lofs of our inftruments and chronometers would certainly follow; many
important objefts of our voyage would neceffarily be defeated; and
eonfequences of a more ferious nature might enfue.
Thefe important confid'erations fed me ferioufiy to refleft, in what
inftances the precautions of Tamaahmaah could be ftrengthened. Little
apprehenfion exifted with me, except from the infatiable defire thefe people
poflefled for arms, particularly mulkets and piftols. Thefe were, apparently
the only temptations to a breach of the fubfifting cordiality
and friendlhip. To prevent therefore any of thefe from being -thrown in
their way, by the careleflhefs of thofe who might occafionally be permitted
to amufe themfelves on Chore, I gave direftions that no one fhould
take on thefe occafions- any arms, excepting a fmall pair of pocket
piftóls; which were to be kept intirely out of fight, and from the'knowledge
of the Indians, until the moment when felf-prefervation, or any
other abfolute neceflity, fhould call them into aftion. This reftriflion was
fuggefted by my own experience in feveral inftances at different iflands
in thefe feas; where I havé feen éven corifiderate officers, as well as
midlhipmen, when on fhore with a gun, either fatigued by the heat of
the climate, or difappointed by the want of -game, intruft their fowling
pieces to an attendant native, who would watch for a good opportunity
to make off with it ; or, by holding fire arms carelefsly in a crowd of
the natives, have them wrenched from their hands, and inftantly conveyed
out of fight. Amongft a much more docile race than’thofe of the
Sandwich iflands, the möft unpfeafant eonfequences have followed thefe
mifadventures ; not only all fupplies of refrefhments have been flopped,
but the blood of innocent natives has been fhed on being fired upon
for the thief, by the companions of the perfon robbed-; but amongft
thefe clever, defigning, refolute people, worfe refit Its were to be expected,
efpecially if any of the diffatisfied and turbulent chiefs fhould
chance to be concerned.
This was by no means unlikely to take place ; and fhould they once
fucceed in any trifling attempt, they might, when wholly unexpected by
us, in order to delay or prevent punifhment, purfue their objeft to a
fatal and ferious end.
For the prefervation therefore of our prefent happy intercourfe, I *793-
deemed it expedient, and confequently directed, that the whole of ■
thefe regulations fhould be moft rigidly obferved ; and though they
caufed fome diffatisfadtion to inconfiderate individuals, yet for the
faithful difeharge of His Majefty’s fervice entrufted to my execution,
and for the fecurity and happinefs of his fubjeCts under my command,
I demanded and enforced a ftriCt obedience to thefe orders, as well as
thofe formerly iffued refpeCtmg our traffic with the Indians, which
were carried into execution on our firft arrival.
This morning on fhore I met with two feamen, one an Irifhman, who
had deferted from an American trader about three months fince, named
John Smith ; the other, whofe name was Ifaac Davis, had been unfortunately
captured by thefe iflanders in the fchooner Fair American, as was
noticed on our former viftt to Attowai. But as the information I then
received now feemed to differ materially from the truth, and as the
circumftances of this tranfaftion, together with the treatment which
this poor fellow and Young have fince received, refleft not lefs credit
on themfelves for their good fenfe and propriety of conduct, than on
Tamaahmaah for his humanity and juftice, I fhall proceed to ftate. in
the abftraft, the report made to me both by Young and Davis; and as
I have not any doubt of the veracity of either, their information will
ferve in a great degree to illuftrate the different charafters of fome of
the ruling people of thefe iflands, and prove how requifite it is, that
every precaution fhould be taken, by vifitors to this country from the
civilized world. For although I had every reafon to be fatisfied of
Tamaahmaah s abhorrence of violence and mjuftice, yet it did not appear
that his authority was always equal to reftraining the ambitious
defires, that governed the conduft of many of the fubordinate
chiefs.
John Young was boatfwain of an American fnow, called the Eleanor,
mounting ten guns, navigated by ten Americans and forty-five Chinefe,
or other inhabitants of that country, and commanded by Mr. Metcalf,
on a commercial voyage to the coaft of North-Weft America in the
fur trade ; in which purfuit Mr. Metcalf had likewife embarked his fon,