‘ 794- all feemed to enjoy the joke except the poor queen, who appeared to be
> much agitated at the idea of being again in his prefence. The inftant
that he faw her his countenance expreffed great furprize, he became immediately
filent, and attempted to retire; but having polled myfelff for
the efpecial purpofe of preventing his departure, I caught his hand, and
joining it with the queen’s, their reconciliation was inllantly completed.
This was fully demonftrated, not only by the tears that involuntarily
Hole down the cheeks of both as they embraced each other, and mutually
exprelfed the fatisfaftion they experienced; but by the behaviour
of every individual prefent, whofe feelings on the occafion Were not to
be reprefled; whilft their fenfibility teftified the happinefs which this apparently
fortuitous event had produced.
A fhort paufe produced by an event fo unexpefted, was fucceeded
by the fort of good humour that fuch a happy circumftance would
naturally infpire; the converfation foon became general, cheerful, and
lively, in which the artifice imagined to have been impofed upon the
king bore no fmall lhare. A little refrelhment from a few glaffes of wine,
concluded the fcene of this fuccefsful meeting.
After the queen had acknowledged in the moll grateful terms the
weighty obligations Ihe felt for my fervices on this occafion, I was fyr-
prized by her faying, juft as we were all preparing tp go on fliore, that
Ihe had Hill a very great favor to requeft; which was, that I Ihould
obtain from Tamaahmaah a folemn promife, that on her return to his
habitation he would not beat her. The great cordiality with which the
reconciliation had taken place, and the happinefs that each of them had
continued to exprefs in confequence of it, led me at firft to confider
this intreaty of the queen’s as a matter of je ll only ; but in this I was
miftaken, for notwithftanding that Tamaahmaah. readily complied with
my felicitation, and’ allured me nothing of the kind Ihould take place,
yet Tahovmannoo would not be fatisfied without my accompanying them
home to the royal refidence, where I had the pleafure of feeing her re-
ftored to all her former honours, and privileges, highly to thefatisfaftion
of all the. king’s friends; but to the utter mortification of thofe, who, by
their
their fcandalous reports and mifreprefentations, had been the eaufe of
the unfortunate reparation. *---- *---- 1
The domeftic affairs o f Tamaahmaah having thus taken fo happy a
turn, his mind was more at liberty for political confiderations ; and the
ceflion of Owhyhee to His Britannic Majefty became now an objeft of
his ferious concern. On my former vifit it had been frequently mentioned,
but was at that time difapproved of by fome of the leading
chiefs; who contended; that they ought not voluntarily td furrender
themfelves, or acknowledge their fubjeftion, to the government of a
fuperior foreign power, without being completely convinced that fuch
power would proteft them againft the ambitious views of remote or
neighbouring enemies.; During our abfence this fubjeft had been moll
ferioully difcuffed by the chiefs in the illand, and the refult of their deliberations
was, an unanimous opinion, that, in order to obtain the pro-
teftion required,: fit was important that Tamaahmaah Ihould make the
furrender in queftion, formally to me, on the part of His Majefty ; that
he Ihould acknowledge himfelf and people as fubjefts of the Britilh
crown.; and that they Ihould fupplicate that power to guard them againft
any future moleftation.
T o this aft they were greatly ftimulated by the treatment they had
received from various ftrangers, by whom they had been lately vifited.
O f fome of thefe I was well perfuaded they had had too juft eaufe to
complain ; particularly in the fraudulent and deceitful manner in which
the traffic with the natives had been condufted.
In many inllances, no compenfation whatever had been .given by thefe
civilized vifitors, after having been fully lupplied, on prdmife. of making
an ample return, with the feveral refrelhments o f the Very bell quality the
country afforded. At other times they had impofed upon the inhabitants,
by paying them in commodities of no fervice or value, though
their defefts were indeteftable by the examination of the natives. This was
more particularly the cafe in thofe articles which they were moll eager
to obtain, and moll defirous to poflefs, namely, arms, and ammunition ;
which chiefly compofed the merchandize of the North-Weft American
adventurers..