THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 55 



lo near our flation, where his people could more eafily in- ^ ^in- 



September. 



vade our property. I muft do Otoo the juftice to fay, that — v-— / 

 he took, every method prudence could fuggeft to prevent 

 thefts and robberies ; and it was more owing to his regula- 

 tions, than to our own circumfpection, that fo few were 

 committed. He had taken care to eredl a little houfe or two, 

 on the other fide of the river, behind our pofl; and two 

 others, clofe to our tents, on the bank between the river and 

 the fea. In all thefe places fome of his own people con- 

 ftantly kept watch j and his father generally refided on 

 Matavai point ; fo that we were, in a manner, furrounded 

 by them. Thus ftationed, they not only guarded us in the 

 night from thieves, but could obferve every thing that palFcd 

 in the day ; and were ready to colledl contributions from 

 fuch girls as had' private connccTiions with our people; 

 which was generally done every morning. So that the 

 meafures adopted by him to fecure our fufcty, at the fame 

 time fcrved the more ellential purpofe of enlarging his 

 own profits. 



Otoo informing me, that his prefence was necelTary at 

 Oparre, where he was to give audience to the great per- 

 fonage from BoLibola ; and afking me to accompany him, I 

 readily confented, in hopes of meeting with fomcthing worth 

 our notice. Accordingly I went with him, in the morning 

 of the 16th, attended by Mr. Anderfon. Nothing, however, -p^^ ^^^ , 

 occurred on this occafion, that was either intererting or cu- 

 rious. We faw Etary and his followers prefent fome coarfe 

 cloth and hogs to Otoo ; and each article was delivered with 

 fome ceremony, and a fet fpeech. After this, they, and 

 fome other Chiefs, held a confultation about the expedition 

 to Eimeo. Etary, at firft, feemed to difapprove of it ; but, 

 at lad, his objedions were over-ruled. Indeed, it appeared, 



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