- "The
Question, Which Has Been Agitated Between The French And English
Navigators, Concerning The First Introduction Of This Evil To
Otaheite, Might Be Decided Very Favourably For Them Both, By Supposing
The Disease To Have Existed There Previous To Their Arrival.
The
argument, that some of Captain Wallis's people received the infection,
does not seem to controvert this supposition, but
Only proves, that
the women, who prostrated themselves to his men, were free from it;
which was, perhaps, owing to a precaution of the natives, who might be
apprehensive of exposing themselves to the anger of the strangers, by
conferring such a desperate gift upon them. M. de Bougainville, with
the politeness of a well-bred man, doubts whether the disease existed
at Otaheite previous to his arrival or not; the English seaman asserts
his opinion as facts in positive terms. We heard, however, of another
disease of a different nature, whilst we stayed upon the island; and
which they called o-pay-no-Peppe, (the sore of Peppe), adding that
it was brought by the ship which they designed by that name, and
which, according to different accounts, had either been two, three, or
four months before us at Otaheite. By the account of the symptoms, it
seemed to be a kind of leprosy. Nothing is more easy than to imagine,
how the strangers (Spaniards) who visited Otaheite in that ship, might
be erroneously charged with introducing that disease. In order to give
rise to a general error of this sort, it is sufficient that it broke
out nearly about the time of their arrival, and that some distant
connections between them and the persons affected could be traced.
This is the more probable, as it is certain, that there are several
sorts of leprous complaints existing among the inhabitants, such as
the elephantiasis, which resembles the yaws; also an eruption over the
whole skin, and, lastly, a monstrous rotting ulcer, of a most
loathsome appearance. However, all these very seldom occur, and
especially the last; for the excellence of their climate, and the
simplicity of their vegetable food, which cannot be too much extolled,
prevent not only these, but almost all dangerous and deadly
disorders." - G.F.
[3] The reader will be abundantly supplied with information respecting
the fact of human sacrifices being used at this island, when he comes
to the account of the third voyage performed by Cook. - E.
CHAPTER II.
FROM OUR DEPARTURE FROM THE SOCIETY ISLES, TO OUR RETURN TO AND LEAVING
THEM THE SECOND TIME.
SECTION I.
Passage from Ulietea to the Friendly Islands, with an Account of the
Discovery of Hervey's Island, and the Incidents that happened at
Middleburg.
After leaving Ulietea, as before mentioned, I steered to the west,
inclining to the south, to get clear of the tracts of former navigators,
and to get into the latitude of the islands of Middleburgh and Amsterdam;
for I intended to run as far west as these islands, and to touch there if I
found it convenient, before I hauled up for New Zealand.
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