76 OTAHITE CHAP, v 



we accordingly dined heartily on fish and bread-fruit with 

 plantains, etc., dressed after their method. Kaw fish was 

 offered to us, which it seems they themselves eat. The ad- 

 ventures of this entertainment I much wish to record parti- 

 cularly, but am so much hurried by attending the Indians 

 ashore almost all day long, that I fear I shall scarcely under- 

 stand my own language when I read it again. 



Our chief's own wife (ugly enough in conscience) did me 

 the honour with very little invitation to squat down on the 

 mats close by me ; no sooner had she done so than I espied 

 among the common crowd a very pretty girl with a fire in 

 her eyes that I had not before seen in the country. Un- 

 conscious of the dignity of my companion I beckoned to the 

 other, who, after some entreaties, came and sat on the other 

 side of me. I was then desirous of getting rid of my 

 former companion, so I ceased to attend to her, and loaded 

 my pretty girl with beads and every present I could think 

 pleasing to her : the other showed much disgust, but did not 

 quit her place, and continued to supply me with fish and 

 cocoanut milk. 



How this would have ended is hard to say ; it was 

 interrupted by an accident which gave us an opportunity 

 of seeing much of the people's manners. Dr. Solander 

 and another gentleman who had not been in as good 

 company as myself found their pockets had been picked : 

 one had lost a snuff-box, the other an opera-glass. Com- 

 plaint was made to the chief, and to give it weight I started 

 up from the ground, and striking the butt end of my gun, 

 made a rattling noise which I had before used in our 

 walk to frighten the people and keep them at a distance. 

 Upon this every one of the common sort (among whom 

 was my pretty girl) ran like sheep from the house, leaving 

 us with only the chief, his three wives, and two or three 

 better dressed than the rest, whose quality I do not guess 

 at. The chief then took me by the hand to the other end 

 of the house where lay a large quantity of their cloth ; this 

 he offered to me piece by piece, making signs that if it 

 would make amends, I might take any part or all. I put 



