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or even Huaheine. Wood and water may also be procured here, but the water cannot conveniently be got at.

1769.

July.

We were now again at sea, without having received any interruption from the hoftile inhabitants of Bolabola, whom, notwithstanding the fears of Tupia, we intended to vifit. At four o'clock in the afternoon of Tuefd. 25. the 25th, we were within a league of Otaha, which bore N. 77 W. To the northward of the fouth end of that island, on the east fide of it, and something more than a mile from the shore, lie two fmall islands, called TOAHOUTU and WHENNUAIA, between which, Toahoutu. Tupia fays, there is a channel into a very good har- Whenbour, which lies within the reef, and appearances confirmed his report.

As I discovered a broad channel between Otaha and Bolabola, I determined rather to go through it, than run to the northward of all; but the wind being right a-head, I got no ground.

nuaia.

Between five and fix in the evening of the 26th, as Wedn. 26. I was standing to the northward, I difcovered a small low ifland lying N. by W. or N. N. W. distant four or five leagues from Bolabola. We were told by Tupia, that the name of this ifland is TUBAI, that it produces Tubai. nothing but cocoa-nuts, and is inhabited only by three families; though it is vifited by the inhabitants of the nighbouring islands, who refort thither to catch fish, with which the coast abounds.

On the 27th, about noon, the Peak of Bolabola bore Thursd. 27. N. 25 W. and the north end of Otaha N. 80 W. diftant three leagues. The wind continued contrary all this day, and the night following. On the 28th, at Friday 28. fix in the morning, we were near the entrance of the harbour on the eaft fide of OTAHA, which has been Otaha. just mentioned; and finding that it might be examined without losing time, I fent away the master in the long boat, with orders to found it; and, if the wind did not fhift in our favour, to land upon the island, and traffic with the natives for fuch refreshments as were to be had. In this boat went Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, who landed upon the island, and before night purchased three hogs, twenty-one fowls, and as many yams and plantains as the boat would hold. Plantains VOL. II.

H

we

1769. July.

we thought a more useful refreshment even than pork, for they were boiled, and ferved to the fhip's company as bread; and were now the more acceptable, as our bread was fo full of vermin, that notwithstanding all poffible care, we had fometimes twenty of them in our mouths at a time, every one of which tafted as hot as mustard. The island seemed to be more barren than Ulietea, but the produce was of the fame kind. The people also exacly refembled those we had feen at the other iflands; they were not numerous, but they flocked about the boat wherever she went, from all quarters, bringing with them whatever they had to fell. They paid the strangers, of whom they had received an account from Tupia, the fame compliment which they used towards their own Kings, uncovering their fhoulders, and wrapping their garments round their breasts; and were fo folicitous to prevent its being neglected by any of their people, that a man was fent with them, who called out to every one he met, telling him what they were, and what he was to do.

In the mean time, I kept plying off and on, waiting for the boat's return. At half an hour after five, not feeing any thing of her, I fired a gun, and after it was dark hoifted a light. At half an hour after eight we heard the report of a mufquet, which we answered with a gun, and foon after the boat came on board. The mafter reported, that the harbour was fafe and commodious, with good anchorage from twenty-five feet to fixteen fathom water, clear ground.

As foon as the boat was hoifted in, I made fail to the northward, and at eight o'clock in the morning of Saturd. 29. the 29th, we were clofe under the Peak of Bolabola, which was high, rude, and craggy. As the ifland was altogether inacceffible in this part, and we found it impoffible to weather it, we tacked and ftood off, then tacked again, and after many trips did not weather the fouth end of it till twelve o'clock at night. At eight o'clock the next morning we difcovered an ifland, which bore from us N. 630 W. diftant about eight leagues: at the fame time the Peak of Bolabola bore N. E. diftant three or four leagues. This ifland Tupia called MAURUA, and faid that it was fmall, wholly furrounded by a reef, and without any harbour for fhipping; but inhabited,

Sunday 30.

Maurua.

inhabited, and bearing the fame produce as the neighbouring islands. The middle of it rifes in a high round hill, that may be seen at the distance of ten leagues.

1769.

July.

