Apr 24, 1789 Home Logbook Apr 26, 1789
Revised Jun 30 2021
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Very light winds and very Cloudy with some spitting Rain. Wind at Et & ENE. The Ship was again secured and I ordered a Stream Anchor to Steady her to the Westwd. so that we became moored with a half Cable on the Small Bower and a whole hawser on the Small Anchor to the westward. The Small Bower in 21 fms and the Stream in 17 fms. The West point of the Road bore S33°W; the East point N85°E and the West or Watering Bay S73°E about 1½ miles. Caow N29°W and Tofoa N40°W to N34°W.
Examined our anchoring ground and found it a coarse coral bottom but even soundings and from this I considered I had got a good Birth.
At Night I regulated our business in watering and wooding, and in the morning the parties were sent off.
At 11h..45′ The Tide came from the Eastward and about 6 in the morning the ship tended to the Stream from the westward. And at 11h..45′ it came again from the Eastward.
The morning produced a Fleet of Sailing Cannoes besides many others, but I got only eight Hogs in the Course of this day, few Breadfruit Cocoa nutts or Plantains, the yams were however in great abundance some of which weighed above 45 lbs and were in general proportionally large.
We received 2 launch load of water by noon the weather very dark and cloudy and threatning much dirt. Some Dogs, Birds and Fowls were brought off for Sale and great numbers of Shaddocks.
In the afternoon I went in search of a wooding place, accompanied by Tepa, Tubow of Lefooga and Mr Nelson, and with the consent of the Cheifs I fixed on a small Cove where the Boat might take of her landing at any time of Tide, about a Cables length to the westward of the watering Bay, close to the Sea side and convenient to the Ship. We found several sorts of good Sizeable Trees, but the kind I pitched upon to be principally cut down, was the Barringtonia of Foster, as Mr Nelson informed me. In May 1777 when I was here with Captn Cook, several of the Seamen got blinded by cutting the Manchineel. I therefore took a branch of it on board to prevent the party that were to come
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on shore in the morning from meeting with the same accident. This is the real Manchineel as grows in the West Indies from the appearance and quality of the Tree, but Mr Nelson assures me from a botanical knowledge of it that it is the same Plant*. I therefore see with much surprize a contrary account given of it in Captn. Cooks last Voyage (Vol 1st. Page 230) calling it a Species of Pepper.
*[The words 'same Plant' are circled with a circled word in the margin, which I simply cannot make out.]
I now agreed with Tepa that my people whould be on shore at dawn of day, and it meeting his approbation we parted.
At Daybreak I sent the Parties away. Those a watering under the Command of Mr Christian and consisting of 11 men, and the wooders under the direction of Mr Elphinstone Mate of the Ship consisting of four Men. To the waterers I ordered arms, but to be kept in the Boat & there only to be used consider them much Safer on Shore without them, unless I could have increased the Party, and to the wooders I gave none.
To these people I not only gave my orders but my advice, that they were to keep themselves unconnected with the Natives. They however had not been an hour on shore before one Man had lost his Axe and another his Adz. The cause of this was that the officers contrary to my direct orders suffered the Indians to croud round them and amuse them, and by that means the Theft was committed. The Men cleared themselves of the neglect as they could not comply with every part of their duty and keep their Tools in their Hands, and they therefore merit no punishment. As to the officers I have no resource, or do I ever feel myself safe in the few instances I trust to them.
Tepa was applyed to and the Ax was returned but the Adz not.
These Islanders are clever dextrous set of People, and would
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ever take advantages if they saw People negligent, even before the Centinels when the Resolution was here, if they ever caught them inattentive they took whatever they could lay hold of. We are therefore not to be surprized at those petty violences as our Iron utensils are Jewels of inestimable Value to them.
At Noon numbers of large Sailing Cannoes were drawn near to us, and several alongside. These Cannoes are realy a wonderfull peice of Art and contrivance, sail with great swiftness and managed with much cleverness. Some will sail either end foremost by carrying the tack of the Sail when they put about, to the Stern that was before; but the large Cannoes sail on one Board with the sail to windward of the mast and the other to leeward, but in those the halliards are bent much nearer to the tack of the Sail than the others, the mast much shorter, and therefore of little or no detriment. The Sail is of the latteen kind made of matts, and is spread by two tremendous poles or rather peices staffed together, the lower ends meeting towards the tack, which is secured towards the Bow or Stem of the Cannoe by a large Rope. To the lower Boom or Pole is a Single large Rope for a sheet. They have a pair of Shrowds on each side, and they have either a Score or Hole through the masthead through which they have brails[?] to haul the sail up, but it seems to require great Strength to manage it and I have always seen them well supplied with men.
What we call the Cannoe, is formed of two joined together by Strong cross peices. On this is raised a kind of gunwale taking in one half of the whole length, the One quarter being the extremity forward, and the other abaft, both which is close and admitts no water. On the gunwale is errected a Stupendous Stage or Platform strongly secured by lashings, and on this a Hut or place of Shelter, or sometimes a magazine for their Provisions and valuable Articles. This Hut is secured by strong uprights, and even on the Top of it bears a great weight, being made convenient as a Seat for numerous passengers. When every thing is collected, and this extraordinary Vessel proceeds to Sea, the two Cannoes, the great bulwark of its Support, is scarce above the water. All Provisions and every other Article is stowed
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on the Platform or in the Hut, so that by this means the Vessels are more buoyant and their wells always clear for bailing, which is constantly the business of some One, and from which I observed that their Hold, if I may call it so, was as deep as a tall mans shoulder. Some cross peices of timber were fixed on the inside in different directions to strengthen the whole frame. They are Steered by two long Paddles steadied only by a Single Rope through a hole in the blade, and they are managed also by Smaller Ones in a Calm as other Cannoes are, using besides in the middle of the ends of the Platform through holes, paddles with narrow blades as Sculls, that is, as we make a boat go forward with a Single Oar over the Stern.
In these Vessels go whole Families and a numerous attendance, and I have counted 90 passengers on board some of those that have already come to see us.
Some of them have very large outriggers, and on these when they carry much sail fifteen or twenty men will be to windward.
The common Sailing Cannoes are on the same principal, but their sail is slung more by the middle of the yard and is lowered down occasionally.
These People are very neat and Secure in all the frappings they make use of, and they are peculiarly clever in sewing their Cannoes together on the inside, so that on the Out, let the Vessel be made of ever so many peices nothing appears but a very narrow Seam. The blade of their Paddles is the exact form of the Ace of Spades.
I sollicited Tepa to send to Paulehow and Feenow and he said they should, but we have seen no Cannoe go away, I therefore fear I shall not see them and I beleive their company is not desired, as the present parties wish to have the trade to themselves for a few days.
My acquaintance was now increased by another Tubow of Happae so that I had two on board of that name, a family of Rank in the Islands.
Apr 24, 1789 Home Logbook Apr 26, 1789