fearing that the inhabitants might revenge their countrymen. We occupied
a most excellent post, between two rivers, distant from each other at
most only a quarter of a league; the front of the camp was covered by a
marsh, and on the remaining side was the sea, of which we certainly were
the masters. We had a fair chance to defend this post against the united
forces of the whole island; but happily the night passed very quietly in
the camp, excepting some alarms occasioned by thieves.
[Sidenote: Continuation of the dangers which the ships run.]
It was not from this part that I dreaded the worst that could happen;
the fear of seeing the ships lost upon the coast, gave me infinitely
more concern. From ten o’clock in the evening, the wind freshened very
much from the east; and was attended with a great swell; rain, tempest,
and all the sad appearances which augment the horror of these dreadful
situations.
Towards two o’clock in the morning, a squall drove the ships towards the
coast: I came on board; the squall happily was not of long duration; and
as soon as it was blown over, the wind blew off more. At day-break we
encountered new misfortunes; our N. W. cable parted; the hawser, which
the Etoile had given us, and which held us by her stream-anchor, had the
same fate a few minutes after. The frigate then swinging off to her S.
E. anchor and hawser, was no more than a cable’s length off shore, upon
which the sea broke with great violence. In proportion, as the danger
became more pressing, our resources failed us; the two anchors of which
the cable’s had just parted, were entirely lost to us; their buoys
disappeared, being either sunk, or taken away, during the night, by the
Indians. Thus we had lost already four anchors, in four and
twenty-hours, and had yet several losses to sustain.
At ten o’clock in the morning, the new cable we had bent to the anchor
of two thousand seven hundred weight from the Etoile, which held us to
the S. E. parted, and the frigate, riding by a single hawser, began to
drive upon the coast. We immediately let go our sheet-anchor under foot;
it being the only one which we had remaining at our bow: but of what use
could it be to us? We were so close to the breakers, that we must have
been upon them before we had veered out cable sufficient to make the
anchor catch hold in the ground. We expected every moment the sad
conclusion of this adventure, when a S. W. breeze gave us some hopes of
setting sail. Our jib and stay-sails were soon hoisted; the ship began
to shoot a-head, and we were endeavouring to make sail, in order to veer
away cable and hawser, and get out; but the wind almost immediately
shifted to the eastward again. This interval had, however, given us time
to take on board the end of a hawser, from a second stream-anchor of the
Etoile, which she had just carried out to the eastward, and which saved
us for this time. We hove in upon both hawsers, and got somewhat further
from the shore. We then sent our long-boat aboard the Etoile, to help
her in mooring her securely; her anchors happily lay in a bottom less
covered with coral than that where we had let ours go. This being done,
our long-boat went to weigh the anchor of 2700 weight by its buoy-rope;
we bent another cable to it, and carried it out to the N. E. We then
weighed the stream-anchor belonging to the Etoile, and returned it to
her. During these two days M. de la Giraudais, captain of that
store-ship, had a very great share in the preservation of the frigate,
by the assistance which he gave me: it is with pleasure that I pay this
tribute of gratitude to an officer, who has already been my companion on
former voyages, and whose zeal equals his talents.
[Sidenote: Peace made with the islanders.]
However, when the day appeared, no Indian was come near the camp, not a
single periagua was seen sailing, all the neighbouring houses were
abandoned, and the whole country appeared as a desert. The prince of
Nassau, who with only four or five men was gone out a little further, in
order to search for some of the natives, and to inspire them with
confidence again, found a great number of them with Ereti, about a
league from the camp. As soon as that chief knew the prince again, he
came up to him with an air of consternation.
