tion of the articles that had been stolen, and also some supplies;
at the same time he intimated that a person of superior dignity
resided on the other side of the hill. But if this were true, the
distance was only half a mile, and we remained long enough in the
village for a person to have traversed it five or six times. We were
next introduced, by the chief, to several women, who saluted us in the
usual manner, and thankfully accepted our presents. The chief wished
me particularly to notice one of them, a fine tall woman about thirty-
five years of age, with sharp black eyes, long black hair, rather sunburnt,
white and even teeth, a complexion lighter than the generality
of her country-w'omen, and with a good-natured countenance which the
coarseness of feature only prevented being pretty. She had an armlet
tattooed on each arm, and was wuthout any other ornament whatever ;
her ears even were not pierced for the reception of rings. Her dress
consisted of a piece of white cloth wrapped round the hips, and another
round the waist below the breast, which was exposed. There was something
commanding in her manner, and from her intimacy with the chief
she was evidently a person of superior rank. She addressed her conversation
to me with a volubility and earnestness which showed she felt
confident of being understood, but 1 regret that our total ignorance
of their language denied me the pleasure of interpreting even one
word; and I could only infer from her tears and actions, that her tale
was of a serious and distressing nature. She soon however dried her tears,
and sat beside us with the greatest composure.
YY"hile I was engaged with the chief, the officers strolled about,
each accompanied by a circle of friends, and were kindly treated. i\Ir.
Belcher, in his researches, discovered three drums, very similar to those
at Otaheite, as described by Captain Cook. The largest was about five
feet six inches high, and fourteen inches in diameter. It was made of
the trunk of a porou tree (hibiscus tiliaceus), hollowed out, and covered
with a shark’s skin, which had been strained over it when wet; the edges
were secured with sinnet, neatly made, and finished with pieces of
cloth plaited in with fine lin e : it was otherwise ornamented about the
trunk, and stood upon four feet. It was brought to me, and I offered
the areghe some knives in exchange, which he refused until the number
was increased. YVhen the bargain was concluded, the young chief ,
show'ed the manner of playing upon the instrument, and convinced us
that his skill must have been the result of long practice.— The art
consisted in giving rapid strokes with the palm of the right hand,
and placing the left at the same time so nicely as to check the vibrations
without stopping them, w'hich produced a harmonic sound, differ-
ing from that of any instrument of the kind I had ever heard.
The other drums were about three feet and a half in height by
nine inches in diameter, similar in other respects to the large one. The
proficiency in execution to which the natives have attained, and the
perfection in the manufacture of these instruments, leave little doubt
of their taking much delight in the amusement of dancing, though,
generally speaking, they do not appear to be a lively people. I used
every endeavour, but in vain, to persuade the areghe to favour us with
one of these exhibitions, and among others, I made the marines go through
some of their manoeuvres, in the hope that he w'ould exhibit something in
return : this, however, had a very different effect from what w'as intended ;
for the motions of the marines were misinterpreted, and so alarmed some
of the bystanders, that several made off, w'hile others put themselves into
an attitude of defence, so that I speedily dismissed the party.
This interview w'as deficient in those ceremonies which threw' such
a lively interest over the voyages of Captain Cook, and, w hat was equally
mortifying to us, it did not obtain those supplies of fruit and vegetables
which generally attended his visits ; although we w'aited a considerable
time in the hope of inducing the chiefs to come on board the ship, and in
the expectation of some supplies before w'e quitted them, but to no purpose.
I therefore summoned our party together, and w'e took leave
of the chiefs, w'ho both retired, leaving us in the hands of the mob. On
removing the drum w'hich had been sold by the areghe, two of the
natives laid violent hands upon it, and demanded something more than
bad been given. To avoid disturbance I complied with their request
by doubling the original sum ; but this, so far from securing the drum,
rendered the probability of our obtaining it w'ithout force more remote.
I brought the old chief back to explain the matter to him, but be would
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