17891 the men ;i o f thisllhavp* never feen an iaftance, and §|gp|
F” RUARY; gin© it can happen but, feldom» as the -women
- are finall, and by ino. means mafculine. Iddeahis faid to'be
very famous at this «exiercife.
Tuefday 17. « I walked with Tihahlowards the hills,,tp fee his country
refidenee, which was at a very neat houie, pleafently diln-
ated, and fufrounded with p lantations' Fro» thisrpteoe: w«
faw the ifland Tefhuroa. The : next morning, I went to
Matavai, to look after the Indian corn, wWch l judged
would be full ripe for gatherings but, on my arrival I found
that the natives had been before hand with me, the whole
being taken away. This 1 was not at all forry for, as it
. fhows that they value iit too much tö neglei^ «M v a tin j it.
Monday *j. i Iddeah feat on board, for our dinness to-day, .a very fine
tarro pudding; and Tinah brought a bunch of bananas, that
weighed 81 lbs. on which were x86 fine fru it: ten. had
broken off in the Carriage. The taixo pudding ïi;lèRöëlI©Bt
eating* and êafily made: I fhall -’«idfeï3 »eCltóft^pi§q^. *óf
Cookery, as the knowledge ó f it may he iileful in the Weft
indies. The tarro being cleaned of-the outfidefidn; is. grated
down, and made up in rolls o f about half a pound each,
which they cover neatly with .leaves, and habefdr near
half an hour. An equal quantity of ripe cocoa-nut inffiat is
•likewifë grated, from wfaidb, through -a ftrainer,
milky juice is exprefied. This juice is heated, by putting
ftnooth hot ftones in the- Veffel that Contains it, and the
tarro is then mixed with it, and kept conftantiy ftkring to
'prevent burning, till it is ready, which is known by the
cocoa-nut juice turning to a clear oil.
Wednefday Iddeah was very uneafy - to-day, oh account o f her
*5- yotmgeft -child being ill. • She would not accept of affiftance
from our furgeon, but faid Ihe had ferit to Tettaha for a
man.
maft, who fhe expefted would come and tell her what to do.
Thefe phyfical people are called 'T’ata rapaow. *—~J
' Thurfdaÿ the 26th.. This, morning, a man died of aeon- ThurfUy 26.
fumption, about twomiles from onr poft, I was informed of
it by Mr. Feckover, the gunner,-who I bad defiredto,look out
for fhebJ-a ©ifdu m ft an ce;. I therefore went, accompanied by
Iddeah, jn hopes of feeing the funeral ceremony; but before
We arrived; the body was* removed to the Toopapow. It lay
bare, except a pièce of cloth round the loins, and another
round the neck: the eyes'* were clofedr the hands were placed,
one over the pit of thfe ftomach, and the other upon
his fereaft. On a finger o f each hand was airing, made o f
platted fibres o f thé cocoa-nUt tree, with a finall,bunch of
f id feathers. * Under- the Toopapow a hole, was dug, in
wkich, at- the énd-of a month, the corpfé was fo he buried.
The" decékfed was of the lower clafs ; the Toopapow, however;
was neat, and offerings ofcocoa-puts and platted leaves
lay on the ground-
The dead are fometimes brought to the Toopapow in.
wooden coffins, which 'are not fhaped like ours, but are
limply a long - box. This cuftom, Iddeah informed me,
they learnt from the Europeans, and is not very common,
ks-making plank is a work of great labour. Ma, cb.
- Monday, March the ad. When I landed this morning, Monday*.
I fouhd the inhabitants, that lived near to us, had left their
hoiifes; and retired towards the mountains^ and was informed
that in the night a water calk, part of an azimuth
compafs, and Mr. PeckovePs bedding, had been ftolen from
the poft on Ihore ; the knowledge o f which had caufeda
general alarm. I Cent a meffage to complain of this theft
tö Tinahy -^who did not come near me. About two hours
elapfed, during which time I Went on hoard to breakfaft,
" and