C H A P . XV.
A rriv a l at TJlietea, with an Account o f the Reception we
met with there, and the Jeveral Incidents which happened
during our Stay. A Report o f two Ships being at Ilu a -
heine. Preparations to leave the I f and, and the Regret
the Inhabitants Jhewed on the Occafion, The GharaEler
o f Oedidee, with fome general Obfervations on the
I f anas.
1774. A S foon as we were clear of the harbour, we made fail,
> > T \ . and flood over for the South end of Ulietea. Oree took
Monday 23. t^e opportunity to fend a man with a meflage to Opoonyv
Being little wind all the latter part of the day, it was dark
before we reached the Weft fide of the ifle, where we fpenc
the night. The fame light variable wind continued till ten
Tuefday 24. o’clock next morning, when the Trade-wind at Eaft prevailed,
and we ventured to ply up to the harbour, firft fending
a boat to lie in anchorage in the entrance. After making
a few trips, we got before the channel, and with all our fails-
fet, and the head-way the fhip had acquired, fhut her in as
far as fhe would g o ; then dropped the anchor, and took in
the fails. This is the method of getting into moll of the
harbours which are on the lee-fide of thefe ifles; for the
channels, in general, are too narrow to ply in. We were
now anchored between the two points of the reef which
form the entrance ; each not more than two-thirds the
length of a cable from us, and on which the fea broke with
fuch
fuch height and violence as, to people lefs acquainted with 1774.
the place, would have been terrible. Having all our boats 1__— *
out with anchors and warps in them, which were prefently Tjefja)r
run out, the fhip warped into fafety, where we dropped anchor
for the night. While this work was going forward, my
old friend Oreo the chief, and feveral more, came to fee us.
The chief came not empty.
Next day we warped the fhip into, and moored her in, a Wed*r. 25,
proper birth, fo as to command all the fhores around us. ■
In the mean time a party of us went afhore to pay the chief
a vifit, and to make the euftomary prefent. At our firft entering
his houfe, we were met by four or five old women,
weeping and lamenting, as it were, moll bitterly, and at the
fame time' cutting their heads, with inftruments made of
fhark-’s teeth, till the blood ran plentifully down their faces
and on their fhoulders. What was ftill worfe, we were
obliged to fubmit to the embraces of thefe old hags, and by
that'means were all befmeared with Blood. This ceremony
(for it was merely fuch) being over, they went out, wafh'ed
themfelves, and immediately after appeared as chearful as
any of the Company. Having made fome little flay,, and
given my prefent to-the chief and his friends, he put a hog
and fome fruit into my boat, and came on board with us to
dinner. In the afternoon, we had a vaft number of people
and canoes about us, from diffèrent parts of the illand..
They all took up their quarters in our neighbourhood, where
they remained feafting for fome days.. We underftood the-
moft of them were Eareoys.
- rT ï C ^ « afforded nothing remarkable, excepting that Ttafda7 a .
Mi . router, in his botanical excurfions, faw a burying-place
foi dogs, which they called Marai no t& Oon. But, 1 think,