THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 2S5 



planted with fuch thinq-s as feem more for ornament than '777- 



* '■^ June. 



tife. But hardly any were without the kava plant, from >— ,.— ^ 

 which they make their favourite liquor. Every article of 

 the vegetable produce of the iiland, abounded in others of 

 thefe plantations ; but thefe, I obferved, are not the reli- 

 dence of people of the firll rank. There are fome large 

 houfes near the public roads, with fpacious fmooth grafs- 

 plots before them, and uninclofcd. Thefe, I v/as told, be- 

 longed to the king ; and, probably, they are the places 

 where their public afTemblies are held. It was to one of 

 thefe houfes, as I have already mentioned, that we were 

 condu6ted, foon after our landing at this place. 



About noon, the next day, this Mareewagee, of whom Friday 13, 

 we had heard fo much, actually came to the neighbour- 

 hood of our poll on fliore ; and, with him, a very confide- 

 rable number of people of all ranks. I was informed, that 

 he had taken this trouble, on purpofe to give me an oppor- 

 tunity of waiting upon him ; having, probably, heard of 

 the difpleafure I had fliewn, on my difappointment the day 

 before. In the afternoon, a party of us, accompanied by 

 Feenou, landed, to pay him a vilir. We found a perfon fit- 

 ting under a large tree, near the fliore, a little to the right 

 of the tent. A piece of cloth, at lead forty yards long, was 

 fpread before him, round which a great number of people, 

 of both fexes, were feated. It was natural to fuppofc, that 

 this was the great man ; but we were undeceived by Feenou ; 

 who informed us, that another, who fat on a piece of mat, 

 a little way from this Chief, to the right hand, was Maree- 

 wagee, and he introduced us to him, who received us very 

 kindly, and delired us to fit down by him. The perfon, who 

 ,fat under the tree, fronting us, was called Toobou ; and, 

 when I have occafion to fpeak of him afterward, 1 fliall call 



O o 2 him 



