1769.
May.
Friday 5.
the fame antagonift or fome other. While the wreftlers were
1 engaged, another party of men performed a glance wliich
lafted alfo about a minute ; but neitherof thefe parties took
the leaft notice of each other, their attention being wholly
fixed on what they were doing. We obferved with pleafure,
that the conqueror never exulted over the vanquifhed, and
that the vanquifhed never repined at the fuccefs of the conqueror
; the whole conteft was carried on with perfect goodwill
and good-humour, though in the prefence of <tt leaft
five hundred fpectators, of whom fome were women. The
number of women indeed was comparatively fmall, none
but thofeof rank were prefent, and we had reafon to believe
that they would not have been fpedtators of this exercife but
in compliment to us.
This lafted about two hours; during all which time the
man who had made way for us when we landed, kept the
people at a proper diftance, by ftriking thofe who preffed
forward very feverely with his ftick: upon enquiry we learnt,
that he was an officer belonging to Tootahah, adtingas a
mafter of the ceremonies.
It is fcarcely poffible for thofe who are acquainted with
the athletic fports of very remote antiquity, not to remark
a rude refemblance of them in this wreftling-match among
the natives of a little ifland in the midft of the Pacific Ocean :
and even our female readers may recoiled the account given
of them by Fenelon in his Telemachus, where, though the
events are fictitious, the manners of the age are faithfully
tranfcribed from authors by whom they are fuppofed to have
been truly related.
When the wreftling was over, we were given to underhand
that two hogs, and a large quantity of bread-fruit, were
preparing for our dinner, which, as our appetites were now
. ® keen,
keen, was very agreeable intelligence. Our hoft, however, D69-
feemed to repent of his liberality ; for, inftead of fetting his c_— *—
two hogs before us, he ordered one of them to be carried ** v
into our boat; at firft we were not forry for this new difpo-
fition of matters, thinking that we fhould dine more comfortably
in the boat than on fhore, as the croud would more
eafily. be kept at a diftance: but when we came on board, he
ordered us to proceed with his hog to the {hip •, this was
mortifying, as we were now to row four miles while our
dinner was growing cold ; however, we thought fit to comply,
and were at laft gratified with the cheer that he had
provided, of which he and Tubourai Tamaide had a liberal
fhare.
Our reconciliation with this man operated upon the people
like a charm; for he was no fooner known to be on board,
than bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, and other provifions were
brought to the fort in great plenty.
Affairs now went on in the ufual channel; but pork being
ftill a fcarce commodity, our Mafter, Mr. Mollineux, and
Mr. Green, went in the pinnace to the eaftward, on the 8th, Monday s.
early in the morning, to fee whether they could procure any
hogs or poultry in that part of the country: they proceeded
in that direction twenty miles ; but though they faw many
hogs, and one turtle, they could not purchafe either at any
price: the people every where told them, that they all belonged
to Tootahah, and that they could fell none of them
without his permiffion. We now began to think that this
man was indeed a great Prince; for an influence fo exten-
five and abfolute could be acquired by no other. And we
afterwards found that he adminiftered the government of
this part of the ifland, as fovereign, for a minor whom we
never faw all the time that we were upon it. When Mr.
Green