{H cook's VOYAGE TO OCT. 



guarded, that he could not put his design in execu- 

 tion. But his hostilities had succeeded against an- 

 other object ; and it appeared, that he had destroyed 

 and carried off several vines and cabbage-plants in 

 Omai's grounds ; and he publicly threatened to kill 

 him, and to burn his house, as soon as we should leave 

 the island. To prevent the fellow's doing me and 

 Omai any more mischief, I had him seized and con- 

 fined on board the ship, with a view of carrying him 

 off the island ; and it seemed to give general satisfac- 

 tion to the chiefs, that I meant thus to dispose of 

 him. He was from Bolabola ; but there were too 

 many of the natives here ready to assist him in any 

 of his designs, whenever he should think of execut- 

 ing them. I had always met with more troublesome 

 people in Huaheine, than in any other of the neigh- 

 bouring islands ; and it was only fear and the want 

 of opportunities that induced them to behave better 

 now. Anarchy seemed to prevail amongst them. Their 

 nominal sovereign, the Earee rahie, as I have before 

 observed, was but a child ; and I did not find, that 

 there was any one man, or set of men, who managed 

 the government for him ; so that, whenever any mis- 

 understanding happened between us, I never knew, 

 with sufficient precision, w 7 here to make application, 

 in order to bring about an accommodation, or to 

 procure redress. The young chief's mother would, 

 indeed, sometimes exert herself; but I did not per- 

 ceive that she had greater authority than many 

 others. 



Omai's house being nearly finished, many of his 

 moveables were carried ashore on the 26th. Amongst 

 a variety of other useless articles, was a box of toys, 

 which, when exposed to public view, seemed greatly 

 to please the gazing multitude. But as to his pots, 

 kettles, dishes, plates, drinking-mugs, glasses, and 

 the whole train of our domestic accommodations, 

 hardly any one of his countrymen would so much as 

 look at them. Omai himself now began to think that 



