this small party from an advantageous situation which they occupied, but were repulsed; and a large reinforcement being landed from the ships, they became overawed, and the mast, sails, and astronomical apparatus were carried off unmolested. Until this was effected, every thing was in the most critical situation; for had they discharged their vengeance on the mast and sails, and cut off the small party on shore, which they might easily have done, the most fatal consequences to the expedition must have followed, and it would have been impossible to have brought both the ships home.

The command of the expedition now devolved on captain Clerke, who removed on board the Resolution. He appointed lieutenant Gore to be captain of the Discovery, and promoted Mr. Harvey, a midshipman, who had been with captain Cook in his two former voyages, to the vacant lieutenancy. Notwithstanding the fierce resentment which every one on board felt for the loss of their beloved leader, yet the many circumstances which attended that fatal transaction, serving to acquit the natives of any premeditated ill designs, prevented that indiscriminating destruction being poured upon them, which might have been immediately effected, if the force of the two ships had been brought to bear upon the shore, where the inhabitants were assembled in great numbers, and where their villages stood. This moderation of conduct was entirely owing to the peremptory orders which were issued out by captain Clerke, who was desirous, if possible, to restore peace without making the shore a scene of slaughter and desolation. Mr. King, who was now first lieutenant on board the Discovery, having the boats of both ships well armed under his com

mand, proceeded towards the shore, displaying a white flag, which emblem of peace was received by the natives with great apparent satisfaction. As he approached a chief swam to him, and a peremptory demand was made of the dead bodies, particularly captain Cook's, which the chief promised should be brought the next morning. While this intercourse was maintained, the ill intentions of the natives became clearly discernible through the disguise which they had assumed. Several of them were seen dressed in the clothes of the marines who had been killed; and one of the chiefs brandished captain Cook's hanger. On the evening of the next day, the 15th, after it became dark, two of the natives came in a canoe, bringing a small bundle wrapped up in cloth, which contained a piece of human flesh, about nine or ten pounds weight. This, they said, was all that remained of captain Cook; that the rest was cut to pieces and burned, but that the head and all the bones, except what belonged to the trunk, were in the possession of Terreeoboo and the chiefs; that this part of the body had been allotted to Kaoo, the chief of the priests, to be made use of in some religious ceremony, but that he had sent it as a proof of his innocence and attachment. These two Indians were questioned very closely, and apart, whether their countrymen had not eaten the flesh of those men which had been killed? but they testified the utmost horror at the idea, and asked the officers, if such was the custom among them? They afterwards inquired with great earnestness and apparent apprehension, when the Orono would come again, and what he would do to them on his return? The same question was frequently put by other Indians after this interview, and agrees with the general tenour

of their conduct towards captain Cook, which proved, that they considered him as a being of a superior nature. It appeared from the account given by these men, that seventeen of their countrymen had been killed in the first action, five of whom were chiefs, some of them of the first rank. As every thing remained very quiet on board the ships, and no appearances of hostility were discerned, the natives began to grow bold and insolent. Instead of imputing such conduct to its true motive, they thought it proceeded from a want of power to punish. On the 17th the boats of both ships were manned, and sent ashore for water, as it was absolutely necessary to procure a supply: the Discovery was also warped close to the beach, in order to cover that service. No sooner had the party landed than the natives became extremely troublesome, harrassing them with stones, so that the great guns were fired from the ship, and the seamen were ordered to set fire to some straggling houses which had afforded a retreat to the assailants. Being thus furnished with an opportunity of gratifying their thirst of revenge, they spread general devastation over the place, and even the venerable habitations of the friendly priests, which lay contiguous, were destroyed in their undistinguishing fury. It afterwards appeared that those men, conscious of their having taken no part in these scenes of violence, and relying on the assurances which the officers had given, that their persons and property should be safe, had not removed any of their effects into the interior country, as the rest of the inhabitants had done; so that with their dwellings they lost all their property, including every thing which they had collected from the ships. One circumstance, during all these commotions, is

very remarkable: the women of the island, whe were on board the ships, never offered to leave them, nor discovered the smallest apprehensions, either for themselves or their countrymen on shore. 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. As there is no doubt that the women, who associated with the sailors on board the ships, were of the lowest and most abandoned upon the island, such insensibility may be considered as the natural consequence of habitual profligacy, and not as any peculiar characteristic of these islanders.

The natives being now convinced that it was not the want of ability to punish them, which had hitherto caused their insults to be passed over, desisted from giving the waterers any farther molestation; and in the evening of the 18th, a chief called Eappo, a man of the first consequence in the island, came with presents from Terreeoboo, to sue for peace. He was dismissed with this answer, that "until the remains of captain Cook should be restored, no peace could be granted." This chief informed the captains, that the flesh of all those who had been murdered, together with the bones of the trunks, had been burned. That the limb-bones of the marines had been divided among the inferior chiefs; and that those of captain Cook had been disposed of in the following manner: the head to a great chief named Kahoo-opeon, the hair to another named Maia-maira, and the legs, thighs and arms, to Terreeoboo. On the 19th Eappo again came on board the Resolution, dressed in great state, bringing with him the bones of captain Cook,

wrapped in a large quantity of fine new cloth, and covered with a spotted cloak of black and white feathers. They consisted of both the hands of captain Cook entire, which were well known from a remarkable scar in one of them, which divided the thumb from the fore-finger; the skull, but with the scalp separated from it, and the bones that form the face wanting; the scalp, with the hair upon it cut short, and the ears adhering to it; the bones of both arms, with the skin of the fore-arms hanging to them; the thigh and leg-bones joined together, but without the feet. The ligaments of the joints were entire, and the whole bore evident marks of having been in the fire, except the hands, which had the flesh left on them; they were cut in several places, and crammed with salt, apparently with an intention of preserving them. The scalp had a cut in the back part of it, but the skull was free from any fracture. The lower-jaw and feet, which were wanting, Eappo said had been seized by different chiefs; but these were brought the next morning, together with the barrels of his gun, his shoes, and some other trifles. From this chief, information was likewise obtained concerning the cutter, that fatal theft which had cost captain Cook his life! It had been stolen by Pareea's people, probably in revenge for the blow which he had received, and was broke up the day following. On the 21st, in the afternoon, the remains of this great commander having been put into a coffin, and the funeral service being read over them, they were committed to the deep with "What our feelings were, on this occasion," says Mr. King, "I leave the world to conceive; those who were present know that it is not in my power to express them."

due military honours.