22 COOK'S VOYAGE TO AUG* 



board, followed by several canoes, laden with all 

 kind of provisions, in quantity sufficient to have served 

 the companies of both ships for a week. Each of 

 the family owned, or pretended to own, a part ; so 

 that I had a present from every one of them ; and 

 every one of them had a separate present in return 

 from me ; which was the great object in view. Soon 

 after, the king's mother, who had not been present 

 at the first interview, came on board, bringing with 

 her a quantity of provisions and cloth, which she di- 

 vided between me and Omai ; for, although he was 

 but little noticed at first by his countrymen, they 

 no sooner gained the knowledge of his riches, than 

 they began to court his friendship. I encouraged 

 this as much as I could : for it was my wish to fix 

 him with Otoo. As I intended to leave all my Euro- 

 pean animals at this island, I thought he would be 

 able to give some instruction about the management 

 of them, and about their use. Besides, I knew and 

 saw, that the farther he was from his native island, 

 he would be the better respected. But, unfortu- 

 nately, poor Omai rejected my advice, and conducted 

 himself in so imprudent a manner, that he soon lost 

 the friendship of Otoo, and of every other person of 

 note in Otaheite. He associated with none but va- 

 gabonds and strangers, whose sole views were to 

 plunder him ; and, if I had not interfered, they 

 would not have left him a single article worth the 

 carrying from the island. This necessarily drew 

 upon him the ill-will of the principal chiefs ; who 

 found that they could not procure, from any one in 

 the ships, such valuable presents as Omai bestowed 

 on the lowest of the people, his companions. 



As soon as we had dined, a party of us acompanied 

 Otoo to Oparre, taking with us the poultry, with 

 which we were to stock the island. They consisted 

 of a peacock and hen (which Lord Besborough was 

 so kind as to send me for this purpose a few days 

 before I left London) ; a turkey-cock and hen ; one 



