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Bounty Logbook Remarks, Nov. 18, 1788

Remarks in Matavai Bay Tuesday 18th November 1788

Fair Weather and light Winds Variable all round the compass, the Thermometer from 80° to 84°.

Employed cleaning ship and attending the Tents. Sick list as yesterday. Few Natives in the Bay and no supply of Hogs, but plenty of Breadfruit & Cocoa nutts. Carpenters as yesterday.

Tynah as usual gave me his constant company, and put me in mind, that when I came here again I was not to forget the different things I had promised should be brought out to him. He left the Table soon after dinner, when Oreepyah (his Brother) and Odiddee told me a peice of Scandal I had never heard of with certainty before. This was that Iddeah Tynahs Wife kept a Gallant called Taerree, and that Tynah knew it, and it was so far agreeable to both parties that both men cohabited with the Wife in the same hour, and in the presence of one another. As I appeared to doubt of the fact, they took several opportunities to convince me in the course of the day by mentioning it to some others who all declared it was true, and I have no longer any doubt of it, not but I beleive it is more or less the case as far as I can find throughout the whole Island. The Virtue and chastity of the cheif Women is by no means equal to what it has been represented, and it certainly is not a fact that they will not grant certain favors if opportunity and convenience offers.

The number of Plants that have misgiven up to this day at Noon is 71, but many of those altho they had every appearance of being dead were found shooting at the roots. Mr. Nelson agreed with me therefore that it was best to wait a week longer before we removed any more, and particularly as we have improved the sheds in which the Pots are kept covered in the earth. As the Air seems to be more free and less of the scorching heat on board than on shore, I took off twelve pots of Plants just taken up to discover where they would thrive the best.

In the course of my enquiries while here about the Breadfruit Trees I found there were eight different kinds, and having Moannah and Poeeno with me, I got all the different kinds gathered and they were classed under their Names. 1st Patteah, 2d Erorroo, 3d Awannah, 4th Mire, 5th Oree, 6th Powerro, 7th Appeeree, and the 8th Rowdeeah. The leaf had to me the same form except in the 4th & 8th class. The 4th was more sinuated, and the 8th was a large broad leaf without being sinuated at all, and so widely different from the others that I could not have imagined it produced a like fruit. The difference of the fruit seemed to be principally in the 1st & 8th classes. The 1st is rather the largest kind, and being cut Longitudinally the section will form a complete Oval. The 8th is round like all the others, but not above half size, this therefore is the only kind I should guard against if there was a necessity, but the Plant is very different it could not be taken up even by an Ignorant person, much less by Mr. Nelson to whom I showed all the different fruit.

I enquired particulayly if any plants could be produced from the seed, and every one agreed there could not, but that they must be taken from the Root. As therefore in places not much trampled by the Natives, the suckers are plenty our filling the Pots has been with much more expedition than could be expected, and I suppose that among such a number of Plants with the best management, a great many will die.

We still keep on a very happy footing with our Friends here, and which perhaps may be owing to my very great presents to all the Cheifs. But I am sorry to say my Friend Tynah altho I have loaded him with riches is not very grateful in return, as I hear he prevents Hogs being brought to us in hopes of getting the most of what I am possessed of to himself. Of this I gave him some hints and his wife took them up very readily. I have remarked that as often as I have made him presents I found his Box very much thinned of it contents and I knew he had not taken all of it on shore altho he frequently sent presents to many of his Friends. This therefore, knowing the keenness of this wife, induced me to make enquiries, and I found by way of getting me to keep his Coffee full, she regularly after every present I made them, took part of them away to the Masters Cabbin, desiring him to keep them for her as I did others for her Husband.

They however keep their most valuable things with me in preference to taking them on shore, where neither bolts or bars can assure them of safety for a day.

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