d as soon as we landed, she
presented me with a hog, and several bunches of plantains, which she
caused to be carried from her canoes up to the fort in a kind of
procession, of which she and myself brought up the rear. In our way to
the fort we met Tootahah, who, though not king, appeared to be at this
time invested with the sovereign authority; he seemed not to be well
pleased with the distinction that was shewed to the lady, and became so
jealous when she produced her doll, that to propitiate him it was
thought proper to compliment him with another. At this time he thought
fit to prefer a doll to a hatchet; but this preference arose only from a
childish jealousy, which could not be soothed but by a gift of exactly
the same kind with that which had been presented to Oberea; for dolls in
a very short time were universally considered as trifles of no value.

The men who had visited us from time to time had, without scruple, eaten
of our provisions; but the women had never yet been prevailed upon to
taste a morsel. To-day, however, though they refused the most pressing
solicitations to dine with the gentlemen, they afterwards retired to the
servants' apartment, and eat of plantains very heartily; a mystery of
female oeconomy here, which none of us could explain.

On the 29th, not very early in the forenoon, Mr Banks went to pay his
court to Oberea, and was told that she was still asleep under the awning
of her canoe: Thither therefore he went, intending to call her up, a
liberty which he thought he might take, without any danger of giving
offence: But, upon looking into her chamber, to his great astonishment,
he found her in bed with a handsome young fellow about five-and-twenty,
whose name was OBADEE: He retreated with some haste and confusion, but
was soon made to understand, that such amours gave no occasion to
scandal, and that Obadee was universally known to have been selected by
her as the object of her private favours. The lady being too polite to
suffer Mr Banks to wait long in her anti-chamber, dressed herself with
more than usual expedition, and, as a token of special grace, clothed
him in a suit of fine cloth and proceeded with him to the tents. In the
evening Mr Banks paid a visit to Tubourai Tamaide, as he had often done
before, by candle light, and was equally grieved and surprised to find
him and his family in a melancholy mood, and most of them in tears: He
endeavoured in vain to discover the cause, and th