In the course of this visit, Tomio, the wife of the Chief, placed herself upon the same matt with Mr. Banks, close by him, but she not being young, nor appearing ever to have possessed many charms; to these causes may be ascribed the little attention this gentleman paid her; and Tomio received the additional mortification of Mr. Banks’s beckoning to a pretty girl, who, with some reluctance, came and seated herself by him. The Princess was somewhat mortified at the preference given to her rival, nevertheless she continued her assiduities to him. This whimsical scene was interrupted by an event of a serious nature. Dr. Solander having discovered that he had lost an opera glass, they complained to the Chief, and interrupted the convivial party. This complaint was enforced, by Mr. Banks’s starting up and striking the butt end of his musket on the ground, which struck the Indians with a panic, and they all precipitately ran out of the house, except the Chief, and a few others of the superior class.
The Chief appeared much concerned at this accident; not, as we had reason afterwards to believe, that he had any aversion to knavish practices, but because he feared that this early instance of dishonesty might give us unfavourable suspicions of his countrymen, and thereby deprive him of those advantages and emoluments which they expected to gain from us, and which by various artifices they afterwards secured, when our connexion with them became more intimate. The chief, therefore, to obviate any disadvantageous impressions, gave us to understand, with an appearance of great probity, that the place which the Doctor had mentioned was not within his district, but that he would send to the Chief of it, and endeavour, if possible to have the glass recovered; but that if this could not be done, he would make the Doctor compensation, by giving him as much new cloth, of which he shewed large quantities, as should be thought equal to its value. The case however was in a little time brought, and the glass itself soon after, which deprived us of the merit we should otherwise have had in refusing the cloth which had been offered us. But it afforded an opportunity of convincing the natives of our generosity, by lavishing rewards on them for an action, to which self-interest had been the motive, rather than any sentiment of probity; to which, from numerous transactions, they appeared to be absolute strangers. After this adventure was amicably terminated, they returned to the ship about six o’clock in the evening.
Saturday the 15th in the morning, several of the Chiefs, one of whom was very corpulent, came on board from the other point, bringing with them hogs, bread-fruit, and other refreshments, in exchange for which they gave them hatchets, linen, beads and other trinkets, but some of them took the liberty of stealing the top of the lightening chain. This day the Captain, attended by Mr. Banks and some of the other gentlemen, went a-shore to fix on a proper spot to erect a small fort for their defence during their stay on the island; and the ground was accordingly marked out for that purpose. A great number of the natives looking on all the while, and behaving in the most peaceable and friendly manner.
Mr. Banks having suspected, from seeing few hogs or poultry in their walks, that they had, upon the ship’s arrival, been driven farther up the country, it was resolved to penetrate into the woods; some marines and a petty officer being appointed to guard the tent in the interim; several of the natives accompanied the gentlemen in this excursion. Upon crossing a little river Mr. Banks perceiving some ducks, fired, and killed three. The Indians were struck with the utmost terror at this event, which occasioned them to fall suddenly to the ground, as if they had been shot at the same time; they recovered, however, presently from their fright, and continued the march. Before this party had gone much farther, they were alarmed by the discharge of two pieces, fired by the tent-guard. Owhaw, after calling together the Captain’s party, dispersed all the Indians except three, who broke branches of trees as pledges of their fidelity. Upon their return to the tent, it appeared, that an Indian had taken an opportunity to snatch away one of the centinels musquets; whereupon a young midshipman, under whose command the party was, very imprudently ordered the marines to fire, which they did immediately amongst the thickest of the fugitive Indians, in number above a hundred, several of whom were wounded, but as the criminal did not fall, they pursued and shot him dead.
When Mr. Banks heard of the affair, he was greatly displeased with the guard, and he used his utmost endeavours to accommodate the difference; going across the river, and through the mediation of an old man, prevailed on many of the natives to come over to them, bringing plantain-trees, their usual signal of peace, and clapping their hands in their breasts, they cried, _Tyau_, which signifies friendship. In a short time they became social and chearful, and seemed, for the present, to have buried in oblivion the wanton acts of cruelty which had been so lately exercised on their fellow countrymen.
