e so warlike and treacherous,
that this could not always be avoided.

One day several canoes full of armed men came alongside, and were
induced to trade--exchanging native cloth and arms for the usual
trinkets. Tupia, the interpreter, had a little son with him named
Tayeto. This little fellow was employed to stand outside the bulwarks
of the ship to hand down the things from the ship to the savages in the
canoes. One of these rascals, watching his opportunity, suddenly seized
the lad and dragged him down into the canoe. Two of them held him down
in the fore part of it, and the others with great activity paddled off--
the rest of the canoes following as fast as they could.

Upon this the marines were ordered to fire. The shot was directed to
that part of the canoe which was farthest from the boy. One man
dropped, upon which the others quitted their hold of the boy, who sprang
nimbly into the water and swam towards the ship. A large canoe turned
to recapture him, but some muskets and a great gun being fired at it,
the rowers desisted from farther pursuit. The ship was immediately
brought to, a boat was lowered, and poor Tayeto was picked up, very much
terrified, but unhurt, and none the worse for his adventure.

After this the discoverers had the most convincing proof that the
inhabitants of New Zealand were cannibals. One day Mr Banks, Dr
Solander, Tupia, and others, went ashore and visited a party of natives
who appeared to have just concluded a repast. The body of a dog was
found buried in their oven, and many provision-baskets stood around. In
one of these they observed two bones, pretty cleanly picked, which did
not seem to be the bones of a dog. On nearer inspection they were found
to be those of a human being. That the flesh belonging to them had been
eaten was evident, for that which remained had manifestly been dressed
by fire, and in the gristles at the ends were the marks of the teeth
which had gnawed them. To put an end to doubt, Tupia asked what bones
they were, and the natives answered without the least hesitation that
they were the bones of a man, and they had eaten the flesh off them.
Upon one of the visitors pretending not to believe this, and saying that
they were the bones of a dog, a native seized his own forearm with his
teeth and made a show of eating it with great relish. He also took one
of the bones which Mr Banks held in his hand and bit and gnawed it,
drawing it through his lips