248 CAPTAIN COOK 



and went back to the shore, without their illus- 

 trious passengers coming on board. Cook, see- 

 ing this, immediately had himself rowed to land, 

 and the solemn interview took place in the tent. 



The King threw his cloak over the Captain's 

 shoulders and placed a helmet of feathers on his 

 head. He offered him, besides, a curious fan 

 and spread at his feet several sumptuous cloaks. 

 The members of the royal suite then brought 

 four great pigs, sugar-cane, coconuts and bread 

 fruit. The King terminated this bountiful part 

 of the ceremony by changing names with Cap- 

 tain Cook, the highest possible token of friend- 

 ship among the Pacific islanders. After that 

 there was another series of prayers, terminated 

 by the gift of other edible presents. The wor- 

 ship of the Hawaiians was certainly nourishing. 



All these marks of religious respect which the 

 islanders showed to Cook, and even to certain of 

 his officers, such as Captain Clerke and Lieuten- 

 ant King, did not prevent the commission of a 

 great number of thefts. This was all the more 

 surprising since in other parts of the island 

 where the Englishmen had come into contact 

 with the natives the latter had displayed the most 

 scrupulous honesty. The inhabitants of the bay 

 of Karakakooa showed unparalleled technique 

 in the art of pilfering. Their most able swim- 

 mers came and extracted the nails from the 



