1769. windward of fome harbours that lay on the weft fide of this
-j ifland. Into one of thefe harbours, though we had before
Suaday 30. peen afh01.e Qn the other fide of the ifland, I intended to put,
in order to flop a leak which we had fprung in the powder
room, and to take in more ballaff, as I found the fhip too
light to carry fail upon a wind. As the wind was right
againftus,we plied off one of the harbours, and aboutthree
Taefdly 1. o’clock in the afternoon on the ift of Auguft, we came to an
anchor in the entrance of the channel leading into it in fourteen
fathom water, being prevented from working in, by a
tide which fet very ftrong out. We then carried out the
kedge-anchor, in order to warp into the harbour; but when
this was done, we could not trip the bower-anchor with all
the purchafe we could make ; we were therefore obliged to
w „ iW; l i e ftill all night, and in the morning, when the tide turned,
the fhip going over the anchor, it tripped of itfelf, and we
warped the fhip into a proper birth with eafe, and moored
in twenty-eight fathom, with a fandy bottom. While this
was doing, many of the natives came off to us with hogs,
fowls, and plantains, which they parted with at an eafy rate»
When the fhip was fecured, I went on fhore to look for a
proper place to get ballaft and water, both which I found in
a very convenient fituation.
This day Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander fpent on fhore very
much to their fatisfadfion ; every body feemed to fear and
refpedt them, placing in them at the fame time the utmoft
confidence, behaving as if confcious that they poffelled the
power of doing them mifchief, without any propenfity to
make ufe of it. Men, women and children crowded round
them, and followed them wherever they wen t; but none o f
them were guilty of the leaft incivility: on the contrary,.,
whenever there happened to. be dirt or water in the way, the
men.
men vied with each other to carry them over on their backs.
They were conduced to the houfes of the principal people,
and were received in a manner altogether new: the people,
who followed them while they were in their way, rufhed
forward as foon as they came to a houfe, and went haftfly in
before them, leaving however a lane fullicicntly wide for
them to pafs. When they entered, they found thofe who had
preceded them ranged on each fide of along matt, which was
fpread upon the ground, and at the farther end of which fat
the family: in the firft houfe they entered they found
fome very young women or children, dreffed with the utmoft
neatnefs, who kept their ftation, expecting the ftraogers to
come up to them and make them prefents, which they- did
with the greateft pleafure; for prettier children or better
dreffed they had never feen. One of them was a girl about
fix years old; her gown or upper garment, was red ; alarge
quantity of plaited hair was wound round her head, the ornament
to which they give the name of Tamou, and which*
they value more than any thing they poffefs. She fat at the
upper end of a matt thirty feet long, upon which none o f the
fpedlators prefumed to fet a foot, notwithstanding, the crowd;
and fhe leaned upon the arm of a well-looking woman about
thirty, who was probably her nurfe. Our Gentlemen walked
up to her, and as foon as they approached, fhe.ftretched out
her hand to receive, the beads which they offered her, and
no Princefs in Europe could have done it with a better grace.
The people were fo much gratified by the prefents which
were made to thefe girls, that when Mr. Banks, and Dr. Solander
returned they feemed attentive to nothing but how to
oblige them ; and in one of the houfes they were, by order
of the mailer, entertained with a dance, different from any
that they had feen. It was performed by one man, who put
i . upon