>773- and received a dozen of lafh.cs in his prefence, to the great
A ugust.
terror of all the Taheitians on board. Captain Cook then
ordering three wether-Ihee'p from the Cape, which were
all we had left, to be put in his boat, embarked with
captain Furneaux and my father, in order- to regain the confidence
of O-Too, without which he knew that no provi-
fions were to be bought in the country. When they arrived
at Parre, they were told that he was gone to the weff-
ward ; accordingly they went after him, about four or five
miles farther, and landing in a diftrift called Tittahah,
waited feveral hours for him there ; his fears having been
fo ftrong, as adtually to make him remove about nine
miles farther from us than ufual. There was fomething
in this conduct feemingly too much allied to cowardife ;
but we fliould likewife confider, that the power of Europeans
had formerly been difplayed bet!e in the terrific
fliape of deftruftion. It was three o’clock in the afternoon
before he arrived with his mother ; he expreffing the
moft manifeft fignsof fear and diftruft, and fhe with her
eyes fwimming in tears. The report of E-Tee, the prefent
of a new kind of animals, and all polfible affurances of
friendfhip on the part o f our people, fucceeded to quiet
their apprehenfions. At the king’s defire, the bagpiper was '
ordered to play before him, and his performance produced
an effedt fimilar to that of David’s harp, whofe harmonious
founds foothed the atrabilarious temper of Saul. He
fent
fent for a hog, which was prefented to captain Cook; and
foon after for another, which he gave to captain Furneaux.
The captains believing this to be the laft opportunity of
obtaining prefents from him, defired that a third might
be brought for Matarra (my father’s Taheitian name.) A
little pig was given him, at which our people expreffed
fome diflike ; upon this, one. of the king’s relations, in
the afcending line, who are all ftyled Medooa (Father,) ftep-
ped forward from the throng, and fpoke very loud, with
many violent geftures, to O-Too, pointing at our people,
at the fheep they had prefented, and at the little pig
which they had received. As foon as his fpeech was
finiflied, the pig was taken back again, and after a fliort
interval a large hog brought in its Head. Our people then
produced their iron wares and a variety of trinkets, which
they diftributed very freely '; and in return were wrapped
up in feveral ahows, or pieces of Indian cloth. They then
took their leave of the whole court, and returned to their
veffels about five o’clock.
Preparations were made for failing from this ifland the
next morning, whilft the natives crouded about us. with
fifh, fhells, fruit, and cloth, of which we purchafed all that
was to be had. Lieutenant Pickerfgill returned from his
excurfion to the weft ward about three in the afternoon. He
had advanced beyond the fertile plains of Paparra, where
O-Ammo,
1773»
A ugust,
September,
Wednefday i.