they then wanted to know where we were to mingle with our parent dust.  As I could not promise, or even suppose, that more English ships would be sent to those isles, our faithful companion Oedidee chose to remain in his native country.  But he left us with a regret fully demonstrative of the esteem he bore to us; nor could any thing but the fear of never returning, have torn him from us.  When the chief teased me so much about returning, I sometimes gave such answers as left them hopes.  Oedidee would instantly catch at this, take me on one side, and ask me over again.  In short, I have not words to describe the anguish which appeared in this young man’s breast when he went away.  He looked up at the ship, burst into tears, and then sunk down into the canoe.  The maxim, that a prophet has no honour in his own country, was never more fully verified than in this youth.  At Otaheite he might have had any thing that was in their power to bestow; whereas here he was not in the least noticed.  He was a youth of good parts, and, like most of his countrymen, of a docile, gentle, and humane disposition, but in a manner wholly ignorant of their religion, government, manners, customs, and traditions; consequently no material knowledge could have been gathered from him, had I brought him away.  Indeed, he would have been a better specimen of the nation, in every respect, than Omai.  Just as Oedidee was going out of the ship, he asked me to Tatou some Parou for him, in order to shew the commanders of any other ships which might stop here.  I complied with his request, gave him a certificate of the time he had been with us, and recommended him to the notice of those who might afterwards touch at the island.

We did not get clear of our friends till eleven o’clock, when we weighed, and put to sea; but Oedidee did not leave us till we were almost out of the harbour.  He staid, in order to fire some guns; for it being his majesty’s birthday, we fired the salute at going away.

When I first came to these islands, I had some thought of visiting Tupia’s famous Bolabola.  But as I had now got on board a plentiful supply of all manner of refreshments, and the route I had in view allowing me no time to spare, I laid this design aside, and directed my course to the west; taking our final leave of these happy isles, on which benevolent Nature has spread her luxuriant sweets with a lavish hand.  The natives, copying the bounty of Nature, are equally liberal; contributing plentifully and cheerfully to the wants of navigators.  During the six weeks we had remained at them, we had fresh pork, and all the fruits which were in season, in the utmost profusion; besides fish at Otaheite, and fowls at the other isles.  All these articles we got in exchange for axes, hatchets, nails, chissels, cloth, red feathers, beads, knives, scissars, looking-glasses, &c. articles which will ever be valuable here.  I ought not to omit shirts as a very capital article in making presents; especially