was neat, and cocoa-nuts and platted leaves lay on the ground.

The dead are sometimes brought to the ground in wooden coffins, which are not shaped like ours, but are simply a long box. This custom Iddeah informed me, they learnt from the Europeans, and is not very common, as making planks is a work of great labour.

When I landed on Monday morning, the 2d of March, I found the inhabitants, that lived near to us, had left their houses, and retired towards the mountains; and was informed, that in the night, a water cask, part of an azimuth compass, and Mr. Peckover's bedding, had been stolen from the post on shore; the knowledge of which had caused a general alarm. I sent a message to complain of this theft to Tinah, who did not come near me. About two hours elapsed, during which time I went on board to breakfast, and returned, when I saw Tinah and Oreepyah, with a number of people, at a house at some distance; and soon after they all marched to the eastward, passing close by our post. Oedidee, who was with me, told me that they had intelligence of the thief, and were gone in quest of him; and in less than an hour, news was brought that they had taken him. Shortly after, the whole party appeared, with the

water-cask and compass Tinah had hold of the thief by the arm, and, showing him to me, desired that I would kill him. The bedding he said, he had not heard of, but would go in search of it. I applauded him for the pains he had taken in this business, and explained, with some success, the injustice of stealing from us: that if any of our people committed the least offence against them, it did not pass unnoticed; and that friendship required on their part, that those who injured us should not be protected by them. Tinah stopped me from saying more, by embracing me, and the whole crowd cried out Tayo mity (i. e. good friend.) Tinah then left me, to inquire after the bedding, and I sent the offender on board, whom I punished with a severe flogging. I was glad to find this man was not of Oparre or Matavai..

The fine fruit, called Avee, was just coming into season: it was likewise in season at the time of our arrival in October. The breadfruit trees, I have no doubt, bear all the year round: we have seen a scarcity of breadfruit, but have never been wholly without it. Some fern-root was shown to me, which, in scarce seasons, is used by the natives as bread. It bears a long even-edged leaf, about an inch wide; the taste somewhat resembles that of a yam. I was informed by our

people, that in their walks they saw, in many places, patches of Indian corn just making their appearance through the ground. This convinces me that the corn taken from Matavai could not have been better disposed of.

Goats are frequently offered for sale, but I rather discouraged the buying of them, for fear of injuring the breed. The natives will not eat them, neither will they taste the milk; and ask, with some appearance of disgust, why we do not milk the sows? I endeavoured to prevail on Tinah and Iddeah to eat the goats milk, by mixing it with fruit, but they would only try one spoonful.

We had began to make preparations for sailing; and Tinah supplied us with a sufficient stock of wood, by ordering trees to be brought down from the country. He had frequently expressed a wish that I would leave some firearms and ammunition with him, as he expected to be attacked after the ship sailed; and, perhaps, chiefly on account of our partiality to him: I, therefore, thought it but reasonable to attend to his request; and I was the more readily prevailed on, as he said his intentions were to act only on the defensive. This indeed seems most suited to his disposition, which is neither active nor enterprising. If Tinah had spirit in proportion to his size and

strength, he would probably be the greatest warrior in Otaheite; but courage is not the most conspicuous of his virtues. When I promised to leave with him a pair of pistols, which they prefer to muskets, he told me, that Iddeah would fight with one, and OediIdee with the other. Iddeah has learnt to load and fire a musquet with great dexterity, and Oedidee is an excellent marksman. 1t is not common for women in this country to go to war, but Iddeah is a very resolute woman, of a large make, and has great bodily strength.

Friday 27th of March.-For some days past, Tinah had been busied in getting two Parais, or mourning-dresses, made, which he intended as a present to King George. Being finished, they were this morning hung up in his house, as a public exhibition, and a long prayer made on the occasion; the substance of which was, that the King of England might for ever remain his friend, and not forget him. When le présented the Parais for me to take on board, he could not refrain from shedding tears. During the short remainder of our stay here, there appeared among the natives an evident degree of sorrow, that we were so soon to leave them, which they showed by unusual kindness and attention.

The object of the voyage being now

completed, we began, this afternoon, to remove the bread-fruit plants, to the number of 1015 to the ship. They were in excellent order: the roots had appeared through the bottom of the pots, and would have shot into the ground, if care had not been taken to prevent it. Besides these, we had collected many other plants, some of them bearing the finest fruit in the world, and others valuable from affording brilliant dyes, and for various other pro-. perties.

Tuesday 31st of March. I now made my last presents to several of my friends, with whom I had been most intimate, particularly to Teppahoo. Several people expressed great desire to go with us to England. Oedidee, who was always very much attached to us, said, he considered it his right, having formerly left his native place, to sail with Captain Cook. Scarcely any man belonging to the ship was without a tayo, who brought to him presents, chiefly of provisions for sea store.

Friday the 3rd of April. Tinah and his wife, with his parents, brothers, and sister, dined with me to-day, and, as I meant to sail early the next morning, they all remained on board for the night. The ship was crowded the whole day with the natives, and we were loaded with cocoa-nuts, plantains, bread-fruit, hogs, and goats. In the evening,