mav. to the ifland *. In the evening we had a perfect calm, and
Were highly delighted with viewing and hearing the i natives,
Who fat in their houfes Wong the Ihore, around their
candles, which are oily nuts ftuck on a Header flick. One
of the firft who came on board the nest day was Porea, the
Taheitian youth, who had left that ifland with us eight
months ago, but had withdrawn himfelf from us atRaietea.
He told us, it was by no means with his confent that he ftaid
behind. Having an amour with a pretty ghl, fhe had appointed
a rendezvous, to which he had haflened, after delivering
the powder-horn to captain Cook. On his arriving
at the place appointed with his fair miftrefs, he had
been attacked by her father, with fome attendants, who had
flripped him of his European cloaths, beaten him foundly,
and confined him till after our departure. He had then
taken the firft opportunity of crofting over to Huahine,
where he had been fupported by the hofpitality of feveral
friends, fo that he was now in a very good plight. From
his flory we may gather, that the people of thefe iflands do
not always permit their daughters to follow their own inclinations
; though according to our ideas, Porea’s attempt
did not authorife the father to rob him of his cloaths.
We went on Ihore early, and rambled to the lagoons,
which the fea forms to the northward of the harbour.
* See vol. I. p. 376.
We
We found them furrounded by fwamps, filled with variety m1%.
of Raft Indian plants; and their Ihores confifted of a flimy
mud, which, from its appearance, and fetid fmell, we
thought to be o f the fame nature and qualities with hepar
jul^hum. There were great flocks o f ducks upon the lagoon
; but we found it difficult to approach them, as we
funk into the mud, whenever we ventured to walk through
it. The profpeCt which this piece of water forms, is however
extremely pleafing and pitfturefque. The ftinking
effluvia of the lagoons are probably efteemed unwholefome,
as we obferved but very few houfes on their banks. On
the’ fea fide they are inclofed by a narrow coral ledge covered
with fand, a little elevated, along which we found
great number of coco-nut palms. The marlhes dope
down from this immediately to the ftagnant water. We
were entertained by one of the natives with coco-nuts,
which were at prefent very fcarce upon the ifland. In returning
home our fervant, who carried a bag with plants,
and another with iron tools, was knocked down a few
yards behind us, and would have been robbed, if we had not
turned back by chance; but at fight of us the thieves ran
off. This was the fecond time that our people were thus
boldly attacked by the natives of Huahine, who feem, upon
the whole, to be more licentious under the infirm government
of old Oree, than thofe of Taheitee, and of the other
Society Iflands.
This