THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
97 
tions. I was forry, however, to difcover, that, though they 
were too honeft to do him any injury, they were of too little 
confequence in the illand to do him any poAtive good. 
They had neither authority nor influence to protect his 
perfon, or his property ; and, in that helplefs Atuation, I 
had reafon to apprehend, that he run great rifle of being 
ftripped of every thing he had got from us, as foon as he 
fhould ceafe to have us within his reach, to enforce the 
good behaviour of his countrymen, by an immediate appeal 
to our irreflftible power. 
A man who is richer than his neighbours is fare to be 
envied, by numbers who wifli to fee him brought down 
to their own level. But in countries where civilization, 
law, and religion, impofe their reftraints, the rich have 
a reafonable ground of fecurity. And, befides, there be¬ 
ing, in all fuch communities, a diffufion of property, no 
Angle individual need fear, that the efforts of all the 
poorer fort can ever be united to injure him, excluflvely 
of others who are equally the objects of envy. It was 
very different with Omai. He was to live amongft thofe 
who are ftrangers, in a great meafure, to any other prin¬ 
ciple of acffion beAdes the immediate impulfe of their na¬ 
tural feelings. But, what was his principal danger, he 
was to be placed in the very Angular Atuation, of being 
the only rich man in the community to which he was to 
belong. And having, by a fortunate connection with us, 
got into his poffeflion an accumulated quantity of a fpecies 
of treafure which none of his countrymen could create 
by any art or induftry of their own; while all coveted a 
fliare of this envied wealth, it was natural to apprehend 
that all would be ready to join in attempting to ftrip its 
foie proprietor. 
Vol. II. 
To 
I 777* 
October. 
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