THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
oil fhore, however carefully guarded, I was fenfible, run no 
fmall rifk, when I confidered the thievifh difpohtion of 
many of the natives, and their dexterity in appropriating to 
themfelves by health, what they faw no profpech of obtain¬ 
ing by fair means. For this reafon I thought it prudent to 
declare my intention of leaving behind me fome of our 
animals; and even to make a dihribution of them previ- 
oufly to my departure. 
With this view, in the evening of the 19th, I ahembled 
all the Chiefs before our houfe, and my intended prefents 
to them were marked out. To Poulaho, the king, I gave a 
young Englilh bull and cow; to Mareewagee, a Cape ram, 
and two ewes; and to Feenou, a horfe and a mare. As my 
dehgn, to make fuch a dihribution, had been made known 
the day before, moh of the people in the neighbourhood 
were then prefent. I inhructed Omai to tell them, that there 
were no fuch animals within many months fail of their 
ihand; that we had brought them, for their ufe, from that 
immenfe dihance, at a vah trouble and expence; that, 
therefore, they muh be careful not to kill any of them, 
till they had multiplied to a numerous race; and, laftly, 
that they and their children ought to remember, that they 
had received them from the men of Britane. He alfo ex¬ 
plained to them their feveral ufes, and what elfe was ne- 
ceffary for them to know, or rather as far as he knew; 
for Omai was not very well verfed in fuch things himfelf. 
As I intended that the above prefents fhould remain with 
the other cattle, till we were ready to fail, I dehred each of 
the Chiefs to fend a man or two to look after their refpeclive 
animals, along with my people, in order that they might 
be better acquainted with them, and with the manner 
of treating them. The king and Feenou did fo; but nei¬ 
ther 
303 
1777. 
June. 
Thurfday igj. 
