1777 TIIE pacific OCEAN. 335 



vating ; for we now saw several large plantain fields, 

 in places which we had, so lately seen lying waste. 

 The yams were now in the greatest perfection ; and 

 we procured a good quantity, in exchanges for pieces 

 of iron. 



These people in the absence of Toobou, whom we 

 left behind us, at Kotoo, with Poulaho and the other 

 chiefs, seemed to be under little subordination. 

 For we could not perceive, this day, that one man 

 assumed more authority than another. Before I 

 returned on board, I visited the several places where 

 I had sown melon seeds, and had the mortification to 

 find, that most of them were destroyed by a small 

 ant; but some pine-apple plants, which I had also 

 left, were in a thriving state. 



About noon next day, Feenou arrived from Va- 

 vaoo. He told us that several canoes, laden with 

 hogs, and other provisions, which had sailed with 

 him from that island, had been lost, owing to the 

 late blowing weather ; and that every body on board 

 them had perished. This melancholy tale did not 

 seem to affect any of his countrymen who heard it ; 

 and as to ourselves, we were by this time too well 

 acquainted with his character, to give much credit 

 to such a story. The truth, probably was, that 

 he had not been able to procure at Vavaoo the 

 supplies which he expected ; or, if he got any 

 there, that he had left them at Hapaee, which lay 

 in his way back, and where he could not but receive 

 intelligence that Poulaho had been with us ; who 

 therefore, he knew, would, as his superior, have all 

 the merit and reward of procuring them, though 

 he had not any share of the trouble. The invention 

 of this loss at sea was, however, well imagined j 

 for there had lately been very blowing weather ; 

 in so much, that the king and other chiefs, who 

 had followed us from Hapaee to Kotoo, had been 

 left there, not caring to venture to sea when we 

 did ; but desired I might wait for them at Anna- 



