On the fore part of each
was a sort of bed place with one division, capable of holding the body
of a man, intended for the reception of any chief who might be killed in
battle. Cook estimated, from the number of canoes he saw furnished by
each district, that the whole island could raise and equip one thousand
seven hundred and twenty war canoes, requiring sixty-eight thousand men,
calculating forty for each canoe. As these would not amount to a third
of the number of people in the island, he considered that it could not
contain less than two hundred and four thousand inhabitants. He was
convinced, from the vast swarms of people he met wherever he went, that
this estimate was not too great. This is possible; but war, disease,
and vicious habits had fearfully decreased the population before
Christianity was established among them.

Otoo and his chiefs at first appeared very anxious that Captain Cook
should accompany them in their proposed expedition, and they begged him
to help them against their enemies. This he very properly declined
doing, but would have been glad to have accompanied them to witness the
mode in which they carried on their naval operations. It would have
been more in accordance with the character of a Christian people had the
English tried to reconcile the contending parties, and to prove to them
the advantages and blessings of peace. But such a thought does not
appear to have entered the mind of the sagacious navigator, or of his
companions.

Cook's endeavours to benefit the islanders in other respects appeared
likely to be successful. Two goats had been left by Captain Furneaux.
They had had two kids, now nearly full grown, and the mother was also
again with kid. The animals were in excellent condition, and the people
seemed very fond of them. One of two sheep had, however, died, but
twenty cats were given to the natives, though it is difficult to
understand how they were likely to prove useful, unless mice had
threatened to overrun the island.

During this visit a man from a distant part of the island made off with
a musket and effected his escape. The dread of the consequences to
themselves caused Otoo and several other chiefs to run away and hide
themselves, and the people were afraid to bring down provisions to the
ship. After a considerable amount of negotiations, and the delay of
nine days, the musket and some other articles which had been stolen
were, by the intervention of the