>773- ' of erafles, which though thinner than in our northern
UGUSTo- O
countries, yet by growing always in the fliade, looked
frefli and formed a foftbed of verdure. The foil was by
their means kept fufficiently moift to give nourifhment to
the trees, and both were in a thriving Rate, owing to the
reciprocal affiftance which they gave each other. Various
little birds dwelt in the fliade of the bread-fruit and other
trees, and had a very agreeable note, though common report
among Europeans has denied the powers of harmony
(I know not on what grounds)- to the birds of warm climates.
The heads of the tailed coco-trees were the ufual
refidenee of a kind of very fmall perroquets of a beautiful
fapphirine blue, while another fort of a greenifli colour,
with a few red fpots, were more common among the bananas,
and appeared frequently tame in the houfes of the
natives, who feemed to value them for their red feathers.
A king’s fiflier, of a dark-green, with a collar of the fame
•hue round his white throat, a large cuckoo, and feveral
forts of pigeons er ,doves, were frequently feen hopping
from branch to branch, and a bluifli heron gravely Hulked
along the fea fide, picking up fliell-fifli and worms, A
fine brook, rolling over a bed of pebbles, came down a
narrow valley, and fiuppiied our waterers at its. difcharge
into the fea. We followed its ftream for a little while till
we were met by a great croud of natives at the heels of
three met?, drefled in various pieces of their red and yellow
cloth,
cloth, and provided with elegant turbans of the fame. Each
of them had a long flick or wand in his hand, and one of
them was accompanied by a woman, whom upon enquiry
we found to be his wife. We demanded what their appearance
meant, and were anfwered they were the Te-apoo-
nee ; but when they obferved we did not underftand enough
of their language to Comprehend this term, they added that
they were Tata-not’Eatooa, men belonging to the divinity,
and to the Marai, or burying-place ; I fuppofe we might
call them priefts. We flopped with them fome time, but
as we did not fee that any religious, or other ceremony
was performed, we returned to the beach. About noon
captain Cook re-imbarked with us,-and with the two fons
of Q-Poe mentioned page 2 69, without having feen Ahea-
tua, who for reafons unknown to us, ftill refufed to admit
us to his prefence.
The two young fellows fat down to dinner with us,
and partook of the vegetables, but did not touch our fait
provifions. After dinner, one of them took an opportunity
of Sealing a knife and a pewter fpoon, not contented with
a number of prefents which he had received from the captain,
without having made any return on his part, and
which ought to have prevented him from infringing the
laws of hofpitality. The theft being difcovered, he was
kicked from the deck, jumped overboard, and fwam to the
next canoe, where he feated himfelf, perhaps in defiance
Vol. I. N n of