BOWDITCH ISLAND. 
13 
island where their great chief lived. Oatafu was well known here, as 
well as the Duke of Clarence’s Island, which they called Nukunono. 
It was observed that they spoke of their own island as the Fanua Loa, 
or the Great Land ; and it, with the two islands just referred to, were 
all the lands of which they had any knowledge. 
The only person our officers saw who appeared to have any 
authority, was an old man, whom they called Taufaiga, and desig¬ 
nated as a priest, and who was considered fakatapa (sacred). The 
name they gave to the god of the island was Tui-Tokelau, whose 
residence was pointed out as being in the skies. Mr. Hale, by his 
questions, elicited that they called their great deity by the same 
name, with the customary addition of Tagaloa ilaya-i-te-layi—Tagaloa 
above in the heavens. They ascribed our origin to the same place, 
and could not be convinced that we were not deities, but only men 
(tagata lava). 
Near the south end of the island was a small lagoon of salt water. 
Towards sunset, the natives gave them notice that it was time for 
them to return to their town, upon which our party embarked and 
joined the ship. 
During the night, they had heavy rains, and stood on and off the 
island. In the morning, Captain Hudson landed, opposite the islet on 
which the town was situated, with four boats. The surf was breaking 
heavily, and they were well drenched, being obliged to wade over the 
reef, which was from knee to waist deep. 
The king and about two hundred natives awaited their approach. 
The former was seated in advance, with about twenty old men; the 
rest stood behind, and all began to gesticulate and chaunt, as if under 
great excitement. They pointed to the sun and howled, spreading 
mats, and making motions for our party to be seated. Our gentlemen 
complied with their request, and the king, after embracing Captain 
Hudson, rubbed noses, pointed to the sun, howled, moaned, rubbed his 
nose over the captain’s chin, hugged him again and again, put a mat 
around his waist, securing it with a cord of human hair, repeating the 
rubbing of noses, and howled for twenty minutes. The same ceremony 
was gone through with by minor chiefs, with the other officers. 
The king, whose name was Taupe, was somewhat advanced in 
years, with a grave countenance. He had a sickly look, and his legs 
were much affected with the elephantiasis. Notwithstanding this, 
however, he would have been deemed a fine-looking man. He was 
thought to be under much greater agitation from fear than any of his 
subjects. The moment Captain Hudson attempted to leave his side, he 
would set up a most piteous howl and point to the men. He continued 
B 
