Jul 5-9, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Jul 14-16, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
Tuesday July 10th 1792 Moderate Breezes and Cloudy Weather The Cutter returned with a Supply of Provisions from Oparre Launch employed watering the Ship as fast as possible AM Employed as before in the Fore Hold – Carpenters laying down the Wood Work in the Green house to receive the Planks. Pinnace and Cutter bringing on board Wood – Armourers Forge still up – Pork and Plantains served as before
Wednesday 11th Moderate Breezes and fair Weather Boats and People employed wooding and watering the Ship as fast as possible AM. Stayed the Masts and set up the rigging – People in the Fore Hold – The Green house compleated and ready to receive the Plants
Thursday 12th Moderate Breezes and fine Weather the whole Day – Compleated watering the Ship and the Fore hold – Began reaving the running rigging and preparing to bend Sails – A Salute of 7 Guns fired on the Arrival of Otoo in the Bay and some sky-rocketts fired in the Evening – AM People employed bending the Sails and clearing the Ship – A moderate Supply of Provisions
Friday 13th Fresh Breezes fair Weather in the Afternoon but afterwards squally and unsettled – roused up the Small Bower, stowed Plank in the Tier and paid down the Cable upon it – Employed stowing in the Gun-room – AM. People employed upon occasional Duty – The Armourer taking down his Forge – Clearing away to kill the Cockroaches – Fresh Provisions served and a moderate Supply received
As the Design of the Voyage was to collect the Breadfruit Plants, I cannot employ a spare leaf better that by giving some Account of them and their manner of gathering fo which I am greatly indebted to my Friend, Mr. Wiles – after we had been 5 or 6 Days at Otaheite the Botanists went on shore to clear and level a Peice of Ground for the reception of the Plants – the spot chosen was close along side the river about two Cables Lengths within the extremity of the Point – it was well shaded from the Sun by large Breadfruit Trees and defended from the Sea Breeze by the lowness of its situationj – over this was erected a House, slightly constructed after the Oteheitean Manner without a roof, but which they covered at proper Times with Matts made of Cocoa nutt leaves called Pahwahs – the sides they covered with Leaves of the Pandanus of Palm – Into this Place they immediately got their Plants from the Ship, which they remarked were more injured in the Time we lay here by the Flies, than the whole Passage before – the Method they at first pitched upon to collect them, was to employ several Natives to take the Pots to where the Plants grew and plant them upon the Spot, but this was found impracticable – they then got an Heap of excellent Loam to the Greenhouse collected the Plants early in the Morning and planting them in the Evening. the Place where they found the Plants to be the best and in the greatest Plenty, were in the plantations of the Morus papyrifera the Tree the Natives make their Cloth of – On the 17th of April they began planting the Breadfruit in Pots and finished on the 30th however at different Times they shifted about 400 Plants several of which were not dead but it was certainly much better to reject a Plant in the least doubtfull when its place could be supplied with a better – In describing the Bread-fruit Tree scientifically, I should say it is a Monoecious Plant having Male and female flowers on the same Tree some times on the same Branch – like the Fig it
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Jul 5-9, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Jul 14-16, 1792