of
the natives assisting, one of them, a fine boy about ten years old, was
thrown down and a roller which was placed under the boat went over him.
The surgeon being ill I sent off for his assistant. Fortunately no limb
was broken nor did he receive any material injury. The surgeon had been a
long time ill, the effect of intemperance and indolence. He had latterly
scarce ever stirred out of his cabin but was not apprehended to be in a
dangerous state; nevertheless this evening he appeared to be so much
worse than usual that it was thought necessary to remove him to some
place where he could have more air; but to no effect for he died in an
hour afterwards. This unfortunate man drank very hard and was so averse
to exercise that he never would be prevailed on to take half a dozen
turns upon deck at a time in the course of the voyage.

Wednesday 10.

As I wished to bury the surgeon on shore I mentioned it to Tinah, who
said there would be no objection but that it would be necessary to ask
his father's consent first; which he undertook to do and immediately left
me for that purpose. By this circumstance it appears that, though the
eldest son of an Earee succeeds to the title and honours of the father as
soon as he is born, yet a considerable portion of authority remains with
the father even after the son is of age. When Tinah returned I went with
him to the spot intended for the burial place, taking with us two men to
dig the grave; but on our arrival I found the natives had already begun
it. Tinah asked me if they were doing right? "There," says he, "the sun
rises and there it sets." The idea that the grave should be east and west
I imagine they learnt from the Spaniards, as the captain of one of their
ships was buried at Oeitepeha in 1774. Certain it is they had not the
information from anybody belonging to our ship; for I believe we should
not have thought of it. The grave however was marked out very exactly. At
four in the afternoon the body was interred: the chiefs and many of the
natives came to see the ceremony and showed great attention during the
service. Some of the chiefs were very inquisitive about what was to be
done with the surgeon's cabin on account of apparitions. They said when a
man died in Otaheite and was carried to the Tupapow that as soon as night
came he was surrounded by spirits, and if any person went there by
himself they would devour him: therefore they said that not less than two
people togethe