184 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



a road leading down to the harbour, which they wanted 

 them to take. Not choosing to comply, they returned to 

 that they had left, which they pursued alone, their guide 

 refusing to go with them. After ascending another ridge 

 as thickly covered with wood as those they had come over, 

 they saw yet other hills between them and the volcano, 

 which seemed as far off as at their first setting out. This 

 discouraged them from proceeding farther, especially as they 

 could get no one to be their guide. They therefore resolved 

 to return, and had but just put this in execution, when they 

 met between twenty and thirty people, whom the fellow 

 before mentioned had collected together, with a design, no 

 doubt, to oppose their advancing into the country. 



In the evening, Captain Cook took a walk with some of 

 the gentlemen into the country, on the other side of the 

 harbour, where they had very different treatment from what 

 they had met with in the morning. The people they now 

 visited, among whom was their friend Paowang, being 

 better acquainted with them, showed a readiness to oblige 

 them in every thing in their power. They came to a village ; 

 it consisted of about twenty houses, the most of which need 

 no other description than comparing them to the roof of 

 a thatched house in England taken oif the walls and placed 

 on the ground. Some were open at both ends ; others 

 partly closed with reeds ; and all were covered with palm 

 thatch. A few of them were thirty or forty feet long and 

 fourteen or sixteen broad. This part of the island was 

 well cultivated, open, and airy ; the plantations were 

 laid out by line, abounding with plantains, sugar-canes, 

 yams, and other roots, and stocked with fruit-trees. 



On the 15th, having finished wooding and watering, a 

 few hands only were on shore making brooms, the rest 

 being employed on board, setting up the rigging, and 

 putting the ship in a condition for sea. Mr. Forster in his 

 botanical excursions, shot a pigeon, in the craw of which 

 was a wild nutmeg. He took some pains to find the tree, 

 but his endeavours were without success. 



On the 17th, Captain Cook went ashore to pay a visit 

 to an old chief, who was said to be king of the island. 

 Paowang took little or no notice of him ; the Captain made 

 him a present, after which he immediately went away, as 

 if he had got all he came for. His name was Geogy, and 

 they gave him the title of Areeke. He was very old, but 

 had a merry, open countenance. He wore round his waist 

 a broad red and white-chequered belt ; but this was hardly 

 a mark of distinction. 



Next day, the Captain went again ashore, and found in 

 the crowd old Geogy, and a son of his, who soon made him 



