It is five leagues long in the direction of north-north-east and
south-south-west, and about three leagues broad. As we drew near the
south end, we saw from the mast-head, another of these low isles bearing
south-east, distant about four or five leagues, but being to windward we
could not fetch it. Soon after a third appeared, bearing south-west by
south, for which we steered, and, at two o’clock P. M. reached the east
end, which is situated in latitude 15° 47ʹ S., longitude 146° 30ʹ W.
This island extends west-north-west and east-south-east, and is seven
leagues long in that direction; but its breadth is not above two. It is
in all respects like the rest; only here are fewer islots, and less firm
land on the reef which incloseth the lake. As we ranged the north coast,
at the distance of half a mile, we saw people, huts, canoes, and places
built, seemingly for drying of fish. They seemed to be the same sort of
people as on Tiookea, and were armed with long spikes like them. Drawing
near the west end, we discovered another or fourth island, bearing
north-north-east. It seemed to be low like the others, and lies west
from the first isle, distant six leagues. These four isles I called
Palliser’s Isles, in honour of my worthy friend Sir Hugh Palliser, at
this time comptroller of the navy.
Not choosing to run farther in the dark, we spent the night making short
boards under the top-sail, and on the 20th at day-break, hauled round
the west end of the third isle, which was no sooner done than we found a
great swell rolling in from the south; a sure sign that we were clear of
these low islands; and as we saw no more land, I steered S. W. 1/2 S.
for Otaheite; having the advantage of a stout gale at east, attended
with showers of rain. It cannot be determined with any degree of
certainty whether the group of isles we had lately seen, be any of those
discovered by the Dutch navigators or no; the situation of their
discoveries not being handed down to us with sufficient accuracy. It is,
however, necessary to observe, that this part of the ocean, that is from
the latitude of 20° down to 14° or 12°, and from the meridian of 138° to
148° or 150° W., is so strewed with these low isles, that a navigator
cannot proceed with too much caution.
We made the high land of Otaheite on the 21st, and at noon were about
thirteen leagues east of Point Venus, for which we steered, and got
pretty well in with it by sun-set, when we shortened sail; and, having
spent the night, which was squally, with rain, standing on and off, at
eight o’clock the next morning anchored in Matavai Bay in seven fathoms’
water. This was no sooner known to the natives than many of them made us
a visit, and expressed not a little joy at seeing us again.
As my chief reason for putting in at this place was to give Mr. Wales an
opportunity to know the error of the watch by the known longitude, and
to determine anew her rate of going, the first thing we did was to land
his instruments, and to erect tents for the reception of a guard and
such other people as it was necessary to have on shore. Sick we had
none; the refreshments we got at the Marquesas had removed every
complaint of that kind.
On the 23d, showery weather. Our very good friends the natives supplied
us with fruit and fish sufficient for the whole crew.
On the 24th, Otoo the king, and several other chiefs, with a train of
attendants, paid us a visit, and brought as presents ten or a dozen
large hogs, besides fruits, which made them exceedingly welcome. I was
advertised of the king’s coming, and looked upon it as a good omen.
Knowing how much it was my interest to make this man my friend, I met
him at the tents, and conducted him and his friends on board, in my
boat, where they staid dinner; after which they were dismissed with
suitable presents, and highly pleased with the reception they had met
with.
Next day we had much thunder, lightning, and rain. This did not hinder
the king from making me another visit, and a present of a large quantity
of refreshments. It hath been already mentioned, that when we were at
the island of Amsterdam we had collected, amongst other curiosities,
some red parrot feathers. When this was known here, all the principal
people of both sexes endeavoured to ingratiate themselves into our
favour by bringing us hogs, fruit, and every other thing the island
afforded, in order to obtain these valuable jewels. Our having these
feathers was a fortunate circumstance; for as they were valuable to the
natives, they became so to us; but more especially as my stock of trade
was, by this time, greatly exhausted; so that, if it had not been for
the feathers, I should have found it difficult to have supplied the ship
with the necessary refreshments.
When I put in at this island, I intended to stay no longer than till Mr.
Wales had made the necessary observations for the purposes already
mentioned; thinking we should meet with no better success than we did
the last time we were here. But the reception we had already met with,
and the few excursions we had made, which did not exceed the plains of
Matavai and Oparree, convinced us of our error. We found at these two
places, built and building a great number of large canoes, and houses of
every kind; people living in spacious habitations, who had not a place
to shelter themselves in eight months before; several large hogs about
every house; and every other sign of a rising state.
Judging from these favourable circumstances that we should not mend
ourselves by removing to another island, I resolved to make a longer
stay, and to begin with the repairs of the ship and stores, &c.
Accordingly I ordered the empty casks and sails to be got ashore to be
repaired; the ship to be calked; and the rigging to be overhauled; all
of which the high southern latitudes had made indispensably necessary.
[Illustration: _The Fleet of Otaheite assembled at Opárre_]
In the morning of the 26th, I went down to Oparree, accompanied by some
of the officers and gentlemen, to pay Otoo a visit by appointment. As we
drew near we observed a number of large canoes in motion; but were
surprized, when we arrived, to see upwards of three hundred ranged in
order, for some distance, along the shore, all completely equipped and
manned, besides a vast number of armed men upon the shore. So unexpected
an armament collected together in our neighbourhood, in the space of one
night, gave rise to various conjectures. We landed however in the midst
of them, and were received by a vast multitude, many of them under arms,
and many not. The cry of the latter was _Tiyo no Otoo_, and that of the
former _Tiyo no Towha_. This chief, we afterwards learned, was admiral
or commander of the fleet and troops present. The moment we landed, I
was met by a chief whose name was Tee, uncle to the king, and one of his
prime ministers, of whom I inquired for Otoo. Presently after we were
met by Towha, who received me with great courtesy. He took me by the one
hand, and Tee by the other; and, without my knowing where they intended
to carry me, dragged me as it were through the crowd that was divided
into two parties, both of which professed themselves my friends by
crying out _Tiyo no Tootee_. One party wanted me to go to Otoo, and the
other to remain with Towha. Coming to the usual place of audience, a mat
was spread for me to sit down upon, and Tee left me to go and bring the
king. Towha was unwilling I should sit down, partly insisting on my
going with him; but, as I knew nothing of this chief, I refused to
comply. Presently Tee returned, and wanted to conduct me to the king,
taking hold of my hand for that purpose. This Towha opposed; so that
between the one party and the other, I was like to have been torn in
pieces; and was obliged to desire Tee to desist, and to leave me to the
admiral and his party, who conducted me down to the fleet. As soon as we
came before the admiral’s vessel, we found two lines of armed men drawn
up before her, to keep off the crowd, as I supposed, and to clear the
way for me to go in. But, as I was determined not to go, I made the
water, which was between me and her, an excuse. This did not answer; for
a man immediately squatted himself down at my feet, offering to carry
me; and then I declared I would not go. That very moment Towha quitted
me, without my seeing which way he went, nor would any one inform me.
Turning myself round I saw Tee, who, I believe, had never lost sight of
me. Inquiring of him for the king, he told me he was gone into the
country _Mataou_, and advised me to go to my boat; which we accordingly
did, as soon as we could get collected together; for Mr. Edgcumbe was
the only person that could keep with me; the others being jostled about
in the crowd in the same manner we had been.
When we got into our boat, we took our time to view this grand fleet.
The vessels of war consisted of an hundred and sixty large double canoes
very well equipped, manned, and armed. But I am not sure that they had
their full complement of men or rowers; I rather think not. The chiefs,
and all those on the fighting stages, were dressed in their war habits;
that is, in a vast quantity of cloth, turbans, breast-plates, and
helmets. Some of the latter were of such a length as greatly to encumber
the wearer. Indeed, their whole dress seemed to be ill calculated for
the day of battle, and to be designed more for show than use. Be this as
it may, it certainly added grandeur to the prospect, as they were so
complaisant as to show themselves to the best advantage. The vessels
were decorated with flags, streamers, &c. so that the whole made a grand
and noble appearance, such as we had never seen before in this sea, and
what no one would have expected. Their instruments of war were clubs,
spears, and stones. The vessels were ranged close alongside of each
other, with their heads ashore, and their stern to the sea; the
admiral’s vessel being nearly in the centre. Besides the vessels of war,
there were an hundred and seventy sail of smaller double canoes, all
with a little house upon them, and rigged with mast and sail, which the
war canoes had not. These, we judged, were designed for transports,
victuallers, &c.; for in the war canoes was no sort of provisions
whatever. In these three hundred and thirty vessels, I guessed there
were no less than seven thousand seven hundred and sixty men; a number
which appears incredible, especially as we were told they all belonged
to the districts of Attahourou and Ahopatea. In this computation, I
allow to each war canoe forty men, troops and rowers, and to each of the
small canoes eight. Most of the gentlemen who were with me, thought the
number of men belonging to the war canoes exceeded this. It is certain
that the most of them were fitted to row with more paddles than I have
allowed them men; but at this time I think they were not complete. Tupia
informed us, when I was first here, that the whole island raised only
between six and seven thousand men, but we now saw two districts only
raise that number; so that he must have taken his account from some old
establishment, or else he only meant _Tatatous_, that is, warriors, or
men trained from their infancy to arms, and did not include the rowers,
and those necessary to navigate the other vessels. I should think he
only spoke of this number as the standing troops or militia of the
island, and not their whole force. This point I shall leave to be
discussed in another place, and return to the subject.
After we had well viewed this fleet, I wanted much to have seen the
admiral, to have gone with him on board the war canoes. We inquired for
him as we rowed past the fleet to no purpose. We put ashore and
inquired, but the noise and crowd was so great, that no one attended to
what we said. At last Tee came and whispered us in the ear, that Otoo
was gone to Matavai, advising us to return thither, and not to land
where we were. We accordingly proceeded for the ship, and this
intelligence and advice received from Tee gave rise to new conjectures.
In short, we concluded that this Towha was some powerful disaffected
chief, who was upon the point of making war against his sovereign; for
we could not imagine Otoo had any other reason for leaving Oparree in
the manner he did.
We had not been long gone from Oparree before the whole fleet was in
motion, to the westward from whence it came. When we got to Matavai, our
friends there told us, that this fleet was part of the armament intended
to go against Eimeo, whose chief had thrown off the yoke of Otaheite,
and assumed an independency. We were likewise informed that Otoo neither
was nor had been at Matavai; so that we were still at a loss to know why
he fled from Oparree. This occasioned another trip thither in the
afternoon, where we found him, and now understood that the reason of his
not seeing me in the morning was, that some of his people having stolen
a quantity of my clothes which were on shore washing, he was afraid I
should demand restitution. He repeatedly asked me if I was not angry;
and when I assured him that I was not, and that they might keep what
they had got, he was satisfied. Towha was alarmed partly on the same
account. He thought I was displeased when I refused to go aboard his
vessel; and I was jealous of seeing such a force in our neighbourhood
without being able to know any thing of its design. Thus by mistaking
one another, I lost the opportunity of examining more narrowly into part
of the naval force of this isle, and making myself better acquainted
with its manœuvres. Such an opportunity may never occur; as it was
commanded by a brave, sensible, and intelligent chief, who would have
satisfied us in all the questions we had thought proper to ask; and, as
the objects were before us, we could not well have misunderstood each
other. It happened unluckily that Oedidee was not with us in the
morning; for Tee, who was the only man we could depend on, served only
to perplex us. Matters being thus cleared up, and mutual presents having
passed between Otoo and me, we took leave and returned on board.
