A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xv Part 44

[Footnote 160: Mr Andersen's account of the night dances being much fuller than Captain Cook's, the reader will not be displeased that it has been adopted.--D.]

The concert having continued about a quarter of an hour, twenty women entered the circle. Most of them had, upon their heads, garlands of the crimson flowers of the China rose, or others; and many of them had ornamented their persons with leaves of trees, cut with a deal of nicety about the edges. They made a circle round the chorus, turning their faces toward it, and began by singing a soft air, to which responses were made by the chorus in the same tone; and these were repeated alternately. All this while, the women accompanied their song with several very graceful motions of their hands toward their faces, and in other directions at the same time, making constantly a step forward, and then back again, with one foot, while the other was fixed. They then turned their faces to the a.s.sembly, sung some time, and retreated slowly in a body, to that part of the circle which was opposite the hut where the princ.i.p.al spectators sat. After this, one of them advanced from each side, meeting and pa.s.sing each other in the front, and continuing their progress round, till they came to the rest. On which, two advanced from each side, two of whom also pa.s.sed each other, and returned as the former; but the other two remained, and to these came one, from each side, by intervals, till the whole number had again formed a circle-about the chorus.

Their manner of dancing was now changed to a quicker measure, in which they made a kind of half turn by leaping, and clapped their hands, and snapped their fingers, repeating some words in conjunction with the chorus. Toward the end, as the quickness of the music increased, their gestures and att.i.tudes were varied with wonderful vigour and dexterity; and some of their motions, perhaps, would, with us, be reckoned rather indecent. Though this part of the performance, most probably, was not meant to convey any wanton ideas, but merely to display the astonis.h.i.+ng variety of their movements.

To this grand female ballet, succeeded one performed by fifteen men.

Some of them were old; but their age seemed to have abated little of their agility or ardour for the dance. They were disposed in a sort of circle, divided at the front, with their faces not turned out toward the a.s.sembly, nor inward to the chorus; but one half of their circle faced forward as they had advanced, and the other half in a contrary direction. They, sometimes, sung slowly, in concert with the chorus; and, while thus employed, they also made several very fine motions with their hands, but different from those made by the women, at the same time inclining the body to either side alternately by raising one leg, which was stretched outward, and resting on the other; the arm of the same side being also stretched fully upward. At other times they recited sentences in a musical tone, which were answered by the chorus; and, at intervals, increased the measure of the dance, by clapping the hands, and quickening the motions of the feet, which, however, were never varied. At the end, the rapidity of the music, and of the dancing, increased so much, that it was scarcely possible to distinguish the different movements; though one might suppose the actors were now almost tired, as their performance had lasted near half an hour.

After a considerable interval, another act, as we may call it, began.

Twelve men now advanced, who placed themselves in double rows fronting each other, but on opposite sides of the circle; and, on one side, a man was stationed, who, as if he had been a prompter, repeated several sentences, to which the twelve new performers, and the chorus, replied.

They then sung slowly; and afterward danced and sung more quickly, for about a quarter of an hour, after the manner of the dancers whom they had succeeded.

Soon after they had finished, nine women exhibited themselves, and sat down fronting the hut where the chief was. A man then rose, and struck the first of these women on the back, with both fists joined. He proceeded, in the same manner, to the second and third; but when he came to the fourth, whether from accident or design I cannot tell, instead of the back, he struck her on the breast. Upon this a person rose instantly from the crowd, who brought him to the ground with a blow on the head; and he was carried off without the least noise or disorder. But this did not save the other five women from so odd a discipline, or perhaps necessary ceremony; for a person succeeded him, who treated them in the same manner. Their disgrace did not end here; for when they danced, they had the mortification to find their performance twice disapproved of, and were obliged to repeat it. This dance did not differ much from that of the first women, except in this one circ.u.mstance, that the present set sometimes raised the body upon one leg, by a sort of double motion, and then upon the other alternately, in which att.i.tude they kept snapping their fingers; and, at the end, they repeated, with great agility, the brisk movements, in which the former group of female dancers had shewn themselves so expert.

