J36 AVOYAGETO 



^'777- his own country. We had not been there many days, be- 

 fore he had an opportunity of being gratified in this ; for a 

 youth about feventeen or eighteen years of age, named 

 Taweiharooa, offered to accompany him ; and took up his 

 refulence on board. I paid Httle attention to this at firft, 

 imagining that he would leave us when we were about to 

 depart, and after he had got what he could from Omai. 

 At length, finding that he was fixed in his refolution to go 

 with us, arui having learnt that he was the only fon of a 

 deceafed Chief, and that his mother, fiill living, was a wo- 

 man much refpe6ted here, I was apprehenfive that Omai 

 had deceived him and his friends, by giving them hopes 

 and afiTurances of his being fent back. I therefore caufed it 

 to be made known to them all, that if the young man went 

 away with us, he would never return. But this declaration 

 feemed to make no fort of impreffion. The afternoon be- 

 fore we left the Cove, Tiratoutou, his mother, came on 

 board, to receive her lad prefent from Omai. The fame 

 evening, flie and Taweiharooa parted, with all the marks of 

 tender affection that might be expedled between a parent 

 and a child, who were never to meet again. But flie faid 

 fhe would cry no more; and, fure enough, (he kept her 

 word. For when fhe returned the next morning, to take 

 her lall farewell of him, all the time fhe was on board llie 

 remained quite cheerful, and went away wholly uncon- 

 cerned. 



That Taweiharooa might be fent away in a manner be- 

 coming his birth, another youth was to have gone with him 

 as his fervant ; and, with this view, as we fuppofed, he re- 

 mained on board till we were about to fail, when his friends 

 took him afliore. However, his place was fupplied, next 

 morning, by another, a boy of about nine or ten years of 



age, 



