of the island, we found ourselves abreast of a deep bay, called by the natives Toe-rab-vah. We had great hopes that this bay would furnish us with a safe and commodious harbour, as we saw, to the north-east, several fine streams of water, and the whole had the appearance of being well sheltered. These observations agreeing with the accounts given us by Koah, who accompanied Captain Cook, and had changed his name, out of compliment to us, into Britannee, the pinnace was boisted out, and the master, with Britannee for his guide, was sent to examine the bay, whilst the ships worked up after them.

In the afternoon, the weather became gloomy, and the gusts of wind, that blew off the land, were so violent, as to make it necessary to take in all the sails, and bring-to, under the mizen stay-sail. All the canoes left us, at the beginning of the gale: and Mr Bligh, on his return, had the satisfaction of saving an old woman, and two men, whose canoe had been overset by the violence of the wind, as they were endeavouring to gain the shore. Besides these distressed people, we had a great many women on board, whom the natives had left behind, in their hurry to shift for themselves.

The master reported to Captain Cook, that he had landed at the only village he saw, on the north side of the bay, where he was directed to some wells of water; but found they would by no means answer our purpose; that he afterward proceeded farther into the bay, which runs inland to a great depth, and stretches toward the foot of a very conspicuous high mountain, situated on the north-west end of the island, but that, instead of meeting with safe anchorage, as Britannee had taught him to expect, he found the shores low and rocky, and a flat bed of coral rocks running along the coast, and extending upward of a mile from the land; on the outside of which the depth of water was twenty fathoms, over a sandy bottom; and that, in the mean time, Britannee had contrived to slip away, being afraid of returning, as we imagined, because his information had not proved true and successful.

In the evening, the weather being more moderate, we again made sail; but, about midnight, it blew so violently, as to split both the fore and main topsails. On the morning of the 7th, we bent fresh sails, and had fair weather, and a light breeze. At noon, the latitude, by observation,

vation, was 20° 1' N., the W. point of the island bearing S., 7° E., and the N.W. point N., 38° E. As we were, at this time, four or five leagues from the shore, and the weather very unsettled, none of the canoes would venture out, so that our guests were obliged to remain with us, much, indeed, to their dissatisfaction; for they were all sea-sick, and many of them had left young children behind them.

In the afternoon, though the weather was still squally, we stood in for the land, and being about three leagues from it, we saw a canoe, with two men paddling towards us, which we immediately conjectured had been driven off the shore by the late boisterous weather; and therefore stopped the ship's way, in order to take them in. These poor wretches were so entirely exhausted with fatigue, that had not one of the natives on board, observing their weakness, jumped into the canoe to their assistance, they would scarcely have been able to fasten it to the rope we had thrown out for that purpose. It was with difficulty we got them up the ship's side, together with a child, about four years old, which they had lashed under the thwarts of the canoe, where it had lain with only its head above water. They told us, they had left the shore the morning before, and had been from that time without food or water. The usual precautions were taken in giving them victuals; and the child being committed to the care of one of the women, we found them all next morning perfectly recovered.

At midnight, a gale of wind came on, which obliged us to double reef the topsails, and get down the top-gallant yards. On the 8th, at day-break, we found that the foremast had again given way, the fishes, which were put on the head, in King George's, or Nootka Sound, on the coast of America, being sprung, and the parts so very defective, as to make it absolutely necessary to replace them, and, of course, to unstep the mast. In this difficulty, Captain Cook was for some time in doubt, whether he should run the chance of meeting with a harbour in the islands to leeward, or return to Karakakooa. That bay was not so remarkably commodious, in any respect, but that a better might probably be expected, both for the purpose of repairing the masts, and for procuring refreshments, of which, it was imagined, that the neighbourhood of Karakakooa had been already pretty well drained. On the other hand,

it was considered as too great a risk to leave a place that was tolerably sheltered, and which, once left, could not be regained, for the mere hopes of meeting with a better; the failure of which might, perhaps, have left us without re

source.

We, therefore, continued standing on toward the land, in order to give the natives an opportunity of releasing their friends on board from their confinement; and at noon, being within a mile of the shore, a few canoes came off to us, but so crowded with people, that there was not room in them for any of our guests; we therefore hoisted out the pinnace to carry them on shore; and the master, who went with them, had directions to examine the south coasts of the bay for water; but returned, without finding any.

The winds being variable, and a current setting strong to the northward, we made but little progress in our seturn; and at eight o'clock in the evening of the 9th, it began to blow very hard from the south-east, which obliged us to close reef the topsails; and at two in the morning of the 10th, in a heavy squall, we found ourselves close in with the breakers, that lie to the northward of the west point of Owyhee. We had just room to haul off, and avoid them, and fired several guns to apprise the Discovery of the danger.

