Otaheite, by reason of an adverse current, she steered to the westward for the Friendly islands, and on Thursday the 27th of November saw the Hapai islands, bearing W. 12 miles. The leak had now increased to eighteen inches per hour.

On Saturday the 29th of November, 1806, at 4 P. M. the Port au Prince brought to, for the last time, in 7 fathoms water at the N. W. · point of Lefooga, one of the Hapai islands, in the same place where Captain Cook had formerly anchored. In the evening a number of Indian chiefs came on board with a large barbacued hog, and a quantity of ready dressed yams, as a present to the ship's company: with them came a native of Owhyee, who spoke a little English, which he had formerly learned on board an American ship, that had taken him from the Sandwich islands to Manilla, and thence had brought him to the Friendly islands, where he had taken up his residence ever since. This man, whose name was Tooi Tooi, and whom we shall hereafter have occasion to speak of, endeavoured, by all the means of expression that lay in his power, to convince the ship's company that the natives were disposed towards them in the most friendly manner. Another Sandwich islander, however, whom the

Port au Prince had brought along with her, as may be recollected, with seven others, from Anahooroo bay, declared his opinion that the Indians had bad designs, and he advised Mr. Brown to keep a watchful eye over them, and even to send all out of the ship, except a few chiefs, by treating whom in a friendly way, the produce of the islands might be procured. Mr. Brown, notwithstanding, disregarded this sage admonition, ordered the man to quit the quarter deck, and even threatened to flog him—a treatment which the poor fellow little deserved, for his opinion of the natives was but too well founded, although his less honest countryman Tooi Tooi had spoken so well of them: and had not Mr. Brown unfortunately been above receiving good advice, the Port au Prince might again have reached England in safety, and thus he might have preserved his own life, and the lives of many others.

On Sunday morning, the 30th of November, the men were ordered to be busily engaged in careening the vessel, at which they all demurred, and some absolutely refused, being desirous of going on shore, as they had been accustomed to do, on Sundays, at whatever place they had touched during the voyage; and to this they were further encouraged by the per

nicious invitations of the natives. It is indeed sometimes extremely difficult, under such circumstances, to preserve good order and prompt: obedience among the men; and yet the state of the ship, at this time, perhaps, fully required: the greatest exertions, and the most watchful care. Mr. Brown, irritated by these symptoms of discontent, the fault of which was in no small degree to be laid to his own account, seemed to have less use of his judgment, at a time when he required it most. The men came aft, to request permission to go on shore: this he peremptorily refused, telling them they might. go to H—l if they pleased, but that they should not go on shore till the work was done on board, and ordered them immediately to quit the quarter-deck: they instantly complied. A short time after James Kelly jumped up on the gang-way with a Spanish stiletto in his hand, and swore by G- he would run the first

through who attempted to stop him; he then hailed a canoe his example was instantly followed by three others, George Wood (the carpenter's mate, who swore he would never rig the pumps again), William Baker, and James Hoay, taking with them all their clothes. Not much time elapsed before fifteen others took

the same step. In the afternoon the remainder of the crew came aft, with a complaint that a considerable number of the natives had assembled between decks, armed with clubs and spears, and whose behaviour gave ample grounds to suspect that they intended to take the vessel. This was indeed their intention, having already digested their plan, which Mr. Mariner afterwards learned from a young chief named Vaca-ta-Bola: it will be well to relate it here in its proper place, although they did not at this time succeed. During the present interval, Vaca-ta-Bola and another chief were sitting in the cabin with Mr. Brown, Mr. Dixon, and Mr. Mariner. Whilst they were here a canoe was to come under the stern, and Vaca-ta-Bola was to rise up suddenly and call out with seeming great earnestness to the people in the canoe; on which it may be supposed that Mr. Brown and Mr. Dixon would naturally turn their heads, out of curiosity to see what was going forward in the canoe, at which moment the two chiefs were to knock out their brains, with short iron-wood clubs, which they had concealed under their dress. Before the canoe arrived, however, Mr. Mariner happening to go into the steerage was met by the men,

who were coming, as before stated, to inform Mr. Brown of the threatening appearance of the natives. Mr. Brown seemed at first not much inclined to pay attention even to this new warning of danger; but when Mr. Mariner assured him that what the men stated was correct, and that, at all events, it would be but common prudence to inquire into it, and satisfy the apprehensions of the men, he went upon deck, leading Vaca-ta-Bola by the hand: Mr. Dixon and the other chief following. During this time Mr. Mariner could not help' observing that the two chiefs turned pale, and were evidently much agitated; which he attributed to fear, occasioned by the bustle which appeared, without their understanding the cause though the truth was they imagined their plot discovered, and their fate inevitable. When they arrived upon deck, and were given to understand that Mr. Brown did not like to have so many men on board armed with clubs and spears, they pretended to interest themselves very much in throwing their arms overboard, and in ordering the natives out of the ship. Mr. Mariner, in the mean while, noticed that they took great care not to throw the best and most handy clubs overboard, but contrived