*771*
Oc t o b e r .
referved, and turned with difguft from the imrrrodeft behaviour
of ungovernable feamen, fame of them however
appeared to be of eafy virtue, and beckoned to our people-
with lafcivious geftures.!
The next morning early the captain went on fhore with
us, and prefented the chief with a variety of garden feeds,,
explaining by figns how ufeful they would prove to him.
This was as yet our only mode o f converfation, though we
had picked nip a number of words, which, by the help o f
the principles of univerfal grammar, and the idea of dialects,
we eafily perceived had a great allinitv with- the 1 an—
guage fpoken at Taheitee and the Society Ifles. O-Mai and!
Mahine (or O-Hedeedee,) the two natives of Raietea and?
Borabora who embarked with us, at firft declared that the
language was totally new and unintelligible to them \
however, when we explained to them the affinity of feveral*
words, they prefently caught the peculiar modification o f
this dialedt, and converfed much better with the natives
than we could have done after a long intercourfe with
them. They were extremely well pleafed with this country,
but foon perceived its defects, and told us there was
but fcanty provifion of bread-fruit, few hogs and fowls, and1
no dogs, which was really the cafe. In return, however,,
they liked the abundance of fugar-canes and of intoxicating
pepper, of which the drink had been offered to- capita
in Cook.
As
As foon as the captains had delivered their prefent, they
returned to the fhips, and the chief came on board with us.
Our anchor was weighed, our fails were fpread to the wind,
and we forfook this happy ifland when we had fcarce dif-
covered its beauties. The chief, after felling a number of
fifh-hooks for nails and beads, hailed one of the canoes
which were paffing by, and left us with looks which fpoke
his friendly, open difpofition.
We now failed along theweftern fhore of Tafman’s Am-
flerdam ifland, which the natives called Tonga-Tabboo, and
found it a very low flat land, compared with that which we
had left. The middle of this ifland is nearly i n n 5 ti'S-,
latitude, and l - $ W. longitude.. Its higheft elevation,
above the level of the lea, appeared to the eye never to exceed
fix or feven yards perpendicular. On the other hand,,
its extent was much more confiderable than that of Ea-
oowhe, and-by the help of our fpying-glaffes, we dif-
eovered the fame regular plantations which we had fo-
much admired there, and faw the fhores crouded with inhabitants,
who gazed at us, probably with as much atten- .
-tion as we bellowed upon them. When we were about
half way between both iflands, or nearly three leagues,
from each, we were met by feveral canoes full of men,,
who attempted to come along-fide, but as we happened to
be too far to windward, they could only fetGh the Adven-
venture, where they came on board.
fin
1773.
CTO BEK.-