FIRST VOYAGE 49 



sent to Captain Cook as a present, from the earee rahie 

 of a neighbouring island, called Bolabola, accompanied 

 with a message, that he was then on the island, and intended 

 waiting on the captain the next day. 



The king, however, did not visit them agreeably to his 

 promise ; but his absence was not in the least regretted, as 

 he sent three agreeable young women to demand something 

 in return for his present. After dinner they set out to 

 pay his majesty a visit on shore, as he did not think proper 

 to come on board. As this man was the earee rahie of the 

 Bolabola men, who had conquered this, and were the dread 

 of all the neighbouring islands, they were greatly dis- 

 appointed, instead of finding a vigorous, enterprising young 

 chief, to see a poor, feeble, decrepid old dotard, half blind, 

 and sinking under the weight of age and infirmities. He 

 received them without either that state or ceremony which 

 they had hitherto met with among the other chiefs. 



They had now plenty of hogs on board ; but as these 

 animals could not be brought to eat any sort of European 

 grain, or any provender whatever, that the ship afforded, 

 they were reduced to the necessity of killing them imme- 

 diately on their leaving those islands ; and the fowls all died 

 of a disorder in their head, with which they were seized 

 soon after they were brought on board. 



As they were detained longer at Ulietea in repairing the 

 ship than they expected, they did not go on shore at 

 Bolabola ; but after giving the general name of the Society 

 Islands to the whole group, which lie between the latitude 

 of 16 10' and 16 55' S., they pursued their course, standing 

 southwardly for an island, to which they were directed by 

 Tupia, at above a hundred leagues distant, which they 

 discovered on the 13th, and were informed by him that it 

 was called Ohiteroa Rurutu in 23 10' S. 



The next morning they stood in for land. When they 

 came near the shore, they could perceive that the inhabi- 

 tants were armed with lances of a considerable length. The 

 appearance of the boat soon drew together a great number 

 of them upon the beach, two of whom leaped into the water 

 and endeavoured to gain the boat, but she soon left them 

 behind ; several others made the same attempt, but with 

 as little success. 



The boat having doubled the point where they intended 

 to land, rowed towards the shore, and began to make pre- 

 parations for landing ; upon which a canoe, with some of 

 the natives on board, came off towards them. They 

 ordered Tupia to acquaint these people, that they did not 

 intend doing them any injury, but wanted to traffic with 

 them with nails, which they showed them. This information 



