CHAP . XII.
Some Account o f a Nifit from Otoo, 'Towha, and fevered
other Chiefs; alfo o f a Robbery committed by one o f the
Natives, and its Conferencesy with general Obfervatiom
on the SubjeEl.
1774. TN the morning of the 27th, I received a prefent from
. ■ A Towha, confifting of two large hogs and fome fruit, fenr
Wcdnef. 27. t y tw0 0f his fervants, who had orders not to receive any
thing In returnnor would they when offered them. Soon
after, I went down to Oparree in my boat, where having
found' both this chief and the king, after a fhort Hay, I
hrought them both on board to dinner, together with Tare.-
vatoo the king’s younger brother, and Tee. As fbon as we
drew near the fliip, the admiral,, who. had never feen one
before, began to exprefs much furprize at fo new a fight.
He was conduced all over the fhip, every part of which he
viewed with great attention. On this occafion Otoo was the
principal fliew-manfor, by this time, he was well acquainted
with the different parts of the ffiip. After dinner
Towha put a hog on board, and retired, without my know,
ing any thing of the matter, or having made him any return
either for this, or the prefent I had in the morning. Soon,
after, the king and his attendants went away alfo. Otoo not,-
©nly feemed to pay this chief much refpect, but was de-
firous I fliould do the fame ; and yet he was jealous of him,,
but on what account we knew. not. It was but the day,-
before
before that he frankly told us, Towha was not his friend. '774-
J . . April. Both thefe chiefs when on board folicited me to affift them e— ------
againft Tiarabou, notwithstanding a peace at this time fub-
fifted between the two kingdoms, and we were told that
their joint force was to go againft Eimeo. Whether this
was done witha view of breaking with their neighbours and
allies, if I had promifed them afliftance, or only to found my
difpofition, I know not. Probably they would have been
ready enough to have embraced an opportunity, which
would have enabled them to conquer that kingdom, and annex
it to their own, as it was formerly: be this as it may, I
heard no more of i t ; indeed, I gave them, no encouragement.
Next day we had'a prefent of a hog fent by Wahea toua Ttwa»y »si-
king of Tiarabou. For this, in return, he defired a few red
feathers, which were, together with other things, fent him
accordingly. Mr. Forfter and his party fet out for the
mountains, with an intent to flay-out all night. I did not go
out of the fhip this day.
Early in the morning of the 29th, Otoo, Towha, and feve- Friday 29...
ral other grandees, came on board, and brought with them,
as prefents, not only provifions, but fome of the moft valuable
curiofities of the iiland, I made them returns, with
which they were well pleafed. I-like wife, took this opportunity
to repay the civilities I had received from Towha.-
The night before, one of the natives attempting to fteal a>-
water-cafk from the watering-place, he was caught in the-
adt, fent on board, and put in irons ; in which fituation Otoo-
and the other chiefs faw him. Having made known his ■
crime to them, Otoo begged he might be fet at liberty. This»
I-’refufcd,,