1794.
January.
Thurfday23*
Friday 24.
Saturday 25.
offended with their deity for the (feath of this young chief; whofe lofs
feemed to be greatly deplored by all the family, but moft particularly
fo by Kahowmotoo ; o f whom I took a proper opportunity of inquiring
when the corpfe would be interred, and if there would be any objeftion
to my attending the funeral folemnities. T o this he made anfwer, that
the burial would take place the day following, and that he would come
on board at any convenient hour, and accompany me on fhore for that
purpofe, > - : ■ • • 'I ••
I remained perfeftly fatisfied with the promife made by Kahowmotoo;
and was the next morning greatly difappointed on his informing me, that
Kavaheero, the chief of the village at which his fon had died, had, in
the courfeof the night, unknown to him or any of his family, caufed
the body of the young chief to be interred in one of the fepulchral holes
o f the fteep hill, forming the north fide of the bay. This circumftance
could not but be received as an additional proof of their averfion to our
becoming acquainted with their religious rites, and their determination to
prevent our attendance on any of their facred formalities.
The. party accompanying Mr. Menzies returned with him on faturday,
after having had a very pleafant -excurfion, though it had been fome-
what fatiguing in confequence of the badnefs of the paths in the interior
country, where in many places, the ground broke in under their feet.
Their obje& had been to gain the::fummit of Mowna Roa, which they
had not been able to ciTcfct in the direffiori they had attempted it; but
they had reached the top of another mountain, which though not fo lofty
as Mowna-rowna, or Mowna-kaah, is yet very confpicuous, and is called
by the natives Worroray. This mountain rifes from the weftern extremity
of the iflaiid, and on its fummit was a volcanic crater that readily
accounted for the formation of that part of the country over which they
had found it fo dangerous to travel. The good offices of their Indian
guide .and fervants received a liberal reward,, to which they were highly
intitled by their friendly, and orderly behaviour.
The whole of the retinue that had attended Tamaahmaah from Ahee-
doo, with the addition of fome new vifitors, lived intirely on board the
{hip, and felt therafelves not only perfe&ly at home, but very advantageoufly