e told, through Tupia, that if they
continued to proceed in that manner they would be killed;
notwithstanding this, one of them seized Mr Green's hanger from his
side, and ran off with it. Mr Banks on this fired at him with small
shot; but though hit, he still continued to wave the hanger round his
head. Mr Monkhouse, seeing this, fired at him with ball, when he
instantly dropped. Upon this, the main body, who had retired to a rock
in the middle of the river, began to return. Two that were near the man
who had been killed tried to drag off the body. One seized his weapon
of green talc; and the other tried to secure the hanger, which Mr
Monkhouse had but just time to prevent. As the whole body were now
returning with threatening gestures, those who had their guns loaded
with small shot fired. The effect was to make the natives turn back,
and to retreat up the country, several of them being wounded. Such was
the first unhappy attempt of the English to open up an intercourse with
the inhabitants of New Zealand, for that was the magnificent country
Captain Cook and his companions had now reached. Painful as it is to
reflect on the sacrifice of human life which often in those days
attended the first intercourse of civilised Europeans with the savage
inhabitants of newly-discovered countries, and the cruelties and
injuries inflicted, we must not judge our countrymen too harshly. Much
less value was set on human life a century ago than is the case at
present, and dark-skinned savages were scarcely regarded as beings of
the same nature as white men. Captain Cook was, however, undoubtedly a
kind and humane man, and was sincere in his expressions of regret at the
blood his followers so frequently shed whenever they met with opposition
from the natives of the lands they visited.

Having no longer any hope of establishing a friendly intercourse with
the inhabitants of this place, and finding that the water in the river
was salt, Captain Cook proceeded with the boats round the head of the
bay, in search of fresh water, intending also, if possible, to surprise
some of the natives, and, by kind treatment and presents, to obtain
their friendship. Everywhere, however, a dangerous surf beat on the
coast, and he was unable to land. But seeing two canoes coming in
towards the shore, one under sail, and the other moved by paddles, he
judged it necessary for the object he had in view to intercept them.
Supposing that they were f