342 cook's second voyage may, 



lates for such food. The king, and his prime minister 

 Tee, accompanied us on board to dinner, and after 

 it was over, took a most affectionate farewell. He 

 hardly ever ceased soliciting me, this day, to re- 

 turn to Otaheite ; and, just before he went out 

 of the ship, took a youth by the hand, and pre- 

 sented him to me, desiring I would keep him on 

 board to go to Amsterdam to collect red feathers. 

 I told him I could not, since I knew he would never 

 return ; but that, if any ship should happen to come 

 from Britain to this isle, 1 would either bring or send 

 him red feathers in abundance. This, in some mea- 

 sure, satisfied him ; but the youth was exceedingly 

 desirous of going ; and, if I had not come to a reso- 

 lution to carry no one from the isles (except Oedidee 

 if he chose to go), and but just refused Mr. Forster 

 the liberty of taking a boy, I believe I should have 

 consented. Otoo remained along-side in his canoe 

 till we were under sail, when he put off, and was 

 saluted with three guns. 



Our treatment at this isle was such as had induced 

 one of our gunner's mates to form a plan to remain 

 at it. He knew he could not execute it with success 

 while we lay in the bay, therefore took the opportu- 

 nity, as soon as we were out, the boats in, and sails 

 set, to slip overboard, being a good swimmer. But 

 he was discovered before he got clear of the ship ; 

 and we presently hoisted a boat out and took him up. 

 A canoe was observed, about half-way between us 

 and the shore, seemingly coming after us. She was 

 intended to take him up ; but as soon as the people 

 in her saw our boat they kept at a distance. This 

 was a preconcerted plan between the man and them, 

 which Otoo was acquainted with, and had encouraged. 

 When 1 considered this man's situation in life, I did 

 not think him so culpable, nor the resolution he had 

 taken of staying here so extraordinary as it may at 

 first appear. He was an Irishman by birth, and had 

 sailed in the Dutch se vice. I picked him up at Ba- 



