fo liberally supplied us with provisions, take the bag-
gage, with the fruit that had not been eaten, and fome
cocoa-nut-fhells full of fresh water, and made figns that
they should follow us up the fide of the mountain. As
foon as he was gone, they gathered green branches
from the neighbouring trees, and with many ceremo-
nies, of which we did not know the meaning, laid them
down before us: after this they took small berries with
which they painted themselves red, and the bark of a
tree that contained a yellow juice, with which they
stained their garments in different parts. We began
to climb the mountain while our old man was still in
fight, and he, perceiving that we made our way with
difficulty through the weeds and brush-wood, which
grew very thick, turned back, and faid fomething to
the natives in a firm loud tone; upon which twenty or
thirty of the men went before us, and cleared us a
very good path; they also refreshed us with water and
fruit as we went along, and affifted us to climb the
moft difficult places, which we should otherwise have
found altogether impracticable. We began to ascend this
hill at the distance of about fix miles from the place
where we landed, and I reckoned the top of it to be
near a mile above the river that runs through the val-
ley below. When we arrived at the fummit, we again
fat down to rest and refresh ourselves. While we were
climbing we flattered ourselves that from the top we
fhould command the whole island, but we now faw
mountains before us fo much higher than our fituation,
that with respect to them we appeared to be in a val-
ley; towards the fhip indeed the view was enchanting:
the fides of the hills were beautifully clothed with wood,
villages were every where interfperfed, and the vallies
between them afforded a ftill richer profpect; the
houses stood thicker, and the verdure was more luxu-
riant. We faw very few habitations above us, but
discovered fmoke in many places afcending from be-
tween the highest hills that were in fight, and there-
fore I conjecture that the most elevated parts of the
country are by no means without inhabitants.
As we

afcended the mountain, we faw many fprings gufh
from fiffures on the fide of it, and when we had reach-
ed the fummit, we found many houses that we did

not

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July.

1767. July.

not discover as we paffed them. No part of these mountains is naked; the fummits of the highest that we could fee were crowned with wood, but of what kind I know not: thofe that were of the fame height with that which we had climed, were woody on the fides, but on the fummit were rocky and covered with fern. Upon the flats that appeared below these, there grew a fedgy kind of grafs and weeds: in general the foil here, as well as in the valley, feemed to be rich. We faw feveral bufhes of fugar-cane, which were very large and very good, growing wild, without the leaft culture. I like wife found ginger and turmerick, and have brought famples of both, but could not procure feeds of any tree, most of them being in bloffom. After traverfing the top of this mountain to a good distance, I found a tree exactly like a fern, except that it was 14 or 15 feet high. This tree I cut down, and found the infide of it also like a fern: I would have brought a piece of it with me, but found it too cumberfome, and I knew not what difficulties we might meet with before we got back to the ship, which we judged to be now at a great distance.. After having again recruited our ftrength by refreshment and reft, we began to defcend the mountain, being still attended by the people to whofe care we had been recommended by our old man. We kept our general direction towards the ship, but sometimes deviated a little to the right and left in the plains and vallies, when we saw any houfes that were pleasantly fituated, the inhabitants being every where ready to accommodate us with whatever they had. We faw no beaft, except a few hogs, nor any birds, except parrots, parroquets, and green doves; by the river, however, there was plenty of ducks, and every place that was planted and cultivated, appeared to flourish with great luxuriance, though in the midst of what had the appearance of barren ground. I planted the ftones of peaches, cherries, and plums, with a great variety of garden feeds, where I thought it was most probable that they would thrive, and limes, lemons, and oranges, in fituations which resembled thofe in which they are found in the West Indies. In the afternoon, we arrived at a very pleasant fpot, within about three miles of the ship,

where

July.

where we procured two hogs and fome fowls, which 1767. the natives dreffed for us very well, and with great expedition. Here we continued till the cool of the evening, and then made the best of our way for the ship, having liberally rewarded our guides, and the people who had provided us fo good a dinner. Our men behaved through the whole day with the greatest decency and order, and we parted with our Indian friends in perfect good-humour with each other."

