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. 
14th. 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 
