1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. QTj 



prepare and drink here, as at the other islands in this 

 ocean. Captain Clerke could not prevail upon this 

 great man to go below, nor to move from the place 

 where his attendants had first fixed him. After stay- 

 ing some time in his ship, he was carried again into 

 his canoe, and returned to the island, receiving the 

 same honours from all the natives, as when he came 

 on board. The next day several messages were sent 

 to Captain Clerke, inviting him to return the visit 

 ashore, and acquainting him that the chief had pre- 

 pared a large present on that occasion. But being 

 anxious to get to sea and join the Resolution, the 

 Captain did not think it advisable to accept of the 

 invitation. 



The very short and imperfect intercourse which we 

 had with the natives, put it out of our power to form 

 any accurate judgment of the mode of government 

 established amongst them ; but from the general re- 

 semblance of customs, and particularly from what we 

 observed of the honours paid to their chiefs, it seems 

 reasonable to believe that it is of the same nature with 

 that which prevails throughout all the islands we had 

 hitherto visited, and probably their wars amongst 

 themselves are equally frequent. This, indeed, 

 might be inferred from the number of weapons which 

 we found them possessed of, and from the excellent 

 order these were kept in. But we had direct proof of 

 the fact from their own confession; and, as we under- 

 stood, these wars are between the different districts of 

 their own island, as well as between it and their 

 neighbours at Oneeheow and Orrehoua. We need 

 scarcely assign any other cause besides this, to account 

 for the appearance, already mentioned, of their popu- 

 lation bearing no proportion to the extent of their 

 ground capable of cultivation. 



Besides their spears or lances, made of a fine 

 chesnut-coloured wood, beautifully polished, some of 

 which are barbed at one end, and flattened to a point 

 at the other, they have a sort of weapon which we 



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