ishermen without arms, he hoped to do this
without bloodshed. Notwithstanding the way in which he had placed the
boats, one of the canoes managed to escape; but the other, under sail,
came directly into the middle of the English boats without perceiving
what they were. On discovering the strangers, the natives lowered their
sail and took to their paddles. Tupia called out to them that those in
the boats wished to be friends; but the natives preferred trusting to
their paddles, and continued their flight. On this, a musket was fired
over their heads, when they ceased paddling and began to strip, not to
swim to the shore but to fight to the last.

When the boat came up they attacked the English with paddles, stones,
and other weapons, and showed a determination not to be taken alive.
The English, in their own defence, fired, when four out of the seven
people in the canoe were killed. The other three were lads--the eldest
of whom, about nineteen years old, leaped into the sea, swimming
vigorously, and resisting every effort made to capture him. At last he
was seized and taken into the boat, as were the two younger lads,
without further attempt to escape. As soon as they were in the boat,
the lads squatted down, evidently expecting instant death. Every effort
was made to win their confidence, and with so much success that by the
time the ship was reached they appeared not only reconciled to their
fate, but in high spirits. On food being offered them, they ate it
voraciously, and asked and answered questions with every appearance of
pleasure. At night, however, they sighed, and seemed to be mourning for
the friends they had lost; but, encouraged by Tupia, they quickly
regained their cheerfulness, and in the morning ate another enormous
meal. On being told that they would be put on shore where the English
had landed the previous day, they expressed great alarm, and said that
the inhabitants were their enemies and would eat them. At last, on
landing on the other side of the bay, after hesitating for some time,
the lads cried out that they saw, among a large body of natives who were
approaching, one of their relations. Still they seemed doubtful about
joining them, and evidently regretted leaving their new friends. The
body of the native who had been killed the previous day still lay on the
shore. The boys, seeing it, went and covered it with some of the
clothes they had received on board the Endeavour. Soon afte