Apr 18, 1792 Home Providence Log Apr 20, 1792
Revised Aug 26 2021
Pots
Yesterday 115
149
Total 264
During the fore noon the Wind was steady from the ESE, but the remaining part variable with Calms, and the whole day so Cloudy as made the Air Cool and pleasant. The Thermometer from 76 to 77 Degrees.
Employed Caulking the Starboard Bends. Airing Sails. Salting Pork and Cleaning Ship.
This Day we filled 149 Pots with Plants, the Weather very favourable for the Work.
We have a great abundance of Fruit & Roots, but no Hogs to day.
In the Evening Tynah & his Wives returned from Oparre, they brought with them a Hog and a quantity of dressed Breadfruit as a present to me. As they remained on board, I was obliged as usual to give the Cabbin to them, where three Men Servants, their King & his Wives, after eating a hearty Supper, slept upon the same floor, & by the side of each other.
It surprised me to find, that both Iddeeah & Tynah were called Pomarre, & on enquiring into the Cause of it, I find it owing to their having lost their Eldest Daughter Terreenaorah, of an Illness called by that name, which they described to me by coughing. Whenever a Child dies the Parents or relations take the Name of the disease. If a dozen Children die of different diseases, the Parents have as many different Names, (or give them to their Relations) and may be called by either, but commonly by the last. It is common to all Ranks of People.
Among a Number of Plants which I have brought here from England the Cape of Good Hope & New Holland, consisting of Oranges, Pines, Guavas, Pomegranates, Quinces, Figs, Vines, Firs, Metrocedera and Aloes, The Natives only have a desire for the three last, the Firs & Metrocedera because I assured them they would grow to very large Trees, & were fit for building Ships; and the Aloes on account of its being a very fine Flower. No Value is set upon any of our Garden productions, it is really taking trouble to no purpose to bring them any thing that requires care to get it to perfection., A fine Shaddock Tree I saw Yesterday, very nearly destroyed by Fire, and the Fruit of it they told me was good for nothing. Some Trees in the Country as I have remarked in my last Voyage bore Fruit, & a few very fine ones were brought to me in the Evening from the same place. This is just the time for them to be ripe, or in the course of this Month or next.
Pomarre is compounded from Po Night & marre the name of the Disease.
Apr 18, 1792 Home Providence Log Apr 20, 1792