Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/163

] soon after went in our barge with part of her attendants.

We had seen in Bligh's narrative, that, just as he was preparing to quit the island of Tofoa, the sailor, whom he had sent on shore to cast off the mooring of the launch, was killed by one of the natives. The people of Tongataboo informed us that the murder was committed by a chief named Moudoulalo; but we could not learn the motive which had induced him to this excessive barbarity. All of us were astonished at the coolness with which the natives told the tale.

We had already seen several knives of English manufacture in the hand of the natives; and this morning early Feenou brought us a bayonet that he had received from Captain Cook, the point of which he requested us to sharpen, as it was blunted.

In the afternoon we visited some islets, lying at a very little distance from each other between Tongataboo and Pangaïmotoo. They are all connected together by a shoal, which is almost wholly dry at low water.

We first arrived at a bank of sand, lately emerged from the water, on which, however, a commencement of vegetation already appeared. From this, called by the natives Iniou, we proceeded to the little isle of Manima; to reach which we were