d. Where thousands had welcomed the ships before, not a soul now
appeared. Not a canoe cut the waters. Not a voice broke the silence
of the bay.

The sailors were sour; Cook, angry. When the men rowed to the villages
for fresh provisions, they were pelted with stones. When at night-time
the savages came to the ships with fresh food, they asked higher prices
and would take only daggers and knives in pay. Only by firing its
great guns could the {203} _Discovery_ prevent forcible theft by the
savages offering provisions; and in the scuffle of pursuit after one
thief, Pareea--a chief most friendly to the whites--was knocked down by
a white man's oar. "I am afraid," remarked Cook, "these people will
compel me to use violent measures." As if to test the mettle of the
tacit threat, Sunday, daybreak, February 14, revealed that the large
rowboat of the _Discovery_ had been stolen.

When Captain King, who had charge of the guard repairing the masts over
under the cocoanut grove came on board Sunday morning, he found Cook
loading his gun, with a line of soldiers drawn up to go ashore in order
to allure the ruler of the islands on board, and hold him as hostage
for the restitution of the lost boat. Clerke, of the _Discovery_, was
too far gone in consumption to take any part. Cook led the way on the
pinnace with Ledyard and six marines. Captain King followed in the
launch with as many more. All the other small boats of the two ships
were strung across the harbor from Kakooa, where the grove was, to
Kowrowa, where the king dwelt, with orders to fire on any canoe trying
to escape.

Before the fearless leader, the savages prostrated themselves in the
streets. Cook strode like a conqueror straight to the door of the
king's abode. It was about nine in the morning. Old Terreeoboo--peace
lover and lazy--was just awake and only too willing to go aboard with
Cook as the easiest way out {204} of the trouble about the stolen boat.
But just here the high-handedness of Cook frustrated itself. That line
of small boats stretched across the harbor began firing at an escaping
canoe. A favorite chief was killed. Word of the killing came as the
old king was at the water's edge to follow Cook; and a wife caught him
by the arm to drag him back. Suddenly a throng of a thousand
surrounded the white men. Some one stabs at Phillips of the marines.
Phillips's musket comes down butt-end on the head of the assailant. A
spear is thrust i