1777* T HE PACIFIC OCEAN. 11 



From the natives who came off to us in the course 

 of this day, we learnt that two ships had twice been 

 in Oheitepeha Bay since my last visit to this island in 

 1774, and that they had left animals there, such as 

 we had on board. But, orr farther inquiry, we found 

 they were only hogs, dogs, goats, one bull, and the 

 male of some other animal, which, from the imper- 

 fect description now given us, we could not find out. 

 They told us that these ships had come from a place 

 called Reema ; by which we guessed that Lima, the 

 capital of Peru, was meant, and that these late 

 visitors were Spaniards. We were informed, that the 

 first time they came, they built a house and left four 

 men behind them, viz. two priests, a boy or servant, 

 and a fourth person called Mateema, who was much 

 spoken of at this time ; carrying away with them, 

 when they sailed, four of the natives ; that in about 

 ten months, the same two ships returned, bringing 

 back two of the islanders, the other two having died 

 at Lima ; and that, after a short stay, they took away 

 their own people ; but that the house which they had 

 built was left standing. 



The important news of red feathers being on board 

 our ships, having been conveyed on shore by Omai's 

 friends, day had no sooner begun to break next 

 morning, than we were surrounded by a multitude of 

 canoes crowded with people, bringing hogs and 

 fruit to market. At first, a quantity of feathers, 

 not greater than what might be got from a tom- 

 tit, would purchase a hog of forty or fifty 

 pounds' weight. But as almost every body in the 

 ships was possessed of some of this precious article in 

 trade, it fell in its value above five hundred per cent. 

 before night. However, even then, the balance 

 was much in our favour ; and red feathers continued 

 to preserve their superiority over every other com- 

 modity. Some of the natives would not part with 

 a hog, unless they received an axe in exchange ; but 

 nails, and beads, and other trinkets, which, during 



