NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 155 



refrefhments as the ifland afforded ; and therefore I Ihould ^ ^^^j^ ^• 



be glad if he would immediately take off the taboo, that ' ^ 



we might obtain a fupply of thofe articles. At funfet the November. 

 natives, at my requeft, left the fhip and went on fhore. "' ^^^°* 



Early the next morning we had fome canoes along- fide, December. 

 who brought us water and a few vegetables, notwithftand- """^^ ^" 

 ing the taboo. A number of large and fmall canoes came 

 round Point Dick into the bay, and landed at the head of 

 it ; prefently afterwards my old friend the prieft paid us a 

 vifit, and came, according to his former cuftom, in a large 

 double canoe, decorated with branches of the cocoanut- 

 tree. After paddling round the fhip with great folemnity, 

 and running down every fmall canoe that came in his way, 

 he came along-Ude ; but before he entered the fhip he 

 enquired for me. On my appearing at the fhip's fide to 

 receive him, he handed up a fmall pig, which at his 

 coming on board he prefented to me, as a token of peace 

 and friendfhip. Indeed I have before obferved this to be 

 the ufual pradice at all the iflands. 



The old man informed me, that in a fhort time the 

 king (who had juft arrived in the bay with a large fleet of 

 canoes) would be on board to pay me a vifit, and that when 

 he returned again on fhore the taboo would be taken off*, 

 and the natives at liberty to bring us every thing the ifland 

 afforded. I made him a prefent, and alfo gave him one 

 for the king, which I defired he would carry on fhore 

 and deliver with his own hand. The prieft left us about 

 ten o'clock, and returned again at eleven in his own 

 canoe, accompanied by many others both large and fmall. 

 In a very large canoe, paddled by lixteen ftout men, was 



X 2 "the 



