294 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



common appearance in these islands at that age. He wore 

 a kind of turban, and seemed ashamed to shew his head. 

 They had seen us shave the head of one of their people whom 

 we had caught stealing, they therefore concluded that 

 this was the punishment usually inflicted by us upon all 

 thieves, and one or two of our gentlemen, whose heads were 

 not overburthened with hair, we could observe, lay under 

 violent suspicions of being tetos, or thieves. 



" Having employed two or three days in getting up all our 

 spirit casks to tar their heads, which we found necessary to 

 save them from the efforts of a small insect to destroy them, 

 we hauled the ship off into the stream on the 6th of October, 

 in the morning, intending to put to sea the next day, but an 

 accident happened tl$ftt prevented it. We had sent our 

 goats ashore to graze, with two men to look after them ; not- 

 withstanding which precaution the natives had contrived to 

 steal one of themjthis evening. The loss of this goat would 

 have been of little consequence if it had not interfered with 

 my views of stocking other islands with these animals ; but 

 this being the case, it became necessary to recover it if 

 possible, and after much trouble we succeeded. 



" At Eimeo we abundantly supplied the ships with fire- 

 wood. We had not taken in any at Otaheite, where the 

 procuring this article would have been very inconvenient, 

 there not being a tree at Matavai but what is useful to the 

 inhabitants. We also got here good store of refreshments. 



" There is a very striking difference in the women of this 

 island and those of Otaheite. Those of Eimeo are of low 

 stature, have a dark hue, and, in general, forbidding 

 features. If we met with a fine woman amongst them, we 

 were sure, upon inquiry, to find that she had come from 

 some other island. 



" We left Eimeo on the 12th of October, and the next 

 morning we saw Huaheine. At noon we anchored at the 

 north entrance of Owharre harbour, which is on the west 

 side of the island. 



" Our arrival brought all the principal people of the 

 island to our ships on the next morning, being the 13th. 

 This was just what I wished, as it was high time to think 

 of settling Omai ; - and the presence of these chiefs, I guessed, 

 would enable me to do it in the most satisfactory manner. 

 He now seemed to have an inclination to establish himself 

 at Ulietea ; and if he and I could have agreed about the 

 mode of bringing that plan to bear, I should have had no 

 objection to adopt it. His father had been dispossessed 

 by the men of Bolabola, when they conquered Ulietea, 

 of some land in that island ; and I made no doubt of 

 being able to get it restored to the son in an amicable 



