1777* THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 297 



day to observe equal altitudes of the sun, in order 

 to get the rate of the time-keepers. In the evening, 

 before the natives retired from our post, Taipa ha- 

 rangued them for some time. We could only guess 

 at the subject ; and judged, that he was instructing 

 them how to behave toward us, and encouraging 

 them to bring the produce of the island to market. 

 We experienced the good effects of his eloquence, in 

 the plentiful supply of provisions which, next day, 

 we received. 



Nothing worth notice happened on the 4th and 

 5th, except that, on the former of these days, the 

 Discovery lost her small bower anchor, the cable 

 being cut in two by the rocks. This misfortune 

 made it necessary to examine the cables of the Re- 

 solution, which were found to be unhurt. 



On the 6th we were visited by a great chief from 

 Tongataboo, whose name was Feenou, and whom 

 Taipa was pleased to introduce to us as king of all 

 the Friendly Isles. I was now told, that on my 

 arrival, a canoe had been dispatched to Tongataboo 

 with the news ; in consequence of which, this chief 

 immediately passed over to Annamooka. The 

 officer on shore informed me, that when he first 

 arrived, all the natives were ordered out to meet 

 him, and paid their obeisance by bowing their heads 

 as low as his feet, the soles of which they also touched 

 with each hand, first with the palm, and then with 

 the back part. There could be little room to suspect 

 that a person, received with so much respect, could 

 be any thing less than the king. 



In the afternoon, I went to pay this great man a 

 visit, having first received a present of two fish from 

 him, brought on board by one of his servants. As 

 soon as I landed, he came up to me. He appeared 

 to be about thirty years of age, tall but thin, and had 

 more of the European features, than any I had yet 

 seen here. When the first salutation was over, I 

 asked if he was the king ; for, notwithstanding 



