as the language used on the occasion was different from that spoken in
common, they were not able to obtain much information respecting it, but
from what little they could learn from their friend Tupia, these Indians
seemed to have adopted strange notions of the creation of the world;
imagining that every thing was derived from procreation, and the
conjunction of two persons. The supreme Deity, one of these two first
Beings, they call TAROATAIHETOOMOO; and the other, TEPAPA. The year
which is called TETTOWMATATAYO, is supposed to be the daughter of the
two first. They also imagine, that there is an inferior race of Deities,
whom they call EATUAS. They say, two of these Eatuas formerly inhabited
the earth, and that the first man descended from them.
They emphatically stile the supreme Being, the _Causer of Earthquakes_;
but their prayers are more generally addressed to _Tane_, supposed to be
a son of the first progenitors of nature.
They believe in the existence of the soul in a separate state, and that
there are two situations, differing in their degrees of happiness, which
they consider as receptacles for different ranks, but not as places of
reward and punishment; they suppose, that their Chiefs and principal
people will have the preference to those of inferior rank, as they
imagine their actions no way influence their future state, and that
their Deities take no cognizance of them whatsoever.
The office of priest is hereditary; there are several of them, and of
all ranks; the Chief is respected next to their Kings, and they are
superior to the rest of the natives not only in point of divine
knowledge, but also in that of navigation and astronomy.
[Illustration: _A Priest of the New Discovered Islands in the Habit of
his Order._
_Tataowing Instruments._
_Ornaments for the Ears_]
The priests here are no way concerned with the ceremony of marriage, it
being a simple agreement between the man and woman; and when they chuse
to separate, it is done with as little ceremony as that of their
marriage.
These people do not seem to be any way guilty of idolatry, as they
worship no kind of images whatever. They enter their morais with great
reverence and humility, and when they bring their offering to the altar,
their body is uncovered to the waist.
There is a subordination among them, that much resembles the early state
of every nation in Europe under the feudal system, which secured, to a
small number, the most unrestrained liberty, while the rest were abject
slaves.
Their ranks or orders are, _Earee rahie_, which signifies King; _Earee_,
Baron; _Manahouni_, Vassal; and _Toutou_, Villain. The Earee rahie, of
which there are two, one belonging to each of the peninsulas of which
this island consists, had great respect shewn them by all ranks. The
Earees are Lords of one or more of the districts, into which each of the
peninsulas is divided; and they separate their territories into lots,
which are given to the _Manahounies_, who respectively cultivate that
share which they hold under the baron. But they are only nominal
cultivators, this as well as all other laborious work being done by the
_Toutous_, or lower class of people.
The Sovereign or Earee rahie, and the Baron or Earee, are succeeded in
titles and honours by their children as soon as they are born, the
fathers being immediately divested of them; but they remain possessors
and managers of their estates.
In case of a general attack upon the island, every district, under the
command of an Earee, furnishes a proportionate number of fighting men
for the defence of the common cause, and they are commanded in chief by
the Earee rahie.--According to Tupia’s account, the number furnished by
the principal districts amounted to six thousand and upwards.
Slings, with which they are very dextrous, pikes headed with stone, and
long clubs made of wood, remarkably hard and heavy, constitute their
weapons. With these they fight with great obstinacy and cruelty, giving
no quarter to either man, woman or child, if they fall into their hands
in time of battle.
During the stay of the Endeavour, there was a perfect good understanding
between the Earee rahies of the two peninsulas, though the Earee rahie
of Tiarreboo, arrogated to himself the title of King of the whole
island; which the other considered, as it really was, a mere nominal
claim, and only a feather in his cap. There is nothing among them
substituted for money, or a general medium, by which every object may be
purchased or procured; neither can any permanent good be unlawfully
obtained by force or fraud; and the general commerce with women, sets
aside almost every excitement for committing adultery. In a word, in a
government so little polished, though distributive justice cannot be
regularly administered; as there can at the same time be but few crimes
for the exercise of it, the want of this justice is not so severely
felt, as it would be in more civilized societies.
