Before we had well viewed the plantation it was noon, and we returned on board to dinner, with the chief in our company.  He sat at table but eat nothing, which, as we had fresh pork roasted, was a little extraordinary.  After dinner we landed again, and were received by the crowd as before; Mr Forster with his botanical party, and some of the officers and gentlemen, walked into the country.  Captain Furneaux and myself were conducted to the chief’s house, where fruit and some greens, which had been stewed, were set before us to eat.  As we had but just dined, it cannot be supposed we eat much; but Oedidee, and Omai, the man on board the Adventure, did honour to the feast.  After this we signified our desire of seeing the country.  Tioony very readily assented, and conducted us through several plantations, which were laid out with great judgment, and inclosed with very neat fences made of reeds.  They were all in very good order, and well planted with various fruit-trees, roots, &c.  The chief took some pains to let us know the most of them belonged to himself.  Near some of the houses, and in the lanes that divided the plantations, were running about some hogs and very large fowls, which were the only domestic animals we saw; and these they did not seem willing to part with.  Nor did any one, during the whole day, offer in exchange any fruit, or roots, worth mentioning, which determined me to leave this island, and to visit that of Amsterdam.

The evening brought every one on board, highly delighted with the country, and the very obliging behaviour of the inhabitants, who seemed to vie with each other in doing what they thought would give us pleasure.  The ships were crowded with people the whole day, trafficking with those on board, in which the greatest good order was observed; and I was sorry that the season of the year would not admit of my making a longer stay with them.  Early the nest morning, while the ships were getting under sail, I went on shore with Captain Furneaux and Mr Forster, to take leave of the chief.  He met us at the landing-place, and would have conducted us to his house, had we not excused ourselves.  We therefore were seated on the grass, where we spent about half an hour in the midst of a vast crowd of people.  After making the chief a present, consisting of various articles, and an assortment of garden-seeds, I gave him to understand that we were going away, at which he seemed not at all moved.  He, and two or three more, came into our boat, in order to accompany us on board; but seeing the Resolution under sail, he called to a canoe to put alongside, into which he and his friends went, and returned on shore.  While he remained in our boat, he continued to exchange fish-hooks for nails, and engrossed the trade in a manner wholly to himself; but, when on shore, I never saw him make the least exchange.

CHAPTER II.

The Arrival of the Ships at Amsterdam; a Description of a Place of Worship; and an Account of the Incidents which happened while we remained at that Island.