THE PACIFIC O C E A NT. 

 a little old man, of an emaciated figure; his eyes exceed- *779« 



° J January. 



ingly fore and red, and his body covered with a white le- 

 prous fcurf, the effects of an immoderate ufe of the ava. 

 Being led into the cabin, he approached Captain Cook with 

 great veneration, and threw over his fhoulders a piece of 

 red cloth, which he had brought along with him. Then 

 ftepping a few paces back, he made an offering of a fmall 

 pig, which he held in his hand, whilft he pronounced a 

 difcourfe that lafted for a considerable time. This ceremony 

 was frequently repeated during our flay at Owhyhee, and 

 appeared to us, from many circumftances, to be a fort of 

 religious adoration. Their idols we found always arrayed 

 with red cloth, in the fame manner as was done to Captain 

 Cook; and a fmall pig was their ufual offering to the Eaiooas. 

 Their fpeeches, or prayers, were uttered too with a readinefs 

 and volubility that indicated them to be according to fome 

 formulary. 



When this ceremony was over, Koah dined with Captain 

 Cook, eating plentifully of what was fet before him ; but, 

 like the reft of the inhabitants of the iflands in thefe 

 Seas, could fcarcely be prevailed on to tafte a fecond time 

 our wine or fpirits. In the evening, Captain Cook, attended 

 by Mr. Bayly and myfelf, accompanied him on fliore. We 

 landed at the beach, and were received by four men, who 

 carried wands tipt with dog's hair, and marched before us, 

 pronouncing with a loud voice a fhort fentence, in which 

 we could only diftinguifli the word Orono *. The crowd, 



* Captain Cook generally went by this name amqngir the natives of Owhyhee ; 

 but we could never learn its precife meaning. Sometimes they applied it to an invifible 

 being, who, they faid, lived in the heavens. We alfo found that it was a title be- 

 longing to a perfonage of great rank and power in the ifland, who refembles pretty 

 much the Delai Lama of the Tartars,, and the ecclefiaftical emperor of Japan. 



which 



