»79 *•
January.
I f
thofe tables of comparative affinity which have been condrufted with fo
much attention and labour; and may, poflibly, when the reafons for
the alteration are known and developed, be a matter of intereding political
inquiry. This, however, required more leifure, and a more intimate
knowledge o f the language, than I poffeffed. Circumdances of
greater importance to the expediting the various fervices, which the
grand objeft of our voyage here demanded, and on which my mind
was every hour anxioufly engaged; augmented by the difficulties we had
to encounter, in the new modification of fo many terms; rendered moil
o f my inquiries ineffectual. Thefe perplexities and difadvantages were
alfo materially increafed, by the difficulty of obtaining the truth from a
race who have a condant defire to avoid, in the flighted degree, giving
offence; infomuch, that, on the lead appearance o f difpleafure, even
in converfation; to difengage themfelves from any fuch inconvenience,
they would often, by that extenfive and fpecious comprehenfion, which
their language admits of, feemingly fo qualify, what they before had
afferted, as to contradift, according to our acceptation, a pofitive matter
of faff ; or, what amounted to nearly the fame thing, a completely different
conftruftion was by us very frequently put on a fecond converfation,
from that which we had conceived from, or had attributed to,
the fird. Had we been more competent linguids, we might, in all probability,
have found both their modes o f expreffion tending to the fame
point, and differing Only in the figurative relation of the circumdances,
to which thefe people are much accudomed. This deception, I have
more than once experienced, and have, on refleftion, thus reconciled
the apparent incongruity. Such, and various other important circum-
ffances, mud ever occur, to render the acquirement of knowledge in
the language, manners, and cudoms, of newly-difcovered countries, (beyond
a certain fuperfieial extent,) a bufinefs o f much labour and dudy,
although aided by a feries o f minute obfervations. Under fuch evident
difadvantages, how far my abilities might or might not have empowered
me to direft fuch inquiries to effeft, had time and other objects
permitted, mud dill remain to be proved. I fiiall therefore refign the
palm to thofe gentlemen who have preceded me, and to whom the
world
world is indebted for many pertinent and judicious obfervations con- Sjfcjt
tamed in their general defcription of this country. 1-----—
Notwithdanding 1 mud concur with Mr. Anderfon in opinion, that
much information remains to be acquired which would be extremely
acceptable to the contemplative mind, yet it only remains with me
to record faithfully the circumdances which arofe in our tranfaftions
and intercöurfe with thefe people.
The changes which have taken place in their government, fo far as I
have been able to underdand from the chiefs, with fuch other matters
worthy attention as have fallen under my own immediate obfervation,
I {hall proceed to relate ; as the preceding narration would be incomplete
without fuch an explanation.
W e have become acquainted by fubfequent vifitors, that, Ihortly
after the lad departure of Captain Cook from thefe idands, confiderable
difputes had arifen between Maheine the ufurping chief o f Morea, and
Pomurrey, (then Otoo) in fome of which wars, (for there had been
many,) Maheine was joined by Towha, and other chiefs of the wedern
didrifts of Otaheite; by which means, for a confiderable fpace of time,
Pomurrey was materially worded, and his own didrifts laid intirely
wade. Thus His Majedy’s benevolent intentions of adding to the
comforts of thefe people, have been nearly frudrated. Mod of the
animals, plants, and herbs, which had caufed Captain Cook fo much
anxiety and trouble to depofit here, have fallen a facrifice to the
ravages of war. The black cattle were carried to Morea, where they
dill remain ; and having bred, are now five in number, four cows and a
bull. The latter has very unfortunately received a hurt in his loins,
which renders him an intire cripple; confequently their further propagation
will be at an end unlèfs fome additional aflidance is afforded.
In the midd of thefe hodile engagements, Pomurrey married the
queen-mother, a near relation of his mod inveterate enemy Maheine.
This lady having taken a very material part in the advantageous change
ot-Pamurrey's government, I fhall obtrude a few lines as a fketch of her
charafter, and alfo that of Fier re te her After,. and conjugal, partner in
the royal affeótion.
H t T The . VOL. I. 1
t