chief, that I had actually stripped, in conformity to their custom; and
then he told Omai, that he might be present also, if he would comply
with all necessary forms. Omai had no objection, as nothing was required
of him, but to conform to the custom of his own country. Accordingly, he
was furnished with a proper dress, and appeared at the ceremony as one
of the natives. It is likely, that one reason of our being excluded at
first, was an apprehension, that we would not submit to the requisites
to qualify us to assist.

While I was attending the _Natche_ at Mooa, I ordered the horses, bull
and cow, and goats, to be brought thither, thinking that they would be
safer there, under the eyes of the chiefs, than at a place that would
be, in a manner, deserted, the moment after our departure. Besides the
above-mentioned animals, we left with our friends here, a young boar,
and three young sows, of the English breed. They were exceedingly
desirous of them, judging, no doubt, that they would greatly improve
their own breed, which is rather small. Feenou also got from us two
rabbits, a buck and a doe; and, before we sailed, we were told that
young ones had been already produced. If the cattle succeed, of which I
make no doubt, it will be a vast acquisition to these islands; and as
Tongataboo is a fine level country, the horses cannot but be useful.

On the 10th, at eight o'clock in the morning, we weighed anchor, and,
with a steady gale at S.E., turned through the channel, between the
small isles called Makkahaa and Monooafai, it being much wider than the
channel between the last-mentioned island and Pangimodoo. The flood set
strong in our favour, till we were the length of the channel leading up
to the _lagoon_, where the flood from the eastward meets that from the
west. This, together with the indraught of the _lagoon_, and of the
shoals before it, causeth strong ripplings and whirlpools. To add to
these dangers, the depth of water in the channel exceeds the length of a
cable; so that there is no anchorage, except close to the rocks, where
we meet with forty and forty-five fathoms, over a bottom of dark sand.
But then, here, a ship would be exposed to the whirlpools. This
frustrated the design which I had formed, of coming to an anchor as soon
as we were through the narrows, and of making an excursion to see the
funeral. I chose rather to lose that ceremony, than to leave the ships
in a situation in which I did not think them