TAHITI 59 



of their own country, were delivered into Cook's 

 hands. 



July 13th had been fixed as the day of de- 

 parture. At dawn a crowd of Tahitians boarded 

 the Endeavour. One of them, Tupia, who had 

 been Obeara's Prime Minister, and was now 

 high priest of the island, begged Cook to take 

 him and a young servant of thirteen with him. 

 As Tupia had proved himself a faithful friend 

 to Captain Wallis and of the party belonging 

 to the Endeavour, Cook agreed, all the more 

 willingly since the former Minister knew all the 

 surrounding islands, and would be very val- 

 uable as a pilot and interpreter among the 

 neighbouring tribes. 



At eleven o'clock in the morning the anchor 

 was weighed, and as soon as the vessel was 

 under sail the Tahitians bade farewell to the 

 English. They were depressed and wept si- 

 lently. For their part, the Englishmen watched, 

 with a tightening of the heartstrings, the disap- 

 pearance below the horizon of this marvellous 

 island, a bouquet of luxuriant verdure expand- 

 ing like a smile upon the blue waters of the 

 Pacific. 



