A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 768 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 768 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16.
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
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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.