THIRD VOYAGE 371 



the moral, after distributing amongst the people some pieces 

 of iron and other trifles, with which they seemed highly 

 gratified. The men with warids conducted us to the boats, 

 repeating the same words as before. The people again 

 retired, and the few that remained, prostrated themselves 

 as we passed along the shore. We immediately went on 

 board, our minds full of what we had seen, and extremely 

 well satisfied with the good dispositions of our new friends, 

 whose respect to the person of Captain Cook seemed 

 approaching to adoration. 



" The next morning I went on shore with a guard of eight 

 marines, including the corporal and lieutenant, having 

 orders to erect the observatory in such a situation as might 

 best enable me to superintend and protect the waterers and 

 the other working parties that were to be on shore. As 

 we were viewing a spot conveniently situated for this 

 purpose in the middle of the viRage, Pareea offered to pull 

 down some houses that would have obstructed our observa- 

 tions. However, we thought it proper to decline this offer, 

 and fixed on a field of sweet potatoes adjoining to the morai, 

 which was readily granted us ; and the priests, to prevent 

 the intrusion of the natives, immediately consecrated the 

 place by fixing their wands round the wall by which it 

 was enclosed. 



" No canoes ever presumed to land near us ; the natives 

 sat on the wall, but none offered to come within the tabooed 

 space, till he had obtained our permission. But though 

 the men at our request would come across the field with 

 provisions, yet not all our endeavours could prevail on the 

 women to approach us. This circumstance afforded no 

 small matter of amusement to our friends on board, where 

 the crowds of people, and particularly of women that con- 

 tinued to flock thither, obliged them almost every hour to 

 clear the vessel, in order to have room to do the necessary 

 duties of the ship. 



" From the 19th to the 24th, when Pareea and Koah left 

 us to attend Terreeoboo, who had landed on some other 

 part of the island, nothing very material happened on board. 



" We had not been long settled at the observatory before 

 we discovered in our neighbourhood the habitations of a 

 society of priests, whose regular attendance at the morai had 

 excited our curiosity. Their huts stood round a pond of 

 water, and were surrounded by a grove of cocoa-nut trees, 

 which separated them from the beach and the rest of the 

 village, and gave the place an air of religious retirement. 

 On my acquainting Captain Cook with these circumstances, 

 he resolved to pay them a visit ; and, as he expected, was 

 received in the same manner as before. 



