He wore round his waist a broad red and white checquered belt, the materials and manufacture of which seemed the same as that of Otaheite cloth; but this was hardly a mark of distinction. He had with him a son, not less than forty-five or fifty years of age. A great number of people were at this time at the landing-place; most of them from distant parts. The behaviour of many was friendly, while others were daring and insolent, which I thought proper to put up with, as our stay was nearly at an end. On the 17th, about ten o’clock, I went ashore, and found in the crowd old Geogy and his son, who soon made me understand that they wanted to dine with me; and accordingly I brought them, and two more on board. They all called them _Areekees_ (or kings); but I doubt if any of them had the least pretensions to that title over the whole island. It had been remarked that one of these kings had not authority enough to order one of the people up into a cocoa-nut tree to bring him down some nuts. Although he spoke to several, he was at last obliged to go himself, and by way of revenge, as it was thought, left not a nut on the tree, taking what he wanted himself, and giving the rest to some of our people. When I got them on board, I went with them all over the ship, which they viewed with uncommon surprise and attention. We happened to have for their entertainment a kind of pie or pudding made of plantains, and some sort of greens which we had got from one of the natives. On this, and on yams, they made a hearty dinner; for, as to the salt beef and pork, they would hardly taste them. In the afternoon, having made each of them a present of a hatchet, a spike-nail, and some medals, I conducted them ashore.