MARAITATA, the _burying place of men_, and his father was called
PAHAIREDE, _the stealer of boats_. Notwithstanding their names were so
ominous, they gave the Captain and Mr. Banks a very civil reception;
furnished them with provisions, and sold them a large hog for a hatchet.
The curiosity of the natives was soon excited, and a crowd gathered
round the English gentlemen, but they saw only two people whom they
knew, neither did they observe any trinkets that had come out of the
Endeavour, though they met with several European commodities,
particularly two twelve pound shot, one of which had the English broad
arrow upon it, though the Indians said they had them from M.
Bougainville’s people. They then advanced till they reached the
district, which was under the dominion of the principal Chief, or King,
named _Waheatua_, who had a son, but it was not known in whose hands the
sovereign power was lodged. Here they found a spacious verdant plain,
watered by a river of so great a width, that they were obliged to pass
it in a canoe, but their Indian followers swam over it with the greatest
facility. There was no house that appeared inhabited; but the ruins of
several large ones. Having continued their journey along the shore for a
considerable way, they at last saw the Chief, and with him an agreeable
young woman about two and twenty, named Toudidde. They were not
unacquainted with her name, as they had often heard it mentioned by the
natives; and they had great reason to suppose she was the Queen of this
peninsula.
In passing through this part of the island, they found it better
cultivated, and more improved than any they had hitherto met with;
though the houses were but few, and those very small, but there were a
great number of canoes which excelled any they had seen, both in size
and workmanship. The burial places were likewise numerous, being found
not only at every point, but at different places in the interior parts
of the island. These buildings nearly resembled, in form, those which
they had seen at Opouroenu, but they were neater, and adorned with
carvings of various figures; in one there was a cock, which was painted
in imitation of the natural colour of the feathers of that bird.
Notwithstanding the fertility of the country, and its being well
cultivated, scarce any bread-fruit was to be met with, and the
inhabitants subsisted chiefly upon a nut, called _abee_.
Finding themselves fatigued, they now took to their boat, and in the
evening landed on an island named Otooareite; being in want of some
refreshment, Mr. Banks went into the woods to try what he could obtain,
but it being dark, he met with no inhabitants and but one house, in
which he found only a bread-fruit, and a few of the nuts
before-mentioned; nor were they more successful in procuring provisions
the next morning.
Towards the southermost part of the island they found a good harbour,
formed by a reef, and the circumjacent country is remarkably fruitful.
At about three miles distant they landed, at a place where they found
several of the natives, with whom they were intimately acquainted. After
having, with a good deal of difficulty, obtained some cocoa-nuts, they
again embarked.
They landed again a little further to the east. Mathiabo, the Chief,
with whom they had no acquaintance, nor had ever seen before, soon came
to them, and supplied them with cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit. They also
purchased a hog of him for a glass bottle, which he took in preference
to every other thing that was offered him. They saw here a turkey cock
and a goose which the Dolphin left on the island, they were remarkably
fat, and seemed to be greatly admired by the Indians.
A very uncommon sight presented itself in a house near this place,
several human jaw-bones were fastened to a board of a semicircular form;
they seemed fresh, and had not lost any of their teeth; but Mr. Banks
could obtain no explanation of this mystery. Upon their quitting the
place, the Chief accompanied them, and piloted them over the shoals.
They opened the bay in the evening, on the north-west side of the
island, which corresponded with that on the south-east, in such a
manner, as to intersect the island at the isthmus.
Several canoes came off here with some very beautiful women, who
appeared to be desirous of their going on shore, to which they readily
assented. They met with a very friendly reception from the Chief, whose
name was Wiverou, who gave directions to some of his people to assist
them in dressing their provisions, which were now very plentiful, and
they supped at Wiverou’s house, in company with Mathiabo. Part of the
house was allotted for them to sleep in, and soon after supper they
retired to rest. Mathiabo having obtained a cloak from Mr. Banks, under
pretence of using it as a cover-let when he lay down, immediately made
off with it, unperceived by that gentleman or his companions. News
however of the robbery was soon brought them by one of the natives; in
consequence of which intelligence they sat out in pursuit of the thief,
but had proceeded a very little way before they were met by a person
bringing back the cloak, which Mathiabo had given up through fear.
