Note 182 — CHAP. VI.

See Vol. III. book ii. ch. 2. The name of this extraordinary personage is there said to be Kohagee-too Fallangou; which cannot, by the most skilful etymologist, be tortured into the least most distant resemblance of Latooliboula. It is remarkable, that Captain Cook should not take any notice of his having called the same person by two names so very different. Perhaps we may account for this by supposing one to be the name of the person, and the other the description of his title or rank. This supposition seems well founded, when we consider, that Latoo, in the language of these people, is sometimes used to signify a great chief; and Dr. Foster, in his Observations, p. 378, 379, and elsewhere, speaks of the sovereign of Tongataboo, under the title of their Latoo. This very person is called by Dr. Foster, p. 370, Latoo-Nipooroo; which furnishes a very striking instance of the variations of our people in writing down the same word as pronounced by the natives. However, we can easily trace the affinity between Nipooroo and Liboula, as the changes of the consonants are such as are perpetually made, upon hearing a word pronounced, to which our ears have not been accustomed. Mr. Anderson here agrees with Captain Cook in writing Latooliboula.