1778. THE TAC1FIC OCEAN. 401 



the west side of the point, and found my party already 

 there, with some of the natives in company. To one 

 of them, whom Mr. Gore had observed assuming 

 some command over the rest, I gave the goats, pigs, 

 and seeds. I should have left these well intended 

 presents at Atooi, had we not been so unexpectedly 

 driven from it. 



While the people were engaged in filling four water- 

 casks, from a small stream occasioned by the late rain, 

 I walked a little way up the country, attended by the 

 man above-mentioned, and followed by two others car- 

 rying the two pigs. As soon as we got upon a rising 

 ground, I stopped to look round me ; and observed a 

 woman, on the other side of the valley, where I 

 landed, calling to her countryman who attended me. 

 Upon this, the chief began to mutter something which 

 I supposed was a prayer ; and the two men, who 

 carried the pigs, continued to walk round me all the 

 time, making, at least, a dozen circuits before the other 

 had finished his oraison. This ceremony being per- 

 formed, we proceeded ; and, presently, met people 

 coming from all parts, who, on being called to by 

 the attendants, threw themselves prostrate on their 

 faces, till I was out of sight. The ground, through 

 which I passed, was in a state of nature, very stony, 

 and the soil seemed poor. It was, however, covered 

 with shrubs and plants, some of which perfumed the 

 air, with a more delicious fragrancy, than I had met 

 at any other of the islands visited by us in this ocean. 

 Our people, who had been obliged to remain so long 

 on shore, gave me the same account of those parts of 

 the island which they had traversed. They met with 

 several salt ponds, some of which had a little water 

 remaining, but others had none ; and the salt that was 

 left in them was so thin, that no great quantity could 

 have been procured. There was no appearance of 

 any running stream ; and though they found some 

 small wells, in which the fresh water was tolerably 

 good, it seemed scarce. The habitations of the na- 



