THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
245 
Seated himfelf before the feveral articles upon the left; , 777 . 
and another Chief before thofe upon the right; they , May ‘ 
being, as I judged, the two Chiefs who had colledted them, 
by order of Feenou, who feemed to be as implicitly obey¬ 
ed here, as he had been at Annamooka; and, in confe- 
quence of his commanding Superiority over the Chiefs of 
Hapaee, had laid this tax upon them for the prefent oc- 
cafion. 
As foon as this munificent collection of proviftons was 
laid down in order, and difpofed to the beft advantage, the 
bearers of it joined the multitude, who formed a large circle 
round the whole. Prefently after, a number of men en¬ 
tered this circle, or area, before us, armed with clubs, made 
of the green branches of the cocoa-nut tree. Thefe paraded 
about, for a few minutes, and then retired; the one half to 
one fide, and the other half to the other fide; feating them- 
felves before the fpeClators. Soon after, they fuccefiively 
entered the lifts, and entertained us with fingle combats. 
One champion, rifing up and ftepping forward from one 
fide, challenged thofe of the other fide, by expreflive ges¬ 
tures, more than by words, to fend one of their body to op- 
pofe him. If the challenge was accepted, which was gene¬ 
rally the cafe, the two combatants put themfeives in proper 
attitudes, and then began the engagement, which con¬ 
tinued till one or other owned himfelf conquered, or till 
their weapons were broken. As foon as each combat was 
over, the vicSbor fquatted himfelf down facing the Chief, 
then rofe up, and retired. At the fame time, fome old men, 
who feemed to fit as judges, gave their plaudit in a few 
words; and the multitude, efpecially thofe on the fide to 
which the victor belonged, celebrated the glory he had ac¬ 
quired, in two or three huzzas. 
This 
