The chief, Feenough, went off to an island about two days’ sail away, in order to obtain some of the feather caps which were held in high estimation; and Cook promised to wait for his return, but finding the fresh supplies were running short, he sailed along the south of the reef and put in to a bay in Lefooga.  On the way the Discovery ran on a shoal, but managed to back off without damage.  Although he was not short of water, Cook went ashore to inspect some well which he had been informed contained water of a very superior quality, but he found it very bad, and says:  “This will not be the only time I shall have to remark that these people do not know what good water is.”  Near these wells was a large artificial mound about forty feet high, and fifty feet diameter on the top, on which large trees were growing.  At the foot was a hewn block of coral, four feet broad, two and a half feet thick, and fourteen feet high, but the natives present said that there was only one half of it above ground.  It was supposed to have been erected to the memory of a great chief, but how many years ago it was impossible to guess.

King Polaho.

Whilst anchored here, a large sailing canoe arrived, having on board a chief who was treated by the natives with the utmost respect, and the visitors were given to understand that Tattafee Polaho was the king of all the islands.  He was invited on board, and brought with him as a present: 

“two good fat hogs, though not so fat as himself, for he was the most corporate, plump fellow we had met with.  I found him to be a sedate, sensible man; he viewed the ship and the several new objects with uncommon attention, and asked several pertinent questions.”

In return Cook was invited ashore, and when they were seated, the natives who had been trading submitted the articles they had received for Polaho’s inspection, who enquired what each one had sold, and seemed pleased with the bargains made.  Everything was returned to its owner, excepting a red glass bowl to which the king had taken a great fancy.  According to Mr. Basil Thomson, who was for some years in the Pacific Islands, a red glass bowl was given by the King of Tonga to the notorious Mr. Shirley Baker, as a relic of Captain Cook, but was unfortunately broken in New Zealand.  It was most probably the one in question.  Before leaving, Polaho presented Cook with one of the red feather caps made from the tail feathers of the bird the Sandwich Islanders call Iiwi (Vestiaria coicinea), which were evidently considered of extreme value.  At the same time he gave Cook, Clerke, and Omai some of the red feathers of paraquets which, though much in demand, were not to be purchased.