1773*
A ugust.
Saturday a*.
greateft advantage here, is neverthelefs imperfeft. Is it
not to be lamented, that the beft gifts of a benevolent
Creator feem to be the moft liable to frequent abufe, and
that nothing is fo eafy to mankind as error ?
Early the next morning O-Too, with his lifter Tedua-
Towra'i, and feveral relations, came along-fide, and fent
up a hog and a large albecore into our veffel, but would
not come on board. He had a fimilar prefent for captain
Furneaux, but refufed to go to the Adventure till my father
went with him. The ceremony of Twaddling the
captain in O-Taheitee cloth was performed again before his-
majefty ventured on board; but that being over, he feem-
ed to think himfelf fafe amongft us, and came on the deck,
where captain Furneaux gave him a variety of prefents.
His lifter Tedua-Towrai was on board the Refolution in the
mean while, and all the women paid her the fame refpeft
by uncovering the fhoulders, which the whole nation owes
to the king, The adtive youth T’-Ame W a t o w , who was
with the king his- brother, had the fame honours paid to.
him; and it appeared to us that the title Am, though com,
mon to all the chiefs of diftriCs, and the nobility in general,
was yet applied by way of, excellence to the perfons
of the royal family. O-Too foon left the Adventure, rejoined
his filler on board the Refolution, and was accompanied
by both the captains to Parre.
On the 29th at day-break we landed at our tents, and
proceeded into the country with an intention to examine
its productions. A copious dew, which had fallen during
night, had refrelhed the whole vegetable creation, and contributed,
together with the early hour of the morning, to
make our walk extremely pleafant. We found but few
natives at the tents, fome of whom attended us to the ford
in the river, and for a bead a-piece carried us acrofs, where
it was twenty yards wide, without our wetting a foot. As
we entered the grove, we perceived the inhabitants in their
houfes juft getting up, and faw many of them performing
their cuftomary ablution in the adjacent river of Matavai.
There can be no doubt, that frequent bathing in this warm
climate is extremely falutary, and particularly in the
morning, when the water, being frefh and Cool, cannot but
be highly inftrumental in bracing the fibres, which might
otherwife become too much relaxed. The cleanlinefs
which refults from this cuftom, is certainly one of the
beft prefervatives againft putrid diforders, and has the
farther advantage of making thefe people enjoy the comforts
of fociety in a higher degree than thofe favages who
feem to Chun the water, and become indifferent to each
other, and loathfome to ftrangers by their fqualid appearance,
and fetid exhalations. We walked on till we came
to a little hut, the lowly dwelling of a poor widow with a
numerous family. Her eldeft fon, Noona, a lively boy^
X x 2 about
1773-
AuGUsr.
Sunday 29.