THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 
65 
Otoo’s feet; and many of Towha’s people came and talked 
with him, as I conceived, about their expedition to Eimeo. 
After I had, for fome time, remained feated clofe to Otoo, 
Towha neither ftirring from his canoe, nor holding any 
conversion with us, I went to him. He alked me if T 00te 
was angry with him. I anfwered, No : that he was his taio; 
and that he had ordered me to go to Attahooroo to tell him 
fo. Omai now had a long converfation with this Chief; 
but I could gather no information of any kind from him. 
On my returning to Otoo, he feemed delirous, that I Ihould 
go to eat, and then to deep. Accordingly, Omai and I left 
him. On queft ioning Omai, he faid, the reafon of Towha’s 
not ftirring from his canoe, was his being lame; but that, 
prefently, Otoo and he would converfe together in private. 
This feemed true; for in a little time, thofe we left with 
Otoo came to us; and, about ten minutes after, Otoo him- 
felf arrived, and we all went to lleep in his canoe. 
The next morning, the ava was in great plenty. One 
man drank fo much that he loft his fenfes. I Ihould have 
fuppofed him to be in a fit, from the convulfions that agi¬ 
tated him. Two men held him, and kept plucking off his 
hair by the roots. I left this fpedtacle to fee another that 
was more affefting. This was the meeting of Towha and 
his wife, and a young girl, whom I underftood to be his 
daughter. After the ceremony of cutting their heads, and 
difcharging a tolerable quantity of blood and tears, they 
waffled, embraced the Chief, and feemed unconcerned. But 
the young girl’s bufferings were not yet come to an end. 
Terridiri * arrived; and file went, with great compofure, 
to repeat the fame ceremonies to him, which fire had juft 
* Terridiri is Oberea’s fon. See an account of the royal family of Otahcite, in 
Hawkefwortb’s Collections Vol. ii. p. 154, 
Vol. IE 
*7 77 ’ 
September. 
t- . .. / 
K 
performed 
