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; The number of the inhabitants of Immeretta is reckoned to be twenty thoufand families; but the greater part of them live neither in towns nor villages, but are difperfed throughout the level country, each of them poffeffing a fmall hut or cottage. Thefe people have fewer ftrangers among them, and they are more engaging in their appearance than the Georgians. They are of a milder and lefs pufillanimous character, and the principal branch of their com merce confifts in wines, a confiderable quantity of which they export in fkins as far as the confines of Georgia. They are acquainted with no other trade, for they are poor and miferable, and greatly oppreffed by their lords.

ed much by their new conftitution and the Georgian cohorts, whom the Perfians employed to expel the Afghans, diftinguish themfelves in an eminent degree by their application, good difcipline, and bravery. The other inhabitants of Georgia are Tartars, the Offi and the Armenians, whom the Georgians call Semaki. The latter are difperfed throughout the whole country, fometimes mixed among the natives, and fometimes living with them in fome remote village. Among their countrymen, they fpeak their language, but this does not prevent them from being all thoroughly acquainted with that of Georgia. They profefs the Armenian religion; yet many of them follow that of the Roman Catholics. They are the most appressed subjects of the country, but they however difplay great zeal and activity, for which these laborious people are eminently diftinguithed.

There are found alfo in Georgia a confiderable number of Jews, called in the language of the country Seria. The greater part of thefe have retired to the villages, and live entirely by themselves; the reft are mixed among the Armenians and Tartars; but they have never been bferved to form any connections with the Of The Jews pay fome taxes from which the other inhabitants are exempted. The capital of Immeretta, where prince David refides, is called Curtays. The remains of a church announce that Curtays was formerly a large city; but at prefent it can fcarcely be accounted a village.

Solomon, the father of the prefent fovereign, ordered the citadel to be deftroyed as well as the ramparts of the city; for he thought, and very wifely, that Caucafus was the only fortification capable of being defended by an army of fix thoufand men undifciplined and deftitute of artillery.

The

The ordinary revenues of Immeretta, like thofe of Georgia, arife from a tythe which vaffals are obliged to pay in wines, cattle, and corn, and fome fubfidies furnished annual ly by neighbouring princes. extraordinary revenues for the most part arife from confifcations of every kind; but notwithstanding this, the finances of the prince are fo limited, that he is often under the neceffity of going from house to house, to live at the expence of his vaffals, never quitting their habitations until the preffing wants of his hofts abfolutely compel him. It is therefore probable that the court of the fovereign of Immeretta is as deficient in brilliancy as his table is in fplendour when he dines at home. His principal dishes confift of a certain food called gom, which is a kind of millet boiled, and a piece of roaft meat, with fome high feafoned fauce. He never eats but with his fingers, for forks and fpoons are unknown in Immeretta At table, he generally gives audiences refpecting affairs of the first confequence, which he determines as he thinks proper; for in every country fubject to his dominions, there is no other law but his will.

On

On Friday, which is the market day, all his new edicts are published by a kind of herald, who climbs up into fome tree, in order to proclaim the will of his fovereign. The Immerettans profefs the religion of the Greek church. Their patriarch must be of the royal family; but it is feldom that he can either read or

write: the priests who compofe the reft of the clergy are not much more enlightened. The greater part of their churches are pitiful edifices, which can fcarcely be diftinguished from the common huts of the inhabitants but by a pafteboard crucifix, and a few coarfe paintings of the Virgin, which are feen in them.

Narrative of the Mutiny on board his Lieut. William Bligh.

M

AY 1ft, at dawn of day the party fet out again in a different route, to see what they could find; in the course of which they fuffered greatly for want of water: they, however, met with two men, a woman,and a child; the men came with them to the cove, and brought two cocoa-nut shells of water. I immediately made friends with these people, and fent them away for breadfruit, plantains, and water. Soon after other natives came to us; and by noon I had 30 of them about me, trading with the articles we were in want of: but I could only afford one ounce of pork, and a quarter of a bread-fruit, to each man for dinner, with half a pint of water; for I was fixed in not ufing any of the bread or

water in the boat.

No particular chief was yet among the natives they were, notwithstand ing, tractable, and behaved honestly, giving the provifions they brought for a few buttons and beads. The party who had been out, informed me of having discovered several neat planta tions; fo that it became no longer a doubt of there being fettled inhabitants on the island; and for that reafon I determined to get what I could, and fail the first moment the wind and weather would allow me to put to fea.

Saturday, May the 2d: ftormy weather, wind ES E. It had hi

Majefty's fhip the Bounty. Written by [Continued from p. 368.]

