to his companions, led them on to the charge. Dr. Solander instantly
discharged his piece at this champion, who, upon feeling the shot,
stopped short, and then ran away with the rest of his countrymen.
Still, however, they did not disperse, but got upon rising ground, and
seemed only to want some leader of resolution to renew their assault.
As they were now gotten beyond the reach of small shot, the English
fired with ball, none of which taking place, the Indians continued
together in a body. While our people were in this doubtful situation,
which lasted about a quarter of an hour, the ship, from which a much
greater number of natives were seen than could be discovered on shore,
brought her broad side to bear, and entirely dispersed them, by firing
a few shot over their heads. In this skirmish, only two of them were
hurt with the small shot, and not a single life was lost; a case which
would not have happened if Lieutenant Cook had not restrained his men,
who either from fear or the love of mischief, shewed as much
impatience to destroy the Indians, as a sportsman to kill his game.
Such was the difference between the disposition of the common seamen
and marines, and that of their humane and judicious commander.

On the same day Mr. Cook displayed a very exemplary act of discipline.
Some of the ship's people, who when the natives were to be punished
for a fraud, assumed the inexorable justice of a Lycurgus, thought fit
to break into one of their plantations, and to dig up a quantity of
potatoes. For this the lieutenant ordered each of them to receive
twelve lashes, after which two of them were discharged. But the third,
in a singular strain of morality, insisted upon it, that it was no
crime in an Englishman to plunder an Indian plantation. The method
taken by our commander to refute his casuistry, was to send him back
to his confinement, and not, permit him to be released, till he had
been punished with six lashes more.