In a little tine, a person entered unexpectedly, and said something in a ludicrous way, about the fireworks that had been exhibited, which extorted a burst of laughter from the mult.i.tude. After this, we had a dance composed of the men, who attended, or had followed, Feenou. They formed a double circle (i.e. one within another) of twenty-four each, round the chorus, and began a gentle soothing song, with corresponding motions of the hands and head. This lasted a considerable time, and then changed to a much quicker measure, during which they repeated sentences, either in conjunction with the chorus, or in answer to some spoken by that band. They then retreated to the back part of the circle, as the women had done, and again advanced, on each side, in a triple row, till they formed a semicircle, which was done very slowly, by inclining the body on one leg, and advancing the other a little way, as they put it down. They accompanied this with such a soft air as they had sung at the beginning; but soon changed it to repeat sentences in a harsher tone, at the same time quickening the dance very much, till they finished with a general shout and clap of the hands. The same was repeated several times; but, at last, they formed a double circle, as at the beginning, danced, and repeated very quickly, and finally closed with several very dexterous transpositions of the two circles.

The entertainments of this memorable night concluded with a dance, in which the princ.i.p.al people present exhibited. It resembled the immediately preceding one, in some respects, having the same number of performers, who began nearly in the same way; but their ending, at each interval, was different; for they increased their motions to a prodigious quickness, shaking their heads from shoulder to shoulder, with such force, that a spectator, unaccustomed to the sight, would suppose, that they ran a risk of dislocating their necks. This was attended with a smart clapping of the hands, and a kind of savage holla!

or shriek, not unlike what is sometimes practised in the comic dances on our European theatres. They formed the triple semicircle, as the preceding dancers had done; and a person, who advanced at the head on one side of the semicircle, began by repeating something in a truly musical recitative, which was delivered with an air so graceful, as might put to the blush our most applauded performers. He was answered in the same manner, by the person at the head of the opposite party. This being repeated several times, the whole body, on one side, joined in the responses to the whole corresponding body on the opposite side, as the semicircle advanced to the front; and they finished, by singing and dancing as they had begun.

These two last dances were performed with so much spirit, and so great exactness, that they met with universal approbation. The native spectators, who, no doubt, were perfect judges whether the several performances were properly executed, could not withhold their applauses at some particular parts; and even a stranger, who never saw the diversion before, felt similar satisfaction, at the same instant. For though, through the whole, the most strict concert was observed, some of the gestures were so expressive, that it might be said, they spoke the language that accompanied them; if we allow that there is any connection between motion and sound. At the same time, it should be observed, that though the music of the chorus, and that of the dancers, corresponded, constant practice in these favourite amus.e.m.e.nts of our friends, seems to have a great share in effecting the exact time they keep in their performances. For we observed, that if any of them happened accidentally to be interrupted, they never found the smallest difficulty in recovering the proper place of the dance or song. And their perfect discipline was in no instance more remarkable, than in the sudden transitions they so dexterously made from the ruder exertions, and harsh sounds, to the softest airs, and gentlest movements.[161]

[Footnote 161: In a former note, it was observed, that the songs and dances of the Caroline Islanders, in the North Pacific, bear a great resemblance to those of the inhabitants of Wateeoo. The remark may be now extended to those of the Friendly Islanders, described at large in this chapter. That the reader may judge for himself, I have selected the following particulars from Father Cantova's account. "Pendant la nuit, au clair de la lune, ils s'a.s.semblent, de temps en temps, pour chanter & danser devant la maison de leur _Tumole_. Leurs danses se font au son de la voix, car ils n'ont point d'instrument de musique. La beaute de la danse, consiste dans l'exacte uniformite des mouvemens du corps. Les hommes, separes des femmes, se postent vis-a-vis les uns des autres; apres quoi, ils remuent la tete, les bras, les mains, les pieds, en cadence. Leur tete est couverte de plumes, on de fleurs;--et l'on voit, attachees a leurs oreilles, des feuilles de palmier tissues avec a.s.sez d'art--Les femmes, de leur cote,--se regardant les unes les autres, commencent un chant pathetique & langoureux, accompagnant le son de leur voix du mouvement cadence de la tete & des bras."--_Lettres Edifiantes & Curiesues_, tom. xv. p. 314, 315.--D.]

