98
gmn On léâving this Taheitian drone we feparated, and I
accompanied Me 11'. Hódges and Grin drill, whole good-na-
tured friend, thé cârtto of the port-folio, had earneftly
invited Us to his habitation. We arrived there towards five
in thé evening, and found it a fmall but cleanly cottage,
before which a great abundance of frelh leaves were fpread
Oil a ftony place, and a prodigious quantity of the beft
coco-nuts and well-roaftad bread-fruit were laid out in
fine order. He immediately ran to two elderly perfons,
who were bufy in frightening the rats from this plentiful
flore of provilions, and introduced them to us as his parents.
They èxpTeflêd great joy on feeing the friends of
their fon, and entreated us to fit down to the meal which
lay before us. We were at firft ftruck with afton-ifhment
on finding it entirely prepared at our arrival, hut we foon
recollected that our friend had fent off one of his comrades
feveral hours beforehand, very probably with directions
to provide for our entertainment. As this was the
firft regular toëal to which we fat down this day, it will
eafily be conceived that we fell to with a good appetite,
and gave infinite fatisfadlion to the good-natured old people
and the generous-minded youth, who all feemed to
“ every day to the ende of his mete. And in this manere he ledethe his lif, and
«« fo did thei beforn him that weren his aunceftres, and fo . fchulie thei that
. *s comen aftre him.” See the Voyages and Travaylls o f Sir John Maundevile> knight9
t *&- 376 *
think
think themfelves happy in the honour which we did to AH"sr,
their excellent cheer. With fuch a venerable pair mini-
firing to us, if I may be allowed to indulge in a poetical
idea, we ran fome rifle of forgetting that we were men,
and might have believed ourfelves feafted by the hofpitable
Baucis and Philemon, if our inability to reward them had
not reminded us of mortality. However, all the beads
and nails which we could mufter amongft us were offered to
them, rather as a mark that we preferved a grateful fenfe
-of their good heart, than as any retribution.' The youth
went on with us to the beach oppolite to our veffels, and
brought on board a great quantity of provilions, which we
had left unconfirmed at our dinner. He was there prefen
ted with a hatchet, a fhirt, and various articles of lefs
value by his friends, and returned that very evening on
fhore to hiss parents, being probably enriched' beyond his
warmeft expectation.
The ufual trade had been carried on about the Grips,
and on the beach oppolite to them, during our abfence,
without any material incident, except Captain Cook’s, meeting
with T uahow, the fame native who had aocompanied
him a confiderable way when he made the circuit of Ta-
heitee in a boat, in the courfe of his firft -voyage *. We
found him and two of his countrymen on board at our return,
they having refolved to take up their night’s lodging
* See Hawkefwortb, vol. II. p. i 6o , 162, See,
Q_q I with