THE PACIFIC O C E A iN. 133 



threatening to be his executioner, if ever he prcfumed to ^ yiii- 



" * February. 



vifit us again. < , — ^ 



The New Zealander paid fo little regard to thefe threats, 

 that he returned, the next morning, with his whole family, Tuefday 25, 

 men, women, and children, to the number of twenty and 

 upwards. Omai was the iirft who acquainted me with his 

 being along-fide the fliip, and defired to know if he fhould 

 afli him to come on board. I told him he might; and ac- 

 cordingly he introduced the Chief into the cabin, faying, 

 " There is Kahoora; kill him!" Bur, as if he had forgot 

 his former threats, or were afraid that I fliould call upon 

 him to perform them, he immediately retired. In a fhorc 

 time, however, he returned ; and feeing the Chief unhurt, 

 he expoilulated with me very earneftly, faying, '' Why do 

 '« you not kill him? You tell me, if a man kills another in 

 " England, that he is hanged for it. This man has killed 

 " ten, and yet you will not kill him ; though many of his 

 " countrymen defire it, and it would be very good." Omai's 

 arguments, though fpecious enough, having no weight 

 with me, I defired him to afic the Chief, why he had killed 

 Captain Furneaux's people ? At this queftion, Kahoora fold- 

 ed his arms, hung down his head, and looked like one 

 caught in a trap : And, I firmly believe, he expected inftant 

 death. But no fooner was he aflTured of his fafety, than he 

 became cheerful. He did not, however, feem willing to 

 give me an anfwer to the quefl:ion that had been put to him, 

 till I had, again and again, repeated my promife that he 

 fhould not be hurt. Then he ventured to tell us, That one 

 of his countrymen having brought a ftone hatchet to barter, 

 the man, to whom it was offered, took it, and would neither 

 return it, nor give any thing for it ; on which the owner of 

 8 it 



