their fafety. Though I gave myself no trouble about the recovery of the things stolen upon this occation, mott of them, through Feenou's interpolition, were recovered; except one musket and a few other articles of inferior value.

We had now recruited the fhips with wood and water, and had finished the repairs of our fails. However, as an eclipfe of the fun was to happen upon the 5th of July, and it was now the 25th of June, I refolved to defer failing till that time had elapied, in order to have a chance of obferving it.

Having therefore fome days of leisure before mo a party of us, accompanied by Poulaho, fet out earir next morning, in a boat, for Mooa, the village where he and the other great men usually rende. As we rowed up the inlet, we met fourteen canoes fishing in company; in one of which was Poulaho's fon. In each canoe was a triangular net, extended between two poles; a the lower end of which was a cod to receive and focare the fith. They had already caught some fine mallets; and ther put about a dozen inte our boat. I detired to iee their method of fish ing: which they readily complied with. A thoa of with was timpoïed to be upon one of the banks which they inda utor incloïèd in a long net like: feine, or jet-net. This the fifhers, one getting into the water out of each boat, furrounded with the triangular nets in their hands, with which they soooped the fish out of the teine, or caugh: them as they attempted to leap over it.

the price and his fithing party, we to the bottom of the bay. Here we atacka r burring place, which was excutive, and feemingly of more confe

confequence, than any we had seen at the other iflands. We were told that it belonged to the king. It confifted of three pretty large houses, fituated upon a rifing ground, with a small one at a distance, all ranged longitudinally. They were covered and paved with fine pebbles, and the whole was inclofed by large flat ftones of hard coral rock, properly hewn, placed on their edges; one of which ftones measured twelve feet in length, two in breadth, and above one in thicknefs. Within one of these houses were two rude wooden bufts of men. On enquiring what thefe images were intended for, we were told they were merely memorials of fome chiefs who had been buried there, and not the representations of any deity. In one of them was the carved head of an Otaheitean canoe, which had been driven afhore on their coaft, and depofited here.

After we had refreshed ourselves, we made an excursion into the country, attended by one of the king's minifters. Our train was not great, as he would not fuffer the rabble to follow us. He alfo obligéd all those whom we met upon our progrefs, to fit down till we had paffed; which is a mark of respect due only to their fovereigns. By far the greatest part of the country was cultivated, and planted with various forts of produc tions. There were many public and well-beaten roads, and abundance of foot paths leading to every part of the island. It is remarkable that when we were on the most elevated parts, at least a hundred feet above the level of the fea, we often met with the fame coral rock which is found at the fhore; and yet these very spots, with hardly any foil upon them, were covered with luxuri

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toms. A man got out of a canoe into the quarter gallery of the Refolution, and ftole from thence a pewter bafon. He was difcovered, pursued, and brought along-fide the fhip. On this occafion, three old women, who were in the canoe, made loud lamentations over the prisoner, beating their breafts and faces in a most violent manner; and all this was done without fhedding a tear.

This day, I beftowed on Mareewagee fome prefents, in return for those we had received from him the day before; and as the entertainments, which he had then exhibited for our amufement, called upon us to make some exhibition in our way, I ordered a party of marines to go through their exercife, on the spot where his dances had been performed; and in the evening, played off fome fireworks at the fame place. Poulaho, with all the principal chiefs, and a great number of people of all denominations were prefent. The platoon firing, which was executed tolerably well, feemed to give them pleasure; but they were loft in aftonishment when they beheld our water rockets.

In expectation of this evening fhow, the circle of natives about our tent being pretty large, they engaged the greateft part of the afternoon, in boxing and wrestling. When any of them chufes to wrestle, he gets up from one fide of the ring, and croffes the ground in a fort of measured pace, clapping fmartly on the elbow joint of one arm, which is bent, and produces a hollow found; that is reckoned the challenge. If no perfon comes out from the oppofite fide to engage him, he returns in the fame manner and fits Cown; but fometimes ftands clapping in the midft of the ground, to provoke fome one to come VOL. VII.

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out. If an opponent appears, they come toge ther with marks of the greatest good-nature, ge nerally fmiling and taking time to adjust the piece of cloth which is faftened round the waift. Their combats feldom laft long before one gives in. Some of our people ventured to contend with the natives in both these exercises; but were always worsted.

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The animals which we had brought were all on fhore. Knowing their thievifh difpofition, I thought it prudent to declare my intention of leaving fome of them behind, and even to make a diftribution of them previoufly to my departure. With this view, in the evening of the 19th, I affembled all the chiefs before our house, and my intended prefents to them were marked out. To Poulaho, the king, I gave a young English bull and cow; to Mareewagee, a Cape ram and two ewes; and to Feenou, a horse and a mare. my defign, to make fuch a diftribution, had been made known the day before, most of the people in the neighbourhood were then prefent. I inftructed Omai to tell them that there were no fuch animals within many months fail of their ifland; that we had brought them, for their use, from that immenfe diftance, at a vaft trouble and expence; that therefore they must be careful not to kill any of them till they had multiplied to a numerous race; and laftly, that they and their children ought to remember that they had received them from the men of Britain.

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alfo explained to them their feveral ufes, and what else was neceffary for them to know, or rather as far as he knew; for Omai was not very well verfed in fuch things himself.

Next day I dined athore. The king fat down