362 cook's second voyage may, 



Early in the morning of the 27th, Oreo, his wife, 

 son, daughter, and several more of his friends, made 

 us a visit and brought with them a good quantity of 

 all manner of refreshments ; little having as yet been 

 got from any body else. They staid dinner ; after 

 which a party of us accompanied them on shore, 

 where we were entertained with a play, called Mi- 

 diddij Harramy, which signifies the Child is coming. 

 It concluded with the representation of a woman in 

 labour, acted by a set of great brawny fellows, one of 

 whom at last brought forth a strapping boy, about six 

 feet high, who ran about the stage, dragging after him 

 a large wisp of straw which hung by a string from his 

 middle. I had an opportunity of seeing this acted 

 another time, when I observed, that the moment 

 they had got hold of the fellow who represented the 

 child, they flattened or pressed his nose. From this 

 I judged, that they do so by their children when born, 

 which may be the reason why all in general have flat 

 noses. This part of the play, from its newness, and 

 the ludicrous manner in which it was performed, gave 

 us, the first time we saw it, some entertainment, and 

 caused a loud laugh, which might be the reason why 

 they acted it so often afterwards. But this, like all 

 their other pieces, could entertain us no more than 

 once ; especially as we could gather little from them, 

 for want of knowing more of their language. 



The 28th was spent by me in much the same man- 

 ner as the preceding day, viz. in entertaining my 

 friends, and being entertained by them. Mr. Forster 

 and his party in the country botanizing. 



Next morning, we found several articles had been 

 stolen out of our boats lying at the buoy, about sixty 

 or seventy yards from the ship. As soon as I was 

 informed of it, I went to the chief to acquaint him 

 therewith. I found that he not only knew they were 

 stolen, but by whom, and where they were ; and he 

 went immediately with me in my boat in pursuit of 

 them. After proceeding a good way along shore, 



