In support of this opinion, I may add the account of another accident, precisely of the same kind which happened to us on our first visit, the day before the arrival of the king.  A native had sold a hog on board the Resolution, and taken the price agreed on, when Pareea, passing by advised the man not to part with the hog, without an advanced price.  For this he was sharply spoken to, and pushed away; and the taboo being soon after laid on the bay, we had at first no doubt but that it was in consequence of the offence given to the chief.  Both these accidents serve to shew, how very difficult it is to draw any certain conclusion from the actions of people, with whose customs, as well as language, we are so imperfectly acquainted; at the same time, some idea may be formed from them, of the difficulties, at the first view, perhaps, not very apparent, which those have to encounter, who, in all their transactions with these strangers, have to steer their course amidst so much uncertainty, where a trifling error may be attended with even the most fatal consequences.  However true or false our conjectures may be, things went on in their usual quiet course till the afternoon of the 13th.

Toward the evening of that day, the officer, who commanded the watering-party of the Discovery, came to inform me, that several chiefs had assembled at the well near the beach, driving away the natives, whom he had hired to assist the sailors in rolling down the casks to the shore.  He told me, at the same time, that he thought their behaviour extremely suspicious, and that they meant to give him some farther disturbance.  At his request, therefore, I sent a marine along with him, but suffered him to take only his side-arms.  In a short time the officer returned, and, on his acquainting me, that the islanders had armed themselves with stones, and were grown very tumultuous I went myself to the spot, attended by a marine, with his musket.  Seeing us approach, they threw away their stones; and, on my speaking to some of the chiefs, the mob were driven away, and those who chose it were suffered to assist in filling the casks.  Having left things quiet here, I went to meet Captain Cook, whom I saw coming on shore in the pinnace.  I related to him what had just passed; and he ordered me, in case of their beginning to throw stones, or behave insolently, immediately to fire a ball at the offenders.  I accordingly gave orders to the corporal, to have the pieces of the sentinels loaded with ball, instead of small shot.

Soon after our return to the tents, we were alarmed by a continued fire of muskets from the Discovery, which we observed to be directed at a canoe that we saw paddling toward the shore in great haste, pursued by one of our small boats.  We immediately concluded that the firing was in consequence of some theft, and Captain Cook ordered me to follow him with a marine armed, and to endeavour to seize the people as they came on shore.  Accordingly, we ran toward the place where we supposed the canoe would land, but were too late; the people having quitted it, and made their escape into the country before our arrival.