264 A VOYAGE TO 



■1777. fail, the wind became imfetded ; which made it un- 

 ^^ ' J fafe to attempt a pailage this way, till we were better ac- 

 quainted with it. I, therefore, lay faft, and made the fignal 

 for the Mafter to reiurn ; and afterward fent him and the 

 Mafler of the Difcovery, each in a boat, with inftru6tions 

 to examine the channels, as far as they could, allowing 

 themfelves time to get back to the Ihips before the clofe of 

 the day. 



About noon, a large failing canoe came under our flem, 

 in which was a perfon named Futtafaihe, or Poulaho, or 

 both ; who, as the natives then on board told us, was King 

 of Tongataboo, and of all the neighbouring iflands that we 

 had feen or heard of. It was a matter of furprize to me, to 

 have a flranger introduced under this charadler, which I 

 had fo much reafon to believe really belonged to another. 

 But they perfifted in their account of the fupreme dig- 

 nity of this new vifiter ; and now, for the firft time, they 

 owned to me, that Feenou was not the King, but only a 

 fubordinate Chief, though of great power ; as he was often 

 fent from Tongataboo to the other iflands, on warlike expe- 

 ditions, or to decide differences. It being my intereft, as 

 well as my inclination, to pay court to all the great men, 

 without making inquiry into the vahdity of their af- 

 fumed titles, I invited Poulaho on board ; as I underftood he 

 was very defirous to come. He could not be an unwelcome 

 guefl ; for he brought with him, as a prefent to me, two 

 good fat hogs ; though not fo fat as himfelf. If weight of 

 body could give weight in rank or power, he was certainly 

 the moft eminent man in that refpecT:, we had feen ; for, 

 though not very tall, he was very unwieldy, and almoft 

 fliapelefs with corpulence. He feemed to be about forty 

 years of age, had llraight hair, and his features differed a 

 § good 



