Vast Concourse of the Natives.--Power
of the Chiefs over the inferior People.--Visit from Koah, a Priest and
Warrior.--The Morai at Kakooa described.--Ceremonies at the Landing
of Captain Cook.--Observatories erected.--Powerful Operation of the
Taboo.--Method of Salting Pork in Tropical Climates.--Society of
Priests discovered.--Their Hospitality and Munificence.--Reception of
Captain Cook.--Artifice of Koah.--Arrival of Terreoboo, King of the
Island.--Returned by Captain Cook._

[Footnote 1: The reader is informed once for all, that the notes to
the remainder of this voyage, to which no signature is attached,
are to be considered as forming a part of Captain King's own
publication.--E.]

Karakakooa Bay is situated on the west side of the island of Owhyhee,
in a district called Akona. It is about a mile in depth, and bounded
by two low points of land, at the distance of half a league, and
bearing S.S.E. and N.N.W. from each other. On the north point, which
is flat and barren, stands the village of Kowrowa; and in the bottom
of the bay, near a grove of tall cocoa-nut trees, there is another
village of a more considerable size, called Kakooa; between them runs
a high rocky cliff, inaccessible from the sea shore. On the south
side, the coast, for about a mile inland, has a rugged appearance;
beyond which the country rises with a gradual ascent, and is
overspread with cultivated enclosures and groves of cocoa-nut trees,
where the habitations of the natives are scattered in great numbers.
The shore, all round the bay, is covered with a black coral rock,
which makes the landing very dangerous in rough weather, except at the
village of Kakooa, where there is a fine sandy beach, with a _morai_,
or burying-place, at one extremity, and a small well of fresh water at
the other. This bay appearing to Captain Cook a proper place to refit
the ships, and lay in an additional supply of water and provisions,
we moored on the north side, about a quarter of a mile from the shore,
Kowrowa bearing W.N.W.

As soon as the inhabitants perceived our intention of anchoring in
the bay, they came off from the shore in astonishing numbers, and
expressed their joy by singing and shouting, and exhibiting a variety
of wild and extravagant gestures. The sides, the decks, and rigging of
both ships were soon completely covered with them, and a multitude
of women and boys, who had not been able to get canoes, came swimming
round us in shoals, many of