hese people committed against us, were, in them, crimes worthy of
death: That thieves are hanged in England, I thought no reason why they
should be shot in Otaheite; because with respect to the natives, it
would have been an execution by a law _ex post facto_: They had no such
law among themselves, and it did not appear to me that we had any right
to make such a law for them. That they should abstain from theft, or be
punished with death, was not one of the conditions under which they
claimed the advantages of civil society, as it is among us; and I was
not willing to expose them to fire-arms, loaded with shot, neither could
I perfectly approve of firing only with powder: At first, indeed, the
noise and the smoke would alarm them, but when they found that no
mischief followed, they would be led to despise the weapons themselves,
and proceed to insults, which would make it necessary to put them to the
test, and from which they would be deterred by the very sight of a gun
if it was never used but with effect. At this time, an accident
furnished me with what I thought a happy expedient. It happened that
above twenty of their sailing canoes were just come in with a supply of
fish: Upon these I immediately seized, and bringing them into the river
behind the fort, gave public notice, that except the rake, and all the
rest of the things which from time to time had been stolen, were
returned, the canoes should be burnt. This menace I ventured to publish,
though I had no design to put it into execution, making no doubt but
that it was well known in whose possession the stolen goods were, and
that as restitution was thus made a common cause, they would all of them
in a short time be brought back. A list of the things was made out,
consisting principally of the rake, the musket which had been taken from
the marine when the Indian was shot; the pistols which Mr Banks lost
with his clothes at Atahourou; a sword belonging to one of the petty
officers, and the water cask. About noon, the rake was restored, and
great solicitation was made for the release of the canoes; but I still
insisted upon my original, condition. The next day came, and nothing
farther was restored, at which I was much surprised, for the people were
in the utmost distress for the fish, which in a short time would be
spoilt; I was, therefore, reduced to a disagreeable situation, either of
releasing the canoes, contrary to what I had solemnly and publicly
declared, or