1769. May, ney than of carrying back with us provifions, which would be more welcome at the fort, we Saturd. 27 procured a reprieve for the hog, and supped upon the fruits of the country. As night now came on, and the place was crowded with many more, than the houses and canoes would contain; there being Oberea with her attendants, and many other travellers whom we knew, we began to look out for lodgings. Our party confifted of fix: Mr. Banks thought himself fortunate in being offered a place by Oberea in her canoe, and wifhing his friends a good night, took his leave. He went to reft early, according to the cuftom of the country, and taking off his clothes, as was his constant practice, the nights being hot, Oberea kindly infifted upon taking them into her own cuftody, for otherwife fhe faid they would certainly be stolen. Mr. Banks having fuch a fafeguard, refigned himself to sleep with all imaginable tranquillity: but waking about eleven o'clock, and wanting to get up, he fearched for his clothes where he had feen them depofited by Oberea when he lay down to fleep, and foon perceived that they were miffing. He immediately awakened Oberea, who starting up, and hearing his complaint, ordered lights, and prepared in great haste to recover what he had loft: Tootahah himself flept in the next canoe, and being foon alarmed, he came to them, and fet out with Oberea in fearch of the thief: Mr. 1769. May. Mr. Banks was not in a condition to go with them, for of his apparel scarce any thing was left him but his breeches; his coat, and his waistcoat, Saturd, a7. with his piftols, powder-horn, and many other things that were in the pockets, were gone. In about half an hour his two noble friends returned, but without having obtained any intelligence of his clothes or of the thief. At first he began to be alarmed, his mufquet had not indeed. been taken away, but he had neglected to load it; where I and Dr. Solander had disposed of ourselves he did not know; and therefore, whatever might happen, he could not have recourse to us for affiftance. He thought it beft, however, to express neither fear nor fufpicion of those about him, and giving his musquet to Tupia, who had been waked in the confusion and ftood by him, with a charge not to suffer it to be stolen, he betook himself again to rest, declaring himself perfectly satisfied with the pains that Tootahah and Oberea had taken to recover his things, though they had not been fuccefsful. As it cannot be supposed that in fuch a fituation his fleep was very found, he foon after heard mufic, and faw lights at a little distance on fhore: this was a concert or affembly, which they call a HEIVA, a common name for every public exhibition; and as it would neceffarily bring many people together, and there was a chance of my being among them with his other friends, 1769. May. friends, he rofe, and made the best of his way towards it he was foon led by the lights and Saturd. 27. the found to the hut where I lay, with three other gentlemen of our party; and easily distinguishing us from the reft, he made up to us more than half naked, and told us his melancholy ftory. We gave him fuch comfort as the unfortunate generally give to each other, by telling him that we were fellow-fufferers; I fhowed him that I was myself without stockings, they having been stolen from under my head, though I was fure I had never been asleep, and each of my affociates convinced him, by his appearance, that he had loft a jacket. We determined, however, to hear out the concert, however deficient we might appear in our drefs; it confifted of three drums, four flutes, and feveral voices: when this entertainment, which lasted about an hour, was over, we retired again to our fleeping-places; having agreed, that nothing could be done toward the recovery of our things till the morning. Sunday 28. We rofe at day-break, according to the cuf tom of the country; the first man that Mr. Banks faw was Tupia, faithfully attending with his musquet; and foon after, Oberea brought him fome of her country clothes, as a fuccedaneum for his own, fo that when he came to us he made a most motley appearance, half Indian and half English. Our party foon got toge ther, 1769. ay ther, except Dr. Solander, whofe quarters we did not know, and who had not affisted at the concert: in a fhort time Tootahah made his Sunday 26. appearance, and we preffed him to recover our clothes; but neither he nor Oberea could be perfuaded to take any measure for that purpose, so that we began to fufpect that they had been parties in the theft. About eight o'clock, we were joined by Dr. Solander, who had fallen into honefter hands, at a house about a mile dif. tant, and had loft nothing. Having given up all hope of recovering our clothes, which indeed were never afterwards heard of, we spent all the morning in foliciting the hogs which we had been promised; but in this we had no better fuccefs: we therefore, in no very good humour, fet out for the boat about twelve o'clock, with only that which we had redeemed from the butcher and the cook the night before. As we were returning to the boat, however, we were entertained with a fight that in fome measure compensated for our fatigue and disappointment. In our way we came to one of the few places where access to the island is not guarded by a reef, and, confequently, a high furf breaks upon the fhore; a more dreadful one indeed I had feldom feen; it was impoffible for any European boat to have lived in it; and if the best swimmer in Europe had, by any acci dent, May. 1769. dent, been exposed to its fury, I am confident that he would not have been able to preserve Sunday 8. himself from drowning, especially as the shore was covered with pebbles and large ftones; yet, in the midst of these breakers, were ten or twelve Indians fwimming for their amufement: whenever a surf broke near them, they dived under it, and, to all appearance with infinite facility, rofe again on the other fide. This diversion was greatly improved by the ftern of an old canoe, which they happened to find upon the spot; they took this before them, and swam out with it as far as the outermoft breach, then two or three of them getting into it, and turning the fquare end, to the breaking wave, were driven in towards the shore with incredible rapidity, sometimes almoft to the beach; but generally the wave broke over them before they got half way, in which cafe they dived, and rofe on the other fide with the canoe in their hands: they then. fwam out with it again, and were again driven back, juft as our holiday youth climb the hill in Greenwich-park for the pleasure of rolling down it. At this wonderful scene we ftood gazing for more than half an hour, during which time none of the fwimmers attempted to come on shore, but seemed to enjoy their sport in the highest degree; we then proceeded in our journey, and late in the evening got back to the fort. Upon |