ives for stealing, an accomplishment at
which, Cook says, they were "prodigious expert."

On the whole, their first visit ashore was satisfactory, and was thought
to augur well for the observations of the Transit. A site was selected
for a camp on the eastern point of the bay, to which the name of Point
Venus was given, the longitude, according to Cook, 149 degrees 31 minutes
West, and to Wharton, 149 degrees 29 minutes West. Lines were traced for
the boundaries, and Banks's largest tent was pitched and a guard mounted,
and then the others went for a walk of inspection. They passed through
some woods that Mr. Hicks had been prevented from exploring the day
before, and Banks had the luck to bring down three ducks with one shot, a
deed thought likely to impress the natives with respect for the white
man's weapon. On their road back to camp they were alarmed by a musket
shot, and hurrying on, found that one of the sentries had been pushed
down and his musket stolen, so the midshipman in command had ordered a
shot to be fired at the thief, who was killed, but the musket was not
recovered. All the natives ran away but one, whom Cook calls Awhaa, and
whom the Master, Mr. Molineaux, who had been out with Wallis, recognised
as being a man of some authority. Through Awhaa an attempt was made to
arrange matters, but the natives were very shy when the English landed
the next day. However, the two chiefs who had first made friends, to whom
the names of Lycurgus and Hercules had been given, again came on board,
bringing presents of pigs and bread-fruit; they concluded as Hercules's
present was the larger, he was the richer and therefore the more
important chief. To lessen the chances of disagreements in trading and to
keep some control of prices, Cook ordered that only one person should
conduct the purchasing for the ship, and as Banks had shown aptitude in
dealing with the natives, he was appointed. The natives were to be
treated "with every imaginable humanity."

On the 16th Mr. Buchan, the artist, had another epileptic fit, which was
unfortunately fatal, and he was buried at sea in order to run no risk of
offending against any of the customs or superstitions of the natives.
Cook, in referring to his death, says: "He will be greatly missed in the
course of this voyage."

In the afternoon the ship was brought into such a position as to command
the site of the proposed camp, and as there was to be an eclipse of one
of Jupiter's sa