Apr. 5, 1789
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Logbook Remarks GM
Apr. 7, 1789
Revised May 21 2021
1:00 pm Fresh Gales and
Squally Weather.
At 12 Minutes past Noon the North part of Huheine
E½N.
At ½ past Noon
wore Ship and
brought to. The North part of Owharre Harbour SEBS¼E 2 Miles.
3:00 pm At 3 O'Clock Several Cannoes began to come off to us, and brought Cocoa Nutts, Yams & one Large Hog.
6:00 pm Made Sail and Hove to occasionally. At 6 Bore away under Single Reefs. Owharre Harbour 3¾N 6 or 7 Miles and the SE part of Uleitea SWBW¼W.
9:00 pm I consider Owharre Harbour to lie in 16°41′S & 208°54′E agreeable to my Observation and run from Otaheite.
10:00 pm At 10 Uleitea NW.
5:00 am Cloudy Weather.
6:00 am Out Reefs Main Topsail.
9:00 am Some Rain. Cut off 10 fathoms Best Bower Cable for Junk. Cleaned below and Served Cocoa Nutts, Bread fruit & Fresh Pork to all hands.
12:00 pm Moderate and Cloudy. Under Single Fore & Mizen Topsails and Whole Main Topsail and Top Gallant Sail.
Remarks: Herveys Isles S73°W 124 leagues.
As I had no intention of Anchoring at Huheine, I brought to off the North part of Owharre Harbour with 2 miles of the Reef and hoisted a Red Ensign which all the Islanders know perfectly well to be English. We could see every part of the Harbour very distinctly, and my attention was drawn particularly to where Omais House stood, no part of which remained. It was not untill 3 oClock that any Cannoes began to come off, for they at first supposed I was coming in, and I therefore imagined I should be disappointed in seeing any one, unless I remained untill the morning, which neither convenience or inclination led me to do. The first Cannoe came off had three men in it with a few Cocoa nutts, and on my enquiries who was the Cheif or Erreerahigh, one of the fellows with the utmost gravity told me he was and that he had come off to tell me to bring the Ship into the Harbour. I could not help laughing at the Mans impudence, I however gave him a few Nails for his Nutts and he left us. A large Double Cannoe with 10 men, immediatly after came on board. Among these was a handsome young Man, who the moment he saw me called me by name. This happened to be a fortunate circumstance, as it led particularly to the information I wanted, this being the very person who lived with Omai, and who we left with him, and of course could not fail of remembering me. The Weather being Squally and not able to keep the ship in with the land made the people anxious to be leaving us, this persons information was on that account very short but very clear. He said Omai died about 30 months after we left him, that Tevarooah and Coah died before Omai, and all of them of a natural death. That no animal remaind except the Mare. Omai had a monkey with him which created great mirth among the Natives, they called it Oroo Tata or Hairy Man. This animal he described, as did the people of Otaheite, to have fallen from a Cocoa nutt Tree and was killed. The House he said was torn to peices and Stolen, and Omais fire Arms were at Ulietea. The Seeds and Plants that were sown had been a long time destroyed, he however described One Tree remaining but of what kind I could not find out.
He told me, he and Omai often rode together, and described that Omai always rode in Boots, so that it is evident he did not immediatly after our leaving him, lay aside the Englishman. Perhaps as convincing a proof as any that Omai rode often, is that several people have the representation of a Man on Horseback Tattowed on their Legs. This young Man prest me much to let him go to England, and asked particularly if no People from Huheine were ever to be permitted. I made him a present of a few articles, when he delivered a message to me from Tenanneeah the Erreerahigh, that I would bring the ship into the Harbour and he would give me many Hogs, yams, &c &c and was very anxious to see me, but as I could not comply with his request, I desired he might be told I sailed for England in the Evening without touching at Ulietea, about which they appeared a little jealous. Several other Cannoes came off to us untill we made Sail, in one of them came a Cheif called Oomeeow, who brought me a fine Hog and some fine yams, for which I gave him a Hatchet, Knife, two Fish hooks and a Looking Glass besides some Nails. This Cheif was also particularly Solicitous for me to go into the Harbour and confirmed the Accounts I had got before from Omais Man. Several of the Cannoes brought of[f] yams, so that in the whole I got about 150 pounds. No Breadfrit was brought off and but few Cocoa nutts or Plantains, it is therefore highly probable that Omai has brought them to Cultivate yams as being the most valuable traffic with Europeans.
Among the People that were now about us there was one who cheated one of our men very cleverly. I had brought from Otaheite a great many Vees as food for the ships Company. Of these Apples one of the Natives filled a basket and offering it to one of our men, who thought them better than those lying about the Decks, gave a nail for it.
In making a few Boards endeavouring to keep in with the land, we discovered a Poor Man who had been thrown or overset from some of the Cannoes swimming for the shore, where I think he never could have reached. We Picked him up, & luckily another Cannoe came by which I was able to send him on shore. These People said the man was insane, but I could not learn how he came in the water unless he had been designedly thrown into it as I thought they intimated.
The Island of Huheine is Hilly and very uneven, with several curious projecting Rocks about the summits of some of the Hills. It is surrounded by flat Land which abounds with Cocoa Nutts and Breadfruit, and is also cultivated on the rising grounds.
The Beach along the North side is as white as Snow which is directly contrary to what it is at Otaheite. When the Island bears SWBW it will appear like two Islands, but it is there joined by a low Isthmus. The North end of the Island lies in Latitude 16°40′So and Longitude 208°54′E and N58W 94 miles from Toahroah Harbour. Owharre Harbour lies about 2 miles to the Southward of the North point of the Island and has two entrances both intricate from the Wind blowing mostly out. You have therefore no alternative but to luff in as far as you can and come too and warp into safety. This Harbour lies under the North High Land of the Island.
Apr. 5, 1789
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Apr. 7, 1789