it back, another native, feeling alarmed for his own safety,
stepped forward and produced a rag in which three knives were tied up.
One belonged to Dr Solander, another to Captain Cook; the owner of the
third was not known. Mr Banks continued to charge Tubourai Tamaide
with the theft of his knife, and the poor man continued to deny it
indignantly. Not long after, it was discovered to have been mislaid by
Mr Banks's own servant, who at length found it. Upon this
demonstration of his innocence, Tubourai expressed strong emotions of
mind. The fellow was, doubtless, as great a thief as the rest of his
comrades, but on this occasion he felt himself to be an injured
innocent, and refused to be comforted until Mr Banks expressed great
sorrow for his unjust accusation, and made him a few trifling presents,
whereupon he immediately forgot his wrongs and was perfectly reconciled!

In his dealings with these natives Captain Cook invariably acted with
the gentleness, firmness, and wisdom of a truly great man, and at all
times treated evil-doers with impartial justice.

One day a chief came to the tent on the beach in a state of intense
excitement, and, hastily seizing Mr Banks by the arm, made signs that
he should follow him. Mr Banks immediately complied, and soon came to
a place where they found the ship's butcher with a reaping-hook in his
hand. Here the chief stopped, and in a transport of rage explained, as
well as he could by signs, that the butcher had threatened to cut his
wife's throat with the hook. Mr Banks assured him that, if he could
fully explain the offence, the man should be punished. Upon this he
became calm, and explained that the offender, having taken a fancy to a
stone hatchet which lay in his house, had offered to purchase it of his
wife for a nail; that she having refused to part with it, he had seized
it, and, throwing down the nail, threatened to cut her throat if she
made any resistance. As the nail and hatchet were produced in proof of
this charge, and the butcher had little to say in his defence, there was
no reason to doubt its truth.

On the matter being reported to Cook, he took the opportunity of the
chief and his wives with a number of natives being on board the ship, to
call up the butcher, and, after repeating the charge and proof, he gave
orders that the man should be punished. The natives looked on with
fixed attention while the man was being stripped and tied up to the
rigging, wai