ours, gave us
not a little trouble to prevent them from pilfering whatever they could
lay their hands upon. We were entertained with cudgelling, wrestling,
and boxing-matches; and, in the latter, both male and female combatants
exhibited. It was intended to have finished the shew with the _bomai_,
or night dance, but an accident either put a total stop to it, or, at
least, prevented any of us from staying ashore to see it. One of my
people, walking a very little way, was surrounded by twenty or thirty of
the natives, who knocked him down, and stripped him of every thing he
had on his back. On hearing of this, I immediately seized two canoes,
and a large hog, and insisted on Taoofa's causing the clothes to be
restored, and on the offenders being delivered up to me. The chief
seemed much concerned at what had happened, and forthwith took the
necessary steps to satisfy me. This affair so alarmed the assembled
people, that most of them fled. However, when they found that I took no
other measures to revenge the insult, they returned. It was not long
before one of the offenders was delivered up to me, and a shirt and a
pair of trowsers restored. The remainder of the stolen goods not coming
in before night, I was under a necessity of leaving them to go aboard;
for the sea run so high, that it was with the greatest difficulty the
boats could get out of the creek with day-light, much less in the dark.

The next morning I landed again, having provided myself with a present
for Taoofa, in return for what he had given me. As it was early, there
were but few people at the landing-place, and those few not without
their fears. But on my desiring Omai to assure them that we meant no
harm; and, in confirmation of this assurance, having restored the canoes
and released the offender, whom they had delivered up to me, they
resumed their usual gaiety; and presently a large circle was formed, in
which the chief, and all the principal men of the island, took their
places. The remainder of the clothes were now brought in; but as they
had been torn off the man's back by pieces, they were not worth carrying
on board. Taoofa, on receiving my present, shared it with three or four
other chiefs, keeping only a small part for himself. This present
exceeded their expectation so greatly, that one of their chiefs, a
venerable old man, told me, that they did not deserve it, considering
how little they had given to me, and the ill treatment one of my peopl