The women, who were all in tears, fell at his feet, kissed his hands,
weeping and repeating several times, _Tayo, maté_, you are our friends,
and you kill us. By his caresses and demonstrations of friendship, he at
last succeeded in regaining their confidence. I saw from on board a
croud of people running to our quarters: fowls, cocoa-nuts, and branches
full of bananas, embellished this procession, and promised a peace. I
immediately went ashore with an assortment of silk stuffs, and tools of
all sorts; I distributed them among the chiefs, expressing my concern to
them on account of the disaster which had happened the day before, and
assuring them, that I would punish the perpetrators. The good islanders
loaded me with caresses; the people applauded the reunion, and, in a
short time, the usual croud and the thieves returned to our quarters,
which looked like a fair. This day, and the following, they brought more
refreshments than ever. They likewise desired to have several muskets
fired in their presence, which frightened them very much, as all the
creatures which we shot at were killed immediately.
[Sidenote: The Etoile sets sail.]
The boat, which I had sent to sound to the northward, was returned with
the good news of having found a very fine passage. It was then too late
to profit of it the same day; for night was coming on. Happily it passed
quietly, both on shore and at sea. The 14th in the morning, wind at
east, I ordered the Etoile, who had got her water and all her men on
board, to weigh and go out by the new north passage. We could not go out
by that passage before the store-ship, she being moored to the northward
of us. At eleven she came to sail, from a hawser, which she had carried
on board of us. I kept her long-boat and two small anchors; I likewise
took on board, as soon as she was got under sail, the end of the cable
of her S. E. anchor, which lay in a good bottom. We now weighed our
sheet-anchor, carried the two stream-anchors further out; and were by
this means moored by two great, and three small anchors. At two o’clock
in the afternoon, we had the satisfaction of seeing the Etoile without
the reefs. Our situation by this means became less terrifying; we had at
least secured to ourselves the means of returning to our country, by
putting one of the ships out of danger. When M. de la Giraudais was got
out into the offing, he sent back his boat to me, with Mr. Lavari Leroi,
who had been employed to survey the passage.
We laboured all day, and a part of the night, to complete our water, and
to remove the hospital and the camp. [Sidenote: Inscription buried.] I
buried near the shed, an act of taking possession, inscribed on an oak
plank, and a bottle well corked and glued, containing the names of the
officers of both ships. I have followed the same method in regard to all
the lands discovered during the course of this voyage. It was two
o’clock in the morning, before every one of our people were on board:
the night was still stormy enough to give us some disturbance,
notwithstanding the number of anchors we had moored.
[Sidenote: The Boudeuse sets sail; runs new dangers.]
On the 15th, at six o’clock in the morning, the wind blowing off shore,
and the sky looking stormy, we weighed our anchor, veered away the cable
of that which belonged to the Etoile, cut one of the hawsers, and veered
out the other two, setting sail under our fore-sail and top-sails, in
order to go out by the eastern passage. We left the two long-boats to
weigh the anchors; and as soon as we were got out of the reefs, I sent
the two barges armed, under the command of ensign the chevalier de
Suzannet, to protect the work of the long-boats. We were about a quarter
of a league off shore, and began to give ourselves joy of having so
happily left an anchorage, that had given us such terrible alarms, when
the wind ceasing all at once, the tide and a great swell from the
eastward, began to drive us towards the reefs to leeward of the passage.
The worst consequences of the shipwreck, with which we had hitherto been
threatened, would have been to pass the remainder of our days on an isle
adorned with all the gifts of nature, and to exchange the sweets of the
mother-country, for a peaceable life, exempted from cares. But now
shipwreck appeared with a more cruel aspect; the ship being rapidly
carried upon the rocks, could not have resisted the violence of the sea
two minutes, and hardly some of the best swimmers could have saved their
lives. At the beginning of the danger, I had made signal for the long
boats and barges to return and tow us. They came at the very moment,
when we being only 35 or 36 fathom (50 toises) from the reef, our
situation was become quite desperate; the more so as we could not let go
an anchor. A westerly breeze, springing up that instant, brought hope
along with it; it actually freshened by degrees; and at nine o’clock in
the morning, we were quite clear of all dangers.
[Sidenote: Departure from Taiti; losses which we sustained there.]
I immediately sent the boats back in quest of the anchors, and I
remained plying to wait for them. In the afternoon we joined the Etoile.
