50 CAPTAIN COOK 



by their demeanour, that they were welcome. 

 They held in their hands green branches, the 

 universal symbol of peace. The Englishmen did 

 the same, and, thus adorned with pacific verdure, 

 proceeded, accompanied by the natives, to the 

 place where Captain Wallis' Dolphin had taken 

 in water. Several members of the crew of the 

 Endeavour, among whom was the second lieu- 

 tenant, Gore, had participated in Wallis' ex- 

 pedition, and had recognised an old native, 

 called Owah, who had rendered great services 

 to Wallis. Having arrived at their destination, 

 the natives halted and proceeded to lay the 

 ground bare by tearing up the herbage; then the 

 chief men among them threw down the green 

 branches which they carried. Inviting the strang- 

 ers by signs to follow their example. In order 

 to endow the ceremony with greater solemnity. 

 Cook drew up in line his armed men, and or- 

 dered them to place their boughs on those of the 

 Indians. Then he and the two naturalists did 

 the same. Peace was ratified. 



On the next day several canoes approached 

 the Endeavour, and two Indians of high rank 

 came on board. One of them made Banks un- 

 derstand that he took him as his friend, the other 

 selected Cook. To ratify this pact of friendship 

 they stripped off the greater part of their clothes 

 and dressed their new friends in them, in return 



