3&1
a’ 79^ or whether they conceived the valuable articles we poffeffed, were eafily
c__,— to be obtained by thefe means, is difficult to be determined.
It was manifeftly evident that they had been acquainted with civilized
commercial people, by the mufkets and other European commodities in
their poffeffion; and when we conlidered the particular behaviour of
the firft man who vifited us, we had reafon to fufpeft that they had been
ill-treated in their traffic with white men. This Indian, by means o f liens
and words too expreffive to be miftaken, gave us clearly to underhand,
that they had reafon to complain; o f one or more mufkets that they had
purchafed, which burft into pieces on being fired; a fraud which I know
has been praftifed too frequently, not only on this coaft, but at the
Sandwich, and other iflands in the pacific ocean- Thefe defeats have not
arifen from ignorance or mdfmanagement on the part of the Indians, but
from the bafenefs of the metal and imperfeft workmanlhip o f the firearms^
O f this dilhonefty the chiefs, of the Sandwich illands moft loudly
complain ; and with great juflice contend, that the produce of their
country, being bartered for fuch articles, of the very bell quality, whatever
was received by them in exchange, ought to have been fo like-
■ wife.
And I am extremely concerned to be compelled to Hate here, that
many of the traders from the civilized world have- not only purfued a
line of conduft, diametrically oppofite to- the true principles of ju t
tice in their commercial dealings,, but have fomented difcords, and
ftirred up contentions, between the different tribes, in order to inereafe
the demand for thefe deftruftive engines. They haye been likewife
eager to inftruft the natives in the- ufe of European arms of all deferip*
tions; and have ffiewn by their own example, that they confider gain
as the only objeft of purfuit; and whether this be acquired by fair and
honorable means, or otherwile, fo long as the advantage is fecured,
the manner how it is obtained feems to have been, with; too many of
them, but a very fecondary confideration.
Under a conviftion that repeated afts- o f luch injuffice; had taken
place, it was not unreafonable to fuppofe, that thefe people, who had
experienced the like frauds, Ihould be of opinion, that our mufkets,
and
and the other arms that we carried for our proteftion, were of a luperior
quality to thofe they had procured from the traders. This, indeed, was
proved by their praifing ours and comparing them with thofe in their pof-
feffion; and they might poffibly from thence have been tempted to tref-
pafs on the laws of honefty, in order to acquire by force thofe really valuable
commodities, which, by fair commercial dealings on their part, they
could only procure in a defeftive Hate. It may alfo not be impoffible,
that they reconciled amongft themfelves any acts of violence, which
ffiould become neceffary in order to the attainment of them, as not being
lefs offenfive to juftice, than the impofitions that had been praftifed
upon them by a people who, from every appearance, they might naturally:
conclude were of the fame country and conneftions with u s ;
and that they.might.thus confider themfelves juftified in tiling every artifice
of retaliation, to effeft their purpofe.
I cannot however avoid obferving, that through our want of caution
they had, in this inftance, fuffieient addrefs. to fucceed by their
friendly profeffions, in nearly affembling all their force round us,
though in the more early part o f our voyage, we ffiould have regarded
their conduft with much fufpicion ; particularly their vociferous hallooing
to each other, the hafte with which, the party came to us from
the launch, their throwing overhoard their dogs, and other hoftile
preparations that did not efcape our notice, and would formerly have .
been deemed fuffieient indications to have awakened our fufpieions, and
to have put us completely upon our guard againff any unfriendly de-
fign they might have had in contemplation- But, having been fo long
accuftomed to a feries o f tranquil intercourfe with the feveral different
tribes o f Indians we had met with, our apprehenfions of any moleftatiore
from them w eft totally done away; and that attentive warinefs which
had been the firft objeft of my concern on coming amongft thefe rude
nations, had latterly been much neglefted.. For although we had now
more arms than we were provided with during the preceding fummer,
'namely, two wall-pieces cut ffiort for the purpofe of being.more handy'
in. the boats, each of which was loaded with a dozen piftol balls; yet. thefe;
*793-
Auguit.