eparate sentences, part of which
was dictated by those about him. He was answered by one from the
opposite side, near the chief. Etary spoke next, then Omai, and both
of them were answered from the same quarter. These orations were
entirely about my arrival, and connexions with them. The person who
spoke last told me, among other things, that the men of _Reema_, that
is, the Spaniards, had desired them not to suffer me to come into
Oheitepeha Bay, if I should return any more to the island, for that it
belonged to them; but that they were so far from paying any regard to
this request, that he was authorised now to make a formal surrender of
the province of Tiaraboo to me, and of every thing in it; which marks
very plainly that these people are no strangers to the policy of
accommodating themselves to present circumstances. At length, the
young chief was directed by his attendants to come and embrace me,
and, by way of confirming this treaty of friendship, we exchanged
names. The ceremony being closed, he and his friends accompanied me on
board to dinner.
Omai had prepared a _maro_, composed of red and yellow feathers, which
he intended for Otoo, the king of the whole island; and, considering
where we were, it was a present of very great value. I said all that I
could to persuade him not to produce it now, wishing him to keep it on
board till an opportunity should offer of presenting it to Otoo with
his own hands. But he had too good an opinion of the honesty and
fidelity of his countrymen to take my advice. Nothing would serve him
but to carry it ashore on this occasion, and to give it to Waheiadooa,
to be by him forwarded to Otoo, in order to its being added to the
royal _maro_. He thought by this management that he should oblige both
chiefs; whereas he highly disobliged the one, whose favour was of the
most consequence to him, without gaining any reward from the other.
What I had foreseen happened, for Waheiadooa kept the _maro_ for
himself, and only sent to Otoo a very small piece of feathers, not the
twentieth part of what belonged to the magnificent present.
On the 19th, this young chief made me a present of ten or a dozen
hogs, a quantity of fruit, and some cloth. In the evening, we played
off some fire-works, which both astonished and entertained the
numerous spectators.
This day, some of our gentlemen in their walks found what they were
pleased to call a Roman Catholic chapel. Indeed, from their account,
t
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