fire-works had not been forgot. Some of these we exhibited in the
evening of the 28th, before a great concourse of people, who beheld
them with a mixture of pleasure and fear. What remained, after the
evening's entertainment, were put in order, and left with Omai,
agreeably to their original destination. Perhaps we need not lament
it as a serious misfortune, that the far greater share of this part of
his cargo, had been already expended in exhibitions at other islands,
or rendered useless by being kept so long.

Between midnight and four in the morning of the 30th, the Bolabola
man, whom I had in confinement, found means to make his escape out' of
the ship. He carried with him the shackle of the bilbo-bolt that was
about his leg, which was taken from him, as soon as he got on shore,
by one of the chiefs, and given to Omai, who came on board very early
in the morning, to acquaint me that his mortal enemy was again let
loose upon him. Upon enquiry, it appeared that not only the sentry
placed over the prisoner, but the whole watch upon the quarter-deck
where he was confined, had laid themselves down to sleep. He
seized the opportunity to take the key of the irons out of the
binnacle-drawer, where he had seen it put, and set himself at liberty.
This escape convinced me that my people had been very remiss in their
night duty, which made it necessary to punish those who were now
in fault, and to establish some new regulations to prevent the
like negligence for the future. I was not a little pleased to hear,
afterward, that the fellow who escaped had transported himself to
Ulietea; in this, seconding my views of putting him a second time in
irons.[3]

[Footnote 3: Might not so spirited a fellow as this, by proper
treatment, have been made a most useful agent? How many talents are