382 cook's voyage to june, 



each other, and went to sleep by turns. In any other 

 country it would be supposed that such a practice 

 would put an end to all rest ; but here it certainly 

 acts as an opiate, and is a strong proof of what habit 

 may effect. The noise of this, however, was not the 

 only thing that kept us awake ; for the people who 

 passed the night in the house, not only conversed 

 amongst each other frequently, as in the day, but all 

 got up before it was light, and made a hearty meal 

 on fish and yams, which were brought to them by a 

 person who seemed to know very well the appointed 

 time for this nocturnal refreshment. 



" Next morning we set out with Futtafaihe, and 

 walked down the east side of the bay to the point. 

 The country all along this side is well cultivated ; 

 but, in general, not so much inclosed as at Mooa ; 

 and amongst many other plantain fields that we 

 passed, there was one at least a mile long, which was 

 in excellent order, every tree growing with great 

 vigour. We found that, in travelling, Futtafaihe 

 exercised a power, though by no means wantonly, 

 which pointed out the great authority of such prin- 

 cipal men ; or is, perhaps, only annexed to those of 

 the royal family. For he sent to one place for fish, 

 to another for yams, and so on, at other places ; and 

 all his orders were obeyed with the greatest readi- 

 ness, as if he had been absolute master of the people's 

 property. On coming to the point, the natives men- 

 tioned something of one who, they said, had been 

 fired at by some of our people ; and, upon our wish- 

 ing to see him, they conducted us to a house, where 

 we found a man who had been shot through the 

 shoulder, but not dangerously, as the ball had en- 

 tered a little above the inner part of the collar bone, 

 and passed out obliquely backward. We were sure, 

 from the state of the wound, that he was the person 

 who had been fired at by one of the centinels, three 

 days before ; though positive orders had been given, 

 that none of them should load their pieces with any 



