THIRD VOYAGE 299 



baked hog was more savoury food than a boiled one ; that 

 a plantain leaf made as good a dish or plate as pewter ; and 

 a cocoa-nut shell was as convenient a goblet as a black jack. 

 And, therefore, he very wisely disposed of as many of these 

 articles of English furniture for the kitchen and pantry, as 

 he could find purchasers for, amongst the people of the ships, 

 receiving from them in return, hatchets, and other iron tools, 

 which had a more intrinsic value in this part of the world, 

 and added more to his distinguishing superiority over those 

 with whom he was to pass the remainder of his days. 



" Early in the morning of the 30th, the Bolabola man, 

 whom I had in confinement, found means to make his 

 escape out of the ship. Upon inquiry, it appeared that 

 not only the sentry placed over the prisoner, but the whole 

 watch upon the quarter-deck where he was confined, had 

 laid themselves down to sleep. He seized the opportunity 

 to take the key of the irons out of the binnacle drawer 

 where he had seen it put, and set himself at liberty. I was 

 not a little pleased to hear, afterwards, that this fellow had 

 transported himself to Ulietea. 



" As soon as Omai was settled in his new habitation, I 

 began to think of leaving the island, and got everything off 

 from the shore this evening, except the horse and mare, 

 and a goat big with kid, which were left in the possession 

 of our friend, with whom we were now finally to part. I 

 also gave him a boar and two sows of the English breed ; 

 and he had got a sow or two of his own. 



" The history of Omai will, perhaps, interest a very 

 numerous class of readers, more than any other occurrence 

 of the voyage. Every circumstance, therefore, which may 

 serve to convey a. satisfactory account of the exact situation 

 in which he was left, will be thought worth preserving, and 

 the following particulars are added to complete the view 

 of his domestic establishment. He had picked up at 

 Otaheite four or five Toutous ; the two New Zealand 

 youths remained with him, and his brother, and some 

 others joined him at Huaheine, so that his family consisted 

 already of eight or ten persons, if that can be called a 

 family, to which not a single female, as yet belonged. At 



S resent Omai did not seem at all disposed to take unto 

 imself a wife. 



" The house that we erected for him was twenty-four feet 

 by eighteen, and ten feet high. It was settled that, immedi- 

 ately after our departure, he should begin to build a large 

 house, after the fashion of his country, one end of which 

 was to be brought over that which we had erected, so as to 

 inclose it entirely for greater security. In this work, some 

 of the chiefs promised to assist him, and, if the intended 

 I 



