Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/150

92 14th. Our friends Dootahah, Oborea, Otheothea, etc., at the tents this morning as usual. It being Sunday, Captain Cook proposed that divine service should be celebrated, but before the time most of our Indian friends had gone home to eat. I was resolved, however, that some should be present that they might see our behaviour, and we might if possible explain to them (in some degree at least) the reasons of it. I went, therefore, over the river, and brought back Tubourai and Tamio, and having seated them in the tent, placed myself between them. During the whole service they imitated my motions, standing, sitting, or kneeling as they saw me do; and so much understood that we were about something very serious, that they called to the Indians without the fort to be silent. Notwithstanding this they did not, when the service was over, ask any questions, nor would they attend at all to any explanation we attempted to give them. We have not yet seen the least traces of religion among these people, maybe they are entirely without it.

15th. In the course of last night one of the Indians was clever enough to steal an iron-bound cask. It was indeed without the fort, but so immediately under the eye of the sentry that we could hardly believe the possibility of such a thing having happened. The Indians, however, acknowledged it, and seemed inclined to give intelligence, in consequence of which I set off in pursuit of it, and traced it to a part of the bay where they told me it had been put into a canoe. It was not of sufficient consequence to pursue with any great spirit, so I returned home. At night Tubourai made many signs that another cask would be stolen before morning; and thinking, I suppose, that we did not sufficiently regard them, came with his wife and family to the place where the cask lay, and said that they themselves would take care that no one should steal them. On being told this I went to them, and explaining to them that a sentry was this night put over these particular casks, they agreed to come and sleep in my tent, but insisted on leaving a servant to assist the sentry in case the thief came,