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1769.

May.

Sunday 14.

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circle of people, to whom he had probably related what had happened, and his fears of the consequences; he was himself the very picture of grief and dejection, and the fame paffions were strongly marked in the countenances of all the people that furrounded him. When Mr. Banks and Mr. Mollineaux went into the circle, one of the women expreffed her trouble, as Terapo had done upon another occafion, and struck a fhark's tooth into her head several times, till it was covered with blood. Mr. Banks loft no time in putting an end to this univerfal diftrefs; he affured the Chief, that every thing which had passed should be forgotten; that there was not the least animofity remaining on one fide, nor any thing to be feared on the other. The Chief was foon foothed into confidence and complacency, a double canoe was ordered to be got ready, they all returned to the fort before fupper, and, as a pledge of perfect reconciliation, both he and his wife flept. all night in Mr. Banks's tent: their prefence, however, was no palladium; for, between eleven and twelve o'clock, one of the natives attempted to get into the fort by fcaling the walls, with a defign, no doubt, to steal whatever he should happen to find; but he was discovered by the centinel, who happily did not fire, and he ran away much fafter than any of our people could follow him. The iron, and iron-tools, which were in continual ufe at the armourer's forge, that was fet up within the works, were temptations to theft which none of these people could withstand.

On the 14th, which was Sunday, I directed that Divine Service should be performed at the fort: we were defirous that fome of the principal Indians should be prefent; but when the hour came, most of them were returned home. Mr. Banks, however, croffed the river, and brought back Tubourai Tamaide and his wife Tomio, hoping that it would give occafion to fome inquiries on their part, and fome inftruction on ours having feated them, he placed himself between them, and during the whole fervice, they very attentively obferved his behaviour, and, very exactly imitated it; ftanding, fitting, or kneeling, as they faw him do they were confcious that we were employed about fomewhat ferious and important, as appeared

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by their calling to the Indians without the fort to be filent; yet when the service was over, neither of them afked any questions, nor would they attend to any attempt that was made to explain what had been done.

Such were our Matins; our Indians thought fit to perform Vefpers of a very different kind. A young man, near fix feet high, performed the rites of Venus with a little girl about eleven or twelve years of age before several of our people, and a great number of the natives, without the least sense of its being indecent or improper, but, as it appeared, in perfect conformity to the custom of the place. Among the spectators were feveral women of fuperior rank,particularly Oberea, who may properly be faid to have affifted at the ceremony; for they gave instructions to the girl how to perform her part, which, young as fhe was, fhe did not seem much to ftand in need of.

This incident is not mentioned as an object of idle curiosity,but as it deserves confideration in determining a question which has been long debated in philosophy; Whether the shame attending certain actions, which are allowed on all fides to be in themselves innocent, is implanted in nature, or fuperinduced by cuftom? If it has its origin in cuftom, it will, perhaps, be found difficult to trace that cuftom, however, general, to its fource; if in inftinct, it will be equally difficult to difcover from what cause it is fubdued or at least overruled among these people, in whose manners not the leaft trace of it is to be found.

1769.

May.

On the 14th and 15th we had another opportunity Monday 15. of obferving the general knowledge which these people had of any design that was formed among them. In the night between the 13th and 14th one of the watercafks was stolen from the outside of the fort in the morning, there was not an Indian to be feen who did not know that it was gone; yet they appeared not to have been trufted, or not to have been worthy of trust, for they seemed all of them difpofed to give intelligence where it might be found. Mr. Banks traced it to a part of the bay where he was told it had been put into a canoe; but as it was not of great confequence, he did not complete the difcovery. When he returned, he

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1769. was told by Tubourai Tamaide, that another cafk May would be ftolen before the morning: how he came by this knowledge it is not eafy to imagine, but that he was not a party in the defign is certain; for he came with his wife and family to the place where the water-cafks stood, and placing their beds near them, he faid he would himfelf be a pledge for their fafety, in defpight of the thief: of this, however, we would not admit; aud making him understand that a centry would be placed to watch the cafks till the morning, he removed the beds into Mr. Banks's tent, where he and his family fpent the night, making figns to the centry when he retired, that he should keep his eyes open. In the night this intelligence appeared to be true; about twelve o'clock the thief came, but difcovering that a watch had been fet, he went away without his booty.

