Jan 14, 1789 Home Logbook Jan 16, 1789
Revised Jun 29 2021
(156
Strong Trade and fair Wr. with Calms in the middle part with Lightning and some slight showers of Rain. Wind ENE and Thermr. 80° and 84°.
Employed as yesterday. Five Venereals in the List.
Sufficient supplies, but the Breadfruit are now so scarce that we have trouble to get sufficient, however another Crop is coming forward, but I beleive will not give a plenty again for this month or two. Ground Provisions are not brought to sale and only but few Plantains.
On my Visit this morning to Tynah and his Wife, I found with her a person, who altho I was certain was a man, had great marks of effeminacy about him and created in me certain notions which I wished to find out if there were any foundations for. On asking Iddeeah who he was, she without any hesitation told me he was a friend of hers, and of a class of people common in Otaheite called Mahoo. That the Men had frequent connections with him and that he lived, observed the same ceremonies, and eat as the Women did. The Effeminacy of this persons speech induced me to think he had suffered castration, and that other unnatural and shocking things were done by him, and particularly as I had myself some Idea that it was common in this sea. I was however mistaken in all my conjectures except that things equally disgusting were committed. Determined as I was either to clear these people of such crimes being committed among them, or to prove that they were so, I requested Tynah to inform me, which as soon as I had requested it, a dozen people and even the Person himself answered all my questions without reserve, and gave me this Account of the Mahoos.
These people says Tynah are particularly selected when Boys and kept with the Women solely for the carnesses of the men. Here the Young Man took his Hahow or Mantle off which he had about him to show me the
157)
connection. He had the appearance of a Woman his yard & Testicles being so drawn in under him, having the art from custom of keeping them in this position, those who are connected with him have their beastly pleasures gratifyed between his thighs, but are no farther sodomites as they all positively deny the Crime. On examining his privacies I found them both very small and the Testicles remarkably so, being not larger than a boys of 5 or 6 years old, and very soft as if in a state of decay or a total incapacity of being larger, so that in either case he appeared to me effectually a Eunuch as if his stones were away. The Women treat him as one of their sex, and he observes every restriction that they do, and is equally respected and esteemed.
It is strange that in so prolific a country as this, Men should be led into such sensual and beastly acts of gratification, but perhaps no place in the World are they so common or so extraordinary as in this Island. Even the mouths of the Women are not exempt from the polution, and many other as uncommon ways have they of gratifying their beastly inclinations.
Jan 14, 1789 Home Logbook Jan 16, 1789