ing stripped of every thing he had got
from us, as soon as he should cease to have us within his reach, to
enforce the good behaviour of his countrymen, by an immediate appeal
to our irresistible power.

A man who is richer than his neighbours is sure to be envied, by
numbers who wish to see him brought down to their own level. But
in countries where civilization, law, and religion impose their
restraints, the rich have a reasonable ground of security. And besides
there being, in all such communities, a diffusion of property, no
single individual need fear, that the efforts of all the poorer
sort can ever be united to injure him, exclusively of others who are
equally the objects of envy. It was very different with Omai. He was
to live amongst those who are strangers, in a great measure, to any
other principle of action besides the immediate impulse of their
natural feelings. But, what was his principal danger, he was to be
placed in the very singular situation of being the only rich man in
the community to which he was to belong. And having, by a fortunate
connection with us, got into his possession an accumulated quantity of
a species of treasure which none of his countrymen could create by any
art or industry of their own; while all coveted a share of this envied
wealth, it was natural to apprehend that all would be ready to join in
attempting to strip its sole proprietor.

To prevent this, if possible, I advised him to make a proper
distribution of some of his moveables to two or three of the principal
chiefs, who, being thus gratified themselves, might be induced to
take him under their patronage, and protect him from the injuries
of others. He promised to follow my advice; and I heard, with
satisfaction, before I sailed, that this very prudent step had been
taken. Not trusting, however, entirely to the operations of gratitude,
I had recourse to the more forcible motive of intimidation. With this
view, I took every opportunity of notifying to the inhabitants, that
it was my intention to return to their island again, after being
absent the usual time; and that, if I did not find Omai in the same
state of security in which I was now to leave him, all those whom, I
should then discover to have been his enemies, might expect to feel
the weight of my resentment. This threatening declaration; will,
probably, have no inconsiderable effect; for our successive visits of
late years have taught these people to believe that o