that the people were generally convinced of their power, and would,
he hoped, behave properly in future. His name was Toiava.

An officer, with the marines and a party of men, was sent on shore to
cut wood. No houses were seen; but there were a number of people, who
seemed to have slept under the bushes. The state of warfare in which
the people existed was shown by Toiava when on board one day. Two
canoes were perceived coming in from the opposite side of the bay, when,
saying that they were enemies, he hastened off to the shore with all his
canoes. He soon returned, however, they not being the people he
supposed. A large number of mackerel were obtained here from the
natives, the sailors salting enough to last for a month.

Fortunately, a fine day enabled the commander and Mr Green to obtain a
satisfactory observation of Mercury; and the name of Mercury Bay was,
therefore, given to the harbour on the shore of which it was taken.
While they were on shore another case, of cheating by a native occurred.
The thief and his companions having pulled off in their canoe, sang
their war-song, and shook their paddles in defiance. This so provoked
Mr Gore, the officer in charge, that he fired and killed the man, a
circumstance for which Captain Cook expressed his deep regret. Though
at first alarmed, the natives on shore, on inquiring into the matter,
seemed to think that the man had received his deserts, and the friendly
intercourse begun between them and the English was not further
interrupted.

A little before sunset, the natives retired to eat their supper,
consisting of birds, fish, and lobsters. Some were roasted, stuck on
sticks inclined towards the fire; others were baked in ovens on the
ground, in the way practised by the people of Otaheite. Among the
natives was a woman mourning for the death of a relative. She sat on
the ground by herself, and cut herself all over with pieces of shell
till she was covered with blood, singing in a mournful voice, at the
same time, a song the meaning of which Tupia could not understand.

The shore abounded with clams, cockles, and, in some places,
rock-oysters. Numerous wild-fowl also were seen, and several were shot.
The boats rowed up a river at the head of the bay for four or five
miles, and near it a deserted fort of considerable strength was visited.
Several beds of oysters were also discovered, dry at half-ebb, and a
boat being sent to fetch some, returned completely