mselves before him; and a society of priests
furnished the ships with a constant supply of hogs and vegetables,
without requiring any return. On February 3, the day previous to the
ships sailing, the King presented them with a quantity of cloth, many
boat-loads of vegetables, and a whole herd of hogs. The ships sailed on
the following day, but on the 6th encountered a very heavy gale, in
which, on the night of the 7th, the _Resolution_ sprung the head of her
foremast in such a dangerous manner, that they were forced to put back
to Karakakooa Bay, in order to get it repaired. Here they anchored on
the morning of the 11th, and everything for a time promised to go well
in their intercourse with the natives. The friendliness manifested by
the chiefs, however, was far from solid. They were savages at a low
point of cultivation, and theft and murder were not considered by them
in the light of crimes. Cook, aware of the nature of these barbarians,
was anxious to avoid any collision, and it was with no small regret that
he found that an affray had taken place between some seamen and the
natives. The cause of the disturbance was the seizure of the cutter of
the _Discovery_ as it lay at anchor. The boats of both ships were sent
in search of her, and Captain Cook went on shore to prosecute the
inquiry, and, if necessary, to seize the person of the King, who had
sanctioned the theft.

The narrative of what ensued is affectingly tragical. Cook left the
_Resolution_ about seven o'clock, attended by the lieutenant of marines,
a sergeant, a corporal, and seven private men. The pinnace's crew were
likewise armed, and under the command of Mr. Roberts; the launch was
also ordered to assist his own boat. He landed with the marines at the
upper end of the town of Kavoroah, where the natives received him with
their accustomed tokens of respect, and not the smallest sign of
hostility was evinced by any of them; and as the crowds increased, the
chiefs employed themselves as before, in keeping order. Captain Cook
requested the King to go on board the _Resolution_ with him, to which he
offered few objections; but in a little time it was observed that the
natives were arming themselves with long spears, clubs, and daggers, and
putting on the thick mats which they used by way of armor. This hostile
appearance was increased by the arrival of a canoe from the opposite
side of the bay, announcing that one of the chiefs had been killed by a
shot from