the exhalations of fragrant flowers, and was continually
•fanned by a cooling gentle land-wind, exadlly like young
Zephyr, who has fuch great obligation to the poets. Whatever
the exalted degree of pleafure might be, which fell to
the (hare of the happy Mahine, there were thofe on board
who Thought their fituation worthy of envy. Immediately
on the firft evening feveral women came on board, and the
excefles of the night were incredible. I have already ob-
ferved before, that the women who made a practice of this
intercourfe were all of the common or loweft clafs, and I
fliall only add at prefent, that they were the fame who had
been fo liberal of their favours during our firft ftay at this
ifland. It is therefore obvious, that the proftitutes are only
a particular fet among the reft, and that the cuftom is far
from being fo general as hath been hitherto fuppofed, on
the faith of other accounts. It would be Angularly abfurd,
if o-Mai were to report to his countrymen, that ebaftity is
not known in England, becaufe Ije did not find the ladies
cruel in the Strand.
The next day we had delightful weather, and a great
number of natives came on board. I ventured to go on
fliore to the tents in the forenoon, but after walking about
thirty yards, I was obliged to turn back and fit down, in
order to prevent my fainting away. The fine apples,
which the natives brought for fale, looked fo extremely
tempting, that I ventured to tranfgrefs the pofitive order of
the
the phyfician, and having regaled myfelf with one of them,
returned on board immediately. Not lefs than fifty large
bonitos had been purchafed by our people during my fhort
fiay on Ihore, for fpikenails and knives ; and befides thefe
we had obtained fuch a quantity of fruit, that we were
enabled to ferve it out in plentiful portions. At my return
I found a native in irons, who had already taken an opportunity
to pilfer fome nails in the fhip. Several of the better
fort of people interceded very ftrongly, and prefented a
number of bonitos, in order to procure his releafe. Thefe
were accepted, and he was fet at liberty, with a warning not
to praétife the fame tricks again.
The women who had paffed the firft night on board-
returned in the evening, and feveral others came with
them; fo that every failor had his partner. The night
was very fair and moon-light, and being dedicated to St,
George, the tutelar faint of England, the pleafures of Venus-
were joined to the ufual orgies of the feftival..
Dr. Sparrman and my father had been on Ihore the whole
day, and returned after funfet. They had walked acrofs
O'ne-tree-hill into the province of Parre. There they met
with Tootahah’s mother, and Happai, the father of the
king, to whom they made fome fmall prefents. They
were likewife accofted by a native there, who did them ft—
veral good offices, and particularly fwam a confiderable:
way in a pond where they had Ihot fome wild-ducks1..
Thejy
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