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cotoa-nuts and other fruits ; and after a fhort vifit, they continued their walk, Iffthis tour they often paffed under vaults, formed by rocky fragments, in which, theywere informed, that thofe who were benighted often took refuge. During this tour hehad a fine opportunity of fearching for minerals among the rocks, which were almofton all fides naked j he found, however, not the fmalleft appearance of any kind ofmineral. The Hones, every where refembling thofe of Madeira, gave manifeft fig nsof having been burnt. There are alfo evident traces of fire in the clay upon the hills,both of this and the neighbouring iflands.
Mr. Banks was engaged the 4th in planting on each fide of the fort a great quantityof the feeds of water-melons, oranges, lemons, limes, and other plants and trees whichhe had brought from Rio de Janeiro . He gave of thefe feeds to the Indians in greatplenty, and planted many of them in the woods : fome of the melon-feeds, which hadbeen planted foon after his arrival, had already produced plants, which appeared to bein a very flourifhing Hate.
Preparations were now made for departing. On Friday the 7th, the carpenters wereordered to take down the gates and pallifadoes of the fort, to be converted into fire-wood on board the Endeavour, and one of the Indians Hole the ftaple and hook be-longing to the gate ; he was inftantly purfued, but could not be found ; and foon afteFthis, their old friend Tubora Tumaida brought back the ftaple.
They continued on the 8th and 9th to pull down the fort, and their friends ftifivifited them.
•Captain Cook hoped now to quit the ifland without any farther mifunderftandingwith the natives ; but in this he was miftaken. Two foreign failors having been out,one of them was robbed of his knife, and ftriving to recover it, the Indians attackedand wounded him in a dangerous manner with a ftone ; his companion alfo received aflight wound in the head. As Captain Cook would have been unwilling to have takenfarther notice of the tranfaclion, he was not forry the offenders had made their efcape*Another affair equally difagreeabie foon after happened. Between the 8th and 9th mthe evening, two young marines retired fecretly from the fort, and in the morning werenot to be met with. Notice having been given for all the company to go on board thenext day, and that the flfip would fail that day or the day enfuing, Captain Cook beganto fear that the marines intended to remain on Ihore. He was apprifed, that no effec-tual fteps could be taken to recover them, without rilking the harmony and good fd-lowflfip which at prefent fubfifted between the Englilh and the natives ; and thereforerefolved to wait a day in hopes of their returning.
The 10th, in the. morning, the marines not being returned, an enquiry was madeafter them, when the Indians declared they did not propofe returning, having takenrefuge in the mountains where it was impoffible to difcover them, and that each hadtaken a wife. In confequence of which it was intimated to feveral chiefs who were inthe fort with their women, among whom were Tubora Tumaida, Tomio and Oberea,that they would not be fuffered to quit it till the deferters were produced. CaptainCook thought this precaution neceffary, as, by concealing them a fhort time, he nfigbe compelled to go without them. They received the intimation with very little fig^ seither of fear or difeontent, affuring the captain that the marines fhould be fent bacIn the interim he fent Mr. Hicks in the pinnace to bring Tootahah on board the ihip>which he executed without giving any alarm; Night coming on, Captain Cook judgedit was not prudent to let the people, whom he had detained as hoftages, remain at tfort, and he therefore ordered Tubora Tumaida, Oberea, and fome others, tobrought on board. This gave an unufual alarm, and feveral of them, efpeciajly f ®