At five in the evening our long-boat came on board with the best bower,
and the cable of the Etoile, which she carried to her: our barge, that
of the Etoile, and her long-boat returned soon after; the latter
bringing us our stream-anchor and a hawser. As to the other two
stream-anchors, the night coming on, and the sailors being extremely
fatigued, they could not weigh them that day. I at first intended to
keep plying off and on during night, and to send them out for them the
next morning; but, at mid-night a strong gale sprung at E. N. E.
obliging me to hoist in the boats, and make sail, in order to get clear
of the coast.
Thus an anchorage of nine days cost us six anchors; which we should not
have lost, had we been provided with some iron chains. This is a
precaution which no navigator ought to forget, if he is going upon such
a voyage as this.
[Sidenote: Regret of the islanders at our departing.]
Now that the ships are in safety, let us stop a moment to receive the
farewel of the islanders. At daybreak, when they perceived us setting
sail, Ereti leaped alone into the first periagua he could find on shore,
and came on board. There he embraced all of us, held us some moments in
his arms, shedding tears, and appearing much affected at our departure.
Soon after, his great periagua came on board, laden with refreshments of
all kinds; his wives were in the periagua; and with them the same
islander, who, on the first day of our land-fall, had, lodged on board
the Etoile. [Sidenote: One of them embarks with us, at his own and his
nation’s request.] Ereti took him by the hand, and, presenting him to
me, gave me to understand, that this man, whose name was Aotourou,
desired to go with us, and begged that I would consent to it. He then
presented him to each of the officers in particular; telling them that
it was one of his friends, whom he entrusted with those who were
likewise his friends, and recommending him to us with the greatest signs
of concern. We made Ereti more presents of all sorts; after which he
took leave of us, and returned to his wives, who did not cease to weep
all the time of the periagua’s being along-side of us. In it there was
likewise a young and handsome girl, whom the islander that stayed along
with us went to embrace. He gave her three pearls which he had in his
ears, kissed her once more; and, notwithstanding the tears of this young
wife or mistress, he tore himself from her, and came aboard the ship.
Thus we quitted this good people; and I was no less surprised at the
sorrow they certified on our departure, than at their affectionate
confidence on our arrival.
-----
Footnote 97:
The people of _Otahitee_, or as our author wrongly calls it, _Taiti_,
are not idolaters, according to the last published account, and
therefore it is certain, that Mr. de B. took some ornamental figures
for those of their divinities. Had this circumnavigator made a longer
stay in this island, had he thoroughly studied the language of the
country, and looked upon many things with a more philosophical, or
less prejudiced eye, his account would have proved less subject to the
mistakes it abounds with. The English, more used to philosophical
enquiries, will give more faithful accounts in the work that is going
to be published, of the great discoveries made by the British nation
in those seas. F.
Footnote 98:
Rayés.
-----
_CHAP. III._
_Description of the new island; manners and character of its
inhabitants._
Lucis habitamus opacis,
Riparumque toros & prata recentia rivis
Incolimus.
VIRG. Æneid. Lib. VI.
The isle which at first was called New Cythera, is known by the name of
Taiti amongst its inhabitants. [Sidenote: Geographical position of
Taiti.] Its latitude has been determined in our camp, from several
meridian altitudes of the sun, observed on shore with a quadrant. Its
longitude has been ascertained by eleven observations of the moon,
according to the method of the horary angles. M. Verron had made many
others on shore, during four days and four nights, to determine the same
longitude; but the paper on which he wrote them having been stolen, he
has only kept the last observations, made the day before our departure.
He believes their result exact enough, though their extremes differ
among themselves 7° or 8°. The loss of our anchors, and all the
accidents I have mentioned before, obliged us to leave this place much
sooner than we intended, and have made it impossible for us to survey
its coasts. The southern part of it is entirely unknown to us; that
which we have observed from the S. E. to the N. W. point, seems to be
fifteen or twenty leagues in extent, and the position of its principal
points, is between N. W. and W. N. W.
[Sidenote: Better anchorage than that where we were.]
