1769- intention to conceal themfelves till the July. I fhi*p had failed, and
;---j— i take up their refidence upon the ifland. This night every
Tuefday thing was g0t off from the fhore, and every body flept on
hoard.
Among the natives who were almoft conftantly with us,
was Tupia, whofe name has been often mentioned in this
Narrative. He had been, as I have before obferved, the firft
minifter of Oberea, when fhe was in the height of her
power: he was alfo the chief Tahowa or prieft of the ifland,,
confequently well acquainted with the religion of the country,
as well with refpedt to its ceremonies as principles. He
had alfo great experience and knowlege in navigation, and
was particularly acquainted with the number and fituation
of the neighbouring iflands. This man had often expreffed
Wednef. n. a defire to go with us, and on the iath in the morning;
having with the other natives left us the day before, he
came on board, with a boy about thirteen years of age, his
fervant, and urged us to let him proceed with us on our'
voyage. To have fuch a perfon on board, was certainly de-
firable for many reafons ; by learning his language, and!
teaching him ours, we Ihould be able to acquire a much-
better knowlege of the cuftoms, policy, and religion of the-
people, than our Ihort flay among them could give us, %
therefore gladly agreed to receive them on board. As we:
were prevented from failing to-day, by having found it ne-
ceffary to make new flocks to our fmall and beft bower anchors,
the old ones having been totally deftroyed by the-
worms, Tupia faid, he Would go once more on fhore, and.
make a fignal for the boat to fetch him off in the evening..
He went accordingly, and took with him a miniature picture
of Mr. Banks’s, to fhew his friends, and feveral little things,
to give them as parting prefents.
After
After dinner, Mr. Banks being defirous to procure a drawing
o f the Morai belonging to Tootahah at Eparre, I attended
him thither, accompanied by Dr. Solander, in the pinnace.
As foon as we landed, many of our friends came to meet us,
though fome abfented themfelves in refcntmcnt of what had
happened the day before. We immediately proceeded to
Tootahah’s houfe, where we were joined by Oberea, with
feveral others who had not come out to meet us, and a perfect
reconciliation was foon brought about; in confeqUenCe
of which they promi fed to vifit us early the next day, to take
a laft farewel of us, as we told them we flrould certainly fet
fail in the afternoon. At this place alfo we found Tupia,
who returned with us, and flept this night on board the fhip
for the firft time.
On the next morning, Thurfday the 13th of July, the fhip Thurfday^.
was very early crouded with our friends, and furrounded by
a multitude of canoes, which were filled with the natives of
an inferior clafs. Between eleven and twelve we weighed!
anchor, and as foon as the fhip was under fail, the Indians
on board took their leaves, and wept, with a decent and
filent forrow, in which there was fomething very flriking
and tender: the people in the canoes, on the contrary,
feeMed to vie with each other in the loudnefs of their lamentations,
Which we confidered rather as affectation than
grief. Tupia fuftained himfelf in this feene with a firmnefs
and' refolution truly admirable: he wept indeed, but the
effort that he made to conceal his tears, concurred, with
them, to do him honour. He fent his laft prefent, a fhirt,
by Otheothea, to Potomai, Tootahah’s favourite miftrefs,
and then went with Mr. Banks to the maft-head, waving to
the canoes as long as they continued in fight.
A a a
Wednef. 12.
Thus,