JS4 cook's voyage to j As- 



sembled on a sandy beach before the village ; behind 

 it was a narrow valley, the bottom of which was oc- 

 cupied by the piece of water. 



The very instant I leaped on shore, the collected 

 body of the natives all fell flat upon their faces, and 

 remained in that very humble posture, till, by ex- 

 pressive signs, I prevailed upon them to rise. They 

 then brought a great many small pigs, which they 

 presented to me, with plantain-trees, using much the 

 same ceremonies that we had seen practised, on such 

 occasions, at the Society and other islands ; and a 

 long prayer being spoken by a single person, in which 

 others of the assembly sometimes joined, I expressed 

 my acceptance of their proffered friendship, by giving 

 them, in return, such presents as I had brought with 

 me from the ship for that purpose. When this in- 

 troductory business was finished, I stationed a guard 

 upon the beach, and got some of the natives to con- 

 duct me to the water, which proved to be very good, 

 and in a proper situation tor our purpose. It was so 

 considerable, that it may be called a lake ; and it ex- 

 tended farther up the country than we could see. 

 Having satisfied myself about this very essential point, 

 and about the peaceable disposition of the natives, I 

 returned on board; and then gave orders that every 

 thing should be in readiness for landing and filling 

 our water-casks in the morning, when I went ashore 

 with the people employed in that service, having a 

 party of marines with us for a guard, who were sta- 

 tioned on the beach. 



As soon as we landed, a trade was set on foot for 

 hogs and potatoes, which the people of the island 

 gave us in exchange for nails and pieces of iron, 

 formed into something like chisels. We met with 

 no obstruction in watering ; on the contrary, the 

 natives assisted our men in rolling the casks to and 

 from the pool ; and readily performed whatever we 

 required. Every thing thus going on to my satis- 

 faction, and considering my presence on the spot as 



