tageoufly fituated, in'being, enabled to purchafe fuch commodities of
their own produce or manufacture which- were brought to us for fale, as i---- ' '
attrafted their attention, with the prefents which they received from
time to time. Notwithftanding this indulgence, which I thought could
not have failed to keep them honeft, fuch is their irrefiftible propenfity
to thieving, that five of my table knives were miffing. The whole party
ftoutly denied having any knowledge of the theft; but as it was evident
the knives were ftolen by fome of them, I ordered them all, except the
king, inftantly to quit the ffiip, and gave pofitive dire&ions that no one
of them ffiould be re-admitted. Betide* this, I deemed it expedient to
make a point with Tamaahmiah that the knives ffiould be reftored. He
faw the propriety of my infilling on this demand, and before noon three
of the knives were returned.
The taboo, which had been poftponed in confequence of Whokads
death, was obferved this evening, though not without holding out a fen-
timent of refentment to their deity for having buffered him to die; for
inftead of its continuing the ufual time of two nights and one whole day,
this was only to be in force from fun-fet to the riling of the fun the following
morning f which the king having obferved, returned to us as foon Sunday =6.
as the ceremonies were finished.
Being very much difpleafed with the ungrateful behaviour of his attendants;
I demanded of Tamaahmaah, in a ferious tone, the two knives
that had not yet been reftored. I expatiated on the difgrace that attached
to every individual of the whole party, and the confequence of
the example to all the fuborcKnate elaffes of his people. He appeared
to be much chagrined, and to fuffer a high degree of mortification at the
very unhandfome manner in which I had been treated ; this was ftill further
increafed, by one of his moft particular favorites having been charged,
and on juft grounds, as one of the delinquents.
About noon he went on ffiore, in a very fullen humour, and did not
return until I had fent for him in the evening, which fummons he
very readily obeyed; and foon another knife was returned, which he declared
was the only one he had been able to find, and that if any more
were yet miffiiig, they muft have been loft by fbme other means. The
■ j j,;. .• \ truth,