208 cook's VOYAGE TO FEB. 



general, the handsomest of the New Zealand race I 

 had ever met with. 



By this time more than two-thirds of the inhabi- 

 tants of the Sound had settled themselves about us. 

 Great numbers of them daily frequented the ships, 

 and the encampment on shore : but the latter became, 

 by far, the most favourite place of resort, while our 

 people there were melting some seal blubber. No 

 Greenlander was ever fonder of train-oil, than our 

 friends here seem to be. They relished the very 

 skimmings of the kettle, and dregs of the casks ; but 

 a little of the pure stinking oil was a delicious feast, 

 so eagerly desired, that I supposed it is seldom en- 

 joyed. 



Having got on board as much hay and grass as we 

 judged sufficient to serve the cattle till our arrival at 

 Otaheite, and having completed the wood and water 

 of both ships, on the 23d we struck our tents, and 

 carried every thing off from the shore; and next 

 morning we weighed anchor, and stood out of the 

 cove. But the wind not being very fair, and finding 

 that the tide of ebb would be spent before we could 

 get out of the Sound, we cast anchor again a little 

 without the island Motuara, to wait for a more fa- 

 vourable opportunity of putting into the strait. 



While we were unmooring and getting under sail, 

 Tomatongeauooranuc, Matahouah, and many more 

 of the natives, came to take their leave of us, or 

 rather to obtain, if they could, some additional pre- 

 sent from us before we left them. These two chiefs 

 became suitors to me for some goats, and hogs. Ac- 

 cordingly, I gave to Matahouah two goats, a male 

 and female with kid ; and to Tomatongeauooranuc 

 two pigs, a boar, and a sow. They made, me a pro- 

 mise not to kill them ; though I must own I put no 

 great faith in this. The animals which Captain Fur- 

 neaux sent on shore here, and which soon after fell 

 into the hands of the natives, I was now told were all 

 dead ; but I could get no intelligence about the fate 