Between the S. E. point and another great cape advancing to the
northward, about seven or eight leagues from the former, you see a bay
open to the N. E. which has three or four leagues depth. Its shores
gradually descend towards the bottom of the bay, where they have but
little height, and seem to form the finest and best peopled district of
the whole island. It seems it would be easy to find several good
anchoring-places in this bay. We were very ill served by fortune in
meeting with our anchorage. In entering into it by the passage where the
Etoile came out at, M. de la Giraudais assured me, that between the two
most northerly isles, there was a very safe anchorage for at least
thirty ships; that there was from twenty-three to between twelve and ten
fathom of water, grey sand and ooze; that there was a birth of a league
in extent, and never any sea. The rest of the shore is high, and seems
in general to be quite surrounded by a reef, unequally covered by the
sea, and forming little isles in some parts, on which the islanders keep
up fires at night on account of their fishery, and for the safety of
their navigation; some gaps from space to space form entrances to the
part within the reefs, but the bottom must not be too much relied upon.
The lead never brings up any thing but a grey sand; this sand covers
great masses of hard and sharp coral, which can cut through a cable in
one night, as fatal experience taught us.
Beyond the north point of this bay, the coast forms no creek, nor no
remarkable cape. The most westerly point is terminated by a low ground,
from which to the N. W. and at about a league’s distance, you see a low
isle, extending two or three leagues to the N. W.
[Sidenote: Aspect of the country.]
The height of the mountains in the interior parts of Taiti, is
surprising in respect to the extent of the island. Far from making its
aspect gloomy and wild, they serve only to embellish it, offering to the
eye many prospects and beautiful landscapes, covered with the richest
productions of nature, in that beautiful disorder which it was never in
the power of art to imitate. From thence spring a vast number of little
rivulets, which greatly contribute to the fertility of the country, and
serve no less to supply the wants of the inhabitants than to adorn and
heighten the charms of the plains. All the flat country, from the
sea-shore to the foot of the mountains, is destined for the fruit-trees,
under which, as I have already observed before, the houses of the people
of Taiti are built, without order, and without forming any villages. One
would think himself in the Elysian fields: Public paths, very
judiciously laid out, and carefully kept in a good condition form the
most easy communication with every part of the country.
[Sidenote: Its productions.]
The chief productions of the isle are [99]cocoa-nuts, plantains or
bananas, the bread-fruit, yams, curassol, okras, and several other roots
and fruits peculiar to the country: plenty of sugar-canes which are not
cultivated, a species of wild indigo, a very fine red and a yellow
substance for dying, of which I cannot say from whence they get them. In
general, M. de Commerçon has found the same kinds of vegetables there as
are common in India. Aotourou, whilst he was amongst us, knew and named
several of our fruits and legumes, and a considerable number of plants,
cultivated by the curious, in hot-houses. The wood which is fit for
carpenters work grew on the mountains, and the islanders make little use
of it; they only employ it for their great periaguas, which they make of
cedar wood. We have likewise seen pikes of a black, hard and heavy wood
among them, very like iron-wood. For building their common periaguas,
they make use of the tree which bears the bread-fruit. This is a wood
which will not split, but is so soft and full of gum, that it is only as
it were bruised when worked with a tool.
[Sidenote: It does not appear that there are any mines.]
This isle, though abounding with very high mountains, does not seem to
contain any minerals, since the hills are every where covered with trees
and other plants[100]. At least it is certain that the islanders do not
know any metals. They give the same name of _aouri_, by which they asked
us for iron, to all the kinds of metals we could shew them. But in what
manner they became acquainted with iron, is not easily understood;
however, I shall soon mention what I think on this subject. [Sidenote:
There are fine pearls.] I know of only a single rich article of
commerce, viz. very fine pearls. The wives and children of the chief
people wear them at their ears; but they hid them during our stay
amongst them. They make a kind of castanets of the shells of the
pearl-oyster, and this is one of the instruments employed by their
dancers.
