n AVOYAGETO 



«777- lived about ei^ht o'clock in the eveninc;. At that time, no 



Oaober. ° r ^ ^ 



<. >, > account of the goat had been received ; fo that the opera- 

 tions of this day had not produced the defired effecfV. 



Pridiy lo. Early next morning, I difpatched one of Omai's men to 

 Maheinc, with this peremptory mefTage, that, if he perfift- 

 ed in his refufal, I would not leave him a fingle canoe upon 

 the illand, and that he might expcft a continuation of hofti- 

 lities as long as the ftolcn animal remained in his poflef- 

 fion. And, that the meflengcr might fee that I was in earned, 

 before he left me, I fent the carpenter to break up three or 

 four canoes that lay afliore at the head of the harbour. The 

 plank was carried on board, as materials for building a 

 houfe for Omai, at the place where he intended to fettle. 

 I afterward went, properly accompanied, to the next har- 

 bour, where we broke up three or four more canoes, and 

 burnt an equal number; and then returned on board about 

 feven in the evening. On my arrival, I found that the goat 

 had been brought back, about half an hour before ; and, 

 on inquiry, it appeared that it had come from the very 

 place where I liad been told, the day before, by the inha- 

 bitants, that they knew nothing of it. But in confcquencc 

 of the mefTage I fent to the Chief in the morning, it was 

 judged prudent to trifle with me no longer. 



Thus ended this troublefome, and rather unfortunate, bu- 

 finefs ; which could not be more regretted on the part of the 

 natives, than it was on mine. And it grieved me to reflect:, 

 that, after refufing the prcfling folicitatioPiS of my friends 

 at Otaheite to favour their invafion of this ifland, I fhouM, 

 fo foon, find myfelf reduced to the ncccllity of engaging in 

 hoflilitics againft its inhabitants, wliich, perliaps, did them 

 more mifchief than they had fuffered from Tovvha's expe- 

 dition. 



The 



