Feb 27, 1789 Home Logbook Mar 1, 1789
Revised Jun 29 2021
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First part Moderate and dark Cloudy Wr. the middle and latter Calms and almost constant Rain. Wind at ENE. Therr. 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 Toota,ah dined with me to day. Toota,ah 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 Toota,ah 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 Toota,ah's
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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 the Months | Ulietea Names | ||
| Tawa | |||
| Temma | Weereeareearee | Sepr | Showers |
| Tearee | Weereeamah | Octr | Changeable w'th Showers |
| Tettahigh | Tearee | Novr | |
| Worraihoo | Tettaigh | Decemr | Much Wind & Rain and Fish |
| Waahhow or Wahow | Worraihoo | Jan'y | |
| Peepeeree | Wahahoo | Feby | |
| Ahoonoonee | Peepeeree | March | Bad Wr. going off |
| Appaappa | Ahoonoonu | April | Variable Wr. |
| Parromoah or Parrow | Parrowmoah | May | Hot weather |
| Parroromure | Parromure | June | Do |
| Mooreeyaah | Mooreeyaah | July | Do |
| Euaheeya | Eeaheeya | August | Do with Showers |
Mowworroah began the Otaheite year with Appaappa but Toota,ah 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
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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 Toota,ah 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 | Septr | or Weereeareearee |
| Do | of | Octr | or Weereeamah |
| Tappeppee | of | Novr | or Tearee |
| Do | of | Decr | or Tettaigh |
| Aieeotah | of | Jany | or Worraihoo |
| Do | of | Feby | or Wahahoo |
| Tawa | |||
| Evynooah | of | March | or Peepeeree |
| Do | of | April | or Ahoonoonu |
| Teeerreerah | of | May | or Parroromoah |
| Do | of | June | or Parroromuree |
| Mowrowwe | of | July | or Mooreeyaah |
| Do | of | August | or Eeaheeya |
Now in this division Toota,ah placed Tawa between Feby 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
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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 | Septemr | Weereeareearee |
| Tettahigh | October | Weereeamah |
| Warraihoo | Novemr | Tearee |
| Waahhow | Decemr | Tettaigh |
| Peepeeree | Januy | Worraihoo |
| Ahoonoonu | Feby | 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 Captns. Wallis or Cook was here.
Feb 27, 1789 Home Logbook Mar 1, 1789