A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
Omai had also provided himself with a good stock of cloth and
cocoa-nut oil, which are not only in greater plenty, but much better
at Otaheite, than at any of the Society Islands, insomuch that they
are articles of trade. Omai would not have behaved so inconsistently,
and so much unlike himself, as he did in many instances, but for his
sister and brother-in-law, who, together with a few more of their
acquaintance, engrossed him entirely to themselves, with no other
view than to strip him of every thing he had got. And they would,
undoubtedly, have succeeded in their scheme, if I had not put a stop
to it in time, by taking the most useful articles of his property into
my possession. But even this would not have saved Omai from ruin, if
I had suffered these relations of his to have gone with, or to have
followed us to, his intended place of settlement, Huaheine. This they
had intended; but I disappointed their farther views of plunder, by
forbidding them to shew themselves in that island, while I remained in
the neighbourhood; and they knew me too well not to comply.
On the 28th, Otoo came on board, and informed me that be had got a
canoe, which he desired I would take with me, and carry home, as a
present from him to the _Earee rahie no Pretane_; it being the only
thing, he said, that he could send worth his majesty's acceptance. I
was not a little pleased with Otoo, for this mark of his gratitude.
It was a thought entirely his own, not one of us having given him the
least hint about it; and it shewed, that he fully understood to whom
he was indebted for the most valuable presents that he had received.
At first, I thought that this canoe had been a model of one of their
vessels of war; but I soon found that it was a small _evaa_, about
sixteen feet long. It was double, and seemed to have been built for
the purpose; and was decorated with all those pieces of carved work
which they usually fix upon their canoes. As it was too large for me
to take on board, I could only thank him for his good intention; but
it would have pleased him much better if his present could have been
accepted.
We were detained here some days longer than I expected, by light
breezes from the west, and calms by turns; so that we could not get
out of the bay. During this time, the ships were crowded with our
friends, and surrounded by a multitude of canoes; for not one would
leave the place till we were gone. At length, at three o'clock in the
afternoon of the 29th, the wind came at east, and we weighed anchor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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