The house, upon their return, was entirely deserted, and about four in
the morning the centinel gave the alarm, that the boat was missing. Mr.
Banks and the Captain were greatly astonished at this account, and ran
to the water-side, but though the morning was clear and star-light, no
boat was visible. Their situation was now extremely terrifying: the
party consisting of but four, with a single musket and two pocket
pistols, without a spare ball or a charge of powder. After remaining in
this distressful state of anxiety for a considerable time, dreading the
advantage the Indians would take of it, to their great joy, the boat,
which had been driven away by the tide, returned; Mr. Banks and his
companions no sooner breakfasted than they departed. This place is
situated on the north side of Tiarrabou, the south-east peninsula of the
island, about five miles east from the isthmus, with a harbour equal to
any in the island. It was fertile and populous, and the inhabitants
every where behaved with civility. The last district in Tiarrabou, in
which they landed, was governed by a Chief, named Omoe. He was building
a house, and was very desirous of purchasing a hatchet, but Mr. Banks
and the Captain had not one left. He would not trade for nails, and they
embarked; the Chief following them in a canoe with his wife, in hopes of
obtaining something useful to him. The Chief and his wife were
afterwards taken on board, and after having gone about three miles, they
desired to be put on shore, and their request was complied with, when
the Captain met with some of Omoe’s people, who had brought with them a
very large hog. The Chief agreed to exchange the hog for a large axe and
a nail, and to bring the beast to the fort in Port Royal Bay. This
resolution he came to after consulting with his wife; and Mr. Banks
judged the exchange to be very advantageous to the English, as the hog
was a remarkable fine one.
At this place they saw one of their Eatuas, or Gods, it was made of
wicker-work, and resembled the figure of a man; it was near seven feet
in height, and was covered with black and white feathers; on the head
were four protuberances, which the natives called _Tate ete_, or little
men.
Having taken their leave of Omoe, they set out on their return; after
rowing a few miles, they went on shore again, but saw nothing remarkable
except a sepulchral building, which was ornamented in an extraordinary
manner. The pavement, on which was built a pyramid, was very neat; at a
little distance there was an image of stone, very uncouthly carved,
which the natives seemed to hold in a great estimation.
They passed through the harbour, which was the only one fit for
shipping, on the south of Opoureonu, situated about five miles to the
westward of the isthmus, between two small islands not far from shore,
and within a mile of each other. They were now near the district, named
Paparra, which was governed by Oamo and Oberea, where they intended to
spend the night. Mr. Banks and his company landed about an hour before
it was dark, and found that they were both set out to pay them a visit
at the fort. They nevertheless slept at the house of Oberea, which,
though not large, was very neat; no inhabitant but her father was now in
possession of it, who shewed them much civility. They took this
opportunity of walking out to a point, upon which they had observed, at
a distance, some trees, called Etoa, which usually grow on the
burial-places of these people. They call these burying-grounds Morai,
which are also places of worship. They here saw an immense edifice,
which they found to be the Morai of Oamo and Oberea, which was by far
the most considerable piece of architecture to be found in the island.
It consisted of an enormous pile of stone work, raised in the form of a
pyramid, with a flight of steps on each side, something after the manner
of those little buildings, which are commonly erected in England to
place the pillars of sun dials upon; it was near two hundred and seventy
feet long, and about one-third as wide, and between forty and fifty feet
high.
[Illustration: _A Morai, or Burial Place._]
The foundation consisted of rock-stones, the steps of coral, and the
upper part of round pebbles, all of the same shape and size; the rock
and coral-stones were squared with the utmost neatness and regularity,
and the whole building appeared as compact and firm, as if it had been
erected by the best workmen in Europe. As the Indians were totally
destitute of iron utensils to shape their stones, as well as mortar to
cement them, when they had made them fit for use, a structure of such
heighth and magnitude, must have been a work of infinite labour and
fatigue.
