his countrymen at his return, which were the only things he could have
to recommend him to them now, more than before, and on which he could
build either his future greatness or happiness. He seemed even to have
mistaken their genius in this respect, and, in some measure, to have
forgotten their customs, otherwise he must have known the extreme
difficulty there would be in getting himself admitted as a person of
rank, where there is, perhaps, no instance of a man's being raised
from an inferior station by the greatest merit. Rank seems to be the
very foundation of all distinction here, and, of its attendant, power;
and so pertinaciously, or rather blindly adhered to, that, unless a
person has some degree of it, he will certainly be despised and hated,
if he assumes the appearance of exercising any authority. This was
really the case, in some measure, with Omai, though his countrymen
were pretty cautious of expressing their sentiments while we remained
amongst them. Had he made a proper use of the presents he brought
with him from England, this, with the knowledge he had acquired by
travelling so far, might have enabled him to form the most useful
connections. But we have given too many instances, in the course of
our narrative, of his childish inattention to this obvious means of
advancing his interest. His schemes seemed to be of a higher though
ridiculous nature, indeed I might say meaner; for revenge, rather
than a desire of becoming great, appeared to actuate him from the
beginning. This, however, maybe excused, if we consider that it
is common to his countrymen. His father was, doubtless, a man of
considerable property in Ulietea, when that island was conquered by
those of Bolabola, and, with many others, sought refuge in Huaheine,
where he died, and left Omai, with some other children; who, by that
means, became totally dependent. In this situation he was taken up by
Captain Furneaux, and carried to England. Whether he really expected,
from his treatment there, that any assistance would be given him