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therto been a weighty confideration with me, how I was to account to the natives for the lofs of my fhip: I knew they had too much fenfe to be amufed with a story that the fhip was to join me, when fhe was not in fight from the hills. I was at firft doubtful whether I fhould tell the real fact, or lay that the fhip had overfet and funk, and that only we were faved: the latter appeared to me to be the moft proper and advantageous to us, and accordingly inftructed my peo ple, that we might all agree in one ftory. As I expected, enquiries were made after the ship, and they feemed readily fatisfied with our account; but there did not appear the leaft fymptom of joy or forrow in their faces, although I fancied I difcovered fome marks of furprite. Some of the natives were coming and going the whole afternoon, and we got enough of bread-fruit, plantains, and cocoanuts for another day; but water they only brought us about five pints. Á canoe alfo came in with four men, and brought a few cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit, which I bought as I had done the reft. Nails were much enquired after, but I would not fuffer one to be fhewn, as I wanted them for the ufe of the boat:

Towards evening I had the fatisfaction to find our stock of provisions fomewhat increased; but the natives did not appear to have much to spare. 2

What

What they brought was in fuch fmall quantities, that I had no reafon to hope we should be able to procure from them fufficient to ftock us for our voyage. At funfet all the natives left us in quiet poffeffion of the cove. I thought this a good fign, and made no doubt that they would come again the next day with a larger proportion of food and water, with which I hoped to fail without farther delay; for if, in attempting to get to Tongata boo, we should be blown away from the islands altogether, there would be a larger quantity of provifions to fupport us against fuch a misfortune.

At night I ferved a quarter of a bread-fruit and a cocoa-nut to each perfon for fupper; and, a good fire being made, all but the watch went to fleep.

At day-break I was happy to find every ones fpirits a little revived, and that they no longer regarded me with those anxious looks, which had conftantly been directed towards me fince we loft fight of the fhip: every countenance appeared to have à degree of chearfulness, and they all feemed determined to do their best

As I doubted of water being brought by the natives, I fent a party among the gullies in the mountains, with empty thells, to fee what they could get. In their abfence the natives came about us, as I expected, bat more numerous; alfo two canoes came in from round the north fide of the island. In one of them was an elderly chief, called Maccaackavwo. Soon after fome of our foraging party returned, and with them came a goodlooking thief, called Eegijeefow, or perhaps more properly Eefow, Egij or Eghee, fignifying a chief. To both thefe men I made a prefent of an old fhirt and a knife, and I foon found they either had feen me, or had heard of my being at Annamooka. They knew I had been with captain Cook, who they enquired after, and alfo captain Clerk. They were very inqui

I now

fitive to know in what manner I had loft my ship. During this convers a tion a young man appeared, whom I remembered to have feen at Annamooka, called Nageete; he expreffed much pleafure at leeing me. enquired after Poulaho and Feenow, who, they faid, were at Tongataboo ; and Eefow agreed to accompany me thither, if I would wait till the weather moderated. The readiness and affability of this man gave me much fatisfaction.

This, however, was but of fhort duration, for the natives began to increase in number, and I obferved fome fymptoms of a defign against us; foon after they attempted to haul the boat on fhore, when I threatened Eefow with a cutlas, to induce him to make them defift; which they did, and every thing became quiet again. My people, who had been in the mountains, now returned with about three gallons of water. I kept buying up the little bread-fruit that was brought to us, and likewife fome fpears to arm my men with, having only four cutlaffes, two of which were in-the boat. As we had no means of improving our situation, I told our people I would wait until fun-fet, by which time, perhaps, fomething might happen in our favour; that if we attempted to go at prefent, we muft fight our way through, which we could do more advantageously at night; and that in the mean time we would endeavour to get off to the boat what we had bought. The beach was now lined with the natives, and we heard nothing but the knocking of tones together, which they had in each hand. I knew very well this was the fign of an attack. It being now noon, I ferved a cocoa-nut and a bread-fruit to each perfon for dinner, and gave fome to the chiefs, with whom I continued to appear intimate and friendly. They frequently importuned me to fit down, but I as conftantly refufed; for it occurred

both

both to Mr Nelfon and myself, that they intended to seize hold of me, if I gave them fuch an opportunity. Keeping, therefore, conftantly on our guard, we were fuffered to eat our uncomfortable meal in fome quietnefs.

Sunday, 3d May, fresh gales at S E and ES E, varying to the N E in the latter part, with a storm of wind. After dinner we began by little and little to get our things into the boat, which was a troublesome bufinefs, on account of the furf. I carefully watched the motions of the natives, who ftill increased in number, and found that, inftead of their intention being to leave us, fires were made, and places fixed on for their stay during the night. Confultations were alfo held among them, and every thing affured me we should be attacked. I fent orders to the master, that when he faw us coming down, he fhould keep the boat close to the fhore, that we might the more readily embark.

I had my journal on fhore with me, writing the occurrences in the cave, and in fending it down to the boat it was nearly fnatched away, but for the timely affiftance of the gun

ner.

