in a canoe. They had brought back the tongs and
chisel, together with another article that we had
not missed, which happened to be the lid of the water-cask.
Having recovered these things, he was returning on
board, when he was met by the Resolution’s pinnace,
with five men in her, who, without any orders, had
come from the observatories to his assistance.
Being thus unexpectedly reinforced, he thought himself
strong enough to insist upon having the thief, or the
canoe which took him in, delivered up as reprisals.
With that view he turned back; and having found the
canoe on the beach, he was preparing to launch it
into the water, when Pareah made his appearance, and
insisted upon his not taking it away, as it was his
property. The officer not regarding him, the
chief seized upon him, pinioned his arms behind, and
held him by the hair of his head; on which one of
the sailors struck him with an oar. Pareah instantly
quitted the officer, snatched the oar out of the man’s
hand, and snapped it in two across his knee. At
length the multitude began to attack our people with
stones. They made some resistance, but were soon
overpowered, and obliged to swim for safety to the
small cutter, which lay farther out than the pinnace.
The officers, not being expert swimmers, retreated
to a small rock in the water, where they were closely
pursued by the Indians. One man darted a broken
oar at the master, but his foot slipping at the time,
he missed him, which fortunately saved that officer’s
life. At last, Pareah interfered, and put an
end to their violence. The gentlemen, knowing
that his presence was their only defence against the
fury of the natives, entreated him to stay with them
till they could get off in the boats; but that he
refused, and left them. The master went to seek
assistance from the party at the observatories; but
the midshipman chose to remain in the pinnace.
He was very rudely treated by the mob, who plundered
the boat of every thing that was loose on board, and
then began to knock her to pieces for the sake of the
iron work; but Pareah fortunately returned in time
to prevent her destruction. He had met the other
gentleman on his way to the observatories, and, suspecting
his errand, had forced him to return. He dispersed
the crowd again, and desired the gentlemen to return
on board. They represented that all their oars
had been taken out of the boat; on which he brought
some of them back, and the gentlemen were glad to
get off, without farther molestation. They had
not proceeded far, before they were overtaken by Pareah,
in a canoe. He delivered the midshipman’s
cap, which had been taken from him in the scuffle,
joined noses with them, in token of reconciliation,
and was anxious to know if Captain Cook would kill
him for what had happened. They assured him of
the contrary, and made signs of friendship to him in
return. He then left them, and paddled over to
the town of Kavaroah, and that was the last time we
ever saw him. Captain Cook returned on board