JUNE 1777.] ARRIVAL AT TONGATABOO. from Hapace to Kotoo, had been left there, not caring to venture to sea when we did; but desired I might wait for them at Annamooka, which was the reason of my anchoring there this second time, and of my not proceeding directly to Tongataboo. 595 out us; but every one of them outrun the ships considerably. Feenou was to have taken his passage in the Resolution, but preferred his own canoe, and put two men on board to conduct us to the best anchorage. We steered S. by W. by compass. The following morning, Poulaho We continued the same course till and the other chiefs who had been 2 o'clock next morning, when, seeing windbound with him arrived. I hap- some lights ahead, and not knowing pened, at this time to be ashore in whether they were on shore or on company with Feenou, who now board the canoes, we hauled the seemed to be sensible of the impro- wind, and made a short trip each priety of his conduct in assuming a way till daybreak. We then recharacter that did not belong to him. sumed our course to the S. by W.; For he not only acknowledged Poulaho and, presently after, saw several to be King of Tongataboo and the small islands before us, and Eooa and other isles, but affected to insist much Tongataboo beyond them. We had on it, which no doubt was with a view at this time twenty-five fathoms to make amends for his former pre- water, over a bottom of broken coral sumption. I left him to visit this and sand. The depth gradually degreater man, whom I found sitting creased as we drew near the isles with a few people before him. But, above mentioned, which lie ranged every one hastening to pay court to along the NE. side of Tongataboo. him, the circle increased pretty fast. By the direction of our pilots we I was very desirous of observing Fee- steered for the middle of it, and for nou's behaviour on this occasion; and the widest space between the small had the most convincing proof of his isles which we were to pass, having inferiority, for he placed himself our boats ahead employed in soundamongst the rest that sat before Pou- ing. We were, insensibly, drawn laho as attendants on his majesty. upon a large flat, upon which lay inHe seemed at first rather abashed, as numerable coral rocks, of different some of us were present who had been depths below the surface of the water. used to see him act a different part; Notwithstanding all our care and atbut he soon recovered himself. Some tention to keep the ship clear of them, little conversation passed between we could not prevent her from striking these two chiefs, which none of us on one of these rocks. Nor did the understood; nor were we satisfied Discovery, though behind us, escape with Omai's interpretation of it. We any better. Fortunately neither of were, however, by this time sufficiently the ships stuck fast, nor received any undeceived as to Feenou's rank. Both damage. We could not get back withhe and Poulaho went on board without increasing the danger, as we had me to dinner; but only the latter sat at table. Feenou, having made his obeisance in the usual way, saluting his sovereign's foot with his head and hands, retired out of the cabin. The King had before told us that this would happen; and it now appeared that Feenou could not even eat nor drink in his royal presence. At 8 o'clock next morning we weighed and steered for Tongataboo, having a gentle breeze at NE. About fourteen or fifteen sailing vessels belonging to the natives set out with To come in almost before the wind. Nor Soon after we had anchored, which was about noon, several of the inhabitants of Tongataboo came off in their canoes to the ships. These, as well as our pilots, assured us that we should find deep water farther in, and a bottom free from rocks. They were not mistaken, for about 4 o'clock the boats made the signal for having found good anchorage. Upon this we weighed and stood in till dark, and then anchored in nine fathoms, having a fine, clear, sandy bottom. During the night we had some showers of rain; but towards the morning the wind shifted to the S. and SE., and brought on fair weather. At daybreak we weighed, and, working in to the shore, met with no obstructions but such as were visible and easily avoided. While we were plying up to the harbour, to which the natives directed us, the King kept sailing round us in his canoe. There were at the same time a great many small canoes about the ships. Two of these, which could not get out of the way of his royal vessel, he run quite over, with as little concern as if they had been bits of wood. Amongst many others who came on board the Resolution was Otago, who had been so useful to me when I visited Tongataboo during my last voyage; and one Toobou, who at that time had attached himself to Captain Furneaux. Each of them brought a hog and some yams as a testimony of his friendship; and I was not wanting on my part in making a suitable return. At length, about two in the afternoon, we arrived at our intended station. It was a very snug place, formed by the shore of Tongataboo on the SE., and two small islands on the E. and NE. Here we anchored in ten fathoms water, over a bottom of oozy sand, distant from the shore one-third of a mile. CHAPTER VII. SOON after we had anchored, having first dined, I landed, accompanied by | Omai and some of the officers. We found the King waiting for us upon the beach. He immediately conducted us to a small neat house, situated a little within the skirts of the woods, with a fine large area before it. This house, he told me, was at my service during our stay at the island, and a better situation we could not wish for. We had not been long in the house before a pretty large circle of the natives were assembled before us and seated upon the area. A root of the "kava" plant being brought and laid down before the King, he ordered it to be split into pieces and distributed to several people of both sexes, who began the operation of chewing it; and a bowl of their favourite liquor was soon prepared. In the meantime a baked hog, and two baskets of baked yams, were produced, and afterward divided into ten portions. These portions were then given to certain people present, but how many were to share in each I could not tell. One of them, I observed, was bestowed upon the King's brother; and one remained undisposed of, which I judged was for the King himself, as it was a choice bit. The liquor was next served out, but