Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/254

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taking much notice of our friend, whom we persuaded at last to be silent. Two people of a fine stature, one at the stern, and another about the middle of the canoe stood upright, while all the rest continued seated. The former had a perfect black cloak of the close-wrought kind, patched in compartments with dog-skin; he held a green plant of the New Zeeland flag in his hand, and now and then spoke a few words. But the other pronounced a long speech well articulated, loud, and very solemn, and gave his voice great variety of falls and elevations. From the various tones in which he spoke, and a few gestures with which he accompanied his words, he appeared by turns to question, to boast, to threaten, to challenge, and to persuade us; he was sometimes running on in a moderate tone, then all at once breaking out into violent exclamations; after which he made short pauses in order to recover his breath. Having finished his oration, he was invited to come on board by the captain, who came to the ship's side; he seemed at first dubious and mistrustful, but his natural spirit soon overcoming that diffidence, he ventured on board, and was presently followed by all his people, who traded with the greatest eagerness for our iron wares. They immediately saluted the family of natives on board, with the usual application of noses, or as our sailors expressed it, they nosed each other, and paid every one of us upon the quarter-deck the same compliment. The