1788.  November.  Monday 3.

The trade for provisions I directed to be carried on at the tent by Mr. Peckover the gunner.  Moannah likewise resided there as a guard over his countrymen; but though it appeared to be the wish of all the chiefs that we should remain unmolested it was not possible entirely to prevent them from pilfering.

My table at dinner was generally crowded.  Tinah, Oreepyah, Poeeno, and Moannah, were my regular guests and I was seldom without some chiefs from other districts.  Almost every individual of any consequence has several names which makes it frequently perplexing when the same person is spoken of to know who is meant.  Every chief has perhaps a dozen or more names in the course of thirty years; so that the person who has been spoken of by one visitor will not perhaps be known to another unless other circumstances lead to a discovery.  The father of Tinah, at this time called Otow, was known in 1769 by the name of Whappai.

I showed Tinah the preparations I was making to take on board the breadfruit plants which pleased him exceedingly, but he did not forget to remind me that when the next ship came out he hoped King George would send him large axes, files, saws, cloth of all kinds, hats, chairs, and bedsteads, with arms, ammunition, and in short everything he could think of mentioning.

This afternoon the gudgeon of the rudder belonging to the large cutter was drawn out and stolen without being perceived by the man that was stationed to take care of her.  Several petty thefts having been committed by the natives, mostly owing to the negligence of our own people and, as these kind of accidents generally created alarm and had a tendency to interrupt the good terms on which we were with the chiefs, I thought it would have a good effect to punish the boat-keeper in their presence, many of them happening to be then on board; and accordingly I ordered him a dozen lashes.  Tinah with several of the chiefs attended the punishment and interceded very earnestly to get it mitigated:  the women showed great sympathy and that degree of feeling which characterises the amiable part of their sex.

The natives brought off today two different kinds of roots that grow like yams:  one they call Ettee, which is a sweet root, common also to the Friendly Islands, and may be eaten as a sweetmeat:  the other they call Appay, a root like the Tyah or Eddie in the West Indies.  A fruit called Ayyah, which is the jambo of Batavia, was likewise brought off to us:  they are as large as middle-sized apples, very juicy and refreshing, and may be eaten in large quantities.  Also some Avees, which are the real Otaheite apple; but they were not yet in season.  These are a delicious high-flavoured fruit and before they are ripe answer the culinary purposes of our apples.

Tuesday 4.