May 28, 1792 Home Providence Log May 30, 1792
Revised Aug 26 2021
Land and Sea Breezes. Thermometer from 72 to 79 Degrees. Employed as Yesterday. No Bread Fruit to be got, and am obliged to send on shore after other supplies the Natives being indifferent about bringing them to Sale.
This Morning I went to Oparre to look after some Plants I had ordered to be planted on the Hills at Tynahs Country Seat. I found them all in good order and taken care of, but I have little hope they will persevere in guarding them from accident, as not one article I left here last Voyage is remaining. I have now planted here 59 Orange and Citron Plants, and 12 Pine Apple, besides many seeds, and 8 Fine Young Firs which the Natives value the most, as they are likely to produce them plank and Masts.
Upon any part of those Hills the situation is delightfull. This place of Tynahs is charmingly diversified and shaded with Cocoa Nutt Trees and Breadfruit. He has a few old People to look after it whose only Stock is a few Fowles and half starved Hogs. Whenever Tynah goes there himself, he takes food with him, such as Fish or Pork, Cocoa Nutts and Breadfruit are all else that is required. Our repast was a Baked Fowl. Teturoah bore N7°W.
In my return I found Iddeeah attending her Dead Child at a distance from her friends, and in a melancholy manner. The Child was laid out under a neat Shed with her hands laid over her breasts as our custom is. A piece of European Scarlet Cloth besides some very neat Country Cloth covered the Body. A Man attended dressed in a clean manner to show the Child to the Friends, and while remarkable silence and but very few people to be seen, gave a Solemn cast to every thing about us, the Scene rendered more affecting by a view of the Servants preparing the Tupapow or Teapapow. On this Stage which is elevated about 6 feet above the ground, fenced round with reeds and neatly ornamented with coloured Cloth, leaves and Flowers, the Body remains untill all that is perishable is gone, the Friends then order the bones to be put into the Earth. But it sometimes is the case, that a particular Friend of the deceased will seize the Scull and present it to his God at the Morai.
It is only with Errees that the Body remains so long on the Tupapow (Teeapapow), with lower orders of the People it is put into the Earth after a short time allotted for the Friends to mourn.
Our Friend Tynah was not at all concerned at the loss of his Child, he would not however return with me to the Ship, for he seemed to consider it but decent to remain with Iddeeah. They told me their mourning would be over in two days, and they would then return to the Ship.
In my last Voyage I have spoken of the Natives embalming their Chiefs. There are particular People whose office it is to effect this purpose, called Meereeteeappapow. They are similar to undertakers, and lay the dead Bodies out in the same manner. When the Chief is to be embalmed, the near Friends are said to know nothing of it — after three, four, or five days that the Body had laid on the Teeapapow, the undertaker comes in the Night and begins his Work. The first thing he does, is to clear the body of its outer skin. This is done easily, from the putrefaction which has taken place, the the help of a Wood scraper. The effect this opperation is, that the body becomes perfectly white with an intire skin as it had before, but the whiteness lasts only for a day or two, during which time the Head is ornamented with Flowers; and the body anointed with Oil exhibited with some pride.
After the Body is thus cleaned by scraping, the bowels are taken out, (by introducing the hand at the Anus,) and buried. The inside is dried by the same means, and a Wash is in the mean time prepared with which it is thoroughly cleaned, and imbibes a considerable quantity. The Mouth and Throat are not less attended to, and the Eyes are carefully washed, and the lids closed. The Wash is made from the leaves of certain plants or Trees which are in the Mountains, known only to the undertaker. They are bruized, and the juice expressed from them without any mixture of Water, preserve the Body in a very firm state.
Tahamydooah they say will not be embalmed.
May 28, 1792 Home Providence Log May 30, 1792