T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 359 



bein? made Chief of this ifland, if he would have flaid \T^^^ 

 o July. 



amongft them ; and it is not clear to mc, that he would ' ^ — ' 



not have been glad to ftay, if the fcheme had met with my 

 approbation. 1 own, I did difapprove of it ; but not becaufe 

 I thought that Omai would do better for himfelf in his own 

 native ifle. 



On returning from my country expedition, we were in- 

 formed that a party of the natives had, in the circle where 

 our people traded, ftruck one of their own countrymen 

 with a club, which laid bare, or, as others faid, fradured 

 his fkull, and then broke his thigh with the fame ; when 

 our men interpofed. He had no figns of life, when carried 

 to a neighbouring houfe ; but afterward recovered a little. 

 On my afking the reafon of fo fevere a treatment, we were 

 informed, that he had been difcovered in a fituation rather 

 indelicate, with a woman who was tahoo'd. We, however, 

 underftood, that fhe was no otherwife tahoo'd, than by be- 

 longing to another perfon, and rather fuperior in rank to 

 her gallant. From this circumftance, we had an opportu- 

 nity of obferving, how thefe people treat fuch infidelities. 

 But the female linner has, by far, the fmaller fliare of pu- 

 nifliment for her mifdemeanor ; as they told us, that fhe 

 would only receive a flight beating. 



The next morning, I planted a pine-apple, and fowed the Monday i^,- 

 feeds of melons, and other vegetables in the Chief's plant- 

 ation. I had fome encouragement, indeed, to flatter my- 

 felf, that my endeavours of this kind would not be fruit- 

 lefs ; for, this day, there was ferved up at my dinner, a difh 

 of turnips, being the produce of the feeds I had left here 

 during my lafl voyage. 



Ihad 



