THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 135 



the hiftory of the maflacre, expecfted I fliould avenge it with „ 1777- 



' * " February. 



the death of Kahoora. And many of them feemed not only ' r-—^ 



to wifli it, but exprcfled their furprize at my forbearance. 

 As he could not be ignorant of this, it was a matter of won- 

 der to me, that he put himfelf fo often in my power. When 

 he vifited us while the fhips lay in the Cove, confiding in 

 the number of his friends that accompanied him, he might 

 think himfelf fafe. But his two laft vifits had been made 

 under fuch circumftances, that he could no longer rely 

 upon this. We were then at anchor in the entrance of the 

 Sound, and at fome diftance from any fhore ; fo that he 

 could not have any affiftance from thence, nor flatter him- 

 felf he could have the means of making his efcape, had I 

 determined to detain him. And yet, after his firft fears, on 

 being interrogated, were over, he was fo far from enter- 

 taining any uneafy fenfations, that, on feeing a portrait of 

 one of his countrymen hanging up in the cabin, he defired 

 to have his own portrait drawn ; and fat till Mr. Webber 

 had finifhed it, without marking the lead impatience. I 

 mull confefs, I admired his courage, and was not a little 

 pleafed to obferve the extent of the confidence he put in 

 me. For he placed his whole fafety in the declarations I 

 had uniformly made to thofe who folieited his death, That 

 I had always been a friend to them all, and would continue 

 fo, unlefs they gave me caufe to a(5t otherwife : that as to 

 their inhuman treatment of our people, I fliould think no 

 more of it, the tranfadion having happened long ago, and 

 when I was not prefent; but that, if ever they made a 

 fecond attempt of that kind, they might reft alTured of feel- 

 ing the weight of my refentmenc. 



For fome time before we arrived at New Zealand, Omai 

 had expreffed a defire to take one of the natives with him to 



9 his 



