THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
3^5 
of all ages, and both fexes, addicted; and to an uncommon 
degree. It fhould, however, be confidered, that this excep¬ 
tionable part of their conduct feemed to exift merely with 
refpeCl to us; for, in their general intercoixrfe v r ith one an¬ 
other, I had reafon to be of opinion, that thefts do not 
happen more frequently (perhaps lefs fo) than in other 
countries, the dilhoneft practices of whofe worthlefs indi¬ 
viduals are not fuppofed to authorize any indifcriminate 
cenfure on the whole body of the people. Great allow¬ 
ances fhould be made for the foibles of thefe poor natives 
of the Pacific Ocean, whofe minds we overpowered with 
the glare of objects, equally new to them, as they were cap¬ 
tivating. Stealing, amongfl the civilized and enlightened 
nations of the world, may well be confidered as denoting a 
character deeply ftained with moral turpitude, with avarice 
unreftrained by the known rules of right, and with profli¬ 
gacy producing extreme indigence, and neglecting the 
means of relieving it. But at the Friendly and other illands 
which we vifited, the thefts, fo frequently committed by 
the natives, of what we had brought along with us, may 
be fairly traced to lefs culpable motives. They feemed 
to arife, folely, from an intenfe curiofity or defire to poffefs 
fomething which they had not been accuftomed to before, 
and belonging to a fort of people fo different from them- 
felves. And, perhaps, if it were poflible, that a fet of be¬ 
ings, feemingly as fuperior in our judgment, as we are in 
theirs, fhould appear amongfl us, it might be doubted, 
whether our natural regard to juflice would be able to re¬ 
train many from falling into the fame error. That I have 
afllgned the true motive for their propenfity to this practice, 
appears from their Healing every thing indifcriminately at 
firft fight, before they could have the leafl conception of 
Vol. I. 3D converting 
1 777* 
July. 
