the natives, Tegadoo. Some of our boats went on1 ihore for water, and found a
rivulet where they filled their calks, and returned to the ihip unmolefted by the
inhabitants, many of whom they faw near the rivulet.
On the 22d, in the morning, the boats went on ihore again for wood and
water; and, a (hort time after, Mr. Banks and fome others followed'them ; and,
while they were abfent, the natives came on board and trafficked with us ; having
brought fome parcels of Oomarra, and exchanged them with us for Otaheite cloth,
which is afcarce commodity amohgft them; They were very cunning in their
traffic, and made ufe of much low aftifice, One of them bad an axe made of the
before-mentioned green Hone, which he would not part with for any thing we
offered him. Several of them were very curioully tataowed; and one old man
was marked, on the bread with a large volute, and other figures. The natives,
both on board and on Ihore, behaved with great civility, and, at night, they began
to heivo and dance in their manner, which was very uncouth ; nothing could be
more droll than to fee old men with grey beards afluming every antic pofture
imaginable, rolling their eyes' about, lolling out their tongues, and, in fhort, working
themfelves up to a fort of phrenzy.
T h e furf running high, the men who went on ihore found great difficulty in
getting the water into the long-boat, and, in coming off, the boat was fwampt ;
w e therefore enquired o f the natives for a^more .'convenient watering-place, and
they pointed to a bay bearing S. W . by W . On receiving this information we
weighed anchor; but, the wind being againd us, we flood o ff and on till the next
morning, the 23d, and then bore away to leeward, and looked into the bay which
w e had palled before. About noon we .dropped anchor,, and one o f our boats
went into a little cove where there was fenooth landing and frefh water, and we
■moored thè (hip about one mile and a h a lf from the ihore. This bay is called,
by the natives-,"T o là g a , and is very open, being expofed to all the violence o f the
ead wind. Several canoes came along-fide o f the (hip, o f whom we got fome
fill], Oomarras; or fweet potatoes,- and feveral other things ; but the natives were
very indifferent about mod o f the things we offered them, except white cloth and
glaffes, which fuited their fancy;-fo-that we found it difficult to trade with them.
T h e y had feme green done axes and ear-rings but they would not part with
them, i
them on any terms; and as to their Oomarras, they fet a great value upon
them. r
The country about-the bay is agreeable beyond defcription, and, with proper
cultivation, might be rendered akinp-of fecond Paradife. The hills are covered
with beautiful flowering ihrubs, intermingled with a great number of tall and
ftately palms, which'ifl the ^|with a'mj^t grateful fragrant perfume.
We faw the tree that produces the cabbage, which ate well boiled. We alio
found fome frees that yielded a fine frahfparen't gum: and, between the hills we
difcovered fome fruitful valleys that are adapted either to cultivation or pafturage
The country abounds with different kinds of herbage fit for food; and, among
fuch a.variety of trees as are upog this land, there are; dohhfieís, many that produce
eatable fruit. Our botanifts were agreéably employed in inveftigating them
as well as many other leffer plants with fvhich the country abounds. : Within land
there were many fcandent ferns and parafaitic plants; and, on the fea ihore Sali-
cormas Mrfembrean, Mums, and a variety of Fucus’sf ' The plant, of which they
make their cloth is a fort of Hemerocallis, and the leaves yield a very ilrong and
gloffy flax, of which their garments and ropes are made. Adjoining to their haufes
are plantations of Koomarra * and Taro + : Thefe gronnds. are cultivated with great
care, and kept clean and neat. 0
The natives, who are not very numerous in this part of the country, behaved
very cwd to tav- they are, in gehefal, lean and tall, yé, well ihaped., have face's
like Europeans; and, in general, the aquiline nofe, with dark-coloured eyes
black hair, which is tied up on the crown of the head,, and beirds of a middling’
length. As to their tataowtng, it is doné very curioully in fpiral and other figures
and, in many places, indented into their ikins, which looks like carving • thou»!,’
at a d,flanee, it appears as if it had been only, frtieáred with a black paint -This
.«sowing is peculiar to the principal men among them: fervants and worn.,,
content themfelves with befmearing their faces with red paint or ochre- and
were It not for this nafty enftom, would make no defpicable appearance. Their’ cloth
* white, and as gloffy as f,Ik, worked by hands, and .wrought.as even as i f Í
° ' had
A fweet potatoe, which the Otaheiteans call Oomarra,
t Yams.