faults belonged to Omai's character, they were more than
overbalanced by his great good-nature and docile disposition.
During the whole time he was with me, I very seldom had reason to
be seriously displeased with his general conduct. His grateful heart
always retained the highest sense of the favours he had received in
England, nor will he ever forget those who honoured him with their
protection and friendship, during his stay there. He had a tolerable
share of understanding, but wanted application and perseverance to
exert it; so that his knowledge of things was very general, and, in
many instances, imperfect. He was not a man of much observation. There
were many useful arts, as well as elegant amusements, amongst the
people of the Friendly Islands, which he might have conveyed to his
own, where they probably would have been readily adopted, as being
so much in their own way. But I never found that he used the least
endeavour to make himself master of any one. This kind of indifference
is indeed the characteristic foible of his nation. Europeans have
visited them at times for these ten years past, yet we could not
discover the slightest trace of any attempt to profit by this
intercourse, nor have they hitherto copied after us in any one thing.
We are not, therefore, to expert that Omai will be able to introduce
many of our arts and customs amongst them, or much improve those to
which they have been long habituated. I am confident, however, that
he will endeavour to bring to perfection the various fruits and
vegetables we planted, which will be no small acquisition. But the
greatest benefit these islands are likely to receive from Omai's
travels, will be in the animals that have been left upon them, which,
probably, they never would have got, had he not come to England. When
these multiply, of which I think there is little doubt, Otaheite and
the Society Islands will equal, if not exceed, any place in the known
word, for provisions.

Omai's return, and the substantial proofs he brought back with him of
our liberality, encouraged many to offer themselves as volunteers
to attend me to _Pretane_. I took every opportunity of expressing my
determination to reject all such applications. But, notwithstanding
this, Omai, who was very ambitious of remaining the only great
traveller, being afraid lest I might be prevailed upon to put others
in a situation of rivalling him, frequently put me in mind that Lord
Sandwich had told