179-1- rife the next morning, I repaired on board, and found every thing in
. Fcbmaiy. . rea[^jneps for our departure.
Tuefday 25. j n ^ forenoon the king and queen, accompanied by Terreemytee the
king’s brother, Orymamahow, half brother to the king, and chief of the
diftrift: of Amakooa; Kahowmotoo, father to the queen, and chief o f the
diftrift: o f Kona; Kavaheeroo, chief of the diftrift: of Kaow; Tianna, chief
o f the diftrift: of Poona; Tamaahmotoo, chief of the diftrift of Koarra;
Trywhookec, half brother to the king, and our moft faithful proteftor and
purveyor at the encampment; all affembled on board the Difcovery, for
the purpofe of formally ceding and furrendering the ifland of Owhyhee
to me for His Britannic Majefty, his heirs and fuccelfors; there were
prefent on this occalion befides myfelf, Mr. Puget, and all the officers o f
the Difcovery.
Tamiaahmaah opened the bufinefs in a fpeech, which ;he delivered with
great moderation and equal firmnefs. He explained the feafons- (already
Bated) that had induced him to offer the ifland to the protection of Great
Britain; and recounted the numerous advantages that himfelf, the chiefs,
and the people, were likely to derive by the furrender they were about to
make. He enumerated the feveral nations that fince Captain Cook’s difcovery
of thefe iflands had occalionally reforted hither, each o f which
was too powerful for them to relift; and as thefe vilitors had come more
frequently to their Ihores, and their numbers feemed to increafe, he con-
fidered that the inhabitants would be liable to more ill treatment, and
ftill greater impofitions than they had yet endured, unlefs they could be
protefted againft fuch wrongs by fome one of the civilized powers with
whofe people they had become acquainted; that at prefent they were
completely independent, under no fort of engagement whatever, and
were free to make choice of that ftate which in their opinion was moft
likely by its attention to their fecurity and interefts, to anfwer the purpofe
for which the propofed furrender was intended. For his own part
he did not helitate to declare the preference he entertained for the king of
Great Britain, to whom he was ready to acknowledge his fubmiflion;
and demanded to know who had any objeftion to follow his example,
x This
This produced an harangue from each of the 1 five chiefs, all of whom >794- ° , ' February.
had fome ideas to offer on this important lubjeei:. »
The warlike fpirit and ambitious views of Kahowmotoo had long taught
him to indulge the flattering hope, that on fome future day he fhould be
enabled to acquire the fovereignty of Mowee. This prompted him to
ftate in a fpi.rited and manly- fpeech,. that on their becoming connected
and attached to fo powerful a nation, they ought no longer to fuffer the
indignities which had been offered to their ifland Owhyhee by the people
of Mowee; he alfo candidly enumerated the offences that Mowee
had juftly to complain of in return; but as thefe bore no proportion
to her aggreffions, he contended that file ought to be chaftizedy and
that when a force for their protection fhould be obtained from England,
the firft objefit of its employment ought to be the conqueft of Mowee;
after which the care of its government fhould be intruded to fome re-
fpe&able chief, whofe intereft and inclination could be depended upon as
being friendly towards Owhyhee.
Kavaheeroo, a chief of a very different difpofition, content with the-
ftation he filled, and the comforts he enjoyed, looked forward with plea-
fure to the confequences that were likely to refult from the adoption of
the meafure propofed; having no doubt of its tending to their future
fafety and protection, which had now become highly expedient in fome
way to effeCt, and of its being the means of producing a general pacification
with their relations and friends, as he termed them, on the other,
iflands.
Tianna, after, agreeing with Kahowmotoo, that Mowee ought to be-
chaftized; and with Cavaheeroo, in the neceffity of Owhyhee being
protefted ; propofed that fome perfons, duly authorized for that purpofe,
fhould refide on fhore by. way of guards, and ftated that a veffel or
two would be requifite to defend them by fea. He very judicioufly ob-
ferved further, that fo great a fimilarity exifted between the people of
the four nations with whom they were already acquainted, but more particularly
fo between the Englifh and the Americans, that in the event of
their prefent furrender being accepted, and of a veffel being fent' Out
for their proteftion, they fhould be doubtful as to the reality of fuch
perfons