292 



A VOYAGE TO 



1777- this time, forbidden to ufe water ; or, which was more pro- 



^— V • bable, they did not Hke the water we made ufe of, ir being 



taken up out of one of their bathing-places. This was not 

 the only time of our meeting with people that were taboo 

 a<vy ; but, for what reafon, we never could tell with any de- 

 gree of certainty. 



TaefJay 17. Ncxt day, the 17th, was fixed upon by Mareewagee, for 

 giving a grand Hai'ua, or entertainment ; to vs^hich we were 

 all invited. For this purpofe a large fpace had been cleared, 

 before the temporary hut of this Chief, near our poft, as 

 an area where the performances were to be exhibited. In 

 the morning, great mukitudes of the natives came in from 

 the country, every one carrying a pole, about fix feet long,, 

 upon his flioulder J and at each end of every pole, a yam 

 was fufpended. Thefe yams and poles were depofited on 

 each fide of the area, fo as to form two large heapSj deco- 

 rated with dififerent forts of fmall fifh, and piled up to the 

 greateft advantage. They were Mareewagee's prefent to 

 Captain Gierke and me ; and it was hard to fay, whether the 

 wood for fuel, or the yams for food, were of mofl value to- 

 us. As for the fifh, they might ferve to pleafe the fight, 

 but were very ofFenfive to the fmell ; part of them having 

 been kept two or three days, to be prefented to us on this 

 occafion. 



Every thing being thus prepared, about eleven o'clock; 

 they began to exhibit various dances, which they call mai. 

 The mufic * confified, at firft, of feventy men as a chorus, 

 who fat down ; and amidil them were placed three inftru- 

 ments, which we called drums, though very unlike them. 

 They are large cylindrical pieces of wood, or trunks of 



* Mr. Anderfon's defcription of the entertainments of this day being much fuller- 

 ihan Captain Cook's, it has been adopted as oa a former occafion. 



trees. 



