1769. May.

I was very defirous to gratify them, they were indulged, except when the fmith's time was too precious to be fpared. Oberea having received her hatchet, produced as much old Tuesday 9. iron as would have made another, with a request that another might be made of it: in this, however, I could not gratify her, upon which she brought out a broken ax, and defired it might be mended; I was glad of an opportunity to compromise the difference between us: her ax was mended, and she appeared to be content. They went away at night, and took with them the canoe, which had been a confiderable time at the point, but promised to return in three days.

On the 10th, I put fome feeds of melons and other plants Wednef. ic. into a spot of ground which had been turned up for the purpofe; they had all been fealed up by the person of whom they were bought, in fmall bottles with rofin; but none of them came up except muftard; even the cucumbers and melons failed, and Mr. Banks is of opinion that they were spoiled by the total exclufion of fresh air.

This day we learnt the Indian name of the island, which is OTAHEITF, and by that name I fhall hereafter diftinguish it: but after great pains taken we found it utterly impoffible to teach the Indians to pronounce our names; we had, therefore, new names, confifting of fuch founds as they produced in the attempt. They called me Toote; Mr. Hicks, Hete; Molineux they renounced in abfolute despair, and called the Mafter Boba, from his Chriftian name Robert; Mr. Gore was Toarro; Dr. Solander, Torano; and Mr. Banks, Tapane; Mr. Green, Eteree; Mr. Parkinfon, Patini; Mr. Sporing, Polini; Petersgill, Petrodero; and in this manner they had now formed names for almost every man in the fhip: in fome, however, it was not eafy to find any traces of the original, VOL. II.

R

and

1769. May.

Wednef. 10.

and they were perhaps not mere arbitrary founds formed upon the occafion, but fignificant words in their own language. Monkhouse, the Midshipman, who commanded the party that killed the man for ftealing the musket, they called Matte; not merely by an attempt to imitate in found the first fyllable of Monkhouse, but because Matte fignifies dead; and this probably might be the case with others.

Friday 12.

CHA P. XII.

Some Ladies vifit the Fort with very uncommon Ceremonies: The Indians attend Divine Service, and in the Evening exhibit a most extraordinary Spectacle: Tubourai Tamaide falls into Temptation.

FR

RIDAY, the 12th of May, was distinguished by a visit from fome ladies whom we had never feen before, and who introduced themselves with fome very fingular ceremonies. Mr. Banks was trading in his boat at the gate of the fort as ufual, in company with Tootahah, who had that morning paid him a vifit, and fome other of the natives; between nine and ten o'clock, a double canoe came to the landing-place, under the awning of which fat a man and two women: the Indians that were about Mr. Banks made signs that he should go out to meet them, which he hafted to do; but by the time he could get out of the boat, they had advanced within ten yards of him: they then stopped, and made figns that he should do fo too, laying down about a dozen young plantain trees, and fome other small plants: he complied, and the people having made a lane between them,

them, the man, who appeared to be a fervant, brought fix of them to Mr. Banks by one of each at a time, paffing and repaffing fix times, and always pronouncing a short sentence when he delivered them. Tupia, who ftood by Mr. Banks, acted as his mafter of the ceremonies, and receiving the branches as they were brought, laid them down in the boat. When this was done, another man brought a large bundle of cloth, which having opened, he fpread piece by piece upon the ground, in the space between Mr. Banks and his visitors; there were nine pieces, and having laid three pieces one upon another, the foremost of the women, who seemed to be the principal, and who was called OOR ATTOOA, ftepped upon them, and taking up her garments all round her to the waist, turned about, with great composure and deliberation, and with an air of perfect innocence and fimplicity, three times; when this was done, she dropped the veil, and stepping off the cloth, three more pieces were laid on, and she repeated the ceremony, then stepping off as before; the laft three were laid on, and the ceremony was repeated in the fame manner the third time. Immediately after this the cloth was rolled up, and given to Mr. Banks, as a present from the lady, who, with her friend, came up and faluted him. He made fuch prefents to them both as he thought would be most acceptable, and after having staid about an hour they went away. In the evening, the Gentlemen at the fort had a vifit from Oberea, and her favourite female attendant, whose name was ОTHEOTHEA, an agreeable girl, whom they were the more pleased to fee, because, having been fome days absent, it had been reported that the was either fick or dead.

1769.

May.

Friday 12.

On the 13th, the market being over about ten o'clock, Mr. Saturday 13. Banks walked into the woods with his gun, as he generally

did, for the benefit of the shade in the heat of the day: as he

1769. May.

was returning back, he met Tubourai Tamaide, near his occafional dwelling, and flopping to spend a little time with Saturday 13. him, he fuddenly took the gun out of Mr. Banks's hand, cocked it, and, holding it up in the air, drew the trigger: fortunately for him, it flafhed in the pan : Mr. Banks immediately took it from him, not a little furprised how he had acquired fufficient knowlege of a gun to discharge it, and reproved him with great feverity for what he had done. As it was of infinite importance to keep the Indians totally ignorant of the management of fire-arms, he had taken every opportunity of intimating that they could never offend him fo highly as by even touching his piece; it was now proper to enforce this prohibition, and he therefore added threats to his reproof: the Indian bore all patiently; but the moment Mr. Banks croffed the river, he fet off with all his family and furniture for his houfe at Eparre. This being quickly known from the Indians at the fort, and great inconvenience being apprehended from the displeasure of this man, who upon all occafions had been particularly useful, Mr. Banks determined to follow him without delay, and folicit his return: he fet out the fame evening, accompanied by Mr. Mollineux, and found him fitting in the middle of a large circle of people, to whom he had probably related what had happened, and his fears of the confequences; he was himself the very picture of grief and dejection, and the fame paffions were frongly marked in the countenances of all the people. that furrounded him. When Mr. Banks and Mr. Mollineux 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 feveral times, till it was covered with blood. Mr. Banks loft no time in putting an end to this univerfal diftrcfs; he affured the Chief, that every thing which had paffed fhould be forgotten, that there was not

got

the least animofity remaining on one fide, nor any thing to be feared on the other. The Chief was soon soothed into confidence and complacency, a double canoe was ordered to be ready, they all returned together to the fort before supper, 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 scaling the walls, with a design, no doubt, to fteal whatever he should happen to find; 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.

1769.

May.

Saturday 13.

On the 14th, which was Sunday, I directed that Divine Sunday 14 Service fhould be performed at the fort: we were defirous that fome of the principal Indians fhould be prefent, but when the hour came, moft 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 enquiries on their part, and some instruction 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 by their calling to the In-dians without the fort to be filent; yet when the fervice was over, neither of them asked any questions, nor would they attend to any attempt that was made to explain what had been done.

Such