CHAP. XII.
SOME ACCOUNT OF A VISIT FROM OTOO, TOWHA, AND SEVERAL OTHER CHIEFS; ALSO
OF A ROBBERY COMMITTED BY ONE OF THE NATIVES, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, WITH
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE SUBJECT.
In the morning of the 27th, I received a present from Towha, consisting
of two large hogs and some fruit, sent by two of his servants, who had
orders not to receive any thing in return; nor would they, when offered
them. Soon after, I went down to Oparree in my boat, where, having found
both this chief and the king, after a short stay, I brought them both on
board to dinner, together with Tarevatoo, the king’s younger brother,
and Tee. As soon as we drew near the ship, the admiral, who had never
seen one before, began to express much surprise at so new a sight. He
was conducted all over the ship, every part of which he viewed with
great attention. On this occasion Otoo was the principal show-man; for,
by this time, he was well acquainted with the different parts of the
ship. After dinner Towha put a hog on board and retired, without my
knowing any thing of the matter, or having made him any return either
for this or the present I had in the morning. Soon after, the king and
his attendants went away also. Otoo not only seemed to pay this chief
much respect, but was desirous I should do the same; and yet he was
jealous of him, but on what account we knew not. It was but the day
before that he frankly told us, Towha was not his friend. Both these
chiefs when on board solicited me to assist them against Tiarabou,
notwithstanding a peace at this time subsisted between the two kingdoms,
and we were told that their joint force was to go against Eimeo. Whether
this was done with a view of breaking with their neighbours and allies,
if I had promised them assistance, or only to sound my disposition, I
know not. Probably they would have been ready enough to have embraced an
opportunity which would have enabled them to conquer that kingdom, and
annex it to their own as it was formerly. Be this as it may, I heard no
more of it; indeed, I gave them no encouragement.
Next day we had a present of a hog sent by Wahea-toua, king of Tiarabou.
For this, in return, he desired a few red feathers, which were, together
with other things, sent him accordingly. Mr. Forster and his party set
out for the mountains, with an intent to stay out all night. I did not
go out of the ship this day.
Early on the morning of the 29th, Otoo, Towha, and several other
grandees, came on board, and brought with them as presents, not only
provisions, but some of the most valuable curiosities of the island. I
made them returns, with which they were well pleased. I likewise took
this opportunity to repay the civilities I had received from Towha.
The night before, one of the natives attempting to steal a water-cask
from the watering-place, he was caught in the act, sent on board, and
put in irons; in which situation Otoo and the other chiefs saw him.
Having made known his crime to them, Otoo begged he might be set at
liberty. This I refused, telling him, that since I punished my people,
when they committed the least offence against his, it was but just this
man should be punished also; and, as I knew he would not do it, I was
resolved to do it myself. Accordingly, I ordered the man to be carried
on shore to the tents, and having followed myself with Otoo, Towha, and
others, I ordered the guard out under arms, and the man to be tied up to
a post. Otoo, his sister, and some others begged hard for him; Towha
said not one word, but was very attentive to every thing going forward.
I expostulated with Otoo on the conduct of this man, and of his people
in general; telling him, that neither I, nor any of my people, took any
thing from them, without first paying for it; enumerating the articles
we gave in exchange for such and such things, and urging that it was
wrong in them to steal from us who were their friends. I, moreover, told
him, that the punishing this man would be the means of saving the lives
of others of his people, by deterring them from committing crimes of
this nature, in which some would certainly be shot dead, one time or
another. With these and other arguments, which I believe he pretty well
understood, he seemed satisfied, and only desired the man might not be
_Matterou_ (or killed). I then ordered the crowd, which was very great,
to be kept at a proper distance, and, in the presence of them all,
ordered the fellow two dozen of lashes with a cat-of-nine-tails, which
he bore with great firmness, and was then set at liberty. After this,
the natives were going away; but Towha stepped forth, called them back,
and harangued them for near half an hour. His speech consisted of short
sentences, very little of which I understood; but, from what we could
gather, he recapitulated part of what I had said to Otoo; named several
advantages they had received from us; condemned their present conduct,
and recommended a different one for the future. The gracefulness of his
action, and the attention with which he was heard, bespoke him a great
orator.
Otoo said not one word. As soon as Towha had ended his speech, I ordered
the marines to go through their exercise, and to load and fire in
volleys with ball; and as they were very quick in their manœuvres, it is
easier to conceive than to describe the amazement the natives were under
the whole time, especially those who had not seen any thing of the kind
before.
This being over, the chiefs took leave and retired with all their
attendants, scarcely more pleased than frightened at what they had seen.
In the evening, Mr. Forster and his party returned from the mountains,
where he had spent the night, having found some new plants, and some
others which grew in New Zealand. He saw Huaheine, which lies forty
leagues to the westward; by which a judgment may be formed of the height
of the mountains in Otaheite.
Next morning I had an opportunity to see the people of ten war-canoes go
through part of their paddling exercise. They had put off from the shore
before I was apprized of it; so that I was only present at their
landing. They were properly equipped for war, the warriors with their
arms, and dressed in their war habits, &c. In landing, I observed that
the moment the canoe touched the ground, all the rowers leaped out, and,
with the assistance of a few people on the shore, dragged the canoe on
dry land to her proper place; which being done, every one walked off
with his paddle, &c. All this was executed with such expedition, that,
in five minutes’ time after putting ashore, you could not tell that any
thing of the kind had been going forward. I thought these vessels were
thinly manned with rowers; the most being not above thirty, and the
least sixteen or eighteen. I observed the warriors on the stage
encouraged the rowers to exert themselves. Some youths sat high up in
the curved stern, above the steersmen, with white wands in their hands.
I know not what they were placed there for; unless it was to look out,
and direct, or give notice of what they saw, as they were elevated above
every one else. Tarevatoo, the king’s brother, gave me the first notice
of these canoes being at sea; and, knowing that Mr. Hodges made drawings
of every thing curious, desired, of his own accord, that he might be
sent for. I being at this time on shore with Tarevatoo, Mr. Hodges was,
therefore, with me, and had an opportunity to collect some materials for
a large drawing or picture of the fleet assembled at Oparree, which will
convey a far better idea of it than can be expressed by words. Being
present when the warriors undressed, I was surprised at the quantity and
weight of cloth they had upon them, not conceiving how it was possible
for them to stand under it in time of battle. Not a little was wrapped
round their heads as a turban, and made into a cap. This indeed might be
necessary in preventing a broken head. Many had fixed to one of this
sort of caps, dried branches of small shrubs covered over with white
feathers; which, however, could only be for ornament.
I had a very great supply of provisions, sent and brought by different
chiefs on the 1st of May; and the next day received a present from
Towha, sent by his servants, consisting of a hog, and a boat load of
various sorts of fruit and roots. The like present I also had from Otoo,
brought by Tarevatoo, who stayed dinner; after which I went down to
Oparree, paid a visit to Otoo, and returned on board in the evening.
On the 3d, in looking into the condition of our sea provisions, we found
that the biscuit was in a state of decay, and that the airing and
picking we had given it at New Zealand, had not been of that service we
expected and intended; so that we were obliged to take it all on shore
here, where it underwent another airing and cleaning, in which a good
deal was found wholly rotten and unfit to be eaten. We could not well
account for this decay in our bread, especially as it was packed in good
casks, and stowed in a dry part of the hold. We judged it was owing to
the ice we so frequently took in when to the southward, which made the
hold damp and cold, and to the great heat which succeeded when to the
north. Be it this, or any other cause, the loss was equal to us: it put
us to scanty allowance of this article; and we had bad bread to eat too.
On the 4th, nothing worthy of note.
On the 5th, the king and several other great men paid us a visit, and
brought with them, as usual, some hogs and fruit. In the afternoon, the
botanists set out for the mountains, and returned the following evening,
having made some new discoveries in their way.
Ongoing ashore in the morning of the 7th, I found Otoo at the tents, and
took the opportunity to ask his leave to cut down some trees for fuel.
He not well understanding me, I took him to some growing near the
sea-shore, where I presently made him comprehend what I wanted, and he
as readily gave his consent. I told him, at the same time, that I should
cut down no trees that bore any fruit. He was pleased with this
declaration, and told it aloud, several times, to the people about us.
In the afternoon, he and the whole royal family, viz. his father,
brother, and three sisters, paid us a visit on board. This was properly
his father’s visit of ceremony. He brought me, as a present, a complete
mourning dress, a curiosity we most valued. In return, I gave him
whatever he desired, which was not a little; and having distributed red
feathers to all the others, conducted them ashore in my boat. Otoo was
so well pleased with the reception he and his friends met with, that he
told me at parting, I might cut down as many trees as I pleased, and
what sort I pleased.
During the night, between the 7th and 8th, some time in the middle
watch, all our friendly connections received an interruption, through
the negligence of one of the centinels on shore. He, having either slept
or quitted his post, gave one of the natives an opportunity to carry off
his musket. The first news I heard of it was from Tee, whom Otoo had
sent on board for that purpose, and to desire that I would go to him,
for that he was _mataoued_. We were not well enough acquainted with
their language to understand all Tee’s story; but we understood enough
to know that something had happened, which had alarmed the king. In
order, therefore, to be fully informed, I went ashore with Tee and
Tarevatoo, who had slept aboard all night. As soon as we landed, I was
informed of the whole by the serjeant who commanded the party. I found
the natives all alarmed, and the most of them fled. Tarevatoo slipped
from me in a moment, and hardly any remained by me but Tee. With him I
went to look for Otoo; and, as we advanced, I endeavoured to allay the
fears of the people, but at the same time insisted on the musket being
restored. After travelling some distance into the country, inquiring of
every one we saw for Otoo, Tee stopped all at once, and advised me to
return, saying that Otoo was gone to the mountains, and he would proceed
and tell him that I was still his friend; a question which had been
asked me fifty times by different people, and if I was angry, &c. Tee
also promised that he would use his endeavours to recover the musket. I
was now satisfied it was to no purpose to go farther; for, although I
was alone and unarmed, Otoo’s fears were such, that he durst not see me;
and, therefore, I took Tee’s advice, and returned aboard. After this I
sent Oedidee to Otoo to let him know that his fears were ill-grounded;
for that I only required the return of the musket, which I knew was in
his power.
Soon after Oedidee was gone, we observed six large canoes coming round
Point Venus. Some people whom I had sent out, to watch the conduct of
the neighbouring inhabitants, informed me they were laden with baggage,
fruit, hogs, &c. There being room for suspecting that some person
belonging to these canoes had committed the theft, I presently came to a
resolution to intercept them; and having put off in a boat for that
purpose, gave orders for another to follow. One of the canoes, which was
some distance ahead of the rest, came directly for the ship. I went
alongside this, and found two or three women in her whom I knew. They
told me they were going on board the ship with something for me; and on
my inquiring of them for Otoo, was told he was then at the tents.
