Jan 24, 1789 Home Logbook Jan 26, 1789
Revised Jun 29 2021
171)
Variable weather. Thunder Lightning and Rain with Calms and intervals of fair Wr. Wind at ENE and Westerly, and the Thermr. 80° and 82°.
Cleaned ship. Supplies from the Natives as usual. Five Venereals in the List. Two Men on leave every day.
The novelty of our being here is now wore off, so that we are not crouded with the natives as at first, except when strangers come from distant parts of the Island, but when that is not the Case the inhabitants of this part only resort to us occasionally, however about an hour before Sun down the Beach abreast of the ship is like a Parade, every person then comes to see and be seen within three and four miles of us both Men and Women and Children, and their enquiries and news of the day go on with amusements untill nearly dark, when every one peaceably retires. At these times the Women divert themselves at the Heivah called Aipannah, of throwing the Bread fruit with the foot as I have already described. The Men exercise the Lance and the Boys jump in Ropes, walk with Stilts and try their skill in Wrestling. The little Girls have their Heivahs or little dances by themselves, so that at these we see an Assembly of three or four hundred people happily diverted, and good humoured and affectionate to one another without ever a Single circumstance happening to counteract it. These are things I am spectater of every fair Evening.