3 3 8 A V O Y A G E R O UND THE WORLD.
avJ£It. little hair remained was perfectly grey. There was however
an expreflion of kindnefs in his features, which pre-
ferved the veftiges of a former manly beauty. Near him
fat another perfon, who might have paffed for an old man,
if he had not been in company with the former. The reft
of the people told us he was the fon of Yogai, and named
Yatta. He was likewife a tall man, but well-proportioned,
and remarkably well-featured for a native of Tanna. His
hair was black, frizzled, and almoft woolly, but not drefied -r
and he had a very engaging, fenfible look, which expreffed
great good-nature towards the ftrangers. The natives acquainted
us that he was the kou-vojb, which we fuppofe to
be a title perhaps equivalent to fuch expreflions as “ fuc-
ceflor, heir, prince of the blood,” and the like, which are-
ufed in civilized countries. As their colour was exacitlv
the fame with that of the common people, for they were
both of a very blackifh or footy complexion, we took particular
care to examine whether there was any difference
between their ornaments and thofe of the reft of the natives ;
but all the diftin&ion which we could obferve, confifted in*
the kind of fa(h, or cloth, which they wore round their
body as a belt. The faflies of the common people were
of an uniform cinnamon, or brownith-yellow colour ; bur
thefe two chiefs wore them painted with black lines, and
chequered with compartments of black and red : however,,
it is not improbable that even this variation is merely accidental;,
A V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD. 3 39
dental, and by no means confidered as a mark of royalty by A ugust,
the natives. Upon the whole, no deference was paid to
thefe two perfons, if we except the title of chiefs, with
which they were diftinguifhed. We never obferved either
of them to iffue any command, and it is very probable that
their orders are only obeyed in time of war. At fuch a
period, the people readily give up their judgment to the experience
of hoary age, and follow its counfels inftead of
laws. They implicitly truft their lives and fortunes to the
condudi of a man, whofe fuperior valour, and confummate
art, they acknowledge with one common voice. We made
them fome trifling prefents, and gave them an invitation to
come on board, which they declined. We then embarked
in one of the boats, in order to go to dinner. Our people
brought off a great quantity of clubwood (,cafuarina) from
the fhore, having cut down a {lately tree of this fort, which
grew upon the edge of the flat hill. They began to faw it
the preceding afternoon •, but Paw-yangom came to captain
Cook to complain, becaufe this tree is highly valued at
Tanna, and fo very fcarce, that they are obliged to go to Irro-
manga, where it grows more plentifully, in order to fupply
themfelves with clubs. Captain Cook immediately ordered
the workmen to leave i t ; but afterwards finding that it was
cut fo far that it could not-grow any more, he gave the old
man a dog, a quantity of Taheitee cloth, and feveral other
articles, for which be agr.eed that we fhou.ld take the tree,
X x 2 and