*775»
plains, and loftier hills. The natives furrounded us in a
September. number of canoes, and brought a few hogs ; but our
people looked at them with a carelefs indifference, and
offered very low prices, being difficult to pleafe, fince their
fuccefs at Huahine. In one of the canoes a chief came
on board, named Oruwherra, a native of the adjacent ifle
of Borabora (Bolabola.) He was very athletic, but his
hands very fmall, and the punctuation, which the natives
call tattow, confided of the moil Angular fquare blotches on
his arms, and of large black ftripes acrofs the breaft, belly,
and back. His loins and thighs were uniformly black.
IJe brought fome green branches, and a little pig which
he prerented to my father, being neglected by every body
elfe. Having received a few iron-tools as a return, he
defcended immediately into his canoe, and was paddled to
the fliore. But in a little time, another canoe arrived
from him with coco-nuts and bananas, which his fervants
offered to his new friend, refufing at the fame time to
accept of any retribution. The pleafure which we felt
from this circumftance, can eafily be conceived. Philanthropy
is never better rewarded, than when its objects are
endowed with good and amiable qualities.
In the afternoon another chief, a native of the; fame ifle
of Borabora, came on board, and exchanged names with
my father. His name was Herea, and his perfon the moft
corpulent we ever faw in the South Sea iflands ; round his
waift
A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 3 9*
waift he meafured no lefs than fifty-four inches, and one of SE, j S Ei,
his thighs was thirty-one inches and i in girth. His hair
was likewife remarkable ; for it hung down in long black
wavy treffes to the fmall of his back, and in fuch quantity
that it encreafed the apparent bulk of his head con-
fiderably. His corpulence, his colour, and his punctures,
like thofe of Oruwherra, were very diftinguiffiing marks
of his rank, to which indolence and luxury are annexed
here as well as at Taheitee. It may perhaps want fome
explanation, how both thefe chiefs, who were natives of
the adjacent ifle of Borabora, could have any authority
and poffeffions on Raietea. Already, in captain Cook’s former
voyage, it was known that O-Poonee the king of Borabora,
had conquered not only the ifle of Raietea, but
likewife that of O-Taha, which is included in the fame
reef, and that of Mowrua which lies about fifteen leagues
to the weftward *. The warriors who had ferved under
him in thefe expeditions had been rewarded with ample
poffeffions, and a great number of his fubjecis had received
grants in the conquered iflands. The king of Raietea
Oo-Ooroo, was however confirmed in his dignity, though
his power was confined to the diftridt of Opoa ; but at
Taha, Poonee had placed a viceroy, named Boba, who was
nearly related to him. Many of the natives of the conquered
iflands had retreated to Huahine and Taheitee^
* See Hawkefworthj vol. II. p. 266, 267,
pre