6o 
A VOYAGE TO 
^ * 777 - 
September. 
V-- > 
battle; the fate of which generally decides the difpute. The 
vanquifhed fave themfelves by a precipitate flight; and 
fuch as reach the Ihore fly, with their friends, to the moun¬ 
tains ; for the victors, while their fury lafts, fpare neither 
the aged, nor women, nor children. The next day, they 
aflemble at the moral , to return thanks to the Eatooa for 
the victory, and to offer up the flain as facrifices, and the 
priforiers alfo, if they have any. After this, a treaty is fet 
on foot; and the conquerors, for the moft part, obtain their 
own terms ; by which particular diftridts of land, and, fome- 
times, -whole illands, change their owners. Omai told us, 
that he was once taken a prifoner by the men of Bolabola, 
and carried to that ifland, where he and fome others would 
have been put to death the next day, if they had not found 
means to elcape in the night. 
As foon as this mock-fight was over, Omai put on his 
fuit of armour, mounted a ftage in one of the canoes, and 
was paddled all along the fhore of the bay; fo that every 
one had a full view of him. His coat of mail did not draw 
the attention of his countrymen fo much as might have 
been expected. Some of them, indeed, had feen a part of 
it before; and there w T ere others, again, who had taken 
fuch a diflike to Omai, from his imprudent conduct at this 
place, that they would hardly look at any thing, however 
lingular, that was exhibited by him. 
CHAP. 
