which feemed to be quite out of my reach. Matters being
thus fettled, we returned on board, and had the company of
the chief and his fon to dinner. After that we all went
afhore, where a play was adted for the entertainment of
fuch as would fpend their time in looking at it. Befides
thefe plays, which the chief caufed frequently to be adted,
there were a fet of ftrolling players in the neighbourhood
who performed every day. But their pieces feem-
ed to be fo much alike, that we foon grew tired of them ;
efpecially as we could not collect any interefting circum-
ftances from them. We, our £hip, and our country, were
frequently brought on the ftage; but on what account I
know not. It can hardly be doubted, that this was deCgned
as a compliment to us, and probably not adted but when
fome of us were prefent. I generally appeared at Oreo’s
theatre towards the clofe of the play, and twice at the other,
in order to give my mite to the adtors. The only adtrefs at
Oreo’s theatre was his daughter, a pretty brown girl, at
whofe fhrine, on thefe occafions, many offerings were made
by her numerous votaries. This, I believe, was one great
inducement to her father’s giving us thefe entertainments fo
often.
Early in the morning of the 30th, I fet out with the two
boats, accompanied hy the two Mr. Forfters, .Oedidee, the
chief, his wife, fon, and daughter, for an eftate which Oedidee
called his, fituated at the north end of the ifland. There
I was promifed to have hogs and fruit in abundance; but
when we came there we found that poor Oedidee could not
command one {ingle thing, whatever.right he might have to
the Whenooa, which was now in pofieffion of his, brother, who,
foon after we landed, prefented to me, with the ufual ceremony,
mony, two pigs. I made him a very handfome prefent in
return, and Oedidee gave him every thing he had left of what
he had colledted the time he was with us.
After this ceremony was over, I ordered one of the pigs to
be killed and drelfed for dinner, and attended myfelf to the
whole operation, which was as follows: They firft ftrangled
the hog, which was done by three men; the hog being
placed on his back, two of them laid a pretty ftrong flick
acrofs his throat, and prefled with all their weight on each
end; the third man held his hind legs, kept him on his
back, and plugged up his fundament with grafs, I fuppofe
to prevent any air from palling or repaffing that way. In
this manner they held him for about ten minutes before he
was quite dead. In the mean time, fome hands were employed
in making a fire, to heat the oven,' which was
clofe by. As foon as the hog was quite dead, they laid
him on the fire, and burnt or finged the hair, fo that
it came off with almoft the fame eafe as if it had been
fcalded. As the hair was got off one part, another was applied
to the fire till they had got off the whole, yet not fo
clean but that another operation w»6 neceffary; which was
to carry it to the fea-fide, and there give it a good fcrubbing
with fandy Hones, and fand. This brought off all the fcurf,
&c. which the fire had left on. After well waChing off the
fand and dirt, the carcafe was brought again to the former
place, and laid on clean green leaves, in order to be opened.
They firft ripped up the fkin of the belly, and took out the
fat or lard from between the fkin and the flefh, which they
laid on a large green leaf. The belly was then ripped open,
apd the entrails taken out, and carried away in a bafket, fo
that I know not what became of them; but am certain they
were not thrown away. The blood was next taken out and