himself.  He was a young man, clothed from head to foot, and accompanied by a young woman, supposed to be his wife.  His name was said to be Tamahano.  Captain Clerke made him some suitable presents; and received from him, in return, a large bowl, supported by two figures of men, the carving of which, both as to the design and execution, shewed some degree of skill.  This bowl, as our people were told, used to be filled with the kava or ava, (as it is called at Otaheite), which liquor they prepare and drink here as at the other islands in this ocean.  Captain Clerke could not prevail upon this great man to go below, nor to move from the place where his attendants had first fixed him.  After staying some time in the ship, he was carried again into his canoe, and returned to the island, receiving the same honours from all the natives as when he came on board.  The next day several messages were sent to Captain Clerke, inviting him to return the visit ashore, and acquainting him that the chief had prepared a large present on that occasion.  But, being anxious to get to sea, and join the Resolution, the Captain did not think it advisable to accept of the invitation.

The very short and imperfect intercourse which we had with the natives, put it out of our power to form any accurate judgment of the mode of government established amongst them; but, from the general resemblance of customs, and particularly from what we observed of the honours paid to their chiefs, it seems reasonable to believe, that it is of the same nature with that which prevails throughout all the islands we had hitherto visited; and probably their wars amongst themselves are equally frequent.  This, indeed, might be inferred from the number of weapons which we found them possessed of, and from, the excellent order these were kept in.  But we had direct proof of the fact from their own confession; and, as we understood, these wars are between the different districts of their own island, as well as between it and their neighbours of Oneeheow and Orrehoua, we need scarcely assign any other cause besides this to account for the appearance already mentioned, of their population bearing no proportion to the extent of their ground capable of cultivation.

Besides their spears or lances, made of a fine chesnut-coloured wood, beautifully polished, some of which are barbed at one end, and flattened to a point at the other, they have a sort of weapon which we had never seen before, and not mentioned by any navigator, as used by the natives of the South Sea.  It is somewhat like a dagger, in general about a foot and a half long, sharpened at one or both ends, and secured to the hand by a string.  Its use is to stab in close fight; and it seems well adapted to the purpose.  Some of these may be called double daggers, having a handle in the middle, with which they are better enabled to strike different ways.  They have also bows and arrows; but, both from their apparent scarcity