Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 2.djvu/57

 1701. December.

Otaheite, the fecond mate and two of the failors had, in one of tlicir open whale boats, proceeded towards New South Wales. The rell of the crew remained on the ifland, excepting Mr, Matthew Wcatherhead the commander of the vefTcl, who, with two men and two boys, had taken their paflagc from Otaheite on board the Jenny of Briflol ; and on their arrival at Nootka, Sen'* Quadra not only provided Mr. 'V'eatherhead with a pafHige towards England through New Spain, but benevolently furniflied him with a fum of money to defray his expences through a country where the inhabitants would neceflarily be (Irangcrs to himfelf and all his connexions.

The misfortune of this (hipwreck appeared to have been attended with very unpleafant confequences to our friends at Otaheite. The few valuable articles which thefe unfortunate people had been able to favc from the wreck, inftead of having been fecured and properly taken care of, had been indifcriniinately difpcrfcd, or left to the difpofal of the natives. This had produced a jealoufy between the chiefs of Matavai and thofe of Oparre ; and on their difagreemenL concerning the divihon of the fpoil, fomc of the Englilhmcn had fided with the chiefs of the one part)', whilfl others had taken up the caufe of the other. A war was the necefTary confequence between the two dillridls, which had terminated very difallroufly for Matavai. Nearly the whole of that beautiful diftritl had been laid wafte, their houfes burnt down, and their fruit-trees torn up by the roots, and otherways dcftroyed. This was the fum of what I was able to learn ; but the very confufed and incoherent detail that was given me of all thefe tranfaftions, pre- vented my acquiring any fatisfaftory information on this melancholy event.

Having now pofitively determined on the mode to be purfued in the execution of the remaining objefts of our vctyage, I requefted Commo- dore Phillips would, at port Jackfon, complete the cargo of the Dncda- lus to a vcar's provifions of all fpecies, and fuch (lores as I judged would be ncccfTary for the Difcovery and Chatham ; and to forward them by this vefTcl to me at Nootka, where her commander flioiild find fufficicnt