About Three O'clock In The Morning, We Found Ourselves Seized With
An Extraordinary Weakness And Numbness All Over Our Limbs.
I had almost
lost the sense of feeling; nor could I distinguish between light and heavy
bodies, of such as I had strength to move; a quart-pot, full of water, and
a feather, being the same in my hand.
We each of us took an emetic, and
after that a sweat, which gave us much relief. In the morning, one of the
pigs, which had eaten the entrails, was found dead. When the natives came
on board and saw the fish hanging up, they immediately gave us to
understand it was not wholesome food, and expressed the utmost abhorrence
of it; though no one was observed to do this when the fish was to be sold,
or even after it was purchased.
On the 8th, the guard and a party of men were on shore as usual. In the
afternoon, I received a message from the officer, acquainting me that
Teabooma the chief was come with a present consisting of a few yams and
sugar-canes. In return, I sent him, amongst other articles, a dog and a
bitch, both young, but nearly full grown. The dog was red and white, but
the bitch was all red, or the colour of an English fox. I mention this,
because they may prove the Adam and Eve of their species in that country.
When the officer returned on board in the evening, he informed me that the
chief came, attended by about twenty men, so that it looked like a visit of
ceremony. It was some time before he would believe the dog and bitch were
intended for him; but as soon as he was convinced, he seemed lost in an
excess of joy, and sent them away immediately.
Next morning early, I dispatched Lieutenant Pickersgill and Mr Gilbert with
the launch and cutter to explore the coast to the west; judging this would
be better effected in the boats than in the ship, as the reef would force
the latter several leagues from land. After breakfast, a party of men was
sent on shore, to make brooms; but myself and the two Mr Forsters were
confined on board, though much better, a good sweat having had an happy
effect. In the afternoon a man was seen, both ashore and alongside the
ship, said to be as white as an European. From the account I had of him
(for I did not see him,) his whiteness did not proceed from hereditary
descent, but from chance or some disease; and such have been seen at
Otaheite and the Society Isles.[6] A fresh easterly wind, and the ship
lying a mile from the shore, did not hinder those good-natured people from
swimming off to us in shoals of twenty or thirty, and returning the same
way.
On the 10th, a party was on shore as usual; and Mr Forster so well
recovered as to go out botanizing.
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