JUNE 1769 EARLIER VISIT OF EUROPEANS 97 



bay called Hiclea, some leagues to the eastward of Matavie, 

 where our ship now lies ; that during their stay they sent 

 tents ashore, and some slept in them ; that they were chiefly 

 connected with a chief whose name was Orette, and whose 

 younger brother they carried away with them, promising to 

 return in nine months ; that they had on board their ships 

 a woman ; and that on their departure they stood to the 

 westward as long as they were seen from the island. I 

 was very particular in these inquiries, as the knowledge got 

 by them may be of some consequence. The methods by 

 which I gained this account would be much too tedious to 

 mention. One of my greatest difficulties was to determine 

 the nationality of the ships : for this purpose I pointed to 

 our colours and asked whether the two ships had the same 

 or not. " No," was the answer, when the question was 

 thoroughly understood. I then opened a large sheet of 

 flags, and asked which of them they had. Tubourai looked 

 steadfastly over them, and at last pitched upon the Spanish 

 ensign, and to that he adhered, although we tried him over 

 and over again. 1 



9th. Yesterday and to-day the Heiva no Metua, or chief 

 mourner, walked. My curiosity was raised by his most 

 singular dress, and being desirous of knowing what he did 

 during his walk, I asked Tubourai, at the same time desiring 

 leave to attend him to-morrow, which was readily granted 

 upon my consenting to act a character. 



Bread-fruit has for some time been scarce with us ; 

 about ten days ago, when there had been a great show of 

 fruit, the trees were thinned all at once, and every one was 

 employed in making mahie for about a week. Where the 

 bread-fruit we now have comes from we cannot tell, but we 

 have more than the woods around us can supply us with ; 

 probably our consumption has thinned the trees in this 

 neighbourhood, as the Dolphin, which came here about this 

 time, found great plenty during the whole of her stay. If 

 this is the case, what we now get may be brought from 



1 As will appear later (see p. 370), the ships were French, under 

 Bougainville. 



H 



