The Life of Captain James Cook, the CircumnavigatorKitson, Arthur
History
The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator
Kitson, Arthur
Cook, James, 1728-1779; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Geographers -- Great Britain -- Biography
"Among our numerous visitors was a man named Touahah, who we soon found
belonged to the church; he introduced himself with much ceremony, in the
course of which he presented me with a small pig, two coconuts and a
piece of red cloth which he wrapped round me. In this manner all or most
of the chiefs introduced themselves, but this man went further, he
brought with him a large hog and a quantity of fruits and roots, all of
which he included in the present. In the afternoon I went ashore to view
the place accompanied by Touahah, Parea, Mr. King and others; as soon as
we landed Touahah took me by the hand and conducted me to a large Morai,
the other gentlemen with Parea, and four or five more of the natives
followed."
Mr. King describes this Morai as being about forty yards long by twenty
broad, and about fourteen feet high, the top flat, well paved, and
surrounded by a wooden railing. An old building stood in the centre from
which a stone wall ran to the fence dividing the top into two parts. On
the landward side were five poles upwards of twenty feet high, supporting
an irregular kind of scaffold, and on the sea-side half were two small
houses with a covered communication between. On their arrival Cook was
presented with two ugly images wrapped with red cloth, and a sort of hymn
was sung. Then they were marched to the scaffolding, where was a table on
which lay fruits and vegetables surmounted by a very much decomposed pig,
and in a semicircle round one end of this table were twelve images.
Placing Cook near the scaffolding, Koah, as King and others call Touahah,
took up the pig and holding it towards him made a long speech. Then,
dropping the offensive porker, he made signs that the two were to climb
on to the uncertain scaffolding. This being done, a procession came
forward bearing a live hog and a piece of red cloth. This last article
was handed up to Koah, who proceeded to wrap it round Cook, who was
clinging to his elevated but not very safe position. The pig was then
offered to Cook and a long address chanted. The two principal performers
then descended and returned to the table, Koah snapping his fingers at
the figures and making what appeared to be sarcastic remarks, till he
came to the centre one, when he prostrated himself and kissed it,
requesting Cook to do the same. The party then proceeded to the other
part of the Morai, and Cook was seated between two images with his arms
stretched out, one upheld by Koah, the other by King. A cooked pig and
other food was then presented with much ceremony, the meat cut up and
kava prepared; whilst Koah's assistant chewed some coconut, wrapped it in
cloth, and then rubbed it over Cook's face, head, shoulders, and arms.
Koah and Parea then pulled pieces of the pig and put them into the mouths
of the two officers. King says that Parea was a particularly cleanly
person, so he did not so much mind this feeding, but Cook, remembering
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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