1777- I had fixed upon the ijth far failing, till Taoofa preffed
me to flay a day or two longer, to receive a prefent he had
Tuefday is. preparec] for me. xhis reafon, and the daily expectation of
feeing fotne of our friends from Tongataboo, induced me to
.defer my departure.
Wcdnef. 16. Accordingly, the next day, I received the Chief’s prefent ;
confiding of t.wofmall heaps of yams, ànd fome fruit, which
.Teemed to be collected by a kind of contribution, as at the
other ides. On this occafion, mod of the people of the
ifland had affembled at the place ; and, as we had experienced
on fuch numerous meetings amongft their neighbours,
gave us not a little trouble to prevent them from pilfering
whatever they could lay their hands upon. We were
entertained with cudgelling, wreftling, and boxing- matches ;
and in the latter, both male and female combatants exhibited.
It was intended to have finilhed the Ihew with the
bomai, or night-dance ; but an accident either put a total flop
to it, or, at lead, prevented any of us from fraying alhore
to fee it. One of my people, walking a very little way,
was Turrounded by twenty or thirty of the natives, who
knocked him down, and dripped him of every thing,he
had on his back. On hearing of this, I immediately feized
two canoes, and a large hog; and infided on Taoofa/s
caufing the clothes to be redored, and on the offenders being
delivered up to me. The Chief Teemed much concerned
at what had happened ; and forthwith took the necef-
Tary deps to fatisfy me. This affair fo alarmed the affem-
bled people, that mod of them fied. However, when they
found that Itook no other meafures to revenge the jnfult,
they returned. It was not long before one of the offenders
svas delivered up to me, and a ihirt and a pair of trowfers
? • r.edoreff
redored. The remainder of the dolen goods not coming in w -
before night, I was under a neceffity o f leaving them to go >.— .— j
aboard; for the Tea run fo high, that it was with thegreat-
ed difficulty the boats could get out of the creek with daylight,
much lefs in the dark.
The next morning, I landed again, having provided my- Thurfday 17.
felf with a prefent for Taoofa, in return for what he had
given me. As it was early, there were but few people at
the landing-place, and thofe few not without their fears.
But on my defiring Omai to affure them, that we meant no
harm; and, in confirmation of this affurance, having re-
dored the canoes, and releafed the offender, whom they had
delivered up to me, they refumed their ufual gaiety; and,
prefently, a large circle was formed, in which the Chief,
and all the principal men of the idand, took their places.
The remainder of the clothes were now brought in ; but, as
they had been torn off the man’s back, by pieces, they
were not worth carrying on board. Taoofa, on receiving
my prefent, ffiared it with three or four other Chiefs, keeping
only a fmall part for himfelf. This prefent exceeded
their expectation fo greatly, that one of the Chiefs, a venerable
old man, told me, that they did not deferve it, con-
fidering how little they had given to me, and the ill treatment
one of my people had met with. I remained with
them, till they had finilhed their bowl of kava; and
having then paid for the hog, which I had taken the
day before, returned on board, with Taoofa, and one of
Poulaho’s, fervants, by whom I fent, as a parting mark
of my eiteem and regard for that Chief, a piece of bar
iron ; being as valuable a prefent as any I could make
to him.