ture; but that we should, nevertheless, continue our negotiations
for the recovery of the bodies.

The greatest part of the day was taken up in getting the fore-mast
into a proper situation on deck, for the carpenters to work upon it;
and in making the necessary alterations in the commissions of the
officers. The command of the expedition having devolved on Captain
Clerke, he removed on board the Resolution, appointed Lieutenant Gore
to be captain of the Discovery, and promoted Mr Harvey, a midshipman,
who had been with Captain Cook in his two last voyages, to the vacant
lieutenancy. During the whole day we met with no interruption from the
natives; and at night the launch was again moored with a top-chain;
and guard-boats stationed round both ships as before.

About eight o'clock, it being very dark, a canoe was heard paddling
toward the ship; and as soon as it was seen both the sentinels on
deck fired into it. There were two persons in the canoe, and they
immediately roared out "_Tinnee!_" which was the way in which they
pronounced my name, and said they were friends, and had something
for me belonging to Captain Cook. When they came on board, they threw
themselves at our feet, and appeared exceedingly frightened. Luckily,
neither of them was hurt, notwithstanding the balls of both pieces had
gone through the canoe. One of them was the person, whom I have before
mentioned under the name of the _Taboo man_, who constantly attended
Captain Cook with the circumstances of ceremony I have already
described; and who, though a man of rank in the island, could scarcely
be hindered from performing for him the lowest offices of a menial
servant. After lamenting, with abundance of tears, the loss of the
_Orono_, he told us, that he had brought us a part of his body. He
then presented to us a small bundle, wrapped up in cloth, which he
brought under his arm; and it is impossible to describe the horror
which seized us, on finding in it a piece of human flesh, about nine
or ten pounds weight. This, he said, was all that remained of the
body; that the rest was cut to pieces, and burnt; but that the head
and all the bones, except what belonged to the trunk, were in the
possession of Terreeoboo and the other _Erees_; that what we saw had
been allotted to Kaoo, the chief of the priests, to be made use of
in some religious ceremony; and that he had sent it as a proof of his
innocence and attachment to us.

This afforded an opportunit