DISCOVERY OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 497 



blish him at the neighboring island of Huaheine. A large lot 

 of land was obtained there from the chief, and the carpenters of 

 the two ships set about building him a house fit to contain the 

 European commodities that were his property. Cook told the 

 natives that if Omai were disturbed or harassed he should 

 upon his next visit make them feel the weight of his resent- 

 ment. Omai took possession of his mansion late in October, 

 and on Sunday, November 2, bade adieu to the officers of the 

 ship. He sustained himself in this trying ordeal till he came 

 to Cook, and then gave way to a passionate burst of tears. 

 He wept abundantly while being conveyed on shore. " It was 

 no small satisfaction to reflect," writes Cook, "that we had 

 brought him back safe to the spot from which he was taken. 

 And yet such is the strange nature of human affairs that it is 

 probable we left him in a less desirable situation than he was 

 in before his connection with us. He had tasted the sweets 

 of civilized life, and must now become more miserable from 

 being obliged to abandon all thoughts of continuing them." 

 The career and destiny of Omai were perhaps more remarkable 

 than those of any other savage : he was cherished by Cook, 

 painted by Reynolds, and apostrophized by Cowper. 



During the stay of the vessels at the Society Islands, Cook in- 

 duced the crews to give up their grog and use the milk of cocoa- 

 nuts instead. He submitted it to them whether it would not be 

 injudicious, by drinking their spirits now, to run the risk of 

 having none left in a cold climate, where cordials would be most 

 needed, and whether they would not be content to dispense 

 with their grog now, when they had so excellent a liquor as that 

 of cocoanuts to substitute in its place. The proposal was 

 unanimously agreed to, and the grog was stopped except on 

 Saturday nights. 



Early in February, 1778, Cook made a most important dis- 

 covery, — that of the archipelago now known as the Sandwich 



Islands, so named by Cook in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, 

 32 