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The fun was near fetting, when I gave the word, on which every perfon, who was on fhore with me, boldly took up his proportion of things, and carried them to the boat. The chiefs asked me if I would not ftay with them all night, I faid, "No, Í never "fleep out of my boat, but in the "morning we will again trade with you, and I fhall remain until the "weather is moderate, that we may go, as we have agreed, to fee Pou"laho, at Tongataboo." Maccaackavow then got up, and faid, "You "will not fleep on fhore? then Mat"tie," (which directly fignifies we will kill you) and he left me. The onfet was now preparing; every one as I have defcribed before, kept knocking stones together, and Eefow

quitted me. We had now all but two or three things in the boat, when I took Nageete by the hand, and we walked down the beach, every one in a filent kind of horror.

When I came to the boat, and was feeing the people embark, Nageete wanted me to ftay to fpeak to Eefow; but I found he was encouraging them to the attack, and I determined, had it then begun, to have killed him for his treacherous behaviour. I ordered the carpenter not to quit me until the other people were in the boat. Nageete, finding I would not stay, loofed himself from my hold and went off, and we all got into the boat except one man, who, while I was getting on board, quitted it, and ran up the beach to caft the stern fast off, notwithstanding the mafter and others called to him to return, while they were hauling me out of the water.

I was no fooner in the boat than the attack began by about 200 men ; the unfortunate poor man who had run up the beach was knocked down, and the ftones flew like a fhower of fhot. Many Indians got hold of the ftern rope, and were near hauling us on fhore, and would certainly have done it if I had not had a knife in my pocket, with which I cut the rope. We then hauled off to the grapnel, every one being more or less hurt. At this time I faw five of the natives about the poor man they had killed, and two of them were beating him about the head with ftones in their hands.

We had no time to reflect, before, to my frrprife, they filled their ca noes with ftones, and twelve men came off after us to renew the attack, which they did fo effectually as nearly to difable all of us. Our grapnel was foul, but Providence here affifted us; the fluke broke, and we got to our oars, and pulled to fea. They, however, could paddle round us, fo that we were obliged to sustain the attack without being able to return it, ex

cept

cept with fuch ftones as lodged in the boat, and in this I found we were very inferior to them. We could not clofe, because our boat was lumbered and heavy, and that they knew very well: I therefore adopted the expedient of throwing overboard. fome cloaths, which they loft time in picking up; and, as it was now almoft dark, they gave over the attack, and returned towards the fhore, leaving us to reflect on our unhappy fituation.

The poor man I loft was John Norton; this was his fecond voyage with me as a quarter mafter, and his worthy character made me lament his lofs very much. He has left an aged parent, I am told, whom he fupported.

I once before fuftained an attack of a fimilar nature, with a fmaller number of Europeans, against a multitude of Indians; it was after the death of captain Cook, on the Morai at Owhyhee, where I was left by lieutenant King: yet, notwithstanding I did not conceive that the power of a man's arm could throw ftones, from two to eight pounds weight, with fuch force and exactnefs as thefe people did. Here unhappily I was without arms, and the Indians knew it; but it was a fortunate circumftance that they did not begin to attack us in the cave in that cafe our deftruction must have been inevitable, and we should have had nothing left for it but to die as bravely as we could, fighting clofe together; in which I found every one cheerfully difpofed to join me. This appearance of refolution deterred them, fuppofing they could effect their purpofe without risk after we were in the boat.

Taking this as a fample of the difpofitions of the Indians, there was vas little reafon to expect much benefit if I perfevered in my intention of vifiting Poulaho; for I confidered their good behaviour hitherto to proceed from a dread of our fire-arms, which, now knowing us deftitute of, would ceafe; and, even fuppofing our lives

not in danger, the boat and every thing we had would most probably be taken from us, and thereby all hopes precluded of ever being able to return to our native country.

We were now failing along the west fide of the island Tofoa, and my mind was employed in confidering what was beft to be done, when I was folicited by all hands to take them towards home; and, when I told them no hopes of relief for us remained, but what I might find at New Holland, until I came to Timor, a distance of full 1200 leagues, where was a Dutch fettlement, but in what part of the ifland I knew not, they all agreed to live on one ounce of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, per day. Therefore, after examining our flock of provifions, and recommending this as a facred promife for ever to their memory, we bore away across a sea, where the navigation is but little known, in a small boat, twenty-three feet long from ftem to fern, deep laden with eighteen men; without a chart, and nothing but my own recollection and general knowledge of the fituation of places, affifted by a book of latitudes and longitudes, to guide us. I was happy, however, to fee every one better fatisfied with our, fituation in this particular than myfelf.

Our flock of provifions confifted of about one hundred and fifty pounds of bread, twenty-eight gallons of water, twenty pounds of pork, three bottles of wine, and five quarts of fum. The difference between this and the quantity we had on leaving the fhip, was principally owing to lofs in the buftle and confufion of the at tack. A few cocoa-nuts were in the boat, and fome bread-fruit, but the latter was trampled to pieces.

It was about eight o'clock at night when I bore away under a reefed lug forefail: and, having divided the people into watches, and got the boat in a little order, we returned God thanks

for

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