Chapter 11
CHAPTER XI. Arrival of an Aureo woman from Tethu-Roa. Present delivered by Tina for his majesty. Other occurrences to the time of the ship's departure from Otehede. 1789. March. From the 5th to the 14th of this month, the wind blew constantly from between the northwest and southwest with a great deal of rain. This was the longest continuance of westerly winds without interruption that we experienced.
On the 13th, several canoes arrived here and at Mata'avi from Tethu-Roa, and these were a large tribe of Aureos, and among them, Huhei'i-ne Mo'eirei, the wife of Orei'epaia, who is an Erei'e'o woman and remained at Tethu-Roa after Orei'epaia came away. On her arrival, a ceremony was performed called Ho'opi'piae, which seemed to be designed as a public visit who were collected for the occasion. In this ceremony, there was nothing remarkable. The
Aureo men took their opportunity to plunder the women who were near them, and Aidea made a present of some cloth to Huhei'i-ne Mo'eirei and a baked hog to the Aureos. Friday. 13. After this ceremony, a present was produced from many of the principal people for young Oto'o, the Erei'e'rahi'e, which was received by Aidea, Tina being absent. This present consisted of five hogs and 48 baskets filled with breadfruit, coconuts,
taro, and different kinds of puddings. The baskets were decorated with slips of cloth stained with a variety of colors and carried by 24 men, each of whom had a pole on the shoulder, at each end of which was a basket. I have seldom spoken of Oto'o, who was too young to have any share in the management of affairs, and with whom we were not permitted to have any intercourse except speaking to
him now and then across a river, at which times I did not neglect to send the children some little presents, so that they always rejoiced to see me. I might have been admitted to a nearer acquaintance if I would have gone with my shoulders uncovered, as his parents did, but this I declined. The children do not all live under the same roof, the two sisters eating and sleeping in a separate house, though at other times they are generally
together. The island Teituroa may very properly be compared to some of our watering places in England, reducing a similar effect upon those who visit it. Many who went there covered with scurf returned plump and fair and scarce like the same people. This alteration for the better is in a great measure to be attributed to the discontinuance of the Ava, which Teituroa
does not produce. The coconut trees likewise, which supply them with their only beverage, growing on low sandy keys and having their roots below the level of the sea, may probably have qualities different from the coconuts of Otehede, which, with a plenty of fish, that at other times they are not accustomed to, must no doubt contribute to the amendment described.
Saturday, 14 I was visited today by a very old man, an uncle Teutupia, the person who went from these islands in the Endeavour in the year 1769 and who died at Batavia. He appeared to be neared 70 years old and was treated with much respect by the natives. He made several inquiries concerning his nephew and requested that when I came again I would bring his hair. At the
time that Tina mentioned to me his desire of visiting England, I asked what account to his friends if he should not live to return, to which he replied that I must cut off his hair and carry it to them and they would be perfectly satisfied. Monday, 16 On the 16th I was informed that a stop was put to the sale of hogs in the district of
Te Taha. Te Pahou'o, the Eare'e of that district, told me that they had very few hogs left there and that it was necessary for a certain time to prohibit every person from killing or selling that they might have time to breed. I did not think it reasonable to solicit any indulgence on this head. My friends at Mata'avi and O'Pare promised to supply us as long as we remained there, though we had considerably thinned their stock. After our departure the
same restriction was to take place in these districts and it being delayed on our account certainly deserves to be regarded among their acts of friendship towards us. As it was generally known that we were preparing to sale, a number of the natives from other parts of the island were constantly with us and petty thefts were committed whenever the negligence of our people afforded an opportunity, but no attempt of any consequence was made.
Thursday, 19. This evening Mr. Samwell, my clerk, returned from an excursion to the mountains having been two days absent. He described the hills to be well clothed with wood, except the tops of the higher mountains which only produced bushes and fern. The birds he saw were blue parakeets and green doves, except one which he found burrowing in the ground and brought to me. This bird was about the size of a pigeon and proved to be a white-bellied
petrel of the same kind as those seen in high latitudes, which are called shear waters. He likewise brought a branch of a plant, like the New Zealand tea plant, and which at Van Daemen's land we had made use of for brooms. From the hills he saw the islands Ma'itea and Hu'ae'ene, which are situated nearly in opposite directions from Otehede and are seven leagues distant from each other.
