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senting the authority of the Crown. The same rule applies equally to all the ranks downwards: a Major, a Captain, a Lieutenant, wishing to leave the Army before the expiration of thirty years' service, must sell for the old regulation, unless he has purchased on the new. By thus commencing at once, and allowing the officers of thirty years' standing to retire immediately, I anticipate a move in the Army even more than proportionate to the average I have assumed. In that case, though the payments into the fund will chiefly be in the old prices, I cannot see the probability-I might almost say the possibility of the fund requiring any considerable grant of Parliament for its establishment; but if it should be so, I suggest that a vote of credit should pass, authorizing advances by way of loan to the fund, to be repaid. However, as my expectation is decidedly the other way, and that there will always rest in the fund a great and increasing balance, it will become necessary to provide for the appropriation of the amount of accumulated capital and interest, after the fund has exceeded the sum by any probability required for regimental promotion. I would commence, therefore, by reducing the half-pay list, with a view to its gradual extinction, except as an intermediate and temporary retreat for officers, who, being placed on half pay by reduction of their regiments, retain the intention of returning to active service on the first opportunity. To do this, I would deal with those of thirty years' standing, who had been put on compulsory half pay, having to plead actual service of twenty years, in addition to ten years' half-pay, in the same manner as with those holding regimental commissions, and offer them the chance of retiring from the Service on the full price of their regimental commissions. Those who felt themselves unequal to resume the fatiguing duties of their profession would probably embrace the offer, and those in junior ranks who saw no prospect of advancement in reasonable time; but the retirement would probably not be so much desired in the higher ranks. When all this is achieved it will then be time to consider the increase of pay, &c.; as it is, I think the retiring allowance a very considerable compensation for the present low pay of the Army.

THE DEATH OF COOK.

He who would be disposed to question whether Cook was actually the ablest navigator on record, would scarcely deny that he is the most distinguished and popular. It is not his own countrymen only who. have given him so prominent a niche in the temple of Fame, his reputation being extremely high over all Europe; and he was universally. regarded as one of the greatest men of his day. His exertions in discovery are familiarly known to all; and his Narratives are SO decidedly and correctly authentic, that they may be justly styled the "classics" of sea-voyages.

After the melancholy murder of Capt. Cook, at Owhyhee, in 1779, the remainder of the voyage was written, and well written, by Capt.. James King, an élève of the great circumnavigator. All our readers,

we take it, have had their feelings warmly excited by the affecting account of the several occurrences at that eventful period: and we have now to support and illustrate King's details by a few particulars which have been obligingly placed at our disposal, by an officer who is himself employed in the furtherance of hydrography. These particulars are contained in a small memorandum-book, which, as a medical case at the end seems to indicate, was written by the Surgeon of one of the ships or his Mate; and such is the spirit of observation in the fragment, that we regret the whole journal did not fall into the hands of our friend. However, we will submit what there is, verbatim et literatim—remarking, as the unknown writer begins only with a week-day, that it was the 18th of February, 1779.

It will be observed that the statements published by Capt. King sixty years ago, and those of the journalist, are substantially the same; but that the receiving and burying of Cook's feet is not mentioned in the official account. A slight confusion has arisen from King's saying that the ships weighed from Woahoo, on the 27th of February, at eight in the morning-the present journal shows that they quitted that anchorage in the evening, and accounts for the rest of the passage to Atooi. It will also be seen that on Monday, March 1, an attack on the watering party would have been a fatal blow. The writer evidently thinks there was a want of judgment in the conduct of this affair; but Capt. King says, the confidence placed in our fire-arms, by opposing only five marines to their whole force, must have raised in the islanders a very high idea of the English superiority.

Before entering upon the journal, we cannot but copy a few lines of King's account of the termination of that business. The daring insolence of the natives had inspired a proper apprehension of their designs, so that the re-embarkation was judiciously managed, and the whole party were safely got into the boats, except King himself, Mr. Anderson the gunner, and a seaman. As the pinnace lay beyond the surf, through which they were obliged to swim, the officer told his companions to make the best of their way to it, and that he would follow them. "With this order," says he, "I was surprised to find them both refuse to comply; and the consequence was, a contest amongst us who should be the last on shore. It seems that some hasty words I had just before used to the sailor, which he thought reflected on his courage, was the cause of this odd fancy in him; and the old gunner, finding a point of honour started, thought he could not well avoid taking a part in it. In this ridiculous situation we might have remained some time, had not our dispute been soon settled by the stones that began to fly about us, and by the cries of the people from the boats to make haste, as the natives were following us into the water with clubs and spears. I reached the side of the pinnace first, and finding Mr. Anderson was at some distance behind, and not yet entirely out of danger, I called out to the marines to fire one musket. In the hurry of executing my orders they fired two; and when I got into the boat, I saw the natives running away, and one man, with a woman sitting by him, left behind on the beach. The man made several attempts to rise, without being able; and it was with much regret I perceived him to be wounded in the groin."

