In The Doing Of This Mr Clerke's Gun Was Snatched From
Him, And Carried Off; As Were Also Some Of The Cooper's Tools; And Several
Of The People Were Stripped Of One Thing Or Another.
All this was done, as
it were, by stealth; for they laid hold of nothing by main force.
I landed
just as the launch was ready to put off; and the natives, who were pretty
numerous on the beach, as soon as they saw me, fled; so that I suspected
something had happened. However, I prevailed on many to stay, and Mr Clerke
came, and informed me of all the preceding circumstances. I quickly came to
a resolution to oblige them to make restitution; and, for this purpose,
ordered all the marines to be armed and sent on shore. Mr Forster and his
party being gone into the country, I ordered two or three guns to be fired
from the ship, in order to alarm him; not knowing how the natives might act
on this occasion. These orders being given, I sent all the boats off but
one, with which I staid, having a good many of the natives about me, who
behaved with their usual courtesy. I made them so sensible of my intention,
that long before the marines came, Mr Clerke's musket was brought; but they
used many excuses to divert me from insisting on the other. At length Mr
Edgcumbe arriving with the marines, this alarmed them so much, that some
fled.
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Words from 171445 to 171694
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