[Sidenote: Animals of the country.]
We have seen no other quadrupeds than hogs, a small but pretty sort of
dogs, and rats in abundance. The inhabitants have domestic cocks and
hens, exactly like ours. We have likewise seen beautiful green turtle
doves, large pigeons of a deep blue plumage and excellent taste, and a
very small sort of perrokeets, very singular on account of the various
mixture of blue and red in their feathers. The people feed their hogs
and their fowls with nothing but plantains. Taking together what has
been consumed by us on shore, and what we have embarked in both ships,
we have in all got by our exchanges, upwards of eight hundred fowls, and
near one hundred and fifty hogs; and if it had not been for the
troublesome work on the last days, we should have got much more, for the
inhabitants brought every day a greater quantity of them.
[Sidenote: Meteorological observations.]
We have not observed great heat in this island. During our stay,
Reaumur’s thermometer never rose above 22°, and was sometimes at 18°,
but it may be observed that the sun was already eight or nine degrees on
the other side of the equator. However, this isle has another
inestimable advantage, which is that of not being infested by those
myriads of troublesome insects that are the plague of other tropical
countries: neither have we observed any venomous animals in it.
[Sidenote: Goodness of the climate: vigour of the inhabitants.] The
climate upon the whole is so healthy, that notwithstanding the hard work
we have done in this island, though our men were continually in the
water, and exposed to the meridian sun, though they slept upon the bare
soil and in the open air, none of them fell sick there. Those of our men
who were sent on shore because they were afflicted with the scurvy, have
not passed one night there quietly, yet they regained their strength,
and were so far recovered in the short space of time they staid on
shore, that some of them were afterwards perfectly cured on board. In
short, what better proofs can we desire of the salubrity of the air, and
the good regimen which the inhabitants observe, than the health and
strength of these same islanders, who inhabit huts exposed to all the
winds, and hardly cover the earth which serves them as a bed with a few
leaves; the happy old age to which they attain without feeling any of
its inconveniences; the acuteness of all their senses; and lastly, the
singular beauty of their teeth, which they keep even in the most
advanced age?
[Sidenote: Their nourishment.]
Vegetables and fish are their principal food; they seldom eat flesh,
their children and young girls never eat any; and this doubtless serves
to keep them free from almost all our diseases. I must say the same of
their drink; they know of no other beverage than water. The very smell
of wine or brandy disgusted them; they likewise shewed their aversion to
tobacco, spices, and in general to every thing strong.
[Sidenote: There are two races of men in the isle.]
The inhabitants of Taiti consist of two races of men, very different
from each other, but speaking the same language, having the same
customs, and seemingly mixing without distinction. The first, which is
the most numerous one, produces men of the greatest size; it is very
common to see them measure six (Paris) feet and upwards in height. I
never saw men better made, and whose limbs were more proportionate: in
order to paint a Hercules or a Mars, one could no where find such
beautiful models. Nothing distinguishes their features from those of the
Europeans: and if they were cloathed; if they lived less in the open
air, and were less exposed to the sun at noon, they would be as white as
ourselves: their hair in general is black. The second race are of a
middle size, have frizzled hair as hard as bristles, and both in colour
and features they differ but little from mulattoes. The Taiti man who
embarked with us, is of this second race, though his father is chief of
a district: but he possesses in understanding what he wants in beauty.
[Sidenote: Account of some of their customs.]
Both races let the lower part of the beard grow, but they all have their
whiskers, and the upper part of the cheeks shaved. They likewise let all
their nails grow, except that on the middle finger of the right hand.
Some of them cut their hair very short, others let it grow, and wear it
fastened on the top of the head. They have all got the custom of
anointing or oiling it and their beard with cocoa-nut oil. I have met
with only a single cripple amongst them; and he seemed to have been
maimed by a fall. Our surgeon assured me, that he had on several of them
observed marks of the small-pox; and I took all possible measures to
prevent our people’s communicating the other sort to them; as I could
not suppose that they were already infected with it.
[Sidenote: Their dress.]