May. We found it equally impoffible to proceed; and being
much fatigued by continually clambering over rocks and
rugged ground, fet out -on our -return. By the way we
collected feme plants which we had not yet feen ; and after
a walk of two hours, reached the dwelling of our hofpitable
friend. We dined heartily on vegetables, and rewarded
our hoft with red feathers to his heart’s content; not forgetting
to give him fome iron-ware, which would prove
ufeful to him when the feathers were loft or deftroyed.
His daughter, whom we had feen on our former vifit, was
now married to a man in a remote diftrift,- our prefents
having made her a rich heirefs in this country. We came
on board near funfet/having rambled very leifurely through
the-plain ofMatavai, captivated by the beauty and fertility
of the profpeft, and the additional luftre which a fine evening
fpread over it.
Captain Cook, with my father and feveral officers, had
been at Parre to vafit O-Too. They had been conducted to
a .place where a new war-canoe was building, which the
king intended to call O-Taheitee. But captain Cook made
him a prefent of an Engliffi jack *, a grapnel, and a grapnel
rope, and defired that it might be called the Britannia.
The king immediately confented, the jack was hoifted, and
the people gave three cheers.
* A n enfign or flag, commonly hoifted on the bowfprtt.
$9
. I recommended it to Mr. Hodges to vifit the cafcade
which I had found in the valley ; and accordingly the next
day he went up with feveral gentlemen, and took a view of
it, and of the bafalt-pillars under it. We ate of a large
albecore (fcmber thynnus, Linn.) that day, which gave us all
a fudden heat in the face, and a violent head-ache. Some
had likewife a purging; and a fervant who had entirely
dined upon it, was violently affected with vomiting and
purging. It is probable that the fiffi was caught by means
of fome intoxicating plant, which had perhaps communicated
a noxious quality to the meat.
We learnt about this time that Mahine had married the
daughter ,of Toperree, a chief of Matavai. A midffiipman
acquainted us that he had been prefent on the occafion, and
that he had feen a number of ceremonies performed: but
being intreated to give the particulars, he faid, that though
they were extremely curious, he could not remember one of
them, and did not know how to relate them. By this
means we loft the opportunity of making a confiderable
difcovery, in regard to the cuftoms of thefe iflanders. It
is pity that no intelligent obferver was prefent, who might
at leaft have related what he had feen. Mahine came on
board with his bride, who was a very young girl, of a low
ftature, but not remarkable for beauty. She was very well
ikilled in the art of begging for prefents, and went
through the whole £hip collecting a vaft number of beads,
V ol. II. N nails,