I found him to be such I was resolved to keep him. Soon
after this I received a letter from Mr. Hicks, which I carried to the
Shabander, and desired that it might be shewn to the General, and at the
same time to acquaint him that, after my having such unanswerable proof
of the man's being an English Subject, as was mentioned in that letter,
it was impossible for me to deliver him up. After this I heard no more
about it.

Wednesday, 26th. In the P.M. myself, Mr. Banks, and all the Gentlemen
came on board, and at 6 a.m. weigh'd and came to sail with a light breeze
at South-West. The Elgin Indiaman saluted us with 3 cheers and 13 Guns,
and soon after the Garrison with 14, both of which we return'd. Soon
after this the Sea breeze set in at North by West, which obliged us to
Anchor just without the Ships in the Road. The number of Sick on board at
this time amounts to 40 or upwards, and the rest of the Ship's Company
are in a weakly condition, having been every one sick except the
Sailmaker, an old Man about 70 or 80 years of age; and what is still more
extraordinary in this man is his being generally more or less drunk every
day. But notwithstanding this general sickness, we lost but 7 men in the
whole: the Surgeon, 3 Seamen, Mr. Green's Servant, and Tupia and his
Servant, both of which fell a sacrifice to this unwholesome climate
before they had reached the object of their wishes. Tupia's death,
indeed, cannot be said to be owing wholy to the unwholesome air of
Batavia; the long want of a Vegetable Diet, which he had all his life
before been used to, had brought upon him all the Disorders attending a
Sea life. He was a shrewd, sensible, ingenious man, but proud and
obstinate, which often made his situation on board both disagreeable to
himself and those about him, and tended much to promote the diseases
which put a Period to his Life.* (* It is rather curious that Cook does
not here record his sense of the value of Tupia's services as
interpreter, which he has before alluded to in the Journal. There is no
doubt that his presence on board when the ship was in New Zealand was the
greatest advantage, affording a means of communication with the natives,
which prevented the usual gross misunderstandings which arise as to the
object of the visit of an exploring ship. Without him, even with Cook's
humane intention and good management, friendly relations would have been
much more difficult to establish.)

[Description of Batavia.