THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
77 
or on any other fubje£t. The priefts reflded conftantly in 1777. 
the houfe at Oheitepeha; but Mateema roved about, viftting ^ cp - c t - b cr J 
moft parts of the ifland. At length, after he and his compa¬ 
nions had ftayed ten months, two fhips came to Oheitepeha, 
took them on board, and failed again in five days. This 
hafty departure fliews, that, whatever defign the Spaniards 
might have had upon this ifland, they had now laid it afide. 
And yet, as I was informed by Otoo, and many others, be¬ 
fore they went away, they would have the natives believe, 
that they ftill meant to return, and to bring with them 
houfes, all kinds of animals, and men and women who 
were to fettle, live, and die, on the ifland. Otoo, when he 
told me this, added, that if the Spaniards fhould return, he 
would not let them come to Matavai Fort, which, he faid, 
was ours. It was eafy to fee, that the idea pleafed him; 
little thinking, that the completion of it would, at once, 
deprive him of his kingdom, and the people of their liber¬ 
ties. This fliews with what facility a fettlement might be 
made at Otaheite; which, grateful as I am for repeated 
good offices, I hope will never happen. Our occaflonal 
viflts may, in fome refpeCts, have benefited its inhabi¬ 
tants ; but a permanent eftablifliment amongfl them, con¬ 
ducted as moft European eftabliftiments amongfl: Indian 
nations have unfortunately been, would, I fear, give them 
juft caufe to lament, that our fhips had ever found them 
-out. Indeed, it is very unlikely, that any meafure of this 
kind fhould ever be ferioufly thought of, as it can neither 
ferve the purpofes of public ambition, nor of private ava¬ 
rice ; and, without fuch inducements, I may pronounce, 
that it will never be undertaken. 
I have already mentioned the vifit that I had from one of 
the two natives of this ifland, who had been carried by the 
Spaniards 
