THE   PACIFIC   OCEAN-                          65
tures.   Some of our people faid, they could diftinguiih feve-      1779.
ral of the natives parading about in the clothes of our un-    J^Z
fortunate comrades; and, among them, a Chief brandilhing
Captain Cook's hanger, and a woman holding the fcabbard.
Indeed, there can be no doubt, but that our behaviour had
given them a mean opinion of our courage; for they could
have but little notion of the motives of humanity that di-
rected it.
In confequence of the report I made to Captain Clerke, of
what I conceived to be the prefent temper and difpoiition of
the iflanders, the moft effectual meafures were taken to
guard againft any attack they might make in the night.
The boats were moored with top-chains; additional fenti-
nels were polled on both fhips; and guard-boats were fta-
tioned to row round them, in order to prevent the natives
from cutting the cables. During the night we obferved a
prodigious number of lights on the hills, which made
fome of us imagine they were removing their effects back
into the country, in confequence of our threats. But I ra*
ther believe them to have been the facrifices that were
performing on account of the war, in which they imagined
themfelves about to be engaged; and moft probably the
bodies of our flain countrymen were, at that time, burn-
ing. We afterward faw fires of the fame kind, as we paff-
ed the iiland of Mojrotoi; and which, we were told by fome
natives then on board, were made on account of the war
they had declared againft a neighbouring iiland. And this
agrees with what we learned amongft the Friendly and
Society Ifles, that, previous to any expedition againft an
enemy, the Chiefs always endeavoured to animate and in-
flame the courage of the people by feafts and rejoicings in
the night.
Vol. III.                             K                               We