aogust had confpired this day to give us a favourable idea of the
amiable nation among whom we refided.
We returned on board to dinner, and palled the afternoon
there in the occupations of defcribing and drawing
obje&s of natural hiftory. The decks in the mean while
were conftantly crouded with natives of both fexes, prying
into every corner, and Healing whenever they found an opportunity.
In the evening we beheld a fcene new and
llriking to ourfelves, though familiar to thofe who had
been at Taheitee before. A great number of women of
the loweft clafs, having been previoufly engaged by our
failors, remained on board at fun-fet, after the departure
of all their country people to the fliore. We had obferved
inllances of the venality of the Taheitian females at Aite-
peha ; but whatever might have been their condefcenfion
towards our people in day-time, they had never ventured
to pafs a night on board. The women of Matavai had
ftudied the difpofitions of Britilh feamen much better, and
knew that they ran no rilk by entrufting themfelves to
- their care ; but on the contrary might make fure of every
bead, nail, hatchet, or fliirt which their lovers could
mufter. This evening was therefore as completely dedicated
to mirth and pleafure, as if we had lain at Spithead
iriftetid of O-Taheitee. Before it was perfeftly dark the
women affembled on the forecallle, and one of them blowing
a flute with the noftrils, all the reft danced a variety of
dances
«dances ufual in their country, amongft which there were
fome that did not exactly correfpond with our ideas of decency.
However, if we confider that the fimplicity of their
education and of their drefs, makes many actions perfectly
innocent here, which, according to our cuftoms, would
be blameable, we cannot impute that degree of unbounded
licentioufnefs to them, with which the proftitutes of civilized
Europe are unhappily reproached. As foon as it was
dark they retired below decks, and if their lovers were of
fuch a quality as to afford them frefh pork, they fupped
without referve, though they had before refufed to eat in
the prefence of their own countrymen, agreeably to that
incomprehenfible cuftom which feparates the fexes at their
meals. The quantities of pork which they could confume
were aftonifhing, and their greedinefs plainly indicated that
they were rarely if ever indulged with that delicious food
in their own families. The inftances of fenfibility in Too-
tahah’s mother and in O-Wahow, and the favourable ideas
which we had from thence formed of the Taheitiaris were
fo recent in our memories, that we were much hurt at the
fight of thefe creatures, who had entirely forgot the duties
of life, and abandoned themfelves to the brutal fway of the
paflions. That there fhould exift fo great a degree of immorality
in a nation, otherwife fo happy in its fimplicity,
and in the fewnefs of its wants, is a reflection very dif-
graceful to human nature in general, which, viewed to its
Von. I. X x greateft