After the hurry of the morning was over, we got ready to pay a formal visit to Taireetareea, meaning then to introduce this business.  Omai dressed himself very properly on the occasion, and prepared a handsome present for the chief himself, and another for his eatooa.  Indeed, after he had got clear of the gang that surrounded him at Otaheite, he behaved with such prudence as to gain respect.  Our landing drew most of our visitors from the ships; and they, as well as those that were on shore, assembled in a large house.  The concourse of people, on this occasion, was very great; and, amongst them, there appeared to be a greater proportion of personable men and women than we had ever seen in one assembly, at any of these new islands.  Not only the bulk of the people seemed, in general, much stouter and fairer than those of Otaheite, but there was also a much greater number of men who appeared to be of consequence, in proportion to the extent of the island, most of whom had exactly the corpulent appearance of the chiefs of Wateeoo.  We waited some time for Taireetareea, as I would do nothing till the earee rahie came; but, when he appeared, I found that his presence might have been dispensed with, as he was not above eight or ten years of age.  Omai, who stood at a little distance from this circle of great men, began with making his offering to the gods, consisting of red feathers, cloth, &c.  Then followed another offering, which was to be given to the gods by the chief; and after that, several other small pieces and tufts of red feathers were presented.  Each article was laid before one of the company, who, I understood, was a priest, and was delivered with a set speech or prayer, spoken by one of Omai’s friends, who sat by him, but mostly dictated by himself.  In these prayers, he did not forget his friends in England, nor those who had brought him safe back.  The earee rahie no Pretane, Lord Sandwich, Toote, Tatee,[1] were mentioned in every one of them.  When Omai’s offerings and prayers were finished, the priest took each article, in the same order in which it had been laid before him, and after repeating a prayer, sent it to the morai, which, as Omai told us, was at a great distance, otherwise the offerings would have been made there.

[Footnote 1:  Cook and Clerke.]

These religious ceremonies having been performed, Omai sat down by me, and we entered upon business, by giving the young chief my present, and receiving his in return; and, all things considered, they were liberal enough on both sides.  Some arrangements were next agreed upon, as to the manner of carrying on the intercourse betwixt us; and I pointed out the mischievous consequences that would attend their robbing us, as they had done during my former visits.  Omai’s establishment was then proposed to the assembled chiefs.