fently acquainted them with what we had done at Eimeo,.
and multiplied the number o f houfes and canoes that we'
had deftroyed, by ten at leatt. I was not forry for this ex.-
aggerated a ccount; as I faw, that it made a great imptef—
fion upon all w ho heard-it; fo that I had hopes it would
induce the inhabitants o f this ifiand to behave better to usy.
than they had done during m y former vifits.
While I was at Otaheite, I had learned that m y old friend:
Oree was no longer the C h ie f o f H u ah e in e ; and that, at
this time, he refuted at Ulietea. Indeed, he never had been
more than regent during the minority o f Taireetareea, the
prefent Earee rahie; but he did not give up the regency, till
he was forced. His two fons, Opoony and Towha, were the
firft who paid me a vifit, coming on board before the ihip
was w e ll in the harbour, and b rin g in g a prefent, with,
them.
Our arrival brou ght all the principal people o f the ifland'
to our fhips, on the next mo rn in g, be in g the: igth. This
was juft what I wifhed, as it was h igh time to think, o f fettling
O m a i; and the prefence o f theie Chiefs, I gueifed;
w ou ld enable me to do it in the-moil fatisfadlory manner.
H e now feemed to have an inclination to eftabliih h im fe lf
at U lie tea ; and i f he and I could have: agreed about the
mode o f brin gin g that plan to bear, I mould have had no
o b je c t io n to adopt it. His father had been difpoffeffed by
the m en o f Bolabola, when they conquered Ulietea, o f fome
land in that iflan d ; and I made no doubt o f being able to
g e t it reftored to the fon in an amicable manner. For that
purpofe it was neceffary, that he fhould be upon good terms
with thofe who now were matters o f the ifland ; but he was
too great a patriot to liften to any fuch th in g ; and was,
vain
M o n d a y 13 .
vain enough to fuppofe, that I would reinflate him in his
forfeited lands by force. T his made it impoflible to fix h im c— ---- <
at Ulietea, and pointed out to me Huaheine as the proper
place. I, therefore, refolved to avail m y fe lf o f the prefence
o f the chie f'men o f the ifland,- and to make this propofal to -
them.
A fte r the hu rry or the morning was over, we-got ready tor-’
p a y a formal vifit to Taireetareea, meaning, then to introduce
this bufinefs. Omai dreffed.himfelf ve ry properly on-•
the occafion ; and prepared a handfome prefent for the C h ie f
himfe lf,-an d another.-for his^ Eatoaa.- Indeed, after he had
got clear o f the g a n g that furrounded him. at Otaheite, he
behaved with fuch prudence as to gain r e fp e i f Our landin
g drew moft o f our vifiters from the .fh ip s; and they, as -,
w e ll a stho fé that were on ihore, affembled in a large houfe.
T h e concourfe o f people,-on this-occafion, was very great r
and, amongft them, there appeared to be a g r e a te r proportion
o f perdonable men and women than we had ever feen
hr one affembly- at any o f' thefe s ew iflands. Not only the
b u lk o f the people feemed, in general, much ftouter and
fairer than th o fe -o f Otaheite,'but there' was alfo a much-,
greater number o f men who appeared to be o f confequence,-
in proportion to .the extent o f the ifland ; moft o f whom had
e x a itly the corpulent appearance o f the Chiefs o f Wate.eo,' -
W e waited fome time fo r Taireetareea, as I would do- nothing
till the Earee rahie cam e ; but when he. appeared, I
fou n d that his prefence might have been difpenfed with, as
he was not---above e ight or ten yea r? o f age. Omai, who-
ftood at a little diftance f rom this-circle o f great men, be--
gan with makin g his offering-to the Gods1, .cohfi-ffiing o f red;’
feathers, cloth, &c. Then followed another offering, which
was to be given to the Gods by the C h ie f; and, after that,
j j fc v e r a ir