Whilst Captain Percival was absent at Ranai, Captain Jackson, of the brig Harbinger, of Boston, addressed a letter to me, stating that his store in the village had been broken open, and robbed of goods to a large amount, and requesting my assistance to recover them. The matter was laid before the chief, Crimacu, who instituted a search, and on the following day, sent for Captain Jackson. At his hut, were assembled most of the foreigners of any respectability on the island, and many of the natives to witness the result of the inquiry. Some of the thieves had already been detected, and now stood before the chief, who, although very ill, sat up to question them about the robbery. They confessed their guilt, and in answering the questions put to them, convicted others, who were sent for and brought in, until the number amounted to six. They had shared their booty, and were sent out, with guards, to bring it from their different places of concealment. It consisted, principally, of fine calicoes and cloths, which had been put in tarrow patches, and oil casks, and when returned, were so damaged, as to be of but little value to the owner. When the chief got through with the inquiry, and had collected all the goods that could be found, he asked Mr. Jackson what punishment he would have inflicted upon the offenders. Mr. Jackson's reply was, that he wanted restitution made for the loss he had sustained, and that he would leave the punishment to the chief, according to the usage of the islands. The chief contended that the men were all poor, and had nothing wherewith to pay. He said that the chiefs were also poor, and denied the justice of compelling them, under any circumstances, to pay for the thefts of the people. He offered to put the culprits at Captain Jackson's disposal, or inflict upon them whatever punishment he should prescribe, according to the laws of his own country. Captain Jackson refused to say what punishment the men should receive, and only contended that the chief was bound to see his property, or an equivalent, restored to him. The matter was, for some hours in debate, when the chief compromised with Captain Jackson, by promising to have a quantity of sandal-wood collected for him within a prescribed period. The thieves were set at liberty without punishment, in consequence of which, it was surmised by some of our countrymen, that the chiefs had been concerned in the theft. This, I thought, a very unjust suspicion, as the investigation took place so publicly, that the fact, if it had been so, could hardly have failed to appear in the course of the inquiry.
The magnanimity of Crimacu,[[14]] in promising an equivalent for the damaged goods, which he was not bound to do by the customs of the Sandwich Islands, or the laws of civilized communities, gave me the highest opinion of his character. It appeared to me that he first objected to remunerate the merchant for his loss, with no other motive than to produce discussion, from which he might learn what would be done in more enlightened countries, in a similar case. He was told of the different punishments that the culprits would be subject to under the laws of America and England, but nothing could be advanced, even supposing that he was to act in accordance with the laws of those countries, to prove that the chiefs or king of the islands, were in any other way responsible for the thefts committed by individuals, than to make them stand forth and suffer in person for their offences. He remarked, that the information he received from individuals of the same country, with respect to their laws and customs, was often at variance, and so contradictory, that he was frequently at a loss to know what he should do to answer the ends of justice, and give satisfaction to the strangers who came to the islands. He declared, that the chiefs of the Sandwich Islands, wished to do like other people.
Amongst those with whom we held frequent and friendly intercourse, was an Englishman, by the name of Wilkinson, who had taken passage to the Sandwich Islands, in the Frigate Blonde, when she went there with the remains of king Rio Rio, and who had banished himself from his own country to this distant region, with a view of becoming a planter of the Sandwich Islands. He had been, according to his own statement, a planter in the West Indies in early life, and subsequently on his return to England, joined a troop of horse, of which he was a captain, destined for Spain, during the war in the Peninsula, where he served for a considerable time, but at the close of the war, having left the army, and met with a reverse of fortune, he had determined to make the experiment in which he was now engaged. A bold one, it must be confessed, for a man, at the age of forty-five, and with an enfeebled constitution. Aided by Captain Byron, (who, from his high rank, and the flattering mission upon which he had been sent, was well prepared to assist him,) Mr. Wilkinson obtained from the chiefs the first deed that ever was granted by them, for two hundred acres of land. It was situated about six miles from Onavoora, on elevated ground, bordering upon a narrow valley that winds through the mountains for several miles back from the sea. The chiefs granted the deed with great reluctance, notwithstanding the respectable source from which the petition came, being extremely tenacious of that command and sovereignty of the soil, that enables them, at pleasure, to dispossess the occupant. They the more willingly relinquished the spot that Mr. Wilkinson had fixed upon for his residence, as it was situated upon land so high, that it could not be used for the culture of tarrow, and was at the time unoccupied. With uncommon industry, although cramped by the want of money, that would have given it its full effect, he had reclaimed from a wild state, about fifty acres of land, which, when we arrived there, was planted with sugar-cane, corn, potatoes, bananas, &c., thus providing for his immediate wants, whilst the cane promised a rich harvest, that would amply reward him for his toil, whenever he could complete his machinery for the manufacture of sugar. In this, however, to all appearance when we were there, he would encounter great difficulty, as materials were not easily obtained; and although there were some mechanics on the island, their constant employment in the village, where they could frequently see their countrymen, and withal, their fondness for pleasure was likely to deprive him for a long time of their useful services, without which, he could do nothing. Connected with his land, was a stream of water running from the mountains, that would answer his purpose for manufacturing sugar. In a part of it that possessed all local advantages, he had made a dam and collected part of the materials for a mill, to be constructed in the simplest manner, but which, for the want of mechanical aid, lay in almost the same rude state in which he had purchased them. He anticipated, however, with great confidence, that by the time the cane was ready for cutting, the mill would be prepared, when the hopes by which he had first been stimulated, could scarcely fail to be realized. The sugar cane grows wild upon the Sandwich Islands, and Mr. Wilkinson's fields were from the native growth, which he had planted in prepared land, and at our departure, the canes were upwards of six feet high.