Pleased with this news, I contradicted the orders I had given for
intercepting the other canoes, thinking they might be coming on board
also, as well as this one, which I left within a few yards of the ship,
and rowed ashore to speak with Otoo. But when I landed I was told that
he had not been there, nor knew they any thing of him. On my looking
behind me, I saw all the canoes making off in the greatest haste; even
the one I had left alongside the ship had evaded going on board, and was
making her escape. Vexed at being thus outwitted, I resolved to pursue
them, and as I passed the ship, gave orders to send another boat for the
same purpose. Five out of six we took, and brought alongside; but the
first, which acted the finesse so well, got clear off. When we got on
board with our prizes, I learnt that the people who had deceived me,
used no endeavours to lay hold of the ship on the side they were upon,
but let their canoe drop past as if they meant to come under the stern,
or on the other side; and that the moment they were past, they paddled
off with all speed. Thus the canoe, in which were only a few women, was
to have amused us with false stories, as they actually did, while the
others, in which were most of the effects, got off.
In one of the canoes we had taken, was a chief, a friend of Mr.
Forster’s, who had hitherto called himself an _Earee_, and would have
been much offended if any one had called his title in question; also
three women, his wife and daughter, and the mother of the late Toutaha.
These, together with the canoes, I resolved to detain, and to send the
chief to Otoo, thinking he would have weight enough with him to obtain
the return of the musket, as his own property was at stake. He was,
however, very unwilling to go on this embassy, and made various excuses,
one of which was his being of too low a rank for this honourable
employment; saying he was no _Earee_, but a _Manahouna_, and, therefore,
was not a fit person to be sent; that an _Earee_ ought to be sent to
speak to an _Earee_; and as there were no _Earees_ but Otoo and myself,
it would be much more proper for me to go. All his arguments would have
availed him little, if Tee and Oedidee had not, at this time, come on
board and given a new turn to the affair, by declaring that the man who
stole the musket was from Tiarabou, and had gone with it to that
kingdom, so that it was not in the power of Otoo to recover it. I very
much doubted their veracity, till they asked me to send a boat to
Waheatoua, the king of Tiarabou, and offered to go themselves in her,
and get it. I asked why this could not be done without my sending a
boat? They said it would not otherwise be given to them.
This story of theirs, although it did not quite satisfy me, nevertheless
carried with it the probability of truth; for which reason I thought it
better to drop the affair altogether, rather than to punish a nation for
a crime I was not sure any of its members had committed. I, therefore,
suffered my new ambassador to depart with his two canoes without
executing his commission. The other three canoes belonged to Maritata, a
Tiarabou chief, who had been some days about the tents; and there was
good reason to believe it was one of his people that carried off the
musket. I intended to have detained them; but as Tee and Oedidee both
assured me that Maritata and his people were quite innocent, I suffered
them to be taken away also, and desired Tee to tell Otoo, that I should
give myself no farther concern about the musket, since I was satisfied
none of his people had stolen it. Indeed, I thought it was irrecoverably
lost; but, in the dusk of the evening, it was brought to the tents,
together with some other things we had lost, which we knew nothing of,
by three men who had pursued the thief and taken them from him. I know
not, if they took this trouble of their own accord, or by order of Otoo.
I rewarded them, and made no farther inquiry about it. These men, as
well as some others present, assured me that it was one of Maritata’s
people who had committed this theft; which vexed me that I had let his
canoes so easily slip through my fingers. Here, I believe, both Tee and
Oedidee designedly deceived me.
When the musket and other things were brought in, every one then
present, or who came after, pretended to have had some hand in
recovering them, and claimed a reward accordingly. But there was no one
who acted this farce so well as Nuno, a man of some note, and well known
to us when I was here in 1769. This man came, with all the savage fury
imaginable in his countenance, and a large club in his hand, with which
he beat about him, in order to show us how he alone had killed the
thief; when, at the same time, we all knew that he had not been out of
his house the whole time.
Thus ended this troublesome day; and next morning early, Tee, Otoo’s
faithful ambassador, came again on board, to acquaint me that Otoo was
gone to Oparree, and desired I would send a person (one of the natives,
as I understood) to tell him that I was still his _Tiyo_. I asked him
why he did not do this himself, as I had desired. He made some excuse;
but I believe the truth was, he had not seen him. In short, I found it
was necessary for me to go myself; for while we thus spent our time in
messages, we remained without fruit, a stop being put to all exchanges
of this nature; that is, the natives brought nothing to market.
Accordingly, a party of us set out, with Tee in our company, and
proceeded to the very utmost limits of Oparree, where, after waiting
some considerable time, and several messages having passed, the king at
last made his appearance. After we were seated under the shade of some
trees as usual, and the first salutations were over, he desired me to
_parou_ (that is, to speak). Accordingly, I began with blaming him for
being frightened and alarmed at what had happened, since I had always
professed myself his friend, and I was not angry with him or any of his
people, but with those of Tiarabou, who were the thieves. I was then
asked, how I came to fire at the canoes? Chance, on this occasion,
furnished me with a good excuse. I told them, that they belonged to
Maritata, a Tiarabou man, one of whose people had stolen the musket, and
occasioned all this disturbance, and if I had them in my power, I would
destroy them, or any other belonging to Tiarabou. This declaration
pleased them, as I expected, from the natural aversion the one kingdom
has to the other. What I said was enforced by presents, which perhaps
had the greatest weight with them. Thus were things once more restored
to their former state; and Otoo promised, on his part, that the next day
we should be supplied with fruit, &c. as usual.
We then returned with him to his proper residence at Oparree, and there
took a view of some of his dock-yards (for such they well deserved to be
called) and large canoes; some lately built, and others building; two of
which were the largest I had ever seen in this sea, or indeed any where
else, under that name. This done, we returned on board, with Tee in our
company, who, after he had dined with us, went to inform old Happi, the
king’s father, that all matters were accommodated.
This old chief was at this time in the neighbourhood of Matavai, and it
should seem, from what followed, that he was not pleased with the
conditions; for that same evening, all the women, which were not a few,
were sent for out of the ship, and people stationed on different parts
of the shore to prevent any from coming off; and the next morning, no
supplies whatever being brought, on my inquiring into the reason, I was
told Happi was _mataoued_. Chagrined at this disappointment as I was, I
forbore taking any step, from a supposition that Tee had not seen him,
or that Otoo’s orders had not yet reached Matavai. A supply of fruit
sent us from Oparree, and some brought us by our friends, served us for
the present, and made us less anxious about it. Thus matters stood till
the afternoon, when Otoo himself came to the tents with a large supply.
Thither I went, and expostulated with him for not permitting the people
in our neighbourhood to bring us fruit as usual, insisting on his giving
immediate orders about it, which he either did, or had done before; for,
presently after, more was brought us than we could well manage. This was
not to be wondered at; for the people had every thing in readiness to
bring the moment they were permitted, and, I believe, thought themselves
as much injured by the restriction as we did.
Otoo desiring to see some of the great guns fire from the ship, I
ordered twelve to be shotted, and fired towards the sea. As he had never
seen a cannon fired before, the sight gave him as much pain as pleasure.
In the evening, we entertained him with fire-works, which gave him great
satisfaction.
Thus ended all our differences, on which I beg leave to suggest the
following remarks. I have had occasion, in this journal before, to
observe, that these people were continually watching opportunities to
rob us. This their governors either encouraged, or had not power to
prevent; but most probably the former, because the offender was always
screened. That they should commit such daring thefts was the more
extraordinary, as they frequently run the risk of being shot in the
attempt; and if the article that they stole was of any consequence, they
knew they should be obliged to make restitution. The moment a theft of
this kind was committed, it spread like the wind over the whole
neighbourhood. They judged of the consequences from what they had got.
If it were a trifle, and such an article as we usually gave them, little
or no notice was taken of it; but if the contrary, every one took the
alarm, and moved off with his moveables in all haste. The chief then was
_mataoued_, giving orders to bring us no supplies, and flying to some
distant part. All this was sometimes done so suddenly, that we obtained,
by these appearances, the first intelligence of our being robbed.
Whether we obliged them to make restitution or no, the chief must be
reconciled before any of the people were permitted to bring in any
refreshments. They knew very well we could not do without them; and,
therefore, never failed strictly to observe this rule, without ever
considering, that all their war canoes, on which the strength of their
nation depends, their houses, and even the very fruit they refused to
supply us with, were entirely in our power. It is hard to say how they
would act, were one to destroy any of these things. Except the detaining
some of their canoes for a while, I never touched the least article of
their property. Of the two extremes, I always chose that which appeared
the most equitable and mild. A trifling present to the chief always
succeeded to my wish, and very often put things upon a better footing
than they had been before. That they were the first aggressors, had very
little influence on my conduct in this respect, because no difference
happened but when it was so. My people very rarely or never broke
through the rules I thought it necessary to prescribe. Had I observed a
different conduct, I must have been the loser by it in the end; and all
I could expect, after destroying some part of their property, would have
been the empty honour of obliging them to make the first overture
towards an accommodation. But who knows if this would have been the
event? Three things made them our fast friends. Their own good nature
and benevolent disposition; gentle treatment on our part; and the dread
of our fire-arms. By our ceasing to observe the second, the first would
have worn out of course; and the too frequent use of the latter would
have excited a spirit of revenge, and perhaps have taught them that
fire-arms were not such terrible things as they had imagined. They were
very sensible of the superiority of their numbers; and no one knows what
an enraged multitude might do.
CHAP. XIII.
PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE THE ISLAND.—ANOTHER NAVAL REVIEW, AND VARIOUS
OTHER INCIDENTS; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ISLAND, ITS NAVAL FORCE, AND
NUMBER OF INHABITANTS.
In the morning of the 11th, a very large supply of fruit was brought to
us from all parts. Some of it came from Towha, the admiral, sent as
usual by his servants, with orders to receive nothing in return. But he
desired I would go and see him at Attahourou, as he was ill and could
not come to me. As I could not well undertake this journey, I sent
Oedidee, along with Towha’s servants, with a present suitable to that
which I had, in so genteel a manner, received from him. As the most
essential repairs of the ship were nearly finished, I resolved to leave
Otaheite in a few days, and accordingly ordered every thing to be got
off from the shore, that the natives might see we were about to depart.
On the 12th, old Oberea, the woman, who, when the Dolphin was here in
1767, was thought to be queen of the island, and whom I had not seen
since 1769, paid us a visit, and brought us a present of hogs and fruit.
Soon after came Otoo with a great retinue, and a large quantity of
provisions. I was pretty liberal in my returns, thinking it might be the
last time I should see these good people, who had so liberally relieved
our wants; and, in the evening, entertained them with fire-works.
