of the circle, compofed by the numerous spectators, the area of which was to be the scene of the exhibitions. Four or five of this band had pieces of large bamboo, from three to five or fix feet long, each managed by one man, who held it nearly in a vertical pofition, the upper end open, but the other end clofed by one of the joints. With this clofe end, the performers kept conftantly ftriking the ground, though flowly, thus producing different notes, according to the different lengths of the inflruments, but all of them of the hollow or bafe fort; to counteract which, a perfon kept ftriking quickly, and with two fticks, a piece of the fame fubftance, split, and laid along the ground, and, by that means, furnishing a tone; as acute, as thofe produced by the others were grave. The reft of the band, as well as those who performed upon the bamboos, fung a flow and foft air, which fo tempered the harsher notes of the above inftruments, that no bye-ftander, however accustomed to hear the most perfect and varied modulation of fweet founds, could not avoid confeffing the vast power, and pleafing effect, of this fimple harmony.

The concert having continued about a quarter of an hour, twenty women entered the circle. Moft of them had, upon their heads, garlands of the crimson flowers of the Chinese rofe, or others; and many of them had ornamented their perfons with leaves of trees, cut with a great deal of nicety about the edges. They made a circle round the chorus, turning their faces towards it, and began by finging a foft air, to which refponfes were made by the chorus in the fame tone, and these were repeated alternately. All this while, the women accompanied their fong with feveral very graceful motions of their hands towards their faces, and in other directions at the fame time,

making conftantly a ftep forward, and then back again, with one foot, while the other was fixed. They then turned their faces to the affembly, sung fome time, and retreated flowly in a body, to that part of the circle which was oppofite the hut where the principal fpectators fat. After this, one of them advanced from each fide, meeting and paffing each other in the front, and continued their progress round, till they came to the reft. On which two advanced from each fide, by intervals, till the whole number had again formed a circle about the chorus.

Their manner of dancing was now changed to a quicker measure, in which they made a kind of half turn by leaping, clapping their hands, and fnaping ther fingers, repeating fome words in conjunction with the chorus. Towards the end, as the quickness of the mufic increased, their geftures and attitudes were varied with wonderful vigour and dexterity; and fome of their motions, perhaps, would, with us, be reckoned rather indecent. Though this part of the performance, moft probably, was not meant to convey any wanton ideas, but merely to display the aftonishing variety of their

movements.

To this grand female ballet, fucceeded a variety of other dances, in which the men bore a principal part. In fome of thefe the dancers increafed their motions to a prodigious quickness, flaking their heads from fhoulder to fhoulder, with fuch force, that a fpectator, unaccustomed to the fight, would fuppofe they ran a risk of diflocating their necks. Their difcipline was admirable; and, in no inftance was it more remarkable, than in the fudden tranitions they fo dexterously made, from the ruder excitions

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eritons and harsh founds, to the fofteft airs, and moft gentle movements.

While Capt. Cook was at Hapaee, he obferved a woman, fhaving a child's head, with a fharks's tooth, ftuck into the end of a piece of flick. She firft wet the hair with a rag dipped in water, applying the inftrument to that part which fhe had previously foaked. The operation feemed to give no pain to the child; although the hair was taken off as clofe as if one of our razors had been employed. Capt. Cook tried one of thefe inftruments upon himself, and found it a good fuccedaneum. But the men have another contrivance when they fhave their beards. They take two fhells, one of which they place under a small part of the beard, and with the other applied above, they fcraped that part off. In this manner they are able to fhave very close."

On the 27th of May, Capt. Cook had an opportunity of difcovering that Feenou was not the king of the Friendly Islands, but only a fubordinate chief; by a prudent regulation in their government, the natives have an officer over the police, or fomething like it. This department, when we were amongst them, was adminiftered by Feenou; whose bufinefs it was to punish offenders, whether against the ftate, or againft individuals. He was alfo Ge-neraliffimo, and commanded the warriors when called out upon fervice. The king took fome pains to inform us of Feenou's office, and among other things told us, that if he himself fhould become a bad man, Feenou would kill him. What I underftood of being a bad man, was that if he did not govern according to law, Feenou would be ordered, by the other great men, or by the people at large, to put him to death.

The

The next morning the king came on board, and brought as a prefent to the captain, one of their caps made, or at leaft covered, with read feathers. Thefe caps were much fought after by the fhip's company; as they knew they would be highly valued at Otaheite. But though very large prices were offered, not one was ever brought for fale; which fhewed they were no lefs valuable in the estimation of the people here. Thefe caps, or rather bonnets, are compofed of the tail feathers of the tropic bird, with the red feathers of the parroquets wrought upon them, or jointly with them. They are made fo as to tie upon the forehead without any crown, and have the form of a femicircle, whofe radius is 18 or 20 inches.

There

Some time after the Captain fteered for Tongataboo. While he was plying up to the harbour, the king kept failing round them in his canoe. were at the fame time, a great many fmall canoes about the fhips. Two of thefe, which could not get out of the way of his royal veffel, he ran quite over, with as little concern, as if they had been bits of wood. At Tongataboo Capt. Cook's reception was no lefs hofpitable than it had been at Hapace; grand entertainments of fongs and dances, with exhibitions of wrestling and boxing being fucceffively given.

One day the king came on board the Refolution, and brought with him his fon, a youth about 12 years of age. The king dined with the captain, but the fon, though prefent, was not allowed to fit down with him. It was very convenient to have him for a gueft; for when he was prefent, every other native was excluded; whereas, if neither he nor Feenou were on board, the inferior chiefs would be very importunate to be of our dining party. The Ccc 2

king

king was very foon reconciled to our manner of cooking. But ftill, we believe, he dined with us more for the fake of what we gave him to drink than for what we fet before him to eat; for he had taken a liking to our wine, would empty his bottle as well as most men, and was cheerful over it. But notwithstanding this friendly intercourfe, Capt. Cook once thought proper to put the king, his brother, Feenou, and fome other chiefs, under arrest, till a kid, two turkey cocks, and fome other things, that had been ftolen, were reftored, This expedient was fuccefsful; and though, at first, it made them fhy, it did not diminish the friendship with which they ftill deported themselves.

On the 17th of July, Capt. Cook fet fail from Middleburgh or Eaoo, which was the laft ifland he vifited, during his intercourfe, with the natives of this Archipelago, and with a light breeze at S. E. he now fteered for the Society Iflands. The time employed among the natives of the Friendly Islands was not thrown away. We expended very little of our fea provisions; fubfifting in general, upon the produce of the islands, while we ftaid; and carrying away with us a quantity of provifions fufficient to laft till our arrival at another ftation, where we could depend upon a fresh fupply. We were not forry, befides, to have an opportunity of bartering the condition of thefe good people, by leaving feveral very useful animals among them; and, at the fame time, thofe defigned for Otaheite, received fresh ftrength in the paftures of Tongataboo. Upon the whole, therefore, the advantages we received by touching here, were very great; and we had the additional fatisfaction to reflect, that they were received without retarding one moment, the profecution of the great object of our voyage; the feason

for