here; and they can hardly fail of fuccefs, unlefs their growth fhould be checked by the same prémature curiofity which destroyed a vine planted by the Spaniards at Oheitepeha. A number of the natives got together to taste the first fruit it bore; but, as the grapes were ftill four, they confidered it as little better than poifon, and it was unanimously determined to tread it under foot. In that state, Omai found it by chance, and was overjoyed at the discovery; for he had a full confidence, that if he had but grapes, he could eafily make wine. Accordingly he had feveral flips cut off from the tree, to carry with him; and we pruned and put in order the remains of it. Probably, grown wife by Omai's inftructions, they may now fuffer the fruit to grow to perfection, and not pafs fo hafty a sentence upon it again.

We found here the young man whom we called Oedidee, but whose real name is Heete-heete. I had carried him from Ulietea in 1773, and brought him back in 1774; after he had vifited the Friendly Islands, New Zealand, Eafter Ifland, and the Marquefes, and been on board my fhip, in that extenfive navigation, about seven months. He was tenacious of his good-breeding, and yes, Sir,' or, if you please, Sir,' were frequently repeated by him. Heete-heete, who is a native of Bolabola, had arrived in Otaheite about three months before, with no other intention, that we could learn, than to gratify his curiofity, or perhaps fome other favourite paffion. It was evident, however, that he preferred the modes, and even garb of his countrymen, to ours. For though I gave him foine clothes, which our Admiralty Board had been pleafed to fend for his

(to which I added a cheft of tools, and a few

other

sther articles, as a prefent from myfelf) he declined wearing them after a few days. This instance may be urged as a proof of the ftrong propenfity natural to man, of returning to habits acquired at an early age, and only interrupted by accident.

In the morning of the 27th, a man came from Oheitepeha, and told us that two Spanish fhips. had anchored in that bay the night before; and, in confirmation of this intelligence, he produced a piece of coarse blue cloth, which he said he got out of one of the fhips; and which, indeed, to appearance, was almoft quite new. He added, that Mateema was in one of the fhips; and that they were to come down to Matavai in a day or two. Some other circumftances which he mentioned gave the ftory fo much the air of truth, that I dispatched Lieutenant Williamfon in a boat to look into Oheitepeha Bay; and, in the mean time, I put the fhips into a proper pofture of defence. For though England and Spain were in peace when I left Europe, for aught I knew, a different fcene might by this time have opened. However, on farther enquiry, the fellow had impofed upon us; and this was confirmed by Williamfon's report, as foon as he returned.

Hitherto the attention of Otoo and his people had been confined to us; but next morning a new scene of bufinefs opened, by the arrival of fome meffengers from Eimeo, with intelligence that the people in that ifland were in arms; and that Otoo's partifans there had been worsted, and obliged to retreat to the mountains. The quarrel between the two iflands, which commenced in 1774, had, it seems, partly fubiifted ever fince. The formidable armament, which I faw at that

K 3

time,

time, had failed foon after I then left Otaheite; but the malecontents of Eimeo had made fo ftout a refiftance, that the fleet had returned without effecting much; and now another expedition was neceifary.

On the arrival of these meffengers, all the chiefs, who happened to be at Matavai, affembled at Otoo's houfe, where I actually was at the time, and had the honour to be admitted into their council. One of the meffengers opened the bufiness of the affembly, in a speech of confiderable length, in order to excite the affembled chiefs of Otaheite to arm on the occafion. This opinion was combated by others who were against commencing hoftilities. At length the party for war prevailed. Otoo, during the whole debate, remained filent. Thofe of the council, who were for profecuting the war, applied to me for my affiftance; and all of them wanted to know what part I would take. Omai was fent for to be my interpreter; but, as he could not be found, I was obliged to fpeak for myself, and told them, as well as I could, that as the people of Eimeo had never offended me, I could not think myself at liberty to engage in hoftilities against them. With this declaration they feemed fatisfied.

On our enquiring into the caufe of the war, we were told that fome years ago a brother of Wahea dooa, of Tieraboo, was fent to Eimeo, at the requeft of Maheine, a popular chief of that ifland, to be their king; but that he had not been there a week before Maheine having caufed him to be killed, fet up for himself in oppofition to Tierataboonooe, his fifter's fon, who became the lawful heir; or else had been pitched upon by the people

of

of Otaheite, to fucceed to the government on the death of the other.

Towha, a man of much weight in the island, happened not to be at Matavai at this time. It however appeared that he was no stranger to what was tranfacted; and that he entered with more fpirit into the affair than any other chief. For, early in the morning of the 1ft of September, a meffenger arrived from him to acquaint Otoo, that he had killed a man to be facrificed to the Eatooa, to implore the affiftance of the god againft Eimeo. This act of worship was to be performed at the great morai at Attahooroo; and Otoo's prefence, it seems, was abfolutely neceffary on that folemn occafion.

I proposed to Otoo that I might be allowed to accompany him. To this he readily confented; and we immediately fet out in my boat, with my old friend Potatou, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Webber; Omai following in a canoe.

As foon as we landed at Attahooroo, which was about two o'clock in the afternoon. Otoo expreffed his defire that the feamen might be ordered to remain in the boat; and that Mr. Anderfon Mr. Webber, and myself, might take off our hats as foon as we thould come to the morai, to which we immediately proceeded, attended by a great many men and fome boys, but not one woman. We found four priests, and their attendants, or affiftants, waiting for us.

The ceremonies now began. One of the priests' attendants brought a young plantain tree, and laid it down before Otoo. One of the priests, feated at the morai, now began a long prayer. During this prayer, a man who ftood by the offi ciating prief, held in his hands two bundles

feemingly

seemingly of cloth. In one of them, as we afterwards found, was the royal maro; and the other, if I may be allowed the expreffion, was the ark of the Eatooa. As foon as the prayer was ended, the priests at the morai, with their attendants, went and fat down by those upon the beach, carrying with them the two bundles. Here they renewed their prayers. The dead body was now taken out of a canoe, and laid upon the beach, with the feet to the fea. The priests placed themfelves around it, fome fitting and others ftanding; and one, or more of them, repeated fentences for about ten minutes. It was now laid in a parallel direction with the fea-fhore. One of the priests then, standing at the feet of it, pronounced a long prayer, in which he was at times joined by the others, each holding in his hand a tuft of red feathers. In the courie of this prayer fome hair was pulled off the head of the facrifice, and the left eye taken out, both which were prefented to Otoo wrapped up in a green leaf. He did not however touch it, but gave, to the man who prefented it, the tuft of feathers which he had received from Towha. This, with the hair and eye, was carried back to the priefis. During fome part of this laft ceremony, a king-fither making a noife in the trees, Otoo turned to me, faying, "That is the Eatooa!” and seemed to look upon it to be a good

omen.

The body was then carried a little way with its head toward the morai, and laid under a tree, near which were fixed three broad thin pieces of wood, differently but rudely carved. The bundles of cloth were laid on a part of the morai, and the tufts of red feathers were placed at the feet of the facrifice, round which the priests took their

ftations,