Thursday July the 13th, after leaving the island of Otaheite, they
sailed with a gentle breeze and clear weather; and were informed by
Tupia, that four islands, which he called Huaheine, Ulietea, Otaha, and
Bolabola, were at the distance of about one or two days sail, and that
hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, which had lately been scarce, were
to be got there in abundance. They accordingly steered their course in
search of these islands, and on Saturday the 15th, discovered the island
of Huaheine; and on the 16th, in the morning, they sounded near the
north-west part of the island, but found no bottom with seventy fathom.
Several canoes immediately put off, but they appeared fearful of coming
near the ship, till they saw Tupia, which totally removed their
apprehensions,and they ventured to come alongside, and upon assurances
of friendship, the King of Huaheine and his Queen went on board.
Astonishment was testified by their Majesties at every thing that was
shewn them; yet they made no researches, and appeared satisfied with
what was presented to their observation, making no enquiry after any
other objects, though it was reasonable to suppose, that a building of
such novelty and extent as the ship must have afforded many curiosities.
The King, whose name was _Oree_, made a proposal to exchange names with
Captain Cook, which was readily assented to. The custom of exchanging
names is very prevalent in this island, and is considered as a mark of
friendship. They found the people here nearly similar to those of
Otaheite in almost every circumstance, except, if Tupia might be
credited, they were not addicted to thieving. Having come to an anchor
in a small but fine harbour, on the west side of the island, Captain
Cook went ashore, accompanied by Mr. Banks and some other gentlemen,
with Tupia and the King. The instant they landed, Tupia uncovered
himself as low as his waist, and desired Mr. Monkhouse to follow his
example. Being seated, he now begun a speech, which lasted about twenty
minutes; the King, who stood opposite to him, answering in what seemed
to be set replies. During this discourse he delivered, at different
times, a handkerchief, a black silk neckcloth, some beads and plantains,
as presents to their Eatua, or Deity. He received in return for the
Eatua, of the English, a hog, some young plantains, and two bunches of
feathers, which were carried on board. These ceremonies were considered
as a kind of ratification of a treaty between the English and the King
of Huaheine.
On the 17th they went again on shore, and walked up into the country,
the productions of which greatly resembled those of Otaheite; the rocks
and clay seemed, however, more burnt; the boat-houses were large, and
the other houses neat. The level part of the country affords the most
beautiful landscapes that the imagination can possibly form an idea of;
the soil is exceedingly fertile, and the shores are lined with fruit
trees of different kinds, particularly the cocoa-nut, which was seen in
great abundance.
They also went on shore on the 18th without Tupia, but his boy, whose
name was Tayota, accompanied them, and Mr. Banks proposed taking a more
perfect view of a kind of chest, or ark, which he had before observed;
the lid of this ark was sewed on in a peculiar manner, and thatched with
palm-nut leaves. It was placed upon two poles, and sustained on small
carved arches of wood, the poles served to remove it from one place to
another, in the manner of a sedan chair; it is very surprising, that
this chest was of a form greatly resembling the ark of the Lord among
the Jews; but what was still more extraordinary, the boy informed them,
that it was called _Ewharre no Eatua_, _the house of the God_, but he
could give no account of its meaning or utility: with some difficulty
they negotiated for eleven pigs, and were not without hopes of obtaining
more the next morning.
Wednesday the 19th, they carried some hatchets with them, with which
they procured three very large hogs. As they proposed to sail in the
afternoon, the King, accompanied by some others of the natives, came on
board to take his leave, when his Majesty received from Captain Cook a
small pewter plate, with the following inscription. “His Britannic
Majesty’s ship Endeavour, Lieutenant Cook Commander, 16 July, 1769.” He
also was presented with some medals, or counters, resembling the coin of
England, and a few other trifles.
This island is situated in the latitude of 16 degrees 43 minutes south,
and longitude 150 degrees 52 minutes west; it is distant from Otaheite
about thirty leagues, and is about twenty miles in circumference.
