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THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 281 
Feenou had taken up his residence in our neighbourhood; 1 777 . 
but he was no longer the leading man. However, we ft ill ,_ Jimc ' , 
found him to be a perfon of confequence, and we had daily 
proofs of his opulence and liberality, by the continuance of 
his valuable prefents. But the king was equally attentive 
in this refpeCt ; for fcarcely a day pafted, without receiving 
from him fome conftderable donation. We now heard, that 
there were other great men of the ifland, whom we had 
not, as yet, feen. Otago and Toobou, in particular, men¬ 
tioned a perfon named Mareewagee, wdio, they faid, was 
of the firft confequence in the place, and held in great ve¬ 
neration ; nay, if Omai did not mifunderftand them, fupe- 
perior even to Poulaho, to whom he was related ; but, being 
old, lived in retirement; and, therefore, would not vifit us. 
Some of the natives even hinted, that he was too great a 
man to confer that honour upon us. This account exciting 
my curiofity, I, this day, mentioned to Poulaho, that I was 
very deftrous of waiting upon Mareewagee; and he readily 
agreed to accompany me, to the place of his refidence, the 
next mornifig. 
Accordingly, we fet out, pretty early, in the pinnace; Thurf. 
and Captain Clerke joined me in one of his own boats. 
We proceeded round, that is, to the Eaftward of the little ifles 
that form the harbour, and then, turning to the South, ac¬ 
cording to Poulaho’s directions, entered a fpacious bay or 
inlet, up which we rowxd about a league, and landed amidft 
a conftderable number of people, who received us with a 
fort of acclamation, not unlike our huzzaing. They im¬ 
mediately feparated, to let Poulaho pafs, who took us into a 
fmall inclofure, and Ihifted the piece of cloth he wore, for 
a new piece, neatly folded, that was carried by a young 
man. An old woman aflifted in drefftng him, and put a 
Vol. I. O o mat 