On the 13th, winds easterly, fair weather. Nevertheless, we were not
ready to sail, as Otoo had made me promise to see him again, and I had a
present to make him, which I reserved to the last. Oedidee was not yet
come back from Attahourou; various reports arose concerning him; some
said he had returned to Matavai; others that he would not return; and
some would have it that he was at Oparree. In order to know more of the
truth, a party of us in the evening went down to Oparree, where we found
him, and likewise Towha, who, notwithstanding his illness, had resolved
to see me before I sailed, and had gotten thus far on his journey. He
was afflicted with a swelling in his feet and legs, which had entirely
taken away the use of them. As the day was far spent, we were obliged to
shorten our stay; and, after seeing Otoo, we returned with Oedidee on
board.
This youth, I found, was desirous of remaining at this isle, having
before told him, as likewise many others, that we should not return. I
now mentioned to him that he was at liberty to remain here, or to quit
us at Ulietea, or to go with us to England, frankly owning that if he
chose the latter, it was very probable he would never return to his
country; in which case I would take care of him, and he must afterwards
look upon me as his father. He threw his arms about me, and wept much,
saying many people persuaded him to remain at Otaheite. I told him to go
ashore and speak to his friends, and then come to me in the morning. He
was well beloved in the ship, so that every one was persuading him to go
with us, telling him what great things he would see in England, and the
immense riches (according to his idea of riches) he would return with.
But I thought proper to undeceive him, as knowing that the only
inducement to his going, was the expectation of returning, and I could
see no prospect of an opportunity of that kind happening, unless a ship
should be expressly sent out for that purpose; which neither I, nor any
one else, had a right to expect. I thought it an act of the highest
injustice to take a person from these isles, under any promise which was
not in my power to perform. At this time, indeed, it was quite
unnecessary, for many youths voluntarily offered themselves to go, and
even to remain and die in _Pretanee_; as they call our country. Otoo
importuned me much to take one or two, to collect red feathers for him
at Amsterdam, willing to risque the chance of their returning. Some of
the gentlemen on board were likewise desirous of taking some as
servants; but I refused every solicitation of this kind, knowing, from
experience, they would be of no use to us in the course of the voyage;
and farther my views were not extended. What had the greatest weight
with me, was the thinking myself bound to see they were afterwards
properly taken care of, as they could not be carried from their native
spot without consent.
Next morning early, Oedidee came on board with a resolution to remain at
the island; but Mr. Forster prevailed upon him to go with us to Ulietea.
Soon after, Towha, Poatatou, Oamo, Happi, Oberea, and several more of
our friends, came on board with fruit, &c. Towha was hoisted in and
placed on a chair on the quarter-deck; his wife was with him. Amongst
the various articles which I gave this chief, was an English pendant,
which pleased him more than all the rest, especially after he had been
instructed in the use of it.
We had no sooner dispatched our friends than we saw a number of war
canoes coming round the point of Oparree. Being desirous of having a
nearer view of them, accompanied by some of the officers and gentlemen,
I hastened down to Oparree, which we reached before all the canoes were
landed, and had an opportunity of seeing in what manner they approached
the shore. When they got before the place where they intended to land,
they formed themselves into divisions, consisting of three or four, or
perhaps more, lashed square and close along-side of each other; and then
each division, one after the other, paddled in for the shore with all
their might, and conducted in so judicious a manner, that they formed
and closed a line along the shore to an inch. The rowers were encouraged
to exert their strength by their leaders on the stages, and directed by
a man who stood with a wand in his hand in the fore-part of the
middlemost vessel. This man, by words and actions, directed the paddlers
when all should paddle, when either the one side or the other should
cease, &c., for the steering paddles alone were not sufficient to direct
them. All these motions they observed with such quickness, as clearly
showed them to be expert in their business. After Mr. Hodges had made a
drawing of them, as they lay ranged along the shore, we landed, and took
a nearer view of them by going on board several. This fleet consisted of
forty sail, equipped in the same manner as those we had seen before,
belonged to the little district of Tettaha, and were come to Oparree to
be reviewed before the king, as the former fleet had been. There were
attending on this fleet some small double canoes, which they called
_Marais_, having on their fore-part a kind of double bed-place laid over
with green leaves, each just sufficient to hold one man. These they told
us, were to lay their dead upon; their chiefs I suppose they meant,
otherwise their slain must be few. Otoo, who was present, caused, at my
request, some of the troops to go through their exercise on shore. Two
parties first began with clubs, but this was over almost as soon as
begun, so that I had no time to make my observations upon it. They then
went to single combat, and exhibited the various methods of fighting
with great alertness, parrying off the blows and pushes which each
combatant aimed at the other with great dexterity. Their arms were clubs
and spears, the latter they also used as darts. In fighting with the
club, all blows intended to be given the legs, were evaded by leaping
over it; and those intended for the head, by crouching a little and
leaping on one side; thus the blow would fall to the ground. The spear
or dart was parried, by fixing the point of a spear in the ground right
before them, holding it in an inclined position, more or less elevated,
according to the part of the body they saw their antagonist intended to
make a push, or throw his dart at, and by moving the hand a little to
the right or left, either the one or the other was easily turned off
with great ease. I thought that when one combatant had parried off the
blows, &c. of the other, he did not use the advantage which seemed to me
to accrue. As, for instance; after he had parried off a dart, he still
stood on the defensive, and suffered his antagonist to take up another,
when I thought there was time to run him through the body. These
combatants had no superfluous dress upon them; an unnecessary piece of
cloth or two which they had on when they began, were presently torn off
by the bystanders, and given to some of our gentlemen present. This
being over, the fleet departed; not in any order, but as fast as they
could be got afloat; and we went with Otoo to one of his dock-yards,
where the two large _pahies_ or canoes were building, each of which was
an hundred and eight feet long, they were almost ready to launch, and
were intended to make one joint double _pahie_ or canoe. The king begged
of me a grappling and rope, to which I added an English jack and pendant
(with the use of which he was well acquainted), and desired the _pahie_
might be called Britannia. This he very readily agreed to; and she was
named accordingly. After this he gave me a hog, and a turtle of about
sixty pounds weight, which was put privately into our boat; the giving
it away not being agreeable to some of the great lords about him, who
were thus deprived of a feast. He likewise would have given me a large
shark they had prisoner in a creek (some his fins being cut off so that
he could not make his escape), but the fine pork and fish we had got at
this isle, had spoiled our palates for such food. The king, and his
prime minister Tee, accompanied us on board to dinner, and after it was
over, took a most affectionate farewell. He hardly ever ceased
soliciting me, this day, to return to Otaheite; and, just before he went
out of the ship, took a youth by the hand, and presented him to me,
desiring I would keep him on board to go to Amsterdam to collect red
feathers. I told him I could not, since I knew he would never return;
but that, if any ship should happen to come from Britain to this isle, I
would either bring or send him red feathers in abundance. This, in some
measure, satisfied him; but the youth was exceedingly desirous of going;
and, if I had not come to a resolution to carry no one from the isles
(except Oedidee if he chose to go), and but just refused Mr. Forster the
liberty of taking a boy, I believe I should have consented. Otoo
remained along-side in his canoe till we were under sail, when he put
off, and was saluted with three guns.
Our treatment at this isle was such as had induced one of our gunner’s
mates to form a plan to remain at it. He knew he could not execute it
with success while we lay in the bay, therefore took the opportunity, as
soon as we were out, the boats in, and sails set, to slip overboard,
being a good swimmer. But he was discovered before he got clear of the
ship; and we presently hoisted a boat out and took him up. A canoe was
observed, about half-way between us and the shore, seemingly coming
after us. She was intended to take him up; but as soon as the people in
her saw our boat they kept at a distance. This was a preconcerted plan
between the man and them, which Otoo was acquainted with, and had
encouraged. When I considered this man’s situation in life, I did not
think him so culpable, nor the resolution he had taken of staying here
so extraordinary as it may at first appear. He was an Irishman by birth,
and had sailed in the Dutch service. I picked him up at Batavia on my
return from my former voyage, and he had been with me ever since. I
never learnt that he had either friends or connexions to confine him to
any particular part of the world. All nations were alike to him. Where
then could such a man be more happy than at one of these isles? Where,
in one of the finest climates in the world, he could enjoy not only the
necessaries, but the luxuries of life, in ease and plenty. I know not if
he might not have obtained my consent, if he had applied for it in
proper time. As soon as we had got him on board, and the boat in, I
steered for Huaheine, in order to pay a visit to our friends there. But
before we leave Otaheite, it will be necessary to give some account of
the present state of that island; especially as it differs very much
from what it was eight months before.
I have already mentioned the improvements we found in the plains of
Oparree and Matavai. The same was observed in every other part into
which we came. It seemed to us almost incredible that so many large
canoes and houses could be built in so short a space as eight months.
The iron tools which they had got from the English, and other nations
who have lately touched at the isle, had, no doubt, greatly accelerated
the work; and they have no want of hands, as I shall soon make appear.
The number of hogs was another thing that excited our wonder. Probably
they were not so scarce when we were here before as we imagined, and,
not choosing to part with any, they had conveyed them out of our sight.
Be this as it may, we now not only got as many as we could consume
during our stay, but some to take to sea with us.
When I was last here, I conceived but an unfavourable opinion of Otoo’s
talents. The improvements since made in the island convinced me of my
mistake; and that he must be a man of good parts. He has, indeed, some
judicious sensible men about him; who, I believe, have a great share in
the government. In truth, we know not how far his power extends as king,
nor how far he can command the assistance of the other chiefs, or is
controllable by them. It should however seem, that all have contributed
towards bringing the isle to its present flourishing state. We cannot
doubt that there are divisions amongst the great men of this state, as
well as of most others; or else why did the king tell us that Towha, the
admiral, and Poatatou, were not his friends? They were two leading
chiefs; and he must be jealous of them on account of their great power;
for on every occasion he seemed to court their interest. We had reason
to believe that they had raised by far the greatest number of vessels
and men to go against Eimeo, and were to be two of the commanders in the
expedition, which we were told was to take place five days after our
departure. Waheatoua, king of Tiarabou, was to send a fleet to join that
of Otoo, to assist him in reducing to obedience the chief of Eimeo. I
think we were told that young prince was one of the commanders. One
would suppose that so small an island as Eimeo would hardly have
attempted to make head against the united force of these two kingdoms,
but have endeavoured to settle matters by negociation. Yet we heard of
no such thing; on the contrary, every one spoke of nothing but fighting.
Towha told us more than once that he should die there; which, in some
measure, shows that he thought of it. Oedidee told me the battle would
be fought at sea; in which case the other must have a fleet nearly
equal, if not quite, to the one going against them; which I think was
not probable. It was therefore more likely they would remain ashore upon
the defensive, as we were told they did, about five or six years ago,
when attacked by the people of Tiarabou whom they repulsed. Five general
officers were to command in this expedition; of which number Otoo was
one; and, if they named them in order according to the posts they held,
Otoo was only the third in command. This seems probable enough, as being
but a young man he could not have sufficient experience to command such
an expedition, where the greatest skill and judgment seemed to be
necessary.
