jllï. had taken with them their mulkets, with the neceflary
< «— ■> ammunition, and feveral fmall articles of the favourite
•tommodides ; all which the nativés had the dexterity to
ileal from them, in the courfe of their expedition. This
affair was likely to be attended with inconvenient confe-
quences. for, our plundered travellers, upon their return,
without confulting me, employed Omai to complain to the
king of the treatment they had met with. He, not knowing
what ftep I ihould take, and, from what had already happened,
fearing left r might lay him again under reftraint,
¡»Monday 23. went off early the next morning. His example was followed
by Feenou; fo that we had not a Chief, of any authority,
remaining in our neighbourhood. -1 was very much
difpleafed at this, and reprimanded Omai for having prefumed
to meddle. This reprimand put him upon his metal
to bring his friend Feenou back.; and he fucceeded in the
négociation ; having this powerful argument to urge, that
he might depend upon my uiing no violent meafures to
oblige the natives to reftore what had been taken from the
gentlemen. Feenou, trailing to this declaration, returned
toward the evening ; and, encouraged by his reception,
. Poulaho favoured us with his company the day after.
'¡Tuefday 24. Both thefe Chiefs, upon this occafion, very juftly obferved
to me, that, if any of my people, at any time, wanted to
go into the country, they ought to be acquainted with it;
in which cafe they would fend proper people along with
them ; and then they would be anfwerable for their fafety.
And I am convinced, from experience, that, by taking this
very reafonable precaution, a man and his property may be
as fafe among thefe iflanders, as in other parts of the more
civilized world. Though I gave myfelf no trouble about
the recovery of the things ftolen upon this occafion, moft
of
of them, through Feenou’s interpofition, were recovered ; S S I
June.
except one muiket, and a few other articles of inferior <-™~v— •
value. By this time alfo, we had recovered the turkey-
cock, and moft of the tools, and other matters; that had
been ftolen from our workmen.
On the 25th, two boats, which I had fent to look for a Wednef. 25..
channel, by which we might, moft commodioufly, get to
fea, returned. The Matters, who commanded them, reported,
that the channel to the North, by which we came
in, was highly dangerous, being full of coral rocks from
one fide to the other; but that, to the Eaftward, there was
a very good channel; which, however, was very much con-
trailed, in one place, by the fmall iflands; fo that a lead-
ing wind would be requifite to get through it ; that is, a
Wefterly wind, which, we had found, did not often blow
here. We had now recruited the ihips with wood and
water; we had finifhed the repairs of our fails ; and had
little more to expeit from the inhabitants, of the produce of
their ifland. However, as an eclipfe of the fun was to happen
upon the Jth of the next month, I refolved to defer failing ,
till, that time had elapfed, in order to have a chance of ob-
ferving it.
Having, therefore, fome days of leifure before me, a
party of us, accompanied' by Poulaho, fet out, early next
morning, in a boat, for Mooa, the village where he and the ThuriUay 26,-
other great men ufually refide. As we rowed up the inlet;
we met with fourteen canoes fifhing in company ; in one of
which was Poulaho’s fon. In each canoe was a triangular
net, extended between two poles ; at the lower end of which
was a cod to receive and fegure the fifh. They had. already
caught fome fine mullets ; and they put about a dozen into
• our