Prostitution in Overseas France were female, 20% male and 50% transsexual (known as "raerae"). When Captain Samuel Wallis discovered Tahiti in 1767, he traded with the islanders for fresh provisions. The Polynesians had no source of iron, and the women sold sex for nails. Wallis had to ban shore leave for the crew for fear of the ship collapsing as so many nails had been removed from the structure. When Captain Cook arrived in 1769, the price had risen from one nail to three nails. By the time of Cook's 3rd visit in 1774, the currency had changed from nails to European clothes and
Tahiti rail on Latham's account. In 1844 the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein published J.R. Forster's account of the discoveries made during the journey, including his description of the Tahiti rail. J.R. Forster indicated that the Tahiti rail was called "Oomnaa" or "Eboonàa" on Tahiti and neighbouring islands, and "Oomèia-Keteòw" on Tonga, though he specified only Tahiti and nearby islands as being part of its range. "Tevea" also appears to have been one of the common names for the bird. In 1967 the American ornithologist James Greenway wrote that the bird was said by Polynesians to have also existed on the island of