This Caused Me To
Dismiss The Strangers Sooner Than I Would Have Done.
When they departed,
they went to Motuara, where, by the help of our glasses, we discovered four
or five canoes, and several people on the shore.
This induced me to go over
in my boat, accompanied by Mr Forster and one of the officers. We were well
received by the chief and the whole tribe, which consisted of between
ninety and a hundred persons, men, women, and children, having with them
six canoes, and all their utensils; which made it probable that they were
come to reside in this sound. But this is only conjecture; for it is very
common for them, when they go but a little way, to carry their whole
property with them; every place being alike, if it affords them the
necessary subsistence; so that it can hardly be said they are ever from
home. Thus we may easily account for the emigration of those few families
we found in Dusky Bay.
Living thus dispersed in small parties, knowing no head but the chief of
the family or tribe, whose authority may be very little, they feel many
inconveniences, to which well-regulated societies, united under one head or
any other form of government, are not subject. These form laws and
regulations for their general good; they are not alarmed at the appearance
of every stranger; and, if attacked or invaded by a public enemy, have
strong-holds to retire to, where they can with advantage defend themselves,
their property, and their country. This seems to be the state of most of
the inhabitants of Eahei-nomauwe; whereas those of Tavai-poenammoo, by
living a wandering life in small parties, are destitute of most of these
advantages, which subjects them to perpetual alarms. We generally found
them upon their guard, travelling and working, as it were with their arms
in their hands. Even the women are not exempted from bearing arms, as
appeared by the first interview I had with the family in Dusky Bay; where
each of the two women was armed with a spear, not less than 18 feet in
length.
I was led into these reflections, by not being able to recollect the face
of any one person I had seen here three years ago: Nor did it once appear,
that any one of them had the least knowledge of me, or of any person with
me that was here at that time. It is therefore highly probable that the
greatest part of the people which inhabited this sound in the beginning of
the year 1770, have been since driven out of it, or have, of their own
accord, removed somewhere else. Certain it is, that not one third of the
inhabitants were here now, that were then. Their stronghold on the point of
Motuara hath been long deserted; and we found many forsaken habitations in
all parts of the sound. We are not, however, wholly to infer from this,
that this place hath been once very populous; for each family may, for
their own convenience, when they move from place to place, have more huts
than one or two.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 111 of 461
Words from 57105 to 57634
of 239428
