g'4« A VOYAGE 'JO FEB. 



tain Cook in his voyage toward the South Pole. 

 At their return, he was admitted into Greenwich 

 hospital, through the Captain's interest, at the same 

 time with himself; and being resolved to follow 

 throughout the fortunes of his benefactor, he also 

 quitted it along with him, on his being appointed 

 to the command of the present expedition. During 

 the voyage, he had frequently been subject to slight 

 fevers, and was a convalescent when we came into 

 the bay, where, being sent on shore for a few days, 

 he conceived himself perfectly recovered, and, at 

 his own desire, returned on board ; but the day fol- 

 lowing, he had a paralytic stroke, which in two days 

 more carried him off. 



At the request of the king of the island, he was 

 buried on the Morai, and the ceremony was per- 

 formed with as much solemnity as our situation 

 permitted. Old Kaoo and his brethren were spec- 

 tators, and preserved the most profound silence and 

 attention, whilst the service was reading. When we 

 began to fill up the grave, they approached it with 

 great reverence, threw in a dead pig, some cocoa- 

 nuts, and plantains ; and, for three nights afterward, 

 they surrounded it, sacrificing hogs, and performing 

 their usual ceremonies of hymns and prayers, which 

 continued till day -break. 



At the head of the grave, we erected a post, and 

 nailed upon it a square piece of board, on which was 

 inscribed the name of the deceased, his age, and the 

 day of his death. This they promised not to remove; 

 and we have no doubt, but that it will be suffered to 

 remain, as long as the frail materials of which it is 

 made will permit. 



The ships being in great want of fuel, the Captain 

 desired me, on the 2d of February, to treat with the 

 priests, for the purchase of the rail that surrounded 

 the top of the Moral. I must confess I had, at first, 

 some doubt about the decency of this proposal, and 

 was apprehensive, that even the bare mention of it 



