James Morrison was boatswain's mate on the HMS Bounty. He was later court-martialed as a mutineer and sentenced to be hanged, but was pardoned and later returned to naval duty. His Bounty journal was not published until 1935. This version has been lightly edited

When the Westerly Winds prevail they have a heavy surf constantly running to a prodigious height on the shore & this affords excellent diversion, and the part they choose for their sport is where the surf breaks with the most violence—when they go to this diversion they get pieces of board of any length with which they swim out to the back of the surf, when they watch the rise of a surf sometimes a mile from the shore & laying their breast on the board, keep themselves poised on the surf so as to come in on the top of it, with amazing rapidity watching the time that it breaks, when they turn with great activity and diving under the surge swim out again towing their plank with them—at this diversion both sexes are excellent, and some are so expert [as] to stand on their board till the surf breaks—the children also take their sport in the smaller surfs and as most learn to swim as soon as walk, few or no accidents happen from drowning.

They resort to this sport in great numbers and keep at it for several hours, and as they often encounter each other in their passage out and in they require the greatest skill in swimming to keep from running foul of each other—which they sometimes cannot avoid in which case both are violently dash’d on shore where they are thrown neck & heels and often find [a] very coarse landing, which however they take little notice of and recovering themselves regain their boards & return to their sport.

The Chiefs are in general best at this as well as all other diversions, nor are their Women behind hand at it. [A women named] Eddea is one of the Best among the Society Islands & able to hold it with the best of the men swimmers.

This diversion took place during the time the 

 lay in Maatavye Bay when the surf from the dolphin bank ran so high as to break over her, and we were forced to secure the hatches expecting the ship to go on shore every minute.

After they have been at this sport they always wash in fresh water, as they always do when they have been out in their canoes or have been wet with salt water.

They have also a diversion in canoes, which they steer on the top of the surf with great dexterity, and can either turn them out before it breaks or land safe tho’ it breaks ever so high.

1788: EXPLORER JAMES MORRISON, MATAVAI BAY, TAHITI: "AT THIS DIVERSION BOTH SEXES ARE EXCELLENT"

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