CAPTAIN COOK ’S SECOND VOYAGE. 6 13
make them deliver them up ; and he had no intention to try others. So the affairdropped, and the council broke up.
In the evening, fome of the gentlemen went to a dramatic entertainment. The piecereprefented a girl as running away with them from Otaheite ; which was in fome de-gree true; as a young woman had taken a paffage with them down to Ulietea, andhappened now to be prefent at the reprefentation of her own adventures ; which hadfuch an effecl upon her, that it was with great difficulty the gentlemen could prevailupon her to fee the play out, or to refrain from tears while it was acting.
Some of the petty officers, who had leave to go into the country for their amufe-ment, took two of the natives with them to be their guides, and to carry their bags,containing nails, hatchets, &c. the current cafh they traded with here; which thefellows made off with in the following artful manner. The gentlemen had with themtwo mufquets for fhooting birds. After a fhower of ram, their guides pointed outfome for them to ffioot. One of the mufquets having miffed fire feveral times, andthe other having gone off, the inftant the fellows faw themfelves fecure from both,they ran away, leaving the gentlemen gazing after them with fo much furprize, thatno one had prefence of mind to purfue them.
The 23d, wind eafterly, as it had been ever fince they left Otaheite . Early in themorning they unmoored, and at eight weighed and put to fea. Oree, the chief, wasthe laft man who went out of the fhip. At parting, the captain told him they fhouldfee each other no more, at which he wept, and faid, “ Let your fons come, we willtreat them well.”. Oree is a good man in the utmoft fenfe of the word ; but manyof the people are far from being of that difpofition, and feem to take advantage of hisold age.
During their ftay here they got bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts in abundance, but nothogs enough; and yet it did not appear that they were fcarce in the ifie. It muff,however, be allowed, that the number they took away, when laft there, muft havethinned them greatly, and at the fame time, flocked the iile with our articles. Befides,they now wanted a proper aflortment of trade, what they had being nearly exhaufted,and the few remaining red feathers being here but of little value, when compared tothe eftimation they Hand in at Otaheite . This obliged the captain to fet the fmiths towork to make different forts of iron tools, nails, &c. in order to enable them to pro-cure refrefhnients at the other ifles, and to fupport their credit and influence amongthe natives.
As foon as they were clear of the harbour, they made fail, and flood over for thefouth end of Ulieta, where they dropped anchor the next day.
On the 25th, a party went on fhore to pay the chief a vifit, and make the cuftomaryprefent. At their firft entering his houfe, they were met by four or five old women,Weeping and lamenting, as it were, mod bitterly, and at the fame time cutting theirheads with inftruments made of {harks teeth, till the blood ran plentifully down theirfaces and on their fhoulders. What was ftill worfe, they were obliged to fubmit tothe embraces of thefe old hags, and by that means were all befmeared with blood.This ceremony (for it was merely fuch) being over, they went out, waflied themfelves,and immediately after appeared as cheerful as any of the company. The captain madehis prefents, and after fome little ftay, returned on board.
On the 27th they were entertained with a play, called Mididij Harramy , whichftgnifies, “ the child is coming.” It concluded with the reprefentation of a woman inlabour, afled by a fet of great brawny fellows, one of whom at laft brought forth atrapping boy, about fix feet high, who ran about the ftage, dragging after him a large*