object of the Prince’s visit was to dissuade Captain Maxwell
from urging his request to be allowed an interview with
the King; and we conjectured that the circumstance of his
accident was taken advantage of to pay a visit to the
Alceste, where they naturally thought that the remonstrances
of a man of such high rank as the Heir Apparent to the
throne, would carry more weight than any which had yet:
been tried.
When the. Prince again alluded to the letter, it appeared
that it was to be written by the m in is te r, and not by the
King. This altered the case materially, and Captain Maxwell
most respectfully informed the Prince, that such a
letter as he described could not be received, as it would be
an indignity to our sovereign to offer his majesty a letter
written by.another king’s minister. The Prince a t once
seemed sensible of the propriety of what Captain Maxwell
had said, and calling the chiefs round him, entered into a
long discussion with them : at the close o f which, he declared
himself incompetent to decide upon so important an occasion,
but said tha t he would consult with thè King, whose
pleasure would be communicated in a few days. Captain
Maxwell expressed his willingness to abide by his majesty’s
decision as far as was consistent with the respect due-to his
own sovereign. The Prince seemed entirely satisfied with
this answer, and said something to the chiefs, upon which
they again fell on their knees before Captain Maxwell, notwithstanding
all his efforts to prevent them. Nothing more
of any consequence passed.
In the early part of the interview the present , was
brought in, or a t least such parts of it as were capable, of
being thus displayed. The whole consisted of two bullocks,
three'hogs, three goats, and a quantity of vegetables and
fruit; besides fifteen webs of the cloth of the island, thirty
fans, and twelve pipes. The Prince said he had sent a
present to me, which I found to consist of half the above
mentioned things. ‘ He shortly afterwards rose to take
leave. The rigging was manned on his going away, and
■ similar honours were paid him as were shewn when he came
on board.
The Prince of Loo-choo, whose name is Shang, Pung
Fwee, and title Pochin Tay Foo, belongs to the highest
of the nine orders of chiefs on the islands, the distinction of
which rank is a hatchee-matchee of a pink ground, with
perpendicular rows of black, yellow, blue, white, and green
spots. He was clothed in a robe of light blue silk, lined
with silk a shade lighter, over which he wore a girdle richly
embossed with flowers of gold and different coloured silks:
in other respects his dress was like that of the .chiefs. He