The Honest Admiral Having Tasted Our Grog,
Which Is A Mixture Of Brandy And Water, Desired To Taste Of The Brandy
Itself, Which He Called E Vai No Bretannee, British Water, And Drank
Off A Small Glass Full, Without Making A Wry Face.
Both he and his
Otaheitean majesty were extremely cheerful and happy, and appeared to
like our way of living, and our cookery of their own excellent
provisions." - G.F.
[2] Of this day's date we find an incident which very strikingly
illustrates the consequences to the morals of the Otaheiteans,
resulting from their acquaintance with strangers. "That our red
feathers had infused a general and irresistible longing into the minds
of all the people, will appear from the following circumstance. I have
observed, in the former part of this narrative, that the women of the
families of chiefs never admitted the visits of Europeans; and also
that whatever liberties some unmarried girls might with impunity allow
themselves, the married state had always been held sacred and
unspotted at Otaheite. But such was the force of the temptation, that
a chief actually offered his wife to Captain Cook, and the lady, by
her husband's order, attempted to captivate him, by an artful display
of her charms, seemingly in such a careless manner, as many a woman
would be at a loss to imitate. I was sorry, for the sake of human
nature, that this proposal came from a man, whose general character
was in other respects very fair. It was Potatow who could descend to
such meanness, from the high spirit of grandeur which he had formerly
shewn. We expressed great indignation at his conduct, and rebuked him
for his frailty." - G.F.
From this specimen of frailty, may be readily inferred the
dissoluteness of those females, who had neither rank nor marriage to
render chastity a virtue. But, alas! one need not visit the South
Seas, to become acquainted with the possible extent of human
infirmity. A cynic might, without such travel, be tempted to parody
the words of Sir Robert Walpole, and say, that every woman had her
price. The proposition is a harsh one, and the more so as obviously
irrefutable. It does, however, read this most important lesson, that
there is much greater safety in avoiding temptation, than in trusting
to any power of resistance. They, it is to be feared, who are least
sensible of this truth, and who feel most indignant at its being
stated, stand most in need of its salutary influence. - E.
[3] Forster the father met with a serious accident during this
excursion. In descending from the hills, rendered exceedingly slippery
from the recent rains, he had the misfortune to fall, which both
bruised his leg in a very severe manner, and also occasioned a
rupture. - E.
[4] "The number of common women on board our ships considerably
increased, since we had begun to deal in red feathers. Their mirth was
often extravagant and noisy; and sometimes their ideas were so
original as to give great amusement.
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