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CHAPTER XV.
to th e Sandwich Islands— W o a h o o— H is to ric a l S k etch of th e Is la n d s -P r o g r e s s in
Civilization— Sandal W o o d— Resources o f th e Gove rnment— Slow Progre ss o f Educatio
n -E f f o r t s of th e Missionaries— Unsuccessful R e su lt of th eir Zeal— S entiments of the
K in g an d Chiefs— E n te rta inm e n t given by the K in g—D e a th o f Krymakoo— W a ilin g
Scene—D e p a rtu re o f K ahumana for Owyhee,
U p o n leaving Monterey we steered to the southward with a fair
wind, which carried us into the trades, and attended us the whole
way to the Sandwich Islands. In our course we searched unsuccessfully
for all the islands that were marked near our route, rounding to
every night when near the position of any one that it might not be
passed unobserved, and making sail on a parallel of latitude during
the day. In this manner we searched for Henderson’s and Cooper’s
Islands, besides several others said to lie near them, and also for a
group in the latitude of 16" N., and longitude between ISO" and 133"
W. ; but we saw nothing of them, nor had we any of the usual indications
of the vicinity of land ; so that if any of these islands exist,
they must be in some other parallel than that assigned to them in the
American Geographical Table, published in 1825*.
On the 25th, after a pleasant passage of twenty days, we saw the
Island of Owyhee ; and the following day anchored in the harbour of
Honoruru, the capital of the Sandwich Islands. We had the satisfaction
to meet all our former acquaintances well, and to receive their congratulations
on our return ; we had also the pleasure to find Mr. Lay the
* I have been re c en tly informed th a t an island o f m oderate h e ig h t has been seen b y the
S u ltan Americ an W h a le r in latitude 15® 30' N., longitude between ISO^ and 134® W . And
th a t an o th e r was landed upon in latitude 18') 22' N., longitude 114° W .
naturalist ready to resume his occupations. During our absence, he CHAP.
liad unfortunately been prevented pursuing his researches among the
islands by a severe illness.
After the usual etiquette of salutes, I visited the king and Kahu-
maiia, who appeared very glad of our arrival, and being informed that
the ship was to remain a few weeks in the harbour, they very kindly
appropriated three houses to the use of the officers and myself, and
seemed determined to showby other acts of attention that the regard they
had always expressed for our nation was not merely an empty profession.
In my first visit to this place, I gave a sketch of the appearance of
the town of Woahoo and of the inhabitants, with the advances which
the country appeared to be making in civilization. It may not be
superfluous here to insert a very concise account of the islands during
the last few years, to enable my readers to judge more correctly of their
progress, and to furnish information to such as may not have the history
of them fresh in their memories.
At the time the Sandwich Islands were discovered by Captain Cook,
Owyhee was under the sovereignty of Terreeoboo, or Teriopu, who
died shortly after the departure of the discovery ships. Tameha-
meha, who afterwards became so celebrated, was the nephew of Terreeoboo.
He is not mentioned in the official account of Cook’s voyage,
but in a narrative of the facts relating to the death of the great navigator,
published by Mr. Sainwell, the surgeon of the Discovery, Meah Meah,
as he is called by that gentleman, is represented to have slept on board
that ship, and to have had with him a magnificent feather cloak, with
which he would not part, except for iron daggers, six of which he procured,
and returned to the shore well pleased with his bargain. No
doubt his intention was to wrest the sovereignty from the hands of the
successor of Terreeoboo, an enterprise which he performed shortly afterwards
by assembling his forces and defeating him in a pitched battle, in
which lie is said to have slain him with his own hands. After this
victory, no other chief possessing sufficient power to oppose Tame-
haraciia, we find that on the arrival of Vancouver in 1792 he had
acquired supreme authority both in Owyhee and Mowee. He soon
afterwards attacked and conquered Woahoo, and, assisted by liis valiant
3 G 2