270 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



brother, who had undertaken the management of his 

 countrymen, boasted not a little. This shews what power 

 the chiefs have when they have the will to execute it ; which 

 we were seldom to expect, since whatever was stolen from 

 us generally, if not always, was conveyed to them. 



" The good conduct of the natives was of short duration, 

 for the next day six or eight of them assaulted some of 

 our people who were sawing planks. They were fired 

 upon by the sentry ; and one was supposed to be wounded, 

 and three others taken. These I kept confined all night, 

 and did not dismiss them without punishment. After this 

 they behaved with a little more circumspection, and gave 

 us much less trouble. This change of behaviour was 

 certainly occasioned by the man being wounded, for before 

 they had only been told the effect of fire-arms, but now 

 they had felt it. 



" On the 30th I visited Futtafaihe, where we spent the 

 night, but we were a good deal disturbed by a singular 

 instance of luxury, in which their principal men indulge 

 themselves ; that of being beat while they are asleep. Two 

 women sat by Futtafaihe and performed this operation, 

 which is called tooge tooge, by beating briskly on his body 

 and legs with both fists, as on a drum, till he fell asleep, and 

 continuing it the whole night with some short intervals. 

 When once the person is asleep, they abate a little in the 

 strength and quickness of beating, but resume it if they 

 observe any appearance of his awaking. In the morning 

 we found that Futtafaihe's women relieved each other, and 

 went to sleep by turns. In any other country it would be 

 supposed that such a practice would put an end to all rest, 

 but here it certainly acts as an opiate ; and is a strong 

 proof of what habit may effect. The noise of this, however, 

 was not the only thing that kept us awake ; for the people, 

 who passed the night in the house, not only conversed 

 amongst each other frequently, as in the day, but all got up 

 before it was light, and made a hearty meal on fish and 

 <yams, which were brought to them by a person who seemed 

 to know very well the appointed time for this nocturnale 

 refreshment. 



" I had prolonged my stay at this island on account of the 

 approaching eclipse ; but on the 2nd of July, on looking at 

 the micrometer belonging to the Board of Longitude, I 

 found some of the rack-work broken, and the instrument 

 useless till repaired ; which there was not time to do before 

 it was intended to be used. Preparing now for our depar- 

 ture, I got on board this day all the cattle, poultry, and 

 other animals, except such as were destined to remain. 



" The next day we unmoored, that we might be ready to 



