September ^un^red pounds, or upwards; but the general run was from
>-— — j forty to fixty. It is not eafy to fay how many we might
Fnday 17. jlave g0t) coui<j we have found room for all that were offered
us.
The chief, and his friends, did not leave me till we were
under fail; and, before he went away, preffed me much to
know if I would not return, and when ? Queftions which
were daily put to me by many of thefe iflanders. My Ota-
heitean youth’s leaving me proved of no confequence; as
many young men, of this ifland, voluntarily offered to come
away with us. I thought proper to take on board one, who
was about 17 or 18 years of age, named Oedidee, a native of
Bolabola, and a near relation of the great Opoony, chief of
that ifland. Soon after we were out of the harbour, and had
made fail, we obferved a canoe following us, conducted by
, two men. Whereupon I brought to; and they prefently
came' along-fide, having brought me a prefent of roafted
fruit, and roots, from Oreo. I made them a proper return,
before I difmiffed them, and then fet fail to the Weft, with.-
the Adventure in company..
CHAP.
C H A P. XIV.
A n Account o f a Spanijh Ship v iftin g Otaheite; the pre fen
t State o f the Ifa n d s; with fome Obfervations on the
Difeafes and Cufloms o f the Inhabitants ; and fome M if
takes concerning the Women corre&ed.
I S HALL now give fome farther account of thefe iflandS ; I773...
for, although I have been pretty minute in relating the ,Sepl<:°1‘)er-,
daily tranfacl'ions, fome things, which are rather intereftingj
have been omitted;
Soon after our arrival at Otaheite, we were informed that
a ffiip, about the fize of the Refolution, had been in at
Owhaiurua harbour near the S. E. end of the ifland, where
file remained about three weeks ; and had been gone about
three months before we arrived. We were told that four of
the natives were gone away in her, whofe names were De-
bedebea— Paoodou—Tanadooee— and Opahiah. At this time,
we conjectured this was a" French fhip; but, on our arrival
at the Cape of Good Hope, we learnt fhe was a Spaniard,
which had been fent out from America. The Otaheiteans
complained of a difeafe communicated to them by the
people in this fhip, which they faid affeCted die head, throar,.
and ftomach, and at length killed them. They feemed tO’
dread it much, and were continually inquiring if we had
it. This fhip they diftinguiflied by the name of Pahai no-
Pep-pe (fhip of Peppe), and called the difeafe Apa no Pep-pe,,
juft as they call the venereal difeafe Apa no Pretane (Englifh
difeafe)^,