11 haps owing to a precaution of the natives, who might be
SEPT‘MB" ' apprehenfive of expofing themfelves to the anger of the
Grangers, by conferring fuch a defperate gift upon them *.
We heard, however, of another difeafe of a different nature,
whilft we Raid upon the ifland; and which they called
o -p a y -n o -P ep p e , (the fore of Peppe,) adding, that it was
brought by the (hip which they defigned by that name,
and which, according to different accounts, had either bear
two, three, or five months before us at Taheitee. By the
account of the fymptoms, it feemed to be a kind of le-
profy. Nothing is more eafy than to imagine, how the
{hangers (Spaniards,) who vifited Taheitee in that (hip,
might be innocently charged with introducing that difeafe.
In order to give rife to a general error of this fort, it is
fufficient that it broke out nearly about the time of their
arrival, and that fome diftant connections between them
and the perfons affected, could be traced. This is the
more probable, as it is certain, that there are feveral forts
of leperous complaints exifting among the inhabitants,
fuch as the elephantiafis, which refembles the yaws ; alfo
an eruption over the whole Ikin, and laftly a monftrous
rotting ulcer, of a moft loathfome appearance. However,
* See M de Bougainville’s Voyage, Englilh Edition, pag. 273, 274, 285,
286. and Hawkefworth, vol. I. p. 489, 49°- M M i <” H i BBS ville, with the politenefs of a well-bred man, doubts, whether the d.feafe ex.fted
at Taheitee previous to his arrival or not; the Englilh feaman a erts is opt
nion as fail in pofitive terms. 11
all thefe very feldom occur, and efpecially the lad; for the
excellence of their climate, and the fimplicity of their vegetable
food, which cannot be too much extolled, prevent
not only thefe, but almoft all dangerous and deadly
- diforders.
Towards fun-fet we brought to within two leagues of
Huahine ; and the next day, at four o clock, doubled the
north end of that ifland, and then bore up for the harbour
of O-Wharre. Huahine is divided by a deep inlet into
two peninfulas, connected by an ifihmus entirely overflowed
at high-water. Its hills are much inferior to thofe
of Taheitee in height, but their appearance ftrongly indicated
them as - the former feats of a volcano. The fum-
mit of one of them had much the appearance of a crater,
and a blackifh fpungy rock was feen on one of its fides,
which feemed to be lava. At fun-rife we beheld fome of
the other Society Ifles, called O-Raletea (Ulietea,) O-faha, and
Borabora (Bolabola.) The laft forms a peak like Maatea,
but infinitely higher and more confiderable, on the top of
which there appeared alfo the crater of a volcano. There
are two entrances to O-Wharre harbour ; of thefe we chofe
the fouthermoft, and having a very fteady breeze off ihore,
our navigators tried their fkill in working in. The entrance
might be about three or four hundred yards long,
and barely a hundred yards wide between two reefs.
However in this fpace we made fix or feven trips with
B b b 2
' 177
Septe
Friday
amazing