TAHITI AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS 123 



pretty Tahitian girls stirred the hearts of the 

 sailors with unmixed delight. The older 

 women, who seemed to have acquired a new 

 parenthood, asked the Englishmen whether 

 "they had not brought some little thing for their 

 old mothers." As for the girls, who had the 

 sense of relationship to the same extent, they 

 said, showing the dazzling whiteness of their 

 teeth, "Be good to your dear little sisters." And 

 presents poured into the hands of the Tahitians. 



Cook went to visit King Otoo, whom he had 

 not met on his former voyage. He was a mag- 

 nificent man, six foot high and about thirty years 

 old. He had to be persuaded to come on board 

 the Resolution, for he confessed to a terrible 

 dread of guns. However, he came, but refused 

 to touch the food that was offered him, mani- 

 festing the greatest surprise at seeing the stran- 

 gers drinking tea, which he called hot water, and 

 eating butter, which he imagined to be oil. On 

 the next day he displayed to the Englishmen a 

 heava, or dramatic work consisting of dances and 

 speeches, the parts being taken by five men and a 

 woman, who was none other than the King's 

 sister, and who showed "extraordinary talent." 



Cook remained at Matavai for a fortnight, 

 and revisited all the neighbourhood with great 

 satisfaction. One day he was accosted by an 

 aged woman of distinguished appearance. It 



