78 cook's voyage to oct. 



islands that might never have another opportunity to 

 get any, and had, besides, heard that there were 

 already two upon this island, I did not gratify him. 

 However, to shew my inclination to assist his views 

 in this respect, I desired Tidooa, an Otaheite chief 

 who was present, to beg Otoo, in my name, to send 

 two of these animals to Maheine ; and, by way of 

 insuring a compliance with this request, I sent to 

 Otoo by this chiefj a large piece of red feathers, 

 equal to the value of the two goats that I required. 

 I expected that this arrangement would have been 

 satisfactory to Maheine and all the other chiefs of 

 the island ; but the event showed that I was mis- 

 taken. 



Not thinking that any one would dare to steal a 

 second, at the very time I was taking measures to 

 recover the first, the goats were put ashore again 

 this morning ; and in the evening a boat was sent to 

 bring them on board. As our people were getting 

 them into the boat, one was carried off undiscovered. 

 It being immediately missed, I made no doubt of 

 recovering it without much trouble, as there had 

 not been time to carry it to any considerable dis- 

 tance. Ten or twelve of the natives set out soon 

 after, different ways, to bring it back or to look 

 for it ; for not one of them would own that it 

 was stolen, but all tried to persuade us that it had 

 strayed into the woods ; and, indeed, I thought so 

 myself. I was convinced to the contrary, however, 

 when I found that none of those who went in pur- 

 suit of it returned ; so that their only view was to 

 amuse me, till their prize was beyond my reach ; and, 

 night coming on, put a stop to all further search. 

 About this time the boat returned with the other goat, 

 bringing also one of the men who had stolen it ; the 

 first instance of the kind that I had met with amongst 

 these islands. 



The next morning, I found that most of the inhab- 

 itants in the neighbourhood had moved off, carry- 



