sary to mention, that the
people in the cutter were Mr Rowe, Mr Woodhouse, Francis Murphy,
quarter-master; William Facey, Thomas Hill, Michael Bell, and Edward
Jones, fore-castle men; John Cavanaugh, and Thomas Milton, belonging to
the after-guard; and James Sevilley, the captain's man, being ten in
all. Most of these were of our very best seamen, the stoutest and most
healthy people in the ship. Mr Burney's party brought on board two
hands, one belonging to Mr Rowe, known by a hurt he had received on it;
the other to Thomas Hill, as before-mentioned; and the head of the
captain's servant. These, with more of the remains, were tied in a
hammock, and thrown over-board, with ballast and shot sufficient to sink
it. None of their arms nor cloaths were found, except part of a pair of
trowsers, a frock, and six shoes, no two of them being fellows.

I am not inclined to think this was any premeditated plan of these
savages; for, the morning Mr Rowe left the ship, he met two canoes,
which came down and staid all the fore-noon in Ship Cove. It might
probably happen from some quarrel which was decided on the spot, or the
fairness of the opportunity might tempt them, our people being so
incautious, and thinking themselves too secure. Another thing which
encouraged the New Zealanders, was, they were sensible that a gun was
not infallible, that they sometimes missed, and that, when discharged,
they must be loaded before they could be used again, which time they
knew how to take advantage of. After their success, I imagine there was
a general meeting on the east side of the sound. The Indians of Shag
Cove were there; this we knew by a cock which was in one of the canoes,
and by a long single canoe, which some of our people had seen four days
before in Shag Cove, where they had been with Mr Rowe in the cutter.

We were detained in the Sound by contrary winds four days after this
melancholy affair happened, during which time we saw none of the
inhabitants. What is very remarkable, I had been several times up in the
same cove with Captain Cook, and never saw the least sign of an
inhabitant, except some deserted towns, which appeared as if they had
not been occupied for several years; and yet, when Mr Burney entered the
cove, he was of opinion there could not be less than fifteen hundred or
two thousand people. I doubt not, had they been apprized of his coming,
they would have attacked him. From these considerations, I thought it
imprud