Although several strangers, familiar with the arts of civilized countries, have settled and lived, for many years, amongst the Sandwich Islanders, Mr. Wilkinson was the first individual who ever attempted to put them in practice, upon a scale, sufficiently extensive to improve, materially, the agricultural condition of the islands, and thereby prove to the inhabitants the wealth they possess, in a rich soil, and one of the finest climates on the face of the globe. Should Mr. Wilkinson be successful, the result of his experiment will probably do more towards the civilization of the natives, and their ultimate advancement in knowledge and lasting prosperity, than has yet been effected by all the white men that have lived amongst them. This, I am aware, will be considered a rash assertion by the good people of our country, who, from the best of motives, feel deeply engaged in foreign missions, and, in expressing this opinion, I will also bear testimony to the useful services of the missionaries. From the best information that I could obtain upon the subject, I am satisfied, that they have improved the morals of the people, and if they devote themselves to the schools that they have established, and to introducing the arts of life and civilization, the time may not be distant, when the natives will be prepared to receive Christianity. But in their present condition, would it not be better, and more in the true spirit of that benevolence and philanthropy which is inspired by our religion, to teach them how to cultivate their land, to introduce grain and fruits, congenial to the climate, and to plant and reap as we do, rather than imbue their minds with a mysterious doctrine, which, being beyond their comprehension, must resolve itself into a dark and intolerant superstition.
The inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands, are mild, amiable, and intelligent, and susceptible of the highest degree of moral and intellectual improvement. As a people, it may be said, that the stamp of civilization is scarcely perceptible yet upon them; and it is now inevitable, that they must bear the impress of those, whom our philanthropists have sent to convert them to Christianity; and, whether they become ignorant zealots, or intelligent Christians, will depend upon their teachers. The situation of these missionaries is, therefore, one of high responsibility, and ought not, in Christian charity, to be occupied by the narrow-minded fanatic, or the ignorant zealot. It is of the first importance that they, who dispose of the vast means of the missionary society, should select only such men for civilizing and Christianizing the Sandwich Islanders, as are distinguished for their knowledge, and love of the useful arts of life, as well as for practical piety.
The harbour of Onavoora, is a place of general rendezvous for the whale ships, cruising on the coast of Japan, and in the vicinity of the islands. The months of January, February, and March, being the least favourable for their business, they then leave their cruising ground, and go in search of refreshment. No place is so convenient for them as the Sandwich Islands, and the port of Onavoora, being the most commodious of any in the group, and affording an abundant supply of vegetables, hogs, &c.,—they all congregate there in the months above mentioned.
The average number that visit the island in the course of the year, is upwards of fifty. More than twenty were there together, at several different periods of our stay, some of which remained a few days, some weeks, and a few one or two months, according to their several necessities. At such times the seamen, from having been long confined to the narrow precinct of their vessels, become very insubordinate, and frequently give way to the most licentious indulgences of their passions, regardless of every obligation of obedience due to their officers. We witnessed frequent instances of this kind, and had the satisfaction of being constantly useful to the captains of ships, and the whaling interest, by restraining the violent, and coercing them to a proper sense of duty.
A most unpleasant occurrence took place about six weeks after our arrival at Onavoora, arising from this disposition of the seamen, and other causes, which was afterwards greatly misrepresented in this country. Some of the seamen of the Dolphin, who were on liberty, got into a frolic, and, associating themselves with many others belonging to the whale ships, determined to go to the houses of the high chiefs and missionaries, and demand the repeal of a restriction that deprived them of the society of females. They produced a riot that gave rise to a considerable degree of excitement for a few minutes; but Captain Percival, with some of the officers of the Dolphin, and captains of whale-ships, promptly suppressed it, and prevented any serious outrage. It was afterwards unjustly and most ungenerously ascribed to the officers of the Dolphin.
