October.

accomplish my design, hoping it would either, 1769.
make them surrender or leap into the water.
Upon the discharge of the piece, they ceafed Monday 9.
paddling; and all of them, being feven in num-
ber, began to ftrip, as we imagined to jump
overboard, but it happened otherwise. They
immediately formed a refolution not to fly, but
to fight; and when the boat came up, they be-
gan the attack with their paddles, and with
stones and other offenfive weapons that were in
the boat, fo vigorously, that we were obliged to
fire upon them in our own defence: four were
unhappily killed, and the other three who were
boys, the eldest about nineteen, and the young-
est about eleven, inftantly leaped into the wa-
ter; the eldest fwam with great vigour, and
refifted the attempts of our people to take him
into the boat by every effort that he could make :
he was however at laft overpowered, and the
other two were taken up with lefs difficulty. I
am conscious that the feeling of every reader
of humanity will cenfure me for having fired
upon these unhappy people, and it is impossible
that, upon a calm review, I fhould approve it
myfelf. They certainly did not deferve death
for not chufing to confide in my promises; or
not confenting to come on board my boat, even
if they had apprehended no danger; but the
nature of my service required me to obtain a
knowledge of their country, which I could no

other

1

1769. October.

Monday 9.

otherwise effect than by forcing my way into it in a hostile manner, or gaining admiffion through the confidence and good-will of the people. I had already tried the power of presents without effect; and I was now prompted, by my desire to avoid further hoftilities, to get fome of them on board, as the only method left of convincing them that we intended them no harm, and had it in our power to contribute to their gratification and convenience. Thus far my intentions certainly were not criminal; and though in the contest, which I had not the least reason to expect, our victory might have been complete without fo great an expence of life; yet in such fituations, when the command to fire has been given, no man can restrain its excess, or prefcribe its effect.

As foon as the poor wretches whom we had taken out of the water were in the boat, they fquatted down, expecting no doubt inftantly to be put to death: we made hafte to convince them of the contrary, by every method in our power; we furnished them with clothes, and gave them every other teftimony of kindness that could remove their fears and engage their good-will. Those who are acquainted with human nature will not wonder, that the fudden joy of these young favages at being unexpectedly delivered from the fear of death, and kindly treated by those whom they fuppofed would have been their

7

1769. October.

their inftant executioners, furmounted their concern for the friends they had loft, and was ftrongly expreffed in their countenances and be- Monday 9. haviour. Before we reached the fhip, their fufpicions and fears being wholly removed, they appeared to be not only reconciled to their fituation but in high fpirits, and upon being offered fome bread when they came on board, they devoured it with a voracious appetite. They anfwered and asked many questions, with great appearance of pleasure and curiofity; and when our dinner came, they expreffed an inclination to taste every thing that they faw: they seemed best pleased with the falt pork, though we had other provisions upon the table. At fun-set, they eat another meal with great eagerness, each devouring a large quantity of bread, and drinking above a quart of water. We then made them beds upon the lockers, and they went to fleep with great seeming content. the night, however, the tumult of their minds. having fubfided, and given way to reflection, they fighed often and loud. Tupia, who was always upon the watch to comfort them, got up, and by foothing and encouragement made them not only eafy but cheerful; their cheerfulness was encouraged fo that they fung a fong with a degree of taste that furprised us: the tune was folemn and flow, like thofe of our Pfalms, containing many notes and femitones. Their coun

.

In

tenances

tenances were intelligent and expreffive, and the middlemoft, who feemed to be about fifteen, had an openness in his afpect, and an ease in his deportment, which were very striking: we found 'that the two eldest were brothers, and that their names were TAAHOURANGE and KOIKERANGE; the name of the youngest was MARAGOVETE. As we were returning to the fhip, after having taken these boys into the boat, we picked up a large piece of pumice ftone floating upon the water; a fure fign that there either is, or has been a volcano in this neighbourhood.

In the morning, they all seemed to be cheerful, and eat another enormous meal; after this we dreffed them, and adorned them with bracelets, anclets, and necklaces, after their own fashion, and the boat being hoifted out, they were told that we were going to fet them afhore: this produced a transport of joy; but upon perceiving that we made towards our first landing-place near the river, their countenances changed, and they entreated with great earnestness that they might not be fet afhore at that place, because they said, it was inhabited by their enemies, who would kill them and eat them. This was a great disappointment to me; because I hoped the report and appearance of the boys would procure a favourable reception for ourselves. I had already sent an officer on fhore with the marines and a party of men to cut wood, and I was determined

1769. Qctober.

determined to land near the place; not, how. ever, to abandon the boys, if, when we got afhore, they should be unwilling to leave us; but Tuesday 10. to fend a boat with them in the evening to that part of the bay to which they pointed, and which they called their home. Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Tupia were with me, and upon our landing with the boys, and croffing the river, they feemed at firft to be unwilling to leave us; but at length they fuddenly changed their mind, and, though not without a manifeft ftruggle, and fome tears, they took their leave: when they were gone, we proceeded along a swamp, with a design to shoot some ducks, of which we saw great plenty, and four of the marines attended us, walking abreast of us upon a bank that overlooked the country. After we had advanced about a mile, these men called out to us and told us, that a large body of the Indians was in fight, and advancing at a great rate. Upon receiving this intelligence, we drew together, and refolved to make the best of our way to the boats; we had scarcely begun to put this into execution, when the three Indian boys started fuddenly from some bushes, where they had concealed themselves, and again claimed our protection: we readily received them, and repairing to the beach as the clearest place, we walked brifkly towards the boats. The Indians were in two bodies; one ran along the bank VOL. III. M

which