I Had No Sooner Landed Than I Was Met By A Venerable Old
Lady, The Mother Of The Late Toutaha.
She seized me by both hands, and
burst into a flood of tears, saying, Toutaha Tiyo no Toutee matty
Toutaha - (Toutaha, your friend, or the friend of Cook, is dead.) I was
so much affected with her behaviour, that it would have been impossible for
me to have refrained mingling my tears with hers, had not Otoo come and
taken me from her. I, with some difficulty, prevailed on him to let me see
her again, when I gave her an axe and some other things. Captain Furneaux,
who was with me, presented the king with two fine goats, male and female,
which if taken care of, or rather if no care at all is taken of them will
no doubt multiply. After a short stay, we look leave and returned on board.
Very early in the morning on the 28th, I sent Mr Pickersgill, with the
cutter, as far as Ottahourou, to procure hogs. A little after sun-rise, I
had another visit from Otoo, who brought me more cloth, a pig, and some
fruit. His sister, who was with him, and some of his attendants, came on
board; but he and others went to the Adventure with the like present to
Captain Furneaux. It was not long before he returned with Captain Furneaux
on board the Resolution, when I made him a handsome return for the present
he had brought me, and dressed his sister out in the best manner I could.
She, the king's brother, and one or two more, were covered before him to-
day. When Otoo came into the cabin, Ereti and some of his friends were
sitting there. The moment they saw the king enter, they stripped themselves
in great haste, being covered before. Seeing I took notice of it, they said
Earee, Earee; giving me to understand that it was on account of Otoo
being present. This was all the respect they paid him; for they never rose
from their seats, nor made him any other obeisance. When the king thought
proper to depart, I carried him again to Oparree in my boat; where I
entertained him and his people with the bagpipes (of which music they are
very fond) and dancing by the seamen. He then ordered some of his people to
dance also, which consisted chiefly of contortions. There were some,
however, who could imitate the seamen pretty well, both in country-dances
and hornpipes. While we were here, I had a present of cloth from the late
Toutaha's mother. This good old lady could not look upon me without
shedding tears; however, she was far more composed than before. When we
took leave, the king promised to visit me again the next day; but said that
I must first come to him. In the evening Mr Pickersgill came back empty,
but with a promise of having some hogs, if he would return in a few days.
Next morning after breakfast, I took a trip to Oparree, to visit Otoo as he
had requested, accompanied by Captain Furneaux and some of the officers. We
made him up a present of such things as he had not seen before. One article
was a broad-sword; at the sight of which he was so intimidated, that I had
much ado to persuade him to accept of it, and to have it buckled upon him;
where it remained but a short time, before he desired leave to take it off,
and send it out of his sight.
Soon after we were conducted to the theatre; where we were entertained with
a dramatic heuva, or play, in which were both dancing and
comedy. The performers were five men, and one woman, who was no less a
person than the king's sister. The music consisted of three drums only; it
lasted about an hour and a half, or two hours; and, upon the whole, was
well conducted. It was not possible for us to find out the meaning of the
play. Some part seemed adapted to the present time, as my name was
frequently mentioned. Other parts were certainly wholly unconnected with
us. It apparently differed in nothing, that is, in the manner of acting it,
from those we saw at Ulielea in my former voyage. The dancing-dress of the
lady was more elegant than any I saw there, by being decorated with long
tassels, made of feathers, hanging from the waist downward. As soon as all
was over, the king himself desired me to depart; and sent into the boat
different kinds of fruit and fish, ready dressed. With this we returned on
board; and the next morning he sent me more fruit, and several small
parcels of fish.
Nothing farther remarkable happened till ten o'clock in the evening, when
we were alarmed with the cry of murder, and a great noise, on shore, near
the bottom of the bay, at some distance from our encampment. I suspected
that it was occasioned by some of our own people; and immediately armed a
boat, and sent on shore, to know the occasion of this disturbance, and to
bring off such of our people as should be found there. I also sent to the
Adventure, and to the post on shore, to know who were missing; for none
were absent from the Resolution but those who were upon duty. The boat soon
returned with three marines and a seaman. Some others belonging to the
Adventure were also taken; and, being all put under confinement, the next
morning I ordered them to be punished according to their deserts. I did not
find that any mischief was done, and our people would confess nothing. I
believe this disturbance was occasioned by their making too free with the
women. Be this as it will, the natives were so much alarmed, that they fled
from their habitations in the dead of the night, and the alarm spread many
miles along the coast.
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