in the morning, about an hour after Captain Cook landed.  It did not seem, that the king, or his sons, were witnesses to it; but it is supposed that they withdrew in the midst of the tumult.  The principal actors were the other chiefs, many of them the king’s relations and attendants; the man who stabbed him with the dagger was called Nooah.  I happened to be the only one who recollected his person from having on a former occasion mentioned his name in the journal I kept.  I was induced to take particular notice of him, more from his personal appearance than any other consideration, though he was of high rank, and a near relation of the king; he was stout and tall, with a fierce look and demeanour, and one who united in his figure the two qualities of strength and agility, in a greater degree, than ever I remembered to have seen before in any other man.  His age might be about thirty, and by the white scurf on his skin, and his sore eyes, he appeared to be a hard drinker of kava.  He was a constant companion of the king, with whom I first saw him, when he paid a visit to Captain Clerke.  The chief who first struck Captain Cook with the club, was called Karimano, craha, but I did not know him by his name.  These circumstances I learnt of honest Kaireekea, the priest, who added, that they were both held in great esteem on account of that action; neither of them came near us afterwards.  When the boats left the shore, the Indians carried away the dead body of Captain Cook and those of the marines, to the rising ground, at the back of the town, where we could plainly see them with our glasses from the ships.  This most melancholy accident appears to have been altogether unexpected and unforeseen, as well on the part of the natives as ourselves.  I never saw sufficient reason to induce me to believe, that there was any thing of design, or a pre-concerted plan, on their side, or that they purposely sought to quarrel with us; thieving, which gave rise to the whole, they were equally guilty of, in our first and second visits.  It was the cause of every misunderstanding that happened between us; their petty thefts were generally overlooked, but sometimes slightly punished; the boat, which they at last ventured to take away, was an object of no small magnitude to people in our situation, who could not possibly replace her, and therefore not slightly to be given up.  We had no other chance of recovering her, but by getting the person of the king into our possession; on our attempting to do that, the natives became alarmed for his safety, and naturally opposed those whom they deemed his enemies.  In the sudden conflict that ensued, we had the unspeakable misfortune of losing our excellent commander, in the manner already related.  It is in this light the affair has always appeared to me, as entirely accidental, and not in the least owing to any previous offence received, or jealousy of our second visit entertained by the natives.  Pareah seems to have been the principal instrument