This Being
Over, The Fleet Departed; Not In Any Order, But As Fast As They Could Be
Got Afloat; And We Went With Otoo To One Of His Dock-Yards, Where The Two
Large Pahies Or Canoes Were Building, Each Of Which Was An Hundred
And Eight Feet Long.
They were almost ready to launch, and were intended to
make one joint double pahie or canoe.
The king begged of me a
grappling and rope, to which I added an English jack and pendant (with the
use of which he was well acquainted), and desired the pahie might be
called Britannia. This he very readily agreed to; and she was named
accordingly. After this he gave me a hog, and a turtle of about sixty
pounds weight, which was put privately into our boat; the giving it away
not being agreeable to some of the great lords about him, who were thus
deprived of a feast. He likewise would have given me a large shark they had
prisoner in a creek (some of his fins being cut off, so that he could not
make his escape), but the fine pork and fish we had got at this isle, had
spoiled our palates for such food. The king, and Tee, his prime minister,
accompanied us on board to dinner; and after it was over, took a most
affectionate farewell. He hardly ever ceased soliciting me, this day, to
return to Otaheite; and just before he went out of the ship, took a youth
by the hand, and presented him to me, desiring I would keep him on board to
go to Amsterdam to collect red feathers.
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