the morning of the 30th, the Bolabola
man, whom I had in confinement, found means to make his escape out' of
the ship. He carried with him the shackle of the bilbo-bolt that was
about his leg, which was taken from him, as soon as he got on shore,
by one of the chiefs, and given to Omai, who came on board very early
in the morning, to acquaint me that his mortal enemy was again let
loose upon him. Upon enquiry, it appeared that not only the sentry
placed over the prisoner, but the whole watch upon the quarter-deck
where he was confined, had laid themselves down to sleep. He
seized the opportunity to take the key of the irons out of the
binnacle-drawer, where he had seen it put, and set himself at liberty.
This escape convinced me that my people had been very remiss in their
night duty, which made it necessary to punish those who were now
in fault, and to establish some new regulations to prevent the
like negligence for the future. I was not a little pleased to hear,
afterward, that the fellow who escaped had transported himself to
Ulietea; in this, seconding my views of putting him a second time in
irons.[3]

[Footnote 3: Might not so spirited a fellow as this, by proper
treatment, have been made a most useful agent? How many talents are
often lost to society, because governments are more necessitated, or
at least more accustomed, to punish transgressions, than willing to
be at the pains of rewarding ability and fostering genius! And yet the
latter process, it might not be difficult to prove, would be much less
expensive than the former.--E.]

As soon as Omai was settled in his new habitation, I began to think
of leaving the island; and got every thing off from the shore, this
evening, except the horse and mare, and a goat big with kid, which
were left in the possession of our friend, with whom we were now
finally to part. I also gave him a boar and two sows of the English
breed; and he had got a sow or two of his own. The horse covered the
mare while we were at Otaheite; so that I consider the introduction of
a breed of horses into these islands as likely to have succeeded, by
this valuable present.

The history of Omai will, perhaps, interest a very numerous class of
readers more than any other occurrence of a voyage, the objects
of which do not, in general, promise much entertainment. Every
circumstance, therefore, which may serve to convey a satisfactory
account of the exact situation in which he was left, will b