nville came from _Pretane_, as
well as every other ship which has touched at the isle.

Were it not for this assertion of the natives, and none of Captain Wallis's
people being affected with the venereal disease, either while they were at
Otaheite, or after they left it, I should have concluded that long before
these islanders were visited by Europeans, this or some disease which is
near akin to it, had existed amongst them. For I have heard them speak of
people dying of a disorder which we interpreted to be the pox before that
period. But, be this as it will, it is now far less common amongst them,
than it was in the year 1769, when I first visited these isles. They say
they can cure it, and so it fully appears, for, notwithstanding most of my
people had made pretty free with the women, very few of them were
afterwards affected with the disorder; and those who were, had it in so
slight a manner, that it is easily removed. But among the natives, whenever
it turns to a pox, they tell us it is incurable. Some of our people pretend
to have seen some of them who had this last disorder in a high degree, but
the surgeon, who made it his business to enquire, could never satisfy
himself in this point. These people are, and were, before Europeans visited
them, very subject to scrophulous diseases, so that a seaman might easily
mistake one disorder for another.[2]

The island of Otaheite, which, in the years 1767 and 1768, as it were,
swarmed with hogs and fowls, was now so ill supplied with these animals,
that hardly any thing could induce the owners to part with them. The few
they had at this time, among them, seemed to be at the disposal of the
kings. For while we lay at Oaitipiha Bay, in the kingdom of Tiarrabou, or
lesser peninsula, every hog or fowl we saw we were told belonged to
Waheatoua; and all we saw in the kingdom of Opoureonu, or the greater
peninsula, belonged to Otoo. During the seventeen days we were at this
island, we got but twenty-four hogs, the half of which came from the two
kings themselves; and, I believe, the other half were sold us by their
permission or order. We were, however, abundantly supplied with all the
fruits the island produces, except bread-fruit, which was not in season
either at this or the other isles. Cocoa-nuts and plantains were what we
got the most of; the latter, together with a few yams and other roots, were
to us a succedaneum for bread. At Otaheite we got great plenty of apples,
and