Jul 17, 1792 Home Tobin's Log Jul 19, 1792
Revised Sep 8, 2021
Wednesday 18Light breezes and fair weather – hove up the small bower and warped farther to the Westward brought up with the small Bower in 12½ fathoms water, veered away ⅓ Cable handed sails run out a kedge to the Southward – End of the Reef N30°W Point Venus N22°..30′ East The river S80° East – Tarra Head from S11°W to S27°W East Horn S22°..30′E West Horn S16°E – The high mountain west of the Horns S8°..30′E The Westermost land of Oparre S61°W The North part of Oparre Reef S66°W extremes of the Island Morea from S64°W to S89°W high peak mountain S77°W – 2d peak S80°W AM received water per Small Cutter – stowed the Sheet Anchor – weighed the Kedge and loosed the Topsails – Served fresh pork &c
A Single sailing Canoe of the Island of Otahytey – GT
[Folios 72-80 were left blank and were not copied by
the Public Records Office.]
Island of Whytootackay, which we made 24th July
We were off the Island near a whole day – In the course of it we were accosted by three Canoes containing in all about a dozen persons, and saw numbers more, within the Reef that contained above that number singly – The natives were rather cautious in the first canoe of meeting us, but were soon satisfied that our intentions were friendly – Nails & Toeys were received with great satisfaction by them for which they exchanged their only ornament, a Pearl oyster Shell hung to a collar of [?] [hair?] plaited and worn about the neck – Besides this article they disposed of some spears, the end part jagged and formed of a hard dark coloured wood – These spears I am inclined to think are only used as an implement for fishing – There was in one of the Canoes besides these spears, a club not unlike, tho shorter, some we procured at Otahytey that were brought from Tubouay [Tubuai] an Island to the Southward – The People were of the common size or rather above it – One Man was remarkably robust and strongly formed – In color they are the same as the Otahyteans, The hair in most of them black, and worn differently, some cropped short round the head and in others flowing over the Shoulders – All of them were Tatowed particularly about the arms and legs, but the custom so prevalent at the Society Islands of [particularizing?] the Breast as a field for operating on does not exist at this Island – There was one among our visitors whose whole Body was marked with old scars which from their appearance did not seem accidents [?] The custom of raising wounds on the flesh is well known to prevail on the Eastern Coast of New Holland, probably it may exist at Whytootackay – certain it is, that the mans wounds struck several of us as having been intentionally raised – Another of them had his face daubed with red Pigment – Their dress consisted of a Piece of cloth fastened round the waist and brought between the thighs, but one of them had a cloth over his Shoulders hanging down below the waist, through which his head passed exactly in the Otahytean Manner – others wore [?] of some kind of matting fastened about the Ankles – None of their beards were long [?] very indifferent & the whole of them were well supplied with Vermin & [?] – All their Ears were perforated with two holes – Their Language was but little understood by our two Otahyteans tho' there was an affinity in some of their words
As we drifted from the Shore They were anxious to get away, and on our wearing, the three Canoes put off Leaving
two of their countrymen on board, nor could all our halloo's and waving bring them back again, so that we were
under the necessity of making them take to the water. We were at this Time over three miles from the shore –
One of them swam lustily & gained his Canoe, but the other was nearly [?] when the Assistant picked him up
and put him on board a Canoe nearer in shore
[Folios 82-86 were left blank and were not copied by
the Public Records Office.]
Jul 17, 1792 Home Tobin's Log Jul 19, 1792