en with long
lances rushed out of the woods towards her, and would have cut her off
had not the people in the pinnace covered them, and called to the boys
to drop down the stream. This they did, but the natives pursued in
spite of two musket-shots fired at them. At length, one of the natives
was poising his spear to dart it at the boys, when the coxswain of the
pinnace fired a third time, and shot the native dead. The other three
at first attempted to drag off the dead body, but fear soon made them
drop it and take to flight.

On the captain and his companions returning to the boat they stopped to
examine the body, which had been shot through the heart. It was that of
a man of middle stature, of a brown, but not very dark complexion. One
side of his face was tattooed in spiral lines of regular figure, and his
hair tied in a knot on the top of his head, but no feathers in it. He
wore a garment of a fine cloth, of a manufacture new to the English.
When the voyagers returned on board, they could hear the natives talking
very loudly. The next day the captain and the same party landed with
Tupia, and the marines were afterwards sent for. A large body of
natives had collected on the opposite side of the river, apparently
unarmed; but on the approach of the English they started up, each man
holding a spear or dart, and made signs to the strangers to depart. The
marines being drawn up, the visitors again approached the natives, when
Tupia addressed them in the language of Otaheite, which they perfectly
understood. He told them that their visitors wanted provisions and
water, and would pay them with iron, the properties of which he
explained as well as he could. They replied that they were willing to
trade if the English would cross over to them. Captain Cook consented
to do this, provided they would put aside their arms. This they would
not consent to do. Tupia warned the English, during the conversation,
that the natives were not friendly. Captain Cook then invited the
natives to come across to them. At last, one of them stripped himself
and swam over without his arms. He was soon after followed by others,
to the number of twenty, most of whom came armed; and though iron and
beads were offered them, they set no value apparently on either, for a
few feathers were offered in return, and they at once showed their
hostile disposition by endeavouring to snatch the weapons from the hands
of their visitors. They wer