^6 A VOYAGE TO FEB. 



sleekness of their looks, during our short stay in the 

 island), and telling them, partly by signs, and partly 

 by words, that it was time for them to go; but if 

 they would come again the next bread-fruit season, 

 they should be better able to supply their wants. 

 We had now been sixteen days in the bay; and 

 if our enormous consumption of hogs and vegetables 

 be considered, it need not be wondered, that they 

 should wish to see us take our leave. It is very pro- 

 bable, however, that Terreeoboo had no other view 

 in his inquiries, at present, than a desire of making 

 sufficient preparation for dismissing us with presents, 

 suitable to the respect and kindness with which he 

 had received us. For, on our telling him we should 

 leave the island on the next day but one, we observed, 

 that a sort of proclamation was immediately made 

 through the villages, to require the people to bring- 

 in their hogs, and vegetables, for the king to present 

 to the Orono on his departure. 



We were this day much diverted, at the beach, by 

 the buffooneries of one of the natives. He held in 

 his hand an instrument of the sort described in the 

 last volume * ; some bits of sea-weed were tied round 

 his neck; and round each leg, a piece of strong net- 

 ting, about nine inches deep, on which a great number 

 of dog's teeth were loosely fastened in rows. His 

 style of dancing was entirely burlesque, and accom- 

 panied with strange grimaces, and pantomimical dis- 

 tortions of the face; which, though at times inexpres- 

 sibly ridiculous, yet, on the whole, was without much 

 meaning, or expression. Mr. Webber thought it 

 worth his while to make a drawing of this person, as 

 exhibiting a tolerable specimen of the natives; the 

 manner in which the maro is tied ; the figure of the 

 instrument before mentioned, and of the ornaments 

 round the legs, which, at other times, we also saw 

 used by their dancers. 



* See Vol, ii. book iii. chap. 12. 