Friday, 27. For some days past, Tina had been busy to getting two pa'a'is, or morning dresses, made, which he intended as a present to King George. Being finished, they were this morning hung up in his house as a public exhibition, and a long prayer was made on the occasion, the substance of which was that the King of England might forever remain his friend and not forget him. When he presented the pa'a'is for me to take on board, he could not refrain
from shedding tears. During the short remainder of our stay here there appeared among the natives an evident degree of sorrow that we were so soon to leave them, which they showed by unusual kindness and attention. We began this afternoon to remove the plants to the ship. They were in excellent order, the roots had appeared through the bottom of the pots and would have shot into the ground
if care had not been taken to prevent it. The weather was considerably altered for the better, and a trade wind appeared subtle. The rainy and bad season of the year may be reckoned to begin towards the end of November and continue till near the end of March. During this time the winds are variable and often westerly, though we've seldom found them to blow strong in that direction. We likewise experienced frequent intervals of fine weather,
but during these months so open a road as Mata'avi Bay is not a safe anchoring place for ships that intend remaining any length of time in Otehede. Tuesday 31. Today all the plants were on board, being in 774 pots, 39 tubs, and 24 boxes. The number of breadfruit plants were 1,015, besides which we had collected a number of other plants. The eve'e, which is one of the finest flavored fruits in the world. The e'a,
which is a fruit not so rich but of a fine flavor and very refreshing. The rata, not much unlike a chestnut, which grows on a large tree in great quantities. They are singly in large pods from 1 to 2 inches broad and may be eaten raw or boiled in the same manner of winds or beans, and so dressed or equally good. The o'ra'i'a, which is a very superior kind of plantain. All these I was particularly recommended to collect by my worthy friend
Sir Joseph Banks. I had also taken on board some plants of the eto and mate, with which the natives here make a beautiful red color and a root called pe'e'a, of which they make an excellent pudding. I now made my last presence to several of my friends with whom I had been most intimate, particularly to Te Paha'o. Several people expressed great desire to go with us to England.
O'e de'e'e, who was always very much attached to us, said he considered it as his right, having formerly left his native place to sail with Captain Cook. Scarce any man belonging to the ship was without a tayo, who brought to him presents chiefly of provisions for a sea-store. April, Friday, 3.
Tina and his wife, with his parents, brothers and sister, dined with me today, and, as I meant to sail early the next morning, they all remained on board for the night. The ship was crowded the whole day with natives, and we were loaded with coconuts, plantains, breadfruit, hogs and goats. In the evening there was no dancing or mirth on the beach, such as we had been accustomed to, but all was silent.
Saturday, 4. At daylight we unmoored. The stock of the best bower anchor was so much eaten by the worms that it broke in stowing the anchor. The small bower had an iron stock, and in these voyages it is very necessary that ships should be provided with iron anchor stocks. At half past six, there being no wind, we wade, and with our boats in two sweeps, towed
the ship out of the harbor. Soon after the sea breeze came, and we stood off towards the sea. The outlet of Toa Roa Harbor being narrow, I could permit only a few of the natives to be on board. Many others, however, attended in canoes till the breeze came, when I was obliged to leave them.
We stood off and on almost all the remainder of the day. Tina and Idae oppressed me very strongly to anchor in Mata Avi Bay and stay one night longer, but as I had already taken leave of most of my friends, I thought it better to keep to my intention of sailing. After dinner I ordered the presents which I had preserved for Tina and his wife to be put in one of the ship's boats, and as I had promised him firearms, I gave him two muskets,
a pair of pistols, and a good stock of ammunition. I then represented to them the necessity of their going away, that the boat might return to the ship before it was dark, on which they took a most affectionate leave of me and went into the boat. One of their expressions at parting was, Yo-o-ra-no-ta-e-a-to-a-te-e-a-ve-a-ra. May the ea-a-toa protect you forever and ever.
All the time we remained at Otehede, the picture of Captain Cook at the desire of Tina was kept on board the ship. On delivering it to him I wrote on the back the time of the ship's arrival and departure, with an account of the number of plants on board. Tina had desired that I would salute him at his departure with the great guns, which I could not comply with for fear of disturbing the plants, but as a parting token of our
regard we manned ship with all hands and gave him three cheers. At sunset the boat returned and we made sail, bidding farewell to Otehede where for twenty-three weeks we had been treated with the utmost affection and regard, and which seemed to increase in proportion to our stay. That we were not insensible to their kindness the events which followed more than sufficiently proves. For to the friendly and endearing behavior of these people
may be ascribed the motives for that event which affected the ruin of an expedition that there was every reason to hope would have been completed in the most fortunate manner. To enter into a description of the island or its inhabitants I look upon as superfluous. From the accounts of former voyages and the facts which I have related the character of the people will appear in as true a light as by any description in my power to give.
The length of time that we remained at Otehede, with the advantage of having been there before, gave me opportunities of making perhaps a more perfect vocabulary of the language than has yet appeared. But I have chosen to defer it for the present as there is a probability that I may hereafter be better qualified for such a task. We left Otehede with only two patients in the venereal, which shows that the disease
is not gained ground. The natives say it is of little consequence, and we saw several instances of people that had been affected who, after absinting themselves for fifteen or twenty days, made their appearance again without any visible symptom remaining of the disease. Their method of cure I am unacquainted with, but their customary diet and mode of living must contribute towards it. We saw a great many people, however, with scruffy
habits and bad sores. These they denied to be produced from any venereal cause, and our surgeon was of the same opinion. The result of the mean of fifty sets of lunar observations taken by me on shore gives the longitude of Point Venus, 210 degrees, 33 minutes, 57 seconds east. Captain Cook, in 1769, places it in 210 degrees, 27 minutes, 30 seconds east. In 1777, his last voyage, 210 degrees, 22 minutes, 28 seconds east. The tide in the
Toa Aroha harbor was very inconsiderable and not regular. The greatest rise that I observed was 11 inches, but what was most singular the time of high water did not appear to be governed by the moon, it being at the highest every day between noon and two o'clock. The variable winds and weather at this time of the year has no doubt an influence on the tides. On some days scarce any rise was perceptible.