When we were off Bolabola we saw but few people on the shore, and were told by Tupia, that many of the inhabitants were gone to Ulietea. In the afternoon we found ourselves nearly the length of the fouth end of Ulietea, and to windward of fome harbours that lay on the weft fide of this ifland. Into one of these harbours, though we had before been afhore on the other fide of the island, I intended to put, in order to stop a leak which we had fprung in the powder-room, and to take in more ballaft, as I found the fhip too light to carry fail upon a wind. As the wind was right against us, we plied off one of the harbours, and about three o'clock in the afternoon, on the 1st of Auguft, Auguft. we came to an anchor in the entrance of the channel Tuesday 1. leading into it, in fourteen fathom water, being prevented from working in by a tide which fet very strong out. We then carried out the kedge-anchor, in order to warp into the harbour; but when this was done we could not trip the bower-anchor with all the purchase we could make; we were therefore obliged to lie still all night, and in the morning, when the tide turned, Wednesd. 2. the ship going over the anchor, it tripped of itself, and we warped the ship into a proper birth with ease, and moored in twenty-eight fathom, with a fandy bottom. While this was doing, many of the natives came off to us with hogs, fowls, and plantains, which they parted with at an easy rate.

When the ship was fecured, I went on fhore to look for a proper place to get ballast and water, both which I found in a very convenient fituation.

This day Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander spent on fhore very much to their fatisfaction; every body feemed to fear and refpect them, placing in them, at the fame time, the utmost confidence; behaving as if conscious that they poffeffed the power of doing them mifchiefs without any propensity to make use of it. Men, women, and children crouded round them, and followed them wherever they wen?; but none of them were guilty of the leaft incivility; on the contrary, when

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1769. Auguft.

ever there happened to be dirt or water in the way, the men vied with each other to carry them over on their backs. They were conducted to the houses of the principal people, and were received in a manner altogether new: the people who followed them while they were on their way, rushed forward as foon as they came to a house, and went hastily in before them, leaving, however, a lane fufficiently wide for them to pass. When they entered, they found those who had preceded them ranged on each fide of a long mat, which was spread upon the ground, and at the farther end of which fat the family. In the first house they entered they found fome very young women, or children, dreffed with the utmost neatnefs, who kept their ftation, expecting the strangers to come up to them and make them prefents, which they did with the greatest pleafure; for prettier children or better dreffed they had never seen. One of them was a girl about fix years old; her gown, or upper garment, was red, a large quantity of plaited hair was wound round her head, the ornament to which they give the name of Tamou, and which they value more than any thing they poffefs. She fat at the upper end of a mat thirty feet long, upon which none of the fpectators prefumed to fet a foot, notwithstanding the croud; and the leaned upon the arm of a well-looking woman about thirty, who was probably her nurse. Our gentlemen walked up to her, and, as foon as they approached, she stretched out her hand to receive the beads which they offered, and no princefs in Europe could have done it with better grace.

The people were fo much gratified by the prefents which were made to thefe girls, that when Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander returned, they feemed attentive to nothing but how to oblige them; and in one of the houses they were, by order of the mafter, entertained with a dance, different from any that they had feen. It was performed by one man, who put upon his head a large cylindrical piece of wicker-work, or basket, about four feet long, and eight inches in diameter, which was faced with feathers, placed perpendicularly, with the tops bending forwards, and edged round with Shark's teeth, and the tail feathers of tropic

birds when he had put on this head-drefs, which is called a Whow, he began to dance, moving flowly,, and often turning his head, fo as that the top of his high wicker cap defcribed a circle, and fometimes throwing it so near the faces of the fpectators as to make them start back; this was held among them as a very good joke, and never failed to produce a peal of laughter, especially when it was played off upon one of the strangers.

1769.

Auguft.

On the 3d, we went along the fhore to the north-Thursd. 3. ward, which was in a direction oppofite to that of the route Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander had taken the day before, with a design to purchase stock, which we always found the people more ready to part with, and at a more easy price, at their houfes than at the market. In the courfe of our walk we met with a company of dancers, who detained us two hours, and during all that time afforded us great entertainment. The company confifted of two women dancers, and fix men, with three drums; we were informed by Tupia, that they were fome of the most confiderable people of the island, and that though they were continually going from place to place, they did not, like the little ftrolling companies of Otaheite, take any gratuity from the spectators. The women had upon their heads a confiderable quantity of Tamou, or plaited hair, which was brought several times round the head, and adorned in many parts with the flowers of the cape jeffamine, which were ftuck in with much tafte, and made a head-drefs truly elegant. Their necks, fhoulders, and arms were naked; fo were their breasts also, as low as the parting of the arm; below that they were covered with black cloth, which fet close to the body; at the fide of each breaft, next the arm, was placed a fmall plume of black feathers, much in the fame manner as our ladies now wear their nofegays, or Bouquets; upon their hips refted a quantity of cloth, plaited very full, which reached up to the breast, and fell down below into long petticoats, which quite concealed their feet, and which they managed with as much dexterity as our opera dancers could have done; the plaits above the waist were brown and white alternately, the petticoats below were all white.

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