In the center of the summit was the representation of a bird, carved in
wood; close to this was the figure of a fish; which was in stone. This
pyramid made part of one side of a wide court or square, the sides of
which were nearly equal; the whole was walled in, and paved with flat
stones. Within this place grew (notwithstanding it was in this manner
paved) several plantains, and trees which the natives call Etoa. At a
little distance to the west of this edifice was another paved square,
which contained several small stages, called by the natives Ewattas,
which appeared to be altars; upon them they place provisions, as
sacrifices to their gods: Mr. Banks afterwards observed whole hogs
placed upon these ewattas, or altars.
The inhabitants of the island of Otaheite seem in nothing so desirous of
excelling each other as in the grandeur and magnificence of their
sepulchres; and the rank and authority of Oberea was forcibly evinced
upon this occasion. The gentlemen of the Endeavour, it has been
observed, did not find Oberea possessed of the same power, as when the
Dolphin was at this place, and they were now informed of the cause. The
way from her house to the Morai, was by the sea-side, and they observed,
in all places as they passed along, a great number of human bones.
Inquiry being made into the cause of this extraordinary sight, they were
informed, that about four or five months before Captain Cook’s arrival,
the inhabitants of Tiarrabou, the peninsula to the south-east, made a
descent here, and slew many of the people, whose bones were those that
were seen upon the coast: that hereupon Oberea and Oamo, who then held
the government for his son, had fled and taken refuge in the mountains;
and that the victors destroyed all the houses, and pillaged the country.
Mr. Banks was also informed, that the turkey and goose which he had seen
in the district of Mathiabo, were among the booty; this afforded a
reason for their being found where the Dolphin had little or no
correspondence; and the jaw-bones, being mentioned, which had been seen
hanging in a house, he was informed, that they had likewise been carried
off as trophies. The jaw-bones of their enemies being considered by the
natives of this island, as great a mark of triumph, as scalps are by the
Indians of North America.
On Friday the 30th they arrived at Otahourou, where their old
acquaintance Tootahah resided; he received them with great civility, and
provided for them a good supper, and a convenient lodging; and
notwithstanding they were so shamefully plundered the last time, they
slept with this chief. They spent the night in the utmost security, none
of their cloaths, or any other article, being missing in the morning.
On Saturday, July 1, they returned to the fort at Port Royal Harbour;
having discovered the island, both peninsulas included, to be about one
hundred miles in circumference. They were now very much in want of
bread-fruit, owing to the scarcity of the season, and could obtain but a
very small quantity upon their whole tour.
Their Indian friends crouded about them upon their return, and none of
them came without provisions.
Monday the 3d, Mr. Banks made an excursion, with some Indian guides, to
trace the river up the valley to its source, and observe to what extent
its banks were inhabited. After meeting with houses for the space of six
miles, they came up to one which was said to be the last that could be
seen. The master of it presented them with cocoa-nuts and other fruits;
and after a short visit, they continued their walk. In this tour they
often passed under vaults, formed by rocky fragments, in which, they
were informed, that those who were benighted often took refuge. They
pursued the course of the river for about five or six miles further, and
found it banked on both sides by rocks which were almost perpendicular,
and near one hundred feet high, notwithstanding which, a way was to be
traced up these dreadful precipices, and their Indian guides offered to
conduct them by this path to the summit; but as it could not be effected
without the utmost difficulty and danger, and there appeared nothing at
the top to recompence them for the fatigue and hazard of the
undertaking, they declined attempting it.
Mr. Banks during this tour had a fine opportunity of searching for
minerals among the rocks, which were almost, on all sides, naked; he
found, however, not the smallest appearance of any kind of mineral. The
stones every where resembling those of Madeira, gave manifest signs of
having been burnt. Scarce a single stone was found during their whole
stay upon the island, which had not unquestionable marks of fire on it,
except the hatchet stone, and some of these were not entirely free from
it. There are also evident traces of fire in the clay upon the hills,
both of this and the neighbouring islands.
Mr. Banks was engaged the 4th in planting on each side of the fort a
great quantity of the seeds of water-melons, oranges, lemons, limes, and
other plants and trees which he had brought from Rio de Janeiro. He gave
of these seeds to the Indians in great plenty, and planted many of them
in the woods: some of the melon-seeds, which had been planted soon after
his arrival, had already produced plants which appeared to be in a very
flourishing state.
