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In the dufk of the evening it was brought to the tents, together with fome otherthings they had loft, which they knew nothing of, by three men who had purlued -thethief, and taken them from him. The captain knew not if they took this trouble oftheir own accord, or by order of Otoo. He rewarded them, and made no fartherinquiry about it.
When the mufquet and other things were brought in, every one then prefent, orwho came after, pretended to have had fome hand in recovering them, and claimed areward accordingly. But there was no one afted this farce fo well as Nuno, a man offome note, and well known to the captain when he was here in 1769. This man came,with all the favage fury imaginable in his countenance, and a large club in his hand,with which he beat about him, in order to fhew how he alone had killed the thief;when, at the fame time, they all knew he had not been out of his houfe the whole time.
Things were now once more reftored to their former ftate; and Otoo promifedon-his part, that, the next day, they fhould be fupplied with fruit, &c. as ufual.
They then returned with him to his proper refidence at Oparree, and there took aview of fome of his dock-yards (for fuch they well deferred to be called) and largecanoes; fome lately built and others building ; two of which were the largeft they hadever feen in this fea ; or indeed any where elfe, under that name. They now returnedto the fhip.
Otoo defiring to fee fome of the great guns fire from the (hip, the captain orderedtwelve to be fhotted and fired toward the fea. As he had never feen a cannon firedbefore, the fight gave him as much pain as pleafure. In the evening, they entertainedhim with fire-works, which gave him great fatisfaclion. Thus ended all theirdifferences.
As the inoft effential repairs of the fhip were nearly finifhed, it was refolved to leaveOtaheite in a few days ; the captain accordingly ordered every thing to be got off fromthe Ihore, that the natives might fee they were about to depart.
On the 12th, old Oberea, the woman who, when the Dolphin was here in 1767,Was thought to be Queen of the ifland, and whom they had not feen fince 1769, paidthem a vifit, and brought a prefent of hogs and fruit. Soon after, carne Otoo with greatr etinue, and a large quantity of provifions. The captain was pretty liberal in hisreturns, thinking it might be the laft time he fhould fee thefe good people, who hadfo liberally relieved their wants; and, in the evening, entertained them with fire-works.
On the 14th they faw a number of war canoes coming round the point of Oparree.Being defirous of having a nearer view of them, accompanied by many officers andgentlemen, they haftened down to Oparree, which they reached before all the canoesWere landed, and had an opportunity of feeing in what manner they approached theftore. When they got before the place where they intended to land, they formedthemfelves into divifions, confifting of three or four, or perhaps more, laffied fquare^nd clofe along-fide of each other ; and then each divifion, one after the other, paddledin f or ffiore with all their might, and conducted in fo judicious a manner that theyformed, and clofed a line, along the fliore, to an inch. The rowers were encouragedto exert their ftrength by their leaders on the ftages, and directed by a man who floodWith a wand in his hand in the fore-part of the middlemoft vefiel. This man, byWords and aftions, direfled the paddlers when all fhould paddle, when either the onefide or the other fhould ceafe, &c. for the fleering paddles alone were not fufficient todtrefl; them. All thefe motions were obferved with fuch quicknefs as clearly fhewed£ nem to be expert in their bufinefs. Otoo, who was prefent, caufed fome of their
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