Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 7, 2025
The sudden flash and report seem to have produced a great effect on the minds of the natives, as the party were sent off with a large supply of cooked plantains as a gift; and a bag containing a pistol, which Mr Anderson particularly required, was restored. Omai found on this island three of his own countrymen who had arrived there, eleven years before, in a canoe.
The following morning the captain landed with Omai and several officers, to pay his respects to the king, who was attended by his father, his two brothers, three sisters, and a large number of people. Omai, who was becomingly dressed, kneeled and embraced the king's legs, but very little notice was taken of him.
Of its identity with the languages of the other islands throughout the South Sea, fresh proofs were exhibited during the present voyage. At the request of Omai, Captain Cook consented to take with him two youths from New Zealand.
This put Omai on his mettle, and he managed to persuade Feenough to return, and informed the king that no serious consequences should ensue.
Omai lisped broken English, and made all the assembled musicians hold their ears by howling Otaheitean love-songs, such as those with which Oberea charmed her Opano. With the literary and fashionable society which occasionally met under Dr. Burney's roof, Frances can scarcely be said to have mingled. She was not a musician, and could therefore bear no part in the concerts.
He made the king a present of some red feathers and three yards of gold cloth; and the captain gave him a suit of fine linen, a gold-laced hat, some more red feathers, and some tools. Captain Cook's wish had been to leave Omai with Otoo, as he thought of landing all his animals here, and supposed that Omai would assist in looking after them, and show their various uses.
In this expedition, Omai displayed that turn of exaggeration, with which travellers have so frequently been charged. Being asked by the natives concerning the English, their ships, their country, and the arms they made use of, his answers were not a little marvellous. At the same time, he assured the inhabitants, that one of these guns was sufficient to crush their whole island at a single shot.
Omai, however, persuaded Feenou that nothing would be done to them, when he, and afterwards the king, returned, and were apparently on as good terms as ever. Captain Cook even ventured to attend a grand ceremony, held for the purpose of introducing the young prince to certain royal privileges, the principal of which was to be that of eating in the society of his father.
On their first arrival in this place red feathers were looked on as of great value, but as everybody had them on board they soon became a drug in the market. Poor Omai began very soon to exhibit his want of judgment. He had prepared a crown or cap of yellow and red feathers for Otoo, the king of all the islands, which the captain recommended him to present himself.
He associated with none but vagabonds and strangers, whose sole object was to plunder him; and had not the captain interfered they would not have left him a single article worth carrying from the island. Of course, this drew on him the ill-will of the chiefs, who found that they could not procure such valuable presents as Omai bestowed on the lowest of the people, his companions.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking