PACIFIC AND BEEUING'S STRAIT. 273 



pated a better bargain, would accommodate his price 

 to his preconceived opinion of the disposition of the 

 purchaser. We were not more conveniently circum- 1826.' 

 stanced in regard to the clothing which we could 

 offer in exchange, as we had a long voyage before 

 us, and little to spare without subjecting ourselves to 

 future inconvenience. We, consequently, found 

 ourselves at first surrounded with plenty, without 

 the means of purchase, or obliged to part in payment 

 with what we could very ill spare : and we incurred 

 the additional risk of being charged with parsimony, 

 which the good people of Otaheite are very apt to 

 attach to those who may not meet their ideas of 

 generosity. " Taata paree," or stingy people, is an 

 epithet which they always affix to such persons, with 

 a feeling of contempt, although they are themselves 

 equally open to the charge, never offering a present 

 without expecting a much larger one in return. It 

 is very desirable to secure a favourable impression by 

 liberality on your first arrival at this island ; it being: 

 a constant custom with the natives to mark those 

 who have any peculiarity of person or manner by a 

 nickname, by which alone the person will be known 

 as long as any recollection of his visit may remain. 

 Among the many instances which occurred of this, 

 was one of a brother officer, who, when we quitted 

 England, begged to be remembered to his old ac- 

 quaintances in Otaheite ; but we found they had lost 

 all memory of his name, and we at last only brought 

 him to their recollection by describing his person, 

 and mentioning that he had lost an eye by a wound 

 received in service ; on which they at once exclaimed 

 " Tapane Matapo !" or " Captain Blind-eye." We 

 were the more anxious to avoid acquiring a distinc- 



VOL. I. T 