Few of the natives appeared next morning upon the beach, and not one of them came on board. From hence Mr. Banks and the other gentlemen concluded, that their apprehensions were not intirely removed, more especially as even Owhaw had forsaken them. The Captain, in consequence of these disagreeable appearances, brought the ship nearer to shore, and moored her so as to make her broad-side bear on the spot which had been marked for erecting the fort. The Captain went on shore in the evening, with some of the gentlemen, when the Indians assembled round them, and they trafficked together in a friendly manner.
Mr. Banks had the misfortune of losing Mr. Buchan on the 17th.
The same day they received on board a visit from Tubora Tumaida and Tootahah. As tokens of peace, they brought with them some plantain branches, and would not risk themselves on board till these had been received, being probably alarmed at the affair of the tent. They also brought some bread-fruit and a hog ready dressed: in return for which they received some nails.
The fort began to be erected on the 18th. Some of the company were employed in throwing up intrenchments, whilst others were occupied in cutting fascines and pickets, which the Indians of their own accord chearfully assisted in bringing from the woods. Three sides of the fort were fortified with intrenchments and pallisades; and on the other which was flanked by a river, the water-casks being filled, were placed so as to form a breast-work.
This day the natives brought down such quantities of bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts, that it was necessary to reject them, and to intimate to them, that the company would not want any for two days. Beads were trafficked this day for every thing. Mr. Banks’s tent being got up, he, for the first time, slept on shore. No Indian attempted to approach it the whole night; however, a precaution had been taken to place proper centinels about it.
Wednesday 19, Tubora Tumaida visited Mr. Banks at his tent, and brought with him, besides his wife and family, the materials for erecting a house, in the neighbourhood of the fort, where he designed to reside: some time after he had reached the tent, he requested Mr. Banks to accompany him back to the woods; on their arrival at a place where he occasionally resided, he presented him with two garments, one of which was of red cloth, and the other of very fine matting; in which, having clothed Mr. Banks, he conducted him to the ship, and with his wife and son staid to dinner: they had a dish served up, which was prepared by one of Tubora Tumaida’s attendants, not unlike in taste to what in England is called flummery; of this dish the natives seemed exceedingly fond, but the English could not relish it. Tubora Tumaida had likewise brought with him some food, which appeared like the flower of wheat; this being mixed with cocoa-nut liquor, and some hot stones put into it, was stirred about till it became a thick jelly; on tasting it, they found it of an agreeable flavour, not very inferior to good blanc mange.
Without the lines a sort of market was established, which was tolerably well supplied. Tubora Tumaida became Mr. Banks’s and the other gentlemens frequent guest; he adopted their manners, and was the only one of his countrymen who had attempted to use a knife and fork.
Mr. Monkhouse, the Surgeon, said he had seen, in his evening walk the body of the man who had been shot at the tent. It was deposited in a shed, close to the house where he had resided when alive, and others were within ten yards of it. It was in length about fifteen feet, and eleven in breadth, and the height was proportionable: the two sides and one end were partly enclosed with a sort of wicker-work, the other end was entirely open. The corps was deposited on a bier, the frame of which was wood, with a matted bottom, supported by posts about five feet high. The corps was covered with a matt, and over that a white cloth; by its side lay a wooden mace, and towards the head two cocoa-nut shells: towards the feet was a bunch of green leaves, and small dried boughs, tied together and stuck in the ground, near which was a stone the size of a cocoa-nut: here was also placed a young plantain-tree and a stone axe. A great number of palm-nuts were hung in firings at the open end of the shed; and the stem of a plantain-tree was stuck up without the shed; upon this stem was placed a cocoa-nut shell filled with fresh water. At the side of one of the posts, there hung a little bag with some roasted pieces of bread-fruit. The natives did not seem pleased at his approaching the body, their jealousy and uneasiness being very visibly depicted in their countenances.