A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels | Page 7

of the sides, which were
perpendicular, were curiously incrustated with flat white shells,
disposed nearly in concentric semicircles, with the curve upward. One
of the canoes carried seven, and the other eight men, and they were
managed with small paddles, whose blades were nearly round. Each of
them had a pretty long outrigger; and they sometimes paddled, with the
two opposite sides together so close, that they seemed to be one boat
with two outriggers, the rowers turning their faces occasionally to the
stern, and pulling that way, without paddling the canoes round. When
they saw us determined to leave them, they stood up in their canoes,
and repeated something very loudly in concert, but we could not tell
whether this was meant as a mark of their friendship or enmity. It is
certain, however, that they had no weapons with them, nor could we
perceive with our glasses that those on shore had any.[2]
[Footnote 2: This is the island on which Fletcher Christian, chief
mutineer of the Bounty, attempted to form a settlement in 1789, as we
shall have occasion to notice when treating of another voyage.--E.]
After leaving this island, from the discovery of which future navigators
may possibly derive some advantage, I steered to the N. with a fresh
gale at E. by S., and, at day-break in the morning of the 12th, we saw
the island of Maitea. Soon after, Otaheite made its appearance; and at
noon, it extended from S.W. by W. to W.N.W.; the point of Oheitepeha
bay bearing W., about four leagues distant. I steered for this bay,
intending to anchor there, in order to draw what refreshments I could
from the S.E. part of the island, before I went down to Matavai, from
the neighbourhood of which station I expected my principal supply. We
had a fresh gale easterly, till two o'clock in the afternoon, when, being
about a league from the bay, the wind suddenly died away, and was
succeeded by baffling light airs from every direction, and calms by
turns. This lasted about two hours. Then we had sudden squalls, with

rain, from the E. These carried us before the bay, where we got a breeze
from the land, and attempted in vain to work in to gain the
anchoring-place. So that at last about nine o'clock, we were obliged to
stand out, and to spend the night at sea.
When we first drew near the island, several canoes came off to the ship,
each conducted by two or three men; but, as they were common fellows,
Omai took no particular notice of them, nor they of him. They did not
even seem to perceive that he was one of their countrymen, although
they conversed with him for some time. At length, a chief whom I had
known before, named Ootee, and Omai's brother-in-law, who chanced
to be now at this corner of the island, and three or four more persons,
all of whom knew Omai before he embarked with Captain Furneaux,
came on board. Yet there was nothing either tender or striking in their
meeting. On the contrary, there seemed to be a perfect indifference on
both sides, till Omai, having taken his brother down into the cabin,
opened the drawer where he kept his red feathers, and gave him a few.
This being presently known amongst the rest of the natives upon deck,
the face of affairs was entirely turned, and Ootee, who would hardly
speak to Omai before, now begged that they might be tayos (friends),
and exchange names. Omai accepted of the honour, and confirmed it
with a present of red feathers, and Ootee, by way of return, sent ashore
for a hog. But it was evident to every one of us, that it was not the man,
but his property, they were in love with. Had he not shewn to them his
treasure of red feathers, which is the commodity in greatest estimation
at the island, I question much whether they would have bestowed even
a cocoa-nut upon him. Such was Omai's first reception amongst his
countrymen. I own, I never expected it would be otherwise; but still I
was in hopes that the valuable cargo of presents with which the
liberality of his friends in England had loaded him, would be the means
of raising him into consequence, and of making him respected, and
even courted by the first persons throughout the extent of the Society
Islands. This could not but have happened, had he conducted himself
with any degree of prudence; but, instead of it, I am sorry to say that he
paid too little regard to the repeated advice of those who wished him
well, and suffered himself to be duped by every designing knave. From
the natives who came off to