I confess I would willingly have staid five days longer, had I been sure
the expedition would have then taken place; but it rather seemed that
they wanted us to be gone first. We had been all along told it would be
ten moons before it took place; and it was not till the evening before
we sailed, that Otoo and Towha told us it was to be in five days after
we were gone, as if it were necessary to have that time to put every
thing in order; for while we lay there, great part of their time and
attention was taken up with us. I had observed that, for several days
before we sailed, Otoo and the other chiefs had ceased to solicit my
assistance, as they were continually doing at first, till I assured Otoo
that, if they got their fleet ready in time, I would sail with them down
to Eimea: after this I heard no more of it. They probably had taken it
into consideration, and concluded themselves safer without me, well
knowing it would be in my power to give the victory to whom I pleased,
and that, at the best, I might thwart some favourite custom, or run away
with the spoils. But be their reasons what they might, they certainly
wanted us to be gone, before they undertook any thing. Thus we were
deprived of seeing the whole fleet equipped on this occasion, and
perhaps of being spectators of a sea-fight, and by that means, gaining
some knowledge of their manœuvres.
I never could learn what number of vessels were to go on this
expedition. We knew of no more than two hundred and ten, besides smaller
canoes to serve as transports, &c. and the fleet of Tiarabou, the
strength of which we never learnt. Nor could I ever learn the number of
men necessary to man this fleet; and whenever I asked the question, the
answer was, _Warou, warou, warou te Tata_, that is, many, many, many
men, as if the number far exceeded their arithmetic. If we allow forty
men to each war canoe, and four to each of the others, which is thought
a moderate computation, the number will amount to nine thousand. An
astonishing number to be raised in four districts; and one of them,
_viz._ Matavai, did not equip a fourth part of its fleet. The fleet of
Tiarabou is not included in this account; and many other districts might
be arming which we knew nothing of. I, however, believe that the whole
isle did not arm on this occasion, for we saw not the least preparations
making in Oparree. From what we saw and could learn, I am clearly of
opinion that the chief, or chiefs, of each district superintended the
equipping of the fleet belonging to that district; but, after they are
equipped, they must pass in review before the king, and be approved of
by him. By this means he knows the state of the whole, before they
assemble to go on service.
It hath been already observed, that the number of war canoes belonging
to Attahourou and Ahopata was an hundred and sixty, to Tettaha forty,
and to Matavai ten, and that this district did not equip one-fourth part
of their number. If we suppose every district in the island, of which
there are forty-three, to raise and equip the same number of war-canoes
as Tettaha, we shall find, by this estimate, that the whole island can
raise and equip one thousand seven hundred and twenty war canoes, and
sixty-eight thousand able men, allowing forty men to each canoe. And, as
these cannot amount to above one-third part of the number of both sexes,
children included, the whole island cannot contain less than two hundred
and four thousand inhabitants; a number which, at first sight, exceeded
my belief. But, when I came to reflect on the vast swarms which appeared
wherever we came, I was convinced that this estimate was not much, if at
all, too great. There cannot be a greater proof of the richness and
fertility of Otaheite, (not forty leagues in circuit,) than its
supporting such a number of inhabitants.
This island made formerly but one kingdom; how long it has been divided
into two, I cannot pretend to say; but I believe not long. The kings of
Tiarabou are a branch of the family of those of Opoureonu; at present,
the two are nearly related; and, I think, the former is, in some
measure, dependent on the latter. Otoo is stiled _Earee de hie_ of the
whole island; and we have been told that Waheatoua, the king of
Tiarabou, must uncover before him, in the same manner as the meanest of
his subjects. This homage is due to Otoo as _Earee de hie_ of the isle,
to Tarevatou, his brother, and his second sister; to the one as heir,
and to the other as heir apparent; his eldest sister being married, is
not entitled to this homage.
The _Eowas_ and _Whannos_ we have sometimes seen covered before the
king, but whether by courtesy, or by virtue of their office, we never
could learn. These men, who are the principal persons about the king,
and form his court, are generally, if not always, his relations. Tee,
whom I have so often mentioned, was one of them. We have been told, that
the _Eowas_, who have the first rank, attend in their turns, a certain
number each day, which occasioned us to call them lords in waiting; but
whether this was really so, I cannot say. We seldom found Tee absent;
indeed his attendance was necessary, as being best able to negociate
matters between us and them, on which service he was always employed;
and he executed it, I have reason to believe, to the satisfaction of
both parties.
It is to be regretted, that we know little more of this government than
the general out-line; for, of its subdivisions, classes, or orders of
the constituent parts, how disposed, or in what manner connected, so as
to form one body politic, we know but little. We, however, are sure that
it is of the feudal kind; and, if we may judge from what we have seen,
it has sufficient stability, and is by no means badly constructed.
The _Eowas_ and _Whannos_ always eat with the king; indeed I do not know
if any one is excluded from this privilege but the _Toutous_. For, as to
the women they are out of the question, as they never eat with the men,
let their rank be ever so much elevated.
Notwithstanding this kind of kingly establishment, there was very little
about Otoo’s person or court, by which a stranger could distinguish the
king from the subject. I seldom saw him dressed in any thing but a
common piece of cloth wrapped round his loins; so that he seemed to
avoid all unnecessary pomp, and even to demean himself more than any
other of the _Earees_. I have seen him work at a paddle, in coming to
and going from the ship, in common with the other paddlers; and even
when some of his _Toutous_ sat looking on. All have free access to him,
and speak to him wherever they see him, without the least ceremony: such
is the easy freedom which every individual of this happy isle enjoys. I
have observed that the chiefs of these isles are more beloved, by the
bulk of the people, than feared. May we not from hence conclude, that
the government is mild and equitable?
We have mentioned that Waheatoua of Tiabarou is related to Otoo. The
same may be said of the chiefs of Eimeo, Tapamannoo, Huaheine, Ulietea,
Otaha, and Bolabola; for they are all related to the royal family of
Otaheite. It is a maxim with the _Earees_, and others of superior rank,
never to intermarry with the _Toutous_, or others of inferior rank.
Probably this custom is one great inducement to the establishment of
these societies called _Eareeoies_. It is certain that these societies
greatly prevent the increase of the superior classes of people, of which
they are composed, and do not at all interfere with the inferiors or
_Toutous_; for I never heard of one of these being an _Earreoy_. Nor did
I ever hear that a _Toutou_ could rise in life above the rank in which
he was born.
I have occasionally mentioned the extraordinary fondness the people of
Otaheite showed for red feathers. These they call _Oora_, and they are
as valuable here as jewels are in Europe, especially those which they
call _Oravine_, and grow on the head of the green paroquet; all red
feathers are, indeed, esteemed, but none equally with these; and they
are such good judges as to know very well how to distinguish one sort
from another. Many of our people attempted to deceive them, by dying
other feathers; but I never heard that any one succeeded. These feathers
they make up in little bunches, consisting of eight or ten, and fix them
to the end of a small cord about three or four inches long, which is
made of the strong outside fibres of the cocoa-nut, twisted so hard,
that it is like a wire, and serves as a handle to the bunch. Thus
prepared, they are used as symbols of the _Eatuas_, or divinities, in
all their religious ceremonies. I have often seen them hold one of these
bunches, and sometimes only two or three feathers, between the
fore-finger and thumb, and say a prayer, not one word of which I could
ever understand. Whoever comes to this island will do well to provide
himself with red feathers, the finest and smallest that are to be got.
He must also have a good stock of axes, and hatchets, spike-nails,
files, knives, looking-glasses, beads, &c. Sheets and shirts are much
sought after, especially by the ladies; as many of our gentlemen found
by experience.
The two goats, which Captain Furneaux gave to Otoo when we were last
here, seemed to promise fair for answering the end for which they were
put on shore. The ewe soon after had two female kids, which were now so
far grown as to be nearly ready to propagate; and the old ewe was again
with kid. The people seemed to be very fond of them, and they to like
their situation as well; for they were in excellent condition. From this
circumstance, we may hope that, in a few years, they will have some to
spare to their neighbours; and, by that means, they may in time spread
over all the isles in this ocean. The sheep which we left, died soon
after, excepting one, which we understood was yet alive. We have also
furnished them with a stock of cats; no less than twenty having been
given away at this isle, besides what were left at Ulietea and Huaheine.
CHAP. XIV.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP AT THE ISLAND OF HUAHEINE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF AN
EXPEDITION INTO THE ISLAND, AND SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS WHICH HAPPENED
WHILE SHE LAY THERE.
At one o’clock in the afternoon on the 15th, we anchored in the north
entrance of O’Wharre harbour, in the island of Huaheine; hoisted out the
boats, warped into a proper birth, and moored with the bower and kedge
anchor, not quite a cable’s length from the shore. While this was doing,
several of the natives made us a visit, amongst whom was old Oree, the
chief, who brought a hog, and some other articles, which he presented to
me, with the usual ceremony.
Next morning, the natives began to bring us fruit. I returned Oree’s
visit, and made my present to him; one article of which was red
feathers. Two or three of these the chief took in his right hand,
holding them up between the finger and thumb, and said a prayer, as I
understood, which was little noticed by any present. Two hogs were, soon
after, put into my boat; and he, and several of his friends, came on
board, and dined with us. After dinner, Oree gave me to understand what
articles would be most acceptable to him and his friends; which were
chiefly axes and nails. Accordingly I gave him what he asked, and
desired he would distribute them to the others, which he did, seemingly
to the satisfaction of every one. A youth about ten or twelve years of
age, either his son or grandson, seemed to be the person of most note,
and had the greatest share.
After the distribution was over, they all returned ashore. Mr. Forster
and his party being out in the country botanizing, his servant, a feeble
man, was beset by five or six fellows, who would have stripped him, if,
that moment, one of the party had not come to his assistance; after
which they made off with a hatchet they had got from him.
On the 17th I went ashore to look for the chief, in order to complain of
the outrage committed as above; but he was not in the neighbourhood.
Being ashore in the afternoon, a person came and told me Oree wanted to
see me. I went with the man, and was conducted to a large house, where
the chief, and several other persons of note, were assembled, in
council, as well as I could understand. After I was seated, and some
conversation had passed among them, Oree made a speech, and was answered
by another. I understood no more of either, than just to know it
regarded the robbery committed the day before. The chief then began to
assure me, that neither he, nor any one present (which were the
principal chiefs in the neighbourhood) had any hand in it; and desired
me to kill, with the guns, all those which had. I assured him that I was
satisfied that neither he, nor those present, were at all concerned in
the affair; and that I should do with the fellows as he desired, or any
others who were guilty of the like crimes. Having asked where the
fellows were, and desired they would bring them to me that I might do
with them as he had said; his answer was, they were gone to the
mountains, and he could not get them. Whether this was the case or not,
I will not pretend to say. I knew fair means would never make them
deliver them up; and I had no intention to try others. So the affair
dropt, and the council broke up.
In the evening, some of the gentlemen went to a dramatic entertainment.
