380 cook's voyage to june 







least thirty feet high. A little on one side of it was 

 a pretty large open area ; and, not far off, was a good 

 deal of uncultivated ground ; which, on inquiring 

 why it lay waste, our guides seemed to say, belonged 

 to the Jiatooka (which was Poulaho's), and was not, 

 by any means to be touched. There was also, at no 

 great distance, a number of etoa trees, on which 

 clung vast numbers of the large ternate bats, making 

 a disagreeable noise. We could not kill any at this 

 time for want of muskets ; but some that were got 

 at Annamooka measured near three feet when the 

 wings were extended. On our returning to Futta- 

 faihe's house, he ordered the hog that had been 

 dressed to be produced, with several baskets of baked 

 yams, and some cocoa-nuts. But we found, that in- 

 stead of his entertaining us, we were to entertain 

 him ; the property of the feast being entirely trans- 

 ferred to us as his guests, and we were to dispose of 

 it as we pleased. The same person who cleaned the 

 hog in the morning now cut it up (but not before 

 we desired him,) in a very dexterous manner, with a 

 knife of split bamboo ; dividing the several parts, 

 and hitting the joints with a quickness and skill that 

 surprised us very much. The whole was set down 

 before us, though at least fifty pounds weight, until 

 we took a small piece away, and desired that they 

 would share the rest amongst the people sitting 

 round. But it was not without a great many scruples 

 they did that at last ; and then they asked what par- 

 ticular persons they should give it to. However 

 they were very well pleased when they found that it 

 was not contrary to any custom of ours ; some carry- 

 ing off the portion they had received, and others eat- 

 ing it upon the spot. It was with great difficulty 

 that we could prevail upon Futtafaihe himself to eat 

 a small bit. 



" After dinner we went with him and five or six 

 people, his attendants, toward the place where 

 Poulaho's mourning ceremony was transacted, the 



