aS3 A V O Y A G E T O 



'»777- for the prefents he had received from me. I was now in- 



■May. '^ 



V- — ^— — / formed of an accident which had juft happened, the rela- 

 tion of which will convey fome idea of the extent of the 

 authority exercifed here over the common people. While 

 Feenou was on board my fliip, an inferior Chief, for what 

 ■reafon our people on fliore did not know, ordered all the na- 

 tives to retire from the pod we occupied. Some of them 

 'having ventured to return, he took up a large flick, and 

 beat them raoft unmercifully. He ftruck one man, on the 

 fide of the face, with fo much violence, that the blood 

 gufhed out of his mouth and noflrils ; and, after lying fome 

 time motionlefs, he was, at laft, removed from the place, 

 in convulfions. The perfon who had inflicfled the blow, 

 being told that he had killed the man, only laughed at it ; 

 and, it was evident, that he was not in the leafl forry for 

 what had happened. We heard, afterward, that the poor 

 fufferer recovered. 



The Difcovery having found again her fmall bower an- 

 Wednef. 7. chor, fliiftcd her birth on the 7th ; but not before her belt 

 bower cable had (hared the fate of the other. This day, I 

 had the company of Feenou at dinner; and alfo the next 

 Thurfday 8. day, whcu he was attended by Taipa, Toobou, and fome 

 •other Chiefs. It was remarkable, that none but Taipa 

 was allowed to fit at table with him, or even to eat in his 

 prefence. I own that I confidered Feenou as a very conve- 

 nient gueft, on account of this etiquette. For, before his 

 arrival, I had, generally, a larger coxnpany than I could 

 well find room for, and my table overflowed with crowds 

 of both fexes. For it is not the cufiom at the Friendly 

 Iflands, as it is at Otaheite, to deny to their females the pri- 

 vilege of eating in company with the men. 



The 