The productions of Huaheine, seem to be a month forwarder than those of
Otaheite, as they found by several of the fruits, &c. Mr. Banks met with
only a few new plants, but found a species of scorpion which he had not
seen before.
The people are of a very lazy disposition, though they are stouter and
larger made than those of Otaheite.
The women are much fairer than those of that island, and in general
exceedingly handsome: both men and women seemed less susceptible of
fear, and not so desirous of information.
From Huaheine they sailed for the island of Ulietea, and in the
afternoon came within a league or two of the shore. The next morning,
being the 20th, by the direction of Tupia, they anchored in a bay, which
is formed by a reef, on the north side of the island; two canoes of
natives soon came off from the shore, and brought with them two small
hogs, which they exchanged for some nails and beads. The Captain, Mr.
Banks, and some other gentlemen, now went on shore, accompanied by
Tupia, who introduced them with the same kind of ceremonies that had
taken place on their landing at Huaheine; after which, Capt. Cook took
possession of this and the adjacent islands in the name of the King of
Great Britain.
They then walked to a large Morai, which the natives called
_Tapodeboatea_; they found that it differed considerably from the Morais
of Otaheite, being composed of four walls, about eight or nine feet in
height, built of very large coral-stones, which surrounded an area about
thirty yards square: at a small distance they discovered an _Ewhatta_,
or altar, upon which, as an oblation, was placed a whole hog, about a
hundred pounds weight. At the front of this Morai, facing the sea, there
was a kind of amphitheatre. There were likewise three or four _Ewharee
no Eatua_, or houses of God, of the same kind as that which they saw at
Huaheine.
On Friday the 21st, the Master was sent in the long-boat to inspect the
coast on the south part of the island, and a Lieutenant was dispatched
in the yawl, to sound the harbour where the Endeavour lay, while the
Captain went in the pinnace to take a view of the coast on the north
part of the island; in their return they saw a tree, of the same kind as
that seen by Mr. Green at Otaheite, the circumference of the trunk, or
rather congeries of the roots of which measured about forty yards.
On the 22d and 23d it being hazy weather with brisk gales, Captain Cook
judged it rather unsafe to put to sea. On they 24th they got under sail,
and steered to the northward within the reef, towards an opening five or
six leagues distant; in effecting this, he was in the greatest danger of
striking on a rock; the man who sounded, crying out on a sudden, two
fathom, at which they were much alarmed, but happily got clear without
receiving any damage.
The bay in which the Endeavour lay at anchor is called _Oopoa_; it is
large enough to contain a great number of shipping, and is secured from
the sea by a reef of rocks. It lies off the eastermost point of the
island, and may be distinguished by a low woody island which lies to the
south-east of it.
The provisions of this island consist chiefly of cocoa-nuts, yams,
plantains, and a few hogs and fowls: that part of the country where they
landed is not so fruitful as either Otaheite or Huaheine.
On the 25th they were within a league or two of the island of Otaha, but
the wind continuing contrary, they could not get near enough to land
till the 28th in the morning, when Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went in
the long-boat, with the Master, to sound a harbour on the east side of
the island, which they found safe and convenient, with good anchorage.
They then went on shore, and purchased some hogs and fowls, and a large
quantity of yams and plantains.
This island appeared to be more barren than Ulietea, but the produce was
much the same. The natives paid them the compliment they used towards
their own Kings, by uncovering their shoulders, and wrapping their
cloaths round their bodies; taking care no one should omit doing the
same.
On the 29th they made sail to the northward, and at eight o’clock next
morning they were close under the high craggy peak of the island of
Bolabola. The island was inaccessible in this part, and they found it
impossible to weather the south end of it till late at night. The next
morning, Sunday the 30th, they discovered an island, which Tupia called
Maurua, who said it was small, surrounded by a reef, and without any
commodious harbour, but inhabited, and yielded nearly the same produce
as the adjacent islands. In the middle is a high round hill, which may
be seen at eleven or twelve leagues distance.
