210 A V O Y A G E T O 



'777- afpc(5l, refembling the natives of New Zealand ; but fome 

 were fairer. They had flrong black hair, which, in general, 

 they wore either hanging loofe about the flioulders, or tied 

 in a bunch on the crown of the head. Some, however, had 

 it cropped pretty iliort ; and, in two or three of them, it 

 was of a brown, or reddifli colour- Their only covering 

 was a narrow piece of mat, wrapt feveral tinies round the 

 lower part of the body, and which paiTed between the 

 thighs ; but a fine cap of red feathers was feen lying in 

 one of the canoes. The (hell of a pearl-oyller polifhed, and 

 hung about the neck, was the only ornamental falhion that 

 we oblerved amongfl them ; for not one of them had adopted 

 that mode of ornament, fo generally prevalent amongft the 

 natives of this Ocean, of pun(5luring, or tatooing their bodies. 



Though Angular in this, we had the mofl unequivocal 

 proofs of their being of the fame common race. Their 

 language approached ftill nearer to the dialed: of Otaheite, 

 than that of Wateeoo, or Mangeea. Like the inhabitants ' 

 of thefe tvv^o iflands, they inquired from whence our fliips 

 came; and whither bound ; who was our Chief; the num- 

 ber of our men on board; and even the Uiip's name. And 

 they very readily anfwered fuch queilions as we propofed 

 to them. Amongft other things, they told us, they had feen 

 two great fhips, like ours, before ; but that they had not 

 fpoken with them as they failed part. There can be no 

 doubt, that thefe were the Resolution and Adventure. We 

 learnt from them, that the name of their iiland is Te- 

 rouggemou Atooa ; and tiiat they were fubjed: to Teere- 

 vatoocah, king of Wateeoo*- According to the account 



* The reader will obferve, that this name bears little affinity to any one of the 

 names of the three Chiefs of Wateeoo, as preferved by Mr. Anderfon, 



that 



