CAPTAIN COOK ’S FIRST VOYAGE. 517

females, teftified their apprehenfions with great agitation of mind, and floods of tears,■when they were coming on board. Captain Cook went on board with them, Mr.Banks remaining on fliore with fome others, whom he thought it of lefs importanceto detain.

One of the marines was brought back in the evening by fome of the Indians, whoreported, that the other, and the two people who were fent to fetch them back,would be detained whilft Tootahah was confined. Mr. Hicks was immediately difpatchedin the long-boat, with feveral men, to refcue the Englifh prifoners; at the fame timeCaptain Cook told Tootahah, that it was incumbent on him to aflift them with fomeof his people, and to give orders, in his name, that the men fhould be fet at liberty,for that he fhould expect him to anfwer for the event. Tootahah immediately complied,and this party recovered the men without any oppofition. About feven in the morning,on the nth, they returned, but without the arms, which had been taken from themwhen they were made prifoners: the arms were however brought on board foon after,and the chiefs were allowed to return on fhore.

At the time the chiefs were fet on fhore from the fhip, thofe at the fort were alforeleafed, and after remaining with Mr. Banks about an hour and a half, they allreturned to their refpe&ive places of refidence. When the deferters were examined,it was difcovered that the account which the Indians had given was no way falfe: theyhad become fond of two girls, and it was their defign to keep themfelves concealed tillthe fhip had fet fail, and continue upon the ifland.

Tupia, whofe name had been often mentioned in this voyage, had been prime minifterof Oberea, when fhe was at the pinnacle of her authority; he was alfo the principalprieft of the ifland, and therefore intimately acquainted with the religion of the country.He was likewife deeply verfed in navigation, and was thoroughly acquainted with thenumber, fituation, inhabitants, and produce of the adjacent iflands. He had oftenteftified a defire to go with them; and on Wednefday the 12th, in the morning, hecame on board, with a boy about twelve years of age, his fervant, named Taiyota,and requefted the gentlemen on board to let him go with them. As it was thought hewould be ufeful to them in many particulars, they unanimoufly agreed to comply withhis requeft. Tupia then went on fhore, for the laft time, to fee his friends, andtook with him feveral baubles to give them, as parting tokens of remembrance.

Thurfday the 13th of July, the fhip was vifited by a multitude of the gentlemen’sfriends, and furrounded by numberlefs canoes, which contained the inferior natives.They weighed anchor about twelve, and the Indians’took leave of the gentlemen onhoard, weeping in a friendly and affecting manner. Tupia fupported himfelf in thisfcene with a becoming fortitude; tears flowed from his eyes, ’tis true, but the effortthat he made to conceal them, did him additional honour. He went with Mr. Banks to the mall-head, where he continued waving his hand to the canoes as long as theyremained vifible.

According to Tupia’s account, the ifland could furnifh above fix thoufand fightingmen, whereby a computation of the number of inhabitants may eafily be made.

The produce of Otaheite is bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, bananas, plantains ; a fruit notunlike an apple, potatoes, yams, cocoas, fugar-cane, and a variety of other fruits andvegetables.

They have no European fruits, garden fluff, or pulfe, nor grain of any fpecies.1 heir tame animals are hogs, dogs, and poultry; there is not a wild animal in theifland, except ducks, pigeons, parroquets, and a few other birds , rats being the only

8 quadruped j