the same time, that he had made her the present at her
own desire, and that if she found it encumbered her, she should bear
it as a punishment for importuning us with her petitions. She was
disconsolate upon this refusal, and weeping bitterly, applied to us
all to open the padlock; but if we had been willing, we were not able
to comply with her request, for want of the key. She applied to the
chief, and he as well as his wife, son, and daughter, joined in
praying for the release of her ear: They offered cloth, perfume-wood,
and hogs, but all in vain. At last a small key was found to open the
padlock, which put an end to the poor girl's lamentation, and restored
peace and tranquillity among all her friends. Her adventure had,
however, this good effect, that it cured her, and some of her forward
country-women, of this idle habit of begging."--G.F.

SECTION XIV.

_An Account of a Spanish Ship visiting Otaheite; the present State of the
Islands; with some Observations on the Diseases and Customs of the
Inhabitants; and some Mistakes concerning the Women corrected._

I shall now give some farther account of these islands; for, although I
have been pretty minute in relating the daily transactions, some things,
which are rather interesting, have been omitted.

Soon after our arrival at Otaheite, we were informed that a ship about the
size of the Resolution, had been in at Owhaiurua harbour, near the S.E. end
of the island, where she remained about three weeks; and had been gone
about three months before we arrived. We were told that four of the natives
were gone away with her, whose names were Debedebea, Paoodou, Tanadooee,
and Opahiah. At this time, we conjectured this was a French ship, but, on
our arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, we learnt she was a Spaniard, which
had been sent out from America.[1] The Otaheiteans complained of a disease
communicated to them by the people in this ship, which they said affected
the head, throat, and stomach, and at length killed them. They seemed to
dread it much, and were continually enquiring if we had it. This ship they
distinguished by the name of _Pahai no Pep-pe_ (ship of Peppe), and
called the disease _Apa no Pep-pe_, just as they call the venereal
disease _Apa no Pretane_ (English disease), though they, to a man, say
it was brought to the isle by M. de Bougainville; but I have already
observed that they thought M. de Bougai