1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 353 



places. This was not the only time of our meeting 

 with people that were taboo avy ; but for what reason 

 we never could tell with any degree of certainty. 



Next day, the 17th, was fixed upon by Mareewa- 

 gee for giving a grand Haiva or entertainment, to 

 which we were all invited. For this purpose, a large 

 space had been cleared before the temporary hut of 

 this chief, near our post, as an area where the per- 

 formances were to be exhibited. In the morning 

 great multitudes of the natives came in from the 

 country, every one carrying a pole about six feet long 

 upon his shoulder ; and at each end of every pole a 

 yam was suspended. These yams and poles were 

 deposited on each side of the area, so as to form two 

 large heaps, decorated with different sorts of small 

 fish, and piled up to the greatest advantage. They 

 were Mareewagee's present to Captain Gierke and 

 me ; and it was hard to say whether the wood for 

 fuel or the yams for food were of most value to us. 

 As for the fish, they might serve to please the sight, 

 but were very offensive to the smell, part of them 

 having been kept two or three days to be presented 

 to us on this occasion. 



Every thing being thus prepared, about eleven 

 o'clock they began to exhibit various dances, which 

 they call mai. The music * consisted at first of 

 seventy men as a chorus, who sat down ; and amidst 

 them were placed three instruments which we called 

 drums, though very unlike them. They are large 

 cylindrical pieces of wood,, or trunks of trees from 

 three to four feet long, some twice as thick as an or- 

 dinary sized man, and some smaller, hollowed en- 

 tirely out, but close at both ends, and open only by 

 a chink about three inches broad, running almost the 

 whole length of the drums ; by which opening, the 

 rest of the wood is certainly hollowed, though the 



* Mr. Anderson's description of the entertainments of this day 

 being much fuller than Captain Cook's, it has been adopted, as on 

 a former occasion. 



VOL. V. A A 



