During the lime we were in this critical situation, a number of the natives were on board and about the ships.  They seemed to be insensible of our danger, shewing not the least surprise, joy, or fear, when we were striking, and left us a little before sun-set, quite unconcerned.[2]

We spent the night, which proved squally and rainy, making short boards; and the next morning, being the 17th, we anchored in Oaiti-piha Bay in twelve fathoms water about two cables length from the shore; both ships being by this time crowded with a great number of the natives, who brought with them cocoa-nuts, plantains, bananoes, apples, yams, and other roots, which they exchanged for nails and beads.  To several, who called themselves chiefs, I made presents of shirts, axes, and several other articles, and, in return, they promised to bring me hogs and fowls, a promise they never did, nor ever intended to perform.

In the afternoon, I landed in company with Captain Furneaux, in order to view the watering-place, and to sound the disposition of the natives, I also sent a boat to get some water for present use, having scarcely any left on board.  We found this article as convenient as could be expected, and the natives to behave with great civility.

Early in the morning, I sent the two launches and the Resolution’s cutter, under the command of Mr Gilbert, to endeavour to recover the anchors we had left behind us; they returned about noon, with the Resolution’s bower anchor, but could not recover any of the Adventure’s.  The natives came off again with fruit, as the day before, but in no great quantity.  I also had a party on shore, trading under the protection of a guard; nothing, however, was brought to market but fruit and roots, though many hogs were seen (I was told) about the houses of the natives.  The cry was, that they belonged to Waheatoun the Earee de hi, or king, and him we had not yet seen, nor, I believe, any other chief of note.  Many, however, who called themselves Earees, came on board, partly with a view of getting presents, and partly to pilfer whatever came in their way.

One of this sort of Earees I had, most of the day, in the cabin, and made presents to him and all his friends, which were not few; at length he was caught taking things which did not belong to him, and handing them out of the quarter gallery.  Many complaints of the like nature were made to me against those on deck, which occasioned my turning them all out of the ship.  My cabin guest made good haste to be gone; I was so much exasperated at his behaviour, that after he had got some distance from the ship, I fired two muskets over his head, which made him quit the canoe, and take to the water; I then sent a boat to take up the canoe, but as she came near the shore, the people from thence began to pelt her with stones.  Being in some pain for her safety, as she was unarmed, I went myself in another boat to protect her, and ordered a great gun, loaded with ball, to be fired along the coast, which made them all retire from the shore, and I was suffered to bring away two canoes without the least shew of opposition.  In one of the canoes was a little boy, who was much frightened, but I soon dissipated his fears, by giving him beads, and putting him on shore.  A few hours after, we were all good friends again, and the canoes were returned to the first person who came for them.