supposed to be the father of the boy, gave him a
beating and sent him into the canoe; but the confidence of the natives
was gone, and though they promised to come back, no more was seen of
them.

The natives on most occasions were ready to steal and cheat, whenever
they thought they could do so with impunity. This occurred nearly every
day as the Endeavour proceeded along the coast. In one day, at
different times, nearly five hundred natives were on board or alongside,
showing that the country was very populous. One of these was making off
with an article of which he had possessed himself without giving
anything in return, when the midshipman to whom it belonged hove a lead
with a hook secured to it at the end of a line, with such aim that the
hook caught the thief, but broke off. While at anchor in another part
of this bay, which is known as the Bay of Islands, the commander gave a
piece of cloth to an old chief, one of several hundred natives crowding
round the ship. Notwithstanding this, some of them tried to steal the
buoy, and not till one of them was hit by a musket-ball would they give
it up. After this, the commander, with Mr Banks, Dr Solander, and two
boats' crews, landed in a little cove. They had not been there long,
before they saw nearly three hundred people rushing towards them from
behind the heads of the cove, and over the top of the hill. Some of the
savages rushed to the boats to seize them, and others, led by a chief,
advanced towards the English. The commander, Mr Banks, and two of the
man fired with small shot. The natives, though at first they fell back,
soon again rallied and advanced. On this Dr Solander fired again, and
hit the chief, who, with the rest, ran off. The natives still continued
in a body, and, as seen from the ship, appeared very numerous. A few
round shot fired over their heads dispersed them. Happily not a single
life was lost, and only two men were slightly wounded. As it happened,
the old chief to whom the cloth had been given in the morning had, with
some of his family, concealed himself in a cave. While the party were
collecting celery he was discovered, and was soon put at his ease. He
said that one of the men who had been hit with small shot was his
brother, and inquired anxiously whether he would die. He was assured
that he would not; and a bullet and small shot being shown to him, he
was told that those who were hit with the first would die, but that the