On account of the rocks and formidable breakers, the party who went on
shore were landed by the young men, two at a time, in their whale boat.
'The difficulty of landing,' says Captain Beechey, 'was more than repaid
by the friendly reception we met with on the beach from Hannah Young, a
very interesting young woman, the daughter of Adams. In her eagerness to
greet her father, she had outrun her female companions, for whose delay
she thought it necessary, in the first place, to apologize, by saying
they had all been over the hill in company with John Buffet to look at
the ship, and were not yet returned. It appeared that John Buffet, who
was a sea-faring man, had ascertained that the ship was a man of war,
and, without knowing exactly why, became so alarmed for the safety of
Adams, that he either could not or would not answer any of the
interrogatories which were put to him. This mysterious silence set all
the party in tears, as they feared he had discovered something adverse
to their patriarch. At length his obduracy yielded to their entreaties;
but before he explained the cause of his conduct, the boats were seen
to put off from the ship, and Hannah immediately hurried to the beach to
kiss the old man's cheek, which she did with a fervency demonstrative of
the warmest affection. Her apology for her companions was rendered
unnecessary by their appearance on the steep and circuitous path down
the mountain, who, as they arrived on the beach, successively welcomed
us to their island, with a simplicity and sincerity which left no doubt
of the truth of their professions.' The whole group simultaneously
expressed a wish that the visitors would stay with them several days;
and on their signifying a desire to get to the village before dark and
to pitch the observatory, every article and instrument found a bearer,
along a steep path which led to the village, concealed by groups of
cocoa-nut trees; the females bearing their burthens over the most
difficult parts without inconvenience. The village consisted of five
houses, on a cleared piece of ground sloping toward the sea. While the
men assisted in pitching the tent, the women employed themselves in
preparing the supper. The mode of cooking was precisely that of
Otaheite, by heated stones in a hole made in the ground. At young
Christian's, the table was spread with plates, knives and forks. John
Buffet said grace in an emphatic manner, and this is repeated every time
a fresh guest sits down while the meal is going on. So strict are they
in this respect, that it is not deemed proper to touch a bit of bread
without saying grace before and after it. 'On one occasion,' says
Captain Beechey, 'I had engaged Adams in conversation, and he
incautiously took the first mouthful without having said grace; but
before he had swallowed it, he recollected himself, and feeling as if he
had committed a crime, immediately put away what he had in his mouth,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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