I?7** He therefore vifited her on fhore, and only by day, treating
MEMBER.
her with plenty of the rotten part of our bifcuit, which we
rejected, but which fhe and all her countrymen eagerly devoured.
Mahine, the native of Borabora, whom we had on
board, had been fo much accuflomed in his own country to
obey every call of nature, that he did not hefitate to gratify
his appetites in New Zeeland, though he was too clear-
lighted at the fame time not to perceive the vafl falling off
from his own country-women. The force of inftindf triumphed
over his delicacy,— and can we wonder at it, when
our civilized Europeans fet him the example! His conduft
towards the New Zeelanders in general deferves to be commended.
There needed not much penetration to difcover
that their prefent exiftence was very wretched in companion
of that of the tropical illanders ; but he alfo frequently
expreffed his pity, whilft he enumerated to us a variety of
articles of which they were ignorant. He diftributed the
roots of yams to thofe who vifited the Ihip at the Black
Cape, and always accompanied the captain whenever he
went to plant or fow a piece of ground in this harbour. He
was not, like Tupaya, fo much a matter of their language
as to converfe freely with them, but he foon underftood
them much better than any oneofus, from the great analogy
of their language to his own. Our vifit to the tropical
illands had, however, contributed to make the New Zee-
land dialed more intelligible’ to us than before, and we
plainly
plainly perceived that it had a great affinity to that of the
Friendly Ittes, which we had juft left. From fuch little
data we can only guefs at the probable route by which a
country, lb far to the fouth as New Zeeland, has been
peopled.
The weather continuing fair on the r 4th at night,- the
captain and my father went on fliore to the obfervatory
with telefcopes, to obferve the emerfion of one of Jupiter’s
fatelhtes. The refult of a great number of obfervations,
made at different times by our accurate and indefatigable
aftronomer, Mr. William Wales, F. R. S. has afcertained the
longitude of Queen Charlotte’s Sound to be 1740 2 f E&tt
from Greenwich.
The next morning we accompanied the captain to Eaft
Bay, where we vifited feveral fmall parties of the natives, in
three different places. They received us very amicably, pre-
fented us- with fiffi, which was always the moft valuable
article they had to give, and fold us fevefal large hoop-
nets * for our iron and Taheitee doth. Towards the bottom
of the bay we mounted on the fame hill which captain
Cook had ten d ed in his firft voyage f, intending to look
out on the fea if we could perceive tlie Adventure. But
when we reached the fummit, we found fo thick a haze on
ihe water, that we could fee -no farther than two or three
- * ? f ' hJ kind memioned in Hawkefworth’s Compilation, voi. II. p. w>
“ See Hawkcfworth, vol. I I , p. 397» ^ ?
Von. I. T t t
*77V November*
Sunday 14$
Monday 35J
leagues.