The day of separation came quickly, and at daybreak, July 27, the "Dolphin" was ready for sea. The whole beach was covered with people, among them the queen, who wished to go aboard in the ship’s boat, which was taking off the last water-casks and her farewell presents; but, as the officer had received orders not to bring off natives in his boats, the queen launched a double canoe and was brought to the ship by her own people.

"The queen came on board, but not being able to speak, she sat down and gave vent to her passion by weeping. After she had been on board about an hour, a breeze springing up, we weighed anchor and made sail. Finding it now necessary to return into her canoe, she embraced us all in the most affectionate manner and with many tears; all her attendants also expressed great sorrow at our departure. Soon after it fell calm and I sent the boats ahead to tow, upon which all the canoes returned to the ship, and that which had the queen on board came up to the gun-room port, where her people made it fast. In a few minutes she came into the bow of her canoe, where she sat weeping with inconsolable sorrow. I gave her many things which I thought would be of great use to her, and some for ornament; she silently accepted of all, but took little notice of anything. About ten o’clock we were got without the reef, and, a fresh breeze springing up, our Indian friends, and particularly the queen, once more bade us farewell, with such tenderness of affection and grief as filled both my heart and my eyes."

Wallis did not know the name of his queen, or what her true rank was, or from what part of the island she came; nor did Bougainville,

Indigenous Histories