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CAPTAIN COOK S SECOND VOYAGE.

fentinels on fhore. He having either flept or quitted his poll, gave one or the nativesan opportunity to carry off his mufquet. The firft news the captain heard of it was^rom Tee, whom Otoo had fent on board for that purpofe, and to defire that he wouldgo to him, for that he was mataoued. They were not well enough acquainted withtheir language to underftand all Tee’s ftory; but they underftood enough to knowthat fomething had happened which had alarmed the King. In order, therefore, tobe fully informed, the captain went afhore with Tee and Tarevatoo, who had fleptaboard all night. As foon as they landed, he was informed of the whole by the ferjeantwho commanded the party. The natives were all alarmed, and the mod of them fled.Tee and the captain went to look for Otoo; and as they advanced, he endeavoured toallay the fears of the people, but at the fame time infilled on the mufquet beingreftored. After .travelling fome diftance into the country, enquiring of every one theyfaw for Otoo, Tee Hopped all at once, and advifed the captain to return, faying, thatOtoo was gone to the mountains, and he would proceed and tell him that he (thecaptain) was Hill his friend. Tee alfo promifed that he would ufe his endeavours torecover the mufquet.

The captain returned to the fhip, and foon after he obferved fix large canoescoming round Point Venus. Some people whom he had fent out to watch the conductof the neighbouring inhabitants, informed him, they were laden with baggage, fruit*hogs, See. There being room for fufpecting that fome perfon belonging to thefecanoes had committed the theft, he came to a refolution to intercept them; an< *having put off in a boat for that purpofe, gave orders for another to follow. One ofthe canoes, which was fome diftance ahead of the reft, came direClly for the fhip.went along fide this, and found two or three women in her whom he knew. Theytold him they were going on board the Ihip with fomething for him; and on inquiringof them for Otoo, was told he was then at the tents. Pleafed with this news, hecontradicted the orders he had given for intercepting the other canoes, thinking theymight be coming on board alfo as well as this one, which he left within a few y ar< jqof the fhip, and rowed afhore to fpeak with Otoo. But when he landed he was tolthat he had not been there, nor knew they any thing of him. On looking behmhim, he faw all the canoes making off in the greateft hafte; even the one he had letalong fide the fhip had evaded going on board, and was making her efcape. Vexeat being thus outwitted, he refolved to purfue them ; and as he paffed the fhip, g aV forders to fend another boat for the fame purpofe. Five out of .fix they took, anbrought along-fide; but the firft, which aCted the fineffe fo well, got clear off. Wh el1they got on board with their prizes, he learnt that the people, who had deceived h 1IT }’ufed no endeavours to lay hold of the fhip on the fide they were upon, but let theicanoe drop paft, as if they meant to come under the ftern, or on the other fidej aI1that the moment they were paft, they paddled off with all fpeed. Thus the can °^!in which were only a few women, was to have amufed them with falfe ftories, a s t e Jactually did, while the,others, in which were molt of the effeCts, got off. f ,

In one of the canoes they had taken, was a chief, a friend of Mr. Forfter’s, whad hitherto called himfelf an earee, and would have been much offended if ari yhad called his title in queftion; alfo three women, his wife and daughter, aia r. t jmother of the late Toutaha. Ihefe, together with the canoes, the captain refo^^to detain, and to fend the chief to Otoo, thinking he would have weI ^ aSenough with him to obtain the return of the mufquet, as his own property wat flake. „

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