Poulaho seemed to give no directions about it. The first cup was brought to him, which he ordered to be given to one who sat near him. The second was also brought to him, and this he kept. The third was given to me, but their manner of brewing having quenched my thirst, it became Omai's property. The rest of the liquor was distributed to different people by direction of the man who had the management of it. One of the cups being carried to the King's brother, he retired with this and with his mess of victuals. Some others also quitted the circle with their portions; and the reason was, they could neither eat nor drink in the royal presence; but there were others present of a much inferior rank of both sexes, who did both. Soon after, most of them withdrew, carrying with them what they had not eaten of their share of the feast. I JUNE 1777.] FRIENDLY RECEPTION AT TONGATABOO. observed that not a fourth part of the company had tasted either the victuals or the drink-those who partook of the former I supposed to be of the King's household. The servants, who distributed the baked meat and the "kava," always delivered it out of their hand sitting, not only to the King, but to every other person. It is worthy of remark, though this was the first time of our landing, and a great many people were present who had never seen us before, yet no one was troublesome; but the greatest good order was preserved throughout the whole assembly. Before I returned on board I went in search of a watering-place, and was conducted to some ponds, or, rather, holes, containing fresh water, as they were pleased to call it. The contents of one of these, indeed, were tolerable; but it was at some distance inland, and the supply to be got from it was very inconsiderable. Being informed that the little island of Pangimodoo, near which the ships lay, could better furnish this necessary article, I went over to it next morning, and was so fortunate as to find there a small pool that had rather fresher water than any we had met with amongst these islands. The pool being very dirty, I ordered it to be cleaned, and here it was that we watered the ships. As I intended to make some stay at Tongataboo, we pitched a tent in the forenoon just by the house which Poulaho had assigned for our use. The horses, cattle, and sheep, were afterwards landed, and a party of marines, with their officer, stationed there as a guard. The observatory was then set up at a small distance from the other tent, and Mr King resided on shore to attend the observations, and to superintend the several operations necessary to be conducted there; for the sails were carried thither to be repaired; a party was employed in cutting wood for fuel and plank for the use of the ships; and the gunners of both were ordered to remain upon the spot to conduct the traffic with the natives, who thronged from every part of the island with hogs, yams, cocoa-nuts, and 597 other articles of their produce. In a short time our land-post was like a fair, and the ships were so crowded with visitors that we had hardly room to stir upon the decks. [On hearing that there were other great men on the island whom they had not seen, with some little difficulty they were introduced to Mareewagee and old Toobou, whom they entertained for an hour with a performance on two French horns and a drum. This visit old Toobou returned next morning by coming on board ship, when he received a considerable present from Captain Clerke.] Toward noon [on the 4th] Poulaho returned from the place where we had left him two days before, and brought with him his son, a youth about twelve years of age. I had his company at dinner, but the son, though present, was not allowed to sit down with him. It was very convenient to have him for my guest; for when he was present, which was generally the case while we stayed here, every other native was excluded from the table, and but few of them would remain in the cabin. Whereas, if by chance it happened that neither he nor Feenou was on board, the inferior chiefs would be very importunate to be of our dining party, or to be admitted into the cabin at that time; and then we were so crowded that we could not sit down to a meal with any satisfaction. The King was very soon reconciled to our manner of cookery. But still I believe he dined thus frequently with me more for the sake of what we gave him to drink than for what we set before him to eat. For he had taken a liking to our wine, could empty his bottle as well as most men, and was as cheerful over it. He now fixed his residence at the house, or 66 malaee," by our tent; and there he entertained our people this evening with a dance. To the surprise of everybody the unwieldy Poulaho endeavoured to vie with others in that active amusement. In the morning of the 15th I received a message from old Toobou that he wanted to see me ashore. received from me such presents as I had reason to believe they were highly satisfied with. When dinner came upon table, not one of them would sit down, or eat a bit of anything that was served up. On expressing my surprise at this, they were all "taboo," as they said, which word has a very comprehensive meaning, but in general signifies that a thing is forbidden. Why they were laid under such restraints at present was not explained. Dinner being over, and having gratified their curiosity by showing to them every part of the ship, I then conducted them ashore. As soon as the boat reached the beach, Feenou and some others instantly stepped out. Young Fatrafaihe following them, was called back by Mareewagee, who now paid the heir-apparent the same obeisance, and in the same manner, that I had seen it paid to the King. And when old Toobou and one of the old ladies had shown him the same marks of respect, he was suffered to land. This ceremony being over, the old people stepped from my boat into a canoe that was waiting to carry them to their place of abode. Accordingly Omai and I went to wait | upon him. We found him, like an ancient patriarch, seated under the shade of a tree, with a large piece of a cloth made in the island spread out at full length before him, and a number of respectable-looking people sitting round it. He desired us to place ourselves by him, and then he told Omai that the cloth, together with a piece of red feathers and about a dozen Cocoa-nuts, were his present to me. I thanked him for the favour, and desired he would go on board