committed at the landing-place. One fellow took a Teaman’s
jacket out of the boat, and carried it off, in fpite of all
that our people in her could do. Till he was both purfued
and fired at by them, he would not part with it; nor would
he have done it then, had not his landing been intercepted
by fome of us who were on fhore. The reft of the natives,
who were very numerous, took very little notice of the
whole tranfaition; nor were they the leaft alarmed when
the man was fired at.
My friend Attago having vifited me again next morning,
as ufual, brought with him a hog, and affifted me. in pur-
chafing feveral more. Afterwards we went afhore; vifited
the old king, with whom we ftaid till noon ; then returned
on board to dinner, with Attago, who never once left me.
Intepding to fail next morning, I made up a prefent for
the old king, and carried it on fhore in the evening. As
foon as I landed, I was told by the officers who were on
fhore, that a far greater man than any we had yet feen was
.come to pay us a vifit. Mr. Pickerfgill informed me that he
had feen him in the country, and found that he was a man
of fome confequence, by the extraordinary refpedt paid him
by the people. Some, when they approached him, fell on
their faces, and put their head between their feet; and no
one durft pafs him without permilfion. Mr. Pickerfgill,
and another of the gentlemen, took hold of his arms, and’
conducted him down to the landing-place, where I found
him feated with fo much fullen and ftupid gravity, that
notwithftanding what had been told me, I really took him
for an ideot, whom the people, from fome fuperftitious notions,
were ready to worfhip. I faluted and fpoke to him ;
but he neither arirwered, nor took the leaft notice of me;
nor did he alter a fingle feature in his countenance. This
confirmed
confirmed me in my opinion, and I was juft going to leave >773.
him, when one of the natives, an intelligent youth, under- . oa°ber;J
took to undeceive me; which he did in fuch a manner as Wed"'r"s-
left me no room to doubt that he was the king, or principal
man on the ifland. Accordingly I made him the prefent I
intended for the old chief, which confifted of a fhirt, an ax,
a piece of red cloth, a looking-glafs, fome nails, medals,
and beads. He received thefe things, or rather differed
them to be put upon him, and laid down by him, without
lofing a bit of his gravity, fpeaking-one word, or turning his
head either to the right or left ; fitting the whole time like
a ftatue; in which fituation I left him, to return on board
and he foon after retired. I had not been long on board
before word was brought me that a quantity of provifions
had come from this chief; A boat was fent to bring it from
the Ihore; and it confifted of about twenty bafkets of roafted
bananoes, four bread and yams, and a roafted pig of about
twenty pounds weight. Mr. Edgcumbe and his party were
juft reimbarking, when theft were brought to the water-,
fide, and the bearers faid it was a prefent from the Areeke,
that is the king of the ifland, to the Areeke of the Ihip.
After this I was no longer to doubt the dignity of this fullen
chief.
Early in the morning of the 7th, while the fliips were un- Thurrdaj^.
mooring, I went afhore with Captain Furneaux and Mr.
Forfter, in order to make fome return to the king for his
laft night’s prefent. We no fooner. landed than, we found
Attago, of whom we inquired for the king, whofe name was.
Koliaghee-too-Fallangou. He accordingly undertook to conduit
us to him ; but, whether he miftook the man we
wanted, or was ignorant where he was, I know not. Cerraia.
it is, that he took us a wrong road, in which he had not
gone.