33 COOK’s VOYAGE, 
In this diftrid, however, the people Teemed to live in a 
ftate of confcious fecurity, and to avail themfelves of their 
advantage : their plantations were more numerous, their ca- 
noes were more decorated, and they had not only finer carv- 
ing, but finer clothes. This part of the coaft alfo was much 
the moil populous, and poflibly their apparent peace and plenty 
might arife from their being united under one Chief, or King ; 
for the inhabitants of all this part of the country told us, that 
they were the fubjeds of Teratu: when they pointed to the 
refidence of this Prince, it was in a direction which we though t 
inland ; but which, when we knew .the country better, we 
found to be the Bay of Plenty. 
It is much to be regrette'd that we were obliged to leave this 
country without knowing any thing of Teratu but his name. 
As an Indian Monarch his territory is certainly extenfive : he 
was acknowledged from Cape Kidnappers to the northward, 
and wefhyard as far as the Bay , of Plenty, a length of coaft 
upwards of eighty leagues ; and we do not yet know how much 
farther weltward his dominions may extend.. Poflibly the for- 
tified towns we faw in the Bay of Plenty may be his Barrier 
efpecially as at Mercury Bay he was not acknowledged, nor 
indeed any other fingle Chief : for wherever we landed, or 
ipoke with the people upon that coaft, they told us that we 
were but at a fmall diftance from their enemies. 
In the dominions of Teratu we faw feveral fubordin.ite 
Chiefs, to whom great refped was paid, and by whom juftice 
was probably adminiftered ; for upon our complaint to one of 
them, of a theft that had been committed on board the lhip 
by a man that came with him, he gave him feveral blows and 
.kicks, which the other received as the chafiifement of authori- 
ty, againft wfyich no reftftance was to be made, and which he 
had no right to refent. Whether this Authority was poflefled 
by appointment or inheritance we could not learn; but we 
Ipbferved that the Chiefs, as well here as in other parts, were 
elderly men. In other parts, *howev er, we learnt that they pof- 
fefled their authority bp inheritance. 
The little focieties which we found in the fouthern parts 
Teemed to have feveral things in common, particularly their 
fine clothes and filhing nets. Their fine clothes, which pof- 
fibly might be the fpoils of war, were kept in a fmall hut, 
which was erected for that purpole in the middle of the town : 
the nets v/e faw making in almolt every houfe, and the feveral 
parts being afterwards colleded were joined together. Lefs ac- 
count feems to be made of the women here than in the South 
Sea iflands ; fuch at leaft was the opinion of Tupia, who com- 
plained of it as an indignity to the fex. We obferved that the 
two fexc* est together ; but how they divide their labour we 
do not ecrtainlv know. I am inclined to believe that the men 
* 4 ' i-l 1J 
