Apr 10-15, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Apr 19-21, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
Monday April 16th 1792 Moderate Breezes & Cloudy Weather
A plentifull Supply of Hogs, Cocoa Nutts, Bread fruit Apples &c which as before are served to the
Ships Company at no Allowance except the former – at 6 Dark Cloudy Weather and Squally at times –
Cleared Hawse – Light Airs and Cloudy – AM Ditto Weather at Day break – Sent a Lieutenant
Mate two Midshipmen – Lieutenant and Party of Marines on shore to the Tent – Sent 8 Dozen of
Garden Pots at the same time – Carpenters caulking the Sides – Unbent the Mainsail – Ship
well supplied as before – The salters at work as usual – At Noon Fresh Breeze and Cloudy Weather
[undated] Fresh Breezes & dark Cloudy Weather The Father of Otoo the Chief of the Island, his Father and most of the royal Family came on board saluted them with ten Guns – Received a Load of Water per Launch – at 6 Squally Weather and rainy – Struck Top Gallant Masts got up a range of the Sheet Cable – At 8 Light Airs and Calms – AM. The Awnings spread at sunrise as usual – Cleaned below – The supply for Hogs and Cocoa Nutts not so great as before, but sufficient Carpenters at work as before – People principally employed in the Main Hold – Light Airs and fair Weather at Noon
Wednesday 18th Light Airs and fine Weather – Loosed Sail to dry – The royal Family went on shore
to Oparre – At 6 Cloudy Weather Handed Sails –
AM. At Day break the Launch went on shore with 150 Garden Pots – Employed in the Main Hold –
Cleared Hawse and loosed Sails to dry – Carpenters caulking the Bends – The Ship tolerably well
supplied to day – Hove in on the Best Bower Cable & shifted the Rounding – the Ship being
too slack moored –
At Noon Light Airs and Cloudy Weather
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On our Arrival several several [sic] of them who were on this Side of the Island, launched the Boat at Oparre and came off to us. they made a motley Appearance, being dressed three Parts as Otaheiteans and one English. when they came on board they told us, that on their Arrival, the Oteheiteans had stripped them of every thing they had, but otherwise they had treated them exceeding well, had given them plenty of Provisions and cloathed them as they were themselves – they likewise told us what I have related respecting the Ship and Mr. Whetherhead, and also of some Differences that prevailed upon the Island betwixt the great Chief and the Aree of Matavai District, the Matavaian whose Name is Poenou, it seems had got several Musquetts and a greater Quantity of European Commodities, than Tinah (who governs for his Son) thought he ought to have these he had been able to procure on Account of his Vicinity to the Bay, where all Ships that come here generally put in and his being more intimately connected with Christian the head Mutineer than any other Chief, this and some other Differences had created a War between the Districts of Matavai and Oparre which subsisted at our Arrival, and to which the unfortunate Matilda's were obliged by the Chiefs to accompany them with Musquetts they gave them – tho it does not appear they ever came into Action, except the Surgeon who was the Tayo of Tubyroo the principal Warrior on the Matavai side – but a few Days after our Arrival when it was known that Captain Bligh was tayo with Boumarree, the Matavaians fled to the Eastward and the Aree'raki took possession of their District, which with what the late Possessors took away with them, and the Pillage of the Conquerors was by this Time pretty well laid waste – In the Person of the King I expected to have found a great Chief possessed of absolute Authority over a Nation of Warriors, instead of that, I found a timid effeminate Man, whom I should not have
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Apr 10-15, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Apr 19-21, 1792