C H A P T E R VI.
TranfaBions at Karakakooabay-^-Vi/itfrom the widow o f Terreeoboo— An
IndianJham-fight— Propofols fo r a general peace amongjl the Indians—
Quit Owhyhee— AJlronomical obj'emotions.
February. H A V IN G now opened a friendly communication with the chiefs, and
* v ’ adopted meafures for eftablilhing and preferving the good underftanding
that had taken place between the inhabitants and ourfelves, one thing
only appeared neceffary to make our fituation perfeffly comfortable :
this was, to difcover fome means of recruiting our fupply of water,
whiclr Karakakooa does not naturally furnilh. On vifiting the well from
which the Refolution and Difcovery had obtained theirs, I found that
it contained but a fmall quantity, and this fo exceffively brackilh, that I
was fearful of its bad effefts on the health of our people ; and as there
Monday 25. was no better within our reach, I applied to Tamaahmaah for his affift-
ance to relieve our wants. The vaft confumption of water by the cattle
on our palfage hither, made the quantity we now required very confi-
derable, and he was for fome time at a lofs to devife the bell means for
procuring a fufficiency. At length he propofed that a certain number
o f his canoes, each taking one, two, or three puncheons, according to
their lize, Ihould be fent to different places on this fide of the ifland, and
there be filled with water brought by the natives in calabalhes to the
calks at the fea fide, from the little wells in their plantations.
This plan being determined upon, a dozen puncheons, byway o f experiment,
were put into the canoes, the deftination of fome o f which was
at
at that diftance, that they were not expe&ed to return in three days. Six
of the calks, however, were brought back full of moll excellent water the
following morning; for which fervice thofe employed feemed amply'rewarded
by receiving a piece of iron about fix inches long, and two inches
in breadth, being the price fixed by the king for filling each calk, who alfo
direliled that the people of the neighbourhood Ihould bring down water
for fale; this was furnilhed in tolerable abundance, and they afted in
this, as in other articles of traffic, with the greatell honelty and propriety
of conduit.
The king fpent the day in vifiting the two velfels, though he palled
moll of his time on board the Difcovery, where his obfervation was con-
llantly awake, and few of our moll common operations efcaped his notice;
all his inquiries were pertinent, direfted- to uleful objefts, and calculated
to obtain information that would hereafter anfwer fome good
purpole..
On miffing his early vifit the next morning, I received a melfage
from him, that an axe and fome fmall articles belonging to the Chatham
had been llolen by the-women who had been permitted to fleep
on board, and who had efcaped to the Ihore undetected. Our firft knowledge
o f the theft was by this melfage from Tamaahmaah, who informed
me that the offender, a young woman, was in cultody, and that the in-
llant the llolen goods were recovered, they Ihould be returned to the
place from whence they had been taken- This was done about breakfalt
time, after which he fpent the remainder of the day with me, and gave
me the unwelcome intelligence,, that the bull for whofe recovery I was
fo very felicitous, was dead. On this mortifying occalion I much regretted
that I had not followed the advice of Kahowmotoo, from whofe
connexion with the- king I moll probably might have relied with per-
fe£l fecurity on his offers, Of taking charge of the cattle at Toeaigh.
Two of the young cows, however, appeared to be in c a lf; this encouraged
me to hope that his lofs would be repaired by one of them bringing forth
a male. The fineft of the two ewes, I was now informed was killed by a
dog the day after the cattle were landed; whofe life was inllantly forfeited
for the tranfgreffion.
U 2
Tuefday a 6.
Wednef. 27.
Our