[Illustration: _Representation of a Dance in the Island of Ulietea._]
Thus apparelled they advanced sideways, keeping time with great exactness to the drums, which beat quick and loud; soon after, they began to shake themselves in a very whimsical manner, and put their bodies into a variety of strange postures, sometimes standing in a row one behind another, sometimes sitting down, and at others falling with their faces to the ground, and resting on their knees and elbows, moving their fingers at the same time with a quickness scarcely to be credited. The chief dexterity, however, of the dancers, as well as the amusement of the spectators, consisted in the lasciviousness of their attitudes and gestures, which decency forbids us to describe.
Between the dances of the women, a kind of dramatic interlude was performed by the men, consisting of dialogue as well as dancing; but for want of a sufficient knowledge of their language, they could not learn the subject of this interlude.
Friday the 4th, Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and some other gentlemen, were present at a more regular dramatic entertainment. The performers, who were all men, were divided into two parties, one dressed in brown, and the other in white, by way of distinction. Tupia being present, informed them, that the party in brown acted the parts of a master and his servants, and the party in white a gang of thieves; the master having produced a basket of meat, which he gave in charge to his servants; the white party exhibited a variety of expedients, in endeavouring to steal this basket, and the brown set as many in preventing the accomplishment of their design. After some time had been spent in this manner, those to whom the basket was entrusted, laying themselves down on the ground round it, pretended to fall asleep; the other party availing themselves of this opportunity, stole gently upon them, and carried off their booty; the servants awaking soon after discovered their loss, but they made no search after the basket, and began to dance with as much alacrity as before.
On Saturday the 5th, some hogs and fowls, and several large pieces of cloth, many of them being fifty or sixty yards in length, together with a quantity of plantains and cocoa-nuts, were sent to Captain Cook as a present, from the Earee rahie of the island of Bolabola, accompanied with a message, that he was then on the island, and intended waiting on the Captain the next day.
On Sunday the 6th, the King of Bolabola did not visit them agreeable to his promise, his absence, however, was not in the least regretted, as he sent three very agreeable young women to demand something in return for his present. After dinner, they set out to pay the King a visit on shore, as he did not think proper to come on board. As this man was the Earee rahie of the Bolabola men, who had conquered this, and were the dread of all the neighbouring islands, they were greatly disappointed, instead of finding a vigorous, enterprising young Chief, to see a poor feeble decrepid old dotard, half blind, and sinking under the weight of age and infirmities. He received them without either that state or ceremony which they had hitherto met with among the other Chiefs.
On Wednesday the 9th, having stopped their leak, and taken on board their fresh stock of provisions, they sailed out of the harbour. Tho’ they were several leagues distant from the island of Bolabola, Tupia earnestly entreated Captain Cook, that a shot might be fired towards it; which, to gratify him, the Captain complied with. This was supposed to have been intended by Tupia as a mark of his resentment against the inhabitants of that place, as they had formerly taken from him large possessions which he held in the island of Ulietea, of which island Tupia was a native, and a subordinate Chief, but was driven out by these people.
They had great plenty of provisions, as well of hogs and fowls, as of vegetables, during the time they continued in the neighbourhood of those islands, so that they were not obliged to use any considerable quantity of the ship’s provisions, and they had flattered themselves, that the fowls and hogs would have supplied them with fresh provisions during the course of their voyage to the southward; but in this they were unhappily disappointed, for as the hogs could not be brought to eat any sort of European grain, or any provender whatever that the ship afforded, they were reduced to the disagreeable necessity of killing them immediately on their leaving those islands; and the fowls all died of a disease in their head, with which they were seized soon after they had been carried on board.
As they were detained longer at Ulietea in repairing the ship than they expected, they did not go on shore at Bolabola; but, after giving the general name of the _Society Islands_ to the islands of Huhaheine, Ulietea, Bolabola, Otaha and Maurua, which lie between the latitude of 16 deg. 10 min. and 16 deg. 55 min. south, they pursued their course, standing southwardly for an island, to which they were directed by Tupia, at above an hundred leagues distant, which they discovered on Sunday the 13th, and were informed by him, that it was called _Ohiteroa_. The next morning they stood in for land, and saw several of the inhabitants along the shore; one of the Lieutenants was now dispatched in the pinnace, to sound for anchorage, and obtain what intelligence he could of the natives, respecting any land that might lay further to the south. Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Tupia went also in the boat, with the Lieutenant, when they came near the shore, they could perceive that the inhabitants were armed with lances of a considerable length. The appearance of the boat soon drew together a great number of them upon the beech, two of whom leaped into the water, and endeavoured to gain the boat, but she soon left them behind; several others made the same attempt, but with as little success.
The boat having doubled the point where they intended to land, opened a large bay, and discovered another party of the natives standing at the end of it, armed in the same manner as those they had already seen. The boat’s crew now rowed towards the shore, and began to make preparations for landing, upon which a canoe, with some of the natives on board, came off towards them; they ordered Tupia to acquaint these people, that they did not intend doing them any injury, but wanted to traffick with them with nails, which they shewed them; this information encouraged them to come along-side the boat, and they accepted of some nails, which were given them with much apparent pleasure and satisfaction; it soon appeared, however, to be nothing more than dissimulation; for, in a few minutes, several of them unexpectedly boarded the boat, with an intention of dragging her on shore; some musquets were immediately discharged over their heads, which had the desired effect, all of them leaping directly into the sea; and as soon as they reached the canoe, they put back to the shore as fast as they could paddle, where a vast concourse of their countrymen were assembled to receive them. They were followed to the shore by the people in the boat, who found the surf so violent, that they did not think it safe to attempt landing. They therefore coasted along the shore, in hopes of finding a place where they might land with less danger; presently after the canoe got on shore, a man with a lance in his hand ran along opposite to the boat, flourishing his weapon, and calling out with a shrill voice, which, upon enquiry of Tupia, they were informed was a mark of defiance.
Not being able to find a more convenient landing place, they returned, with a design of attempting it at the place where the canoe went on shore: as they were going back, the same mode of defiance was repeated by another warrior of a more formidable appearance than the first; having a high cap on, made of the tail feathers of a bird, and his body painted with streaks of a variety of colours. When this man retired, another advanced in years, with a grave and sedate countenance, made his appearance upon the beach, and asked them several questions, such as from whence they came, whither they were bound, and who they were. Tupia having answered these questions, and repeated his assurances, that our intentions were amicable, they appeared to be somewhat pacified. The people in the boat now proposed going on shore, to trade with them for such articles as they chose to dispose of, if they would quit their weapons; but they would not agree to this proposal on any other terms, than the English leaving their musquets behind them in the boat; with this, however, prudence would not permit them to comply, especially as they had so lately experienced the dissembling nature of these people. They therefore gave over all hopes of establishing a friendly intercourse with them, and returned to the ship. And as neither the bay which the boat entered, nor any other part of the island afforded either harbour or anchorage, the Captain did not think it worth while to attempt a second landing.