As Little Enquiry Was
Made After Aotourou, The Man Who Went Away With M. De Bougainville.
But
they were continually asking for Mr Banks, and several others who were with
me in my former voyage.
These people informed us, that Toutaha, the regent of the greater peninsula
of Otaheite, had been killed in a battle, which was fought between the two
kingdoms about five months before, and that Otoo was the reigning
prince. Tubourai Tamaide, and several more of our principal friends about
Matavai, fell in this battle, as also a great number of common people; but,
at present, a peace subsisted between the two kingdoms.
On the 19th, we had gentle breezes easterly, with some smart showers of
rain. Early in the morning, the boats were again sent to recover the
Adventure's anchors, but returned with the same ill success as the day
before, so that we ceased to look for them any longer, thinking ourselves
very happy in having come off so well, considering the situation we had
been in. In an excursion which Captain Furneaux and I made along the coast,
we met with a chief who entertained us with excellent fish, fruit, &c. In
return for his hospitality, I made him a present of an axe and other
things; and he afterwards accompanied us back to the ships, where he made
but a short stay.
Nothing worthy of note happened on the 20th, till the dusk of the evening,
when one of the natives made off with a musquet belonging to the guard on
shore. I was present when this happened, and sent some of our people after
him, which would have been to little purpose, had not some of the natives,
of their own accord, pursued the thief. They knocked him down, took from
him the musquet, and brought it to us. Fear, on this occasion, certainly
operated more with them than principle. They deserve, however, to be
applauded for this act of justice, for, if they had not given their
immediate assistance, it would hardly have been in my power to have
recovered the musquet, by any gentle means whatever, and by making use of
any other, I was sure to lose more than ten times its value.
The 21st, the wind was at north, a fresh breeze. This morning a chief made
me a visit, and presented me with a quantity of fruit, among which, were a
number of cocoanuts we had drawn the water from, and afterwards thrown,
over board; these he had picked up, and tied in bundles so artfully, that
we did not at first perceive the cheat; when he was told of it, without
betraying the least emotion, and, as if he knew nothing of the matter, he
opened two or three of them himself, signified to us, that he was satisfied
it was so, and then went ashore and sent off a quantity of plantains and
bananoes. Having got on board a supply of water, fruit, and roots, I
determined to sail in the morning to Matavai, as I found it was not likely
that I should get an interview with Waheatoua, without which, it was very
improbable we should get any hogs.
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