A voyage to the South Sea : $b Undertaken by command of His Majesty for the purpose of conveying the bread-fruit tree to the West Indies in His Majesty's ship the Bounty commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh; including an account of the mutiny on board the said ship and the subsequent voyage of part of the crew in the ship's boat from Tofoa, one of the Friendly Islands, to Timor, a Dutch settlement in the East IndiesBligh, William
History
A voyage to the South Sea : $b Undertaken by command of His Majesty for the purpose of conveying the bread-fruit tree to the West Indies in His Majesty's ship the Bounty commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh; including an account of the mutiny on board the said ship and the subsequent voyage of part of the crew in the ship's boat from Tofoa, one of the Friendly Islands, to Timor, a Dutch settlement in the East Indies
Bligh, William
Bounty (Ship); Bounty Mutiny, 1789; Oceania -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Voyages and travels
Our collection of breadfruit plants at the tents continued increasing.
This morning I sent twelve on board, in pots, to discover where they
would thrive the best, the air being more temperate on board the ship
than on shore. While I was absent from the ship Teppahoo had been on
board and left a hog as a present for me.
After dinner today Tinah, who was my constant visitor, left the table
sooner than usual. When he was gone Oreepyah, his brother, and Oedidde,
told me a piece of scandal, which had been before hinted to me but which
till now I had not heard of with certainty: this was that Iddeah, Tinah's
wife, kept a gallant, who was a towtow, or servant, and the very person
who always fed Tinah at dinner: and this was so far from being without
Tinah's knowledge or consent that they said it was by his desire. They
added many other circumstances and, as I appeared to doubt, they took
several opportunities in the course of the day of mentioning it to other
people, who all declared it was true.
Tuesday 18.
This afternoon I saw Teppahoo and invited him on board: before we parted
I bargained with him for the heifer which he promised to bring in five
days. My intention was that if I got the heifer I would endeavour to
purchase the bull at Itteah: but if that could not be done then I could
send the heifer as a present to the possessor of the bull, which might
equally well answer my purpose.
It has been mentioned that Tinah had a place in my cabin to keep those
things which I gave him as being more secure on board than on shore. I
had remarked lately that his hoard seemed to diminish the more I
endeavoured to increase it: at length I discovered that Iddeah kept
another hoard in the master's cabin, which she regularly enriched from
her husband's whenever I made him a present, apprehending that I should
cease giving when I saw Tinah's locker full. At his request I set the
carpenters to work to make him a chest large enough for himself and wife
to sleep on. Captain Cook had formerly given him such a chest but it had
been taken from him by the Eimeo people.
Friday 21.
This forenoon I received a message from Teppahoo to acquaint me the
heifer was brought to Matavai. I immediately went on shore and found that
he had been as good as his word. The purchase money was paid, which
consisted of a shirt, a hatchet, a spike nail, a knife, a pair of
scissors, a gimlet, and file; to which was added a small quantity of
loaf-sugar. Teppahoo appeared well pleased with his bargain; and I sent
the heifer to Poeeno's residence near which was plenty of grass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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