They now began to make preparations for their departure; but before they
set sail they had another visit from Oamo, Oberea, and their son and
daughter. The young woman, whose name they understood to be _Toimata_,
was very curious to see the fort, but Oamo would by no means permit her
to come in. The son of Waheatua, sovereign of Tiarrabou, or the
south-east peninsula, was also here at this time; and they received
intelligence of the arrival of another guest, whose company they neither
wished for nor expected; this was the Indian who had stolen the
quadrant.
On Friday the 7th, the carpenters were ordered to take down the gates
and pallisadoes of the fort, to be converted into firewood on board the
Endeavour; and one of the Indians stole the staple and hook belonging to
the gate: he was instantly pursued; but could not be found; and soon
after this, their old friend Tubora Tumaida brought back the staple.
They continued on the 8th and 9th to pull down the fort, and their
friends still visited them.
Captain Cook hoped now to quit the island, without any farther
misunderstanding with the natives; but in this he was mistaken. Two
foreign sailors having been out, one of them was robbed of his knife,
and striving to recover it, the Indians attacked and wounded him in a
dangerous manner with a stone; his companion also received a slight
wound in the head. As Captain Cook would have been unwilling to have
taken farther notice of the transaction, he was not sorry that the
offenders had made their escape. Another affair equally disagreeable
soon after happened. Between the 8th and 9th in the evening; two young
marines retired secretly from the fort, and in the morning were not to
be met with. Notice having been given for all the company to go on board
the next day, and that the ship would sail that day or the day ensuing,
Captain Cook began to fear that the marines intended to remain on shore.
He was apprised, that no effectual steps could be taken to recover them,
without risking the harmony and good fellowship which at present
subsisted between the English and the natives; and therefore resolved to
wait a day in hopes of their returning.
The 10th in the morning the marines not being returned, an enquiry was
made after them, when the Indians declared they did not propose
returning, having taken refuge in the mountains, where it was impossible
to discover them, and that each had taken a wife. In consequence of
which it was intimated to several of the Chiefs who were in the fort
with their women, among whom were Tubora Tumaida, Tomio and Oberea, that
they would not be suffered to quit it till the deserters were produced.
Captain Cook thought this precaution necessary, as, by concealing them a
short time, he might be compelled to go without them; they received the
intimation with very little signs either of fear or discontent, assuring
the Captain that the marines should be sent back. In the interim he sent
Mr. Hicks in the pinnace to bring Tootahah on board the ship, which he
executed without giving any alarm. Night coming on, Captain Cook judged
it was not prudent to let the people, whom he had detained as hostages,
remain at the fort, and he therefore ordered Tubora Tumaida, Oberea, and
some others, to be brought on board. This gave an unusual alarm, and
several of them, especially the females, testified their apprehensions
with great agitation of mind, and floods of tears, when they were coming
on board. Captain Cook went on board with them, Mr. Banks remaining on
shore with some others, whom he thought it of less importance to detain.
One of the marines was brought back in the evening by some of the
Indians, who reported, that the other, and the two people who were sent
to fetch them back, would be detained whilst Tootahah was confined. Mr.
Hicks was immediately dispatched in the long-boat, with several men, to
rescue the English prisoners; at the same time Captain Cook told
Tootahah, that it was incumbent on him to assist them with some of his
people, and to give orders, in his name, that the men should be set at
liberty, for that he should expect him to answer for the event. Tootahah
immediately complied, and this party recovered the men without any
opposition. About seven in the morning on the 11th they returned, but
without the arms which had been taken from them when they were made
prisoners: the arms were however brought on board soon after, and the
Chiefs were allowed to return on shore.
At the time the Chiefs were set on shore from the ship, those at the
fort were also released, and after remaining with Mr. Banks about an
hour and a half, they all returned to their respective places of
residence. When the deserters were examined, it was discovered, that the
account which the Indians had given was no way false: they had become
fond of two girls, and it was their design to keep themselves concealed
till the ship had let sail, and continue upon the island.
