1777* THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 17 



them. The person who spoke last, told me, amongst 

 other things, that the men of Reema, that is, the 

 Spaniards, had desired them not to suffer me to come 

 into Oheitepeha Bay, if I should return any more to 

 the island, for that it belonged to them ; but that 

 they were so far from paying any regard to this re- 

 quest, that he was authorised now to make a formal 

 surrender of the province of Tiaraboo to me, and of 

 every thing in it ; which marks very plainly, that these 

 people are no strangers to the policy of accommodat- 

 ing themselves to present circumstances. At length, 

 the young chief was directed, by his attendants, to 

 come and embrace me j and, by way of confirming 

 this treaty of friendship, we exchanged names. The 

 ceremony being closed, he and his friends accompa- 

 nied me on board to dinner. 



Omai had prepared a maro, composed of red and 

 yellow feathers, which he intended for Otoo, the 

 king of the whole island ; and, considering where we 

 were, it was a present of very great value. I said all 

 that I could to persuade him not to produce it now, 

 wishing him to keep it on board till an opportunity 

 should offer of presenting it to Otoo, with his own 

 hands. But he had too good an opinion of the ho- 

 nesty and fidelity of his countrymen to take my ad- 

 vice. Nothing would serve him, but to carry it 

 ashore, on this occasion, and to give it to Waheiadooa, 

 to be by him forwarded to Otoo, in order to its being 

 added to the royal maro. He thought, by this 

 management, that he should oblige both chiefs; 

 whereas he highly disobliged the one, wiiose favour 

 was of the most consequence to him, without gain- 

 ing any reward from the other. What I had fore- 

 seen happened. For Waheiadooa kept the maro for 

 himself, and only sent to Otoo a very small piece of 

 feathers ; not the twentieth part of what belonged to 

 the magnificent present. 



On the 19th, this young chief made me a present 

 of ten or a dozen hogs, a quantity of fruit, and some 



VOL. VI. C 



