THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
5 
ingly fore and red, and his body covered with a white le¬ 
prous fcurf, the effetfts of an immoderate ufe of the ava. 
Being led into the cabin, he approached Captain Cook with 
great veneration, and threw over his fhoulders a piece of 
red cloth, which he had brought along with him. Then 
ftepping a few paces back, he made an offering of a. fmall 
pig, which he held in his hand, whilft he pronounced a 
difcourfe that lafted for a confiderable time. This ceremony 
was frequently repeated , during our flay at Owhyhee,. and 
appeared to us, from many circumftances, to be a fort of 
religious adoration. Their idols we found always arrayed 
with red cloth, in the fame manner as was done to Captain 
Cook; and a fmall pig was their ufual offering to the Eatooas, 
Their fpeeches, or prayers, were uttered too with a readi- 
nefs and volubility that indicated them to be according to 
fome formulary. 
When this ceremony -was over, Koah dined with Captain 
Cook, eating plentifully of what was fet before him ; but, 
like the reft of the inhabitants of the illands in thefe 
Seas, could fcarcely be prevailed on to tafte a fecond time 
our wine or fpirits. In the evening,, Captain Cook,, attended 
by Mr. Bayly and myfelf, acompanied him on fhore. We 
landed at the beach, and were received by four men, who 
carried wands tipt with dog’s hair, and marched before us, 
pronouncing with a loud voice a fhort fentence, in which 
we could only diftinguifh the word Orono The crowd, 
which had been collected on the fhore, retired at our ap~ 
1779. 
January. 
* Captain Cook generally went by this name amongft the natives of Owhyhee •> but 
we could never learn its precife meaning. Sometimes they applied it to an invifible 
being, who, they faid, lived in the heavens. We alfo found that it was a title belonging 
to a perfonage of great rank and power in the ifland, who refembles pretty much the 
•Delai Lama of the Tartars, and the ecciefiaftical emperor of Japan,. 
proach; 
