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CASE OF TAPEOOE, A NATIVE OF OTAHEITE.
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In the year of 1707, The Betsy, Captain Glasse, a South-whaler, being also a Letter of Marque, arrived at Otaheite, when POMARE, the King of the Island, enquired who, of his people were desirous to go to England? TAPEOOE, who had been much in company with the Missionaries, and having a thirst for knowledge, immediately replied that he would ; and accordingly was taken on board.
The vessel, when it quitted Otaheite, was bound to Port Jackson ; at which place TAPEOOE was noticed by Governor King, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, and the Rev. Mr. Marsden. After the ship had left Port Jackson, it touched at Tongataboo, one of the Friendly Islands ; but whilst it continued there, TAPEOOE changed his mind as to his visiting England, and expressed a desire to be carried back to Otaheite.
Captain Glasse, having captured two Spanish vessels, determined to cruize in the South Seas in quest of other prizes, and therefore told TAPEOEE that he would take him back to Otaheite. With this view TAPEOOE again embarked on board the Betsy ; but the Captain immediately altered his intention of going to Otaheite, and determined to sail for the coast of Peru ; on which TAPEOEE declined proceeding with the Captain, and preferred remaining at Tongataboo, where he had met with a native of his own Country. He continued in this Island nearly two years, during which time the natives were engaged in a dreadful war, insomuch that through the scarcity of provisions they were often obliged to devour their prisoners.
Being driven from place to place in this Island by reason of the war, TAPELOOE lost a letter which had been given to him by MR JEFFERSON, Secretary of the Missionary Society at Otaheite, for the purpose of introducing him to the Society in London. When he had been at Tongataboo for about two years, the Plumo, Captain Reid, one of Captain Glasse's prizes, arrived, and TAPEOOE embarked on board this vessel, but soon after it had left the Island, the Ship struck on a reef of coral rock near one of the Feegee [Fiji] Islands, called by the natives Scolo. By this accident the Ship received considerable damage, and sprung a leak, at which time TAPEOOE became exceedingly useful, by repeatedly diving, in order to apply such materials as they possessed, to prevent the rapid flow of the water through the broken part of the ship's bottom. In this he so far succeeded as to stop the leak, and by aid of the pumps the water was removed, so that the carpenter was enabled to complete a false keel.
By these repairs the ship was fitted to proceed on her voyage, but on account of the provisions being exhausted they were obliged to proceed to the Island of Guam, a distance of 3,000 miles from the place where the ship had sustained its injury, and cast themselves on the humanity of the Spaniards. At this place they were detained as prisoners, but in about three months after, a Spanish vessel, the Grifino, arrived, on board of which Ship Captain Reid was put as a prisoner, and TAPEOOE, by the assistance of two English sailors, was also got on board, in order to take his passage to Manilla], at which place they arrived in the latter end of February, 1803.
Whilst TAPEOOE was at Manilla he resided with a Mr. Marsden, the supercargo of the Flumo, but Captain Reid having obtained his liberty, and become engaged in a fishery, in the neighbourhood of the Pelew Islands, for the Chinese Market, took TAPEOEE with him, as he was skilled in the manner of catching the peculiar fish with which those seas abound. Whilst engaged in the fishery, one night in a gale of wind the ship parted from her anchors, and being driven on shore, was wrecked upon Great Banda, one of the Molaccas. The crew and cargo were saved by the humane assistance of Captain John Palmer Kearsbury, and TAPEOOE staid with him at the Island of Banda about three months, and afterwards accompanied him to Ataboyna, Malacca, Poolapana and Poolapanang, now called the Prince of Wales's Island. From this last place he was brought to England in Sept. 1806, by Captain Henry Wilson, of the Warley East Indiaman.
Oct 28