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14 June 1769
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14 June 1769

Endeavour Voyage Maps

James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia

Joseph Banks's Journal

Sydney Parkinson's Journal

The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth

1769
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 		14 June 1769

Wednesday 14th Between 2 and 4 oClock this Morning one of the Natives Stole out of the Fort an Iron rake made use of for the Oven, It happend to be set up againest the wall and by that means was Visible from the outside and had been seen by them in the evening as a Man had been seen lurking about the Fort some hours before the thing was miss'd. I was inform'd by some others of the Natives that he watch'd an oppertunity when the Centinal back was turn'd and hooked it with a long hcrooked stick and haled it over the wall; when I came to be inform'd of this theft in the Morning,   I resolved to recover it by some means or other and accord^ingly went and took posession of all the Canoes of any Value I could meet with and brought them into the River behind the Fort to the number of 22, and told the Natives then present / most of them being the owners of the Canoes / that unless the Principal things they had stolen from us were sent restored, I would burn them every one, not that I ever intended to put this in execution, and yet I was very much displeased with them as they were daily either commiting or attempting to commit one theft or other, when at the same time / contrary to ^ the opinion of everybody / I would not suffer them to be fired upon, for this would have been putting ^ it in the power of the Centinals to have fired upon them upon the most sligh[t]est occasions as I had before experienced   and I have a great objection to fireing with powder only amongest people who know not the difference for by this they would learn to despise fire arms and think their own arms superior and if ever such an Opinion prevail'd they would certainly attack you the event of which might prove as unfavourable to you as them —

About Noon the rake was restore'd us. when they wanted to have their Canoes again: but now as I had them in my posession I was resolved to try if they would not redeem them by restoring what they had stolen from us ^ before    the principal things which we had lost were the Marine Musquet, a pair of Pistols belonging to Mr Banks, a sword belonging to one of the Petty officers, and a Water Cask with some other articles not worth mentioning: some said that these things were not in the Island - others that Tootaha had them and those of Tootaha's friends laid the whole to Obarea and I believe the whole was between these two persons

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© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 68, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17690614.html