I Did
Intend To Have Followed In Another Boat Myself, But Rather Unluckily
Deferred It Till After Breakfast.
The launch was no sooner landed than the
natives gathered about her, behaving in so rude a manner, that
The officers
were in some doubt if they should land their casks; but, as they expected
me on shore soon, they ventured, and with difficulty got them filled, and
into the boat again. In the doing of this Mr Clerke's gun was snatched from
him, and carried off; as were also some of the cooper's tools; and several
of the people were stripped of one thing or another. All this was done, as
it were, by stealth; for they laid hold of nothing by main force. I landed
just as the launch was ready to put off; and the natives, who were pretty
numerous on the beach, as soon as they saw me, fled; so that I suspected
something had happened. However, I prevailed on many to stay, and Mr Clerke
came, and informed me of all the preceding circumstances. I quickly came to
a resolution to oblige them to make restitution; and, for this purpose,
ordered all the marines to be armed and sent on shore. Mr Forster and his
party being gone into the country, I ordered two or three guns to be fired
from the ship, in order to alarm him; not knowing how the natives might act
on this occasion. These orders being given, I sent all the boats off but
one, with which I staid, having a good many of the natives about me, who
behaved with their usual courtesy. I made them so sensible of my intention,
that long before the marines came, Mr Clerke's musket was brought; but they
used many excuses to divert me from insisting on the other. At length Mr
Edgcumbe arriving with the marines, this alarmed them so much, that some
fled. The first step I took was to seize on two large double sailing
canoes, which were in the cove. One fellow making resistance, I fired some
small shot at him, and sent him limping off. The natives being now
convinced that I was in earnest, all fled; but on my calling to them, many
returned; and, presently after, the other musket was brought, and laid down
at my feet. That moment, I ordered the canoes to be restored, to shew them
on what account they were detained. The other things we had lost being of
less value, I was the more indifferent about them. By this time the launch
was ashore for another turn of water, and we were permitted to fill the
casks without any one daring to come near us; except one man, who had
befriended us during the whole affair, and seemed to disapprove of the
conduct of his countrymen.
On my returning from the pond to the cove, I found a good many people
collected together, from whom we understood that the man I had fired at was
dead. This story I treated as improbable, and addressed a man, who seemed
of some consequence, for the restitution of a cooper's adze we had lost in
the morning. He immediately sent away two men, as I thought, for it; but I
soon found that we had greatly mistaken each other; for instead of the
adze, they brought the wounded man, stretched out on a board, and laid him
down by me, to all appearance dead. I was much moved at the sight; but soon
saw my mistake, and that he was only wounded in the hand and thigh. I,
therefore, desired he might be carried out of the sun, and sent for the
surgeon to dress his wounds. In the mean time, I addressed several people
for the adze; for as I had now nothing else to do, I determined to have it.
The one I applied the most to, was an elderly woman, who had always a great
deal to say to me, from my first landing; but, on this occasion, she gave
her tongue full scope. I understood but little of her eloquence; and all I
could gather from her arguments was, that it was mean in me to insist on
the return of so trifling a thing. But when she found I was determined, she
and three or four more women went away; and soon after the adze was brought
me, but I saw her no more. This I was sorry for, as I wanted to make her a
present, in return for the part she had taken in all our transactions,
private as well as public. For I was no sooner returned from the pond, the
first time I landed, than this old lady presented to me a girl, giving me
to understand she was at my service. Miss, who probably had received her
instructions, wanted, as a preliminary article, a spike-nail or a shirt,
neither of which I had to give her, and soon made them sensible of my
poverty. I thought, by that means, to have come off with flying colours;
but I was mistaken; for they gave me to understand I might retire with her
on credit. On my declining this proposal, the old lady began to argue with
me; and then abuse me. Though I comprehended little of what she said, her
actions were expressive enough, and shewed that her words were to this
effect, sneering in my face, saying, What sort of a man are you, thus to
refuse the embraces of so fine a young woman? For the girl certainly did
not want beauty; which, however, I could better withstand, than the abuses
of this worthy matron, and therefore hastened into the boat. They wanted me
to take the young lady aboard; but this could not be done, as I had given
strict orders, before I went ashore, to suffer no woman, on any pretence
whatever, to come into the ship, for reasons which I shall mention in
another place.
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