•777- This entertainment was, now and then, fufpended for a few
,«»—»— minutes. During thefe intervals there were both wreftling and boxing matches. The firft were performed in the fame manner as at Otaheite; and the fecond differed very little from the method pradtifed in England. But what ftruck us with moil furprife, was, to fee a couple of lufty wenches ftep forth, and hegin boxing, without the leaft ceremony,
.and with as mtich art as the men. This conteft, however, did not lait above half a minute, before one of them gave
it up. The conquering heroine received the fame applaufe from the fpedtators, which they beftowed upon the fuccefs-
ful combatants of the other fex. We exprefied fome dif- like at this part of the entertainment; which, however, did not prevent two other females from entering the-lifts, They
feemed to be girls of fpirit, and would certainly have given
each other a good drubbing, if two old women had not in- terpofed to part them. All thefe combats were exhibited in the midft of, at leaft, three thoufand people; and were conducted with the greateft good humour on all fides; though fome of the champions, women as well as men,
received blows, which, doubtlefs, they muft have felt for
fome time after.
As foam as thefe diverfions were ended, the Chief told me, that the heaps of provifions, on our right-hand, were a prefent
to Omai; and that thofe, on our left-hand, being about
two-thirds of the whole quantity, were given to me. He
added, that I might take them on board whenever it was
convenient; but that there would be no occafion to fet any of our people as guards over them, as I might be allured,
that not a fingle cocoa-nut would be taken away by the natives. So it proved; for I left every thing behind, and
returned to the Ihip to dinner, carrying the Chief with me;
and
and when the provifions were removed on board, in the af- >777-
ternoon, not a fingle article was miffing. There was as ■ .“y‘ «
much as loaded four boats ; and I could not but be ftruck
with the munificence of Feertou ; for this prefent far exceeded
any I had ever received from any of the Sovereigns
of the various illands I had vifited in the Pacific Ocean. I
loft no time in convincing my friend, that I was not infen*
fible of his liberality; for, before he quitted my fhip, I beftowed
upon him fuch of our commodities, as, I guefled,
were moll valuable in his eftimation. And the return I
made was fo much to his fatisfaftion, that, as foon as he-
got on fhore, he left me ftill indebted to him, by fending,
me a frefh prefent, confifting of two large hogs, a confider-
able quantity o f cloth, and fome yams.
Feenou had exprelied a defire to fee the marines go through their military exercife. As-1 was defirous to gratify his curiofity, I ordered them all alhore, the morning of the 20th. After they hadf rpoemrf obromthe dI hviaprsi,o uins Tmfday 2o,. evolutions, and fired feveral vollies, with which the numerous
body of fpetftators feemed well pleafed, the Chief entertained
us, in his turn, with an exhibition, which, as was acknowledged by us all, was performed with a dexterity, and exaitnefs, far furpaffing the fpecimen we had given of
our military manoeuvres. It was a kind of a dance,, fo entirely
different from any thing I had ever feen, that, I fear,
I can give no defcription that will convey any tolerable idea of it, to my readers. It was performed by men; and one hundred and five perfons bore their parts in it. Each of ftohmemew hhaadt liink eh ias phaadnddle ,a no fi ntfwtrou mfeeentt anneda tal yh malafd ien, llehnagptehd,
with a fmall handle, and a thin blade ; fo that they were
very light. With thefe inftruments they made many and
various