THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
359 
being made Chief of this idand, if he would have Itaid 1777. 
amongft them; and it is not clear to me, that he would , ^ !y ' 
not have been glad to day, if the fcheme had met with my 
approbation. I own, I did difapprove of it; hut not be- 
caufe I thought that Omai would do better for himfelf in 
his own native ifle. 
On returning from my country expedition, we were 
informed that a party of the natives had, in the circle 
where our people traded, ftruck one of their own country¬ 
men with a club, which laid bare, or, as others faid, frac¬ 
tured his fkull, and then broke his thigh with the fame; 
when our men interpofed. He had no ligns of life, when 
carried to a neighbouring houfe; but afterward recovered 
a little. On my afking the reafon of fo fevere a treat¬ 
ment, we were informed, that he had been difcovered 
in a fituation rather indelicate, with a woman who was 
taboo’d . We, however, underdood, that die was no 
otherwife taboo'd^ than by belonging to another perfon, 
and rather fuperior in rank to her gallant. From this 
circumftance, we had an opportunity of obferving, how 
thefe people treat inch infidelities. But the female finner 
has, by far, the fmaller fhare of punidiment for her mif- 
demeanor; as they told us, that die would only receive a 
dight beating. 
The next morning, I planted a pine-apple, and fowed Monday i 4 > 
the feeds of melons, and other vegetables in the Chief’s 
plantation. I had fome encouragement, indeed, to Batter 
myfelf, that my endeavours of this kind would not be 
fruitlels; for, this day, there was ferved up at my dinner, 
a dilh of turnips, being the produce of the feeds I had left 
here during my. lad voyage, 
I had fixed upon the 15th for failing, till Taoofa preffed Tuefday 
me 
