eat a bit, of any thing
that was served up. On expressing my surprise at this, they were all
_taboo_, as they said; which word has a very comprehensive meanings but,
in general, signifies that a thing is forbidden. Why they were laid
under such restraints, at present, was not explained. Dinner being over,
and, having gratified their curiosity, by shewing to them every part of
the ship, I then conducted them ashore.

As soon as the boat reached the beach, Feenou, and some others,
instantly stepped out. Young Fattafaihe following them, was called back
by Mareewagee, who now paid the heir-apparent the same obeisance, and in
the same manner, that I had seen it paid to the king. And when old
Toobou, and one of the old ladies, had shewn him the same marks of
respect, he was suffered to land. This ceremony being over, the old
people stepped from my boat into a canoe that was waiting to carry them
to their place of abode.

I was not sorry to be present on this occasion, as I was thus furnished
with the most unequivocal proofs of the supreme dignity of Poulaho and
his son, over the other principal chiefs. Indeed, by this time, I had
acquired some certain information about the relative situations of the
several great men, whose names have been so often mentioned. I now knew,
that Mareewagee and old Toobou were brothers. Both of them were men of
great property in the island, and seemed to be in high estimation with
the people; the former, in particular, had the very honourable
appellation given to him, by every body, of _Motooa Tonga_; that is to
say, Father of Tonga, or of his country. The nature of his relationship
to the king was also no longer a secret to us; for we now understood,
that he was his father-in-law; Poulaho having married one of his
daughters, by whom he had this son; so that Mareewagee was the prince's
grandfather. Poulaho's appearance having satisfied us, that we had been
under a mistake in considering Feenou as the sovereign of these islands,
we had been, at first, much puzzled about his real rank; but that was,
by this time, ascertained. Feenou was one of Mareewagee's sons; and
Tooboueitoa was another.

On my landing, I found the king, in the house adjoining to our tent,
along with our people who resided on shore. The moment I got to him, he
bestowed upon me a present of a large hog and a quantity of yams. About
the dusk of the evening, a number of men came, and, having sat down in a
round group, began to