136
m. his family, of Boba, the viceroy of the ifland of O-Taha,
and of Teina, the fair dancing-woman, whole picture Mr.
Hodges had formerly attempted to draw, *. Boba was a
tall, handfome young man, a native of Borabora, related to
Boonee, the king of that illand, and conqueror of Raietea
and Taha. Mahine has frequently told us, that he is def-
tined to be the fucceffor of O-Poone, whofe only daughter
Maiwherua, faid to be a young- beautiful princefs, twelve
years old, he is to marry. Boba was at prefent an arreoy,
and kept the lively Teina as his midrefs, who was with
child in confequence. We entered into converfation with
her on the cuftom of killing the offspring of an arreoy.
The Qiort dialogue which paffed between us was couched
in the mod fimple expreffions, becaufe we had not fuffi-
cient knowledge of the language to difcourfe of abftracl
ideas. For the fame reafon all our rhetoric was exhauded
in a few moments, and had no other effedt, than to draw
the following conceffion from Teina-mai: “ that our eatua
(deity) in England might perhaps be offended by the practice
of the arreoys ; but that her’s was not difpleafed with
it. She promifed, however, if we would come from England
to fetch her child, Ihe might perhaps keep it alive,
provided we gave her a hatchet, a fhirt, and fome red feathers.
’ This was faid in fuch a laughing tone, that we
, v-°l. I. p. 402. and the plate in captain Cook’s'account of this voyage,
which is engraved from Mr. Hodges's drawing.
had
o
had not the lead rootn to believe her in earned. It was in jK|*
vain to attempt to continue the converfation, fince a variety
o f objedts diverted her attention: it was a wonder indeed
that Ihe had lent an ear to our quedions fo long.
In the afternoon we went afihore, to fee a dramatic dance
performed by Orea’s daughter Poyadua, and found a great
number of inhabitants affembled at the play-houfe ; this
diverfion being admired by all ranks of the people. Poyadua
difplayed her agility as ufual, and received great ap-
plaufe from the European fpedtators. The interludes performed
by the men were fomething different from thofe
we had feen before. We-could plainly underdand the name
of captain Cook, and of feveral of our fhipmates, mentioned
in their fongs, and they feemed to reprefent a theft
Committed by their people. Another of the interludes was
the invafion of the Borabora men, which they expreffed by
beating one another with a thong or whip, which made a
very loud fmack. But dill another was more curious than
all the red : it reprefented a woman in labour, and provoked
immoderate peals of laughter from the multitude.
The man who adted this part went through the gedures,
which the Greeks were wont to admire in the groves of
Venus-Ariadne, near Amathus, where the fame ceremony
Was adted on the fecond day of the month Gorpiceus, in
memory o f Ariadne, who died in child-bed *. Thus it ap-
* Vide Plutarch, in Thefep, 'j
VoL. II. T pears-,