268 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



and had finished the repairs of our sails. However, as an 

 eclipse of the sun was to happen upon the 5th of July, and 

 it was now the 25th of June, I resolved to defer sailing till 

 that time had elapsed, in order to have a chance of observing 



" Having, therefore, some days of leisure before me, a 

 party of us, accompanied by Poulaho, set out early next 

 morning in a boat for Mooa, the village where he and the 

 other great men usually reside. As we rowed up the inlet, 

 we met fourteen canoes fishing in company, in one of which 

 was Poulaho's son. In each canoe was a triangular net, 

 extended between two poles, at the lower end of which was 

 a cod to receive and secure the fish. They had already 

 caught some fine mullets, and they put about a dozen into 

 our boat. I desired to see their method of fishing, which 

 they readily complied with. A shoal of fish was supposed 

 to be upon one of the banks, which they instantly inclosed 

 in a long net like a seine or set-net. This the fishers, one 

 getting into the water out of each boat, surrounded with 

 the triangular nets in their hands, with which they scooped 

 the fish out of the seine, or caught them as they attempted 

 to leap over it. 



" Leaving the prince and his fishing party, we proceeded 

 to the bottom of the bay. Here we observed a fiataoka, or 

 burying place, which was much more extensive, and 

 seemingly of more consequence than any we had seen at the 

 other islands. We were told that it belonged to the king. 

 It consisted of three pretty large houses, situated upon a 

 rising ground, with a small one at a distance, all ranged 

 longitudinally. They were covered and paved with fine 

 pebbles, and the whole was inclosed by large flat stones of 

 hard coral rock, properly hewn, placed on their edges ; 

 one of which stones measured twelve feet in length, two in 

 breadth, and above one in thickness. Within one of these 

 houses were two rude wooden busts of men. On inquiring 

 what these images were intended for, we were told they 

 were merely memorials of some chiefs who had been buried 

 there, and not the representations of any deity. In one of 

 them was the carved head of an Otaheitean canoe, which 

 had been driven ashore on their coast, and deposited here. 



" After we had refreshed ourselves, we made an excursion 

 into the country, attended by one of the king's ministers. 

 Our train was not great, as he would not suffer the rabble to 

 follow us. He also obliged all those whom we met upon 

 our progress to sit down till we had passed, which is a mark 

 of respect due only to their sovereigns. By far the greatest 

 part of the country was cultivated, and planted with various 

 sorts of productions. There were many public and well- 