Tupia, whose name has been often mentioned in this voyage, had been
prime minister of Oberea, when she was at the pinnacle of her authority:
he was also the principal priest of the island, and therefore intimately
acquainted with the religion of the country. He was likewise deeply
versed in navigation, and was thoroughly acquainted with the number,
situation, inhabitants and produce of the adjacent islands. He had often
testified a desire to go with them; and on Wednesday the 12th, in the
morning, he came on board, with a boy about twelve years of age, his
servant, named Taiyota, and requested the gentlemen on board, to let him
go with them. As it was thought he would be useful to them in many
particulars, they unanimously agreed to comply with his request. Tupia
then went ashore for the last time to see his friends, and took with him
several baubles to give them as parting tokens of remembrance.
Mr. Banks being willing to obtain a drawing of the Morai, in possession
of Tootahah, at Eparre, Captain Cook accompanied him thither in the
pinnace, together with Dr. Solander. They immediately, upon landing,
repaired to Tootahah’s house, where they were met by Oberea, and several
others. A general good understanding prevailed, and they promised to
visit the gentlemen early the next day, to take leave of them, as they
were told that the ship would then set sail. There also they met Tupia,
who came back with them, and slept for the first time on board the ship.
Thursday the 13th of July, the ship was visited by a multitude of the
gentlemen’s friends, and surrounded by numberless canoes, which
contained the inferior natives. They weighed anchor about twelve, and
the Indians took their leaves of the gentlemen on board, weeping in a
friendly and affecting manner. Tupia supported himself in this scene
with a becoming fortitude, tears flowed from his eyes, its true, but the
effort that he made to conceal them did him additional honour. He went
with Mr. Banks to the mast-head, where he continued waving his hand to
the canoes as long as they remained visible.
The longitude of Port Royal Bay, as settled by Captain Wallis, was found
to be within half a degree of its real situation. Point Venus, the
northern extremity of the island, and the eastern point of the bay, lies
in the longitude 149 degrees 30 minutes. Port Royal Bay, which is equal
to any in Otaheite, may easily be discovered by a remarkable high
mountain in the center of the island, bearing due south from Point
Venus. The shore of the bay is a fine sandy beach, behind which runs a
river of fresh water; any number of ships may water here without any
inconvenience to each other. The only wood for firing, upon the whole
island, is that of fruit-trees, which must be purchased of the natives,
or it is impossible to live upon good terms with them.
According to Tupia’s account, the island could furnish above six
thousand fighting men, whereby a computation of the number of
inhabitants may easily be made.
The produce of Otaheite is bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, bananas, plantains;
a fruit not unlike an apple, potatoes, yams, cocoas, sugar-cane, and a
variety of other fruits and vegetables.
They have no European fruits, garden stuff, or pulse, nor grain of any
species. Their tame animals are hogs, dogs, and poultry; there is not a
wild animal in the island, except ducks, pigeons, parroquets, and a few
other birds; rats being the only quadruped, and there are no serpents.
The sea however supplies them with great variety of excellent fish.
With regard to the people, they are in general rather of a larger make
than Europeans. The males are tall, robust, and finely shaped. The
females of the superior class are likewise generally above our common
size; but those of the lower rank are rather below it, and some of them
are remarkably little.
Their natural complexion is a fine clear olive, or what we call
_brunette_, their skin is delicately smooth and agreeably soft. The
shape of their faces is in general handsome, and their eyes are full of
sensibility and expression, their teeth are likewise remarkably white
and regular, and their breath intirely free from any disagreeable smell;
their hair is for the most part black. The men, unlike the original
inhabitants of America, have long beards, which they wear in various
forms; and what is very remarkable, circumcision is almost universally
practised among them, from a motive of cleanliness; having a peculiar
term of reproach, with which they upbraid those who do not adopt this
custom. Both sexes always eradicate the hair from their arm-pits, and
they often reproached the English gentlemen with a want of cleanliness,
for not making use of the same method. Their motions are easy and
graceful, but not vigorous; their deportment is generous and open, and
their behaviour affable and courteous. They appeared of a brave, noble,
and candid disposition; equally strangers to the base and unworthy
passions of cruelty, treachery, or revenge, and setting aside their
violent prepensity to thieving, it may fairly be said, that their
general characters would lose nothing in the comparison with those of
the most civilized nation under the globe.