14 cook's VOYAGE TO AUG. 



I met with no chief of any considerable note on 

 this occasion, excepting the extraordinary personage 

 above described. Waheiadooa, he sovereign of 

 Tiaraboo (as this part of the island is called,) was 

 now absent ; and 1 afterwards found, that he was 

 not the same person, though of the same name with 

 the chief whom I had seen here during my last voy- 

 age ; but his brother, a boy of about ten years of age, 

 who had succeeded upon the death of the elder Wa- 

 heiadooa, about twenty months before our arrival. 

 We also learned, that the celebrated Oberea was dead; 

 but that Otoo, and all our other friends, were liv- 

 ing. 



When I returned from viewing the house and cross 

 erected by the Spaniards, I found Omai holding forth 

 to a large company ; and it was with some difficulty 

 that he could be got away, to accompany me on 

 board ; where I had an important affair to settle. 



As I knew that Otaheite and the neighbouring 

 islands could furnish us with a plentiful supply of 

 cocoa-nuts, the liquor of which is an excellent sue- 

 cedaneum for any artificial beverage, I was desirous 

 of prevailing upon my people to consent to be abridg- 

 ed, during our stay here, of their stated allowance of 

 spirits to mix with water. But as this stoppage of 

 a favourite article, without assigning some reason, 

 might have occasioned a general murmur, I thought 

 it most prudent to assemble the ship's company, and 

 to make known to them the intent of the voyage, and 

 and the extent of our future operations. To induce 

 them to undertake which with cheerfulness and per- 

 severance, I took notice of the rewards offered by 

 Parliament to such of his Majesty's subjects, as shall 

 first discover a communication between the Atlantic 

 and Pacific Oceans, in any direction whatever, in the 

 northern hemisphere : and also to such as shall first 

 penetrate beyond the 89th degree of northern lati- 

 tude. 1 made no doubt, I told them, that I should 

 find them willing to co-operate with me in attempt- 



