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shore. However, that we might be better informed, the moment we found a spot where we could drop the anchor, clear of rocks, we came-to, and sent the masters with the boats to sound.

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 four 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 toward the morning the wind shifted to the S. and S.E., and brought on fair weather. At day-break 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 Toubou, 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 S.E. and two small islands on the E. and N.E. Here we anchored in ten fathoms water, over a bottom of cozy sand, distant from the shore onethird of a mile.

SECTION

SECTION VII.

Friendly Reception at Tongataboo.-Manner of distributing, a baked Hog and Kava to Poulaho's Attendants.-The Observatory, &c. erected. The Village where the Chiefs reside, and the adjoining Country, described.-Interviews with Mareewagee, and Toobou, and the King's Son.-A grand Haiva, or Entertainment of Songs and Dances, given by Mareewagee.-Exhibition of Fireworks-Manner of Wrestling and Boxing-Distribution of the Cattle.-Thefts committed by the Natives.-Poulaho, and the other Chiefs, confined on that Account.-Poulaho's Present and Haiva.

SOON after we had anchored, having first dined, Í 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 wood, 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 mean time, a baked hog, and two baskets of baked yams, were produced, and after-, ward 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 distri

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buted 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 eat of their share of the feast.

I 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 afterward 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

were ordered to remain on the spot, to conduct the traffic with the natives, who thronged from every part of the is land with hogs, yams, cocoa-nuts, and 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.

Feenou had taken up his residence in our neighbour hood; but he was no longer the leading man. However we still found him to be a person of consequence, and we had daily proofs of his opulence and liberality, by the continuance of his valuable presents. But the king was equa ly attentive in this respect, for scarcely a day passed without receiving from him some considerable donation. We now heard that there were other great men of the island whom we had not as yet seen. Otago and Toobou, in particular, mentioned a person named Mareewagee, who, they said, was of the first consequence in the place, and held in great veneration, nay, if Omai did not misunderstand them, su perior even to Poutaho, to whom he was related; but be ing old, lived in retirement, and therefore would not visit us. Some of the natives even hinted that he was too great a man to confer that honour upon us. This account exciting my curiosity, I this day mentioned to Poulaho that I was very desirous of waiting upon Mareewagee; and he readily agreed to accompany me to the place of his residence the next morning.

Accordingly, we set out pretty early in the pinnace, and Captain Clerke joined me in one of his own boats. We proceeded round, that is, to the eastward of the little isles that form the harbour, and then, turning to the S., according to Poulaho's directions, entered a spacious bay or inlet,' up which we rowed about a league, and landed amidst a considerable number of people, who received us with a sort of acclamation, not unlike our huzzaing. They immediately separated, to let Poulaho pass, who took us into a small inclosure, and shifted the piece of cloth he wore for a new piece, neatly folded, that was carried by a young man. An old woman assisted in dressing him, and put a mat over his cloth, as we supposed, to prevent its being dirtied when he sat down. On our now asking him where Mareewagee was, to our great surprise, he said he had gone from the place to the ship just before we arrived. However, he desired us to walk with him to a malace, or house of public resort

which stood about half a mile up the country. But when we came to a large area before it, he sat down in the path, and desired us to walk up to the house. We did so, and. seated ourselves in front, while the crowd that followed us filled up the rest of the space. After sitting a little while, we repeated our enquiries, by means of Omai, Whether we were to see Mareewagee? But receiving no satisfactory information, and suspecting that the old chief was purposely concealed from us, we went back to our boats much piqued at our disappointment; and when I got on board I found that no such person had been there. It afterward appeared, that in this affair we had laboured under some. gross mistakes, and that our interpreter Omai had either been misinformed, or, which is more likely, had misunder-. stood what was told him about the great man, on whose account we had made this excursion.

The place we went to was a village, most delightfully situated on the bank of the inlet, where all, or most of the principal persons of the island reside, each having his house in the midst of a small plantation, with lesser houses, and offices for servants. These plantations are neatly fenced round; and, for the most part, have only one entrance. This is by a door, fastened on the inside by a prop of wood, so that a person has to knock before he can get admittance. Public roads, and narrow lanes, lie between each plantation, so that no one trespasseth upon another. Great part of some of these inclosures is laid out in grass-plots, and planted with such things as seem more for ornament than use; but hardly any were without the kava plant, from which they make their favourite liquor. Every article of the vegetable produce of the island abounded in others of these plantations; but these, I observed, are not the residence of people of the first rank. There are some large houses near the public roads, with spacious smooth grassplots before them, and uninclosed. These, I was told, belonged to the king; and probably they are the places where their public assemblies are held. It was to one of these houses, as I have already mentioned, that we were conducted soon after our landing at this place.

About noon, the next day, this Mareewagee, of whom we had heard so much, actually came to the neighbourhood of our post on shore, and with him a very considerable number of people of all ranks. I was informed, that he had

taken