A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

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hundred and ten, besides smaller canoes to serve as transports, &c. and the fleet of Tiarabou, the strengthof which we never learnt. Nor could I ever learn the number of men necessary to man this fleet; andwhenever I asked the question, the answer was Warou, warou, warou te Tata, that is, many, many, many,men; as if the number far exceeded their arithmetic. If we allow forty men to each war-canoe, and four toeach of the others, which is thought a moderate computation, the number will amount to nine thousand. Anastonishing number to be raised in four districts; and one of them, viz. Matavia, did not equip a fourth partof its fleet. The fleet of Tiarabou is not included in this account; and many other districts might be arming,which we knew nothing of. I however believe, that the whole isle did not arm on this occasion; for we sawnot the least preparations making in Oparree. From what we saw and could learn, I am clearly of opinionthat the chief or chiefs of each district superintended the equipping of the fleet belonging to that district;but after they are equipped, they must pass in review before the king, and be approved of by him. By thismeans he knows the state of the whole, before they assemble to go on service.It hath been already observed, that the number of war-canoes belonging to Attahourou and Ahopata was ahundred and sixty; to Tettaba, forty; and to Matavia, ten; and that this district did not equip one-fourth partof their number. If we suppose every district in the island, of which there are forty-three, to raise and equipthe same number of war-canoes as Tettaha, we shall find, by this estimate, that the whole island can raiseand equip one thousand seven hundred and twenty war-canoes, and sixty-eight thousand able men;allowing forty men to each canoe. And as these cannot amount to above one-third part of the number ofboth sexes, children included, the whole island cannot contain less than two hundred and four thousandinhabitants, a number which at first sight exceeded my belief. But when I came to reflect on the vastswarms which appeared wherever we came, I was convinced that this estimate was not much, if at all, toogreat. There cannot be a greater proof of the riches and fertility of Otaheite (not forty leagues in circuit)than its supporting such a number of inhabitants.This island made formerly but one kingdom; how long it has been divided into two, I cannot pretend tosay; but I believe not long. The kings of Tiarabou are a branch of the family of those of Opoureonu; atpresent, the two are nearly related; and, I think, the former is, in some measure, dependent on the latter.Otoo is styled Earee de hie of the whole island; and we have been told that Waheatoua, the king ofTiarabou, must uncover before him, in the same manner as the meanest of his subjects. This homage is dueto Otoo as Earee de hie of the isle, to Tarevatou, his brother, and his second sister; to the one as heir, andto the other as heir apparent; his eldest sister being married, is not entitled to this homage.The Eowas and Whannos, we have sometimes seen covered before the king; but whether by courtesy, or byvirtue of their office, we never could learn. These men, who are the principal persons about the king, andform his court, are generally, if not always, his relations; Tee, whom I have so often mentioned, was one ofthem. We have been told, that theEowas, who have the first rank, attend in their turns, a certain number each day, which occasioned us tocall them lords in waiting; but whether this was really so, I cannot say. We seldom found Tee absent;indeed his attendance was necessary, as being best able to negociate matters between us and them, onwhich service he was always employed; and he executed it, I have reason to believe, to the satisfaction ofboth parties.It is to be regretted, that we know little more of this government than the general out-line; for, of itssubdivisions, classes, or orders of the constituent parts, how disposed, or in what manner connected, so asto form one body politic, we know but little. We are sure, however, that it is of the feudal kind; and if we
may judge from what we have seen, it has sufficient stability, and is by no means badly constructed.The Eowas and Whannos always eat with the king; indeed I do not know if any one is excluded from thisprivilege but theToutous. For as to the women, they are out of the question, as they never eat with the men, let their rank beever so much elevated.Notwithstanding this kind of kingly establishment, there was very little about Otoo's person or court bywhich a stranger could distinguish the king from the subject. I seldom saw him dressed in any thing but acommon piece of cloth wrapped round his loins; so that he seemed to avoid all unnecessary pomp, andeven to demean himself more than any other of theEarees. I have seen him work at a paddle, in coming to and going from the ship, in common with the otherpaddlers; and even when some of hisToutous sat looking on. All have free access to him, and speak to him wherever they see him, without theleast ceremony; such is the easy freedom which every individual of this happy isle enjoys. I have observedthat the chiefs of these isles are more beloved by the bulk of the people, than feared. May we not fromhence conclude, that the government is mild and equitable?We have mentioned that Waheatoua or Tiarabou is related to Otoo. The same may be said of the chiefs ofEimea, Tapamanoo, Huaheine, Ulietea, Otaha, and Bolabola; for they are all related to the royal family ofOtaheite. It is a maxim with the Earees, and others of superior rank, never to intermarry with the Toutous,or others of inferior rank. Probably this custom is one great inducement to the establishing of the societiescalled Eareeoies. It is certain that these societies greatly prevent the increase of the superior classes ofpeople of which they are composed, and do not at all interfere with the inferiors, or Toutous; for I neverheard of one of these being an Eareeoy. Nor did I ever hear that a Toutou could rise in life above the rankin which he was born.I have occasionally mentioned the extraordinary fondness the people of Otaheite shewed for red feathers.These they call Oora, and they are as valuable here as jewels are in Europe, especially those which they callOoravine, and grow on the head of the green paraquet: Indeed, all red feathers are esteemed, but noneequally with these; and they are such good judges as to know very well how to distinguish one sort fromanother. Many of our people attempted to deceive them by dying other feathers; but I never heard that anyone succeeded. These feathers they make up in little bunches, consisting of eight or ten, and fix them to theend of a small cord about three or four inches long, which is made of the strong outside fibres of the cocoanut,twisted so hard that it is like a wire, and serves as a handle to the bunch. Thus prepared, they are usedas symbols of theEatuas, or divinities, in all their religious ceremonies. I have often seen them hold one of these bunches,and sometimes only two or three feathers, between the fore finger and thumb, and say a prayer, not oneword of which I could ever understand. Whoever comes to this island, will do well to provide himself withred feathers, the finest and smallest that are to be got. He must also have a good stock of axes, andhatchets, spike- nails, files, knives, looking-glasses, beads, &c. Sheets and shirts are much sought after,
