THEPACIFICOCEAN. k)-/ 



Otahcite. He found at Huaheine, a brother, a fifter, and a 1777- 

 brother-in-law ; the fifter being married. But thefe did not 

 plunder him, as he had lately been by his other relations. 

 I was forry, however, to difcover, that, though they were 

 too honed to do him any injury, they were of too little con- 

 fequence in the ifland to do him any pofitive good. They 

 had neither authority nor influence to protect: his perfon, or 

 his property ; and, in that helplefs fituation, I had reafon 

 to apprehend, that he run great rifk of being flripped of 

 every thing he had got from us, as foon as he fhould ceafe 

 to have us within his reach, to enforce the good behaviour 

 of his countrymen, by an immediate appeal to our irre- 

 fiftible power. 



A man who is richer than his neighbours is fure to be en- 

 vied, by numbers who wifh to fee him brought down to 

 their own level. But in countries where civilization, law, 

 and religion, impofe their reftraints, the rich have a reafon- 

 able ground of fecurity. And, befidCs^, there being, in all 

 fuch communities, a diffufion of property, no fmgle indivi- 

 dual need fear, that the efforts of all the poorer fort can ever 

 be united to injure him, cxclufively of others who are 

 equally the objedls of envy. It was very different with 

 Omai. He was to live amongft thofe who are llrangers, in 

 a great meafure, to any other principle of adion befides the 

 immediate impulfe of their natural feelings. But, what 

 was his principal danger, he was to be placed in the very 

 lingular fituation, of being the only rich man in the com- 

 munity to which he was to belong. And having, by a for- 

 tunate connexion with us, got into his pofTeflion an accu- 

 mulated quantity of a fpecies of treafure which none of his 

 countrymen could create by any art or induftry of their 

 own ; while all coveted a fhare of this envied wealth, it 



Vol. II. O was 



