C H A P . V.
A r r iv a l o f the Ships at Hapaee, and friendly Reception
there.— Prefents and Solemnities on the Occafon.■—
Single Combats with Clubs.— IVrefiling and Boxing
Matches.——Female Combatants.— Marines exercifed.—- A
Dance performed by Men.— Fireworks exhibited.— Fhe
Night-entertainments o f fn g in g and dancing p a rticu larly
defcribed.
T 1 Y the time we had anchored, the ihips were filled with
»— .— j - L i the natives, and furrounded by a multitude of canoes,
Saturday i7. £jje(j ajfQ wit{j them. They brought, from the ihore, hogs,
fowls, fruit, and roots, which they exchanged for hatchets,
knives, nails, beads, and cloth. Feenou and Omai having
come on board, after it was light, in order to introduce me
to the people of the ifland, I foon accompanied them on
ihore, for that purpofe, landing at the North part of Lefooga,
a little to the right of the fliip’s ftation.
The Chief conduced me to a houfe, or rather a hut,
, fituated clofe to the fea-beach, which I had feen brought
thither, but a few minutes before, for our reception. In
this Feenou, Omai, and myfelf, were feated. The other
Chiefs, and the multitude, compofed a circle, on the out-
fide, fronting us; and they alfo fat down. I was then
aiked, How long I intended to ftay jj On my faying, Five
days, Taipa was ordered to come and fit by me, and pro-
7 claim
W iiliip - .
claim this to the people. He then harangued them, in a
fpeech moftly dictated by Feenou. The purport of it, as I
learnt from Omai, was, that thgy were all, both old and
young, to look upon me as a friend, who intended to remain
with them a few days; that, during my ftay, they muft
not fteal any thing, nor moleft me any other w a y ; and that
it was expeited, they ihould bring hogs, fowls, fruit, &c.
to the ihips, where they would receive, in exchange for
■them, fuch and fuch things, which he enumerated. Soon
after Taipa had finiihed this addrefs to the allembly, Feenou
left us, Taipa then took oceafion to fignify to me,
that it was necefiary I ihould make a prefent to the Chief of
the ifland, whofe name was Earoupa. I was not unprepared
for this; and gave him fuch articles as far exceeded his expectation.
My liberality to him brought upon me demands,
o f the fame kind, from two Chiefs o f other ifles who were
prefent; and from Taipa himfelf. When Feenou returned,
which was immediately after I had made the laft of thefe
prefents, he pretended to be angry with Taipa for fuffering
me to give away fo much ; but I looked upon this as a mere
finefie; being confident that he a died in concert with the
others. He now took his feat again, and ordered Earoupa
to fit by him, and to harangue the people as Taipa had
done, and to the fame purpofe; dictating, as before, the
heads of the fpeech.
Thefe ceremonies being performed, the Chief, at my
requeft, conducted me to three flagnant pools of frefh wa-
. ter, as he was pleafed to call i t : and, indeed, in one of thefe
the water was tolerable, and the lituation not inconvenient
for filling our calks. After viewing the watering-place,
we returned to our former ftation, where I found a baked
hog, and fome yams, fmoking hot, ready to be carried on
I i 2 board