1?77 THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 77 



heads were not over-burthened with hair, we could 

 observe, lay under violent suspicions of being letos. 



In the evening, Omai and I mounted on horse- 

 back, and took a ride along the shore to the east- 

 ward. Our train was not very numerous, as Omai 

 had forbid the natives to follow us ; and many com- 

 plied, the fear of giving offence getting the better of 

 their curiosity. Towha had stationed his fleet in this 

 harbour ; and though the war lasted but a few days, 

 the marks of its devastation were every where to be 

 seen. The trees were stripped of their fruit ; and 

 all the houses in the neighbourhood had been pulled 

 down or burnt. 



Having employed two or three days in getting up 

 all our spirit-casks to tar their heads, which we found 

 necessary to save them from the efforts of a small in- 

 sect to destroy them, we hauled the ship off' into the 

 stream on the 6th, in the morning, intending to put 

 to sea the next day ; but an accident happened that 

 prevented it, and gave me a good deal of trouble. 

 We had sent our goats ashore in the day time to 

 graze, with two men to look after them ; notwith- 

 standing which precaution, the natives had contrived 

 to steal one of them this evening. The loss of this 

 goat would have been of little consequence, if it had 

 not interfered with my views of stocking other islands 

 with these animals ; but this being the case, it be- 

 came necessary to recover it, if possible. The next 

 morning we got intelligence, that it had been carried 

 to Maheine, the chief, who was at this time at Paro- 

 wroah harbour. Two old men offered to conduct 

 any of my people whom I might think proper to send 

 to him, to bring back the goat. Accordingly, I 

 dispatched them in a boat, charged with a threaten- 

 ing message to Maheine, if the goat was not imme- 

 diately given up to me, and also the thief. 



It was only the day before, that this chief had re- 

 quested me to give him two goats. But, as I could 

 not spare them, unless at the expence of other 