In the afternoon, finding themselves to windward of some harbours that
lay on the west side of Ulietea, they intended to put into one of them,
in order to stop a leak which they had sprung in the powder-room, and to
take in some additional ballast. The wind being right against them, they
plied on and off till the afternoon, of the 1st of August, when they
came to an anchor in the entrance of the channel which led into one of
the harbours.
Wednesday 2, in the morning, when the tide turned, they came into a
proper place for mooring, in twenty-eight fathom. In the interim many of
the natives came off, and brought hogs, fowls, and plantains, which were
purchased upon very moderate terms.
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went on shore, and spent the day very
agreeably; the natives shewing them great respect. Being conducted to
the houses of the chief people, they were received in an uncommon
manner. Upon their entrance into a house, they found those who had ran
hastily before them, standing on each side of a long matt, spread upon
the ground, and the family sitting at the further end of it. In one
house they observed some very young girls, dressed in the neatest
manner, who kept their places, waiting for the strangers to accost them:
these girls were the most beautiful the gentlemen had ever seen.
One of them, who was about seven or eight years old, was dressed in a
red gown, and her head was decorated with a great quantity of plaited
hair; this ornament is called _Tomou_, and is held in great estimation
among them. She was sitting at the upper end of one of their long mats,
on which none of the people present presumed to set a foot; and her head
was reclined on the arm of a decent looking woman, who appeared to be
her nurse; when Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander approached her, she stretched
out her hand to receive some beads, which they presented to her, with an
air of such dignity and gracefulness, as would have done honour to the
first princess in Europe.
Before their departure they were entertained with a dance, different
from any they had seen before. The performer put upon his head a large
piece of wicker-work, about four feet long, of a cylindrical form,
covered with feathers, and edged round with shark’s teeth. Having this
head-dress on, which is called a _Whou_, he began to dance with a slow
motion, frequently moving his head, so as to describe a circle with the
top of his wicker cap, and sometimes throwing it so near the faces of
the bye-standers, as to make them jump back; this they considered as an
excellent piece of humour, and it always produced a hearty laugh, when
practiced upon any of the English gentlemen.
On Thursday the 3d, as Mr. Banks and the Doctor were going along the
shore to the northward, with a design to purchase stock, they met with a
company of dancers, who retarded the progress of their excursion near
two hours, and afforded them much diversion. The company was composed of
six men and two women dancers, with three drums. They were informed,
that these dancers were some of the principal people of the island, and
though they were an itinerant troop, they did not, like the strolling
parties of Otaheite, receive any gratuity from the by-standers. The
women wore a considerable quantity of Tamou, or plaited hair, ornamented
with the flowers of the cape jessamine, which were stuck in with taste,
and made an elegant head dress. The womens necks, breasts and arms were
naked; the other parts of the body were covered with black cloth, which
was fastened close round them; and by the side of each breast, next the
arms, was a small plume of black feathers, worn like a nosegay.
[Illustration: _Representation of a Dance in the Island of Ulietea._]
Thus apparelled they advanced sideways, keeping time with great
exactness to the drums, which beat quick and loud; soon after, they
began to shake themselves in a very whimsical manner, and put their
bodies into a variety of strange postures, sometimes standing in a row
one behind another, sometimes sitting down, and at others falling with
their faces to the ground, and resting on their knees and elbows, moving
their fingers at the same time with a quickness scarcely to be credited.
The chief dexterity, however, of the dancers, as well as the amusement
of the spectators, consisted in the lasciviousness of their attitudes
and gestures, which decency forbids us to describe.
Between the dances of the women, a kind of dramatic interlude was
performed by the men, consisting of dialogue as well as dancing; but for
want of a sufficient knowledge of their language, they could not learn
the subject of this interlude.
