’ vms their oars. The greater part of thefe unbidden guefts were
* ”°UST’ therefore obliged to leave it, to their vifible difappoint-
ment i for they feemed to have fet a great value upon the
liberty of fitting in our boat, which was frelh painted, and
had a pleafant green awning to ikreen us from the fun.
We rowed acrofs the bay, and approached the fhore near a
point where a thick fhrubbery furrounded a mara'i of ftone,
fuch as we had already obferved in Aitepeha. This cerne-
tery and place of worfiiip was known to Captain Cook by
the name of Tootahah’s marai, but when he called it by
this name, Maratata interrupted him, intimating that it
was no longer Tootahah’s after his death, but was known
at prefent as O-Too’s marai. A fine moral for princes,
daily reminding them of mortality whilft they live, and
teaching them that after death they cannot even call the
ground their own which their dead corfe occupies!- T h e
chief and his wife on paffing by it, took their upper garment
from their (houlders, which is a mark of refpedt
indifcriminately paid at the marai by all ranks of people,
and feems to annex a particular idea of fandhty to thefe
places. Perhaps they are fuppofed to be favoured with the
more immediate prefence of the Deity, agreeably to the
opinion that has been entertained of public places of worfiiip
at all times and among all nations.
After paffing the marai, we rowed for fome time clofe
along one of the fineft diftridts of O-Taheitee, where the
° -p la in s
plains feemed to be very fpacious, and the mountains ran
with a very eafy dope into a long point. A prodigious
number of inhabitants lined the fiiores, which were covered
with grafles, and {haded with numerous palms clofe to the
water’s edge. Here we landed, atnidft the joyful acclamations
of the multitude, and were conducted to a group of
houfes, hid under fpreading fruit-trees. Before one of the
largefl. we {aw an area twenty or thirty yards fquare, fur-
rounded by an enclofure of reeds, not above eighteen inches
high, in the middle of which the king was feated crofs-legg-
ed on the ground, in a great circle of perfons of both fexes,
who feemed to be of the higheft rank in the ifland from
their ftature, colour and deportment. Some of our failors
laid down a number of prefents before him, which ferved
as Captain Cook’s credentials. We all followed, and were
intreated to fit down around the king. The refpedl which
was paid to the fovereign by all ranks of people, and which
confifted in uncovering the {houlders in his prefence, did
not prevent them from thronging around us on all fides
with the greatefi eagernefs of curiofity. The croud was
beyond companion more numerous than at our interview-
with Aheatua, and the king s attendants in different corners
of the area were obliged to exert themfelves in. order to
keep them within bounds. One in particular difplayed
his activity in a furious manner to. clear the way for us,
by
1771
A ugu
f