• *773«
September.
diately refolved upon to follow, in order to undeceive him,,
and give him freffi affurances of friendflup. We rowed
along fhore for feveral miles, till we came to the place to
which he had retired. At our interview all were in tears,
fo that we were obliged to have recourfe to a variety of
careffes, to infpire them with new confidence towards us,
and our beads, nails, and hatchets, were not the leaft efficacious
arguments. They told us they believed captain
Cook would confine them, in order to force their countrymen
to bring back thofe people who. were run away from
us to O-Taha. We now faw through their miftake, and
allured them that our party had not run away but was
fent on purpofe, and would certainly return this night.
Orea not yet fatisfied, named each of the principal per ons
in that party fingly, and enquired concerning every one,
whether he would come back, and the pofitive anfwers
which we returned, at laft quieted his apprehenfions. While
we were fitting in a circle with them, Porea our Taheman,
Who intended to go to England, came running to the captain
returned the powder-horn, which he had hitherto
carried for him, and faid he would come back to us pre-
fently. We watted in vain a good while, and at laft were
obliged to return on board without him •, nor did we fee
him again during the little time we remained on the ifland.
From the natives we could gather but little information,
and the captain fearing left they Ihould take new alarm.
if he interefted himfelf too ftrongly in his behalf, entirely September.
dropped the enquiry. After dinner I accompanied him
to the fhore again, on a vilit to Orea. A very handfome
youth, about feventeen years of age, who went by the name
of O-Hedeedee, and who appeared to be of the better fort of
people by his complexion and good garments, addreffed
himfelf to me, expreffing a defire to embark for England.
I was not inclined .to believe at firft, that he would forfake
the eafy way of life, which perfons of his rank enjoyed in
thefe iflandis, and tailing at bis propofal, told him the disagreeable
circunaftanees to which he expofed himfelf by
leaving his country. But, though I reprefented to him the
rigours of climate which we had to endure, and the had
provifions to which he ffiould be reduced in time, he was
not to be diffuaded from his refolution, and a number of
his friends joined with him to defire his admittance into
our ffiip. Upon this I prefented him to captain Cook, and
he having granted his requeft, we all returned on. hoard
together. Before fun-fet our boats returned from O-Taha,
where they had eollefied a load of bananas and coco-nuts,
and a few hogs. They landed there on the 14th in the
morning, after a few hours fail, in a fine bay on the eaft
fide, called O Hamene. The country and its inhabitants
perfiedlly refembled thofe of the other iflands in this archipelago.
Their productions, vegetable and animal, were
in general the fame, varying only in the abundance or
G g g 2 fcarcity