1769. April.

Friday 14.

the fame matt, clofe by him. Tomio was not in the first bloom of her youth, nor did fhe appear to have been ever remarkable for her beauty: he did not therefore, I believe, pay her the most flattering attention: it happened too, as a farther mortification to this lady, that feeing a very pretty girl among the crowd, he, not adverting to the dignity of his companion, beckoned her to come to him: the girl, after fome entreaty, complied, and fat down on the other fide of him; he loaded her with beads, and every showy trifle that would please her: his Princefs, though fhe was fomewhat mortified at the preference that was given to her rival, did not difcontinue her civilitics, but ftill affiduoufly fupplied him with the milk of the cocoa-nut, and fuch other dainties. as were in her reach. This fcene might poffibly have become more curious and interefting, if it had not been fuddenly interrupted by an interlude of a more ferious kind. Juft at this time, Dr. Solander and Mr. Monkhouse complained that their pockets had been picked. Dr. Solander had loft an opera glass in a fhagreen cafe, and Mr. Monkhouse his fnuff box. This incident unfortunately put an end to the good-humour of the company. Complaint of the injury was made to the Chief; and, to give it weight, Mr. Banks started up, and haftily ftruck the but end of his firelock upon the ground: this action, and the noise that accompanied it, ftruck the whole affembly with a panic, and every one of the natives ran out of the house with the utmost precipitation, except the Chief, three women, and two or three others, who appeared by their drefs to be of a fuperior rank.

The Chief, with a mixture of confufion and concern, took Mr. Banks by the hand, and led him to a large quantity of cloth, which lay at the other end of the house: this he of

fered

1769.

April. Friday 14

fered to him piece by piece, intimating by figns, that if that would atone for the wrong which had been done, he might take any part of it, or, if he pleafed, the whole. Mr. Banks put it by, and gave him to understand, that he wanted nothing but what had been dishonestly taken away. Toubourai Tamaide then went hastily out, leaving Mr. Banks with his wife Tomio, who during the whole scene of terror and confufion had kept conftantly at his fide, and intimating his defire that he fhould wait there till his return. Mr. Banks accordingly fat down, and converfed with her, as well as he could by figns, about half an hour. The chief then came back with the fnuff-box and the cafe of the opera glafs in his hand, and, with a joy in his countenance that was paintedwith a ftrength of expreffion which distinguishes these people from all others, delivered them to the owners. The cafe of the opera glass, however, upon being opened, was found to be empty; upon this discovery, his countenance changed in a moment; and catching Mr. Banks again by the hand, he rushed out of the house, without uttering any found, and led him along the shore, walking with great rapidity: when they had got about a mile from the house, a woman met him and gave him a piece of cloth, which he haftily took from her, and continued to prefs forward with it in his hand. Dr. Solander and Mr. Monkhoufe had followed them, and they came at length to a house where they were received by a woman, to whom he gave the cloth, and intimated to the gentlemen that they should give her some beads. They immediately complied; and the beads and cloth being depofited upon the floor, the woman went out, and in about half an hour returned with the opera glafs, expreffing the fame joy upon the occafion that had before been expreffed by the Chief. The beads were now returned, with an inflexible

refolution

resolution not to accept them; and the cloth was, with
the fame pertinacity, forced upon Dr. Solander, as a recom-
pence
for the injury that had been done him. He could not
avoid accepting the cloth, but infifted in his turn upon
giving a new prefent of beads to the woman. It will not
perhaps be easy to account for all the steps that were taken
in the recovery of this glass and fnuff-box; but this cannot
be thought strange, confidering that the scene of action was
among a people whofe language, policy and connections
are even now but imperfectly known; upon the whole,
however, they show an intelligence and influence which
would do honour to any system of government, however
regular and improved. In the evening, about fix o'clock,
we returned to the ship.

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 several 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.

N the next morning, Saturday the 15th, feveral of the Chiefs whom we had feen the day before came on board, and brought with them, hogs, bread-fruit, and other refreshments, for which we gave them hatchets and linen, and such 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 ob, fervation.

I therefore took a party of men, and landed without delay, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and the aftronomer, Mr. Green. We foon fixed upon a part of the fandy beach, on the N. E. point of the bay, which was in every refpect convenient for our purpose, and not near any habitation of the natives. Having marked out the ground that we intended to occupy, a small tent belonging to Mr. Banks was fet up, which had been brought on shore for that purpofe: by this time a great number of the people had gathered about us; but, as it appeared, only to look on, there

1769. April.

Saturday 15.

not:

1769. April.

Saturday 15.

not being a single weapon of any kind among them. I in-
timated, 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 thefe two perfons I addreffed myself by
figns, and endeavoured to make them understand, that we
wanted the ground which we had marked out to sleep upon
for a certain number of nights, and that then we should go
away. Whether I was understood I cannot certainly deter-
mine; 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 inter-
ruption, till we had done, which was upwards of two hours.
As we had feen 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 coun-
try; and the rather, as Owhaw was very importunate with
us, by figns, not to go into the woods, which, however, and
partly for thefe reafons, we were determined to do. Having
therefore appointed the thirteen marines and a petty officer
to guard the tent, we fet out, and a great number of the na-
tives joined our party. As we were croffing a little river that
lay in our way we faw fome ducks, and Mr. Banks, as foon
as he had got over, fired at them, and happened to kill three
at one fhot: this ftruck them with the utmoft terror, fo that
most of them fell fuddenly to the ground, as if they also had
been fhot at the fame difcharge: it was not long, however,
before they recovered from their fright, and we continued
our rout; but we had not gone far before we were alarmed
by the report of two pieces, which were fired by the guard at
the tent.
We had then fraggled a little diftance from each
other, but Owhaw immediately called us together, and by
waving his hand, fent away every Indian who followed us
except three, each of whom, as a pledge of peace on their

7

part,