3QQ cook's second voyage april, 



well equipped, manned, and armed. But I am not 

 sure that they had their full complement of men or 

 rowers ; I rather think not. The chiefs, and all those 

 on the fighting stages, were dressed in their war 

 habits ; that is, in a vast quantity of cloth, turbans, 

 breast-plates, and helmets. Some of the latter were 

 of such a length as greatly to encumber the wearer. 

 Indeed, their whole dress seemed to be ill calculated 

 for the day of battle, and to be designed more for 

 show than use. Be this as it may, it certainly added 

 grandeur to the prospect, as they were so complaisant 

 as to show themselves to the best advantage. The 

 vessels were decorated with flags, streamers, &c. so 

 that the whole made a grand and noble appearance, 

 such as we had never seen before in this sea, and 

 what no one would have expected. Their instru- 

 ments of war were clubs, spears, and stones. The 

 vessels were ranged close alongside of each other, 

 with their heads ashore, and their stern to the sea ; 

 the admiral's vessel being nearly in the centre. Be- 

 sides the vessels of war, there were an hundred and 

 seventy sail of smaller double canoes, all with a little 

 house upon them, and rigged with mast and sail, 

 which the war canoes had not. These, we judged, 

 were designed for transports, victuallers, &c. ; for in 

 the war canoes was no sort of provisions whatever. 

 In these three hundred and thirty vessels, I guessed 

 there were no less than seven thousand seven hundred 

 and sixty men ; a number which appears incredible, 

 especially as we were told they all belonged to the 

 districts of Attahourou and Ahopatea. In this com- 

 putation, I allow to each war canoe forty men, troops 

 and rowers, and to each of the small canoes eight. 

 Most of the gentlemen who were with me, thought 

 the number of men belonging to the war canoes ex- 

 ceeded this. It is certain that the most of them were 

 fitted to row with more paddles than I have allowed 

 them men \ but at this time I think they were not 

 complete. Tupia informed us, when I was first here, 



