Mardi been extremely well contented with; 11 nee, on no one of his vifits,
— ,---- ; which had been very frequent, excepting on the firft, had- he offered us
any refrelhments ; yet he had received from me prefents nearly equal to
thofe I had made to other chiefs, who had been inllrumental in fupply-
ing our wants, and anxious on all occafions to render us fervice. A lthough
TMima could afliime no merit, either for his fupplies, or fervices
bellowed upon us, yet, fuch was his envious pride, that iiillead of being
thankful for what he had not deferved, he could not refrain from ex-
preffions of diffatisfaflion, that he had not been Ihewn the fame attention
and refpeft, and complimented with articles of limilar value to thofe, that
had been offered to Tamcuihmaah. In lhort, his converfation was in fo
haughty a llile, and fo unlike the general conduft of all the other chiefs
o f Owhyhee, that I was induced to requell that he would return the
fcarlet cloak, axes, and a varietv o f other ufeful articles I had juft before
given him; obferving, that as thefe things-were in his opinion.fo
inadequate to his claims, they could not poflibly be worthy his acceptance.
With this requell however Tianna did not think proper to comply,
but departed, affefling to be perfeftly fatisfied and contented,
though his countenance proclaimed thofe defigning, ambitious, and (I
believe I may withjullice add) treacherous principles, that apparently
govern his turbulent and afpiring difpolition.
Kahowmotoo, who was prefent, exprelfed the highell difapprobation of
Tianna’s conduft; faying, that if any. one could be dilfatislied, he had
caufe to complain, that fuch valuable p’refents had been bellowed on, a
man who had appeared totally indifferent to our welfare, and who had
never even endeavoured to render us any fervice. This obfervation was
extremely well timed, and was immediately followed by the moll
grateful acknowledgments for. the valuable articles himfelf and family-had
received. Thefe, he faid, had far exceeded the utmoll limits of his ex-
peflations,
I was not lefs pleafed.with the gratitude o f Kahowmotoo, than with the
affurance .of his being fa well, contented with the feleflion of things I
had prefented him, as they were on our part tributes very jultly due to
his Heady, uniform,, and friendly attention.
Amongft
Amongll other points of information that I collected at Owhyhee, 1793;
I learned that Tamaahmaah, having obtained fome intimation o f our in- , March~ .
tended vifit, had been exceflively impatient for our arrival, that he
might obtain an opportunity of difplaying his real and true charaSer;
which he underllood had been moll unjullly traduced, by fome o f the
traders who had vifited this ifiand fince he had acquired its government.
Infl.ruftions had been given to-.feveral o f the mailers o f the trading
velfels. by their owners, duelling them to be exceflively cautious of,
and vigilantly on their guard again!!, the treacherous, villainous, and de-
figning arts of Tamaahmaah; thefe unneceflary admonitions had been
explained to him; and being confcious of his own innocence, his concern
was exceflive, and he impatiently looked forward to an opportunity of
refeuinghis charafler from fuch imputations, by exhibiting his real dif-
pofition to his more candid yifitors.
I f what I have here had occafion to Hate, refpelling the conduct and
liberal fentiments o f this chief, be not fufficient to wipe away the
afperlions that have detra&ed from his good name, I doubt not o f having
yet a further opportunity of producing fuch fafis, as will effeaually
accomplilh that purpofe.
Tianna was not ignorant of our prepofleflion for Tamaahmaah’s virtues,
and goodnefs of heart; this prompted his envy, to let no occa-
fion efcape for faying fomething to his prejudice and diihonour, fo
long as any one would liflen to this favorite topic o f his converfation
: and it is by no means unlikely, that when he had fuccefsfully
implicated the king by his artful contrivances, in his crimes and mifde-
meanors, he entertained the ambitious hopes to undermine our good opinion
by the continual repetition of his calumnies, and to engage us to aflift
him in the deflru&ion of Tamaahmaah, and the affumption of the government.
But, on finding that his wilhes for royalty and power were not
to be gratified by our means, he experienced a difappointment that
he had neither prudence to conceal, nor fortitude to fupport.
As we had now no further bufinefs at Owhyhee, we-made the bell o f
our way out o f the b a y ; but calms and light baffling winds rendered our
fituation nearly llationary. This afforded fome of the natives an opportunity.