1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. oil 



from entering the lists. They seemed to be girls of 

 spirit, and would certainly have given each other a 

 good drubbing, if two old women had not interposed 

 to part them. All these combats were exhibited in 

 the midst of at least three thousand people ; and 

 were conducted with the greatest good humour on 

 all sides, though some of the champions, women as 

 well as men, received blows, which, doubtless, they 

 must have felt for some time after. 



As soon as these diversions were ended, the chief 

 told me that the heaps of provisions on our right 

 hand were a present to Omai, and that those on our 

 left hand, being about two-thirds of the whole 

 quantity, were given to me. He added, that I 

 might take them on board whenever it was con- 

 venient ; but that there would be no occasion to 

 set any of our people as guards over them, as I 

 might be assured that not a single cocoa-nut would 

 be taken away by the natives. So it proved, for I 

 left every thing behind, and returned to the ship 

 to dinner, carrying the chief with me; and when 

 the provisions were removed on board in the after- 

 noon, not a single article was missing. There was 

 as much as loaded four boats ; and I could not but 

 be struck with the munificence of Feenou ; for this 

 present far exceeded any I had ever received from 

 any of the sovereigns of the various islands I had 

 visited in the Pacific Ocean. I lost no time in con- 

 vincing my friend that I was not insensible of his 

 liberality ; for before he quitted my ship, I bestowed 

 upon him such of our commodities as I guessed 

 were most valuable in his estimation. And the 

 return I made was so much to his satisfaction, that 

 as soon as he got on shore, he left me still indebted 

 to him, by sending me a fresh present, consisting of 

 two large hogs, a considerable quantity of cloth, 

 and some vams. 



Feenou had expressed a desire to see the marines 

 go through their military exercise. As I was 



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