THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 89 



The next mornin;]:, our intercourfe with the natives was J777- 



'-' Oflober. 



renewed; and feveral canoes brought, to the fliips, bread- ^^ ' 



fruit and cocoa-nuts to barter; from whence it was natural 

 for me to draw this conclufion, that they were confcious it 

 was their own fauh, if I had treated them with feverity ; 

 and that the caufe of my difpleafure being removed, they 

 had a full confidence that no further mifchief would enfue. 

 About nine o'clock, we weighed with a breeze down the 

 harbour; but it proved fo faint and variable, that it was noon 

 before we got out to fca, when I fteercd for Huahcine, at- 

 tended by Omai in his canoe. He did not depend entirely 

 upon his own judgment, but had got on board a pilot. I 

 obferved, that they fhaped as dircit a courfe for the iiland 

 as I could do. 



At Eimeo we abundantly fupplied the fliips with fire- 

 wood. V/e had not taken in any at Otaheitc, where the 

 procuring this article would have been very inconvenient; 

 there not being a tree at Matavai, but what is ufeful to the 

 inhabitanis. We alfo got here geod fcore of refreiliracnts, 

 both in hogs and vegetables ; that is, bread-fruit and cocoa- 

 nuts ; little elfe being in feafon. I do not know that there 

 is any difference between the produce of this ifland and of 

 Otaheite ; but there is a very flriking dilTcrence in their wo- 

 men, that I can by no means account for, Thofe of Eimeo 

 are of low flacure, have a dark hue ; and, in general, for- 

 bidding features. If we met with a fine woman amongfl: 

 them, we were fure, upon enquiry, to find that flie had 

 come from fome other ifland* 



The general appearance of Eimeo is very different from 

 that of Otaheite. The latter rifingin one fieep hilly body, has 

 little low land, except fome deep valleys ; and the flat bor- . 



VoL.IL N der 



