Jun 5, 1792 Home Providence Log Jun 7, 1792
Revised Aug 26 2021
Moderate Sea Breezes at East. Land Winds at SSE, fine Weather. Thermometer from 73 to 80 Degrees.
Employed at the Forge, Mending Sails, repairing the large Cutter, making Railings for the Sky lights, Washing Ship and Airing with Fires.
As Tynah engaged to go down to Tetta,ah to get some Plantains & other provisions for the Ship, I sent him away in the Boat by day dawn with sufficient presents to have purchased a large quantity, but he was not suffessfull, for he returned about 3 OClock in the Afternoon with only a few Plantains and Cocoa Nutts. I never saw a regular Plantain Walk in Otaheite, a few Trees are stuck in about their Houses, and others are dispersed arround the Hills in the same manner. This is all the trouble taken with them, or with any thing else that requires regular planting, cleaning and keeping their Grounds neat and free from Weeds is beneath the care of an Otaheitean. They have as little neatness about their Dwellings. An Otaheite Villiage, if their mixt Dwellings may be so called, is the dirtyest place imaginable, every thing is thrown before and around the House, even if they fix their Sheds upon the Sea side they will not take the trouble to throw the filth into the Sea, if they have ten Yards to carry it. Yet no People in the World are cleaner in their Persons. So much sloth and indolence may be attributed to the vast support that all bountifull nature has given to them in the use of the most valuable of Fruits of the Earth, the Bread Fruit and Cocoa Nutt.
I asked Iddeeah to day if her Name was to be changed on account of her late Child dying, she said no as the name was given to the Child's Aunt, Wattowaw, who in my last Voyage was called Towry. It is very extraordinary the shifting of Names in this Country. Upon the permition of the Erreerahigh a Chief may take any Name he likes, and if it happens to be the name of any particular Article, of day, night, or any other know thing, another is thought of for it to be called by. Example — P,morre, (the Name of Tynah & Iddeeah,) is from Po, night, and morre the Name of the disease the Child died of. To make up for the loss of Po, in the language, Ooarroo,ee is substituted.
Oreepyah has fancifully taken the name of Abobo. In the language it means To morrow, but it is very odd, that in supplying the want of this Word they have substituted ahnonnahigh, which before and does now mean Yesterday.
Since my last Voyage, Heivah, the common name for all their Dances, has been taken by Terrederrie (Chief of Papparah and Son of Oamo. This was his first name next Tomarow & now Heivah or Heivah,row), and it is now known by the term Oopeowpah.
Tynah also took the name of Mattee, which signifies to kill, and Po,ee was ordered to be used instead of it, which was strictly attended to. I remember Iddeeah scolding at the People when they inadvertently made use of the word Mattee.
I should imagine this mode of changing names must be attended with many disadvantages to the language. The alteration in the course of a Century must be very great. It makes it difficult to be understood.
Jun 5, 1792 Home Providence Log Jun 7, 1792