Feb. 27, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
Mar. 1, 1789
Revised Jun 9 2021
First part Moderate and dark Cloudy Weather the middle and latter Calms and almost constant Rain. Wind at ENE. Thermometer 79° to 81¼°.
Employed as the weather would permit, it however prevented me from washing Ship with Hot Water to destroy Vermin. Sick list 4 Venereals and one man ill with an inflamed arm. Supplies as usual.
Tynah with his Father Otow and a Ulietea Cheif called Tootaah dined with me to day. Tootaah is generally with Tynah he is a Priest and considered to have great knowlege. To get a certain knowledge of their division of time has given me much trouble, for altho many pretend to know it, yet I have found them so contradictory in their Accounts as convinced me they were not acquainted with the particulars of it. Tynah assured me only a few old People could give me any information and that he knew it but very imperfectly himself, he however has always referred me to Tootaah or his uncle Mowworroah and from those people who were exceedingly clear and distinct I got the following information.
Both the Otaheite Month and Ulietea consist of 30 days but the year in Otaheite is considered only 12 months whereas the Ulietea year consists of 13 months.
Mowworroah and Tootaah agree exactly in the Otaheite Divisions, but concerning Ulietea I had only Tootaah's account, Mowworroah having been some time at Tetturoah, and I had no Idea there could be any difference to induce me to ask him about it.
Otaheite Names of Ulietea the Months Names Tawa Temma Weereeareearee September Showers Tearee Weereeamah October Changeable with Showers Tettahigh Tearee November Worraihoo Tettaigh December Much Wind & Rain Waahhow or Wahow Worraihoo January and Fish Peepeeree Wahahoo February Ahoonoonee Peepeeree March Bad Weather going off Appaappa Ahoonoonu April Variable Weather Parromoah or Parrow Parrowmoah May Hot weather Parroromure Parromure June Ditto Mooreeyaah Mooreeyaah July Ditto Euaheeya Eeaheeya August Ditto with Showers
Mowworroah began the Otaheite year with Appaappa but Tootaah with Temma, The one is when the sun crosses the line at the Autumnal Equinox and the other is at the Spring. This therefore led to no fixed time of their beginning the year, or could I find out any unless the different Islands begin it as I have Stated it.
One might imagine from seeing the same Name to different Months (as for Example an Otaheite Man says Peepeeree is January, a Ulietea person that Peepeeree is March) that there was some mistake in the account but it is not so, the fallibility of tradition has perhaps made these differences. It is however of no consequence to the present people it being perfectly understood.
They have however criterions to judge of the particular times of the year by the different kinds of Breadfruit coming in Season, and according to Tootaah they have it divided under six General heads governed by the Name of that Fruit which is then fit for eating as for Example.
Oorooaowne To the Month of September or Weereeareearee
Ditto of October or Weereeamah
Tappeppee of November or Tearee
Ditto of December or Tettaigh
Aieeotah of January or Worraihoo
Ditto of February or Wahahoo
Tawa
Evynooah of March or Peepeeree
Ditto of April or Ahoonoonu
Teeerreerah of May or Parroromoah
Ditto of June or Parroromuree
Mowrowwe of July or Mooreeyaah
Ditto of August or Eeaheeya
Now in this division Tootaah placed Tawa between February and March which was interval he said where no Breadfruit were to be had, that as they were never used by them for the Trees were never bare all the year round: but just at this time they were not in such perfection.
The Month Tawa therefore appears to me to be used to make up some deficiency in time which the Ulieteans observe in the 12 Lunar months, that is not taken notice of by the Otaheiteans, for taking Mowworroahs account of the beginning of the year the Months will be as follows.
Otaheite Year Ulitea Year _____________ ___________ Appaappa answers to our March Peepeeree Parroromoah April Ahoonoonu Parroromuree May Parroromoah Mooreeyaah June Parroromuree Euaheeya July Mooreeyaah Temma August Eeaheeya Tearee September Weereeareearee Tettahigh October Weereeamah Warraihoo November Tearee Waahhow December Tettaigh Peepeeree January Worraihoo Ahoonoonu February Wahahoo Tawa
From the foregoing accounts it is certain they have a regular account of time and to every day of the Month they have a particular Name, but notwithstanding I do not yet find any one who can give an exact account of time past, such as how many months it is since Captain Wallis or Cook was here.
Feb. 27, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
Mar. 1, 1789