the deferters it appeared, that the Indians had told the truth, they having chofen two girls, with whom they would have remained in the ifland. At this time the power of Oberea was not fo great, as it was when the Dolphin first discovered the island. Tupia, whofe name has been often mentioned in this voyage, had been her prime minifter. He had a knowledge of navigation, and was thoroughly acquainted with the number, situation, and inhabitants of the adjacent iflands. This chief had often expreffed a defire to go with us when we continued our voyage.

On the 12th in the morning he came on board, with a boy about twelve years of age, his fervant, named Taiyota, and requested the gentlemen on board, to let him go with him. As we thought he might be useful to us in many particulars, we unanimously agreed to comply with his requeft. Tupia then went on shore for the last time to bid farewel to his friends, to whom he gave several baubles, as parting tokens of remem, brance.

Mr. Banks, after dinner, being willing to obtain a drawing of the Morai, which Tootahah had in his posfeffion at Eparre, Capt. Cook accompanied him thither in the pinnance, together with Dr. Solander. They. immediately upon landing repaired to Tootahah's houfe where they were met by Oberea and feveral others. A general good understanding prevailed. Tupia came back with them, and they promifed to vifit the gentlemen early the next day, as they were told they should then fail.

On the 13th thefe friendly people came very early on board, and the fhip was furrounded with a vaft number of canoes, filled with Indians of the lower fort. Between eleven and twelve we weighed anchor; and notwithstanding all the little misunderstandings between the English and the natives, the latter, who poffeffed a great fund of good nature, and much fenfibility, took their leave, weeping in an affectionate manner. As to

Tupia he fuported himself through this fcene with a becomiig fortitude. Tears flowed from his eyes, it is true, but the effort he made to conceal them, did him additional honour. He went with Mr. Banks to the maft head, and waving his hand, took a laft farewel of his country. Thus we departed from Otaheite, after a stay of just three months.

CHA P. v:

-divertions

An hiftorical and difcriptive account of Otaheite. ifland and its productions Of the inhabitants drefs-dwellings -manner of living

and difeafe.

PORT

ORT Royal bay in the island of Otaheite, we found to be within half a degree of its real fituation; and point Venus, the northern extremity of this ifland, and the eastern part of the bay, lies in 149 deg. 30 min. long. A reef of coral rocks furround the island, forming feveral excellent bays, among which, and equel to the best of them, is Port Royal. The most proper ground for anchoring is on the eastern fide of the bay. The fhore is a fine fandy beach, behind which runs a river of fresh water, very convenient for a fleet of fhips. The face of the country is very uneven. It rifes in ridges that run up into the middle of the island, where they form mountains which may be feen at the diftance of fixty miles. The only parts of the island that are inhabited, are the low lands, lying between the foot of the ridges and the fea. The houses do not form villages, but are ranged along the whole border. Before them are little groups of plantain trees, which furnish them with cloth. According to Tupia's account, this ifland could furnish above 6000 fighting men. The produce is bread-fruit, cocoanuts, bananas, fweet potatoes, yams, jumbu, a delicious fruit,fugar-cane, the paper mulberry, feveral forts of figs, with many other plants and trees, all which the earth produces fpontaneously.

The

The people in general are of a larger make than the Europeans. The males are moftly tall, and robuft, and the women above the fize of our English ladies. Their natural complexion is of a fine clear olive, their fkin delicately fmooth and foft. Their faces in general are handfome, and their eyes full of fenfibility. Their teeth are remarkably white and regular, and their breath is entirely free from any disagreeable fmell.

They clothe themselves in cloth and matting of vaious kinds: the first they wear in fine, the latter in wet weather. The women of a fuperiour class wear three or four pieces. One, which is of cenfiderable length, they wrap feveral times round their waist, and falls down to the middle of the leg. Two or three other fhort pieces, with a hole cut in the middle of each, are placed on one another, and their heads coming through the holes, the long ends hang before and behind, both fides being open, by which means they have the free use of their arms.

