1777- THE pacific OCEAN. 393 



CHAP. IX. 



A GRAND SOLEMNITY CALLED NATCHE, IN HONOUR OF 



THE KING'S SON, PERFORMED. THE PROCESSIONS AND 



OTHER CEREMONIES, DURING THE FIRST DAY, DESCRIBED. 



THE MANNER OF PASSING THE NIGHT AT THE KING'S 



HOUSE. CONTINUATION OF THE SOLEMNITY, THE NEXT 



DAY. CONJECTURES ABOUT THE NATURE OF IT. 



DEPARTURE FROM TONGATABOO, AND ARRIVAL AT EOOA. 



ACCOUNT OF THAT ISLAND, AND TRANSACTIONS 



THERE. 



W e were now ready to sail, but the wind being 

 easterly, we had not sufficient day-light to turn 

 through the narrows, either with the morning or 

 with the evening flood ; the one falling out too 

 early and the other too late. So that without a 

 leading wind, we were under a necessity of waiting 

 two or three days. 



I took the opportunity of this delay to be present 

 at a public solemnity, to which the king had invited 

 us when we went last to visit him, and which he 

 had informed us, was to be performed on the 8th. 

 With a view to this, he and all the people of note 

 quitted our neighbourhood on the 7th, and repaired 

 to Mooa, where the solemnity was to be exhibited. 

 A party of us followed them the next morning. 

 We understood, from what Poulaho had said to us, 

 that his son and heir was now to be initiated into 

 certain privileges ; amongst which was that of eat- 

 ing with his father ; an honour he had not as yet 

 been admitted to. 



We arrived at Mooa about eight o'clock, and 

 found the king, with a large circle of attendants 