The piece represented a girl as running away with us from Otaheite;
which was in some degree true; as a young woman had taken a passage with
us down to Ulietea, and happened now to be present at the representation
of her own adventures; which had such an effect upon her, that it was
with great difficulty our gentlemen could prevail upon her to see the
play out, or to refrain from tears while it was acting. The piece
concluded with the reception she was supposed to meet with from her
friends at her return; which was not a very favourable one. These people
can add little extempore pieces to their entertainments when they see
occasion. Is it not then reasonable to suppose that this was intended as
a satire against this girl, and to discourage others from following her
steps?
In the morning of the 18th Oree came on board with a present of fruit,
stayed dinner, and in the afternoon desired to see some great guns
fired, shotted, which I complied with. The reason of his making this
request was his hearing, from Oedidee and our Otaheitean passengers,
that we had so done at their island. The chief would have had us fire at
the hills; but I did not approve of that, lest the shot should fall
short, and do some mischief. Besides the effect was better seen in the
water. Some of the petty officers, who had leave to go into the country
for their amusement, took two of the natives with them to be their
guides, and to carry their bags, containing nails, hatchets, &c., the
current cash we traded with here; which the fellows made off with in the
following artful manner. The gentlemen had with them two musquets for
shooting birds. After a shower of rain, their guides pointed out some
for them to shoot. One of the musquets having missed fire several times,
and the other having gone off, the instant the fellows saw themselves
secure from both, they ran away, leaving the gentlemen gazing after them
with so much surprise, that no one had presence of mind to pursue them.
The 19th, showery morning; fair afternoon; nothing happened worthy of
note.
Early in the morning of the 20th, three of the officers set out on a
shooting party, rather contrary to my inclination; as I found the
natives, at least some of them, were continually watching every
opportunity to rob straggling parties, and were daily growing more
daring. About three o’clock in the afternoon, I got intelligence that
they were seized and stripped of every thing they had about them. Upon
this I immediately went on shore with a boat’s crew, accompanied by Mr.
Forster, and took possession of a large house with all its effects, and
two chiefs, whom I found in it; but this we did in such a manner that
they hardly knew what we were about, being unwilling to alarm the
neighbourhood. In this situation I remained till I heard the officers
had got back safe, and had all their things restored to them: then I
quitted the house; and presently after every thing in it was carried
off. When I got on board I was informed of the whole affair by the
officers themselves. Some little insult on their part induced the
natives to seize their guns, on which a scuffle ensued, some chiefs
interfered, took the officers out of the crowd, and caused every thing
which had been taken from them to be restored. This was at a place where
we had before been told, that a set of fellows had formed themselves
into a gang, with a resolution to rob every one who should go that way.
It should seem, from what followed, that the chief could not prevent
this, or put a stop to these repeated outrages. I did not see him this
evening, as he was not come into the neighbourhood when I went on board;
but I learnt from Oedidee that he came soon after, and was so concerned
at what had happened that he wept.
Day-light no sooner broke upon us on the 21st, than we saw upwards of
sixty canoes under sail going out of the harbour, and steering over for
Ulietea. On our inquiring the reason, we were told that the people in
them were _Eareeoies_, and were going to visit their brethren in the
neighbouring isles. One may almost compare these men to freemasons; they
tell us they assist each other when need requires; they seem to have
customs among them which they either will not, or cannot explain.
Oedidee told us he was one; Tupia was one; and yet I have not been able
to get any tolerable idea of this set of men, from either of them.
Oedidee denies that the children they have by their mistresses are put
to death, as we understood from Tupia and others. I have had some
conversation with Omai on this subject, and find that he confirms every
thing that is said upon it in the narrative of my former voyage.
Oedidee, who generally slept on shore, came off with a message from
Oree, desiring I would land with twenty-two men, to go with him, to
chastise the robbers. The messenger brought with him by way of assisting
his memory, twenty-two pieces of leaves, a method customary amongst
them. On my receiving this extraordinary message, I went to the chief
for better information; and all I could learn of him was, that these
fellows were a sort of banditti, who had formed themselves into a body
with a resolution of seizing and robbing our people wherever they found
them, and were now armed for that purpose: for which reason he wanted me
to go along with him to chastise them. I told him, if I went, they would
fly to the mountains; but he said they were resolved to fight us, and
therefore desired I would destroy both them and their house; but begged
I would spare those in the neighbourhood, as also the canoes and the
_Whenooa_. By way of securing these, he presented me with a pig as a
peace-offering for the _Whenooa_. It was too small to be meant for any
thing but a ceremony of this kind. This sensible old chief could see
(what, perhaps, none of the others ever thought of) that every thing in
the neighbourhood was at our mercy, and therefore took care to secure
them by this method, which I suppose to be of weight with them. When I
returned on board, I considered of the chief’s request, which, upon the
whole, appeared an extraordinary one. I, however, resolved to go, lest
these fellows should be (by our refusal) encouraged to commit greater
acts of violence; and, as their proceeding would soon reach Ulietea,
where I intended to go next, the people there might be induced to treat
us in the same manner, or worse, they being more numerous. Accordingly,
I landed with forty-eight men, including officers, Mr. Forster, and some
others of the gentlemen. The chief joined us with a few people, and we
began to march, in search of the banditti, in good order. As we
proceeded, the chief’s party increased like a snow-ball. Oedidee, who
was with us, began to be alarmed, observing, that many of the people in
our company were of the very party we were going against, and at last
telling us that they were only leading us to some place where they could
attack us to advantage. Whether there was any truth in this, or it was
only Oedidee’s fears, I will not pretend to say. He, however, was the
only person we could confide in, and we regulated our motions according
to the information he had given us. After marching some miles we got
intelligence that the men we were going after had fled to the mountains;
but I think this was not till I had declared to the chief I would
proceed no farther. For we were then about crossing a deep valley,
bounded on each side by steep rocks, where a few men, with stones only,
might have made our retreat difficult, if their intentions were what
Oedidee had suggested, and which he still persisted in. Having come to a
resolution to return, we marched back in the same order as we went, and
saw, in several places, people, who had been following us, coming down
from the sides of the hills with their arms in their hands, which they
instantly quitted and hid in the bushes, when they saw they were
discovered by us. This seemed to prove that there must have been some
foundation for what Oedidee had said; but I cannot believe the chief had
any such design, whatever the people might have. In our return we halted
at a convenient place to refresh ourselves. I ordered the people to
bring us some cocoa-nuts, which they did immediately. Indeed, by this
time, I believe many of them wished us on board out of the way; for
although no one step was taken that could give them the least alarm,
they certainly were in terror. Two chiefs brought each of them a pig, a
dog, and some young plantain trees, the usual peace-offerings, and, with
due ceremony, presented them singly to me. Another brought a very large
hog, with which he followed us to the ship. After this we continued our
course to the landing place, where I caused several vollies to be fired,
to convince the natives that we could support a continual fire. This
being done, we all embarked and went on board; and soon after the chief
following, brought with him a quantity of fruit, and sat down with us to
dinner. We had scarce dined before more fruit was brought us by others,
and two hogs; so that we were likely to make more by this little
excursion than by all the presents we had made them. It certainly gave
them some alarm to see so strong a party of men march into their
country; and probably gave them a better opinion of fire-arms than they
had before. For I believe they had but an indifferent, or rather
contemptible idea of musquets in general, having never seen any fired
but at birds, &c. by such of our people as used to straggle about the
country, the most of them but indifferent marksmen, losing generally two
shots out of three, their pieces often missing fire, and being slow in
charging. Of all this they had taken great notice, and concluded, as
well they might, that fire-arms were not so terrible things as they had
been taught to believe.
When the chiefs took leave in the evening, they promised to bring us the
next day a very large supply of provisions. In the article of fruit they
were as good as their word, but of hogs, which we most wanted, they
brought far less than we expected. Going ashore in the afternoon, I
found the chief just sitting down to dinner. I cannot say what was the
occasion of his dining so late. As soon as he was seated, several people
began chewing the pepper-root; about a pint of the juice of which,
without any mixture, was the first dish, and was dispatched in a moment.
A cup of it was presented to me; but the manner of brewing it was at
this time sufficient. Oedidee was not so nice, but took what I refused.
After this the chief washed his mouth with cocoa-nut-water; then he eat
of repe, plantain, and mahee, of each not a little; and lastly finished
his repast by eating, or rather drinking, about three pints of _popoie_;
which is made of bread-fruit, plantains, mahee, &c. beat together and
diluted with water till it is of the consistence of a custard. This was
at the outside of his house in the open air; for at this time, a play
was acting within, as was done almost every day in the neighbourhood;
but they were such poor performances that I never attended. I observed
that, after the juice had been squeezed out of the chewed pepper-root
for the chief, the fibres were carefully picked up and taken away by one
of his servants. On my asking what he intended to do with it, I was told
he would put water to it, and strain it again. Thus he would make what I
will call small beer.
The 23d, wind easterly, as it had been ever since we left Otaheite.
Early in the morning, we unmoored, and at eight weighed and put to sea.
The good old chief was the last man who went out of the ship. At parting
I told him we should see each other no more; at which he wept, and said,
“Let your sons come, we will treat them well.” Oree is a good man, in
the utmost sense of the word; but many of the people are far from being
of that disposition, and seem to take advantage of his old age;
Teraderre his grandson and heir being yet but a youth. The gentle
treatment the people of this isle ever met with from me, and the
careless and imprudent manner in which many of our people had rambled
about in the country, from a vain opinion that fire-arms rendered them
invincible, encouraged many at Huaheine, to commit acts of violence,
which no man at Otaheite ever durst attempt.
During our stay here we got bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, &c. more than we
could well consume, but not hogs enough, by far to supply our daily
expence; and yet it did not appear that they were scarce in the isle. It
must, however, be allowed, that the number we took away, when last here,
must have thinned them greatly, and at the same time, stocked the isle
with our articles. Besides, we now wanted a proper assortment of trade;
what we had being nearly exhausted, and the few remaining red feathers
being here but of little value, when compared to the estimation they
stand in at Otaheite. This obliged me to set the smiths to work to make
different sorts of iron tools, nails, &c. In order to enable me to
procure refreshments at the other isles, and to support my credit and
influence among the natives.
CHAP. XV.
ARRIVAL AT ULIETEA, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE RECEPTION WE MET WITH THERE,
AND THE SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHICH HAPPENED DURING OUR STAY. A REPORT OF
TWO SHIPS BEING AT HUAHEINE. PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE THE ISLAND, AND THE
REGRET THE INHABITANTS SHEWED ON THE OCCASION. THE CHARACTER OF OEDIDEE,
WITH SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE ISLANDS.
As soon as we were clear of the harbour, we made sail, and stood over
for the south end of Ulietea. Oree took the opportunity to send a man
with a message to Opoony. Being little wind all the latter part of the
day, it was dark before we reached the west side of the isle, where we
spent the night. The same light variable wind continued till ten o’clock
next morning, when the trade-wind at East prevailed, and we ventured to
ply up to the harbour, first sending a boat to lie in anchorage in the
entrance. After making a few trips, we got before the channel, and with
all our sails set, and the head-way the ship had acquired, shut her in
as far as she would go; then dropped the anchor, and took in the sails.
