oad, and about fourteen feet high, the top flat, well paved, and
surrounded by a wooden railing. An old building stood in the centre from
which a stone wall ran to the fence dividing the top into two parts. On
the landward side were five poles upwards of twenty feet high, supporting
an irregular kind of scaffold, and on the sea-side half were two small
houses with a covered communication between. On their arrival Cook was
presented with two ugly images wrapped with red cloth, and a sort of hymn
was sung. Then they were marched to the scaffolding, where was a table on
which lay fruits and vegetables surmounted by a very much decomposed pig,
and in a semicircle round one end of this table were twelve images.
Placing Cook near the scaffolding, Koah, as King and others call Touahah,
took up the pig and holding it towards him made a long speech. Then,
dropping the offensive porker, he made signs that the two were to climb
on to the uncertain scaffolding. This being done, a procession came
forward bearing a live hog and a piece of red cloth. This last article
was handed up to Koah, who proceeded to wrap it round Cook, who was
clinging to his elevated but not very safe position. The pig was then
offered to Cook and a long address chanted. The two principal performers
then descended and returned to the table, Koah snapping his fingers at
the figures and making what appeared to be sarcastic remarks, till he
came to the centre one, when he prostrated himself and kissed it,
requesting Cook to do the same. The party then proceeded to the other
part of the Morai, and Cook was seated between two images with his arms
stretched out, one upheld by Koah, the other by King. A cooked pig and
other food was then presented with much ceremony, the meat cut up and
kava prepared; whilst Koah's assistant chewed some coconut, wrapped it in
cloth, and then rubbed it over Cook's face, head, shoulders, and arms.
Koah and Parea then pulled pieces of the pig and put them into the mouths
of the two officers. King says that Parea was a particularly cleanly
person, so he did not so much mind this feeding, but Cook, remembering
how Koah had handled the putrid hog, was unable to swallow a mouthful,
"and his reluctance, as may be supposed, was not diminished, when the old
man, according to his own mode of civility, had chewed it for him." Cook
then put an end to further proceedings by distributing some presents to
the attendants and returning to the ship.

T