About 10 o'clock, the next morning, the Queen Sund. 26. came on board, according to her promise, with a present of hogs and fowls, but went on fhore again foon afterwards. This day, the Gunner fent off near thirty hogs, with great plenty of fowl and fruit. We completed our wood and water, and got all ready for fea. More inhabitants came down to the beach, from the inland country, than we had feen before, and many of them appeared, by the refpect that was paid them, to be of a fuperior rank. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the Queen came again down to the beach, very well dreffed, and followed by a great number of people. Having croffed the river with her attendants, and our old man, the came once more on board the ship. She brought with her fome very fine fruit, and renewed her folicitation, that I would ftay ten days longer, with great earnestness, intimating that he would go into the country, and bring me plenty of hogs, fowls, and fruit. I endeavoured to exprefs a proper sense of her kindness and bounty, but affured her that I fhould certainly fail the next morning. This, as ufual, threw her into tears, and after she recovered, the enquired by figns when I fhould return I endeavoured to exprefs fifty days, and fhe made figns for thirty: but the fign for fifty being constantly repeated, the feemed fatisfied. She stayed on board till night, and it was then with the greatest difficulty that she could be prevailed upon to go on shore. When she was told that the boat was ready, the threw herself down upon the arm-cheft, and wept a long time with an excess of paffion that could not be pacified; at laft, however, though with the greatest reluctance, she went into the boat, and was followed by her attendants and the old man. The old man had often intimated that his fon, a lad about fourteen years of age, fhould go with us, and the boy feemed to be willing: he had,

however,

1767. however, now disappeared for two days. I enquired July. after him when I first miffed him, and the old man gave me to understand that he was gone into the country to fee his friends, and would return time enough to with us; go but I have reason to think that, when the time drew near, the father's courage failed, and that to keep his child, he fecreted him till the fhip was gone, for we never faw him afterwards.

Monday 27.

At break of day, on Monday the 27th, we unmoored, and at the same time I fent the barge and cutter to fill the few water-casks that were now empty. When they came near the shore, they faw, to their great furprise, the whole beach covered with inhabitants, and having fome doubt whether it would be prudent to venture themselves among fuch a multitude, they were about to pull back again for the fhip. As foon as this was perceived from the fhore, the Queen came forward, and beckoned them; at the fame time guefling the reason of what had happened, fhe made the natives retire to the other fide of the river. The boats then proceeded to the thore, and filled the casks; in the mean time she put fome hogs and fruit on board, and when they were putting off would fain have returned with them to the ship. The officer, however, who had received orders to bring off none of the natives, would not permit her; upon which the presently launched a double canoe, and was rowed off by her own people. Her canoe was immediately followed by fifteen or fixteen more, and all of them came up to the fhip. The Queen came on board, but not being able to speak, she sat down and gave vent to her paffion by weeping. After the had been on board, about an hour, a breeze springing up we weighed anchor and made fail. Finding it now neceffary to return into her canoe, she embraced us all in the most affectionate manner, and with many tears; all her attendants also expreffed great forrow at our departure. Soon after it fell calm, and I fent the boats a-head to tow, upon which all the canoes returned to the ship, and that which had the Queen on board came up to the gun-room port, where her people made it fast. In a few minutes the came into the bow of her canoe, where she fat weeping with inconfolable forrow. I gave her many things which I thought would be of great ufe to her, and fome for ornament; the filently accepted of all, but took little

notice

notice of any thing. About 10 o'clock we were got
without the reef, and a fresh breeze fpringing up, our,
Indian friends, and particularly the Queen, once more
bade us farewel, with fuch tendernefs of affection and
grief, as filled both my heart and my eyes.

At noon, the harbour from which we failed bore
S. E. E. diftant about twelve miles. It lies in latitude
17° 30′ S. longitude 1500 W. and I gave it the name
of Port Royal Harbour.

CHAP. VIII.

A more particular Account of the Inhabitants of Otaheite,
and of their domeftic Life, Manners, and Arts.

H

AVING lain off this island from the 24th of June to the 27th of July, I shall now give the beft account of its inhabitants, with their manners and arts, that I can; but having been in a very bad state of health the whole time, and for great part of it confined to my bed, it will of neceffity be much less accurate and particular than I might otherwife have made it.

The inhabitants of this ifland are a ftout, well-made, active, and comely people. The stature of the men, in general, is from five feet feven to five feet ten inches, though a few individuals are taller, and a few fhorter; that of the women from five feet to five feet fix. The complexion of the men is tawney, but those that go upon the water are much redder than those who live on fhore. Their hair in general is black, but in fome it is brown, in fome red, and others flaxen, which is remarkable, because the hair of all other natives of Afia, Africa, and America, is black, without a fingle exception. It is generally tied up, either in one bunch, in the middle of the head, or in two, one on each fide, but some wear it loofe, and it then curls very strongly in the children of both fexes it is generally flaxen. They have no combs, yet their hair is very neatly dreffed, and thofe who had combs from us, made good ufe of them. It is a univerfal custom to anoint the head with cocoanut oil, in which a root has been fcraped that smells fomething like rofes. The women are all handfome, and fome of them extremely beautiful. Chastity does not feem to be confidered as a virtue among them, for they VOL. I.

Р

not

1767.

July.