>777-
May.
Saturday 3.
Next day, our various operations on ihore began. Some
were employed in making hay for the rattle ; others in filling
our water calks at the neighbouring ftagnant pool;
and a third party in cutting wood. The greateft plenty of
this laft article being abreaft of the ffiips, and in a fituation
the moil convenient for getting it on board, it was natural
to make choice of this. But the trees here, which our
people erroneouily fuppofed to be manchineel, but were a
fpecies of pepper, called faitanoo by the natives, yielded a
juice of a milky colour, of fo corrofive a nature, that it
raifed blifters on the Ikin, and injured the eyes of our workmen.
They were, therefore, obliged to defift at this place,
and remove to the cove, in which our guard was ftationed,
and where we embarked our water. Other wood, more
fuitable to our purpofes, was there furnilhed to us by the
natives. Thefe were not the only employments we were
engaged in, for MeflTrs. King and Bayly began, this day, to
obferve equal altitudes of the fun, in order to get the rate
' of the time-keepers. In the evening, before the natives
retired from our poll, Taipa harangued them for fome time.
We could only guefs at the fubjeft; and judged, that he
was inftrufting them how to behave toward us, and encouraging
them to bring the produce of the ifland to market.
We experienced the good effefts of his eloquence, in
the plentiful fupply of provifions which, next day, we
received.
^Sunday 4.
Monday 5.
Nothing worth notice happened on the 4th' and yth, except
that, on the former of thefe days, the Difcovery loft
her fmall bower anchor, the cable being cut in two by the
rocks. This misfortune made it necellary to examine the
cables of the Refolution, which were found to be unhurt.
Ofi the 6th, we were vifited by a great Chief from Tonga-
taboo, whofe name was Feenou, and whom Taipa was
pleafed to introduce to us as King of all the Friendly Ifles.
I was now told, that, on my arrival, a canoe had been dif-
patched to Tongataboo with the news ; in confequence of
which, this Chief immediately pafled over to Annamooka.
The Officer on ihore informed me, that when he firft arrived,
all the natives were ordered out to meet him, and
paid their obeifance by bowing their heads as low as his
feet, the foies of which they alfo touched with each hand,,
firft with the palm, and then with the back part. There
could be little room to fufpeft that a perfon, received with
fo much refpeft, could be any thing lefs than the King.
In the afternoon, I went to pay this great man a vifit, hav--
ing firft received a prefent of two fiffi from him, brought
on board by one of his fervants. As foon as I landed, he:
came up to me. He appeared to be_ about thirty years of
age, tall, but thin, and had more of the European features,
than any I had yet feen here. When the firft falutation was-
over, I aiked i f he was the King. For, notwithftanding
what I had been told, finding he was not the man whom I
remembered to have feen under that char after during my
former voyage, I began to entertain doubts. Taipa offici-
oufly anfwered for him, and enumerated no lefs than one
hundred and fifty-three iflands, o f which, he faid, Feenou:
was the Sovereign. After a ffiort flay, our new vifiter, and*
five or fix of his_ attendants, accompanied me on board. I
gave fuitable prefents to them all, and entertained them in;
foch a manner, as I thought would be moil agreeable.
In the evening, I attended them on ihore in my boat, into*
which the Chief ordered three hogs, to be put, as a return
for
■777.
,Mayt
Tuefdáy 6»