s on shore; and
promised the crew, that if they should meet with any molestation at
the watering-place the next day, they should then be left at liberty
to chastise them.

It is somewhat remarkable, that before we could bring our guns to
bear, the islanders had suspected our intentions, from the stir they
saw in the ship, and had retired behind their houses and walls.
We were therefore obliged to fire, in some measure, at random;
notwithstanding which, our shot produced all the effects that could
have been desired; for, soon after, we saw Koah paddling toward us,
with extreme haste, and on his arrival we learned, that some people
had been killed, and amongst the rest, Maiha-maiha, a principal chief,
and a near relation of the king.[2]

[Footnote 2: The word _matee_ is commonly used, in the language of
these islands, to express either killing or wounding; and we were
afterwards told, that this chief had only received a slight blow on
the face from a stone, which had been struck by one of the balls.]

Soon after the arrival of Koah, two boys swam off from, the _morai_
toward the ships, having each a long spear in his hand; and after
they had approached pretty near, they began to chant a song in a very
solemn manner, the subject of which, from their often mentioning
the word _Orono_, and pointing to the village where Captain Cook was
killed, we concluded to be the late calamitous disaster. Having sung
in a plaintive strain for about twelve or fifteen minutes, during the
whole of which time they remained in the water, they went on board the
Discovery and delivered their spears, and after making a short stay,
returned on shore. Who sent them, or what was the object of this
ceremony, we were never able to learn.

At night, the usual precautions were taken for the security of the
ships; and as soon as it was dark, our two friends, who had visited
us the night before, came off again. They assured us, that though the
effects of our great guns, this afternoon, had terrified the chiefs
exceedingly, they had by no means laid aside their hostile intentions,
and advised us to be on our guard.

The next morning, the boats of both ships were sent ashore for water,
and the Discovery was warped close to the beach, in order to cover
that service. We soon found that the intelligence which the priests
had sent us, was not without foundation; and that the natives were
resolved to take every opportunity of annoying us, when, it could be