298 VOYAGE TO THE 



heite from Eimeo, and was received with the most 

 enthusiastic shouts of his subjects, who were assem- 

 1826.' bled in great numbers on the beach to welcome his 

 arrival. The following day he paid a visit to the 

 ship, attended by the queen, a numerous retinue, 

 and Mr. Pritchard, the principal missionary upon 

 the island. I saluted the king on the occasion with 

 nine guns, much to the delight of his subjects ; and 

 presented him with the fowling-piece which was 

 sent out by the government for that purpose. The 

 stock was inlaid with silver, and the case handsomely 

 lined, and fitted up in a manner which made a deep 

 impression on the minds of the Otaheitans, who are 

 extremely fond of display, and who expressed their 

 approbation by repeated exclamations of " My-tie ! 

 mia mv-tie Pretannee !" as each article was exhibited. 

 The king was a well-behaved boy, of slender make, 

 uniting with the rudiments of an European educa- 

 tion much native shrewdness ; and the chiefs were 

 considerably interested in him, as they considered his 

 education would give him advantages over his pre- 

 decessors; and his succession to the throne would 

 remove the reins of government from the hands of 

 the present possessor, whose measures were not 

 always the most disinterested or beneficial to her 

 country ; and who, in consequence of her influence 

 with the Boo-ratiras, the most powerful body of men 

 upon the island, often carried her plans into execu- 

 tion in spite of the wishes of the chiefs to the con- 

 trary. But the object of their hopes unfortunately 

 died the following year, and the sceptre passed to 

 the hands of Aimatta, his sister, of whom the mis- 

 sionaries speak well. 



Before we sat down to dinner, I was amused at 



