as the ship was moored the pinnace and launch
were got ready and sent under the direction of Lt. Corner and Hayward in
pursuit of the pirates and schooner in hopes of getting hold of them
before they could get information of our arrival, and Odiddee, a native
of Bolabola, and who has been with Capt. Cook, etc., went with them as a
guide.

The boats were discovered by the pirates before they had arrived at the
place where these people had landed, and they immediately embarked in
their schooner and put to sea, and she was chased the remainder of the
day by our boats, but, it blowing fresh, she outsailed them, and the
boats returned to the ship. Jno. Brown, the person left at Otaheite by
Mr. Cox of the _Mercury_,[31-1] and from whom their Lordships supposed I
might get some useful information, had been under the necessity for his
own safety to associate with the pirates, but he took the opportunity to
leave them when they were about to embark in the schooner and put to sea.
He informed me that they had very little water and provisions on board,
or vessels to hold them in, and, of course, could not keep at sea long. I
entered Brown on the ship's books as part of the compliment and found him
very intelligent and useful in the different capacities of guide, soldier
and seaman. I employed different people to look out for and to give
information on their landing either on this or the neighbouring islands.

On the 26th, in the evening, sent the pinnace to Edee by desire of the
old Otoo, or king, to bring him on board the _Pandora_. Early on the
morning of the 27th, I had information that the pirates were returning
with the schooner to Papara and that they were landed and retired to the
mountains, to endeavour to conceal and defend themselves. Immediately
sent Lt. Corner with 26 men in the launch to Papara to pursue them. At
night the Otoo, his two queens and suite came on board the pinnace and
slept on board the _Pandora_, which they afterwards frequently did.

The next morning Lt. Hayward was sent with a party in the pinnace to join
the party in the launch at Papara. I found the Otoo ready to furnish me
with guides and to give me any other assistance in his power, but he had
very little authority or influence in that part of the island where the
pirates had taken refuge, and even his right to the sovereignty of the
eastern part of the island had been recently disputed by Tamarie, one of
the royal family. Under these circumstan