circumstances, I determined to deviate from my instructions, and to bear away for the Cape of Good Hope; and at five o'clock on the evening of the 22d, the wind then blowing strong at west, I ordered the helm to be put a-weather, to the great joy of every person on board. With the wind now in our favour, we reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 24th of May, where we remained thirty-eight days, taking in various kinds of stores and refreshments. Setting sail from the Cape, we made straight for Van Diemen's Land, which we reached on the 20th of August 1788. We remained here a good many days, employed in planting some of the fruit-trees which we had brought with us from the Cape of Good Hope, in case they might thrive and be of use to the future inhabitants of the island, whoever these might be; we also tried, but without effect, to have some intercourse with the natives, who had already once or twice received visits from European voyagers. Although they came down one day in crowds to the beach, cackling like geese, and we made signs to them, and also gave them presents, we could not bring them to familiarity. The colour of these natives of Van Diemen's Land, as Captain Cook remarks, is a dull black; their skin is scarified about their shoulders and breast. They were of a middle stature, or rather below it. One of them was distinguished by his body being coloured with red ochre; but all the others were painted black, with a kind of soot, which was laid on so thick over their faces and shoulders, that it is difficult to say what they were like. They ran very nimbly over the rocks, had a very quick sight, and caught the small beads and nails which I threw to them with great dexterity. They talked to us sitting on their heels, with their knees close into their armpits, and were perfectly naked.

One

Leaving Van Diemen's Land, we steered east-south-east, passing to the southward of New Zealand, and making for the principal object of our destination, Otaheite, which we saw on the 25th of October, having, during our passage of fifty-two days from Van Diemen's Land, met with nothing deserving particular notice. of our seamen had died on the 9th of an asthmatic complaint; the rest were well. On the 26th of October, at four o'clock in the morning, we brought to till daylight, when we saw Point Venus bearing south-west-by-west, distant about four leagues. As we drew near, a great number of canoes came off to us.

The ship being anchored, Sunday the 26th, our number of visitors continued to increase; but as yet we saw no person that we could recollect to have been of much consequence. Some inferior chiefs made me presents of a few hogs, and I made them presents in return. We were supplied with cocoa-nuts in great abundance, but breadfruit was scarce. Many inquiries were made after Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, and many of their former friends. They said a ship had been here, from which they had learned that Captain Cook was dead; but the circumstances of his death they did not appear to

be acquainted with, and I had given particular directions to my officers and ship's company that they should not be mentioned. Otoo, who was the chief of Matavai when Captain Cook was here the last time, was absent at another part of the island; they told me messengers were sent to inform him of our arrival, and that he was expected to return soon. There appeared among the natives in general great good-will towards us, and they seemed to be much rejoiced at our arrival.

Early in the morning of Monday, before the natives began to flock off to us, we weighed anchor, to work further into the bay, and moored at the distance of about a quarter of a mile from the shore; the ship lying in seven fathoms' water. Several chiefs now came on board, and expressed great pleasure at seeing me. I accompanied one of them on shore, where I was received with much attention and kindness by the people gathered about, as well as by the chief's wife and sister, who came to me with a mat, and a piece of their finest cloth, which they put on me after the Otaheite fashion. When I was thus dressed, each of them took one of my hands, and accompanied me to the water-side, and at parting, promised that they would soon return my visit. Meanwhile, the natives had been visiting the ship, and had brought us plentiful supplies of provisions.

