THIRD VOYAGE 315 



" Everything thus going on to my satisfaction, and 

 considering my presence on the spot as unnecessary, I left 

 the command to Mr. Williamson, who had landed with me, 

 and made an excursion into the country up the valley, 

 accompanied by Mr. Anderson and Mr. Webber. A 

 numerous train of natives followed us ; and one of them, 

 whom I had distinguished for his activity in keeping the rest 

 in order, I made choice of as our guide. Every one whom 

 we met fell prostrate upon the ground, and remained in that 

 position till we had passed. This, as I afterwards under- 

 stood, is the mode of paying their respect to their own great 

 chiefs. As we ranged down the coast from the east in the 

 ships we had observed at every village one or more elevated 

 white objects, like pyramids, or rather obelisks ; and one 

 of these, which I guessed to be at least fifty feet high, was 

 very conspicuous from the ship's anchoring station, and 

 seemed to be at no great distance up this valley. To have 

 a nearer inspection of it was the principal object of my 

 walk. The moment we got to it we saw that it stood in a 

 burying-ground or morai, the resemblance of which, in 

 many respects, to those we were so well acquainted with at 

 other islands in this ocean could not but strike us ; and we 

 also soon found that the several parts that compose it were 

 called by the same names. 



" After we had examined very carefully everything that 

 was to be seen about the morai, we returned by a different 

 route. At noon I went on board to dinner, having procured 

 in the course of the day nine tuns of water ; and by ex- 

 changes, chiefly for nails and pieces of iron, about seventy 

 or eighty pigs and a few fowls. These people merited our 

 best commendations, never once attempting to cheat us, 

 either ashore or alongside the ships. Some of them, 

 indeed, at first betrayed a thievish disposition ; but they 

 soon laid aside a conduct which we convinced them they 

 could not persevere in with impunity. 



" Amongst the articles which they brought to barter this 

 day, we could not help taking notice of a particular sort of 

 cloak and cap. The first are nearly of the size and shape of 

 the short cloaks worn by the women in England. The 

 ground of them is a net-work, upon which the most beautiful 

 red and yellow feathers are so closely fixed, that the surface 

 might be compared to the thickest and richest velvet, which 

 they resemble, both as to the feel and the glossy appearance. 

 " The cap is made almost exactly like a helmet, with the 

 middle part or crest sometimes of a hand's breadth, and it 

 sits very close upon the head, having notches to admit the 

 ears. It is a frame of twigs and osiers covered with a net- 

 work, into which are wrought feathers in the same manner 



