Sunday 2.

At daylight I sent Mr. Christian with a party to erect our tent and soon after followed myself with Tinah, Moannah, and Poeeno.  With their consent I fixed a boundary, within which the natives were not to enter without leave and the chiefs cautioned them against it.

The principal use of the tents on shore was for a lodgment for the plants; and I had now, instead of appearing to receive a favour, brought the chiefs to believe that I was doing them a kindness in carrying the plants as a present from them to the Earee Rahie no Britanee.  The party at the tent consisted of nine persons, including Nelson and his assistant.

Tinah dined with me on board and was today my only visitor:  nevertheless the ceremony of being fed he so scrupulously observed that, even after all the attendants were sent away and we were left by ourselves, I was obliged to lift the wine to his mouth.  The wives of the Earees are sometimes subject to this restriction after the birth of a child but are released after a certain time on performing a ceremony called Oammo.

After dinner Tinah invited me to accompany him with a present of provisions to a party of the Arreoys, a society described in the accounts of the former voyages:  in this ceremony he made me the principal person.  Our way to the place where the offering was to be made was by the side of a river along the banks of which I had always walked before this time; but on the present occasion a canoe was provided for me and dragged by eight men.  On arriving at the landing-place I saw a large quantity of breadfruit with some hogs ready dressed and a quantity of cloth.  At about forty yards distant sat a man who, I was informed, was a principal Arreoy.  A lane being made by the crowd he was addressed by one of Tinah’s people, standing on the canoe, in a speech composed of short sentences which lasted about a quarter of an hour.  During this a piece of cloth was produced, one end of which I was desired to hold, and five men, one with a sucking pig and the others having each a basket of breadfruit, prepared to follow me.  In this order we advanced to the Arreoy and laid the whole down before him.  I then spoke several sentences dictated to me by Tinah, the meaning of which I did not understand and, my pronunciation not being very exact, caused a great deal of mirth.  This speech being finished I was shown another Arreoy, who had come from Ulietea, and to him likewise I was required to deliver an oration.  Tinah understanding from me that I had children in my own country he desired me to make one more offering on their account.  There still remained three baskets of breadfruit, a small pig, and another piece of cloth:  with these, assisted as before, I made the offering in favour of my children to the man whom I had first addressed.  He made no reply to all my fine speeches but sat with great gravity and received everything as a matter of right and not of courtesy.