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March ant^ we were indebted for our prefervation to the fmall force that
1— -v— > attended us, or becaufe that day was “ taboo poory,” or a day o f reft
and prayer; yet thefe arguments would be infufficient on many accounts
; for they could not be reconciled with the friendly, trufty, and
honorable conduft purfued by the chiefs and people on our vilit to
Attowai, particularly on the evening of our departure. Such behaviour
towards us could not poflibly have been obferved by a people who were
under orders from their king, to kill every white man who might come
within their power.
Thefe circumftances duly confidered, render it more than probable,
that Titeeree and Taio were innocent o f the contrivance, and not concerned
in the perpetration o f the murders at Woahoo.
The different mercantile people who had vifited thefe iftands fince
that unfortunate period, had taught the natives to apprehend the horror
and deteftation with which we regard unprovoked affaffination.
They had apprized them of the difference between our fhips, and the
trading veffels that had touched here for refrelhments ; that we afted,
not from the orders o f any private individual, but under the fpecial au-
thority o f our fovereign, who had given me power to take cognizance
o f all fuch circumftances, and to requite the barbarity of the natives
with the fevereft punilhment.
No hint whatever o f this nature had ever efcaped my Tips, fince the
moment I had to deplore the melancholy tranfaftion. I was never-
thelefs fully determined in my own mind not to omit making every inquiry,
nor to fuffer the crime to pafs unnoticed; and, at the fame time,
to purfue fuch meafures, as might appear moft likely to prevent in future
fuch unpardonable and favage proceedings.
T o the minds of the natives it now appeared a matter o f great national
concern ; and in that point o f view it was confidered o f fuch importance,
as to demand from me the moft particular inveftigation, and
the moft ferious attention.
Being thus fortunately poffeffed of fo much effential information from
Tomohomoho, I confidered myfelf to be fully provided to meet Titeeree on
this diftrefsful fubjeft, efpecially as I had heard with great fatisfaftion from
Tomohomoho,
Tomohomoho, that the unfortunate commander of the Dsedalus and his ^793-
party had been guilty o f no offence whatever, to provoke the untimely 1 - -
fate they had fo unjuftly'met.
I now came to a determination o f infilling with Titeeree, that the remaining
offenders fhould be brought to juftice. Not by any meafures of
force in our power, but by their own means. That, on their conviftion
the caufe of their punilhment fhould be clearly and fatisfaflorily made
known to the blunders, with affurances that no diftance o f time would
in future fecure any from deteflion, or prevent the punilhment which
fuch crimes demand.-
A pufillanimous condudl on an occafion of this nature, could not fail fo
fink the charafter o f Europeans into the loweft contempt; and atrocities
would- become more frequent, either to fatisfy the paffions o f the
avaricious or licentious, or the revenge o f any individual, who might
think proper to take umbrage if not indulged in every whim that his
fancy might diftate; to the difgrace of human nature, and the deftrufftion
of the adventurers engaged in the commerce of the north pacific
ocean.
In undertaking to negociate a peace on a firm and broad bafis, between
Owhyhee and all .the contiguous iftands, my views were direfted
to the advantage, as well as to the general happinefs, of the inhabitants
on all the iftands. The new impreflions my mind had received, tended
to convince me of the important neceflity for fuch a meafure, were it
only to recover the people of Mowee from the deplorable condition to
which they had been reduced by an eleven years w ar; and, notwith-
ftanding that they had not fought a Angle battle during the laft two
years, yet the detriment fuftained by the contending parties was almoft
equally great. T o guard their refpeftive dominions, Tamaahmaah on
the weftern parts of Owhyhee, and Titeeree on the eaftern fide o f Mowee,
had each affembled a large body of men. By thefe means, not only
thofe parts were greatly impoverilhed and exhaufted of fupplies for the
maintenance of thofe forces, but the inhabitants being drawn from their
homes in the different diftridls of the country, the land was neceffarily
neglefiled, and the produce of the foil was loft for want o f people to
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