THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
191 
a cuftom with us ? Mr. Burney and I were rather angry 
that they fhould be thus fufpe£ted by him; there having., 
as yet, been no appearances, in their conduct toward us, of 
their being capable of fuch brutality. 
In this manner we were detained the greateft part of the 
day, being fometimes together, and fometimes feparated; 
but always in a crowd; who, not fatisfied with gazing at 
us, frequently delired us to uncover parts of our Ikin; the 
light of which commonly produced a general murmur of 
admiration. At the fame time they did not omit thefe op¬ 
portunities of rifling our pockets; and, at laft, one of them 
fnatched a fmall bayonet from Mr. Gore, which hung in its 
fheath by his fide. This was reprefented to the Chief, 
who pretended to fend fome perfon in fearch of it. But, in 
all probability, he countenanced the theft; for, foon after, 
Omai had a dagger ftolen from his fide, in the fame man¬ 
ner ; though he did not mifs it immediately. 
Whether they obferved any ligns of unealinefs in us, or 
that they voluntarily repeated their emblems of friendfhip 
when we expreffed a delire to go, I cannot tell; but, at this 
time, they brought fome green boughs, and, flicking their 
ends in the ground, delired we might hold them as we fat. 
Upon our urging again the bulinefs we came upon, they 
gave us to underhand, that we mull Hay and eat with 
them; and a pig which we faw, foon after, lying near the 
oven, which they had prepared and heated, removed Omai’s 
apprehenlion of being put into it himfelf; and. made us 
think it might be intended for our repall. The Chief alfo 
promifed to fend fome people to procure food for the cattle; 
but it was not till pretty late in the afternoon, that we faw 
them return with a few plantain-trees, which they carried 
to our boats. 
In 
1777. 
April. 