The place where the dances were performed was an open s.p.a.ce amongst the trees, just by the sea, with lights, at small intervals, placed round the inside of the circle. The concourse of people was pretty large, though not equal to the number a.s.sembled in the forenoon, when the marines exercised. At that time, some of our gentlemen guessed there might be present about five thousand persons; others thought there were more; but they who reckoned that there were fewer, probably, came nearer the truth.

SECTION VI.

_Description of Lefooga.--Its cultivated State.--Its Extent.--Transactions there.--A female Oculist.--Singular Expedients for shaving off the Hair.--The s.h.i.+ps change their Station.--A remarkable Mount and Stone.--Inscription of Hoolaiva.--Account of Poulaho, King of the friendly Islands.--Respectful Manner in which he is treated by his People.--Departure from the Hapaee Islands.--Some Account of Kotoo.--Return of the s.h.i.+ps to Annamooka.--Poulaho and Feenou meet.--Arrival at Tongataboo._

Curiosity on both sides being now sufficiently gratified by the exhibition of the various entertainments I have described, I began to have time to look about me. Accordingly, next day (May 21) I took a walk into the island of Lefooga, of which I was desirous to obtain some knowledge. I found it to be, in several respects, superior to Annamooka.

The plantations were both more numerous and more extensive. In many places, indeed, toward the sea, especially on the east side, the country is still waste, owing perhaps to the sandy soil, as it is much lower than Annamooka, and its surrounding isles. But toward the middle of the island the soil is better; and the marks of considerable population, and of improved cultivation, were very conspicuous. For we met here with very large plantations, inclosed in such a manner that the fences, running parallel to each other, form fine s.p.a.cious public roads, that would appear ornamental in countries where rural conveniences have been carried to the greatest perfection. We observed large spots covered with the paper mulberry-trees; and the plantations, in general, were well stocked with such roots and fruits as are the natural produce of the island. To these I made some addition, by sowing the seeds of Indian corn, melons, pumpkins, and the like. At one place was a house, four or five times as large as those of the common sort, with a large area of gra.s.s before it; and I take it for granted, the people resort thither on certain public occasions. Near the landing-place we saw a mount, two or three feet high, covered with gravel; and on it stood four or five small huts, in which the natives told us the bodies of some of their princ.i.p.al people had been interred.

The island is not above seven miles long, and in some places not above two or three broad. The east side of it, which is exposed to the trade-wind, has a reef running to a considerable breadth from it, on which the sea breaks with great violence. It is a continuation of this reef that joins Lefooga to Foa, which is not above half a mile distant; and at low water the natives can walk upon this reef, which is then partly dry from the one island to the other. The sh.o.r.e itself is either a coral rock, six or seven feet high, or a sandy beach, but higher than the west side, which in general is not more than three or four feet from the level of the sea, with a sandy beach its whole length.

When I returned from my excursion into the country, and went on board to dinner, I found a large sailing canoe fast to the s.h.i.+p's stern. In this canoe was Latooliboula, whom I had seen at Tongataboo during my last voyage, and who was then supposed by us to be the king of that island. He sat in the canoe with all that gravity, by which, as I have mentioned in my journal,[162] he was so remarkably distinguished at that time; nor could I, by any entreaties, prevail upon him now to come into the s.h.i.+p. Many of the islanders were present, and they all called him _Areekee_, which signifies king. I had never heard any one of them give this t.i.tle to Feenou, however extensive his authority over them, both here and at Annamooka, had appeared to be, which had all along inclined me to suspect that he was not the king, though his friend Taipa had taken pains to make me believe he was. Latooliboula remained under the stern till the evening, when he retired in his canoe to one of the islands. Feenou was on board my s.h.i.+p at the same time; but neither of these great men took the least notice of the other.

