some fish and bread, for which offence they received blows offhand in summary castigation; that a quarrel immediately ensued, in which two of the natives were shot dead by the only two muskets that were fired; for before a third could be discharged, the natives rushed furiously upon our people, and being superior in numbers, destroyed them all.

According to another account, a negro servant of Captain Furneaux, who had been left to take care of the boat, was the real occasion of the quarrel. One of the natives, it was said, had stolen something out of the boat, upon which the black gave him a violent blow with a stick, and set him a-howling. His countrymen, hearing his cries at some distance, imagined he was killed, and immediately attacked our people, who, before they could reach the boat, or prepare themselves against the unexpected assault, fell a sacrifice to the fury of the exasperated savages.

It appears, therefore, that there was no premeditated plan of bloodshed, and that if these thefts had not been rather too hastily resented, the frightful revenge would never have been exacted.

Whilst our ship was at anchor near the island of Motuara, several canoes, filled with natives, came towards us. In one of these was Kahoora, a chief, who was pointed out to Captain Cook as having taken the principal part in the aforesaid massacre. When Captain Cook asked him why he had destroyed Captain Furneaux's people, Kahoora hung down his head, folded his arms, and stood like a man in sullen expectation of some dire and instant avengement; but as soon as he was assured of safety, his moodiness instantly vanished, and he became cheerful. He then ventured to inform us, that one of the natives having brought & stone hatchet for the purpose of traffic, the person to whom

it was offered took it, and refused either to return it or give anything in exchange, upon which the owner of it seized some bread by way of equivalent; and that this gave rise to the quarrel that ensued. He also mentioned that he himself, during the disturbance, had a narrow escape; for a musket which, levelled at him, he found means of avoiding by skulking behind the boat, shot another man, who happened to stand close to him, and killed him on, the spot. Upon this, he said, he attacked Mr Rowe, the officer who commanded the party, and who defended himself with his hanger, with which he gave him a wound in the arm, but was finally overpowered by superiority of numbers.

On our way to New Zealand on this occasion, Omai, a Tahitian native who was on board, had often expressed a desire to take one of the natives with him to his own country. He soon had an opportunity of gratifying his wish, for a youth, the only son of a deceased chief, offered to accompany him, and for this end came on board and took up his residence in the ship. Captain Cook caused it to be made known to him and all his friends, that if the youth departed with us he would never return. This declaration, however, had no effect. The day before we quitted the cove, his mother came to receive her last present from Omai, and the same evening she and her son parted with all the marks of the tenderest affection. But she said she would weep no more, and faithfully she kept her word; for the next morning, when she returned to take her last farewell, she was quite cheerful all the time she remained on board, and departed from him with the most perfect composure and unconcern. A native boy, of about ten years of age, also accompanied this youth, as his servant. He was presented to Captain Cook by his own father, who

parted with him with such utter indifference, as to strip him and leave him entirely naked.

In the morning of the 25th February we left the sound, and made sail through Cook Strait. As soon as we had lost sight of land, our two young New Zealanders heartily repented of the adventurous step they had taken. Though we endeavoured as far as lay in our power to soothe them, they wept both in public and private, and gave vent to their sorrows in a kind of song, which seemed to express their affection for their country and people, from which they were now in all probability to be for ever separated. They continued in this state for several days, till at length the agitation of their minds began to subside, and the seasickness wore off, which had doubtless helped in no small degree to aggravate their grief at parting. Their lamentations then became less and less frequent; their native country, their kindred, and friends were gradually forgotten, and they appeared to become firmly attached to us.

THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN COOK,
A.D. 1779.

Ar midnight on the 7th of February 1779, a gale of wind came on, which obliged us to double reef the topsails, and get down the topgallant-yards. On the 8th, at daybreak, we found that the foremast had given way, and that we should have to unstep it in order to make the necessary repairs. At this crisis, Captain Cook was for some time in doubt whether he should run the chance of meeting with a harbour in the islands to leeward, or return to Karakakooa Bay, on the west side of the island of Owhy

hee. The latter course was at last determined upon, and at daylight, on the 11th, we dropped anchor in that harbour, in nearly the same place as before.

We were employed the whole of the 11th, and part of the 12th, in getting out the foremast, and sending it with the carpenters on shore. The sailmakers were also sent along with them to repair the damages which had taken place in their department during the late gales. I shall here proceed to a narrative of those transactions with the natives which led by degrees to the fatal catastrophe of the 14th.

Upon coming to anchor, we were surprised to find our reception very different from what it had been on our first arrival: no shouts, no bustle, no confusion; but a bay almost deserted, with only here and there a solitary canoe stealing close along the shore. Things, however, went on in their usual quiet course till the afternoon of the 13th. Toward the evening of that day, the officer who commanded the watering-party of the Discovery, came to inform me that several chiefs had assembled at the well near the beach, driving away the natives whom he had hired to assist the sailors in rolling down the casks to the shore. He told me, at the same time, that he thought their behaviour extremely suspicious, and that they meant to provoke some further disturbance. At his request, therefore, I sent a marine along with him, but suffered him to carry only his side-arms himself. In a short time the officer returned, and on his acquainting me that the islanders had armed themselves with stones, and were growing very tumultuous, 1 went myself to the spot, attended by a marine with his musket. Seeing us approach, they threw away their stones; and on my remonstrating with some of the chiefs, the mob were driven away, and those who

chose, were suffered to assist in filling the casks. Having left things quiet here, I went to meet Captain Cook, whom I saw coming on shore in the pinnace. I related to him what had just passed; and he ordered me, in case of their beginning to throw stones, or behave insolently, immediately to fire a ball at the offenders. I accordingly gave orders to the corporal to have the pieces of the sentinels loaded with ball instead of small-shot.

Soon after our return to the tents we were alarmed by a continued fire of muskets from the Discovery, which we observed to be directed at a canoe which we saw paddling toward the shore in great haste, pursued by one of our small boats. We immediately concluded that the firing was in consequence of some theft, and Captain Cook ordered me to follow him with an armed marine, and to endeavour to seize the people as they came on shore Accordingly we ran toward the place where we supposed the canoe would land, but were too late, the people having quitted it, and made their escape into the country before our arrival. We were at this time ignorant that the goods had been already restored, and having inquired of the natives which way the people had fled, we followed them till it was nearly dark; when, judging ourselves to be about three miles from the tents, we thought it vain to continue our search, and returned to the beach.

During our absence a difference of a more serious and unpleasant nature occurred. The officer who had been sent in the small boat, and was returning on board with the goods which had been restored, observing Captain Cook and me engaged in the pursuit of the offenders, thought it his duty to seize the canoe, which was left drawn up on the shore. Unfortunately this canoe belonged to the chief Pareea, who, arriving at the same moment