The next morning early I received a message from Otoo, who was waiting on the beach, wishing to come on board. I sent a boat for him, and he came, attended by his wife, and testifying the utmost pleasure at our meeting. I was surprised to find that, instead of Otoo, the name by which he formerly went, he was now called Tinah. The name of Otoo, with the title of Earee Rahie, I was informed, had devolved to his eldest son, who was yet a minor, as is the custom of the country. The name of Tinah's wife was Iddeah : with her was a woman dressed with a large quantity of cloth, in the form of a hoop, which was taken off and presented to me, with a large hog and some bread-fruit. I then took my visitors into the cabin, and after a short time produced my presents in return. The present I made to Tinah (by which name I shall hereafter call him) consisted of hatchets, small adzes, files, gimlets, saws, looking-glasses, red feathers, and two shirts. To Iddeah I gave ear-rings, necklaces, and beads; but she expressed a desire also for iron, and therefore I made the same assortment for her as I had for her husband. Much conversation took place among them on the value of the different articles, and they appeared extremely satisfied; so that they determined to spend the day with me, and requested I would shew them all over the ship, and particularly the cabin where I slept. This, though I was not fond of doing, I indulged them in; and the consequence was, as I had apprehended, that they took a fancy to so many things, that they got from me nearly as much more as I had before given them. Afterwards, Tinah desired me to fire some of the great guns; this I likewise complied with, and as the shot fell

into the sea at a great distance, all the natives expressed their surprise by loud shouts and acclamations.

I had a large company at dinner, consisting of Tinah and the other chiefs. Tinah was fed by one of his attendants, who sat by him for that purpose, this being a particular custom among some of the superior chiefs; and I must do him the justice to say, he kept his attendant constantly employed: there was indeed little reason to complain of want of appetite in any of my guests. As the women are not allowed to eat in the presence of the men, Iddeah dined with some of her companions about an hour afterwards, in private, except that her husband, Tinah, favoured them with his company, and seemed to have entirely forgotten that he had already dined. Tinah continued with me the whole afternoon, in the course of which he ate four times of roast pork, besides his dinner. When he left the ship, he requested I would keep for him all the presents I had given to him, as he had not at Matavai a place sufficiently safe to secure them from being stolen; I therefore shewed him a locker in my cabin for his use, and gave him a key to it.

Meanwhile our people were trafficking with the natives, and making their acquaintance. Some of the hogs they brought us weighed two hundred pounds, and we purchased several for salting. Goats were likewise brought us for sale; and I purchased a shegoat and kid for less than would have purchased a small hog. Nelson and his assistant, too, our gardeners, were busy all the while looking out for plants; and it was no small pleasure to me to find, by their report, that, according to appearances, the object of my mission would probably be accomplished with ease. I had given directions to every one on board not to make known to the islanders the purpose of our coming, lest it might enhance the value of the bread-fruit plants, or occasion other difficulties. Perhaps so much caution was not necessary; but, at all events, I wished to reserve to myself the time and manner of communication.

Next morning, Wednesday the 29th, I returned Tinah's visit, for I found he expected it. He was in a small shed about a quarter of a mile to the eastward of Matavai Point, with his wife and three children, not their own, but who, they said, were relations. In my walk, I had picked up a numerous attendance, for every one I met, followed me; so that I had collected such a crowd that the heat was scarce bearable, all endeavouring to get a look to satisfy their curiosity; they, however, carefully avoided pressing against me, and weclomed me with cheerful countenances and great good-nature. I made Tinah understand that my visit was particularly to him, and gave him a second present, equal to the first, which he received with great pleasure; and to the people of consequence that were about him I also presented some article or other. There were great numbers of children; and as I took notice of the little ones that were in arms, and gave them beads, both small and great, but with

much drollery and good-humour, endeavoured to benefit by the occasion. Boys of ten and twelve years old were caught up in arms and brought to me, which created much laughter; so that in a short time I got rid of all I had brought on shore.