Mr. Banks's confidence in Tubourai Tamaide had greatly increafed fince the affair of the knife, in confequence of which he was at length expofed to temptations which neither his integrity nor his honour were able to refift. They had withstood many allurements, but were at length enfnared by the fafcinating charms of a bafket of nails: Thefe nails were much larger than any that had been yet brought into trade, and had, with perhaps fome degree of criminal negligence, been left in a corner of Mr. Banks's tent, to which the Chief had always free accefs. One of thefe nails Mr. Banks's fervant happened to fee in his poffeffion, upon his having inadvertently thrown back that part of his garment under which it was concealed. Mr. Banks being told of this, and knowing that no fuch thing had been given him, either as a prefent or in barter, immediately examined the bafket, and discovered, that out of feven nails five were milling. He then, though not without great reluctance, charged him with the fact, which he immediately confeffed, and however he might fuffer, was probably not more hurt than his accufer. A demand was immediately. made of reftitution; but this he declined, faying, that the nails were at Eparre: however, Mr. Banks appearing to be much in earneft, and ufing fome threatening figns, he thought fit to produce one of them.

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He was taken to the fort, to receive fuch judgment as should be given against him by the general voice.

After fome deliberation, that we might not appear to think too lightly of his offence, he was told, that if he would bring the other four nails to the fort, it thould be forgotten. To this condition he agreed; but I am forry to fay he did not fulfil it. Inftead of fetching the nails, he removed with his family before night, and took all his furniture with him.

As our long-boat had appeared to be leaky, I thought it neceffary to examine her bottom, and, to my great furprize, found it fo much eaten by the worms, that it was neceffary to give her a new one; no fuch accident had happened to the Dolphin's boats, as I was informed by the officers on board, and therefore it was a misfortune that I did not expect: I feared that the pinnace alfo might be nearly in the fame condition; but, upon examining her, I had the fatisfaction to find that not a worm had touched her, though the was built of the fame wood, and had been as much in the water; the reason of this difference I imagine to be, that the long-boat was payed with varnish of pine, and the pinnace painted with white lead and oil; the bottoms of all boats therefore which are fent into this country should be painted like that of the pinnace, and the ships should be fupplied with a good stock, in order to give them a new coating when it shall be found neceffary.

May.

Having received repeated meffages from Tootahah, wednef. 24. that if we would pay him a vifit he would acknowledge the favour by a prefent of four hogs, I fent Mr. Hicks, my First Lieutenant, to try if he could not procure the hogs upon easier terms, with orders to fhew him. every civility in his power. Mr. Hicks found that he was removed from Eparre to a place called TETTAHAH, five miles farther to the weftward. He was received with great cordiality; one hog was immediately produced, and he was told that the other three, which were at fome distance, should be brought in the morning. Mr. Hicks readily confented to wait; but the morning came without the hogs, a ad it not being convenient to

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1769. ftay longer, he returned in the evening, with the one that he had got.

May.

Thurf. 25.

Saturday 27.

On the 25th, Tubourai Tamaide and his wife Tomio made their appearance at the tent, for the first time fince he had been detected in ftealing the nails; he feemed to be under fome difcontent and apprehenfion, yet he did not think fit to purchase our countenance and good-will by reftoring the four which he had fent away. As Mr. Banks and the other gentlemen treated him with a coolness and referve which did not at all tend to restore his peace or good-humour, his stay was short, and his departure abrupt. Mr. Monkhouse, the Surgeon, went the next morning, in order to effect a reconciliation, by perfuading him to bring down the nails, but he could not fucceed.

CHA P. XIII.

Another Vifit to Tootahah, with various Adventures: Extraordinary Amufement of the Indians, with Remarks upon it: Preparations to obferve the Tranfit of Venus, and what happened in the mean time at the Fort

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N the 27th, it was determined that we should pay our vifit to Tootahah, though we were not very confident that we should receive the hogs for our pains. I therefore fet out early in the morning, with Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, and three others, in the pinnace. He was now removed from Tettahah, where Mr. Hicks had feen him, to a place called ATAHOUROU, about fix miles farther, and as we could not go above half way thither in the boat, it was almost evening before we arrived: we found him in his ufual ftate, fitting under a tree, with a great crowd about him. We made our prefents in due form, consisting of a yellow ftuff petticoat, and fome other trifling articles, which were graciously received; a hog was immediately ordered to be killed and dreffed for fupper, with a promife of more in the morning: however, as we were lefs defirous of feafting upon our journey than of carrying back with us provifions, which would be more welcome at the fort, we pro

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