upwards of fifty perfons of different ages and fexes. f a
about the fame employment, and brought us fo many of
•thefe little creatures, that we were foon Obliged to refufe
them. In the fpace of two hours we reached our tents on
Point Venus, where we found O-Wahow, the generous
native who had brought my father another prefent of
provifions. In the courfe of this walk, we had obferved
more idle perfons than at Aitepeha ; the honfes and plantations
appeared more ruinous and neglected, and from
feveral people inftead of invitations, or marks of hofpi-
tality, we only received importunate petitions for beads and
nails. Still upon the whole we had great reafon to be
contented with our reception among them, and the liberty
of roaming at pleafure through all parts of their delightful
country. We had now and'then experienced their difpo-
fition to theft, but had never loft any thing of value; for
our handkerchiefs, which were the eafieft to come at, were
made of their own thinner cloth, fo that they found them-
felves difappointed as often as they had dextroufly picked
our pockets, and with great good humour returned them
to us. In my opinion this vice is not of fo heinous a
nature among the Taheitians, as amongft ourfeives. People
whofe wants are fo eafily fatisfied, and in whole manner
o f living there is fo much equality, can have very few1
••motives to fteal from each other, and their open houfes
without doors and bars, are fo many proofs of mutual
fafety
fafety. The blame then lies in a great meafure upon us,
for bringing temptations in their way too powerful to be
withftood. They feem indeed not to think their tranfgref-
fions of great fignification, perhaps from a reflcdtion that
they do not materially injure us by any little larceny.
During our abfence the captains had paid a vilit to the
king at Parre, where they were highly entertained by the
fight of a dramatic dance, which her royal highnefs Tow-
rai performed, in a drqfs exactly defcribed in captain Cook s
former voyage, and with the fame geftures which are there
mentioned *. Two men danced at different intervals, when
the princefs refted, and, with many ftrange distortions, fpoke
or fung fome words, probably relative to the lubjcct of
their dance, which was unintelligible to our people. The
whole entertainment lafted about an hour and a half, during
which Tedua Towrai difplayed a wonderful activity,
which furpafied every thing that had been feen at the ille
of Ulietea in the former voyage.
Early the next morning captain Cook fent lieutenant Monday 30.
Pickerfgill to the fouth-weft part of the illand, in order to
purchafe fome frelh provifion, and particularly fome hogs,
of which we had hitherto received only two from the king.
We continued on board the whole day* defcribing the plants
which we had found on our laft excurfion. In the even-
* See Hawkefworth, vol. I I . p. 264, 265. See alfo the plate No. 7, though
that conveys no idea of Taheitians.
V o l . I. Y y inS.