fered to live. Perhaps the offspring of Teppahoo and
Tetteehowdeeah were destined to satisfy some cruel adjustment of rank and
precedency.
CHAPTER 7.
A theft committed.
Deception of the painted Head.
Conversation with a Priest.
A Wrestling Match.
Reports of the Natives concerning other Islands.
Some Account of Omai.
1788. November. Monday 3.
The trade for provisions I directed to be carried on at the tent by Mr.
Peckover the gunner. Moannah likewise resided there as a guard over his
countrymen; but though it appeared to be the wish of all the chiefs that
we should remain unmolested it was not possible entirely to prevent them
from pilfering.
My table at dinner was generally crowded. Tinah, Oreepyah, Poeeno, and
Moannah, were my regular guests and I was seldom without some chiefs from
other districts. Almost every individual of any consequence has several
names which makes it frequently perplexing when the same person is spoken
of to know who is meant. Every chief has perhaps a dozen or more names in
the course of thirty years; so that the person who has been spoken of by
one visitor will not perhaps be known to another unless other
circumstances lead to a discovery. The father of Tinah, at this time
called Otow, was known in 1769 by the name of Whappai.
I showed Tinah the preparations I was making to take on board the
breadfruit plants which pleased him exceedingly, but he did not forget to
remind me that when the next ship came out he hoped King George would
send him large axes, files, saws, cloth of all kinds, hats, chairs, and
bedsteads, with arms, ammunition, and in short everything he could think
of mentioning.
This afternoon the gudgeon of the rudder belonging to the large cutter
was drawn out and stolen without being perceived by the man that was
stationed to take care of her. Several petty thefts having been committed
by the natives, mostly owing to the negligence of our own people and, as
these kind of accidents generally created alarm and had a tendency to
interrupt the good terms on which we were with the chiefs, I thought it
would have a good effect to punish the boat-keeper in their presence,
many of them happening to be then on board; and accordingly I ordered him
a dozen lashes. Tinah with several of the chiefs attended the punishment
and interceded very earnestly to get it mitigated: the women showed great
sympathy and that degree of feeling which characterises the amiable part
of th
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