After breakfast, on the 10th, Captain Furneaux and I paid the chief a visit; and we were entertained by him with such a comedy, or dramatic heava, as is generally acted in these isles.  The music consisted of three drums, the actors were seven men, and one woman, the chief’s daughter.  The only entertaining part in the drama, was a theft committed by a man and his accomplice, in such a masterly manner, as sufficiently displayed the genius of the people in this vice.  The theft is discovered before the thief has time to carry off his prize; then a scuffle ensues with those set to guard it, who, though four to two, are beat off the stage, and the thief and his accomplices bear away their plunder in triumph.  I was very attentive to the whole of this part, being in full expectation that it would have ended very differently.  For I had before been informed that Teto (that is, the Thief) was to be acted, and had understood that the theft was to be punished with death, or a good tiparahying (or beating), a punishment, we are told, they inflict on such as are guilty of this crime.  Be this as it may, strangers are certainly excluded from the protection of this law; them they rob with impunity, on every occasion that offers.  After the play was over, we returned on board to dinner; and in the cool of the evening took a walk on shore, where we learnt from one of the natives, that nine small islands, two of which were uninhabited, lay to the westward, at no great distance from hence.

On the 11th, early in the morning, I had a visit from Oreo and his son, a youth about twelve years of age.  The latter brought me a hog and some fruit; for which I made him a present of an axe, and dressed him in a shirt, and other things, which made him not a little proud of himself.  Having staid some hours, they went on shore; as I also did soon after, but to another part.  The chief hearing I was on shore, came to the place where he found the boat, into which he put a hog and a quantity of fruit, without saying a word to any body, and, with some of his friends, came on board, and dined with us.  After dinner I had a visit from Oo-oorou, the principal chief of the isle.  He was introduced to us by Oreo, and brought with him, as a present, a large hog, for which I made him a handsome return.  Oreo employed himself in buying hogs for me (for we now began to take of them), and he made such bargains as I had reason to be satisfied with.  At length they all took leave, after making me promise to visit them next morning; which I accordingly did, in company with several of the officers and gentlemen.  Oreo ordered an heava to be acted for our entertainment, in which two very pretty young women were the actresses.  This heava was somewhat different from the one I saw before, and not so entertaining.  Oreo, after it was over, accompanied us on board, together with two of his friends.