[Footnote 162: The name of this extraordinary personage is there said to be _Kohagee too Fallangou_, which cannot, by the most skilful etymologist, be tortured into the least most distant resemblance of _Latooliboula_. It is remarkable that Captain Cook should not take any notice of his having called the same person by two names so very different. Perhaps we may account for this, by supposing one to be the name of the person, and the other the description of his t.i.tle or rank.

This supposition seems well founded, when we consider that _Latoo_, in the language of these people, is sometimes used to signify a great chief; and Dr Forster, in his Observations, p. 378, 379, and elsewhere, speaks of the sovereign of Tongataboo under the t.i.tle of their _Latoo_.

This very person is called by Dr Forster, p. 370, _Latoo-Nipooroo_, which furnishes a very striking instance of the variations of our people in writing down the same word as p.r.o.nounced by the natives. However, we can easily trace the affinity between _Nipooroo_ and _Liboula_, as the changes of the consonants are such as are perpetually made upon hearing a word p.r.o.nounced to which our ears have not been accustomed. Mr Anderson here agrees with Captain Cook in writing Latooliboula.--D.]

Nothing material happened the next day, except that some of the natives stole a tarpaulin, and other things, from off the deck. They were soon missed, and the thieves pursued, but a little too late. I applied, therefore, to Feenou, who, if he was not king, was at least vested with the highest authority here to exert it, in order to have my things restored. He referred me to Earoupa, who put me off from time to time, and at last nothing was done.

In the morning of the 23d, as we were going to unmoor, in order to leave the island, Feenou, and his prime minister Taipa, came alongside in a sailing canoe, and informed me that they were setting out for Vavaoo, an island which they said lies about two days sail to the northward of Hepaee. The object of their voyage, they would have me believe, was to get for me an additional supply of hogs, and some red-feathered caps for Omai to carry to Otaheite, where they are in high esteem. Feenou a.s.sured me that he should be back in four or five days, and desired me not to sail till his return, when he promised he would accompany me to Tongataboo. I thought this a good opportunity to get some knowledge of Vavaoo, and proposed to him to go thither with the s.h.i.+ps. But he seemed not to approve of the plan; and, by way of diverting me from it, told me that there was neither harbour nor anchorage about it. I therefore consented to wait, in my present station, for his return, and he immediately set out.

The next day, our attention was for some time taken up with a report, industriously spread about by some of the natives, that a s.h.i.+p like ours had arrived at Annamooka since we left it, and was now at anchor there.

The propagators of the report were pleased to add, that Toobou, the chief of that island, was hastening thither to receive these new comers; and as we knew that he had actually left us, we were the more ready to believe there might be some foundation for the story of this unexpected arrival. However, to gain some farther information, I went on sh.o.r.e with Omai, in quest of the man who, it was said, had brought the first account of this event from Annamooka. We found him at the house of Earoupa, where Omai put such questions to him as I thought necessary; and the answers he gave were so clear and satisfactory, that I had not a doubt remaining. But, just about this time, a chief of some note, whom we well knew, arrived from Annamooka, and declared that no s.h.i.+p was at that island, nor had been, since our leaving it. The propagator of the report, finding himself detected in a falsehood, instantly withdrew, and we saw no more of him. What end the invention of this tale could answer was not easy to conjecture, unless we suppose it to have been artfully contrived, to get us removed from the one island to the other.

