During this brief visit he and his men were oblivious to the political controversies on the island, being distracted by other, more seductive aspects of life in Tahiti. The people of Hitia'a had learned how to please Europeans from the Dolphin's men and almost as soon as the ships had anchored off the east coast of the island they tried to establish taio relationships with the French sailors by bringing out beautiful young women. As Bougainville wrote in his journal:

"I ask you, how was one to keep four hundred French sailors, who hadn't seen women in six months, at their work in the midst of such a spectacle? Despite all the precautions which we took, a young girl got on board and came onto the forecastle and stood by one of the hatchways which are over the capstan. The girl negligently let fall her robe and stood for all to see, as Venus stood forth before the Phrygian shepherd; and she had the celestial shape of Venus. The sailors and soldiers rushed to get at the hatchway, and never was a capstan turned with such eagerness. We managed to restrain the bedeviled men, however, but it was no less difficult to control oneself."
-- Captain Bougainville, 1768