ICO 



A VOYAGE TO 



•777- carry off a lextant, unobrcrved. As loon as I was made ac- 

 \ , 1 quainied with the theft, 1 went aihore, and got Omai to ap- 

 ply to the Chiefs, to procure rellitution. He did fo; but 

 tlicy took no ftcps toward it, being more attentive to a heeva^ 

 that was then ading, till 1 ordered the performers of the 

 exhibition to defift. They were now convinced, that I was 

 in earneft, and began to make fome enquiry after the thief, 

 who was fitting in the midfl of them, quite unconcerned, 

 infomuch that I was in great doubt of his being the guilty 

 perfon j efpecially as he denied it. Omai, however, afllir- 

 ing me that he was the man, I fent him on board the fhip, 

 and there confined him. This raifed a general ferment 

 amongft the affembled natives ; and the wliole body fled, in 

 fpite of all my endeavours to flop them. Having employed 

 Omai to examine the prifoner, with fome difliculty he was 

 brought to confefs where he had hid the fextant ; but, as it 

 Thurfdayaj. was now dark, we could not find it till day-light the next 

 morning, when it was brought back unhurt. After this, 

 the natives recovered from their fright, and began to gather 

 about us as ufual. And, as to the thief, he appearing to 

 be a hardened fcoundrel, I punilhed him more fevercly than 

 I had ever done any one culprit before. Bcfides having his 

 head and beard fhaved, I ordered both his ears to be cut 

 off, and then difmifl'ed him. 



This, however, did not deter him from giving us farther 

 SaturJayij. troublc ; for, in the night between the 24th and 25th, a ge- 

 neral alarm was fpread, occafioned, as was faid, by one of 

 our goats being flolen by this very man. On examination, 

 we found, that all was lafe in that quarter. Probably, the 

 goats were fo well guarded, that lie could not put his de- 

 fign in execution. But his hoftilities had fucceeded againfl 

 another objcift ; and it appeared, that he had dcflroyed and 



carried 



