Tuesday 9. This afternoon, in hauling the launch on shore to be repaired, many of the natives assisting, one of them, a fine boy about ten years old, was thrown down and a roller which was placed under the boat went over him. The surgeon being ill I sent off for his assistant. Fortunately no limb was broken nor did he receive any material injury. The surgeon had been a long time ill, the effect of intemperance and indolence. He had latterly scarce ever stirred out of his cabin but was not apprehended to be in a dangerous state; nevertheless this evening he appeared to be so much worse than usual that it was thought necessary to remove him to some place where he could have more air; but to no effect for he died in an hour afterwards. This unfortunate man drank very hard and was so averse to exercise that he never would be prevailed on to take half a dozen turns upon deck at a time in the course of the voyage. Wednesday 10. As I wished to bury the surgeon on shore I mentioned it to Tinah, who said there would be no objection but that it would be necessary to ask his father's consent first; which he undertook to do and immediately left me for that purpose. By this circumstance it appears that, though the eldest son of an Earee succeeds to the title and honours of the father as soon as he is born, yet a considerable portion of authority remains with the father even after the son is of age. When Tinah returned I went with him to the spot intended for the burial place, taking with us two men to dig the grave; but on our arrival I found the natives had already begun it. Tinah asked me if they were doing right? "There," says he, "the sun rises and there it sets." The idea that the grave should be east and west I imagine they learnt from the Spaniards, as the captain of one of their ships was buried at Oeitepeha in 1774. Certain it is they had not the information from anybody belonging to our ship; for I believe we should not have thought of it. The grave however was marked out very exactly. At four in the afternoon the body was interred: the chiefs and many of the natives came to see the ceremony and showed great attention during the service. Some of the chiefs were very inquisitive about what was to be done with the surgeon's cabin on account of apparitions. They said when a man died in Otaheite and was carried to the Tupapow that as soon as night came he was surrounded by spirits, and if any person went there by himself they would devour him: therefore they said that not less than two people together should go into the surgeon's cabin for some time. I did not endeavour to dissuade them from this belief otherwise than by laughing and letting them know that we had no such apprehensions. In the afternoon the effects of the deceased were disposed of and I appointed Mr. Thomas Denman Ledward the surgeon's mate to do duty as surgeon. Friday 12.