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 les;s 

 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 



