t this man was indeed a great prince; for an influence so extensive
and absolute could be acquired by no other. And we afterwards found that
he administered the government of this part of the island, as sovereign,
for a minor whom we never saw all the time that we were upon it. When Mr
Green returned from this expedition he said he had seen a tree of a size
which he was afraid to relate, it being no less than sixty yards in
circumference; but Mr Banks and Dr Solander soon explained to him that
it was a species of the fig, the branches of which, bending down, take
fresh root in the earth, and thus form a congeries of trunks, which
being very close to each other, and all joined by a common vegetation,
might easily be mistaken for one.

Though the market at the fort was now tolerably supplied, provisions
were brought more slowly: A sufficient quantity used to be purchased
between sun-rise and eight o'clock, but it was now become necessary to
attend the greatest part of the day. Mr Banks, therefore, fixed his
little boat up before the door of the fort, which was of great use as a
place to trade in: Hitherto we had purchased cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit
for beads; but the market becoming rather slack in these articles, we
were now, for the first time, forced to bring out our nails: One of our
smallest size, which was about four inches long, procured us twenty
cocoa-nuts, and bread-fruit in proportion, so that in a short time our
first plenty was restored.

On the 9th; soon after breakfast, we received a visit from Oberea, being
the first that she had made us after the loss of our quadrant, and the
unfortunate confinement of Tootahah; with her came her present
favourite, Obadee, and Tupia: They brought us a hog and some
bread-fruit, in return for which we gave her a hatchet. We had now
afforded our Indian friends a new and interesting object of curiosity,
our forge, which, having been set up some time, was almost constantly at
work. It was now common for them to bring pieces of iron, which we
suppose they must have got from the Dolphin, to be made into tools of
various kinds; and as I was very desirous to gratify them, they were
indulged, except when the smith's time was too precious to be spared.
Oberea having received her hatchet, produced as much old iron as would
have made another, with a request that another might be made of it; in
this, however, I could not gratify her upon which she brought out a
broken axe, and desired