May 26, 1792 Home Providence Log May 28, 1792
Revised Aug 26 2021
This Day terminated with heavy Rain, Wind Variable. Thermometer from 78 to 83½ Degrees.
Mustered the Ships Company and saw every person clean dressed and performed Divine Service.
I went on board the Assistant, where I found every thing so much to my satisfaction as gave me great pleasure, and a continuance of satisfactory proofs of the Commanders good conduct.
Our supplies of Breadfruit are worse every day as are the Plantains, but Hogs, Vees and Mahie we have sufficient.
Tynah with his Wives dined as usual with me to day, he had however taken such a dose of Avah before he came on board, that his common allowance of Wine made him very drunk. While the height of the Fit was on him, he was so convulsed as to require Six People to confine him to the Cabbin Deck. Iddeeah, altho the cast off Wife, took more pains to assist him than Whyerreddee, and after she had got him free of the convulsions, put him to sleep untill the morning, when at Day break he rose well as he had ever been in his life.
A Towtow (Slave or Servant) in this Country can never get permition to be connected with a Woman who is above him in situation, & to live publickly as Man & Wife. There are many however who fall in love desperately where they can never expect any return to their affections, not even the inclination of the Woman bears the least in his favor, yet he will wander about and meet her at every turning in a disconsolate manner. At last comfortless he is left without any resource except an unnatural one which suggests itself—the beastly Swain follows the Lady and deprives the earth of that which she meant to be deposited in it. Of this strange and unnatural liking I never heard before. I remember an account however of Muller's in his History of Siberian and Russian Discoveries, that among the Kamchadales or Kayacks (I forget which) when a Stranger is introduced into a Family, the Master offers to him the prettiest of his Daughters or Women as a companion to him for that Night. On his expressing his approbation, he has presented to him a bason [basin] of the Woman's Urine made in his presence which he is obliged to drink, or forfit the hospitality and protection of the Tribe he is among.
In the beginning of the Night Tarrah Hill was beautifully illuminated with Flambeaus to light Tynah over, who had stayed late at Oparre, perhaps a prettier sight was never seen that the effect it had upon the smooth Water about the Shore, for the lights were brilliant and numerous. When any of the Royal Family pass over the Hill they have it lighted, as the Road is bad and a fall likely to be attended with bad consequences.
Notwithstanding the rage the Otaheiteans have for our clothes of every kind, yet we find some of them so honest that the People in general have given them their Linnen to wash. No losses have yet been experienced, but every thing returned in good order.
I have endeavored by every means to get a knowledge whether Marriage has any common and general ceremony attending it, to give legallity to the Man and Woman living together, and I find from the best collected account among those People who are capable of giving me information, that any ceremony attending Marriage is not general. The Women are sollicited for their consent, and untill they give it the Man dares not to take the Woman away. When the Parents approve of the Match, there is a ceremony of Prayer at a Morai and the Parents perform Oammo to the married Couple. (This Oammo or Oammoah (See 20th April), as it is called, is a Ceremony performed by Parents to their Children when they are supposed to be able to look out, and take care of themselves.)
The Parties may seperate whenever they chuse. A Man may have as many Wives as he pleases, and a Woman may have as many Gallants as her husband has different Wives.
The Woman who bears Children has greater privileges than those who do not. They always abide by the property of the Husband, while the others have little or no share.
The infidelity of a Wife, any further than the husband permits or aproves, is considered whoredom and punishable by himself; but while he approves of the Man she is connected with, they may Sleep under the same roof, so that it is not uncommon for a Husband with his three Wives to sleep on the same floor, and they with their Gallants.
It is remarkable that the ceremony of Prayer is only performed to the first Woman, and might reason from thence that the others were Concubines and not Wives.
May 26, 1792 Home Providence Log May 28, 1792