Being sure of meeting with American vessels at the Sandwich Islands, in which I might get to Europe or America, I expressed a desire to embrace this opportunity of quitting Kodiak, and was accordingly permitted to take my passage in the ship.
The Neva had a crew of seventy-five seamen, belonging to the Russian imperial service, and was commanded by captain Hageimeister, who had been bred in the British navy, and could speak English fluently. The ship herself was British built, and had made a voyage round the world.[17]
The preparations for the expedition being completed, we left the harbour on the 11th of December, O. S. with a fair wind, and soon lost sight of the island.
CHAPTER VIII.
Voyage to Sandwich Islands—Make Owhyhee—Touch at Mowee—Proceed to Wahoo—Tamaahmaah and other chiefs come on board—Author resides three months with the King—Account of his mode of life—Remove to the house of Isaac Davis—Account of him—Death of Terremytee, the King’s brother, and transactions that took place on that occasion—Remarkable water-spout—Author receives a grant of land from the King, to which he removes—Residence there—Arrival of the ship Duke of Portland—Anecdotes of the King—Departure from the Sandwich Islands.
We proceeded on our voyage to the Sandwich Islands, and enjoyed fine weather, with favourable winds.
No land was seen from the time we quitted the Fox Islands, till the 27th of January.
On that morning, at day break, we discovered the mountains of Owhyhee, at the distance of ten leagues. In the afternoon, we were close in with the land, and coasted along the north side of the island.