32 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
»794- der ray command afted under the authority of a benevolent, monarch,
February. J . . . „ y r
■ - ' / whofe chief object in fending us amonglt them was to render them
more peaceable in their intercourfe with each other ; to furnilh them
with fuch things as could contribute to make them a happier people;
and to afford them an opportunity of becoming more1 refpeftable- in the
eyes of foreign vifitors.
Thefe ideas at the fame time naturally fuggefted to them the belief, that
it might be in my power to leave the Chatham at Owhyheé for their
future protection ; but on being informed that n6 füch taeàfure could
polfibly be adopted on the prefent occafion, they ffeemed content to wait
with patience, in the expedition that fuch atterition and -regard might'
hereafter be fhewn unto them; and in the full confidence that, according
to my promife, I would reprefent their fituation and conduft in the-
moll faithful manner, and in the true point of view that every circum-
ftance had appeared to us.
Thefe people had already become acquainted with four commercial
nations of the civilized world ; and had been given to underftand, that
lèverai others fimilar in knowledge and in power exifted in thofe diftant
regions from whence thefe had come. This information, as may rea-
fonably be expected, fuggefted the apprehenfion, that the period was
not very remote when they might be compelled to fubmit to the authority
of fome one of thefe fuperior powers ; and under that impreffion,
they did not helitate to prefer the Englilh, who had been their firft and
eonftant vifitors.
The formal furrender of the ifland had been delayed in Confequence
o f the abfenceof two principal chiefs. Cortmanow, the chief of Aheedoo,;
was not able to quit the government and proteftion of the northern and
eaftern parts of the country, though it had been fuppofed he might have
delegated his authority to fome one of lefs importance than himfelf ; but
after fome meflages had paffed between this chief and Tcmiaahmaah, it
appeared that it had not been pofilble to difpenfe with his prelfenee in
thofe parts o f the ifland.
The other abfentee was Tamaakmotoo, chief of Koarra, the perfon
that had captured the Fair American fchooner, and with whom I was
not
not ambitious to have much acquaintance. Since that perfidious me- February,
lancholy tranfaftion, he had never ventured near any veffel that had vt- '— v—
fited thefe fhores ; this had been greatly to the prejudice o f his intereft,
and had occafioned him inconceivable chagrin and mortification. O f
this he repeatedly complained to Tamaafi/maah on our former v ifit; and
then, as now, folicited the king’s good offices with me to obtain an interview,
and permiffion for his people to refort to the veffels, for the fake
of ffiaring in the fuperior advantages which our traffic afforded. But, to
{hew my utter abhorrence of his treacherous charafter, and as a punifh-
ment for his unpardonable cruelty toMr. Metcalf and his crew, I had hitherto
indignantly refufed every application that had been made in hts favor!
When, however, I came ferioufly to.refieft: on all the circumftances
that had- attended our reception and treatment at this ifland, on our former
vifit and on the prefent occafion; when I had reference to the
fituation and. condition of thofe of our countrymen refident amongft
them;, and when I recoilefted that my own counfel and advice had
always been direfted fo to operate on their hafty violent tempers, as to
induce them to fubdue,their animofities, by exhorting them to a forgivenefs
o f paft injuries, and proving to them how much their real happinefs depended
upon a ftrift adherence to the rules, of good fellowftnp towards
each other, and the laws o f hofpitality towards all fuch ftrangers as
might vifit their ffiores, I was thoroughly convinced, that implacable
refentment, or unrelenting anger, exhibited in my own practice,
would ill accord with the precepts I had endeavoured to inculcate for
the regulation of theirs ;. and that the adoption of conciliatory meafures,
after having evinced, by a difcrimination of charafters, my ayerfion to
wicked or unworthy pcrfons, was moft confiftent with my duty as a man,
and with the ftation I then filled.
In order therefore to eftabliffi more firmly, if poffible, the friendffiip
that had fo mutually - taken place, and fo uninterruptedly fuhfifted,
between us, I determined, by an aft of oblivion in my own mind, to
■ efface all former injuries and offences. T o this end, and to {hew
that my conduft was governed by the principles I profeffed, at the re-
V o l. III. F . queft