ives attended and behaved with great
decency the whole time. This day closed with an odd sceen at the Gate of
the Fort, where a young Fellow above 6 feet high made love to a little
Girl about 10 or 12 years of Age publickly before several of our people
and a number of the Natives. What makes me mention this is because it
appear'd to be done according to Custom, for there were several women
present, particularly Obariea and several others of the better sort, and
these were so far from showing the least disapprobation that they
instructed the Girl how she should Act her part, who, young as she was,
did not seem to want it.

Monday, 15th. Winds variable and cloudy weather. Last Night one of our
Water Casks was taken away from the outside of the Fort, where they stood
full of water. In the morning there was not one of the Natives but what
knew it was gone; yet, Contrary to what we had always met with on these
Occasions, not one of them would give us any information about it, and I
thought it of too little Consequence to take any methods to Oblige them.
In the evening Toobouratomida and his Wife, and a Man belonging to
Tootaha, would needs lay all Night by the Casks to prevent any more from
being taken away; but, as we had placed a Centinel there, this care of
theirs became unnecessary, and they were prevailed upon to go home; but
before they went away they made signs to the Centinel to keep his Eyes
open. From this it should seem that they knew that an attempt would be
made in the night to take away more, which would have been done had not
the Centinel prevented it.

Tuesday, 16th. Winds Westerly. The morning cloudy, with heavy showers of
rain; the Remainder of the day fair weather. From this day nothing
remarkable hapned until

Monday, 22nd, which was usher'd in with thick Cloudy weather, and
Excessive hard Showers of rain and very much Thunder and Lightning, which
Continued the Greater part of the day.

Tuesday, 23rd. Wind Southerly and fair weather in the Forenoon, but in
the Afternoon Showers. We have had a Scarcity of all sorts of Fruit for
these 2 days past, which we immagine to be owing to the Wet weather.

Wednesday, 24th. Fine clear weather all this day. Having found the Long
boat Leakey for these few days past, we hauld her ashore to-day to stop
the leakes, when, to our great surprise, we found her bottom so much
Eaten by the Worms that it was necessary to give her a new one, and all
the Carpenters were immed