1787 About noon Teereteere and his attendants paid us another vifit,
j eptem . p,rjngjng two hogs and fome cocoa-nuts as a prefent. The Armourer
being at work, Captain Dixon ordered him to make a
pahou for the King, which pleafed him wonderfully, and he ex-
prefled his friendlhip for us in the molt unreferved manner, pro-
mifing to accommodate P o Po te, when he came, with every thing
the illand afforded.
By three in the afternoon we had got afufficient quantity of wood
on board, and our Captain determining to leave this place as foon
as poffible, the people were employed in clearing the decks, and
getting every thing ready for fea. Thou wilt probably hear from,
me at AtouL Thine,
W hahoo, 1
September 13th. ƒ
W. B,
L E T T E R XL.
HAVING a frefh Eafterly breeze, we weighed anchor at five
o’clock in the morning of the 13 th, and made fail for Atoui.
During our flay at Whahoo, the Wind had been lleady at E, N. E.
and tire weather very moderate. The mean of the thermometer
79 deg. and the latitude of our anchoring birth 21 deg. 16 min.
North.
I
We
We had been favoured with the company of the old Priefl and 1787.
•. r 1 1 1 September#
his attendants fince the morning of the 12th ; and no canoe now
comng for him, we made feveral boards in the bay, being unwilling
to take the old man to-Atoui, if we could avoid it.
Towards feven o’clock the Prieft’s canoe came along-fide; and:
prefently afterwards we faw that of the King putting off in a great,
hurry, on which we backed the main-topfail, and foon.found it to.’
be Tereteeree and his attendants-
When the King came on board, he feemed to be forry that we-
Ihould leave Whahoo fo foon, and endeavoured to perfuade us
that his only motive in paying, this vifit was to bid us farewell:
but it was eafy to perceive that interefl principally brought him on
board ; and that he was unwilling we fhould leave theifland, and
have all our wants fupplied fo very expeditSoufly, without making
fome addition to our former prefents ; though, to do him juflice,
no demand of the kind was diredlly made; but he frequently infinu-
ated, that our being fo fpeedi-ly fupplied with wood and water, was ■
in confequence of his immediate orders fo;r that purpofe; and that
the fame refpeflful attention fhould be fhewn to Po Pote, whenever,
he arrived. As Tereteere feemed to lay great flrefs on this lafl
circumflance, our Captain made him a prefent of a few axes and
faws, with'which he was pleafed to the highefl degree, imaginable..
Our courfe being near that part of the iflapd where the King •;
ufually refide'd, he flaid on board fome time, and was much delighted
to fee the fhip under fait.. As we were fleering nearly
before the wind, Captain Dixon ordered the man- at. the helm to
luff up and bear away occafionally, a circumflance which engaged
Tereteeree’s attention very much, and excited his furprize and admiration.
' ,
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