Saturday 30.
May.
Sunday 1.
Monday.2.
any thing of the kind had been going forward. I thought
thefe veflels were thinly manned with rowers; the moft being
not above thirty, and the lead; fixteen or eighteen. I observed
the warriors on the Rage encouraged the rowers to
exert themfelves. Some youths fat high up in the curved
Rem, above the fteerfmen, with white wands in their hands.
I know not what they were placed there for; unlefs it was
to look out, and dire61, or give notice o f what they faw, as
they were elevated above every one elfe. Tarevatoo, the
king’s brother, gave me the firft notice of thefe canoes being
at fea; and knowing that Mr. Hodges made drawings
of every thing curious, defired, of his own accord, that he
might be fent for. I being at this time on fliore with Tarevatoo,
Mr. Hodges was therefore with me, and had an opportunity
to c'olledt fome materials for a large drawing or
pidlure of the fleet affembled at Oparree, which will convey
a far better idea of it than can be expreffed by words.
Being prefent when the warriors undreffed, I was furprifed
at the quantity and weight of cloth they had upon them,
not conceiving how it was poffible for them to Rand under
it in time of battle. Not a little was wrapped round their
-heads as a t-urban, and made into a cap. This indeed
-might be neceffary in preventing a broken head. Many had,
fixed to one of this fort of caps, dried branches of fmall
fhrubs covered over with white feathers; which, however,
-could only be for ornament.
I had a very great fupply of provifions, fent, and brought
by different chiefs, on the ifi of May; and the next day received
a prefent from Towha, fent by his jervants, confiding
o f a hog, and a boat load of various forts of fruit and roots.
The like prefent I alfo had from Otoo, brought by Tarev.atoo,
who
who Rayed dinner; after which I went down to Oparree, paid 1 r 1 May.
a vifit to Otoo, and returned on board in the evening. 1--- .— /
On the 3d, in looking into the condition of our fea pro- TueHay.
vifions, we found that the bifcuit was in a Rate of decay, and
that the airing and picking we had given it at New Zealand,
had not been of that fervice we expedfed and intended ; fo
that we were obliged to take it all on fliore here, where it
underwent another airing and cleaning, in which a good
deal was found wholly rotten and unfit to be eaten. We
could not well account for this decay in our bread, efpecially
as it was packed in good calks, and flowed in a dry part of the
hold. We judged it was owing to the ice we fo frequently
took in when to the fouthward, which made the hold damp
and cold, and to the great heat which fucceeded when to the
North. Be it this, or any other caufe; the lofs was equal to us:
it put us to fcanty allowance of this article.; and we had bad
bread to eat too.
On the 4th, nothing worthy of note. Wednef. g
On the 5th,- the king, and feveral other great men, paid Thlllfday ^
us a vifit, and brought with them, as ufual, fome hogs and
fruit. In the afternoon, the botanifts fet out for the mountains,
and returned the following evening, having made Fridays,
fome new difcoveries in their way.
On going alhore in the morning of the 7th, I found Otoo' Saturday 7.
at the tents, and took the opportunity to afk his leave to cut
down fome trees for fuel. He not well underftanding me, I
took him to fome growing near the fea-fhore, where I pre-
fently made him comprehend what I wanted, and he as
readily gave his confent. I told him, at the fame time, that
I lliould cut down no trees that bore any fruit. He was
Vol. I. U u pleafed