24 TINAH AND IDDEAH. 
had begged hard to be allowed to leave the island 
in the Bounty, being sure that King George, 
whom he wished much to see, would be glad to 
see him, and his wife Iddeah. She also was 
much above the common size, and had learnt to 
load and fire a musket with much dexterity. 
Bligh was obliged to decline as politely as he 
could, the honour of conveying this remarkable 
couple to England. On going away, he offered 
a pair of pistols to Tinah, who said, in transfer- 
ring them to other hands, that Iddeah would 
fight with one, and his friend, Oedidee, a chief, 
with the other. Poor Tinah was afraid of being- 
attacked by his enemies, as soon as the Bounty 
should leave Otaheite ; and when he found it 
impossible to prevail on his Tyo myty (good 
friend) Bligh to let him go, he busied himself in 
getting two Parais, or mourning dresses, made 
as a present to King George. When he pre- 
sented the Parais, he could not refrain from 
shedding tears. " At the time," says Bligh, 
" that Tinah mentioned to me his desire of 
visiting England, I asked what account I could 
give to his friends if he should not live to 
return ; to which he replied, that I must cut off 
his hair, and carry it to them, and they would be 
perfectly satisfied." 
On the evening of the day before the depar- 
ture of the Bounty, there was none of the 
dancing nor mirth, to which the people had 
been accustomed, on the beach. Before this, 
the part of the beach nearest the ship had been 
the general place of resort towards the close of 