In my walk on the 25th, I happened to step into a house, where a woman was dressing the eyes of a young child, who seemed blind, the eyes being much inflamed, and a thin film spread over them. The instruments she used were two slender wooden probes, with which she had brushed the eyes so as to make them bleed. It seems worth mentioning, that the natives of these islands should attempt an operation of this sort, though I entered the house too late to describe exactly how this female oculist employed the wretched tools she had to work with.

I was fortunate enough to see a different operation going on in the same house, of which I can give a tolerable account. I found there another woman shaving a child's head, with a shark's tooth, stuck into the end of a piece of stick. I observed that she first wetted the hair with a rag dipped in water, applying her instrument to that part which she had previously soaked. The operation seemed to give no pain to the child, although the hair was taken off as close as if one of our razors had been employed. Encouraged by what I now saw, I soon after tried one of these singular instruments upon myself, and found it to be an excellent _succedaneum_. However, the men of these islands have recourse to another contrivance when they shave their beards. The operation is performed with two sh.e.l.ls, one of which they place under a small part of the beard, and with the other, applied above, they sc.r.a.pe that part off.

In this manner they are able to shave very close. The process is, indeed, rather tedious, but not painful; and there are men amongst them who seemed to profess this trade. It was as common, while we were here, to see our sailors go ash.o.r.e to have their beards sc.r.a.ped off, after the fas.h.i.+on of Hepaee, as it was to see their chiefs come on board to be shaved by our barbers.

Finding that little or nothing of the produce of the island was now brought to the s.h.i.+ps, I resolved to change our station, and to wait Feenou's return from Vavaoo, in some other convenient anchoring-place, where refreshments might still be met with. Accordingly, in the forenoon of the 26th, we got under sail, and stood to the southward along the reef of the island, having fourteen and thirteen, fathoms water, with a sandy bottom. However, we met with several detached shoals. Some of them were discovered by breakers, some by the water upon them appearing discoloured, and others by the lead. At half past two in the afternoon having already pa.s.sed several of these shoals, and seeing more of them before us, I hauled into a bay that lies between the S. end of Lefooga and the N. end of Hoolaiva, and there anch.o.r.ed in seventeen fathoms water, the bottom a coral sand; the point of Lefooga bearing S.E. by E.

a mile and a half distant. The Discovery did not get to an anchor till sunset. She had touched upon one of the shoals, but backed off again without receiving any damage.

As soon as we had anch.o.r.ed, I sent Mr Bligh to sound the bay where we were now stationed; and myself, accompanied by Mr Gore, landed on the southern part of Lefooga, to examine the country, and to look for fresh water. Not that we now wanted a supply of this article, having filled all the casks at our late station; but I had been told that this part of the island could afford us some preferable to any we had got at the former watering-place. This will not be the only time I shall have occasion to remark that these people do not know what good water is. We were conducted to two wells, but the water in both of them proved to be execrable, and the natives, our guides, a.s.sured us that they had none better.

Near the S. end of the island, and on the W. side, we met with an artificial mount. From the size of some trees that were growing upon it, and from other appearances, I guessed that it had been raised in remote times. I judged it to be about forty feet high, and the diameter of its summit measured fifty feet. At the bottom of this mount stood a stone, which must have been hewn out of coral rock. It was four feet broad, two and a half thick, and fourteen high; and we were told by the natives present that not above half its length appeared above ground. They called it _Tangata Arekee_,[163] and said that it had been set up, and the mount raised, by some of their forefathers, in memory of one of their kings, but how long since they could not tell.

[Footnote 163: _Tangata,_ in their language, is man; _Arekee_, king.]