This is the method of getting into most of the harbours which are on the
lee-side of these isles; for the channels, in general, are too narrow to
ply in. We were now anchored between the two points of the reef which
form the entrance; each not more than two-thirds the length of a cable
from us, and on which the sea broke with such height and violence, as,
to people less acquainted with the place, would have been terrible.
Having all our boats out with anchors and warps in them, which were
presently run out, the ship warped into safety, where we dropped anchor
for the night. While this work was going forward, my old friend Oreo the
chief, and several more, came to see us. The chief came not empty.
Next day we warped the ship into, and moored her in, a proper birth, so
as to command all the shores around us. In the mean time a party of us
went ashore to pay the chief a visit, and to make the customary present.
At our first entering his house, we were met by four or five old women,
weeping and lamenting, as it were, most bitterly, and at the same
cutting their heads, with instruments made of sharks teeth, till the
blood ran plentifully down their faces and on their shoulders. What was
still worse, we were obliged to submit to the embraces of these old
hags, and by that means were all besmeared with blood. This ceremony
(for it was merely such) being over, they went out, washed themselves,
and immediately after appeared as cheerful as any of the company. Having
made some little stay, and given my present to the chief and his
friends, he put a hog and some fruit into my boat, and came on board
with us to dinner. In the afternoon, we had a vast number of people and
canoes about us, from different parts of the island. They all took up
their quarters in our neighbourhood, where they remained feasting for
some days. We understood the most of them were _Eareoys_.
The 26th afforded nothing remarkable, excepting that Mr. Forster, in his
botanical excursions, saw a burying-place for dogs, which they called
_Marai no te Oore_. But, I think, we ought not to look upon this as one
of their customs; because few dogs die a natural death, being generally,
if not always, killed and eaten, or else given as an offering to the
gods. Probably this might be a _Marai_ or altar, where this sort of
offering was made; or it might have been the whim of some person to have
buried his favourite dog in this manner. But be it as it will, I cannot
think it is a general custom in the nation; and, for my own part, I
neither saw nor heard of such a thing before.
Early in the morning of the 27th, Oreo, his wife, son, daughter, and
several more of his friends, made us a visit and brought with them a
good quantity of all manner of refreshments; little having as yet been
got from any body else. They staid dinner; after which a party of us
accompanied them on shore, where we were entertained with a play, called
_Mididdij Harramy_, which signifies the _Child is coming_. It concluded
with the representation of a woman in labour, acted by a set of great
brawny fellows, one of whom at last brought forth a strapping boy, about
six feet high, who ran about the stage, dragging after him a large wisp
of straw which hung by a string from his middle. I had an opportunity of
seeing this acted another time, when I observed, that the moment they
had got hold of the fellow who represented the child, they flattened or
pressed his nose. From this I judged, that they do so by their children
when born, which may be the reason why all in general have flat noses.
This part of the play, from its newness, and the ludicrous manner in
which it was performed, gave us, the first time we saw it, some
entertainment, and caused a loud laugh, which might be the reason why
they acted it so often afterwards. But this, like all their other
pieces, could entertain us no more than once; especially as we could
gather little from them, for want of knowing more of their language.
The 28th was spent by me in much the same manner as the preceding day,
viz. in entertaining my friends, and being entertained by them. Mr.
Forster and his party in the country botanizing.
Next morning, we found several articles had been stolen out of our boats
lying at the buoy, about sixty or seventy yards from the ship. As soon
as I was informed of it, I went to the chief to acquaint him therewith.
I found that he not only knew they were stolen, but by whom, and where
they were; and he went immediately with me in my boat in pursuit of
them. After proceeding a good way along shore, towards the south end of
the island, the chief ordered us to land near some houses, where we did
not wait long before all the articles were brought to us, except the
pinnace’s iron tiller, which I was told was still farther off. But, when
I wanted to go after it, I found the chief unwilling to proceed; and he
actually gave me the slip, and retired into the country. Without him I
knew I could do nothing. The people began to be alarmed when they saw I
was for going farther; by which I concluded that the tiller was out of
their reach also. I therefore sent one of them to the chief to desire
him to return. He returned accordingly; when we sat down, and had some
victuals set before us; thinking perhaps that, as I had not breakfasted,
I must be hungry, and not in a good-humour. Thus I was amused till two
hogs were produced, which they intreated me to accept. This I did, and
then their fears vanished; and I thought myself not ill off in having
gotten two good hogs for a thing which seemed to be quite out of my
reach. Matters being thus settled, we returned on board, and had the
company of the chief and his son to dinner. After that we all went
ashore, where a play was acted for the entertainment of such as would
spend their time in looking at it. Besides these plays, which the chief
caused frequently to be acted, there were a set of strolling players in
the neighbourhood, who performed every day. But their pieces seemed to
be so much alike, that we soon grew tired of them; especially as we
could not collect any interesting circumstances from them. We, our ship,
and our country, were frequently brought on the stage; but on what
account I know not. It can hardly be doubted, that this was designed as
a compliment to us, and probably not acted but when some of us were
present. I generally appeared at Oreo’s theatre towards the close of the
play, and twice at the other, in order to give my mite to the actors.
The only actress at Oreo’s theatre was his daughter, a pretty brown
girl, at whose shrine, on these occasions, many offerings were made by
her numerous votaries. This, I believe, was one great inducement to her
father’s giving us these entertainments so often.
Early in the morning of the 30th, I set out with the two boats,
accompanied by the two Mr. Forsters, Oedidee, the chief, his wife, son,
and daughter, for an estate which Oedidee called his, situated at the
north end of the island. There I was promised to have hogs and fruit in
abundance; but when we came there we found that poor Oedidee could not
command one single thing, whatever right he might have to the _Whenooa_,
which was now in possession of his brother, who soon after we landed,
presented to me, with the usual ceremony, two pigs. I made him a very
handsome present in return, and Oedidee gave him every thing he had left
of what he had collected the time he was with us.
After this ceremony was over, I ordered one of the pigs to be killed and
dressed for dinner, and attended myself to the whole operation, which
was as follows: They first strangled the hog, which was done by three
men; the hog being placed on his back, two of them laid a pretty strong
stick across his throat, and pressed with all their weight on each end;
the third man held his hind legs, kept him on his back, and plugged up
his fundament with grass, I suppose to prevent any air from passing or
repassing that way. In this manner they held him for about ten minutes
before he was quite dead. In the mean time, some hands were employed in
making a fire, to heat the oven, which was close by. As soon as the hog
was quite dead, they laid him on the fire, and burnt or singed the hair,
so that it came off with almost the same ease as if it had been scalded.
As the hair was got off one part, another was applied to the fire till
they had got off the whole, yet not so clean but that another operation
was necessary; which was to carry it to the sea-side, and there give it
a good scrubbing with sandy stones, and sand. This brought off all the
scurf, &c. which the fire had left on. After well washing off the sand
and dirt, the carcase was brought again to the former place, and laid on
clean green leaves, in order to be opened. They first ripped up the skin
of the belly, and took out the fat or lard from between the skin and the
flesh, which they laid on a large green leaf. The belly was then ripped
open, and the entrails taken out and carried away in a basket, so that I
know not what became of them; but am certain they were not thrown away.
The blood was next taken out and put into a large leaf, and then the
lard, which was put to the other fat. The hog was now washed clean, both
inside and out, with fresh water, and several hot stones put into his
belly, which were shaken in under the breast, and green leaves crammed
in upon them. By this time the oven was sufficiently heated; what fire
remained was taken away, together with some of the hot stones; the rest
made a kind of pavement in the bottom of the hole or oven, and were
covered with leaves on which the hog was placed on his belly. The lard
and fat, after being washed with water, were put into a vessel, made
just then of the green bark of a plantain tree, together with two or
three hot stones, and placed on one side the hog. A hot stone was put to
the blood, which was tied up in the leaf, and put into the oven; as also
bread-fruits and plantains. Then the whole was covered with green
leaves, on which were laid the remainder of the hot stones; over them
were leaves; then any sort of rubbish they could lay their hands on;
finishing the operation by well covering the whole with earth. While the
victuals were baking, a table was spread with green leaves on the floor,
at one end of a large boat-house. At the close of two hours and ten
minutes, the oven was opened, and all the victuals taken out. Those of
the natives who dined with us, sat down by themselves, at one end of the
table, and we at the other. The hog was placed before us, and the fat
and blood before them, on which they chiefly dined, and said it was
_Mamity_, very good victuals; and we not only said, but thought the same
of the pork. The hog weighed about fifty pounds. Some parts about the
ribs I thought rather overdone; but the more fleshy parts were
excellent; and the skin, which by our way of dressing can hardly be
eaten, had, by this method, a taste and flavour superior to any thing I
ever met with of the kind. I have now only to add, that during the whole
of the various operations, they exhibited a cleanliness well worthy of
imitation. I have been the more particular in this account, because I do
not remember that any one of us had seen the whole process before; nor
is it well described in the narrative of my former voyage.
While dinner was preparing, I took a view of this _Whenooa_ of Oedidee.
It was small, but a pleasant spot; and the houses were so disposed as to
form a very pretty village, which is very rarely the case at these
isles. Soon after we had dined, we set out for the ship, with the other
pig, and a few races of plantains, which proved to be the sum total of
our great expectations.
In our return to the ship, we put ashore at a place where, in the corner
of a house, we saw four wooden images, each two feet long, standing on a
shelf, having a piece of cloth round their middle, and a kind of turban
on their heads, in which were stuck long cocks feathers. A person in the
house told us they were, _Eatua no te Toutou_, gods of the servants or
slaves. I doubt if this be sufficient to conclude that they pay them
divine worship, and that the servants or slaves are not allowed the same
gods as men of more elevated rank. I never heard that Tupia made any
such distinction, or that they worshipped any visible thing whatever.
Besides, these were the first wooden gods we had seen in any of the
isles; and all the authority we had for their being such, was the bare
word of perhaps a superstitious person, and whom we were likewise liable
to misunderstand. It must be allowed that the people of this isle are,
in general, more superstitious than at Otaheite. At the first visit I
made the chief after our arrival, he desired I would not suffer any of
my people to shoot herons and wood-peckers; birds as sacred with them as
robin-red breasts, swallows, &c. are with many old women in England.
Tupia, who was a priest, and well acquainted with their religion,
customs, traditions, &c., paid little or no regard to these birds. I
mention this because some amongst us were of opinion that these birds
are their _Eatuas_, or gods. We, indeed, fell into this opinion when I
was here in 1769, and into some others still more absurd, which we had
undoubtedly adopted if Tupia had not undeceived us. A man of his
knowledge and understanding we have not since met with, and consequently
have added nothing to his account of their religion, but superstitious
notions.
The people knowing that we should sail soon, began, on the 31st, to
bring on board more fruit than usual. Amongst those who came was a young
man who measured six feet four inches and six-tenths; and his sister,
younger than him, measured five feet ten inches and an half. A brisk
trade for hogs and fruit continued on the 1st of June. On the 2d, in the
afternoon, we got intelligence that, three days before, two ships had
arrived at Huaheine. The same report said the one was commanded by Mr.
