the people readily told him which way he was gone, and how long it was fince he had been there: the hope which this gave them that they fhould overtake him, fupported them under their fatigue, and they preffed forward, fometimes walking, fometimes running, though the weather was intole-t rably hot; when they had climbed a hill at the distance of about four miles, their conductor fhewed them a point full three miles farther, and gave them to understand that they were not to expect the inftrument till they had got thi ther. Here they paufed; they had no arms, except a pair of pistols, which Mr. Banks always carried in his pocket; they were going to a place that was at least feven miles diftant from the fort, where the Indians might be lefs fubmiffive than at home, and to take from them what they had ventured their lives to get; and what, notwithstanding our conjectures, they appeared defirous to keep: these were discouraging circumstances, and their fituation would become more critical at every ftep. They determined, however, not to relinquish their enterprife, nor to 1769. May. to pursue it without taking the best measures for their fecurity that were in their power. It was therefore determined, that Mr. Banks and Mr. Tuesday 2. Green fhould go on, and that the midshipman fhould return to me, and defire that I would fend a party of men after them, acquainting me at' the fame time, that it was impoffible they fhould return till it was dark. Upon receiving this meffage I set out, with fuch a party as I thought fufficient for the occafion; leaving orders, both at the ship and at the fort, that no canoe should be fuffered to go out of the bay, but that none of the natives fhould be feized or detained. In the mean time, Mr. Banks and Mr. Green pursued their journey, under the auspices of Tubourai Tamaide, and in the very spot which he had specified, they met one of his own people, with part of the quadrant in his hand. At this moft welcome fight they stopped; and a great number of Indians immediately came up, fome of whom preffing rather rudely upon them, Mr. Banks thought it neceffary to fhew one of his piftols, the fight of which reduced them inftantly to order: as the crowd that gathered round them was every moment increafing, he marked out a circle in the grafs, and they ranged themselves on the outfide of it to the number of several hundreds with great quietnefs and decorum. Into the middle of this circle, the box, which was now arrived, was ordered to be brought, with several reading 5 1769. May. Tuesday 2. reading glaffes, and other fmall matters, which. in their hurry they had put into a pistol-case,: that Mr. Banks knew to be his property, it hav ing been fome time before stolen from the tents, with a horse pistol in it, which he immediately demanded, and which was also restored. Mr. Green was impatient to see whether all that had been taken away was returned, and upon examining the box found the stand, and a few fmall things of lefs confequence, wanting; feveral persons were sent in search of these, and most of the small things were returned: but it was fignified that the thief had not brought the stand fo far, and that it would be delivered to our friends as they went back; this being confirmed by Tubourai Tamaide, they prepared to return, as nothing would then be wanting but what might eafily be fupplied; and after they had advanced about two miles, I met them with my party, to our mutual fatisfaction, congratulating each other upon the recovery of the quadrant, with a pleasure proportioned to the importance of the event. About eight o'clock, Mr. Banks with Tubourai Tamaide got back to the fort; when to his great furprife, he found Tootahah in cuftody, and many of the natives in the utmoft terror and diftrefs, crowding about the gate. He went haftily in, fome of the Indians were fuffered to follow him, and the scene was extremely affect |