292 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



Islands, insomuch that they are articles of trade. Omai 

 would not have behaved so inconsistently and so much 

 unlike himself as he did in many instances, but for his 

 sister and brother-in-law, who, together with a few more 

 of their acquaintance, engrossed him entirely to themselves, 

 with no other view than to strip him of everything he had 

 got. And they would undoubtedly have succeeded in their 

 scheme if I had not put a stop to it in time, by taking the 

 most useful articles of his property into my possession. 



" On the 28th, Otoo came on board and informed me that 

 he had got a canoe, which he desired I would take with me 

 and carry home, as a present from him to his Majesty the 

 King of Great Britain, whom he called Earee rahie no 

 Pretane ; it being the only thing, he said, that he could send 

 worth his acceptance. I was not a little pleased with Otoo 

 for this mark of his gratitude. It was a thought entirely his 

 own, not one of us having given him the least hint about it ; 

 and it showed that he fully understood to whom he was 

 indebted for the most valuable presents he had received. As 

 it was too large for me to take on board, I could only thank 

 him for his good intention, but it would have pleased 

 him much better if his present could have been accepted. 



" We were detained here some days longer than I ex- 

 pected by light breezes from the west. At length, at three 

 o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th, the wind came at east, 

 and we weighed anchor. 



" The frequent visits we had lately paid to this island 

 seem to have created a full persuasion that the intercourse 

 will not be discontinued. It was strictly enjoined to me 

 by Otoo to request in his name the Earee rahie no Pretane 

 to send him, by the next ships, red feathers, and the birds 

 that produce them, axes, half a dozen muskets, with powder 

 and shot, and by no means to forget horses. 



" If I could have prevailed upon Omai to fix himself 

 at Otaheite I should not have left it so soon as I did ; for 

 there was not a probability of our being better or cheaper 

 supplied with refreshments at any other place than we 

 continued to be here, even at the time of our leaving it. 

 Besides, such a cordial friendship and confidence existed 

 between us and the inhabitants as could hardly be expected 

 any where else ; and it was a little extraordinary that this 

 friendly intercourse had never once been suspended by 

 any untoward accident, nor had there been a theft com- 

 mitted that deserves to be mentioned. 



" When the Spanish ships which had some tune before 

 touched here left the island, four Spaniards remained 

 behind. Two were priests, one a servant, and the fourth 

 made himself very popular among the natives, who dis- 