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AGENERALHISTORY AND COLLECTIONOFVOY
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Produce, and Inhabitants: Astronomi
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SECTION I. Passage from Ulietea to
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First Voyage, &c., second edition.
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After leaving these islands, Quiros
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of his instructions, he did not fin
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had been well ascertained, and foun
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[14] Till the discovery of what has
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third lieutenants, the lieutenant o
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have made, would have done honour t
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learning from his voyage; that he w
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long as the condition of the ships,
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occasional use of fires to destroy
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To record incidents such as these,
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on this occasion, was not omitted.T
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At two in the afternoon on the 29th
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[10] Mr G.F. speaks with much more
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steering directly for, till we were
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ears; they immediately rowed toward
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On the 24th, the wind blew from N.W
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This longitude is nearly the same t
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Myself, being the mean of six dista
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land.At nine o'clock, the wind veer
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elieve that land of any extent lay
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seen in the heavens, similar to tho
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and dashing of the waves into the c
Page 54 and 55:
longitude was 121° 9'. At three o'
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We continued to advance to the N.E.
Page 58 and 59:
come nearer. After dinner I took tw
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discover himself, had taken some li
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These he never would suffer to go o
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continued without intermission till
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emote from the present trading part
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which is not more remarkable for th
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clouds, and seemed to forebode much
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which appears supernatural, and wil
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hills; plenty of water which falls
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and with much difficulty we saved h
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myself the morning after my arrival
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lioness. It certainly bore much res
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me before that time, he was then to
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their existence. But nature, we may
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subject, this disease was indigenou
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and seldom higher than 54, at the s
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the time, blew from different direc
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inhabiting the lithophytes. They ra
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were striking, and left us a little
Page 96 and 97:
After the first salutation was over
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presented the king with two fine go
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former. I told them to return me th
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the harbour, I chose to turn in by
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going. As his intention in coming i
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which taught him to avoid the socie
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On the 11th, early in the morning,
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one; at last, all my enquiries gave
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disease existed at Otaheite previou
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is soft and pulpy, then they spit i
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many parts of England."-G.F.After r
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they did not seem willing to part w
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extraordinary value at Otaheite and
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After we had done examining this pl
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The officer informed me that the na
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ass kettle, a saw, two large spikes
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[1] This subject is resumed in the
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desirous of those we had on board.
