THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
IOI 
bum his houfe, as foon as we fhould leave the ifland. To 
prevent the fellow’s doing me and Omai any more mifchief, 
I had him feized, and confined again on board the fhip, 
with a view of carrying him off the ifland; and it feemed 
to give general fatisfa6tion to the Chiefs, that I meant thus 
to difpofe of him. He was from Bolabola ; but there were 
too many of the natives here ready to aflift him in any of 
his defigns, whenever he fhould think of executing them. 
I had always met with more troublefome people in Hua- 
heine, than in any other of the neighbouring iflands ; and 
it was only fear, and the want of opportunities, that induced 
them to behave better now. Anarchy feemed to prevail 
among A: them. Their nominal fovereign the Earee rahie , as 
I have before obferved, was but a child; and I did not find, 
that there was any one man, or fet of men, who managed 
the government for him; fo that, whenever any mifunder- 
ftanding happened between us, I never knew, with fuffii- 
cient precifion, where to make application, in order to bring 
about an accommodation, or to procure redrefs. The 
young Chief’s mother would, indeed, fometimes exert her- 
felf; but I did not perceive that file had greater authority 
than many others. 
Omai’s houfe being nearly finifhed, many of his move¬ 
ables were carried afhore on the 26th. Amongft a variety of 
other ufelefs articles was a box of toys, which, when ex- 
pofed to public view, feemed greatly to pleafe the gazing 
multitude. But, as to his pots, kettles, diflies, plates, drink¬ 
ing-mugs, glaffes, and the whole train of our domeftic ac¬ 
commodations, hardly any one of his countrymen would fo 
much as look at them. Omai himfelf now began to think 
that they were of no manner of ufe to him ; that a baked 
hog was more favory food than a boiled one; that a plan- 
tain- 
1777. 
Odtober. 
r 
Sunday 26 , 
