198 - -POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
inquiries I answered, and handed him a number of 
small presents which I had brought from England, 
adding a curious penknife of my own, which he 
had appeared desirous to possess. He had a small 
English Bible, and, at his request, I read to him 
one or two chapters. He appeared to under- 
stand, in some degree, the English language, al- 
though unable to speak it. After spending some 
time in the cabin, the king went to see the cattle 
we had brought from New South Wales, and par- 
ticularly a horse, which the owners of the ship had 
sent him as a present. 
Pomare was greatly delighted with ahe horse ; 
and, in the course of the afternoon, the poor animal, 
after having been hung in slings, and unable to lie 
down during the greater part of the voyage, was 
hoisted out of the hold, to be taken ashore in a 
large pair of canoes which the king had ordered 
alongside for that purpose. During this transition, 
while the horse was suspended midway between 
the gangway and the yard-arm, some of the ban- 
dages gave way; when the animal, after hanging 
some time by the neck and fore-legs, to the great 
terror both of Pomare and the captain, slipped 
through the slings, and, clearing the ship’s side, 
fell into the sea. He instantly rose to the surface ; 
and, snorting, as if glad, even under these cireum- 
stances, to gain his freedom, swam towards the 
shore; but the natives no sooner saw him at 
liberty, than they plunged into the water, and fol- 
lowed 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, direct- 
ed the natives to leave the horse to himself; but 
