28 AVOYAGETO 



1777- keeper. The fame caufe alfo retarded the caulking, and 

 ■ "f ' ■ other ncceflary repairs of the fhips. 



In the evening of this day, the natives made a precipitate 

 retreat, both from on board the fhips, and from our ftation 

 on fhore. For what reafon, we could not, at firft, learn ; 

 though, in general, we gueffcd it arofe from their knowing 

 that fome theft had been committed, and apprehending pu- 

 nifhment on that account. At length, I underftood what 

 had happened. One of the furgeon's mates had been in the 

 country to purchafe curiofities, and had taken with him 

 four hatchets for that purpofe. Having employed one of 

 the natives to carry them for him, the fellow took an op- 

 portunity to run off with fo valuable a prize. This was the 

 caufe of the fudden flight, in which Otoo himfelf, and his 

 whole family, had joined; and it was with dlflTiculty that I 

 flopped them, after following them two or three miles. As 

 I had refolved to take no meafures for the recovery of the 

 hatchets, in order to put my people upon their guard 

 againft fuch negligence for the future, I found no difli- 

 culty in bringing the natives back, and in refloring every 

 thing to its ufual tranquillity. 



Saturday %o. Hitherto, the attention of Otoo and his people had been 

 confined to us ; but, next morning, a new fcene of bufi- 

 ncfs opened, by the arrival of Ibmc meflTengers from Eimeo, 

 or (as it is much oftcncr called by the natives) Morea*, witli 

 intelligence, that the people in that iiland were in arms;, 

 and that Otoo's partizans there had been worfled, and 

 obliged to retreat to the mountains. The quarrel between 

 the two illands, which commenced in 1774, as mentioned in 



• Morca, according to Dr. Forftcr, is a diftrid in Eimco. See his Ohfirvatien:, 

 p. 217. 



the 



