$ 9 2
su’ embe» preferring a voluntary exile, to a fubmiffion to the conqueror,
and hoping one day torefcue their country from opprellion.
It feems, this was the motive which prompted Tupaia and
O-Ma't, who were both natives of Raietea, to embark in
Britifli fhips, as both of them always exprefifed a hope of
obtaining a quantity of our fire-arms. Tupaia might perhaps
have carried his fcheme into execution, if he had lived;
but O-Mai’s underftanding was not fufficiently penetrative,
to acquire a competent idea of our wars, or to adapt it afterwards
to the fituation of his countrymen. He was, however,
fo fond of the thought of freeing his country from
the Borabara men, that he has frequently faid, in England,
if captain Cook did not affift him in the execution of his
plan, he would take care that his countrymen fliould
not fupply him with refrefliments. In this opinion be
perfifted till near the time of his departure, when he was
perfuaded to adopt more peaceable principles. We were
at a lofs to conceive the motives which could have induced
a native of one of thefe iflands to become a conqueror.
If we believed the accounts of the Borabora men, their native
ifland was as fertile and defireable as thefe of which
they had taken pofleffion; therefore nothing but a fpirit
of ambition could have ftimulated them to contentions.
Such a fpirit ill agreed with the fimplicity and generous
charadter of the people, and it gave us pain to be convinced,
that.
that great imperfedtions cannot be excluded from the beft September.
of human Societies.
On the day after our arrival, the captains went on Chore Thu.rday s.
■ with us to a large houfe, clofe to the water’s fide, which he
knew to be the refidence of Orea, the chief of the diftridh
We found him fitting in his houfe, with his wife, fon,
daughter, and a great number of perfons of diftindtion.
Immediately after our arrival we fat down by them, and
were Ihut in on all fides by a thick croud of the natives,
who made the place exceflively hot. Orea was a middle-
fized, lufty man, with a very lively intelligent countenance,
and thin redifii-brown beard. He joked and laughed very
heartily with us, and entirely banifhed all kinds of ceremony
and afifedlation. His wife was an elderly woman,
but his fon and daughter, about twelve and fourteen years
did. The latter was of a very white colour, and her features
had not much of the general charadter of the nation,
particularly her nofe, which was remarkably well-fhaped,
and her eyes, which gave her fome refemblance to a Chi-
nefe. Her fiature was low, but her body elegantly proportioned,
and her hands graceful beyond defcription ; only
the legs and feet were too large for the reft of the figure,
and the cuftom of cutting the hair fliort, appeared to be a
great difadvantage. Her manners were very engaging,
and fire had a pleafing foft voice, dike moft of her countrywomen,
fo that file could not be refufed', when fire a Iked
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