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daneum. However, the men of these islands have recourse to another contrivance when they fhave their beards. The operation is performed with two fhells; one of which they place under a small part of the beard, and with the other, applied above, they scrape that part off. In this manner they are able to have very close. The process is, indeed, rather tedious, but not painful; and there are men amongst them, who seem to profess this trade. It was as common, while we were here, to see our failors go afhore to have their beards fcraped off, after the fashion of Hapaee, as it was to see their chiefs come on board to be fhaved by our barbers.

Finding that little or nothing of the produce of the island was now brought to the fhips, I refolved to change our station, and in the afternoon of the 26th of May, I hauled into a bay that lies between the fouth end of Lefooga, and the north end of Hoolaiva, and there anchored.

Near the fouth end of the Ifland of Lefooga, we met with an artificial mount. From the fize of fome trees that were growing upon it, and from other appearances, I gueffed that it had been raised in remote times. I judged it to be about forty feet high; and the diameter of its fummit measured fifty feet. At the bottom of this mount ftood a ftone, which must have been hewn off coral rock. It was four feet broad, two and a half thick, and fourteen high; and we were told by the natives prefent, that not above half its length appeared above ground. They called it Tangata Arekee *; and faid, that it had been fet up, and the mount raised, by some

Tangata, in their language, is man; Arekee, king.

of their forefathers, in memory of one of their kings; but how long fince they could not tell.

About noon, a large failing canoe came under our ftern, in which was a perfon named Futtafaihe, or Poulaho, or both; who, as the natives then on board told us, was king of Tangataboo, and of all the neighbouring iflands. It being my intereft, as well as my inclination, to pay court to all the great men, without making enquiry into the validity of their affamed titles, I invited Poulaho on board; he brought with him, as a prefent, two fat hogs, though not fo fat as himself. If weight of body could give weight in rank or power, he was certainly the most eminent man, in that respect, we had seen. I found him to be a fedate, fenfible man. He viewed the fhip, and the feveral new objects, with uncommon attention; and atked many pertinent queftions; one of which was: What could induce us to vifit thefe iflands? After he had fatisfied his curiofity in looking at the cattle, and other novelties which he met with upon deck, I defired him to walk down into the cabin. To this his attendants objected, faying, that if he were to accept of that invitation, it must happen, that people would walk over his head; but the chief, himself lefs fcrupulous, in this refpect, than his attendants, waved all ceremony, and walked down.

Poulaho fat down with us to dinner; but he ate little, and drank lefs. When we rose from the table, he defired me to accompany him afhore. Lattended the chief in my own boat, having first made prefents to him of fuch articles as, I could obferve, he valued much, and were even beyond his expectation to receive. I was not difappointed in my view of thus fecuring his friendship

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for the moment the boat reached the beach, he ordered two more hogs to be brought, and delivered to my people. He was then carried out of the boat, by fome of his own people, upon a board refembling a hand-barrow, and went and feated himself in a fmall house near the fhore; which feemed to have been erected there for his accommodation. He placed me at his fide; and his attendants feated themselves in a femicircle before us, on the outfide of the house. Behind the chief, or rather on one fide, fat an old woman, with a fort of fan in her hand, whose office it was, to prevent his being pestered with the flies.

I ftaid till feveral of his attendants left him, firft paying him obeifance, by bowing the hand down to the fole of his foot, and touching or tapping the fame, with the upper and under fide of the fingers of both hands. Others, who were not in the circle, came, as it feemed, on purpose, and paid him this mark of respect, and then retired, without fpeaking a word. I was quite charmed with the decorum that was obferved. I had no where feen the like, not even amongst more civilized nations.

Poulaho, the king, as I fhall now call him, came on board betimes next morning; and brought, as a prefent to me, one of their caps, made, or at least covered, with red feathers. These caps, or rather bonnets, are composed of the tail feathers of the tropic bird, with the red feathers of the parroquets wrought upon them, or jointly with them. They are made fo as to tie upon the forehead without any crown, and have the form of a femicircle, whofe radius is eighteen or twenty inches. VOL. VII.

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At day-break, the next morning, I weighed with a fine breeze, and stood to the weftward, with a view to return to Annamooka. We were followed by feveral failing canoes, in one of which was the king. He quitted us in a fhort time, but left his brother, and five of his attendants on board. We had alfo the company of a chief, juft then arrived from Tongataboo, whofe name was Tooboueitea. The moment he arrived, he fent his canoe away, and declared that he and five more, who came with him, would fleep on board; fo that I had now my cabin filled with vifiters. They brought plenty of provifions with them, for which they always had fuitable returns.

In our courfe the fhip was very near running full upon a low, fandy ifle, called Pootoo. It hap pened, very fortunately, that the people had juft before been ordered upon deck, to put the fhip about, fo that the neceffary movements were executed with judgment and alertnefs; and this alone faved us from deftruction. The Discovery being aftern, was out of danger. Such hazardous fituations are the unavoidable companions of the man who goes upon a voyage of discovery.

This circumftance frightened our paffengers fo much, that they expretted a ftrong defire to get athore. Accordingly, as foon as day-light returned, I hoifted out a boat, and ordered the officer who commanded her, after landing them at Kotoo, to found along the reef for anchorage.

Having met with a convenient station, we lay here until the 4th, when we weighed, and flood away for Annamooka, where we anchored next morning.

I went on thore foon after, and found the inhabitants very busy in digging up yams, to bring

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to market. These were now in the greatest perfection; and we procured a good quantity, in exchanges for pieces of iron.

About noon, next day, Feénou arrived from Vavaoo. He told us that feveral canoes, laden with hogs, and other provisions, which had failed with him from that ifland, had been loft, owing to the late blowing weather; and that every body on board them had perished. This melancholy tale did not feem to affect any of his countrymen who heard it; and, as to ourfelves, we were, by this time, too well acquainted with his character, to give much credit to such a story. The following morning, Poulaho, and the other chiefs, who had been wind-bound with him, arrived. I happened at this time to be athore, in company with Feenou; who now feemed to be fenfible of the impropriety of his conduct, in affuming a character that did not belong to him. For he not only acknowledged Poulaho to be king of Tongataboo, and the other ifles, but af fected to infift much on it, which, no doubt, was with a view to make amends for his former prefumption. I left him, to visit this greater man, whom I found fitting with a few people before him. But, every one haftening to pay court to him, the circle increased pretty, faft. I was very defirous of obferving Feenou's behaviour on this occafion; and had the moft convincing proof of his inferiority; for he placed himself amongst the reft that fat before Poulaho, as attendants on his majefty. Both he and Poulaho went on board with me to dinner; but only the latter fat at table. Feenou, having made his obeifance in the ufual way, faluting his fovereign's foot with his head and hands, retired out of the cabin. G 2 The

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