622

CAPTAIN COOK’S SECOND VOYAGE.

mined to haul the boat afhore. At the head of this party was the chief; the others,who could not come at the boat, flood behind with darts, ftones, and bows and arrowsin hand, ready to fupport them. Signs and threats having no effect, their own fafetybecame the only confideration ; and yet the captain was unwilling to fire on the mul-titude, and refolved to make the chief alone fail a victim to his own treachery ; buthis mufquet at this critical moment miffed fire. Whatever idea they might haveformed of their arms, the natives muff now have looked upon them as childifh weapons,and began to let them fee how much better theirs were, by throwing ftones and darts,and by (hooting arrows. This made it abfolutely neeeffary to give orders to fire.The firft difcharge threw them into confufion; but a fecond was hardly fuffcient todrive them off the beach ; and after all, they continued to throw ftones from behindthe trees and bullies, and every now and then to pop out and throw a dart. Four layto all appearance dead on the fhore; but two of them afterwards crawled into thebufhes. Happy it was for thefe people, that not half their mufquets would go off,otherwife many more muft have fallen. One failor was wounded in the cheek with adart, the point of which was as thick as a little finger, and yet it entered above twoinches ; which (hews that it muft have come with great force, though indeed they werevery near them. An arrow (truck Mr. Gilbert’s naked bread, who was above thirtyyards off; but probably it had (truck fomething before ; for it hardly penetrated thefkin. The arrows were pointed with hard wood.

As foon as they got on board, the captain ordered the anchor to be weighed.While this was doing, feveral people appeared on the low rocky point, difplaying twooars they had loft in the fcuffle. This was fuppofed a fign of lubmiflion, and of theirwanting to give them the oars. He, neverthelefs, fired a four-pound (hot at them, t0let them fee the effect of their great guns. The ball fell fhort, but frightened themfo much, that none were feen afterwards; and they left the oars (landing up agamitthe bufhes. They now flood out to fea.

Thefe iflanders feemed to be a different race from thofe of Mallicollo , and fpokea different language. They are of the middle fize, have a good fhape, and tolerablefeatures. Their colour is very dark, and they paint their faces, fome with black, andothers with red pigment. Their hair is very curly and crifp, and fomewhat woolly*They faw a few women, and thought them ugly ; they wore a kind of petticoat madeof palm leaves, or fome plant like it. But the men, like thofe of Mallicollo , were ina manner naked; having only the belt about the waift, and the piece of-cloth, or leal,ufed as a wrapper. They faw no canoes with thefe people, nor were any feen in anypart of this ifland. They live in houfes covered with thatch, and their plantations arelaid out by line, and fenced round. .

In the night of the 5th of Auguft they faw a light, which was occafioned by a vo -cano, which they obferved to throw up vaft quantities of fire and fmoke, with arumbling noife heard at a great diftance. They now made fail for the ifland whenceit appeared, and prefently after difcovered a fmall inlet which had the appearance 0being a good harbour. The wind left them as foon as they were within the entrance,and obliged them to drop an anchor in four fathoms water. After this, the boa swere fent to found. ..

Many of the natives now got together in parties, on feveral parts of the fhore, aarmed with bows, fpears, &c. Some fwam off to them, others came in canoes,firft they were fhy, and kept at the diftance of a (tone’s throw ; they grew infenfi 7bolder, and at laft came under their flern, and made fome exchanges. The people 1one of the firft canoes, after coming as near as they durft, threw towards them f°^