When he arrived, we found him exceedingly grave and thoughtful.  We endeavoured to make him understand the necessity we were under of setting fire to the village, by which his house, and those of his brethren, were unintentionally consumed.  He expostulated a little with us on our want of friendship, and on our ingratitude.  And, indeed, it was not till now, that we learnt the whole extent of the injury we had done them.  He told us, that relying on the promises I had made them, and on the assurances they had afterward received from the men, who had brought us the remains of Captain Cook, they had not removed their effects back into the country with the rest of the inhabitants, but had put every thing that was valuable of their own, as well as what they had collected from us, into a house close to the morai, where they had the mortification to see it all set on fire by ourselves.[4]

[Footnote 4:  How painful, on the other hand, must this occurrence have proved to a man of King’s refined feelings and sentiments!  But it ought not to be forgotten, that even such an event, though not at all intended, was almost a necessary consequence of the conduct, which, in a moment of irritation, not however totally disjoined from every plea of prudence, he himself had thought right to prescribe.  So impolitic, and so blind in the distribution of mischief, is revenge, though apparently sanctioned by the hope and calculation of advantage.—­E.]

On coming on board, he had seen the heads of his countrymen lying on the deck, at which he was exceedingly shocked, and desired, with great earnestness, that they might be thrown overboard.  This request Captain Clerke instantly ordered to be complied with.

In the evening, the watering party returned on board, having met with no farther interruption.  We passed a gloomy night; the cries and lamentations we heard on shore being far more deadful than ever.  Our only consolation was, the hope that we should have no occasion, in future, for a repetition of such severities.

It is very extraordinary, that amidst all these disturbances, the women of the island who were on board, never offered to leave us, nor discovered the smallest apprehensions either for themselves or their friends ashore.  So entirely unconcerned did they appear, that some of them, who were on deck when the town was in flames, seemed to admire the sight, and frequently cried out, that it was maitai, or very fine.

The next morning, Koah came off as usual to the ships.  As there existed no longer any necessity for keeping terms with him, I was allowed to have my own way.  When he approached toward the side of the ship, singing a song, and offering me a hog and some plantains, I ordered him to keep off, cautioning him never to appear again without Captain Cook’s bones, lest his life should pay the forfeit of his frequent breach of promise.  He did not appear much mortified with this reception, but went immediately on shore, and joined a party of his countrymen, who were pelting the waterers with stones.  The body of the young man who had been killed the day before, was found this morning, lying at the entrance of the cave; and some of our people went and threw a mat over it; soon after which, they saw some men carrying him off on their shoulders, and could hear them singing, as they marched, a mournful song.