370 cook's SECOND VOYAGE JUNE, 



looked up at the ship, burst into tears, and then 

 sunk down into the canoe. The maxim that a pro- 

 phet has no honour in his own country, was never 

 more fully verified than in this youth. At Otaheite 

 he might have had any thing that was in their power 

 to bestow ; whereas here he was not m the least 

 noticed. He was a youth of good parts, and, like 

 most of his countrymen, of a docile, gentle, and hu- 

 mane disposition ; but, in a manner, wholly ignorant 

 of their religion, government, manners, customs, and 

 traditions ; consequently, no material knowledge 

 could have been gathered from him, had I brought 

 him away. Indeed, he would have been a better 

 specimen of the nation, in every respect, than Omai. 

 Just as Oedidee was going out of the ship, he asked 

 me to Tatou some Par oa for him, in order to show 

 the commanders of any other ships which might stop 

 here. I complied with his request, gave him a cer- 

 tificate of the time he had been with us, and recom- 

 mended him to the notice of those who might touch 

 at the island after me. 



We did not get clear of our friends till eleven 

 o'clock, when we weighed, and put to sea ; but 

 Oedidee did not leave us till we were almost out 

 of the harbour. He stayed in order to fire some 

 guns ; for it being His Majesty's birth-day, we fired 

 the salute at going away. 



When I first came to these islands, I had some 

 thought of visiting Tupia's famous Bolabola. But as 

 I had now got on board a plentiful supply of all man- 

 ner of refreshments, and the route I had in view 

 allowing me no time to spare, I laid this design aside, 

 and directed my course to the west ; taking our final 

 leave of these happy isles, on which benevolent na- 

 ture has spread her luxuriant sweets with a lavish 

 hand. The natives, copying the bounty of nature, 

 are equally liberal; contributing plentifully and cheer- 

 fully to the wants of navigators. During the six 

 weeks we had remained at them, we had fresh pork, 



