\777- I went on ihore foon after, and Found the inhabitants
J Une* r —v— very bu'ly in their plantations, digging up yams to bring to
market; and, in the courfe of the day, about two hundred
of them had aflembled on the beach, and traded with as
much eagernefs, as during our late vifit. Their llock appeared
to have been recruited much, though we had returned
fo foon ; but, inftead of bread-fruit, which was the
only article we could purchafe on our firft arrival, nothing
was to be feen now but yams, and a few plantains. This
Ihews the quick fucceflion o f the feafons, at leait of the different
vegetables produced here, at the feveral times of the
year. It appeared alfo that they had been very bufy, while
we were abfent, in cultivating; for we now faw feveral large
plantain fields, in places which we had, fo lately, feen lying
wafte. The yams were now in the greateft perfection; and
we procured a good quantity, in exchanges for pieces of
iron.
Thefe people, in the abfence o f Toobou, whom we left
behind us at Kotoo, with Poulaho and the other Chiefs,
feemed to be under little fubordination. For we could not
perceive, this day, that one man affirmed more authority
than another. Before I returned on board, I vifited the
feveral places where I had fown melon feeds, and had the
mortification to find, that moil of them were deftroyed by
a fmall ant; but fome pine-apple plants, which I had alfo
left, were in a thriving ilate.
Friday 6. About noon, next day, Feenou arrived from Vavaoo. He
told us, that feveral canoes, laden with hogs, .and other
provifions, which had failed with him from that ifland, had
been loft, owing to the late blowing weather; and that every
body
body on board them had periihed. This melancholy tale ' 777-
did not feem to affeCt any of his countrymen who ' heard it; t—Ju,n—e. .
and, as to ourfelves, we were, by this time, too well acquainted
with his character, to give much credit to fuch a
ftory. The truth, probably, was, that he had not been able to procure at Vavaoo the fupplies which he expefted ; or, if he got any there, that he had left" them at Hapaee, which
lay in his way back, and where he could not but receive
intelligence that Poulaho had been with us; who, therefore,
he knew, would, as his fuperior, have all the merit and reward of procuring them, though he had not any ihare of
the trouble. The invention of this lofs at fea was, however, well imagined. For there had lately been very blowing weather ; in fo much, that the King, and other Chiefs, who had followed us from Hapaee to Kotoo, had been left there, not caring to venture to fea when we did; but defired I might wait for them at Annamooka, which was the reafon of my anchoring there, this fecond time, and of my not proceeding
direCtly to Tongataboo.
The following morning, Poulaho, and the other Chiefs Saturday 7.
wath toh ihsa dti mbeee, nt ow ibned -ab Cohuonred iwn itcho mhipma,n ayr rwiviethd . FeIe hnaopup; ewnehdo,
now feemed to be fenfible of the impropriety of his eon-
dud:, in affirming a chara&er that did not belong to him.
For he not only acknowledged Poulaho to be King of Ton-
gataboo, and the other iilesj but affeCted. to infill much on it, which, no doubt, was with a view to make amends
for his former prefumption. 1 left him, to vifit this greater man, whom I found fitting with’a few people before him.
But, every one haftening to pay-court to him, the circle in-
creafed pretty fail.' I was very defirous of obferving Feenou’s
behaviour on this occafion.; and had the moil convincing
V o l . I. N n proof