it then in season. In
this division they keep a small interval called Tawa in which they do not
use the breadfruit. This is about the end of February when the fruit is
not in perfection; but there is no part of the year in which the trees
are entirely bare.

Thursday 25.

At daylight we unmoored and I sent the tents in the launch to Oparre with
directions that, after landing them, the launch should meet the ship in
the entrance of Toahroah harbour to show the safest part of the channel.
At half-past ten we got the ship under sail and ran down under top-sails:
when we were near the launch it fell calm and the ship shot past her. We
immediately let the anchor go but to our great surprise we found the ship
was aground forwards. She had run on so easy that we had not perceived it
at the time. This accident occasioned us much trouble as we were obliged
to send anchors out astern to get the ship afloat: in doing this one of
the cables swept a rock and was not got clear again without much
difficulty. When the ship was moored Point Venus bore north 46 degrees
east. The east point of the harbour north 65 degrees east one-quarter of
a mile. Our distance from the shore half a cable's length; depth of water
8 1/2 fathoms.

Friday 26.

The next morning on my landing I was welcomed by all the principal
people; I may say by the whole crowd, and congratulated on the safety of
the ship. Tinah showed me a house near the waterside abreast the ship,
which he desired I would make use of and which was large enough for all
our purposes. He and his brother Oreepyah then desired I would stay and
receive a formal address and present which they called Otee. To this I
assented and a stool was brought for me to sit on. They then left me with
Moannah and in a short time I saw Tinah returning with about twenty men
who all made a stop at some distance, and a priest said a short prayer to
the Eatua, to which the rest made reply. A man was then sent to me three
several times, at each time bringing me a small pig and the stem of a
plantain leaf. The first they told me was for the God of Brittannee, the
next for King George, and the last for myself. Moannah then got up and,
without being dictated to, made an oration for me; the purport of which I
understood to be that I received their offering with thanks; that we were
good people and friends; and therefore he exhorted them to commit no
thefts: he told them to bring their pigs, coconuts, and breadfrui