184 cook's second voyage SEPT. 



began to take of them), and he made such bargains 

 as I had reason to be satisfied with. At length they 

 all took leave, after making me promise to visit them 

 next morning ; which I accordingly did, in company 

 with several of the officers and gentlemen. Oreo 

 ordered an heava to be acted for our entertainment, 

 in which two very pretty young women were the 

 actresses. This heava was somewhat different from 

 the one I saw before, and not so entertaining. Oreo, 

 after it was over, accompanied us on board, together 

 with two of his friends. 



The following day was spent in much the same 

 manner ; and early in the morning of the 14th, I sent 

 Mr. Pickersgill, with the Resolution's launch, and 

 Adventure's cutter, to Otaha, to procure an additional 

 supply of bananas, and plantains, for a sea-store ; 

 for we could get little more of these articles at Ulietea 

 than were sufficient for present consumption. Oreo, 

 and some of his friends, paid me a pretty early visit 

 this morning. I acquainted the chief that I would 

 dine with him, and desired he would order two pigs 

 to be dressed after their manner, which he accord- 

 ingly did ; and about one o'clock I and the officers 

 and gentlemen of both ships went to partake of 

 them. When we came to the chief's house, we found 

 the cloth laid ; that is green leaves were strewed thick 

 on the floor. Round them we seated ourselves : pre- 

 sently one of the pigs came over my head souse 

 upon the leaves, and immediately after the other ; 

 both so hot as hardly to be touched. The table was 

 garnished round with hot bread-fruit and plantains, 

 and a quantity of cocoa-nuts brought for drink. 

 Each man being ready, with his knife in his hand, we 

 turned to without ceremony ; and it must be owned, 

 in favour of their cookery, that victuals were never 

 cleaner, nor better dressed. For though the pigs 

 were served up whole, and the one weighed between 

 fifty and sixty pounds, and the other about half as 

 much, yet all the parts were equally well done and 



