The Two Goats Which Captain Furneaux Gave To Otoo When We Were Last Here, Seemed To Promise Fair For Answering The End For Which They Were Put On Shore.

The ewe soon after had two female kids, which were now so far grown as to be nearly ready to propagate; and the old ewe was again with kid.

The people seemed to be very fond of them, and they to like their situation as well; for they were in excellent condition. From this circumstance we may hope that, in a few years, they will have some to spare to their neighbours; and by that means they may in time spread over all the isles in this ocean. The sheep which we left died soon after, excepting one, which we understood was yet alive. We have also furnished them with a stock of cats; no less than twenty having been given away at this isle, besides those which were left at Ulietea and Huaheine.

[1] "The good old admiral was so ill that he could not stand on his legs; he was very desirous, however, to come upon deck; we therefore slung a chair on ropes, and hoisted him up in it, to his great delight, and to the astonishment of all his countrymen. Notwithstanding his illness, he told us he was determined to command the expedition against Eimea, saying it was of little consequence if they killed an old man, who could no longer be useful. He was very cheerful under his infirmities, and his way of thinking was nobly disinterested, and seemed to be animated by true heroism. He took leave of us with a degree of cordiality and emotion, which touched the heart, and might have reconciled a misanthrope to the world." - G.F. - Who does not see in this noble veteran the radical principles which characterize a British tar? There needs indeed, but a little of the Roman or Grecian painting, to render him a fit stage-companion for almost any of the ancient heroes; and who can tell, but that in some distant aera, when the Otaheitan language shall be read and classical, the drivelling pedants of the south will blazon his fame, as we now do that of his elder fraternity? G.F. had his eye directed to such a kind of comparison betwixt Greeks and Otaheitans, in a passage which the reader will find in the next note, and which is a fair specimen of that gentleman's lively and entertaining style. - E.

[2] "The view of the Otaheitan fleet frequently brought to our minds an idea of the naval force which that nation employed in the first ages of its existence, and induced us to compare them together. The Greeks were doubtless better armed, having the use of metals; but it seemed plain, from the writings of Homer, in spite of poetical embellishment, that their mode of fighting was irregular, and their arms simple, like those of Otaheite. The united efforts of Greece against Troy, in remote antiquity, could not be much more considerable than the armament of Otoo against the isle of Eimea; and the boasted mille carinae were probably not more formidable than a fleet of large canoes, which require from fifty to an hundred and twenty men, to paddle them. The navigation of the Greeks, in those days, was not more extensive than that which is practised by the Otaheitans at present, being confined to short passages from island to island; and as the stars at night directed the mariners through the Archipelago at that time, so they still continue to guide others in the Pacific Ocean. The Greeks were brave; but the numerous wounds of the Otaheitan chiefs, are all proofs of their spirit and prowess. It seems to be certain, that in their battles they rouse themselves into a kind of phrenzy, and that their bravery is a violent fit of passion. From Homer's battles, it is evident, that the heroism which produced the wonders he records, was exactly of the same nature. Let us for a moment be allowed to carry this comparison still farther. The heroes of Homer are represented to us as men of supernatural size and force. The Otaheitan chiefs, compared to the common people, are so much superior in stature and elegance of form, that they look like a different race. It requires a more than ordinary quantity of food to satisfy stomachs of unusual dimensions. Accordingly we find, that the mighty men at the siege of Troy, and the chiefs of Otaheite, are both famous for eating, and it appears that pork was a diet no less admired by the Greeks, than it is by the Otaheitans at this day. Simplicity of manners is observable in both nations; and their domestic character is hospitable, affectionate, and humane. There is even a similarity in their political constitution. The chiefs of districts at Otaheite are powerful princes, who have not more respect for Otoo than the Greek heroes had for the "king of men;" and the common people are so little noticed in the Iliad, that they appear to have had no greater consequence, than the towtows in the South Seas. In short, I believe the similitude might be traced in many other instances; but it was my intention only to hint at it, and not to abuse the patience of my readers. What I have here said is sufficient to prove, that men in a similar state of civilization resemble each other more than we are aware of, even in the most opposite extremes of the world." - G.F. - This gentleman guards against any more particular deductions from such resemblance as he has now noticed, by adverting to the havoc made in history by the modern itch for tracing pedigrees, alluding especially to the affinity imagined betwixt the Egyptians and Chinese. On such subjects, it is certain, human ingenuity has been fruitful of extravagancies, and there is much less risk of absurdity if we abide by merely general inferences; but, on the other hand, it must be admitted, that these are often specious pretexts for avoiding the labours of enquiry, and have very rarely contributed any thing to the stock of useful knowledge.

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