CHAP.
XV.
1287.
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return to their vessel. It has been asserted of Pitt that he was extremely
ambitious; but his ambition seems to have had no other object than
the welfare of his country; had he aspired to the crov/n, there were
many favourable opportunities of which he might have availed himself
without much risk of failure, of which the death of Tamehameha, the
revolt of Kekoakalane, the insurrection of Atooi and others are sufficient
instances. He left one son, whom he was very anxious to have
educated in England, and pressed his request so earnestly that I had consented
to take him on board the Blossom, but the vessel which was
sent to bring him from Owyhee returned hastily with the news of the
death of the chief, which frustrated the plan. Immediately this event
was known the flags of the forts and the shipping were lowered half-
mast, and the shores of the bay resounded with the wailings of the
inhabitants.
It had been supposed that the ambition and jealousy of Kahu-
mana and the conflicting interests of the chiefs would have displayed
themselves in insurrection on this occasion, and that the disaffected chiefs
would have availed themselves of this moment to remove the supreme
power from the hands of the young king; but whatever rusults this melancholy
event might have produced had it occurred at an earher date,
nothing was now attempted. Boki, however, thought it prudent to
assemble the troops in the fort, and the Blossom was put in readiness to
preserve order, if necessary, and to receive the foreign residents, should
their safety require it. Anxious to witness the effect of this occurrence
upon the court, I immediately paid a visit of condolence to Kahumana,
who was seated amidst a motley assemblage of attendants, looking very
sorrowful. It appeared, however, from the following incident, that
the sincerity of her grief was questionable. Happening to cast her eye
upon a Bramah inkstand I was conveying to the observatory, she seized
it with both hands, and she exclaimed, her countenance brightening into
a smile, how much she should like to have it. As it was the only one I
possessed, I did not intend at first to gratify her majesty’s wishes, but
she fairly tore it from m e : making therefore a virtue of necessity,
I presented it to her. After bestowing some praise upon the invention,
she passed it to Karui, a female chief next in rank to herself and then
dismissing her pleasant looks, she resumed her sorrow, and convinced C H A P .
every person present that she was quite an adept in this barbarous ■
Feb.
custom of her country.
1827,
Many of the court seemed to consider this moment one of apprehension,
and every person who approached the queen’s abode was at
first supposed to be the hearer of the news of some insurrection or
other convulsion of the state. As he entered the room, therefore,
there was a dead silence; but when it was found that these visits were
made merely to inquire after the health of the queen, the wailing, as if
it had suffered by the disappointment, burst forth with redoubled energy.
Kahumana herself evidently anticipated some disturbance, for she
whispered to me to be upon my guard, as there was a probability that
the people would be mischievous. Nothing, however, occurred to
disturb the tranquillity of the town but the wailing around the royal
abode.
It is unnecessary here to describe many instances of the extent to
which this hypocritical affectation of grief was carried ; suffice it to say,
that several persons, as if determined to perpetuate the barbarous practice
of self-mutilation, knocked out their front teeth with hammers.
The queen almost immediately after the death of her brother embarked
for Owyhee in a native schooner, to the great satisfaction of the
chiefs and the European residents in Woahoo. As it was probably
the last time she would see us, she was complimented with a royal
salute on leaving the harbour.