74 
A VOYAGE TO 
1777. any where elfe; and, it w r as a little extraordinary, that this 
^September. p r - en( py intefcourfe had never once been fufpended, by any 
■untoward accident; nor had there been a theft committed 
that deferves to be mentioned. Not that I believe their mo¬ 
rals, in this refpedt, to be much mended ; but am rather of 
opinion, that their regularity of condu6t was owing to the 
fear, the Chiefs were under, of interrupting a traffic which 
they might condder as the means of fecuring to themfelves 
a more conliderable fhare of our commodities, than could 
have been got by plunder or pilfering. Indeed, this point I 
fettled at the firft interview with their Chiefs, after my ar¬ 
rival. For, obferving the great plenty that was in the illand, 
and the eagernefs of the natives to poffefs our various ar¬ 
ticles of trade, I refolved to make the mod: of thefe two 
favourable circumftances, and explained myfelf, in the mod 
decifive terms, that I would not fuffer them to rob us, as 
they had done upon many former occadons. In this, Omai 
was of great ufe, as I inftrudted him to point out to them 
the good confequences of their honed; conduct; and the 
fatal mifchiefs they mud; expedb to fuffer by deviating 
from it. 
It is not always in the power of the Chiefs to prevent rob¬ 
beries ; they are frequently robbed themfelves ; and com¬ 
plain of it as a great evil. Otoo left the mod: valuable 
things he had from me, in my poffeffion, till the day before 
we failed ; and the reafon he gave for it was, that they were 
no where fo fafe. Since the bringing in of new riches, the 
inducements to pilfering mud; have increafed. The Chiefs, 
fendble of this, are now extremely defirous of chefts. They 
feemed to fet much value upon a few that the Spaniards had 
left amongd; them; and they were continually afking us 
for fome. I had one made for Otoo, the dimendons of 
3 which. 