In the forenoon the weather was more moderate, and a few canoes came off to us; from which we learnt that the late storms had done much mischief, and that several large canoes had been lost. During the remainder of the day we kept beating to windward; and, before night, we were within a mue of the bay; but, not choosing to run on while it was dark, we stood off and on till day-night next morning, when we dropt anctor nearly in the same place as be fore.

SECTION

SECTION III.

Suspicious Behaviour of the Natives, on our Return to Karakakooa Bay-Theft on Board the Discovery, and its Consequences. The Pinnace attacked, and the Crew obliged to quit her.-Captain Cook's Observations on the OccasionAttempt at the Observatory.— The Cutter of the Discovery stolen. Measures taken by Captain Cook for its Recovery. -Goes on Shore to invite the King on Board. - The King being stopped by his Wife and the Chiefs, a Contest arises. -News arrives of one of the Chiefs being killed by one of our People-Ferment on this Occusion. One of the Chiefs threatens Captain Cook, and is shot by him.-General Attack by the Natives.- Death of Captain Cook. Account of the Captain's Services, and a Sketch of his Character.1

WE were employed the whole of the 11th, and part of the 12th, in getting out the foremast, and sending it, with the carpenters, on shore. Besides the damage which the head

'Every reader must feel so deeply interested in the subject of this section. that he will naturally desire to possess every information as to all the facts and circumstances in which it was involved. Captain King's narrative, it may be conceived, is likely to have every claim to implicit confidence, and to require no additional statement in order to the most satisfactory conviction of every mind. Such an opinion is only partially correct; and it is evident, that the latter assertion is not a necessary inference from the former. The narrative may be imperfect, though quite consistent with truth, so far as it goes; and perhaps it cannot be carefully read, without producing an impression somewhat unfavourable to the notion of its completeness. This might be pointed out, as we proceeded, in the usual manner of notes. But a moment's reflection will suggest, that such interference in a case of the kind would prove destructive of the general and proper effect of the relation, and at the same time appear unjust towards the describer. A much better method, and one more likely to obtain attention, presents itself. That is, to insert the circumstantial narrative of the whole transaction, which was drawn up by Mr Samwell, surgeon of the Discovery, and communicated, with the highest approbation and credit, in the Biographia Britannica, after having been separately published, by the advice of the editor of that work, for two years, without experiencing any objection or a single impeachment. This, therefore, will be given at the end of the section; and will be found so extremely interesting, as to justify its reception in an entire form. Its length, however, and minuteness, in addition to reasons already mentioned, will preclude both room and occasion for any other notice of the subject.-E.

head of the mast had sustained, we found the heel exceedingly rotten, having a large hole up the middle of it, capable of holding four or five cocoa nuts. It was not, however, thought necessary to shorten it; and, fortunately, the logs of red toa-wood, which had been cut at Eimeo for anchor-stocks, were found fit to replace the sprung part of the fishes. As these repairs were likely to take up several days, Mr Bayly and myself got the astronomical apparatus on shore, and pitched our tents on the morai; having with us a guard of a corporal and six marines. We renewed our friendly correspondence with the priests, who, for the greater security of the workmen and their tools, tabooed the place where the mast lay, sticking their wands round it, as before. The sail-makers were also sent on shore, to repair the damages which had taken place in their department during the late gales. They were lodged in a house adjoining to the morai that was lent us by the priests. Such were our arrangements on shore. I shall now proceed to the account of those other transactions with the natives, which led, by degrees, to the fatal catastrophe of the 14th.

Upon coming to anchor, we were surprised to find our reception very different from what it had been on our first arrival; no shouts, no bustle, no confusion; but a solitary bay, with only here and there a canoe, stealing close along the shore. The impulse of curiosity, which had before operated to so great a degree, might now indeed be supposed to have ceased; but the hospitable treatment we had invariably met with, and the friendly footing on which we parted, gave us some reason to expect, that they would again have flocked about us with great joy on our return. We were forming various conjectures upon the occasion of this extraordinary appearance, when our anxiety was at length relieved by the return of a boat, which had been sent on shore, and brought us word, that Terreeoboo was absent, and had left the bay under the taboo. Though this account appeared very satisfactory to most of us, yet others were of opinion, or rather, perhaps, have been led, by subsequent events, to imagine, that there was something, at this time, very suspicious in the behaviour of the natives; and that the interdiction of all intercourse with us, on pretence of the king's absence, was only to give consult with his chiefs in what manner it mig to treat us. Whether these suspicions were

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