374 cook's voyage to june, 



mats spread upon the floor, and cloth to cover us. 

 The king, who had made himself very happy with 

 some wine and brandy which we had brought, slept 

 in the same house, as well as several others of the 

 natives. Long before day-break, he and they all 

 rose, and sat conversing by moon-light. The con- 

 versation, as might well be guessed, turned wholly 

 upon us ; the king entertaining his company wdth 

 an account of what he had seen, or remarked. As 

 soon as it was day they dispersed, some one way 

 and some another ; but it was not long before they 

 all returned, and with them several more of their 

 countrymen. 



They now began to prepare a bowl of kava; 

 and, leaving them so employed, I went to pay a 

 visit to Toobou, Captain Furneaux's friend, who 

 had a house hard by, which, for size and neatness, 

 was exceeded by few in the place. As I had left 

 the others, so I found here a company preparing a 

 morning draught. This chief made a present to 

 me of a living hog, a baked one, a quantity of 

 yams, and a large piece of cloth. When I returned 

 to the king, I found him and his circle of attendants, 

 drinking the second bowl of kava. That being 

 emptied, he told Omai, that he was going presently 

 to perform a mourning ceremony, called Tooge, on 

 account of a son who had been dead some time ; 

 and he desired us to accompany him. We were 

 glad of the opportunity, expecting to see somewhat 

 new or curious. 



The first thing the chief did, was to step out of 

 the house, attended by two old women, and put on 

 a new suit of clothes, or rather a new piece of 

 cloth, and over it an old ragged mat, that might have 

 served his great grandfather on some such occasion. 

 His servants, or those who attended him, were all 

 dressed in the same manner, excepting that none 

 of their mats could vie in antiquity with that of 

 their master. Thus equipped we marched off, 



