1^^ cook's first voyage may, 



son to believe that they would not have been specta- 

 tors of this exercise but in compliment to us. 



This lasted about two hours ; during all which 

 time the man who had made way for us when we 

 landed, kept the people at a proper distance, by strik- 

 ing those who pressed forward very severely with his 

 stick : upon inquiry we learnt, that he was an officer 

 belonging to Tootahah, acting as a master of the cere- 

 monies. 



It is scarcely possible for those who are acquainted 

 with the athletic sports of very remote antiquity, not 

 to remark a rude resemblance of them in this wrest- 

 linir-match amono; the natives of a little island in the 

 midst of the Pacific Ocean : and even our female 

 readers may recollect the account given of them by 

 Fenelon in his Telemachus, where, though the events 

 are fictitious, the manners of the age are faithfully 

 transcribed from authors by whom they are supposed 

 to have been truly related. 



When the wrestling was over, we were given to un- 

 derstand that two hogs, and a large quantity of bread- 

 fruit, were preparing for our dinner, which, as our 

 appetites were now keen, was very agreeable intelli- 

 gence. Our host, however, seemed to repent of his 

 liberality ; for, instead of setting his two hogs before 

 us, he ordered one of them to be carried into our 

 boat ', at first we were not sorry for this new disposi- 

 tion of matters, thinking that we should dine more 

 comfortably in the boat than on shore, as the crowd 

 would more easily be kept at a distance : but when 

 we came on board, he ordered us to proceed with 

 his hog to the ship : this was mortifying, as we were 

 now to row four miles while our dinner was growing 

 cold ; however, we thought fit to comply, and were 

 at last gratified with the cheer that he had provided, 

 of which he and Tubourai Tamaide had a liberal 

 share. 



Our reconciliation with this man operated upon the 

 people like a charm 5 for he was no sooner known to 



