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POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
as if glad, even under these circumstances, to gain his 
freedom, swam towards the shore; but the natives no 
sooner saw him at liberty, than they plunged into the 
water, and followed like a shoal of sharks or porpoises after 
him. Some seizing his mane, others his tail, endeavoured 
to hold him, till the terrified creature appeared in great 
danger of a watery grave. The captain lowered down 
the boat; the king shouting, directed the natives to leave 
the horse to himself; but his voice was lost amid the din 
and clamour of the crowds that accompanied the 
exhausted and frightened animal to the land. At length 
he reached the beach in safety; and, as he rose out of the 
water, the natives on the shore fled with precipitation, 
climbing the trees, or crouching behind the rocks and 
the bushes for security. When, however, they saw 
one of the seamen, who had landed with the captain 
from the ship, take hold of the halter that was on his 
neck, they returned, to gratify their curiosity. Most of 
them had heard of horses, and some of them had, per¬ 
haps, seen those belonging to Mai, (Omai,) landed on 
the island by Captain Cook, forty years before; but it 
was undoubtedly the first animal of the kind the 
greater part of them had ever seen. 
The king had not been long on board, when the queen 
arrived, and was ushered into the cabin. Her person 
was about the middle stature; her complexion fairer 
than any 'other native I have ever seen; her form 
elegant, and her whole appearance remarkably pre¬ 
possessing. Her voice, however, was by no means 
soft, and her manners were less engaging than those 
of several of her companions. She was attired in a 
light loose and flowing dress of beautifully white 
native cloth, tastefully fastened on the left shoulder. 
