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

where the fellows were, and desired they would bring them to me, that I might do with them as he had said,his answer was, they were gone to the mountains, and he could not get them. Whether this was the case ornot, I will not pretend to say. I knew fair means would never make them deliver them up; and I had nointention to try others. So the affair dropt, and the council broke up.In the evening, some of the gentlemen went to a dramatic entertainment. The piece represented a girl asrunning away with us from Otaheite; which was in some degree true; as a young woman had taken apassage with us down to Ulietea, and happened now to be present at the representation of her ownadventures; which had such an effect upon her, that it was with great difficulty our gentlemen could prevailupon her to see the play out, or to refrain from tears while it was acting. The piece concluded with thereception she was supposed to meet with from her friends at her return; which was not a very favourableone. These people can add little extempore pieces to their entertainments, when they see occasion. Is it notthen reasonable to suppose that it was intended as a satire against this girl, and to discourage others fromfollowing her steps?[1][1] "Her parents, from whom she had eloped to Otaheite with a favoured lover some years ago, werestill alive, and the force of affection urged her irresistibly to visit them. She had concealed herself onboard during Otoo's last visit, as he had expressly ordered that no woman should go with us; butbeing safe at present, she ventured to make her appearance. She was dressed in a suit of clothesbelonging to one of the officers, and was so much pleased with her new garments, that she wentashore in them as soon as she arrived at Huaheine. She dined with the officers without the leastscruple, and laughed at the prejudices of her country-women with all the good sense of a citizen ofthe world. With a proper education she might have shone as a woman of genius even in Europe;since, without the advantage of a cultivated understanding, her great vivacity, joined to very politemanners, already were sufficient to make her company supportable."--G.F.From some of this gentleman's remarks, as well as what Captain Cook says, it appears that theseislanders have pretty correct notions of the relative duty of children and parents.--E.In the morning of the 18th, Oree came on board with a present of fruit, stayed dinner, and in the afternoondesired to see some great guns fired, shotted, which I complied with. The reason of his making this requestwas his hearing, from Oedidee, and our Otaheitean passengers, that we had so done at their island. Thechief would have had us fire at the hills; but I did not approve of that, lest the shot should fall short and dosome mischief. Besides, the effect was better seen in the water. Some of the petty officers, who had leaveto go into the country for their amusement, took two of the natives with them to be their guides, and tocarry their bags, containing nails, hatchets, &c. the current cash we traded with here; which the fellowsmade off with in the following artful manner: The gentlemen had with them two muskets for shootingbirds. After a shower of rain, their guides pointed out some for them to shoot. One of the muskets havingmissed fire several times, and the other having gone off, the instant the fellows saw themselves secure fromboth, they ran away, leaving the gentlemen gazing after them with so much surprise, that no one hadpresence of mind to pursue them.The 19th, showery morning; fair afternoon, nothing happened worthy of note.Early in the morning of the 20th, three of the officers set out on a shooting party, rather contrary to myinclination; as I found the natives, at least some of them, were continually watching every opportunity torob straggling parties, and were daily growing more daring. About three o'clock in the afternoon, I gotintelligence that they were seized and stripped of every thing they had about them. Upon this I immediately