1773 ROUND THE WORLD. 183 



and his accomplice, in such a masterly manner, as 

 sufficiently displayed the genius of the people in this 

 vice. The theft is discovered before the thief has 

 time to carry off his prize ; then a scuffle ensues with 

 those set to guard it, who, though four to two, are 

 beat off the stage, and the thief and his accomplices 

 bear away their plunder in triumph. I was very at- 

 tentive to the whole of this part, being in full expect- 

 ation that it would have ended very differently. 

 For I had before been informed that Teto (that is, 

 the Thief) was to be acted, and had understood that 

 the theft was to be punished with death, or a good 

 tiparr ahying (or beating), a punishment, we are told, 

 they inflict on such as are guilty of this crime. Be 

 this as it may, strangers are certainly excluded from 

 the protection of this law ; them they rob, with im- 

 punity, on every occasion that offers. After the play 

 was over, we returned on board to dinner ; and in the 

 cool of the evening took a walk on shore, where we 

 learnt from one of the natives, that nine small islands, 

 two of which were uninhabited, lay to the westward, 

 at no great distance from hence. 



On the 11th, early in the morning, I had a visit from 

 Oreo and his son, a youth about tw r elve years of age. 

 The latter brought me a hog, and some fruit ; for 

 which I made him a present of an axe, and dressed 

 him in a shirt, and other things, which made him not 

 a little proud of himself. Having stayed some hours, 

 they went on shore ; as I also did soon after, but 

 to another part* The chief hearing 1 was on shore, 

 came to the place where he found the boat, into 

 which he put a hog, and a quantity of fruit, without 

 saying a word to any body ; and, with some of his 

 friends, came on board and dined with us. After 

 dinner I had a visit from Oo-oorou, the principal 

 chief of the isle. He was introduced to us by Oreo, 

 and brought with him, as a present, a large hog, for 

 which I made him a handsome return. Oreo em- 

 ployed himself in buying hogs for me (for we now 



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