for a thing which seemed to be quite out of my reach.  Matters being thus settled, we returned on board, and had the company of the chief and his son to dinner.  After that we all went ashore, where a play was acted for the entertainment of such as would spend their time in looking at it.  Besides these plays, which the chief caused frequently to be acted, there was a set of strolling players in the neighbourhood, who performed everyday.  But their pieces seemed to be so much alike, that we soon grew tired of them; especially as we could not collect any interesting circumstances from them.  We, our ship, and our country, were frequently brought on the stage; but on what account I know not.  It can hardly be doubted, that this was designed as a compliment to us, and probably not acted but when some of us were present.  I generally appeared at Oree’s theatre towards the close of the play, and twice at the other, in order to give my mite to the actors.  The only actress at Oree’s theatre was his daughter, a pretty brown girl, at whose shrine, on these occasions, many offerings were made by her numerous votaries.  This, I believe, was one great inducement to her father’s giving us these entertainments so often.

Early in the morning of the 30th, I set out with the two boats, accompanied by the two Mr Forsters; Oedidee, the chief, his wife, son, and daughter, for an estate which Oedidee called his, situated at the north end of the island.  There I was promised to have hogs and fruit in abundance; but when we came there, we found that poor Oedidee could not command one single thing, whatever right he might have to the Whenooa, which was now in possession of his brother, who, soon after we landed, presented to me, with the usual ceremony, two pigs.  I made him a very handsome present in return, and Oedidee gave him every thing he had left of what he had collected during the time he was with us.

After this ceremony was over, I ordered one of the pigs to be killed and dressed for dinner, and attended myself to the whole operation, which was as follows:—­They first strangled the hog, which was done by three men; the hog being placed on his back, two of them laid a pretty strong stick across his throat, and pressed with all their might on each end; the third man held his hind legs, kept him on his back, and plugged up his fundament with grass, I suppose to prevent any air from passing or repassing that way.  In this manner they held him for about ten minutes before he was quite dead.  In the mean time, some hands were employed in making a fire, to heat the oven, which was close by.  As soon as the hog was quite dead, they laid him on the fire, and burnt or singed the hair, so that it came off with almost the same ease as if it had been scalded.  As the hair was got off one part, another was applied to the fire till they had got off the whole, yet not so clean but that another operation was necessary; which was to carry it to the sea side, and there give it a good