The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
Not expecting to meet with two chiefs, on this occasion, I had only
brought on shore a present for one. This I now found myself under a
necessity of dividing between them; but it happened to be pretty
considerable, and both of them seemed satisfied. After this, we
entertained them for about an hour with the performance of two French
horns, and a drum. But they seemed most pleased with the firing off a
pistol, which Captain Clerke had in his pocket. Before I took my leave,
the large piece of cloth was rolled up, and, with a few cocoa-nuts,
presented to me.
The next morning, old Toobou returned my visit on board the ship. He
also visited Captain Clerke; and if the present we made to him, the
evening before, was scanty, the deficiency was now made up. During this
time, Mareewagee visited our people ashore; and Mr. King showed to him
every thing we had there. He viewed the cattle with great admiration;
and the cross-cut saw fixed his attention for some time.
Toward noon Poulaho returned from the place where we had left him two
days before, and brought with him his son, a youth about twelve years of
age. I had his company at dinner; but the son, though present, was not
allowed to sit down with him. It was very convenient to have him for my
guest. For when he was present, which was generally the case while we
staid here, every other native was excluded from the table, and but few
of them would remain in the cabin. Whereas, if by chance it happened
that neither he nor Feenou were on board, the inferior chiefs would be
very importunate to be of our dining-party, or to be admitted into the
cabin at that time; and then we were so crowded, that we could not sit
down to a meal with any satisfaction. The king was very soon reconciled
to our manner of cookery. But still I believe he dined thus frequently
with me, more for the sake of what we gave him to drink, than for what
we set before him to eat. For he had taken a liking to our wine, could
empty his bottle as well as most men, and was as cheerful over it. He
now fixed his residence at the house, or _Malaee_, by our tent; and
there he entertained our people this evening with a dance. To the
surprise of every body, the unwieldy Poulaho endeavoured to vie with
others in that active amusement.
In the morning of the 15th, I received a message from old Toobou that he
wanted to see me ashore. Accordingly Omai and I went to wait upon him.
We found him, like an ancient patriarch, seated under the shade of a
tree, with a large piece of a cloth made in the island, spread out at
full length before him, and a number of respectably looking people
sitting round it. He desired us to place ourselves by him; and then he
told Omai that the cloth, together with a piece of red feathers, and
about a dozen cocoa-nuts, were his present to me. I thanked him for the
favour, and desired he would go on board with me, as I had nothing on
shore to give him in return.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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