their donations were not to be exhibited to public view until the crowd
was difperfed ; and I was infracted, in the event o f inquiries being made
concerning the prefents I propofed to make thele illuftrious perfonages,
to enumerate but few of the articles. Amongft thofe intended for
Pomurrey were two axes. Thefe he defired no one fhould know o f;
and to . prevent even fufpicion, hid them under my bureau, where they
remained fome days, until he lent his elder wife Pomurrey Wkaheine for
them. This degree o f fecrecy feemed inexplicable.
Amongft the feveral chiefs who vifited us, was Porno, chief of Matavai,
who brought with him a portrait of Captain Cook, drawn by Mr. Webber,
in the year 1777. This pifture is always depofited in the houfe of
the chief o f Matavai, and is become the public regifter. On the back
o f it was written, that the Pandora had quitted this ifland the 8 th of
may 1791.
It is natural to fuppofe we fhould be very folicitous to become acquainted
with the circumftances that had attended the veflel and the unfortunate
perfons belonging to the Bounty. Captain Edwards, who in
the Pandora was difpatched from England in queft of them fome months
prior to our failing, had, we underftood, arrived here, and taken on
board thofe o f the crew who were left at Otaheitejs amounting to the
number of thirteen, at the time Mr. Chriftian with the re il o f his
party failed from the ifland, which was fome time before the arrival of
the Pandora; lince which period I was not able to procure any intelligence
of Mr. Chriftian or his companions.
Whatever particulars could be c o in e d 'f rom the natives, refpeaing
this no lefs criminal, than melancholy event, I thought it an incumbent
duty to procure and tranfmit to England, left any accident fhould
befal the Pandora. But as a legal inveftigation has fince taken place,
I truft I fhall neither incur the difpjeafure o f the humane, nor the reproach
o f the curious, by declining any further digreffion on this fad
fu b je a : the former will readily find an apology for me in their own
bofoms ; and the latter may refort to the publications of the day, for any
other particulars with which they may be defirous of becoming acquainted.
A large party of royalty, and chiefs, honored us with their company at
dinner,
dinner, which failed being a pleafant circumftance in confequence of the
1792.
January.
weather being extremely hot, and the cabin exceffively crowded. On
this occafion, the wives o f Pomurrey and the wife of Mahore Were per- Monday*-
mitted to fit with us at table, and partake o f the repaft. This indulgence,
Vide Cook’s
Voyages,
however, is by no means common, and, I believe, granted tó
no other of the women on the ifland. Out attention was particularly
attracted by the great defire which the generality o f them, both male and
female, exhibited, in their endeavours to adopt OUr manners and cuftoms,
and the- avidity with which they fought fpirituous liquors,
Pomurrey, in the courfe of dinner and afterwards, drank a bottle of
brandy, without diluting it. This threw him info füch violent convül-
fions, that four ftrong men were required to hold him down, and to
perform the office of “ Roome, roome,”* which is done by fqueeziog the
flelh o f the limbs, and body of the intoxicated perfon with their hands,
On thefe eonvulfions fubfiding, he flept for about an hour, and then
arofe to all appearance as much refrefhed with his nap, as if he had retired,
perfe&ly fober. I expoftulated with a defire to convince him that
inebriety was highly pernicious to health, but in vain; his only
reply was, “ Nome none,” a term ufed' for every thing that delights or
pleafes, fuch as mufic, &c. &c. accufed me of being a ftingy fellow,
and that I was not “ Tio tio " a phrafe lately adopted to fignify i jolly
companion. This determined me that he fhould have his own Way, and
Orders were given that he fhould have' as much brandy Or rum, Us he-
chofetocall for; concluding, that in a few days1 hé would be convinced
of its. ill effe&s. In this I was not miftaken; before the week expired
he ceafed calling for fpirits ; and a few glaffes of wine, at and after
dinner, completely fatisfied him; frequently- faying,, that all I had
told him of the “ Ana Britarne” was perfectly true.' Spirits and wine are,
however, in great requeft with all the chiefs, as is fugar ; and there can
be no doubt that thefe articles might be rendered amongft them confi-
derable branches of traffic.
Wè were bufily employed this day about our rigging, fails, and other Tuefday 3.
matters on board; and in landing the chronometers, inftrumeHts, and
other neceflary articles and implements for the execution of our bufinefs
V O L . I . p on