as much eagerness, as during our late visit. Their stock
appeared to have been recruited much, though we had returned so soon;
but instead of bread-fruit, which was the only article we could purchase
on our first arrival, nothing was to be seen now but yams, and a few
plantains. This shews the quick succession of the seasons, at least of
the different vegetables produced here, at the several times of the
year. It appeared also that they had been very busy while we were absent
in cultivating, for we now saw several large plantain fields, in places
which we had so lately seen lying waste. The yams were now in the
greatest perfection, and we procured a good quantity in exchanges for
pieces of iron.

These people, in the absence of Toubou, whom we left behind us at Kotoo,
with Poulaho and the other chiefs, seemed to be under little
subordination. For we could not perceive this day that one man assumed
more authority than another. Before I returned on board I visited the
several places where I had sown melon seeds, and had the mortification
to find that most of them were destroyed by a small ant; but some
pine-apple plants, which I had also left, were in a thriving state.

About noon next day, Feenou arrived from Vavaoo. He told us, that
several canoes, laden with hogs and other provisions, which had sailed
with him from that island, had been lost, owing to the late blowing
weather, and that every body on board them had perished. This melancholy
tale did not seem to affect any of his countrymen who heard it, and, as
to ourselves, we were by this time too well acquainted with his
character to give much credit to such a story. The truth probably was,
that he had not been able to procure at Vavaoo the supplies which he
expected; or, if he got any there, that he had left them at Hepaee,
which lay in his way back, and where he could not but receive
intelligence that Poulaho had been with us; who, therefore, he knew,
would, as his superior, have all the merit and reward of procuring them,
though he had not any share of the trouble. The invention of this loss
at sea was however well imagined, for there had lately been very blowing
weather; insomuch, that the king, and other chiefs, who had followed us
from Hepaee to Kotoo, had been left there, not caring to venture to sea
when we did, but desired I might wait for them at Annamooka, which was
the reason of my anchoring there this second time, and of my not
proceeding directly to To