“Mr Burney, the first lieutenant of the Discovery, and I went in one canoe, a little time before the other; and our conductors, watching attentively the motions of the surf, landed us safely upon the reef.  An islander took hold of each of us, obviously with an intention to support us in walking, over the rugged rocks, to the beach, where several of the others met us, holding the green boughs of a species of Mimosa in their hands, and saluted us by applying their noses to ours.”

“We were conducted from the beach by our guides, amidst a great crowd of people, who flocked with very eager curiosity to look at us; and would have prevented our proceeding, had not some men, who seemed to have authority, dealt blows, with little distinction, amongst them, to keep them off.  We were then led up an avenue of cocoa-palms; and soon came to a number of men, arranged in two rows, armed with clubs, which they held on their shoulders, much in the manner we rest a musquet.  After walking a little way amongst these, we found a person who seemed a chief, sitting on the ground cross-legged, cooling himself with a sort of triangular fan, made from a leaf of the cocoa palm, with a polished handle, of black wood, fixed to one corner.  In his ears were large bunches of beautiful red feathers, which pointed forward.  But he had no other mark, or ornament, to distinguish him from the rest of the people; though they all obeyed him with the greatest alacrity.  He either naturally had, or at this time put on, a serious, but not severe countenance; and we were desired to salute him as he sat, by some people who seemed of consequence.”

“We proceeded still amongst the men armed with clubs, and came to a second chief, who sat fanning himself, and ornamented as the first.  He was remarkable for his size, and uncommon corpulence, though, to appearance, not above thirty years of age.  In the same manner, we were conducted to a third chief, who seemed older than the two former, and, though not so fat as the second, was of a large size.  He also was sitting, and adorned with red feathers; and after saluting him as we had done the others, he desired us both to sit down, which we were very willing to do, being pretty well fatigued with walking up, and with the excessive heat we felt amongst the vast crowd that surrounded us.”

“In a few minutes, the people were ordered to separate; and we saw, at the distance of thirty yards, about twenty young women, ornamented as the chiefs, with red feathers, engaged in a dance, which they performed to a slow and serious air, sung by them all.  We got up, and went forward to see them; and though we must have been strange objects to them, they continued their dance, without paying the least attention to us.  They seemed to be directed by a man who served as a prompter, and mentioned each motion they were to make.  But they never changed the spot, as we do in dancing, and though their feet were not at rest,