and they were perhaps not mere arbitrary founds formed
upon the occafion, but fignificant words in their own language.
Monkhoufe, the Midfhipman, who> commanded the"
party that killed the man for dealing the mufket, they called
Matte} not merely by an attempt to imitate in found the firft
fyllable of Monkhoufe, but becaufe Matte fignifies dead; and:
this probably might be the cafe with others-
C HA P . XII.. ;
Some La dies v ifit the Fort with very uncommon Ceremonies .-
, !The Indians attend D iv in e Service, and in the E v enin g
exhibit a mojl extraordinary SpeElacle i Tubourai Ta~
m a idefa lls into Temptation.
Friday n. ~| RI D A Y , the 12th of May, was diflinguilhed by a vilit
X from fome ladies whom we had never feen before, and
who introduced themfelves with fome very Angular ceremonies.
Mr. Banks was trading in his boat at the gate of the
fort as ufual, in company with Tootahah, who had that
morning paid him a vifit, and fome other of the natives ; between
nine and ten o’clock, a double canoe came to the
landing-place, under the awning of which fat a man and
two womenthe Indians that were about Mr. Banks made
figns that he Ihould go out to meet them, which he hafted to
do f but by the time he could get out of the boat, they had
advanced within ten yards of him: they then flopped, and
made figns that he Ihould do fo too, laying down about a
dozen young plantain trees, and fome other fmall plants:
he complied, and the people having made a lane between
them,
Wednef. 10.
them, the man, who appeared to be a fervant, brought fix >769-
o f them to Mr. Banks by one of each at a time, palling and
repailing fix times, and always pronouncing a Ihort fentence Fn ay ,z‘
when he delivered them. Tupia, who flood by Mr. Banks,
acted as his matter of the ceremonies, and receiving the
branches as they were brought, laid them down in the boat.
When this was done, another man brought a large bundle
o f cloth, which having opened, he fpread piece by piece upon
the ground, in the fpa.ce between Mr. Banks and his vifitors;
there were nine pieces* and having laid three pieces one upon
another, the foremoft of the women, who feemed to be the
principal, and who was called Qoe attooa, ftepped upon
them, and taking up her garments all round her to the
waift, turned about, with great compofure and deliberation,
and with an air of perfect innocence and fimplicity, three
times; when this was done, Ihe dropped the veil, and flep-
ping off the cloth, three more pieces were laid on, and lhe
repeated the ceremony, then ftepping off as before; the
laft three were laid on, and the ceremony was repeated in
the fame manner the third time. Immediately after this
the cloth was rolled up, and given to Mr. Banks, as a pre-
fent from the lady, who, with her friend, came up and fa-
luted him. He made fuch prefents to them both as he
thought would be moft acceptable, and after having ftaid
about an hour they went away. In the evening, the Gentlemen
at the fort had a vifit from Oberea, and her favourite
female attendant, whofe name was Otheothea, an agreeable
girl, whom they were the more pleafed to fee, becaufe,
having been fome days abfent, it had been reported that Ihe
was either lick or dead.
On the 13th, the market being over about ten o’clock, Mr. Saturday 13.
Banks walked into the woods with his gun, as he generally
did, for the benefit of the Ihade in the heat o f the day: as he
l R 3 was