THEPACIFICOCEAN. 71 



lame time : and drew toofcther as many people to look at 1777- 



' • , ^ J r f Scotcmber. 



her, as a man oi: war would, drelTcd, in a European port.' ' ^ ' 



Thefe flreamers of Omai were a mixture of Enp-lifli, 

 French, Spaniflr, and Dutch, which were all the European 

 colours that he had feen. When I was lall at this illan'd, I 

 gave to Otoo an Englifli jack and pendant, and to Towha a 

 pendant ; which I now found they had prefervcd with the 

 grcatell care. 



Omai had alfo provided himfelf with a good flock of 

 cloth and cocoa-nut oil, which are not only in greater 

 plenty, but much better, at Otaheite, than at any of the 

 Society Iflands ; infomuch, that they are articles of trade. 

 Omai would not have behaved {o inconfiflently, and fo 

 much unlike himfelf, as he did, in many indances, but 

 for his lifter and brother-in-law, who, together with a few 

 more of their acquaintance, engrofTed him entirely to them- 

 fclves, with no other view than to ftiip him of every thing 

 he had got. And they would, undoubtedly, have fucceeded 

 in their fcheme, if I had not put a flop to it in time, by 

 taking the mofl ufeful articles of his property into my pof- 

 fcllion. But even this would not have faved Omai from 

 ruin, if I had fufFered thefe relations of his to have gone 

 with, or to have follov/ed us to-, his intended place of fcttle- 

 ment, Huaheine. This they had intended; but I difap- 

 pointcd their farther views of plunder^ by forbidding them 

 to fhew themfelves in that ifland, while I remained in 

 the neighbourhood ; and they knew me too well not to 

 comply. 



On the 28th, Otoo came on board, and informed me, that Sinu'ay 28, 

 he had got a canoe, which he defired I would take with me, 

 and carry home, as a prefent from him to the Earee rahic 

 no. Prctane ; it being the only thing, he faid, that he could 



fend 



