1779.
January.
I» V '
m ad e an offering o f a p ig w ith the u fu a l folemnities. T h e
p ig was then ftrangled, and a fire b e in g kindled, it was
thrown into the embers, and after the h air was finged off, it
was a gain prefehted, w ith a repetition o f the chanting, in
the manner before described. The dead p ig was then held
fo r a fhort time under the Captain’s n o fe ; a fter w h ich it
was laid, with a cocoa-nut, at his feet, and the performers
fat down. T h e ava was then brewed, and handed' round ;
a fat h o g , ready dreiled, was brou ght in ; and w e were fed
as before.
Du rin g the reft o f the time w e remained in the ba y,
whenever Captain Cook came on ihore, he was attended by
one o f thefe priefts, w ho wen t before him, g iv in g notice
that the Orono had landed, and ordering the people to pro-
ftrate themfelves. T h e fame perfon alfo conftantly accompanied
h im on the water, ftanding in the bow o f the boat,
w ith a wand in his hand, and g iv in g notice o f his approach
to the natives, w h o were in canoes, on w h ich they immediately
le ft o ff paddling, and la y down on their face still
he had paffed. Whenever he p opp ed at the obfervatoryj
Kaireekeea and his brethren immediately made their appearance
w ith hogs, cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, &c. and prefented
them w ith the u fu a l folemnities. It was on thefe
occafions that fome o f the in ferior chie fs freq u en tly re-
quefted to be permitted to make an offering to the Orono.
When this was granted, they prefented the hog. themfelves,
generally with evident marks o f fea r in their countenances;
whilft Kaireekeea and the priefts chanted their accuftomed
hymns.
T h e civilities o f this fociety were not, however, confined
to mere ceremony and parade. Our party on ihore received
7 from
i f
from them, eve ry day, a conftant fu p ply o f hogs and v e g e - 1-79.
tables, more than fuflicient fo r our fubfiftance; and fe- . Jan”;r7
ve ra l canoes loaded w ith provifions were fent to the ihips
w ith the fame punctu ality. No return was ever demanded,
or even hinted at in the molt diftant manner. T h e ir prefents
were made with a re gu la r ity , more lik e the difcharge o f a
religious duty, than the effect o f mere lib e r a lity ; and w h en
we enquired at whofe cha rg e all this munificence was dif-
played, we were told, it was at the expence o f a great man
called Kaoo, the c h ie f o f the priefts, and gran dfa th er to
Kaireekeea, who was at that time abfent attending; the k in e
o f the ifland, .
As every thin g re la tin g to the character and b ehav iou r
o f this people muft be interefting to the reader, on a ccount
o f the tragedy that was a fterward acted here, it w ill be
proper to acquaint him, that we had not a lways fo much'
reafon to be fatisfied with the conduct o f the warrior chiefs
or Earees,. as w ith that o f the priefts. In all our dealings’ '
w ith the former, w e found them fufficiently attentive to
their own in te re fts ; and befide's their h ab it o f ftealing,
w hich ma y admit o f fome excufe, from the un ive rfa lity o f
the practice amongft the iilanders o f thefe feas, they made'
ufe o f other artifices equ ally diihonourable. I fhall o n ly
mention one inftance, in w hich w e difcovered, with regret,
our friend Koah to be a party principally concerned. As the-
chiefs, w ho brought us prefents o f hogs, were always fent
back handfomely rewarded, w e had gen e ra lly a greater fupp
ly than we could make ufe of. On thefe occafions, K o ah ,
w o never failed in his attendance on us-, ufed to beg fuch
as we did not want, and they were always given to him. It
one day happened, that a p ig was prefented us b y a man
whom K o ah h im fe lf introduced as a chief, w ho was de>
lirous