A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1Cook, James
History
A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1
Cook, James
Antarctica; Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
After breakfast, on the 10th, Captain Furneaux and I paid the chief a
visit; and we were entertained by him with such a comedy, or dramatic
_heava_, as is generally acted in these isles. The music consisted of
three drums, the actors were seven men, and one woman, the chief's
daughter. The only entertaining part in the drama, was a theft committed by
a man and his accomplice, in such a masterly manner, as sufficiently
displayed the genius of the people in this vice. The theft is discovered
before the thief has time to carry off his prize; then a scuffle ensues
with those set to guard it, who, though four to two, are beat off the
stage, and the thief and his accomplices bear away their plunder in
triumph. I was very attentive to the whole of this part, being in full
expectation that it would have ended very differently. For I had before
been informed that _Teto_ (that is, the Thief) was to be acted, and
had understood that the theft was to be punished with death, or a good
_tiparahying_ (or beating), a punishment, we are told, they inflict on
such as are guilty of this crime. Be this as it may, strangers are
certainly excluded from the protection of this law; them they rob with
impunity, on every occasion that offers. After the play was over, we
returned on board to dinner; and in the cool of the evening took a walk on
shore, where we learnt from one of the natives, that nine small islands,
two of which were uninhabited, lay to the westward, at no great distance
from hence.
On the 11th, early in the morning, I had a visit from Oreo and his son, a
youth about twelve years of age. The latter brought me a hog and some
fruit; for which I made him a present of an axe, and dressed him in a
shirt, and other things, which made him not a little proud of himself.
Having staid some hours, they went on shore; as I also did soon after, but
to another part. The chief hearing I was on shore, came to the place where
he found the boat, into which he put a hog and a quantity of fruit, without
saying a word to any body, and, with some of his friends, came on board,
and dined with us. After dinner I had a visit from Oo-oorou, the principal
chief of the isle. He was introduced to us by Oreo, and brought with him,
as a present, a large hog, for which I made him a handsome return. Oreo
employed himself in buying hogs for me (for we now began to take of them),
and he made such bargains as I had reason to be satisfied with. At length
they all took leave, after making me promise to visit them next morning;
which I accordingly did, in company with several of the officers and
gentlemen. Oreo ordered an _heava_ to be acted for our entertainment,
in which two very pretty young women were the actresses. This _heava_
was somewhat different from the one I saw before, and not so entertaining.
Oreo, after it was over, accompanied us on board, together with two of his
friends.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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