jane’ t>ot^ fides fing the victory, and then »— they engage again. --' But no perfon, who has been vanquiihed, -can engage with
his conqueror a' fécond time.
The boxers advance fide-ways, changing the fide at every pace, with one arm ftretched fully out before, the other behind
; and holding a piece of cord in one hand, which they wrap firmly about it, when they find an antagonift, or elfe have done fo before they enter. This, I imagine, they do,
to prevent a difloeation of the hand or fingers. Their blows are direfted chiefly to the head ; but fometimes to the fides -, and are dealt out with great aiiivity. They Ihift fides, and box equally well with both hands. But one of their favourite and molt dextrous blows, is, to turn round on their heel, juft as they have firuck their antagonift, and to give him another very fmart one with the other hand backward.'
The boxing matches feldom laft long ; and the parties either leave off together, or one acknowledges his being beat. But they never fing the fang of viftory in thefe .cafes, unlefs one ftrikes his adverfary to the ground; which fhews, that,
'oNfo t tohnel y tbwooy, s wenrgeaftglien, gi ni sb otthhe itrh em eoxielr caifpeps,r obvuetd frdeiqvuerefniotnly.
- little girls box very obftinately for a ihort time. In all which cafes, it doth not appear, that they ever confider it oavse rthcoem fme afiltlse fdt odwifng,r wacieth toa s bme uvcahn iqnudiiifhfeerde n; caen, da st hife hpee rhfaodn never entered the lifts. Some of our people ventured to contend
with them in both exercifes, but were always worfted ; ■except in a few inftances, where it appeared, that the fear ¡they were in of offending us, contributed more to the vic- aory, than the fuperiority of the perfon they engaged.
t The
The cattle, which we had brought, and which were all on ihare, however carefully guarded, I was fenfible, run no fmall riflt, when I confidered the thievifh difpofition of many of the natives, and their dexterity in appropriating to them-
felves by Health, what they faw no profpefl: of obtaining by
fair means. For this reafon I thought it prudent to-declare
my intention of leaving behind me fbme of our animals; manyd deevpeanr tutroe .make a diflribution of them previoufly to.
With this view, in the evening of the 19th, I affembled all the Chiefs before our houfe, and my intended prefents to them were marked out. To Poulaho; the king, I gave a. young Englifh bull and cow ; to Marcewagee,.- a Cape ram,
and two ewes; and to Feenou, a horfe and a mare; As my defign, to make fuch a diflribution, had been made known
the day before, moil of the people in the neighbourhood were theu prefent. I inftrufted Omai to tell them, that there were no fuch animals within many months- fail of their ifland; that we had brought them, for their ufe, from that immenfe diftance, at a vaft trouble and expence; that,, therefore, they muft be careful not to kill any of them
till they had multiplied to a numerous race; and, laftly,, that they and their children ought to remember, that they- had received them from the men of Britone. He alfo explained
to them their feveral ufes, and what elfe was ne-
eeifary for them to know, or rather as far as he knew;,
for Omai was not very well verfed in fuch things himfelf.
tAhse-1 o itnhteern dcaetdt let,h atti llt hwee awbeorvee rperaedfye ntots faihilo, uIl dd erfeirmeda iena cwhi tohf»
the Chiefs to fend a man or two to look after their, refpeflive
animals, along with my people, in order that they might, be better acquainted with them, and with. the. manner
o£r
Thurfdáy-i^#,