with me, as I had nothing on shore to give him in return. Omai now left me, being sent for by Poulaho; and soon after Feenou came and acquainted me that young Fatrafaihe, Poulaho's son, desired to see me. I obeyed the summons, and found the prince and Omai sitting under a large canopy of the finer sort of cloth, with a piece of the coarser sort spread under them and before them that was seventy-six yards long and seven and a half broad. On one side was a large old boar, and on the other side a heap of cocoa-nuts. A number of people were seated round the cloth, and amongst them I observed Mareewagee and others of the first rank. I was desired to sit down by the prince, and then Omai informed me that he had been instructed by the King to tell me that, as he and I were friends, he hoped his son might be joined in this friendship, and that, as a token of my consent, I would accept of his present. I very readily agreed to the proposal; and it being now dinner-time, I invited them all on board. Accordingly the young prince, Mareewagee, old Toobou, three or four inferior chiefs, and two respectable old ladies of the first rank, accompanied me. Mareewagee was dressed in a new piece of cloth, on the skirts of which were fixed six pretty large patches of red feathers. This dress seemed to have been made on purpose for this visit, for as soon as he got on board he put it off and presented it to me, having, I guess, heard that it would be acceptable on account of the feathers. Every one of my visitors I was not sorry to be present on this occasion, as I was thus furnished with the most unequivocal proofs of the supreme dignity of Poulaho and his son over the other principal chiefs. Indeed by this time I had acquired some certain information about the relative situations of the several great men whose names have been so often mentioned. I now knew that Mareewagee and old Toobou were brothers. Both of them were men of great property in the island, and seemed to be in high estimation with the people; the former, in particular, had the very honourable appellation given to him, by everybody, of "Motoon Tonga;" that is to say, Father of Tonga, or of his country. The nature of his relationship to the King was also no longer a secret to us; for we now understood that he was his father-in-law, Poulaho having married one of his daughters, by whom he had this son; so that Mareewagee was the prince's grandfather. Pou JUNE 1777.] ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN BY MAREEWAGEE. laho's appearance having satisfied us that we had been under a mistake in considering Feenou as the sovereign of these islands, we had been at first much puzzled about his real rank; but that was by this time ascertained, Feenou was one of Mareewagee's sons, and Tooboueitoa was another. On my landing I found the King in the house adjoining to our tent, along with our people who resided on shore. The moment I got to him, he bestowed upon me a present of a large hog and a quantity of yams. About the dusk of the evening a number of men came, and, having sat down in a round group, began to sing in concert with the music of bamboo drums, which were placed in the centre. There were three long ones and two short. With these they struck the ground endwise, as before described.' There were two others which lay on the ground side by side, and one of them was split or shivered; on these a man kept beating with two small sticks. They sung three songs while I stayed, and I was told that after I left them the entertainment lasted till 10 o'clock. They burnt the leaves of the "wharra" palm for a light; which is the only thing I ever saw them make use of for this purpose. On the 16th in the morning, after visiting the several works now carrying on ashore, Mr Gore and I took a walk into the country; in the course of which nothing remarkable appeared but our having opportunities of seeing the whole process of making cloth, which is the principal manufacture of these islands, as well as of many others in this ocean. In the narrative of my first voyage, a minute description is given of these operations as performed at Otaheite; but the process here differing in some particulars, it may be worth while to give the following account of it: The manufacturers, who are females, take the slender stalks or trunks of the paper-mulberry, which they cul 1 In the account of the festivities at Hapaee, ante, Chapter V., p. 588. 599 tivate for that purpose, and which seldom grows more than six or seven feet in height and about four fingers in thickness. From these they strip the bark, and scrape off the outer rind with a mussel-shell. The bark is then rolled up to take off the convexity which it had round the stalk, and macerated in water for some time (they say a night). After this, it is laid across the trunk of a small tree squared, and beaten with a square wooden instrument, about a foot long, full of coarse grooves on all sides; but sometimes with one that is plain. According to the size of the bark, a piece is soon produced; but the operation is often repeated by another hand, or it is folded several times and beaten longer, which seems rather intended to close than to divide its texture. When this is sufficiently effected, it is spread out to dry; the pieces being from four to six or more feet in length, and half as broad. They are then given to another person, who joins the pieces, by smearing part of them over with the viscous juice of a berry called "to-oo," which serves as a glue. Having been thus lengthened, they are laid over a large piece of wood, with a kind of stamp, made of a fibrous substance pretty closely interwoven, placed beneath. They then take a bit of cloth, and dip it in a juice expressed from the bark of a tree called "kokka," which they rub briskly upon the piece that is making. This at once leaves a dull brown colour and a dry gloss upon its surface; the stamp at the same time making a slight impression, that answers no other purpose that I could see but to make the several pieces that are glued together stick a little more firmly. In this manner they proceed, joining and staining by degrees, till they produce a piece of cloth of such length and breadth as they want; generally leaving a border of a foot broad at the sides, and longer at the ends, unstained. Throughout the whole, if any parts of the original pieces are too thin, or have holes, which is often the case, they glue spare bits |