Night coming on, Mr Gore and I returned on board; and, at the same time, Mr Bligh got back from sounding the bay, in which he found from fourteen to twenty fathoms water, the bottom for the most part sand, but not without some coral rocks. The place where we now anch.o.r.ed is much better sheltered than that which we had lately come from; but between the two is another anchoring station, much better than either. Lefooga and Hoolaiva are divided from each other by a reef of coral rocks, which is dry at low water; so that one may walk at that time from the one to the other, without wetting a foot. Some of our gentlemen, who landed in the latter island, did not find the least mark of cultivation, or habitation, upon it, except a single hut, the residence of a man employed to catch fish and turtle. It is rather extraordinary that it should be in this deserted state, communicating so immediately with Lefooga, which is so perfectly cultivated; for though the soil is quite sandy, all the trees and plants found in a natural state on the neighbouring islands, are produced here with the greatest vigour. The E.

side of it has a reef like Lefooga, and the W. side has a bending at the N. part, where there seems to be good anchorage. Uninhabited as Hoolaiva is, an artificial mount, like that at the adjoining island, has been raised upon it, as high as some of the surrounding trees.

At day-break, next morning, I made the signal to weigh; and as I intended to attempt a pa.s.sage to Annamooka, in my way to Tongataboo, by the S.W. amongst the intervening islands, I sent the master in a boat to sound before the s.h.i.+ps. But before we could get under sail the wind became unsettled, which made it unsafe to attempt a pa.s.sage this way till we were better acquainted with it. I therefore lay fast, and made the signal for the master to return; and afterward sent him and the master of the Discovery, each in a boat, with instructions to examine the channels, as far as they could, allowing themselves time to get back to the s.h.i.+ps before the close of the day.

About noon a large sailing canoe came under our stern, in which was a person named Futtafaihe, or Poulaho, or both, who, as the natives then on board told us, was King of Tongataboo, and of all the neighbouring islands that we had seen or heard of. It was a matter of surprise to me to have a stranger introduced under this character, which I had so much reason to believe really belonged to another. But they persisted in their account of the supreme dignity of this new visitor; and now, for the first time, they owned to me, that Feenou was not the king, but only a subordinate chief, though of great power, as he was often sent from Tongataboo to the other islands on warlike expeditions, or to decide differences. It being my interest, as well as my inclination, to pay court to all the great men, without making enquiry into the validity of their a.s.sumed t.i.tles, I invited Poulaho on board, as I understood he was very desirous to come. He could not be an unwelcome guest, for he brought with him, as a present to me, two good fat hogs, though not so fat as himself, if weight of body could give weight in rank and power, he was certainly the most eminent man in that respect we had seen; for, though not very tall, he was very unwieldy, and almost shapeless with corpulence. He seemed to be about forty years of age, had straight hair, and his features differed a good deal from those of the bulk of his people. I found him to be a sedate, sensible man. He viewed the s.h.i.+p, and the several new objects, with uncommon attention, and asked many pertinent questions, one of which was, What could induce us to visit these islands? After he had satisfied his curiosity in looking at the cattle, and other novelties which he met with upon deck, I desired him to walk down into the cabin. To this some of his attendants objected, saying, that if he were to accept of that invitation, it must happen, that people would walk over his head, which could not be permitted. I directed my interpreter Omai, to tell them that I would obviate their objection, by giving orders that no one should presume to walk upon that part of the deck which was over the cabin. Whether this expedient would have satisfied them was far from appearing, but the chief himself, less scrupulous in this respect than his attendants, waved all ceremony, and walked down without any stipulation. He now appeared to be as solicitous himself, as his people were, to convince us that he was king, and not Feenou, who had pa.s.sed with us as such; for he soon perceived that we had some doubts about it, which doubts Omai was not very desirous of removing. The closest connection had been formed between him and Feenou, in testimony of which they had exchanged names; and therefore he was not a little chagrined, that another person now put in his claim to the honours which his friend had hitherto enjoyed.

Poulaho sat down with us to dinner, but he ate little, and drank less.

