an attempt to secure them. They said it was their
intention to have returned to the ship; and it is probable that they were
so much harassed by the natives watching for an opportunity to surprise
them that they might wish to have the merit of returning of their own
accord, to avoid the disgrace of being seized and brought back. At the
time they delivered themselves up to me it was not in their power to have
made resistance, their ammunition having been spoiled by the wet.

In consequence of my having been kept all night from the ship by the
tempestuous weather the timekeeper went down at 10 hours 5 minutes 36
seconds. Its rate previous to this was 1 second, 7 losing in 24 hours,
and its error from the mean time at Greenwich was 7 minutes 29 seconds, 2
too slow. I set it going again by a common watch, corrected by
observations, and endeavoured to make the error the same as if it had not
stopped; but being over cautious made me tedious in setting it in motion,
and increased the error from mean time at Greenwich. The rate of going I
did not find to have altered.

At dinner Tinah congratulated me on having recovered my men, but
expressed some concern that they had not been brought by Oreepyah and
Moannah, lest I should imagine they had not done everything in their
power. To this I replied that I was perfectly satisfied of their good
intentions to serve me, and that I considered myself under great
obligations to them for the trouble they had been at on my account. I
learnt afterwards that they had actually seized and bound the deserters
but had been prevailed upon, by fair promises of their returning
peaceably to the ship, to let them loose: the deserters however, finding
an opportunity to get possession of their arms, again set the natives at
defiance.

Friday 30.

This afternoon I punished one of the seamen, Isaac Martin, with nineteen
lashes for striking an Indian. This was a transgression of so serious a
nature and such a direct violation of my orders that I would on no
account be prevailed on to forgive it, though great intercession was made
by some of the chiefs.

Oreepyah and Moannah were not yet returned from Tethuroa. This place is
resorted to by the principal people of this part of Otaheite at
particular seasons when fish are in great plenty there. It was described
to me to be a group of small keys surrounded by a reef: their produce is
chiefly coconuts and plantains. During the season breadfruit and other
pr