652
After leaving Mangeea, on the afternoon of the 30th, we continued our courfe'northward all that night, and till noon on the 31ft ; when we again faw land, in thedirection of north-eaft-by-north, diftant eight or ten leagues; and next morning, at’eight o’clock, we got abreaft of its north end. I fent two armed boats from theRefolution, and one from the Difcovery, under the command of Lieutenant Gore, tolook for anchoring-ground, and a landing-place. In the mean time, we plyed upunder the ifland with the fhips.
Juft as the boats were putting off, we obferved feveral Angle canoes coming fromthe Ihore. They went firft to the Difcovery, Ihe being the neareft fhip. It was notlong after, when three of the canoes came alongfide of the Refolution, each conducedby one man. They are long and narrow, and fupported by outriggers. The fternis elevated about three or four feet, fomething like a fhip’s ftern.poft. The head isflat above, but prow-like below, and turns down at the extremity, like the end of aviolin. Some knives, beads, and other trifles, were conveyed to our vifitors; and heygave us a few cocoa-nuts, upon our afking for them. But they did not part with themby way of exchange for what they had received from us. For they feemed to haveno idea of bartering; nor did they appear to eftimate any of our prefents at a highrate. r
With a little perfuafion, one of them made his canoe faft to the fhip, and came onboard •, and the other two, encouraged by his example, foon followed him. Theirwhole behaviour marked that they were quite at their eafe, and felt no fort of appre-henfion of our detaining or ufing them ill.
After their departure another canoe arrived, conduced by a man who brought abunch of plantains as a prefent to me; afking for me by name, having learnt it fromOmai, who was fent before us in a boat with Mr. Gore. In return for this civility, Igave him an axe, and a piece of ,red cloth ; and he paddled back to the fhore welliatisfied. I afterwards underftood from Omai, that this prefent had been fent fromthe King, or principal chief of the ifland.
Not long after a double canoe, in which were twelve men, came towards us, -Asthey drew near the fhip, they recited fome words in concert, by way of chorus, one oftheir number firft ftanding up, and giving the word before each repetition. Whenthey had finifhed their folemn chant, they came alongfide and afked for the chief.As foon as I fliewed myfelf, a pig and a few cocoa-nuts were conveyed up into thefhip ; snd the principal perfon in the canoe made me an additional prefent of a pieceof matting, as foon as he and his companions got on board.
Our vifitors were conduced into the cabin, and to other parts of the fhip. Someobjects feemed to ftrike them with a degree of furprife; but nothing fixed theirattention for a moment. They were afraid to come near the cows and horfes; nordid they form the leaft conception of their nature. But the fheep and goats did notfurpafs the limits of their ideas; for they gave us to underftand, that they knew themto be birds. It will appear rather incredible, that human ignorance could ever makefo ftrange a miftake ; there not being the moft diftant fimilitude between a fheep ora goat and any winged animal. I made a prefent to my new friend of what I thoughtmight be moft acceptable to him; but, on his going away, he feemed rather d 1 "appointed than pleafed. I afterward underftood that he was very defirous of obtain-ing a dog, of which animal this ifland could not boaft.
The people in thefe canoes were in general of a middling fize, and not unlike tholeof Mangeea ; though feveral were of a blacker caft than any we faw there. Their hairwas tied on the crown of the head, or flowing loofe about the flioulders $ and thoug/^