When Tamaahmaah removed to Wahoo, Davis accompanied him, and he left Young as governor of Owhyhee. These two he always treated with greater confidence than any of the native chiefs. Davis had extensive grants of land on several of the islands. Upon Wahoo alone he had estates on which were four or five hundred people, who cultivated the land, and paid him a rent in kind. These were exempted from the taxes paid by the other chiefs for their lands; but Davis frequently made the king presents of feather cloaks, and other valuable articles.
He was married to a native woman, by whom he had no children. By a former wife he had three, two of whom were left under the charge of Mr. Young of Owhyhee. His house was distinguished from those of the natives only by the addition of a shed in front to keep off the sun; within, it was spread with mats, but had no furniture, except two benches to sit upon. He lived very much like the natives, and had acquired such a taste for poe, that he preferred it to any other food. We had, however, at all times abundance of pork, goat’s flesh, and mutton, and frequently beef sent by Young from Owhyhee; and in the mornings and evenings we had tea. His wealth, consisting of mats, feathers, and cloth, the produce of the island, and a large assortment of European articles, which he had acquired by trading with the ships that touched here; these were contained in a large storehouse, built of stone, adjoining his dwelling.
My first employment was to overhaul the sails of the king’s vessels, and to repair such as were out of order. After working two or three months at this, he desired me to make some canvass.
Having informed him that a loom was necessary, he ordered Boyd, his principal carpenter, to make one. This, however, Boyd declined, from an illiberal notion held by many of the white people, that the natives should be taught nothing that would render them independent of strangers. He told the king he did not know how to make looms; upon which I undertook to make one myself; although, by so doing, I incurred the displeasure of many of my countrymen. Davis had a native servant called Jack, who worked as a Tailor, and was a very handy fellow. This man showed much anxiety to observe how I proceeded; but his master told me by no means to allow him, as he was so quick he would soon learn to make a loom himself. When I said I had no wish to make it a secret, he replied, that if the natives could weave cloth, and supply themselves, ships would have no encouragement to call at the islands. Another instance of this narrow way of thinking occurred, when a brother of the queen’s, whose name I do not remember, but who was usually called by the white people, John Adams, wished me to teach him to read, Davis would not permit me, observing, “they will soon know more than ourselves.”
The making of the loom, from want of assistance, and want of practice, proved a very tedious job. I succeeded tolerably well at last; and having procured a supply of thread, spun by the women from the fibres of the plant of which their fishing lines are made, I began my operations.[21] After working a small piece, I took it to the king as a specimen. He approved of it in every respect except breadth, which was only about half a yard, saying, he wished it made wide enough for an awning to a ship. This was beyond my power; but I told him I could make it a yard wide, and then sow it up into any size. He accordingly ordered me to make a loom of the necessary dimensions.—The small piece I wove he kept, and showed it to every captain that arrived as a specimen of the manufacture of the country. I had nearly finished the other loom, when the ship arrived in which I quitted the island.
During the time I resided with Davis, Terremytee, the king’s brother, died. His body lay in state for a few days, in the morai; and was afterwards buried, according to custom, in a secret manner.
The public mourning that took place on this occasion was of so extraordinary a nature, that, had I not been an eye-witness, I could not have given credit to it.
The natives cut off their hair, and went about completely naked. Many of them, particularly the women, disfigured themselves by knocking out their front teeth, and branding their faces with red hot stones, and the small end of calabashes, which they held burning to their faces till a circular mark was produced; whilst, at the same time, a general, I believe I may say an universal, public prostitution of the women took place; the queens and the widow of the deceased alone exempted.
When the captain of a ship that lay in the harbour remonstrated with the king upon these disgraceful scenes, he answered that such was the law, and he could not prevent them.
About this time an immense water-spout broke in the harbour. It was first observed in the south, about noon. The day was fine, with a clear atmosphere, and nearly calm. When I saw it first, it appeared about the thickness of a ship’s mast, reaching from the sea to a heavy dark cloud that hung immediately over it. It approached slowly, the cloud gradually increasing in size. When it came near, we could observe the water ascending in a spiral direction, and the sea round its base boiling up in great agitation. At this time it seemed about the thickness of a hogshead. The tide was fortunately out; and upon crossing the reef, about an hour after its first appearance, the column broke, and such a mass of water fell, that the sea in the harbour was raised at least three feet upon the beach. No squall was experienced, nor did any rain fall. Hundreds of dead fish were picked up upon the reef, and along shore after it broke. I have seen several water-spouts at sea, and one that was nearly on board the ship in which I was, but none of them at all equal in magnitude to this.