When we rose from the table, he desired me to accompany him ash.o.r.e. Omai was asked to be of the party, but he was too faithfully attached to Feenou to shew any attention to his compet.i.tor, and therefore excused himself. I attended the chief in my own boat, having first made presents to him of such articles as I could observe he valued much, and were even beyond his expectation to receive. I was not disappointed in my view of thus securing his friends.h.i.+p, for the moment the boat reached the beach, and before he quitted her, he ordered two more hogs to be brought, and delivered to my people to be conveyed on board. He was then carried out of the boat by some of his own people, upon a board resembling a hand-barrow, and went and seated himself in a small house near the sh.o.r.e, which seemed to have been erected there for his accommodation. He placed me at his side, and his attendants, who were not numerous, seated themselves in a semicircle before us, on the outside of the house.

Behind the chief, or rather on one side, sat an old woman, with a sort of fan in her hand, whose office it was to prevent his being pestered with the flies.

The several articles which his people had got, by trading on board the s.h.i.+ps, were now displayed before him. He looked over them all with attention, enquired what they had given in exchange, and seemed pleased with the bargains they had made. At length he ordered every thing to be restored to the respective owners, except a gla.s.s bowl, with which he was so much pleased that he reserved it for himself. The persons who brought these things to him, first squatted themselves down before him, then they deposited their several purchases, and immediately rose up and retired. The same respectful ceremony was observed in taking them away, and not one of them presumed to speak to him standing. I stayed till several of his attendants left him, first paying him obeisance, by bowing the head down to the sole of his foot, and touching or tapping the same with the upper and under side of the fingers of both hands.

Others, who were not in the circle, came, as it seemed, on purpose, and paid him this mark of respect and then retired, without speaking a word.

I was quite charmed with the decorum that was observed. I had no where seen the like, not even amongst more civilized nations.

I found the master returned from his expedition when I got on board. He informed me, that, as far as he had proceeded, there was anchorage, and a pa.s.sage for the s.h.i.+ps, but that toward the S. and S.E. he saw a number of small isles, shoals, and breakers. Judging, from this report, that my attempting a pa.s.sage that way would be attended with some risk, I now dropped all thoughts of it, thinking it better to return toward Annamooka by the same route, which we had so lately experienced to be a safe one.

Having come to this resolution, I should have sailed next morning if the wind had not been too far southerly, and at the same time very unsettled. Poulaho, the king, as I shall now call him, came on board betimes, and brought, as a present to me, one of their caps, made, or at least covered, with red feathers. These caps were much sought after by us, for we knew they would be highly valued at Otaheite. But though very large prices were offered, not one was ever brought for sale; which shewed that they were no less valuable in the estimation of the people here; nor was there a person in either s.h.i.+p that could make himself the proprietor of one, except myself, Captain Clerke, and Omai. 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 so as to tie upon the forehead without any crown, and have the form of a semicircle, whose _radius_ is eighteen or twenty inches. The chief stayed on board till the evening, when he left us; but his brother, whose name was also Futtafaihe, and one or two or more of his attendants, continued in the s.h.i.+p all night.

At day-break, the next morning, I weighed with a fine breeze at E.N.E.

and stood to the westward, with a view to return to Annamooka, by the track we had already experienced. We were followed by several sailing canoes, in one of which was the king. As soon as he got on board the Resolution, he enquired for his brother, and the others who had remained with us all night. It now appeared that they had stayed without his leave, for he gave them, in a very few words, such a reprimand as brought tears from their eyes, and yet they were men not less than thirty years of age. He was, however, soon reconciled to their making a longer stay, for, on quitting us, he left his brother, and five of his attendants, on board. We had also the company of a chief just then arrived from Tongataboo, whose name was Tooboueitoa. The moment he arrived he sent his canoe away, and declared, that he and five more, who came with him, would sleep on board, so that I had now my cabin filled with visitors. This, indeed, was some inconvenience; but I bore with it more willingly, as they brought plenty of provisions with them as presents to me, for which they always had suitable returns.

About one o'clock in the afternoon, the easterly wind was succeeded by a fresh breeze at S.S.E. Our course now being S.S.W. or more southerly, we were obliged to ply to windward, and did but just fetch the N. side of Footooha by eight o'clock, where we spent the night, making short boards.

