*777*
tO&ober.
w h ich not a fingle female, as yet, b e lo n g ed ; nor, I doubt,
w as lik e ly to belong, unlefs its matter became lei's volatile.
A t prefent, Omai did npt feem at all difpofed to. take unto
h im fe lf a wife.
T h e houfe w hich we erected fo r him was twenty-four
feet by eighteen ; and ten feet h igh . It was compofed o f
boards, the fpoils o f our military operations.at Eimeo; and,
in building it, as few naikL. as ppffibl% ysrere ufed, that
there migh t be no inducement, from the love o f iron, to pull
it down. It was fettled, that immediately after our departure,
he ihould begin to build a large houfe a fter the
faih ion o f his co u n t r y ; one end o f w hich was to be
brought over that which we had erected, fo as to enclofe it
entirely fo r greater fecurity. In this work, fome o f the
Chiefs promifed to affift h im ; and, i f the intended buildin
g ihould cover the ground which he marked out, it w ill
be as large as moil upon the illand.
His European weapons confided o f a muiket, bayonet, and
ca rtou ch-box ; a fowlin g -p ie ce ; two pair o f p id o ls ; and two
o r three fwords or cutlaffes- T he poilcffion o f thefe made
him quite h a p p y ; which was my only view in g iv in g him
fu ch prefents. For I was always o f opinion, that he would
have been happier without fire-arms, and other European
weapons, than with them j as fuch implements.of war, in
the hands o f one, whofe prudent ufe o f them 1 had fome
g r o u n d s for midrufting, would rather encreafc his dangers
t h a n edablifh his fuperiority. After he had got on ihore
every thing that belonged to him, and was fettled in his
houfe, he had mod o f the officers o f both ihips, tw o 'o r
three times, to dinner ; and his table was always well fup-
plied with the very bed provifions that the ifland produced.
Before
Before I failed, I had the fo llow in g infcription cut upon
the outlide o f his h o u fe : .
Georgius Tertius, Rex, 2 Novembris, 1 7 7 7 .
Naves S^ef ° ^ l0n' Cook, Pr.
I Difcovery, Car. Clerke, Pr.
On the fecond o f November, at fo u r in the afternoon, I November,
took the advantage o f a breeze, w h ich then fprun g up at Smil* 2-
Ead, and failed out o f the harbour. Mod o f our friends
remained on board till the ihips were under f a i lw h e n , to
g ra tify their curiolity, I ordered five guns tQ be fired. T h e y
then all took their leave, except Omai, w h o rem a in ed 'till
we were at fea. We had come to fail by a hawfer faftened
to the ihore. In cad in g the ihip, it parted, b e in g cut b y
the rocks, and the outer end was le ft behind ; as thofe who
cad it off, did not perceive that it was b ro k en ; fo that it
became neceffary to fend a boat to bring it on board. In
this boat, Omai went aihore, after tak ing a ve ry affectionate
fa rew e l-o f all the officers.. He fudained h im fe lf with a
manly refolution, till he came to me. Then his utmoft e fforts
to conceal his tears fa ile d ; and Mr. K ihg , who went
in the boat, told me, that he wept all the time in go in g
aihore. ' ' ..
It was no fmall fatisfadion to red ed , that w e had brought
him fafe back to the very fpot from w h ich he was taken.
And, yet, fuch is the drange nature o f human affairs, that 0
it is probable we left him in a lefs defirable fituation, than
he was in before his connexion with us. I do nor, by this',
mean, that, becaufe -he has taded the fweets o f civilized
life, he mud become more miferable from being obliged to
abandon all thoughts o f continuing them. I confine m y fe lf
to this fingle diiagreeable circumdance, that the advantages
V o r . I I . p . gh e