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Bounty Logbook Remarks, Nov. 5, 1788

Remarks in Matavai Bay Wednesday 5th November 1788

Light Breezes with very frequent showers of hard Rain & lightning in the Middle part. Wind ENE and the Thermometer from 78° to 82½°.

Carpenter employed fitting the Cabbin to receive the Plants. On removing the Pots found 16 of them broke in peices. Mr. Nelson with his assistant and other Men employed taking up Plants, and had nine very fine ones in the Pots before Noon. A few Natives trading as usual, but I have sufficient supplies from the Cheifs.

I have now by the sick list three Men ill with a Cholera Morbus, Charles Norman who had hitherto been under the complaint Peripneumonia notha, being the additional on to yesterdays list.

The frequent Rain we have had, induces me to beleive the rainy season is advancing, it is however very favorable to us for the Plants. I have received much pleasure in the collecting the few we have already, the Natives offered thier assistance and perfectly understood the method of taking them up and pruning them, but they said our Potts were too small and represented small tubs to be much fitter for the Purpose. Moannah constantly resides at the Tent but at Noon, when with Tynah, Poeeno and Oreepyah, I generally take him on board to dine with me.

The Barber I have with me, brought with him from Town, a Tete such as the Hair Dressers have in their shops to show the different fashions of dressing hair, and it fortunately was formed with regular good features and well coloured. He also dressed the Hair with much taste and neatness, and fixing it on a Stick he formed a kind of body with Cloth, as soon as this was done I ordered it to be brought out, when there was a general shout of "HuHeine no Pretanee myty". One half of them realy beleived it was an English Lady and asked if it was my wife, and one Woman ran with a basket of Breadfruit and a peice of Cloth and presented as a present; but they were all delighted with it even when they knew it was not real. Tynah and other Cheifs were mad after it, and I was enjoined to bring some English women out when I came again. Some joined noses with it and others kissed it. Tynah said it was "myty de timorodee Huheine no Pretanee," and asked me if he went to see them in England, if I would bring him back — in short all the Mans Ideas about the English women are on that head, and if they were to come they would have the queston put to them before they were twelve hours in the Country. They have nevertheless a high opinion of England.

A shark was seen today about the Ship which is an uncommon circumstance at this place.

Some very fine Sugar Cane was brought off to me by Tynah, each of the peices were 6 Inches round, as I had told him before our sugar was made of it, he was very anxious to discover the means, but I could only explain to him it was made from the juice.

I distributed to day a great many almonds to particular people to plant, and showed them the depth. As I told them it would be a fine Tree they wrapt them carefully up and went away to put them in the ground. Mr. Nelson had several fruit stones given him to plant of various kinds of Fruit. Some Rose seed he also sowed, which if it comes to perfection will please them very much, as they have only one Flower of a fine smell, which they call Teearee. This they wear in their Ears and about their Hair. One of my people had some artificial flowers in his hat which they were very desirous to smell to and begged I would plant some of them, I am therefore in hopes the Rose seed will grow.

The almonds I distributed were a part of a present Mr. Brands Daughters had sent to Omai, from the Cape of Good Hope, I therefore thought it was the best use I could make of them.

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