THE PACIFICOCEAN. loi 



carried off feveral vines and cabbaee-plants in Omai's '777. 



° ^ Oaober. 



grounds; and he publicly threatened to kill him, and to « r— ' 



burn his houfc, as foon as we fliould leave the ifland. To 

 prevent the fellow's doing me and Omai any more mifchief, 

 I had him feized, and confined again on board the fliip, 

 with a view of carrying him off the ifland ; and it fcemcd 

 to give general fatisfa<5lion to the Chiefs, that I meant thus 

 to difpofe of him. He was from Bolabola; but there were 

 too many of the natives here ready to aflift him in any of 

 his defigns, whenever he fliould think of executing them. 

 I had always met with more troublefome people in Huahcine, 

 than in any other of the neiglibouring illands ; and it was 

 only fear, and the want of opportunities, that induced them to 

 behave better now. Anarchy fcemcd to prevail amongfl: them. 

 Their nominal fovereign the F:iarce rabie, as I have before ob- 

 ferved, was but a child ; and I did not find, that there was 

 any one man, or fet of men, who managed the govern- 

 ment for him ; fo that, whenever any mifunderflanding 

 happened between us, I never knew, with fufficient preci- 

 fion, where to make application, in order to bring about an 

 accommodation, or to procure redrcfs. The young Chief's 

 mother would, indeed, fometimcs exert herfclf ; but I did 

 not perceive that flie had greater authority than many 

 others. 



Omai's houfe being nearly finiflied. many of his move- 

 ables were carried afliorc on the ;6ih. Amongft a variety of Sunday z6. 

 other ufelefs articles was a box of toys, which, when ex- 

 pofed to public view, feemed greatly to pleafe the gazing 

 multitude. But, as to his pots, kettles, dilhes, plates, drink- 

 ing-mugs, glafTes, and the whole train of our domeftic ac- 

 comodations, hardly any one of his countrymen would fo 

 much as look at them. Omai himfelf now began to think 

 3 tha.t 



