With respect to the religion of these Indians, Mr. Anderson maintains, that they have very proper sentiments concerning the immateriality and immortality of the soul; and thinks himself sufficiently authorized to assert, that they do not worship any thing which is the work of their own hands, or any visible part of the creation. The language of the Friendly Islands has the greatest imaginable conformity with that of New Zealand, of Wateeoo, and Mangeea. Several hundreds of the words of it were collected by Mr. Anderson; and amongst these, are terms that express numbers reaching to a hundred thousand. Beyond this limit they never went, and probably were not able to go farther; for it was observed, that when they had gotten thus far, they commonly used a word which expresses an indefinite number.
On the 17th of July, our commander took his final leave of the Friendly Islands, and resumed his voyage. An eclipse was observed in the night between the 20th and the 21st; and on the 8th of August land was discovered. Some of the inhabitants, who came off in canoes, seemed earnestly to invite our people to go on shore; but Captain Cook did not think proper to run the risk of losing the advantage of a fair wind, for the sake of examining an island which appeared to be of little consequence. Its name, as was learned from the natives, who spake the Otaheite language, is Toobonai.
Pursuing his course, the captain reached Otaheite on the 12th, and steered for Oheitepeha Bay, with an intention to anchor there, in order to draw what refreshments he could from the south-east part of the island, before he went down to Matavai. Omai's first reception amongst his countrymen was not entirely of a flattering nature. Though several persons came on board who knew him, and one of them was his brother-in-law, there was nothing remarkably tender or striking in their meeting. An interview which Omai had, on the 13th, with his sister, was agreeable to the feelings of nature; for their meeting was marked with expressions of tender affection, more easy to be conceived than described. In a visit, likewise, which he received from an aunt, the old lady threw herself at his feet, and plentifully bedewed them with tears of joy.
Captain Cook was informed by the natives, that, since he was last at the island, in 1774, two ships had been twice in Oheitepeha Bay, and had left animals in the country. These, on farther inquiry, were found to be hogs, dogs, goats, one bull, and a ram. That the vessels which had visited Otaheite were Spanish, was plain from an inscription that was cut upon a wooden cross, standing at some distance from the front of a house which had been occupied by the strangers. On the transverse part of the cross was inscribed,
Christus vincit.
And on the perpendicular part,
Carolus III. imperat. 1774.
Our commander took this occasion to preserve the memory of the prior visits of the English, by inscribing, on the other side of the post,
Georgius tertius Rex. Annis 1767, 1769, 1773, 1774, & 1777.
Whatever might be the intentions of the Spaniards in their visit to the island, it ought to be remembered to their honour, that they behaved so well to the inhabitants, as always to be spoken of in the strongest expressions of esteem and veneration.