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But we must not let Capt. King run away with us-we will, thereProceed at once with the Memorandum-book :

"Thursday. The priest, distinguished by the name of the treacherous priest, brought a pig and some roots to us, but they were not received. He then went on shore with them, and presented them to our people watering; but being also there refused, he went at some distance and threw stones at them, and on being fired at moved off. This was the only interruption the waterers met with this day from the natives.

"Fryday.-Arrived in the forenoon an ambassador from Terri-oboo, who promised that the bones of the Captain, in the possession of Oboo, should be returned the next day-that the head and hands, together with the bones of the arms, thighs, and legs, were all that remained, and that the trunk was burnt. He did not seem to know what was done with the marines, but told us the muskets were broke to pieces, and the iron divided, and of the iron ramrods they had made pahowas-that he could not answer for returning any of them. The name of this man was Yapo (Eappo), and very well known in the Discovery to be a man of great consequence. He also told us, what we could easily credit, that Oboo was very sorry for what had happened, and that it was contrary to his wishes. He had moved a good distance off, as being much terrified for what had happened. We understood, too, by Yapo, that the Arie (Eree) would visit us the next day. In the afternoon he left the ships: the canoes now began to come to us at night, and several men swam to the ships with roots, as if they were afraid of being seen in the day. They are most likely forbid bringing us anything.

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Saturday.-About noon, Yapo arrived with the bones-from the size of which we had no doubt they were the Captain's; but what put the matter beyond all doubt was the hands, which were quite entire, except two or three slits in the palm of each, in which were some salt, for the purpose no doubt of preserving them: a long piece of the skin of the arm was left hanging to each. There were likewise the leg bones of one of the people among the Captain's-which circumstance was not mentioned to anybody, and they were all interred together: the bones had evidently the marks of having been in the fire, agreeable to the account they gave us of burning them, but the ligaments connecting the joints were entire. The head was scalped, and the ears remained on the scalp, but the long hair was cut off: this they told us before, and that Mia-a-Mia-a (Maiha-Maiha of King) had the hair-an article they are all very fond of. This morning the mast, after much trouble and many risks, was got in, and the people proceeded to getting the ship ready with the greatest expedition.

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"Sunday. The ambassador visited us again this evening, and brought with him the under jaw of C. Js. C., one of his shoes, and the two barrels of the Captain's gun, which was double barrelled, but without the stock or any of the furniture. One-third of one of the barrels was beat close together, and exceedingly well done: it was intended, no doubt, either for a toi, or a weapon of war. The other barrel was a little bent, otherways quite entire. In the evening the bones were committed to the deep, with the usual compliments due to his rank. The natives, for these two last days, after the ambassador left us, came off without any fear, with plenty of roots and some few hogs.

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Monday.-Yapo, as usual, came to us, and brought the only part of the Captain that remained unburnt, which were the feet: they were

dropped overboard in the same spot with the rest of his body. Yapo was presented with different things from the two Captains for himself and Oboo, and made to understand we should sail in the night with the first of the land breeze. This rumour had spread on shore, and directly after he left the ship, we had on board both ships more canoes than on all the days put together since the accident.

"Wednesday. A fresh trade; running along the west side of the island (Tahoorowa), which has the appearance of being very barren. At noon the isle of Oranney (Ranai) bore about [blank space] Maw-we (Mowee), Morotoi, and [blank space]. Several canoes came to the ship from the different isles; brought some small pigs, a few roots, and an abundance of sugar-cane. All the different isles on this side have a very bad appearance, some parts of them being quite desert. The news of our late accident at Owa-he (Owhyhee) was soon made known to these people, by means, no doubt, of the women that were in the ships. It seemed to have no more effect on them than just the relating a common occurrence,-so cheap do they hold human life. I heard one of them ask if Paraa (Pareea) was killed; on being told no, he did not even ask after any one else. The two unfortunate brothers (the Kaneenas) are very well known here; nor do they mention any of the others that fell, their consequence only has made them the wonder of a moment. In the evening hauled our wind, and stood out clear of the islands.

