Tamaide_, with whom we were also to ratify a treaty of peace, with the
ceremony of which we were now become better acquainted. Having received
the branch which he presented to us, and given another in return, we
laid our hands upon our left breasts, and pronounced the word _Taio_,
which we supposed to signify friend; the chief then gave us to
understand, that if we chose to eat, he had victuals ready for us. We
accepted his offer, and dined very heartily upon fish, breadfruit,
cocoa-nuts and plantains, dressed after their manner; they eat some of
their fish raw, and raw fish was offered to us, but we declined that
part of the entertainment.

During this visit a wife of our noble host, whose name was _Tomio_, did
Mr Banks the honour to place herself upon the same matt, close by him.
Tomio was not in the first bloom of her youth, nor did she appear to
have been ever remarkable for her beauty: he did not therefore, I
believe, pay her the most flattering attention: it happened too, as a
farther mortification to this lady, that seeing a very pretty girl among
the crowd, he, not adverting to the dignity of his companion, beckoned
her to come to him: the girl, after some entreaty, complied, and sat
down on the other side of him; he loaded her with beads, and every showy
trifle that would please her: his princess, though she was somewhat
mortified at the preference that was given to her rival, did not
discontinue her civilities, but still assiduously supplied him with the
milk of the cocoa-nut, and such other dainties as were in her reach.
This scene might possibly have become more curious and interesting, if
it had not been suddenly interrupted by an interlude of a more serious
kind. Just at this time, Dr Solander and Mr Monkhouse complained that
their pockets had been picked. Dr Solander had lost an opera glass in a
shagreen case, and Mr Monkhouse his snuff box. This incident
unfortunately put an end to the good-humour of the company. Complaint of
the injury was made to the chief; and, to give it weight, Mr Banks
started up, and hastily struck the butt end of his firelock upon the
ground: this action, and the noise that accompanied it, struck the whole
assembly with a panic, and every one of the natives ran out of the house
with the utmost precipitation, except the chief, three women, and two or
three others, who appeared by their dress to be of a superior rank.

The chief, with a mixture of confusion and concern, took Mr Ba