The next morning the Queen returned to the fort, and Captain Cook having altered his mind accepted of her presents. Two of her attendants were very earnest in getting themselves husbands, in which they succeeded, by means of the Surgeon and one of the Lieutenants: they seemed very agreeable till bed-time, and determined to lie in Mr. Banks’s tent, which they accordingly did, till the Surgeon having some words with one of them Mr. Banks thrust her out, and she was followed by the rest, except Otea Tea, who cried for some time, till he turned her out also. This had like to have become a serious affair, a duel being talked of between Mr. Banks and Mr. Monkhouse, but it was happily avoided. Dogs are esteemed here more delicate eating than pork; as those bred to be eaten taste no animal food, but live entirely upon vegetables; and the experiment was tried. Tupia undertook to kill and dress him, which he did, by making a hole in the ground and baking him. It was agreed by every one to be a very good dish.
They were visited on the 21st at the fort by many of the natives, who brought various kinds of presents, and among the rest Oamo, a Chief of several districts on the island, whom they had never before seen, who brought with him a hog. This Chief was treated with great respect by the natives, and was accompanied by a boy, and a young woman. The boy was carried upon a man’s back, though he was very able to walk. Oberea and some other of the Indians went out of the fort to meet them, their heads and bodies being first uncovered as low as the waist. This was considered as a mark of respect, they had not noticed it before, but judged it was usually shewn to persons of distinguished rank among them. Oamo entered the tent, but the young woman, who was about sixteen, could not be prevailed upon to accompany him, tho’ she seemed to combat with her curiosity and inclination. Dr. Solander took the youth by the hand, and conducted him in; but the natives without, who had prevented the girl’s entrance, soon found means to get him out again.
The curiosity of Mr. Banks and the other gentlemen being excited from these circumstances, they made enquiry, who these strangers were, and were informed, that Oamo was Oberea’s husband, but that by mutual consent they had been for a considerable time separated; and that the youth and girl were their offspring. The boy was named _Terridiri_, and was heir apparent to the sovereignty of the island; and he was to espouse his sister as soon as he had attained the proper age. The present sovereign being a minor, called OUTOU, and son of Whappai; Whappai, Oamo, and Tootahah, were all brothers; Whappai was the senior, and Oamo the next; wherefore, Whappai having no child but Outou, Terridiri, son of Oamo, was heir to the sovereignty. To us it will appear singular, that a boy should reign during the life of his father; but in the island of Otaheite, a boy succeeds to his father’s authority and title as soon as he is born; when a regent is elected, which office usually falls upon the father, till the boy becomes of age: at this time, however, the election had fallen upon his uncle Tootahah, on account of his warlike exploits. Oamo was very inquisitive with respect to the English, and by his questions he appeared a man of understanding and penetration.
A woman called Teetee, who came from the west of the island, presented to the Captain an elegant garment, of a bright yellow ground, bordered with red, and in the middle of it were several crosses, which they had probably learned from the French.
On the 23d in the morning, one of their hands being missing, they enquired for him among the natives, and were told that he was at Eparre, Tootahah’s residence in the wood; and one of the Indians offered to fetch him back, which he did that evening. On his return he informed them, that he had been taken from the fort, and carried to the top of the bay, by three men, who having stripped him, forced him into a canoe, and conducted him to Eparre, where he received some cloaths from Tootahah, who endeavoured to prevail on him to continue there. They had great reason to suppose this account true, for the natives were no sooner acquainted with his return, than they left the fort with much precipitation.
Monday June 26, early in the morning, the Captain set out in the pinnace, accompanied by Mr. Banks, to circumnavigate the island. They sailed to the eastward, and in the forenoon they went on shore, in a part of the island under the government of Ahio, a young Chief, who had often visited them at the tents. They also found here some other natives of their acquaintance. They then proceeded together to the harbour, wherein M. Bougainville lay when he visited this island, and were shewn the ground on which he fixed his tent, and the watering-place. They also met with _Orette_, a Chief, who was their particular friend, whose brother went away with M. Bougainville.
Having taken a survey of this harbour, and a large bay near which it is situated, they proposed going to the opposite side of the bay, but Titubaola, who was their conductor, not only refused to accompany them, but endeavoured to dissuade the Captain and Mr. Banks from going, saying, “That country was inhabited by people who were not subjects to Tootahah, and who would destroy them all.” This information did not, however, prevent the execution of their design; and upon loading their pieces with ball, Titubaola took courage to go with them; they rowed till it was dark, when they reached a narrow neck of land, that divided the island into two peninsulas, which are distinct governments. As they were not yet got into the hostile part of the country, they agreed to spend the night on shore, where they were provided with supper and lodging by Ooratooa, the lady who paid her compliments to Mr. Banks in so remarkable a manner at the fort.
In the morning they pursued their passage for the other government.
They landed in a district, which was governed by a Chief, named MARAITATA, the _burying place of men_, and his father was called PAHAIREDE, _the stealer of boats_. Notwithstanding their names were so ominous, they gave the Captain and Mr. Banks a very civil reception; furnished them with provisions, and sold them a large hog for a hatchet. The curiosity of the natives was soon excited, and a crowd gathered round the English gentlemen, but they saw only two people whom they knew, neither did they observe any trinkets that had come out of the Endeavour, though they met with several European commodities, particularly two twelve pound shot, one of which had the English broad arrow upon it, though the Indians said they had them from M. Bougainville’s people. They then advanced till they reached the district, which was under the dominion of the principal Chief, or King, named _Waheatua_, who had a son, but it was not known in whose hands the sovereign power was lodged. Here they found a spacious verdant plain, watered by a river of so great a width, that they were obliged to pass it in a canoe, but their Indian followers swam over it with the greatest facility. There was no house that appeared inhabited; but the ruins of several large ones. Having continued their journey along the shore for a considerable way, they at last saw the Chief, and with him an agreeable young woman about two and twenty, named Toudidde. They were not unacquainted with her name, as they had often heard it mentioned by the natives; and they had great reason to suppose she was the Queen of this peninsula.
In passing through this part of the island, they found it better cultivated, and more improved than any they had hitherto met with; though the houses were but few, and those very small, but there were a great number of canoes which excelled any they had seen, both in size and workmanship. The burial places were likewise numerous, being found not only at every point, but at different places in the interior parts of the island. These buildings nearly resembled, in form, those which they had seen at Opouroenu, but they were neater, and adorned with carvings of various figures; in one there was a cock, which was painted in imitation of the natural colour of the feathers of that bird. Notwithstanding the fertility of the country, and its being well cultivated, scarce any bread-fruit was to be met with, and the inhabitants subsisted chiefly upon a nut, called _abee_.
Finding themselves fatigued, they now took to their boat, and in the evening landed on an island named Otooareite; being in want of some refreshment, Mr. Banks went into the woods to try what he could obtain, but it being dark, he met with no inhabitants and but one house, in which he found only a bread-fruit, and a few of the nuts before-mentioned; nor were they more successful in procuring provisions the next morning.
Towards the southermost part of the island they found a good harbour, formed by a reef, and the circumjacent country is remarkably fruitful. At about three miles distant they landed, at a place where they found several of the natives, with whom they were intimately acquainted. After having, with a good deal of difficulty, obtained some cocoa-nuts, they again embarked.