'794- adventurers. Mufkets and piftols were thus exchanged that burft on
■ v ‘ being difcharged the firft time, though with the proper loading. TO
augment the quantity of gunpowder which was fold, it was mixed with
an equal, if not a larger, proportion of pounded fea or char-coal. Several
of thefe fire-arms, and fome of the powder, were produced for my
infpeftion in this fhameful ftate, and with the hope that I was able to
afford them redrefs.
Many very bad accidents had happened by the burfting o f thefe firet
arms ; one inftance in particular came within our knowledge a few days
after our arrival. A very fine aftive young chief had lately purchafed
a mufket, and on his trying its effeft, with a common charge of
powder, it burft ; and he not only loft fome of the joints of his fingers
on the left hand, but his right arm below the elbow, was otherways fo
dangeroufly wounded, that, had it not been for the timely afliftance
afforded him by fome of our gentlemen of the faculty, his life would have
been in imminent danger.
The putting fire-arms into the hands of uncivilized people, is at
beft very bad policy ; but when they are given in an imperfeft and in-
fufficient condition for a valuable confideration, it is not only infamouf-
ly fraudulent, but barbarous and inhuman. Notwithftanding which,
fhould thefe inhabitants refort to meafures of revenge for the injuries
thus fuftained, they would be immediately ftigmatized with the epithets
of favages and barbarians, by the very people who had been the
original caufe of the violence they might think themfelves juftified in
committing.
Under a conviftion of the importance of thefe iflands to Great Britain,
in the event of an extenfion of her commerce over the pacific ocean, and in
return for the effential fervices we had derived from the excellent productions
of the country, and the ready afliftance of its inhabitants, I loft
no opportunity for encouraging their friendly difpofitions towards us;
notwithftanding the difappointments they had met from the traders, for
whole conduct I could invent no apology ; endeavouring to imprefs them
with the idea, that, on fubmitting to the authority and prote&ion of a
fuperior
fuperior power, they might reafonably expect they would in future be
lefs liable to fuch abufes. 1— -— '
The long continued praftice of all civilized nations, of claiming the
fovereignty and territorial right of newly difcoyered countries, had heretofore
been affumed in confequence only of priority of feeing, or o f vi-
fiting fuch parts of the earth as were unknown before; but in the cafe of
Nootka a material alteration had taken place, and great ftrefs had been
laid on the ceflion that Maquinna was ftated to have made of the village
and friendly cove to Senr- Martinez. Notwithftanding that on the
principles of the ufage above ftated, no difpute could have arifen as to
the priority of claim that England had to the Sandwich iflands; yet I
confidered, that the voluntary refignation of thefe territories, by the
formal furrender of the king and the people to the power and authority
o f Great Britain, might probably be the means of eftablilhing an incontrovertible
right, and of preventing any altercation with other ftates
hereafter.
Under thefe impreflions, and on a due confideration of all circum-
ftances, I felt it to be an incumbent duty to accept for the crown of
Great Britain the proffered ceflion; and I had therefore ftipulated that
it fliouid be made in the moft unequivocal and public manner.
For this purpofe all the principal chiefs had been fummoned from
the different parts of the ifland, and moft of them had long fince arrived
in our neighbourhood. They had all become extremely well
fatisfied with the treatment they had received from us;, and were highly
fenfible of the advantages they derived from our introducing amongft
them only fuch things,,.as were inftrumental to their comfort, inftead.
of warlike ftores and implements, which only contributed to ftrength-
en the animofities that exifted _ between one ifland and another, and
enabled the turbulent, and ambitious chiefs to become formidable to
the ruling power. They feemed in a great meafure to comprehend
the nature of our employment, and made very proper diftinftions- between
our little fquadron, and the trading veffels by which they had
been fo frequently vifited; that thefe were engaged in purfuits for
the private emolument of the individuals concerned, whilft thofe under