74 OTAHITE CHAP, v 



evident signs that we were not unwelcome guests, although 

 at first they hardly dared approach us ; after a little while 

 they became very familiar. The first who approached us 

 came creeping almost on his hands and knees, and gave us 

 a green bough, the token of peace ; this we received, and 

 immediately each of us gathered a green bough and carried 

 it in our hands. They marched with us about half a mile, 

 then made a general halt, and scraping the ground clean from 

 the plants that grew upon it, every one of the chiefs threw 

 his bough down upon the bare place, and made signs that 

 we should do the same. The marines were drawn up, and, 

 marching in order, dropped each a bough upon those that 

 the Indians had laid down ; we all followed their example, 

 and thus peace was concluded. We then walked into the 

 woods followed by the whole train, to whom we gave beads 

 and small presents. In this manner we proceeded for 

 four or five miles, under groves of cocoanut and bread- 

 fruit trees, loaded with a profusion of fruit, and giving the 

 most grateful shade I have ever experienced. Under these 

 were the habitations of the people, most of them without 

 walls ; in short, the scene that we saw was the truest picture 

 of an Arcadia of which we were going to be kings that the 

 imagination can form. 



Our pleasure in seeing this was, however, not a little 

 allayed by finding in all our walk only two hogs, and not 

 one fowl. Those of our crew who had been with the 

 Dolphin told us that the people whom we saw were only of 

 the common sort, and that the bettermost had certainly 

 removed : as a proof of this they took us to the place where 

 the Queen's palace had formerly stood, and of which there 

 were no traces left. We, however, resolved not to be dis- 

 couraged at this, but to proceed to-morrow morning in 

 search of the place to which these superior people had re- 

 moved, in hopes of making the same peace with them as 

 with our friends the blackguards. 



I4:th. Several canoes came to the ship, including two in 

 which were people who, by their dress and appearance, 

 seemed to be of a rank superior to those whom we had seen 



