Il8 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



^oobcUy who fat on the officer of the watch's 

 feat, with Fecnou on his right, and another chief 

 named Omalai on his left. 



Toohoii appeared to us to be at leaft fixty years 

 of age. This old man was of a middle lize, 

 and fiill much fatter than Feenou. His clothes 

 were of the fame make as thofe of the other 

 iflanders, fix)m which they differed only in the 

 finenefs of their texture. He wore a very hand- 

 fome mat, faftened on his body by means of a 

 girdle of cloth made of the bark of the paper- 

 mulberry. 



When Toohou gave orders for making the kaz-a, 

 we begged fome of the chiefs to occupy them- 

 felves in this preparation, and to chew the roots 

 of the kava pepper-tree which we prefented to 

 them ; but they conftantly refuied, feeming to 

 fcorn to engage in this emplcyment. It was 

 entnifi'.d to me.i of an iiifei.or clafs (mouas), 

 who M'cre featcd about tiie n.I idle of the circle 

 w h i c i I the f e c li ' c f s To r n ': d . 



Tiic rain whir^h fell in the mean time in- 

 crcafjng with i.ijrldity, we ti;ought that every 

 one of them worlJ have fought a lliclter ; but 

 the) bvavrd this Il.ovvcr, except the King, who 

 retired io the AJn:ir:d's cabin, with Frrnou^ and 

 Tool'ou-rou^onQ of the King's relations. Kava\\2iS 

 brci.g'iL to thcr.i in cups, which had juft been 

 made of plantain leaves ] plantains v/erethen pre- 

 fented 



