1777' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 213 



it, the transaction having happened long ago, and 

 when I was not present ; but that, if ever they made 

 a second attempt of that kind, they might rest as- 

 sured of feeling the weight of my resentment. 



For some time before we arrived at New Zealand, 

 Omar had expressed a desire to take one of the na- 

 tives with him to his own country. We had not been 

 there many days, before he had an opportunity of 

 being gratified in this ; for a youth about seventeen 

 or eighteen years of age, named Taweiharooa, of- 

 fered to accompany him ; and took up his residence 

 on board. I paid little attention to this at first, ima- 

 gining that he would leave us when we were about to 

 depart, and after he had got what he could from 

 Omai. At length, finding that he was fixed in his 

 resolution to go with us, and having learnt that he 

 was the only son of a deceased chief, and that his 

 mother, still living, was a woman much respected 

 here, I was apprehensive that Omai had deceived 

 him and his friends, by giving them hopes and as- 

 surances of his being sent back. I therefore caused 

 it to be made known to them all, that if the young 

 man went away with us, he would never return. 

 But this declaration seemed to make no sort of im* 

 pression. The afternoon before we left the Cove, 

 Tiratoutou, his mother, came on board, to receive 

 her last present from Omai. The same evening, she 

 and Taweiharooa parted, with all the marks of ten- 

 der affection that might be expected between a parent 

 and a child, who were never to meet again. But she 

 said she would cry no more ; and, sure enough, she 

 kept her word. For when she returned the next 

 morning, to take her last farewell of him, all the time 

 she was on board she remained quite cheerful, and 

 went away wholly unconcerned. 



That Taweiharooa might be sent away in a man- 

 ner becoming his birth, another youth was to have 

 gone with him as his servant ; and, with this view, 

 as we supposed, he remained on board till we were 



p 3 



