THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 299 



tall Herculean figures, whose dress, in the newest 

 fashion of Owhyee, struck us very much, as it 

 merely consisted of a black frock, and a small white 

 straw hat. 1 learnt from Elliot that the king had 

 really expected the hostile ship of war, and had 

 immediately given orders to station soldiers all 

 along the coast ; they were all prepared, and con- 

 sisted already of 400 men, armed with muskets. 

 The king sent me word that he was very sorry not 

 to be able to visit me on board my ship, as his mis- 

 trustful people would not suffer him, but for his 

 own part he had a better opinion of us, after his 

 Naja had acquainted him with the object of our 

 voyage ; and, as a proof of his friendly intentions, 

 he invited me to his camp, where he would enter- 

 tain me with a pig baked in the ground. He had 

 ordered, for my security, that one of the chiefs 

 should remain on board as long as I stayed on 

 shore, and accordingly I rowed on shore at ten 

 o'clock, accompanied by Messrs. Elliot and Schisch- 

 marefF, and a chief named John Adams.* The 

 view of the king's camp was concealed only by a 

 narrow tongue of land, consisting of naked rocks, 

 but when w^e had sailed round we were surprised 

 at the sight of the most beautiful landscape. We 

 found ourselves in a small sandy bay of the 

 smoothest water, protected against the waves of 

 the sea j on the bank was a pleasant wood of pal m- 



• It is the custom here to take the names of the Europeans 

 with whom a friendship has been contracted. 