Banks, and the other by Captain Furneaux. The man, who brought the
account, said he was made drunk on board one of them, and described the
persons of Mr. Banks and Captain Furneaux so well, that I had not the
least doubt of the truth, and began to consider about sending a boat
over that very evening, with orders to Captain Furneaux, when a man, a
friend of Mr. Forster, happened to come on board, and denied the whole,
saying it was _wa warre_, a lie. The man from whom we had the
intelligence was now gone, so that I could not confront them, and there
were none else present who knew any thing about it but by report; so
that I laid aside sending over a boat till I should be better informed.
This evening we entertained the people with fire-works, on one of the
little isles near the entrance of the harbour.
I had fixed on the next day for sailing, but the intelligence from
Huaheine put a stop to it. The chief had promised to bring the man on
board who first brought the account; but he was either not to be found,
or would not appear. In the morning, the people were divided in their
opinions; but in the afternoon all said it was a false report. I had
sent Mr. Clerke, in the morning, to the farthest part of the island, to
make inquiries there: he returned without learning any thing
satisfactory. In short, the report appeared now too ill-founded, to
authorise me to send a boat over, or to wait any longer here; and,
therefore, early in the morning of the 4th, I got every thing in
readiness to sail. Oreo, the chief, and his whole family, came on board,
to take their last farewell, accompanied by Oo-oo-rou, the _Earee de
hi_, and Boba the _Earee_ of Otaha, and several of their friends. None
of them came empty; but Oo-oo-rou brought a pretty large present, this
being his first and only visit. I distributed amongst them almost every
thing I had left. The very hospitable manner in which I had ever been
received by these people, had endeared them to me, and given them a just
title to every thing in my power to grant. I questioned them again about
the ships at Huaheine; and they all, to a man, denied that any were
there. During the time these people remained on board, they were
continually importuning me to return. The chief, his wife, and daughter,
but especially the two latter, scarcely ever ceased weeping. I will not
pretend to say whether it was real or feigned grief they shewed on this
occasion. Perhaps there was a mixture of both; but were I to abide by my
own opinion only, I should believe it was real. At last, when we were
about to weigh, they took a most affectionate leave. Oreo’s last request
was for me to return; when he saw he could not obtain that promise, he
asked the name of my _Marai_ (burying-place.) As strange a question as
this was, I hesitated not a moment to tell him Stepney; the parish in
which I live, when in London. I was made to repeat it several times over
till they could pronounce it: then, Stepney, _Marai no Toote_, was
echoed through an hundred mouths at once. I afterwards found the same
question had been put to Mr. Forster by a man on shore; but he gave a
different, and, indeed, more proper answer, by saying, no man, who used
the sea, could say where he should be buried. It is the custom at these
isles for all the great families to have burial-places of their own,
where their remains are interred. These go with the estate to the next
heir. The _Marai_ at Oparree at Otaheite, when Tootaha swayed the
sceptre, was called _Marai no Tootaha_; but now it is called _Marai no
Otoo_. What greater proof could we have of these people esteeming us as
friends, than their wishing to remember us, even beyond the period of
our lives? They had been repeatedly told that we should see them no
more; they then wanted to know where we were to mingle with our parent
dust.
As I could not promise, or even suppose, that more English ships would
be sent to those isles, our faithful companion Oedidee chose to remain
in his native country. But he left us with a regret fully demonstrative
of the esteem he bore to us; nor could any thing, but the fear of never
returning, have torn him from us. When the chief teased me so much about
returning, I sometimes gave such answers as left them hopes. Oedidee
would instantly catch at this, take me on one side, and ask me over
again. In short, I have not words to describe the anguish which appeared
in this young man’s breast, when he went away. He looked up at the ship,
burst into tears, and then sunk down into the canoe. The maxim that a
prophet has no honour in his own country, was never more fully verified
than in this youth. At Otaheite he might have had any thing that was in
their power to bestow; whereas here he was not in the least noticed. He
was a youth of good parts, and, like most of his countrymen, of a
docile, gentle, and humane disposition; but, in a manner, wholly
ignorant of their religion, government, manners, customs, and
traditions; consequently, no material knowledge could have been gathered
from him, had I brought him away. Indeed, he would have been a better
specimen of the nation, in every respect, than Omai. Just as Oedidee was
going out of the ship, he asked me to _Tatou_ some _Parou_ for him, in
order to show the commanders of any other ships which might stop here. I
complied with his request, gave him a certificate of the time he had
been with us, and recommended him to the notice of those who might touch
at the island after me.
We did not get clear of our friends till eleven o’clock, when we
weighed, and put to sea; but Oedidee did not leave us till we were
almost out of the harbour. He stayed in order to fire some guns; for it
being His Majesty’s birth-day, we fired the salute at going away.
When I first came to these islands, I had some thought of visiting
Tupia’s famous Bolabola. But as I had now got on board a plentiful
supply of all manner of refreshments, and the route I had in view
allowing me no time to spare, I laid this design aside, and directed my
course to the west; taking our final leave of these happy isles, on
which benevolent nature has spread her luxuriant sweets with a lavish
hand. The natives, copying the bounty of nature, are equally liberal;
contributing plentifully and cheerfully to the wants of navigators.
During the six weeks we had remained at them, we had fresh pork, and all
the fruits which were in season, in the utmost profusion; besides fish
at Otaheite, and fowls at the other isles. All these articles we got in
exchange for axes, hatchets, nails, chissels, cloth, red feathers,
beads, knives, scissars, looking-glasses, &c. articles which will ever
be valuable here. I ought not to omit shirts as a very capital article
in making presents; especially with those who have any connexions with
the fair sex. A shirt here is full as necessary as a piece of gold in
England. The ladies at Otaheite, after they had pretty well stripped
their lovers of shirts, found a method of clothing themselves with their
own cloth. It was their custom to go on shore every morning, and to
return on board in the evening, generally clad in rags. This furnished a
pretence to importune the lover for better clothes; and when he had no
more of his own, he was to dress them in new cloth of the country, which
they always left ashore; and appearing again in rags, they must again be
clothed. So that the same suit might pass through twenty different
hands, and be as often sold, bought, and given away.
Before I finish this account of these islands, it is necessary to
mention all I know concerning the government of Ulietea and Otaha. Oreo,
so often mentioned, is a native of Bolabola; but is possessed of
_Whenooas_ or lands at Ulietea; which, I suppose, he, as well as many of
his countrymen, got at the conquest. He resides here as Opoony’s
lieutenant; seeming to be vested with regal authority, and to be the
supreme magistrate in the island. Oo-oo-rou, who is the _Earee_ by
hereditary right, seems to have little more left him than the bare
title, and his own _Whenooa_ or district, in which, I think, he is
sovereign. I have always seen Oreo pay him the respect due to his rank;
and he was pleased when he saw me distinguish him from others.
Otaha, so far as I can find, is upon the very same footing. Boba and Ota
are the two chiefs; the latter I have not seen; Boba is a stout,
well-made young man; and we are told, is, after Opoony’s death, to marry
his daughter, by which marriage he will be vested with the same regal
authority as Opoony has now; so that, it should seem, though a woman may
be vested with regal dignity, she cannot have regal power. I cannot find
that Opoony has got any thing to himself by the conquest of these isles,
any farther than providing for his nobles, who have seized on best part
of the lands. He seems to have no demand on them for any of the many
articles they have had from us. Oedidee has several times enumerated to
me all the axes, nails, &c. which Opoony is possessed of, which hardly
amount to as many as he had from me when I saw him in 1769. Old as this
famous man is, he seems not to spend his last days in indolence. When we
first arrived here, he was at Maurana; soon after, he returned to
Bolabola; and we were now told, he was gone to Tubi.
I shall conclude this account of these islands, with some observations
on the watch which Mr. Wales hath communicated to me. At our arrival in
Matavai Bay in Otaheite, the longitude pointed out by the watch was 2°
8ʹ 38-1/2ʺ too far to the west; that is, it had gained, since our
leaving Queen Charlotte’s Sound, of its then rate of going, 8ʹ 34-1/2ʺ.
This was in about five months, or rather more, during which time it had
passed through the extremes of cold and heat. It was judged that half
this error arose after we left Easter Island; by which it appeared that
it went better in the cold than in the hot climates.
END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.
LONDON:
Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode,
New-Street-Square.
Footnotes
Footnote 1:
See Wafer’s Description of the Isthmus of Darien.
Footnote 2:
In the account given of St. Helena in the narrative of my former
voyage I find two mistakes. Its inhabitants are far from exercising a
wanton cruelty over their slaves; and they have had wheel-carriages
and porters’ knots for many years.
Footnote 3:
This custom is not peculiar to the inhabitants of the Friendly Isles.
See Recherches Philosophiques sur les Americains, tom. ii. p. 253, &c.
Footnote 4:
See Dalrymple’s Collection of Voyages, vol. ii.
Footnote 5:
Vol. I. p. 61. to 73.
Transcriber’s Note
This book uses inconsistent spelling and hyphenation, which were
retained in the ebook version. Some corrections have been made to the
text, including normalizing punctuation. Further corrections are noted
below:
p. 9: Commodore Bougainvill -> Commodeore Bougainville
p. 16: purhased -> purchased
p. 32: and and soon after -> and soon after
p. 38: Mr. Sparman -> Mr. Sparrman
p. 45: under an easy sale -> under an easy sail
p. 47: with much difficuly -> with much difficulty
p. 70 which accordingly hapened -> which accordingly happened
p. 71: similar so those -> similar to those
p. 89: Lieutenants Clerke and Edgcumb -> Lieutenants Clerke and Edgcumbe
p. 123: with much diffiulty -> with much difficulty
p. 146-147: lon-longitude -> longitude
p. 159: our principal freinds -> our principal friends
p. 174: I went to Oree to to -> I went to Oree to
p. 205: should be purchasesd -> should be purchased
p. 219: many of them are meer points -> many of them are mere points
p. 232: Queen Charlotte’s Souud -> Queen Charlotte’s Sound
p. 249: a readiness to to oblige -> a readiness to oblige
p. 255: having a favourble gale -> having a favourable gale
p. 267: antartic peterel -> antarctic peterel
p. 268: in the latiude of -> in the latitude of
p. 268: the the third time -> the third time
p. 268: within the antartic polar circle -> within the antarctic polar
circle
p. 281: Lieutenants Pickersgill and Edgecumbe -> Lieutenants Pickersgill
and Edgcumbe
p. 293: built of of many pieces -> built of many pieces
p. 298: between the the two last -> between the two last
p. 308: the affiinity of their language -> the affinity of their
language
p. 312: A DESCRIPTION OE -> A DESCRIPTION OF
p. 327: picture of the the fleet -> picture of the fleet
p. 331: nevertheless carrried with it -> nevertheless carried with it
p. 340: by couching a little -> by crouching a little
p. 350: given away at at this isle -> given away at this isle
p. 353: went down to Oparee -> went down to Oparree
p. 367: liable to misundertand -> liable to misunderstand
p. 383: their last farewel -> their last farewell