>777- mat over his cloth; as we fuppofed, to prevent its being
> dirtied when he fat down. On our now aiding him where Mareewagee was, to our great furprize, he faid, he had gone from the place, to the ihip, jufl before we arrived. However, he defired us to walk with him to a malaee, or houfe of public refort, which flood about half a mile up the country. But when we came to a large area before it, he fat down in the path, and defired us to walk up to the
houfe. We did fo, and feated ourfelves in front, while the
crowd that followed us filled up the reft of the fpace. After
fitting a little while, we repeated our inquiries, by means of
Omai, Whether we were to fee Mareewagee! But receiving no fatisfailory information, and fufpedting that the old
Chief was purpofely concealed from us, we went back to
our boats, much piqued at our difappointment; and when I got on board, I found that -no fuch perfon It afterward appeared, that, in this aflfair, whea hd abde elanb othuerreed.
under fome grofs miftakes, and that our interpreter Omai had either been mifinformed, or, which is more likely, had
mifunderftood what was told him about the great man, on whofe account we had made this excurfion.
fitTuahtee dp’olna cteh ew bea nwke notf ttoh ew iansl eta, vwilhlaergee , alml, oodr dmeoliigl hotff utlhlye principal perfons of the ifland refide ; each having his houfe
in the midft of a fmall plantation, with leifer houfes, and
offices for fervants. Thefe plantations are neatly fenced
round; and, for the moft part, have only one entrance. This is by a door, faftened, on the infide, by a prop of wood; fo that a perfon has to knock, before he can get admittance. . Public roads, and narrow lanes, lie between each :planta- tion ; fo that 110 one trefpafieth upon another. Great part of fome of thefe inclofures is laid out in grafs-plots, and
planted
planted with fuch things as feem more, for ornament than *777-
ufe. But hardly any were without the kava plant, from 1—v—■ which they make their favourite liquor. Every article of the vegetable produce of the ifland, abounded in others of
thefe plantations ; but thefe, I opferved, are not the refi-
dence of people of the firft rank- There are fome large houfes near the public roads, with fpacious fmooth grafs-
plots before them, and uninclofed. Thefe, I was told, belonged
to thé king ; and, probably, they are the places
where their public aiTemblies are held. It was to one of
thefe houfes, as I have already mentioned, that we were
conducted, foon after our landing at this place.
About noon, the next day, this Mareewagee, of whom
we had heard fo much, actually came to the neighbourhood
of our poft on fhore ; and, with him, a very confide- rhaeb hlea dn utmakbeenr tohfi sp etroopuleb loe,f oanll praunrpkos.f e tIo w gaisv ei nmfoer mane do,p pthoart
tunity of waiting upon him; having, probably, heard of
the difpleâfure I It ad fhewn, on my difappointment the day
Fbeefeonroeu. , Ilann dthede , atfote prnayo ohni,m a a pvairfitty. oWf eu sf,o uanccdo ma ppearnfioend fbity
ting under a large tree, near the fhore, a little to the right
of the tent. A piece of cloth, at leaft forty yards long, was
fpread before him, round which a great number of people,
of both fexes, were feated. It was natural to fuppofe, that
this was the great man ; but we were undeceived by Feenou ; who informed us, that another, who fat on a piece of mat,
a little way from this Chief, to the, right hand, was Mareewagee,
and he introduced us to him, who received us very kindly, and defired us to fit down by him. The perfon, who ( fwaht eunn Id ehra vteh eo ctcraefeig, nf rtoo nftpienagk uosf, hwimas acfatellrewda rTdo,o bI oihua;.l l acnadll, -
O o 2 him