Nov 10, 1788 Home Logbook Nov 12, 1788
Revised Jun 29 2021
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Fresh Breezes and fair Wr. with some light squalls of Rain. Wind about ENE and the Thermr. from 78° to 82°. Employed cleaning ship and attending the Tents. Few Natives but sufficient supplies. Three Men in the sick list. One recovering from the Cholera Morbus. One under a Rheumtaic complaint and the other with the Flux. 401 Plants were in the Pots by Noon.
Tynah as usual spent the day with me, for what he could get, & altho his demands are very extravagant, I think proper to comply with them. I have understood from him that he was every day to go to the Island Teturoah which lies about 8 or 10 leags north from this to fetch his Mother, but I had made a great mistake, as to day I found he expected I would have taken him in the ship and asked me when we were to set sail. As I now plainly understood him, he had no longer any expectation, my desire to please him not being equal to a circumstance of such a nature, nor were his inclinations so strong as to feel a disappointment at my refusal. This Island he says belongs to him, and that it has every thing which Otaheite produceth.
I have bought lately some very fine puddings, one of which by desire I got Oreepyah to show me how it was made. The process was as follows. Here is an herbaceous Plant which they call Peeah. It produces a root like a Turnip and like it varies in size according to the age. A sufficient number of these roots are taken up as the pudding is to be large or small and being paired off their thin rind they are grated down by the help of a peice of Coral. It is now put into a Vessel and covered with water in the mean time with their teeth they draw the stem of a plant called mow into a number of fibres, and this constituting a strainer, the whole is collected into it from the water and squeezed with the hands of all its juices, taking particular care that no part of the substance mixes with it. They now let it lie in the water to settle during which some
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hot stones are got ready, and an old Cocoa nut or two is grated down in the same way as before and the milk expressed out of them. The water is now poured quickly off, and there remains a thick milk white substance, which has the quality of a strong paste, and is used by them for that purpose in the manufactory of their cloth. The stones being now ready, (Two or three the size of a mans fist,) they are put into the Vessel where the paste is, and being rolled about for three or five minutes and kept moistened with the cocoa nutt milk to prevent the Peeah burning, the Pudding will be fit for eating. It will collect round the stones, but as they are turned round it is to be constantly scraped off and by this means it forms into small lumps. When done it will have the appearance of oil or fat being mixed with it but that is owing to the juice from the old Cocoanut. This is as good a pudding as can possibly be made, but only hot stones will answer, for I tryed it by frying and in the Oven, but it was not half so good. I attempted to taste the root before it was dressed, but they said it was very bad, and from this I consider it to have the property of casada[?].
Omai lived only thirty months after Captn. Cook left him at Huheine, and Tyvarooah but a short time afterwards. Coah still remains there and I have offered great rewards to any cannoe that will go and fetch him, but as yet I have no hopes of seeing him. Many enquiries were latterly made to Omai concerning England, and it appears, poor fellow, that he impressed on their minds not only our power and consequence, but our kindness and good will towards him.
Tynah to day gave me an account of an Island to the Eastward of this called Roo,oppow. Some of his people he said had been at it, and that there were large animals on it which he called Booah's (which is Hogs) and assured me as a fact they had eight legs. I endeavored to convince him there were no such animals, but he insisted on it, and said he would go with me to see them as it would not take us above four or five days,
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The whimsical and fabulous accounts of these people are beyond every thing, and lying seems to be considered among them as a real accomplishment. Secretly, nothing gives them more pleasure than to see us readily beleive a hum, they take more delight in this than any people alive.
We now get on finely with our plants, and I have the happiness to find myself still continue on a very friendly and affectionate footing with the principal people, and what is more than I could expect, (notwithstanding all my care and regulations,[)] not a single theft is committed, so that of course we are free of broils with the lower Class.
Nov 10, 1788 Home Logbook Nov 12, 1788