The next morning we plyed up to Lofanga, where, according to the information of our friends, there was anchorage. It was one o'clock in the afternoon before we got soundings under the lee or N.W. side, in forty fathoms water, near half a mile from the sh.o.r.e; but the bank was steep, and the bottom rocky, and a chain of breakers lay to leeward. All these circ.u.mstances being against us, I stretched away for Kotoo, with the expectation of finding better anchoring ground under that island.

But so much time had been spent in plying up to Lofanga, that it was dark before we reached the other; and finding no place to anchor in, the night was spent as the preceding one.

At day-break on the 31st I stood for the channel, which is between Kotoo and the reef of rocks that lie to the westward of it; but, on drawing near, I found the wind too scant to lead us through. I therefore bore up on the outside of the reef, and stretched to the S.W. till near noon, when, perceiving that we made no progress to windward, and being apprehensive of losing the islands with so many of the natives on board, I tacked and stood back, intending to wait till some more favourable opportunity. We did but just fetch in with Footooba, between which and Kotoo we spent the night, under reefed top-sails and fore-sail. The wind blew fresh, and by squalls, with rain; and we were not without apprehensions of danger. I kept the deck till midnight, when I left it to the master, with such directions as I thought would keep the s.h.i.+ps clear of the shoals and rocks that lay round us. But, after making a trip to the N., and standing back again to the S., our s.h.i.+p, by a small s.h.i.+ft of the wind, fetched farther to the windward than was expected. By this means she was very near running full upon a low sandy isle, called Pootoo Pootooa, surrounded with breakers. It happened, very fortunately, that the people had just been ordered upon the deck to put the s.h.i.+p about, and the most of them were at their stations, so that the necessary movements were not only executed with judgment, but also with alertness, and this alone saved us from destruction. The Discovery being a-stern was out of danger. Such hazardous situations are the unavoidable companions of the man who goes upon a voyage of discovery.

This circ.u.mstance frightened our pa.s.sengers so much that they expressed a strong desire to get ash.o.r.e. Accordingly, as soon as day-light returned, I hoisted out a boat, and ordered the officer who commanded her, after landing them at Kotoo, to sound along the reef that spits off from that island for anchorage; for I was full as much tired as they could be with beating about amongst the surrounding isles and shoals, and determined to get to an anchor somewhere or other if possible. While the boat was absent, we attempted to turn the s.h.i.+ps through the channel, between the sandy isle and the reef of Kotoo, in expectation of finding a moderate depth of water behind them to anchor in. But, meeting with a tide or current against us, we were obliged to desist, and anchor in fifty fathoms water, with the sandy isle bearing E. by N. one mile distant.

We lay here till the 4th of June. While in this station we were several times visited by the king, by Touboueitoa, and by people from the neighbouring islands, who came off to trade with us, though the wind blew very fresh most of the time. The master was now sent to sound the channels between the islands that lie to the eastward; and I landed on Kotoo to examine it in the forenoon of the 2d.

This island is scarcely accessible by boats, on account of coral reefs that surround it. It is not more than a mile and half, or two miles, long, and not so broad. The N.W. end of it is low, like the islands of Hapaee; but it rises suddenly in the middle, and terminates in reddish clayey cliffs at the S.E. end, about thirty feet high. The soil, in that quarter, is of the same sort as in the cliffs, but in the other parts it is a loose black mould. It produces the same fruits and roots which we found at the other islands; is tolerably cultivated, but thinly inhabited. While I was walking all over it, our people were employed in cutting some gra.s.s for the cattle; and we planted some melon seeds, with which the natives seemed much pleased, and inclosed them with branches.

On our return to the boat we pa.s.sed by two or three ponds of dirty water, which was more or less brackish in each of them; and saw one of their burying-places, which was much neater than those that were met with at Hepaee.