A VOYAGE TO 
1777- and died upon the fpot. I had brought three turkey-hens 
to thefe illands. One was killed, as above mentioned; and 
the other, by an ufelefs dog belonging to one of the officers. 
Thefe two accidents put it out of my power to leave a pair 
here; and, at the fame time, to carry the breed to Ota- 
heite, for which ifland they were originally intended. I 
•was lorry, afterward, that I did not give the preference to 
Tongataboo, as the prefent would have been of more value 
there than at Otaheite; for the natives of the former ifland, 
I am perfuaded, would have taken more pains to multiply 
the breed. 
Tkurfday 3, The next day we took up our anchor, and moved the 
fhips behind Pangimodoo, that we might be ready to take 
the advantage of the firft favourable wind, to get through 
the narrows. The king, who was one of our company, 
this day, at dinner, I obferved, took particular notice of the 
plates. This occafioned me to make him an offer of one, 
either of pewter, or of earthen ware. He chofe the firft; 
and then began to tell us the feveral ufes to which he in¬ 
tended to apply it. Two of them are fo extraordinary, that 
I cannot omit mentioning them. He faid, that, whenever 
he fhould have occafion to vifit any of the other iflands, he 
would leave this plate behind him at Tongataboo, as a fort 
of reprefentative, in his abfence, that the people might pay 
it the fame obeifance they do to himfelf in perfon. He 
was afked, what had been ufually employed for this pur- 
pofe, before he got this plate ; and we had the fatisfa&ion 
of learning from him, that this lingular honour had hither¬ 
to been conferred on a wooden bowl in which he waffied 
his hands. The other extraordinary ufe to which he meant 
to apply it, in the room of his wooden bowl, was to difcover 
a thief. He faid, that, when any thing was ftolen, and the 
thief 
