c,8 AVOYAGETO 



>777- was natural to apprehend, that all would be ready to JoIq ia 



O«ober. . n ■ ■ r ^ 



attempting to Itrip its lole proprietor. 



To prevent this, if pofllble, I advifed him to make a pro- 

 per diftribution of fome of his moveables, to two or three 

 of the principal Chiefs ; who, being thus gratified them- 

 felves, might be induced to take him under their patronage, 

 and protecl him from the injuries of others. He promifed 

 to follow my advice ; and I heard, with fatisfa6lion, before 

 I failed, that this very prudent ftcp had been taken. Not 

 trufting, however, entirely to the operations of gratitude, I 

 had recourfe to the more forcible motive of intimidation. 

 With this view, I took every opportunity of notifying to the 

 inhabitants, that it was my intention to return to their 

 ifland again, after being abfent the ufual time ; and that, if 

 I did not find Omai in the fame ftate of fecurity in which I 

 ■was now to leave him, all thofe whom I fhould then dif- 

 cover to have been his enemies, might expe(5t to feel the 

 weight of my refcntment. This threatening declaration 

 will, probably, have no inconfiderable cfFed:. For our fuccef- 

 live vifits of late years have taught thefe people to believe, 

 that our fhips are to return at certain periods; and wiiile 

 they continue to be imprclled with fuch a notion, which I 

 thought it a fair llratagem to confirm, Omai has fome 

 profped: of being permitted to thrive upon his new plant- 

 ation. 



While we lay in this harbour, we carried afhore the bread, 

 remaining in the bread-room, to clear it of vermin. The 

 number of cock-roaches that infcOcd the fliip, at tliis timc^ 

 is incredible. The damage they did us was very confidcr- 

 ablc ; ami every metliod dcvifcd by us to deftroy tlicm 

 proved inellcvftual. Thcfc animals, which, at firll, were a 

 7 nuifance, 