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Thursday. In the morning, as yesterday, had a fresh trade, but it soon left us, and we had baffling winds and calms. Several canoes again came off, with nothing except sugar-cane.

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Fryday.-Baffling winds. Two or three canoes came off from the isle Morotoi, but had nothing in them. Hoisted out the jolly-boat, and sent her on board the Discovery, with an order to Captain Gore to send the women he had on board out of the ship, as they might at Towi (Atooi) be detrimental to us respecting trade, by informing those people of the prices we had given at the windward isle, Owa-he (Owhyhee); or that they might relate the account of our late quarrel at that isle, and it would be impossible to know in what light they would take it, whether for or against us. Soon after the boat left the ship it blew fresh; so they were under a necessity of hoisting her on board the Discovery, where she remained all night.

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Saturday. Running along the north side of the isle Owah-hoo (Woahoo), which has a very [word omitted] appearance. At two hauled into a bay, and at half after anchored off a fine white sandy beach, and directly after two or three canoes came to us. By their account the shore produced everything we could wish for, and—what we were now to take in—a large quantity of yams, to be served out at sea as bread, in order to save that article, which would otherwise have run short before the ships could reach an European port, after the next campaign to the northward. The boats were sent on shore to look for water to complete the ships, in one of which I went. We landed exceedingly well on the sandy beach, when all the people that were there collected prostrated themselves flat on their faces; they just lifted up their heads now and then to look at us, but not a word was spoke. One of the men got up and presented the peace-offering of a pig and a piece of cloth; in return for which he received a toi. He then accom

panied us to a river running down a very beautiful valley opposite the ships; but, to our great mortification, the sea at high water meets the river about two cables' length up, so that, to have watered here, the casks must have been rolled up that way to come at the water that was perfectly fresh. This the Captains did not think advisable. The people were as civil as possible, and to-morrow promised an abundance of yams and hogs, and likewise that there was an harbour and good water at a little distance to leeward. But, however, we perfectly understood each other, for a boat was sent, but seeing nothing like an harbour returned to the ship, as did the other boats, and the ships both got under way. It would, I think, have been prudent to have waited the event of the next day, as they were desired to bring hogs and roots, and which they promised; besides the ships are in better shelter here than at Tow-i (Atooi), nor is the distance to roll the casks at all greater. The island itself has infinitely a better appearance than any of those we have yet seen, and the people, as at the others, as well disposed.

"Sunday. At four o'clock this morning bore away for Tow-i (Atooi). Why we hauled our wind last night I can't tell, as we have certainly distance enough. This morning, when we expected to see the land we were disappointed, and I should suppose thoroughly convinced we might have stood on last night with safety. At noon saw the land, but at such a distance as not to be able to anchor this night. At sunset two canoes paddled off to us, but we sailed too fast for them. Hauled our wind, and are to stand off and on till daylight. A fresh trade.

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Monday. At eight o'clock anchored in the old road, after being plagued a little with shoal water. In a short time several canoes came to the ships, with roots and hogs, and endeavoured to make us understand an Arie (Eree), and several men were killed. At first we thought they meant their own Arie, but on inquiring after him they gave us the same name. At first it struck me that by some means or other they had been made acquainted with our loss at Owhy-he, and were relating it to us; but that opinion was overruled by those who persisted in its being their own Arie. However we had shortly after convincing proofs that it was our Arie, and not theirs, who they said would be with us to-morrow. They then told us. that the goats we left at Ne-haw (Oneeheow), were demanded by the Arie of this island, but that they would not deliver them up, which occasioned a battle between the two islands, if we understand them rightly, which occasioned the goats being killed, a very great loss to us, as we shall be obliged to kill some fine she-goats, for without the ram they are totally useless. It is rather extraordinary that Ne-haw should, from appearances, make opposition to Tow-i, for, as was observed in my first account of that isle, they appeared a colony of mere slaves sent from Tow-i. In the afternoon our launch, attended by the pinnace, with six marines only as a guard, went on shore for a load of water. Having landed. one of the natives wanted payment for the water of Mr. King, which of course was refused him. They then soon began to treat us in a very insolent manner, and committed some of the most audacious thefts. The party was too small to think of any resistance, therefore tamely put up with everything while on shore; but immediately they embarked in the boats they fired at the multitude three musquets. One man only was killed. It was certainly the insignificance of the party that made them liable to these U. S. MAG., No. 162, MAY, 1842.

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