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I fixed a boundary, within which the natives were not to enter without leave, and the chiefs cautioned them against it. The principal ufe of the tents on fhore was for a lodgment for the plants; which, inftead of appearing to receive as a favour, I brought the chiefs to believe I was doing them a great honour in carrying these plants as a prefent from them to the EAREE RABIE NO BRITANNEE. The party at the tent confifted of nine persons, including NELSON and his affistant.

TINAH dined with me on board, and was to-day my only vifitor: nevertheless, the ceremony of being fed he fo fcrupulously obferved, that, even after all the attendants were fent away, and we were left by ourselves, I was obliged to feed him myself.

I had frequently large companies to dine with me. Some of my constant visitors had obferved that we always drank the king's health, as foon as the cloth was removed; but they were by this time fo fond of wine, that they would frequently remind me of the health in the middle of dinner, by calling out King GEORGE EAREE NO BRITANNEE; and would banter me if the glass was not filled to the brim. Nothing could exceed the mirth and jollity of these people when they met on board.

MONDAY,

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1789. At the relief of the watch, four o'clock in the morning, the small cutter was miffing. I was immediately informed of it, and mustered the ship's company; when it appeared that three men were abfent, Charles CHURCHILL, the fhip's corporal; and two of the feamen, William MUSPRAT, and John MILLWARD. They had taken with them eight ftand of arms and ammunition; but what their plan was, or which way they had gone, no one on board feemed to have the least knowledge. I went on fhore to the chiefs, and foon received information that the boat was at Matavai; and that the deferters had departed in a failing canoe for the ifland TETHUROA.

On this intelligence I fent the mafter to Matavai to fearch for the small cutter, and one of the chiefs went with him; but before they had got half way, they met the cutter with five of the natives, who were bringing her back to the ship. This fervice, rendered me by the people of Matavai, pleafed me much, and I rewarded the men accordingly.

I told TINAH and other chiefs, that I expected they would get the deserters brought back; for that I was determined not to leave Otaheite without them. They affured me, that they would do every thing in their 3 R

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power

power to have them taken; and it was agreed that OREPYAH and MOANNAH fhould depart the next morning for Tethuroa to feize them.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1789. This afternoon I received a meffage from TEPPAHOO, to inform me that our deferters had roamed about, but were now at Fettaha. I ordered the cutter to be got ready, and a little before fun-fet left the fhip, taking ADIDE with me. When we arrived at TEPPAHOo's house, we were very kindly received by him and his wife. The deferters, he informed me, were in a house close to us, and I imagined there would not be much difficulty in fecuring them with the affistance of the natives. They had heard my arrival; and when I was near the house, they came out, without their arms, and delivered them

of

felves up.

I learnt from the deferters, that at Tethuroa they had feen OREPYAH and MOANNAH, who had made an attempt to secure them. They faid it was their intention to have returned to the ship; and it is probable that they were fo much haraffed by the natives watching for an opportunity to furprise them, that they might wish to have the merit of returning of their own accord, to avoid the disgrace of being feized and brought back.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6. An occurrence happened today that gave me great concern, not only on account of the danger with which the ship had been threatened, but as it tended to diminish the confidence and good understanding which had hitherto been constantly preserved between us and the natives. The wind had blown fresh in the night, and at day-light we difcovered that the cable, by which the ship rode, had been cut near the water's edge, in fuch a manner, that only one strand remained whole.

While we were fecuring the fhip, TINAH came on board. I could not but believe he was perfectly innocent of the tranfaction; nevertheless, I spoke to him in a very peremptory manner, and infifted upon his difcovering and bringing to me the offender.

My fufpicions fell chiefly, I may fay wholly, on the ftrangers that came to us from other parts of the ifland; for we had on every occafion received fuch unreferved and unaffected marks of good will from the people of Matavai and Opar, that in my own mind I entirely acquitted them.

The anger which I expreffed, however, created fo much alarm, that old Orow and his wife (the father and mother of TINAH) immediately quitted Opar, and

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retired to the mountains in the midst of heavy rain, as did TEPPAHOO and his family.

TINAH and IDEAH expoftulated with me on the unreasonableness of my anger against them. He said, he would exert his utmost endeavours to discover the guilty, that most probably the attempt had been made by people from the other islands out of enmity to the inhabitants of Matavai and Opar, every one knowing the partiality I had for them, and that I had declared I would protect them against their enemies.

All this I believed, but I did not think proper to appear perfectly fatisfied, left TINAH, who was naturally very indolent, fhould not be active in his endeavours to detect the offender.

Saturday paffed without my feeing any thing of TINAH the whole day. The next morning, he and IDEAH came to me, and affured me they had made the stricteft enquiries concerning the injury intended us, but had not been able to discover any circumftance which could lead them to fufpect who were concerned in it. This was not at all fatisfactory, and I behaved to them with great coolness, at which they were much distressed; and IDEAH, at length, gave vent to her forrow by tears. I could no longer keep up the appearance of mistrusting

them;

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