1777. keeper. T he fame ca-iafe alfo retarded the cau lkin g, and
. Auf ft' , other neceflary repairs o f the ihips.
In the evenin g o f this day, the natives made a precipitate
retreat, both from on board the ihips, and from our ftation
on Chore. For what reafon, w e could not, at firft, learn ;
though, in general, w e gueiled if arofe from their kn ow in g
that fome theft had been committed, and apprehending pu-
niihment on that account. At length, I underftood w hat
had happened. One pf the furgeon’s mates had been in the-
country to purchafe curiofities, and had taken with him
fo u r hatchets fo r that purpofe. Ha vin g employed one o f
the natives to carry them for him, the fe llow took an opportunity
to run o ff with fo valuable a prize. T h is was the
caufe o f the fudden flight, in w h ich Otoo himfe lf, and his
w ho le fam ily , had jo ined; and it was w ith difficulty that I
flopped them, after fo llow in g them tw o or three miles. As
I had refolved to take no meafures fo r the recovery o f the
hatchets, in order to put m y people u pon their guard
againfl fuch n eg lig en ce for the future, I found’ no diffi-
cu lty in b r in g in g the natives back,, and in reftoring every
thin g to its u fu a l tranquillity.
Hitherto, the attention o f Otoo and his people had been
Saturday 30. . r c . r
confined to us ; but, next morning, a new fcene o f buii-
nefs opened, by the arrival, o f fome meffengers from Eimeo,.
or (as it is much oftener called by the natives) Morea*,.with
intelligence, that the people in that ifland were in a rm s ;
and that Otoo’s partizans there had been worfted, and
obliged to retreat to the mountains. T h e quarrel between,
the two iflands, w hich commenced in 177.4, as mentioned in ,
* Morea, according to Dr. Forfter, is a diftriit in Eimeo. See his Obfervations?..
p. 2 1 7 . [
the.
the account o f m y laft voyage, had, it feems, partly fub-
filled ever fiiice. T h e formidable armament which I faw, —
at that time, and defcribed f , had failed foon after I then
le ft Otaheite; but the malcontents o f Eimeo had made fo
flout a refiftance, that the fleet had returned without ef-
fedting much ; and now another expedition was neceflary.
On the arrival o f thefe meffengers, all the Chiefs, who
happened to be at Matavai, aflembled at Otoo’s houfe, where:
I adtually was at the time, and had the honour to be admitted
into their council. One o f the meffengers opened
the bufinefs o f the affembly, in a fpeech o f confiderable
len gth . But 1 underftood little o f it, befides.its general
purport, w hich was ta explain the fituation o f affairs in
Eimeo; and to excite the aflembled Chiefs o f Otaheite to
arm on the occafion. This opinion was combated by others
w ho were againfl commencing hoftiliries; and the debate
was carried on with great order; no more than one man
fpeaking at a time. At laft, they became very noify, and
I expedl-ed that our meeting wou ld have ended lik e a Poliih
diet. But the contending great men cooled as fail as they
g r ew warm, and order was foon reftored. At length; the
party for w a r p re va iled ; and it w a s determined) that a*
ftrong force fhould be fent to aflift their friends in Eimeo..
But this re folution was fa r from b e in g unanimous. Otoo,
during the whole'debate, remained f ilen t ; except that, now
and then, he addrefled a word or two to the fpeakers. Thofe
o f the council, w ho were fo r profecuting the war, applied
to me fo r m y a ffiftance; and all o f them wanted to know
whac part I would take. Omai was fent for to be m y interpreter
; but, as he could not be found, I was obliged to-
ipeak for m y felf, and told them, as w e ll as I could, that a s
t See Cook’s Voyage, Vol. i. p. 347, &V.
I was.