The few days which succeeded were agreeably passed by us in amusements and visits to different places. We became quite intimate with the natives, and they with us. I had usually a number of them at dinner on board the ship, and nothing could exceed their mirth and jollity. Some of my visitors had observed that we always drank his majesty's health as soon as the cloth was removed, but they were by this time become so fond of wine, that they would frequently remind me of the health in the middle of dinner by calling out, 'King George Earee no Brittannee,' and would banter me if the glass was not filled to the brim. Thus passed on time, day after day; but though apparently indulging in recreations, we were at the same time fulfilling the object of our voyage, Nelson and his assistant being all the while busy in collecting the choicest bread-fruit plants, to be carried away with us. In my conversation with Tinah and the other chiefs, I likewise obtained much information about the state of Otaheite and the neighbouring islands, and of what had occurred since the visit of Captain Cook, of whom they cherished a very fond recollection, preserving with the greatest care his picture which he had left with them. I was sorry, however, to find that the animals and plants which Cook had left on the island had been taken little care of. Tinah frequently spoke to me of making an excursion to some of the islands near Otaheite. One island especially he mentioned to me, called Roo-opow, the situation of which he described to be to the eastward of Otaheite, four or five days' sail, and that there were large animals upon it with eight legs. The truth of this account he very strenuously insisted upon, and wished me to go thither with him. I was at a loss to know whether or not Tinah himself gave credit to this whimsical and fabulous account; for though they have credulity sufficient to believe anything, however improbable, they are at the same time so much addicted to that species of wit which we call humbug, that it is frequently difficult to discover whether they are in jest or earnest. Their ideas of geography are very simple; they believe the world to be a fixed plane of great extent, and that the sun, moon, and stars are all in motion round it. I have been frequently asked by them if I have not been as far as the sun and moon; for they think we are such great travellers, that scarce any undertaking is beyond our ability. We had now been about six weeks at Otaheite, our ship lying in the harbour of Matavai, and our collection of bread-fruit plants carefully kept in pots on the shore, under Nelson's management. The weather till now had been good, and the sea calm; but on Friday the 5th of December, the wind blew fresh from the northwest, which occasioned the sea to break very high across the

Dolphin bank; and in the night we had such a storm, that I became convinced it would not be safe to continue in Matavai Bay much longer, and I determined to get everything ready for sailing as speedily as I could.

Our surgeon, who had been a long time ill from the effect of intemperance and indolence, died on the evening of the 9th of December. As I wished to bury him on shore, I mentioned it to Tinah, who said there would be no objection, but that it would be necessary to ask his father's consent first; which he undertook to do, and immediately left me for that purpose. When I went ashore, I found that the natives had already dug the grave. At four in the afternoon, the body was interred: the chiefs and many of the natives came to see the ceremony, and shewed great attention during the service. Some of the chiefs were very inquisitive about what was to be done with the surgeon's cabin, on account of apparitions. They said, when a man died in Otaheite, and was carried to the Tupapow, that as soon as night came he was surrounded by spirits, and if any person went there by himself, they would devour him; therefore, they said, that not less than two people together should go into the surgeon's cabin for some time. I did not endeavour to dissuade them from this belief, otherwise than by laughing, and letting them know that we had no such apprehensions. In the afternoon, the effects of the deceased were disposed of, and I appointed Mr Thomas Denham Ledward, the surgeon's mate, to do duty as surgeon. Anxious to quit the harbour of Matavai, where our recent experience of the weather had proved that we were not safe, I sent the master in the launch to re-examine the depth of water between this bay and Toahroah Harbour. He returned in the evening, and acquainted me that he found a good bottom, with not less than sixteen fathoms' depth all the way. The harbour of Toahroah appearing every way safe, I determined to get the ship there as speedily as possible, and I immediately made my intention public, which occasioned great rejoicing. Accordingly, on Wednesday the 24th of December, we took the plants on board, being seven hundred and seventy-four pots, all in a healthy state; for whenever any plant had an unfavourable appearance, it was replaced by another.

The natives reckon eight kinds of the bread-fruit-tree, each of which they distinguish by a different name. 1. Patteah; 2. Eroroo; 3. Awanna; 4. Mi-re; 5. Oree; 6. Powerro; 7. Appeere; 8. Rowdeeah. In the first, fourth, and eighth class, the leaf differs from the rest; the fourth is more sinuated; the eighth has a large broad leaf, not at all sinuated. The difference of the fruit is principally in the first and eighth class. In the first, the fruit is rather larger, and more of an oblong form; in the eighth, it is round, and not above half the size of the others. I inquired if plants could be produced from the seed, and was told they could not, but that they must be taken from the root. The plants are best collected after wet weather,