372 , CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



" During the rest of the time we remained in the bay, 

 whenever Captain Cook came on shore he was attended 

 by one of these priests, who went before him, giving notice 

 that the Orono had landed, and ordering the people to 

 prostrate themselves. The same person also constantly 

 accompanied him on the water, standing in the bow of the 

 boat with a wand in his hand, and giving notice of his 

 approach to the natives who were in canoes, on which they 

 immediately left off paddling, and lay down on their faces 

 till he had passed. 



" The civilities of this society were not, however, confined 

 to mere ceremony and parade. Our party on shore received 

 from them every day a constant supply of hogs and veget- 

 ables, more than sufficient for our subsistence ; and several 

 canoes loaded with provisions were sent to the ships with the 

 same punctuality. No return was ever demanded, or even 

 hinted at in the most distant manner. Their presents were 

 made with a regularity more like the discharge of a religious 

 duty than the effect of mere liberality. 



" As everything relating to the character and behaviour 

 of this people must be interesting to the reader, on account 

 of the tragedy that was afterwards acted here ; it will be 

 proper to acquaint him, that we had not always so much 

 reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the warrior chiefs, 

 or earees, as with that of our priests. In all our dealings 

 with the former, we found them sufficiently attentive to 

 their own interests ; and besides their habit of stealing, 

 which may admit of some excuse from the universality of 

 the practice amongst the islanders of these seas, they made 

 use of other artifices equally dishonourable. 



" On the 24th we were a good deal surprised to find that 

 no canoes were suffered to put off from the shore, and that 

 the natives kept close to their houses. After several hours' 

 suspense, we learned that the bay was tabooed, and all inter- 

 course with us interdicted, on account of the arrival of 

 Terreeoboo. In the afternoon of next day, Terreeoboo 

 visited the ships in a private manner, attended only by one 

 canoe, in which were his wife and children. He staid on 

 board till near ten o'clock, when he returned to the village 

 of Kowrowa. 



" The next day about noon, the king in a large canoe, 

 attended by two others, set out from the village, and paddled 

 toward the ship in great state. Their appearance was grand 

 and magnificent. In the first canoe was Terreeoboo and 

 his chiefs, dressed in their rich feathered cloaks and helmets, 

 and armed with long spears and daggers ; in the second 

 came the venerable. Kaoo, the chief of the priests and his 

 brethren, with their idols displayed on red cloth. The third 