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Their ornaments are amulets, neckla
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wants the common necessaries of lif
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common features, and cannot, theref
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"Though we were situated under the
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six o'clock, being off Cloudy Bay,
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eing persuaded they would take prop
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we embarked, in order to return on
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youth under twenty.[8][7] An instan
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in the history of almost all nation
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for Cape Teerawhitte, and afterward
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The Sun himselfe cannot forgetHis f
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place where they are formed.[3][3]
Page 156 and 157: manner, covered with ice; a hard ga
Page 158 and 159: improvement of discipline, the incr
Page 160 and 161: [10] A few days before, according t
Page 162 and 163: pintadoe peterel, some blue peterel
Page 164 and 165: south, which soon after freshened,
Page 166 and 167: Endeavour; so that this can hardly
Page 168 and 169: stocked with abundance of fowls and
Page 170 and 171: lackish brown cavernous and brittle
Page 172 and 173: passed along, they observed on a hi
Page 174 and 175: fresh water worth taking on board.
Page 176 and 177: towards each end. To these are tied
Page 178 and 179: perseverance of these islanders in
Page 180 and 181: I continued to steer to the west ti
Page 182 and 183: ut could not prevail on the chief t
Page 184 and 185: are a mile from each other, in the
Page 186 and 187: grounds, for such an inference.--E.
Page 188 and 189: abounding, I have been told, with f
Page 190 and 191: now entirely recovered from the blo
Page 192 and 193: come forwards in a curve. This fron
Page 194 and 195: Next day we had a present of a hog
Page 196 and 197: dinner; after which I went down to
Page 198 and 199: more proper for me to go. All his a
Page 200 and 201: end; and all I could expect, after
Page 202 and 203: We had no sooner dispatched our fri
Page 204 and 205: send him red feathers in abundance.
Page 208 and 209: especially by the ladies; as many o
Page 210 and 211: went on shore with a boat's crew, a
Page 212 and 213: in the neighbourhood; but they were
Page 214 and 215: which, according to the simplicity
Page 216 and 217: their religion, customs, traditions
Page 218 and 219: Before I finish this account of the
Page 220 and 221: heights; and only myself, and four
Page 222 and 223: the same that Tasman watered at. In
Page 224 and 225: officer. One time, after he had bee
Page 226 and 227: uncultivated. There is, however, fa
Page 228 and 229: the 9th, when we had for a few hour
Page 230 and 231: small shot, I gave him the contents
Page 232 and 233: of a negroe. Their beards are very
Page 234 and 235: view of plying up to the eastward o
Page 236 and 237: acceptable entertainment, and were
Page 238 and 239: then, to pop out and throw a dart.
Page 240 and 241: SECTION V.An Intercourse establishe
Page 242 and 243: troublesome to the eyes.Early in th
Page 244 and 245: island. Hence, that gentleman infer
Page 246 and 247: expeditious as it can well be. They
Page 248 and 249: observed, were planted as thick as
Page 250 and 251: that were prevailed on to stay, ran
Page 252 and 253: We understood that the little isle
Page 254 and 255: weapons; almost every one of them c
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appeared over the west end of Tanna
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it. The wind being at south, we wer
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[6] "Quiros had great reason to ext
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went; and the middle of it is in la
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untoward circumstances of the world
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weather side of it, we stood in wit
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appearance of the country.--"We wal
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after my return on board.It was of
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Accordingly I ordered them to be ta
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of it. A nation of women, we may co
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I have before observed, that the co
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in their country, and the scanty su
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hoisted in the boats, and made sail
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leagues. In the afternoon, with a f
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e done. We had from the top-mast-he
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in a space of two hundred leagues;
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eighteen fathoms water close to the
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[3] "They continued from time to ti
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A little within the entrance on the
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then squatted herself down, on her
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longitude 166° 15' W.On the 20th,
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Two hours after, we made the land,
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inlet was another, with several isl
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harbour is not quite free from this
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enough to spoil the appetite of any
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which we called EMBOTHRIUM coccineu
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