Apru’ f°uth fides confifted of a bank of earth fpur feet and air half
'— --- ' high on the infide, and a ditch without ten feet broad and
Saturday 29. r j t n r- t r lix deep; on the welt fide, facing the bay, there was a bank
of earth four feet high, and pallifadoes upon that, but no
ditch, the works here being at high-water mark; on the
eaft fide, upon the bank of the river, was- placed a double
rqw of water calks, filled with water; and as this was the
weakeft fide, the two four pounders were planted there, and
fix fwivel guns were mounted fo as to command the only-
two avenues from the woods. Our garrifon confifted of about
five and forty men with fmall arms, including the officers,
and the gentlemen who refided on ffiore ; and our fentries
were as well relieved as in the beft regulated frontier in
Europe.
Sunday 30. We continued our vigilance the next day, though we had
no particular reafon to think it neceflary; but about ten
o’clock in the morning, Tomio came running to the tents,
with a mixture of grief and fear in her countenance, and
taking Mr, Banks, to whom they applied in every emergency
and diftrefs, by the arm, intimated that Tubourai
Tamaide was dying, in confequence of fomething. which our
people had giyen him to eat, and that he muft inftantly go
with her to his houfe, Mr, Banks fet out without delay, and
found his Indian friend leaning his head againft a poft, in
an attitude of the utmoft languor and defpondency; the
people about him intimated that he had been vomiting, and
brought out a leaf folded up with great care, which they
faid contained fome of the poifon, by the deleterious effects
of which he was now dying. Mr. Banks haftily opened the
leaf, and upon examining it3 contents found them to be no
other than a chew of tobacco, which the chief had begged
©f fome of our people, and which they had indifcreetly given
3 him:
R O U N D T H E WO R L D . 109
him: he had obferved that they kept it long in the mouth, 1769-
and being defirous of doing the fame, he had chewed it to 1__,—
powder, and fwallowed the fpittle. During the examination S“n ay 3°’
of the leaf and its contents, he looked up at Mr. Banks with
the moft piteous afpeft, and intimated that he had but a very
fhort time to live. Mr. Banks, however, being now mailer
of his difeafe, directed him to drink plentifully of cocoa-nut
milk, which in a fhort time put an end to his ficknefs and
apprehenfions, and he fpent the day at the fort with that
uncommon flow of cheerfulnefs and good-humour, which
is always produced by a hidden and unexpected relief from
pain either of body or mind.
Captain Wallis having brought home one of the adzes
which thefe people, having no metal of any kind, make of
ftone, Mr. Stevens, the Secretary to the Admiralty, procured
one to be made of iron in imitation of it, which I brought
out with me, to fhew how much we excelled in making tools
after their own falhion: this I had not yet produced, as it
never happened to come into my mind. But on the firft of
May, Tootahah coming on board about ten o’clock in the
forenoon, expreffed a great curiofity to fee the contents of
every cheft and drawer that was in my cabbin; as I always
made a point of gratifying him, I opened them immediately,
and having taken a fancy to many things that he faw, and
collected them together, he at laft happened to call his eye
upon this adze; he inftantly fnatched it up with the greateft
eagernefs, and putting away every thing which he had before
IcleCted, he alked me whether I would let him have
that: I readily confented ; and, as if he was afraid I fhould
repent, he carried it off immediately in a tranfport of joy,
without making any other requeft, which whatever had
been our liberality was feldom the cafe.
P ?
May.
Monday 1.
About