Friday the 4th, Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and some other gentlemen, were
present at a more regular dramatic entertainment. The performers, who
were all men, were divided into two parties, one dressed in brown, and
the other in white, by way of distinction. Tupia being present, informed
them, that the party in brown acted the parts of a master and his
servants, and the party in white a gang of thieves; the master having
produced a basket of meat, which he gave in charge to his servants; the
white party exhibited a variety of expedients, in endeavouring to steal
this basket, and the brown set as many in preventing the accomplishment
of their design. After some time had been spent in this manner, those to
whom the basket was entrusted, laying themselves down on the ground
round it, pretended to fall asleep; the other party availing themselves
of this opportunity, stole gently upon them, and carried off their
booty; the servants awaking soon after discovered their loss, but they
made no search after the basket, and began to dance with as much
alacrity as before.
On Saturday the 5th, some hogs and fowls, and several large pieces of
cloth, many of them being fifty or sixty yards in length, together with
a quantity of plantains and cocoa-nuts, were sent to Captain Cook as a
present, from the Earee rahie of the island of Bolabola, accompanied
with a message, that he was then on the island, and intended waiting on
the Captain the next day.
On Sunday the 6th, the King of Bolabola did not visit them agreeable to
his promise, his absence, however, was not in the least regretted, as he
sent three very agreeable young women to demand something in return for
his present. After dinner, they set out to pay the King a visit on
shore, as he did not think proper to come on board. As this man was the
Earee rahie of the Bolabola men, who had conquered this, and were the
dread of all the neighbouring islands, they were greatly disappointed,
instead of finding a vigorous, enterprising young Chief, to see a poor
feeble decrepid old dotard, half blind, and sinking under the weight of
age and infirmities. He received them without either that state or
ceremony which they had hitherto met with among the other Chiefs.
On Wednesday the 9th, having stopped their leak, and taken on board
their fresh stock of provisions, they sailed out of the harbour. Tho’
they were several leagues distant from the island of Bolabola, Tupia
earnestly entreated Captain Cook, that a shot might be fired towards it;
which, to gratify him, the Captain complied with. This was supposed to
have been intended by Tupia as a mark of his resentment against the
inhabitants of that place, as they had formerly taken from him large
possessions which he held in the island of Ulietea, of which island
Tupia was a native, and a subordinate Chief, but was driven out by these
people.
They had great plenty of provisions, as well of hogs and fowls, as of
vegetables, during the time they continued in the neighbourhood of those
islands, so that they were not obliged to use any considerable quantity
of the ship’s provisions, and they had flattered themselves, that the
fowls and hogs would have supplied them with fresh provisions during the
course of their voyage to the southward; but in this they were unhappily
disappointed, for as the hogs could not be brought to eat any sort of
European grain, or any provender whatever that the ship afforded, they
were reduced to the disagreeable necessity of killing them immediately
on their leaving those islands; and the fowls all died of a disease in
their head, with which they were seized soon after they had been carried
on board.
As they were detained longer at Ulietea in repairing the ship than they
expected, they did not go on shore at Bolabola; but, after giving the
general name of the _Society Islands_ to the islands of Huhaheine,
Ulietea, Bolabola, Otaha and Maurua, which lie between the latitude of
16 deg. 10 min. and 16 deg. 55 min. south, they pursued their course,
standing southwardly for an island, to which they were directed by
Tupia, at above an hundred leagues distant, which they discovered on
Sunday the 13th, and were informed by him, that it was called
_Ohiteroa_. The next morning they stood in for land, and saw several of
the inhabitants along the shore; one of the Lieutenants was now
dispatched in the pinnace, to sound for anchorage, and obtain what
intelligence he could of the natives, respecting any land that might lay
further to the south. Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Tupia went also in
the boat, with the Lieutenant, when they came near the shore, they could
perceive that the inhabitants were armed with lances of a considerable
length. The appearance of the boat soon drew together a great number of
them upon the beech, two of whom leaped into the water, and endeavoured
to gain the boat, but she soon left them behind; several others made the
same attempt, but with as little success.