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Revised Jun 9 2021

Bounty Logbook Remarks, Feb. 28, 1789

Remarks in Toahroah Harbour Saturday 28th February 1789

First part Moderate and dark Cloudy Weather the middle and latter Calms and almost constant Rain. Wind at ENE. Thermometer 79° to 81¼°.

Employed as the weather would permit, it however prevented me from washing Ship with Hot Water to destroy Vermin. Sick list 4 Venereals and one man ill with an inflamed arm. Supplies as usual.

Tynah with his Father Otow and a Ulietea Cheif called Tootaah dined with me to day. Tootaah is generally with Tynah he is a Priest and considered to have great knowlege. To get a certain knowledge of their division of time has given me much trouble, for altho many pretend to know it, yet I have found them so contradictory in their Accounts as convinced me they were not acquainted with the particulars of it. Tynah assured me only a few old People could give me any information and that he knew it but very imperfectly himself, he however has always referred me to Tootaah or his uncle Mowworroah and from those people who were exceedingly clear and distinct I got the following information.

Both the Otaheite Month and Ulietea consist of 30 days but the year in Otaheite is considered only 12 months whereas the Ulietea year consists of 13 months.

Mowworroah and Tootaah agree exactly in the Otaheite Divisions, but concerning Ulietea I had only Tootaah's account, Mowworroah having been some time at Tetturoah, and I had no Idea there could be any difference to induce me to ask him about it.


Otaheite Names of    Ulietea
the Months           Names
                     Tawa
Temma                Weereeareearee      September        Showers
Tearee               Weereeamah          October          Changeable with Showers
Tettahigh            Tearee              November
Worraihoo            Tettaigh            December         Much Wind & Rain 
Waahhow or Wahow     Worraihoo           January          and Fish
Peepeeree            Wahahoo             February
Ahoonoonee           Peepeeree           March            Bad Weather going off
Appaappa             Ahoonoonu           April            Variable Weather 
Parromoah or Parrow  Parrowmoah          May              Hot weather 
Parroromure          Parromure           June             Ditto
Mooreeyaah           Mooreeyaah          July             Ditto
Euaheeya             Eeaheeya            August           Ditto with Showers

Mowworroah began the Otaheite year with Appaappa but Tootaah with Temma, The one is when the sun crosses the line at the Autumnal Equinox and the other is at the Spring. This therefore led to no fixed time of their beginning the year, or could I find out any unless the different Islands begin it as I have Stated it.

One might imagine from seeing the same Name to different Months (as for Example an Otaheite Man says Peepeeree is January, a Ulietea person that Peepeeree is March) that there was some mistake in the account but it is not so, the fallibility of tradition has perhaps made these differences. It is however of no consequence to the present people it being perfectly understood.

They have however criterions to judge of the particular times of the year by the different kinds of Breadfruit coming in Season, and according to Tootaah they have it divided under six General heads governed by the Name of that Fruit which is then fit for eating as for Example.


Oorooaowne    To the Month of September or Weereeareearee 
  Ditto                    of October   or Weereeamah 
Tappeppee                  of November  or Tearee 
  Ditto                    of December  or Tettaigh
Aieeotah                   of January   or Worraihoo
  Ditto                    of February  or Wahahoo
                                           Tawa 
Evynooah                   of March     or Peepeeree 
  Ditto                    of April     or Ahoonoonu 
Teeerreerah                of May       or Parroromoah 
  Ditto                    of June      or Parroromuree 
Mowrowwe                   of July      or Mooreeyaah 
  Ditto                    of August    or Eeaheeya 

Now in this division Tootaah placed Tawa between February and March which was interval he said where no Breadfruit were to be had, that as they were never used by them for the Trees were never bare all the year round: but just at this time they were not in such perfection.

The Month Tawa therefore appears to me to be used to make up some deficiency in time which the Ulieteans observe in the 12 Lunar months, that is not taken notice of by the Otaheiteans, for taking Mowworroahs account of the beginning of the year the Months will be as follows.


Otaheite Year                             Ulitea Year 
_____________                             ___________
Appaappa answers to our March             Peepeeree
Parroromoah             April             Ahoonoonu
Parroromuree            May               Parroromoah 
Mooreeyaah              June              Parroromuree 
Euaheeya                July              Mooreeyaah 
Temma                   August            Eeaheeya
Tearee                  September         Weereeareearee 
Tettahigh               October           Weereeamah 
Warraihoo               November          Tearee 
Waahhow                 December          Tettaigh 
Peepeeree               January           Worraihoo 
Ahoonoonu               February          Wahahoo 
                                          Tawa

From the foregoing accounts it is certain they have a regular account of time and to every day of the Month they have a particular Name, but notwithstanding I do not yet find any one who can give an exact account of time past, such as how many months it is since Captain Wallis or Cook was here.

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