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CHAPTER XXIII.
Continuation of the Meeting at Papiete—Questions—Explanation—Meeting
ends—Pilotage—Mr. IVilson—Queen’s Visit—Fireworks—School
Intelligence —Letters'—Inhabitants—Dress—Conduct—Abolition of
Spirits—Defect in Character—Domestic Scene—Aura Island—Newton
at Bow Island—Pearl Oyster-shells—Divers—Steering—Queen’s
Letter—Collection—Sail from Otaheite—Whylootacke — Flight of
Birds —Navigators—Friendly—Feejee Islands—English Chief—Precautions—
La Perouse.
R e v e h t in g to the meeting at Papiete:— The queen’s secretary
next asked to speak, and said that a law had heen established
in the island, prohibiting the keeping, as well as the
use or importation of any kind of spirits. In consequence of
that law, the persons appointed to carry it into effect had desired
to destroy the contents of various casks and bottles of
spirits ; but the foreigners who owned the spirits objected,
denying the right to interfere with private property. The
Otaheitan authorities did not persist, as they were told that
the first man-of-war which might arrive would certainly take
vengeance upon them if they meddled with private property.
He wished to ask whether the Otaheitans ought to have persisted
in enforcing tiieir own laws; and what I should have
done, had the law been enforced with a British subject, and
had he made application to me.
My answer was, “ Had the Otaheitans enforced their law, I
could in no way have objected. In England a contraband
article is seized by the proper officers, and is not treated as
private property while forbidden by the law.”
Much satisfaction was evidently caused by this declaration :
also, at a former part of the discussions, when a remonstrance
was made against Otaheitans paying the Truro debt, the
greater part of the assembly seemed to be much pleased.
A respectable old man then stood up, and expressed his gratification
at finding that another of King William’s men-of-war
had been sent—not to frighten them, or to force them to do as
they were told, without considering or inquiring into their own
opinions or inclinations, but to make useful enquiries. They
feared the noisy guns which those ships carried, and had often
expected to see their island taken from them, and themselves
driven off, or obliged in their old age to learn new ways of
living.
I said, “ Rest assured that the ships of Great Britain
never will molest Otaheitans so long as they conduct themselves
towards British subjects as they wish to be treated by Britons.
Great Britain has an extent of territory, far greater than is
sufficient for her wishes. Conquest is not her object. Those
ships, armed and full of men, which from time to time visit
your island, are but a very few out of a great many which are
employed in visiting all parts of the world to which British
commerce has extended. Their object is to protect and defend
the subjects of Great Britain, and also take care that their conduct
is proper—not to do harm to, or in any way molest those
who treat the British as they themselves would wish to be
treated in return.”
I was much struck by the sensation which these opinions
caused amongst the elderly and the more respectable part of
the assemblage. They seemed surprised, and so truly gratified,
that I conclude their ideas of the intentions of foreigners towards
them must have been very vague or entirely erroneous.
The business for which we had assembled being over, I
requested Mr. Pritchard to remind the queen, that I had a
long voyage to perform; and ought to depart from her territories
directly she confided to me the promised document,
relating to the affair of the Truro; and I then asked the queen
and principal chiefs to honour our little vessel by a visit on the
following evening, to see a few fireworks : to which they willingly
consented : some trifling conversation then passed ; and
the meeting ended.
Much more was said, during the time, than I have here detailed
: my companions were as much astonished as myself at
witnessing such order, so much sensible reasoning, and so good
a delivery of their ideas ! I shall long remember that meeting
at Otaheite, and consider it one of the most interesting sights