1?77' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 101 



will be more prudently administered by him, or whe- 

 ther the steps I took, as already explained, to insure 

 him protection in Huaheine, shall have proved effec- 

 tual, must be left to the decision of future navigators 

 of this ocean, with whom it cannot but be a principal 

 object of curiosity to trace the future fortunes of our 

 traveller. At present, I can only conjecture, that his 

 greatest danger will arise from the very impolitic de- 

 clarations of his antipathy to the inhabitants of Bola- 

 bola ; for these people, from a principle of jealousy, 

 will, no doubt, endeavour to render him obnoxious to 

 those of Huaheine; as they are at peace with that island 

 at present, and may easily effect their designs, many of 

 them living there. This is a circumstance which, of 

 all others, he might the most easily have avoided ; 

 for they were not only free from any aversion to 

 him, but the person mentioned before, whom we 

 found at Tiaraboo as an ambassador, priest, or god, 

 absolutely offered to reinstate him in the property 

 that was formerly his father's. But he refused this 

 peremptorily ; and, to the very last, continued de- 

 termined to take the first opportunity that offered of 

 satisfying his revenge in battle. To this, I guess, 

 he is not a little spurred by the coat of mail he 

 brought from England ; clothed in which, and in 

 possession of some fire-arms, he fancies that he shall 

 be invincible. 



Whatever faults belonged to Omai's character, 

 they were more than overbalanced by his great good 

 nature and docile disposition. During the whole 

 time he was with me, I very seldom had reason to 

 be seriously displeased with his general conduct. 

 His grateful heart always retained the highest sense 

 of the favours he had received in England; nor will 

 he ever forget those who honoured him with their pro- 

 tection and friendship, during his stay there. He 

 had a tolerable share of understanding, but wanted 

 application and perseverance to exert it ; so that bis 

 knowledge of things was very general, and, in many 



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