1774. ROUND THE WORLD. 3^7 



some materials for a large drawing or picture of the 

 the fleet assembled at Oparree, which will convey a 

 far better idea of it than can be expressed by words. 

 Being present when the warriors undressed, I was 

 surprised at the quantity and weight of cloth they 

 had upon them, not conceiving how it was possible 

 for them to stand under it in time of battle. Not a 

 little was wrapped round their heads as a turban, and 

 made into a cap. This indeed might be necessary in 

 preventing a broken head. Many had fixed to one 

 of this sort of caps, dried branches of small shrubs 

 covered over with white feathers ; which, however, 

 could only be for ornament. 



I had a very great supply of provisions, sent and 

 brought by different chiefs on the 1st of May ; and the 

 next day received a present from Towha, sent by his 

 servants, consisting of a hog, and a boat load of 

 various sorts of fruit and roots. The like present I 

 also had from Otoo, brought by Tarevatoo, who 

 stayed dinner ; after which I went down to Oparree, 

 paid a visit to Otoo, and returned on board in the 

 evening. 



On the 3d, in looking into the condition of our 

 sea provisions, we found that the biscuit was in a 

 state of decay, and that the airing and picking we 

 had given it at New Zealand, had not been of that 

 service we expected and intended ; so that we were 

 obliged to take it, all on shore here, where it under- 

 went another airing and cleaning, in which a good 

 deal was found wholly rotten and unfit to be eaten. 

 We could not well account for this decay in our 

 bread, especially as it was packed in good casks, and 

 stowed in a dry part of the hold. We judged it was 

 owing to the ice we so frequently took in when to 

 the southward, which made the hold damp and cold, 

 and to the great heat which succeeded when to 

 the north. Be it this, or any other cause, the loss 

 was equal to us : it put us to scanty allowance of this 

 article \ and we had bad bread to eat too. 



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