w » i firous o f p ay in g his refpetts, and w e recollected the p ig
. ;t0 be the fame that had been given to Koah juft before.
T h is leadin g us to fufpeCt fome trick , w e found, on fu r th e r
inquiry, the pretended ch ie f to be an ordinary perfon; and
on connecting this w ith other circumftances, w e had reafon
to fufpeCt, that it w a s not the firft time w e had been the
dupes o f the lik e impofition.
Sunday 24. T h in g s continued in this ftate till the 24th, when w e were
a good deal furpr’ized to find that no canoes were fuffered
to put o ff from the fhore, and that the natives kep t clofe to
their houfes. After feveral hours fufpence, w e learned that
the bay was tabooed, and a ll intercourfe w ith us interdicted, on *
account o f the arrival o f Terreeoboo. As w e had not fore-
feen an accident o f this fort, the crews o f both ihips were
o b liged to pafs the day w ith ou t their u fu a l fupply o f vege -
MOTaay25. tables. T h e next morning, therefore, the y endeavoure L
both b y threats and promifes, to induce the natives to come
a long-fide j and as fome o f them were at laft ven tu rin g to
put off, a ch ie f was obferved attempting to drive them away.
Am u fq u e t was immediately fired over Ins head, to make him
defift, w h ich had the defired effeCt, and refreihments were
foon after purchafed as ufual. h i the afternoon, Terreeoboo
arrived, and vifited the ihips in a private manner, attended
only by one canoe, in w h ich w ere his w ife and children.
He ftaid on board till near ten o’clock, when he returned to
the v illa g e o f Kowrowa.
trueTday J T h e next day, about noon, the k in g , in a la rge canoe,
attended by two others, fet out from the villa g e , and
paddled toward the Chips in great ftate. T h e ir appearance
■was grand and magnificent. In the firft canoe was T e r reeoboo
and his chiefs, dreffed in their rich feathered clokes
and helmets, and armed with long fpears and d a g g e r s ; in
the
the fecond, came the venerable Kaoo, the c h ie f o f the
priefts, and his brethren, w ith their idols difplayed on red >
cloth. T he fe idols Were bufts o f a g ig an tic fize, made o f
w ick e r-w o rk , and curioufly covered w ith fmall feathers o f
various colours, w ro u gh t in the fame manner w ith their
cloaks. T h e ir eyes were made o f la rg e pearl oyfters, with
a b la ck nut fixed in the cen tre ; their mouths w ere fet w ith a 0
double row o f the fan g s o f dogs, and, together w ith the
reft o f their features, w ere ftrang ely diftorted. T h e third
canoe was filled with hogs and various fo rts .o f vegetables.
A s the y w en t along, the priefts in the centre canoe fu n g
■ their hymns with grea t fo lemn ity; and a fter paddling round
the Ihips, inftead o f g o in g on beard,, as was expefted,
the y made toward the fhore at the beach w here w e w e r e
ftationed *.
A s foon as I faw them approaching, I ordered out our
little guard to receive the k in g ; and Captain Cook, perceivin
g that he was g o in g on fhore, fo llow ed him, and arrived
n ea rly at the fame time. W e c o n d u c e d them into the tent,
where the y had fcarcely been feated, w hen the k in g rofe
up, and in a v e ry g ra c e fu l manner threw over the Captain’s
fhoulders the cloak he h im fe lf wore, put a feathered helmet
upon his head, and a curious fan into his hand. He alfo
fpread at his feet five or fix Other cloaks, all exceedingly
b eautiful, and o f the greateft value. H is attendants then
b rou ght fo u r v e ry la rge hogs, w ith fugar-canes, cocoa-nuts,
and brqad-fruit; and this part o f the ceremony was concluded
b y the k in g ’s ex ch an g in g names w ith Captain Cook,
w hich, amongft all the iflanders o f the Pacific Ocean, is
he w e n S o r e * 6 * * * ^ ^
V ol. III. n^
eiteemed
l779‘
January.