The white population of Onavoora is of a varied character, from the agent of our North West traders, to the most abandoned members of society. There are from fifty to a hundred, permanently settled at Onavoora; the least respectable of whom, maintain themselves by keeping tippling shops Tor sailors, and practising such chicaneries as are suggested by opportunities and the absence of law. The season for the whalers to visit the Island is the time of their harvest, when, besides their gains from entertaining the seamen, they frequently prevail upon them to desert for the sake of the reward for their apprehension, or to strip them of what little money or clothes they may be possessed of. Some of them have married women of the Island, and live much in the same way as the natives. Of all the permanent settlers at Onavoora, the most remarkable was a Spaniard by the name of Meninne, who had been in the Islands upwards of thirty years. Of his manner of getting there, a variety of stories were told. His own account was, that being invited on board of a vessel that visited the coast of California, he fell asleep in the evening, and, when he awoke, found himself at sea, and the vessel running, with a fair wind, for the Sandwich Islands. All his entreaties to be returned to land were in vain, and he arrived at Owhyhee, where, poor and friendless, he was landed amongst the natives. He wandered from island to island, in a forlorn and wretched condition, until he was taken under the patronage of Tamahamaha. For a long time, he followed the fortunes of the native warrior, and at length fixed his residence at Oahoo, from whence he occasionally embarked as interpreter on board of merchant vessels, bound on smuggling voyages to the coast of America. After passing through a variety of fortune, being several times made prisoner and threatened with death, he finally quitted his vagrant life, and remained permanently at Oahoo, where, by great industry and economy, he has acquired an amount of property which, for that place, is a princely fortune. Besides having money in the United States and England, he owns nearly all the cattle on the Island of Oahoo, a number of horses, flocks of goats, sheep, &c. He has extensive possessions in land, which he holds from the chiefs in consideration of his services, and a great many houses. He has taken some pains to introduce exotics in the Islands, and besides the lemon, orange, and other valuable fruits, has a vineyard from which he makes a considerable quantity of wine annually. He is said to be extremely selfish, and so jealous of preserving to himself a monopoly of these valuable fruits, that he has been accused of destroying the young plants of others. He is considered as ranking amongst the chiefs in the enjoyment of certain privileges; and, speaking the language of the Islands well, is called upon as interpreter for the government upon all important occasions. He has had thirty-seven children by various wives, and is yet in the prime of life. Like most men who have felt the cold hand of poverty, and afterwards acquired wealth, he is extremely penurious, and thinks of nothing so much as adding to his fortune without knowing how to enjoy it.
On the 3d of April, the young king and all the high chiefs, were invited on board to spend the day with us. In the morning, we dressed the schooner in all the flags we could muster, and made the best preparation our limited accommodation would admit of to receive our distinguished guests. No indication of their appearance was seen for some time after every thing was in readiness, and our boats on shore in waiting, and we were kept in suspense until we had almost despaired of seeing them. All at once the whole town was in an uproar, and the people were running and hallooing in every direction. The young king in advance, walked arm in arm with one of the officers of the Dolphin. Next came Boque and his spouse, with other high dignitaries, and in the rear a multitude of people of both sexes and all ages. When they had embarked, the eyes of the people were turned upon another object, not less interesting to them than the king. Crimacu, or Billy Pitt, too ill to walk, was gravely making his way to the beach in a hand cart, where he got into a boat and came on board soon after the king. We received them with manned yards, and a salute of twenty-one guns. The king, who was a boy of ten or twelve years old, was dressed in a military uniform that was sent to him from the king of England, and upon his shoulders he wore a pair of golden epaulets, with crowns on them. He appeared to be sensible of his rank, and, upon two or three occasions, addressed his attendants in a way that indicated a wish to make a display of his authority. The chiefs conducted themselves towards him with a becoming respect, but without bestowing upon him any attention that might interfere with their own enjoyment or convenience. Instead of partaking of what we had provided for our guests, they, with one or two exceptions, unceremoniously uncovered their poye pots, which had been brought with them by an attendant, and ate heartily of their favourite food, using their fingers as is the native custom. Boque again displayed his major general's uniform, and was amongst the most polished of our guests. After passing a number of hours on board, they returned to the shore delighted with their visit. The same compliment was paid them as at their reception. It was a day of great enjoyment with the common people. They received their chiefs on landing with loud huzzas, and followed them in crowds to their respective habitations.