The mens dress is very fimilar, differing only in this inftance, that one part of the garment instead of falling below the knees, is brought between the legs. This dress is worn by all ranks of people, the only diftinction being quantity in the fuperiour clafs. The boys and girls go quite naked; the firft till they are seven or eight years old; the latter till they are about five or fix..

The natives of Otaheite feldom ufe their houses but to fleep in, or to avoid the rain, as they eat in the open air. Their clothes ferve them for a covering in the night. We faw houfes that art general receptacles for the inhabitants of a diftrict, many of them being more then 200 feet in length, 40 in breadth, and 70 or-80 feet high.

Their cookery confifts chiefly in baking, the manner of doing which has been noticed. When a chief kills a hog, he divides it equally among his vaffals. When the bread fruit is not in feafon, cocoa-nuts, bananas, and plantains, are fubftituted in its ftead. They bake

their bread-fruit in a manner which renders it fomewhat like a mealy potatoe. Of this three difhes are made, by beating them up with bananas, plantain, or four paste, which is called by them, mahie.

The chief eats generally alone, unlefs when vifited by a ftranger. Not having known the ufe of a table, they fit on the ground, and leaves of trees fpread be-fore them ferve as a table cloth. They then begin their meals with the ceremony of wafhing their mouths and hands; after which they eat a handful of breadfruit and fish, dipt in falt water alternately, till the whole is confumed, taking a fip of falt water between almost every morfel. The bread-fruit and fifh is fucceeded by a fecond courfe. During this time a foft fluid of pafte is prepared from the bread-fruit, which they drink out of cocoa-nut fhells: this concludes the meal; and their hands and mouths are again washed as at the beginning.

One of the worst cuftoms of the people of Otaheite is, that which feveral of the principal people of the ifland have adopted of uniting in an affociation, wherein no woman confines herself to any particular man, by which means they obtain a perpetual fociety. The members have meetings where the men amuse themselves with wrestling, and the women dance the timorodee, in fuch a manner, as is most likely to excite the defires of the other fex, and which were frequently gratified in the affembly. A much worfe practice is the confequence of this. If any of the women prove with child, the infant is deftroyed, unless the mother's natural affection fhould prevail with her to preferve its life, which however, is forfeited unless the can procure a man to adopt it. And where the fucceeds in this, she is expelled from the fociety, being called Whannow now, which fignifies, a bearer of children, by way of reproach.

Soon after our arrival at Otaheite, we were apprifed of the natives having the French difeafe amongft them.

The

The islanders call it by a name expreffive of its effects, obferving that the hair and nails of thofe who were firft infected by it, fell off, and the flesh rotted from their bones, while their countrymen, and even nearest relations, who were unaffected, were fo much terrified at its symptoms, that the unhappy fufferer was often forfaked by them, and left to perish in the most miferable condition.

CHAP. VI.

The Endeavour continues her voyage-Vifits the islands in the neighbourhood of Otaheite An account of feveral incidents, and of various particulars relative to the inhabitants -The paffage of the Endeavour from Oteroah to New Zealand Events on going afhore, and incidents while the ship was in Poverty BayThe country de-. feribed -Excurfions to Cape Turnagain, and return to Tolaga- The inhabitants defcribed, and a narrative of what happened while we were on that part of the coast-The range from Tolaga to Mercury bay- Incidents that happened on board the Endeavour and afhore- -A defcription of the country. -Sail from Mercury bay to the bay of lands Defcription of the Indians on the banks of the Thames-Interview and fkirmishes with the natives-Range from the bay of lands round North Cape.

N the 13th of July, 1769, after leaving the island

of Otaheite, we continued our courfe, with clear weather and a gentle breeze; and were informed by Tupia, that four islands which he called Huaheine Ulietea, Otaha, and Bolabola, where at the diftance of about one or two days fail; and that hogs, fowls, and other refreshments, very fcarce on board, were to be got there in great abundance. On the 15th we made but little way, on account of the calms which fucceed-ed the light breezes. Tupia often prayed to his God Tane for a wind, and boafted of his fuccefs, which indeed he took care to infure, by never applying to

Tane