THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 34-7 



wich islanders very seldom rob each other, and 



such a deed is always punished by the contempt of 



every body, and sometimes with death ; but to rob 



an European of any thing, acquires them much 



honour, and they boast of it. The islanders have 



a very high idea of writing, and a letter is a thing 



of great value among them ; of which, Beckly 



gave me the following instance. When he resided 



at Owhyee, he wrote a letter to a friend at Woahoo, 



and gave it to a Kanaka (peasant) who was going 



to Woahoo, and who joyfully promised to take 



charge of it ; but he kept it, and preserved it as a 



valuable curiosity. Some months afterwards, an 



European ship arrived; the Kanaka did not neglect 



to hurry with his treasure on board, and to offer it to 



the captain for a high price. He was, fortunately, 



an old acquaintance of Beckly's, who recognized 



his writing, and purchased the letter, which came, 



by these means, again into the hands of the writer. 



Sleeping-places had been prepared for us on very 



clean matsj the rats, however, which ran over our 



faces, deprived us of rest, and, after a sleepless 



night, we received the disagreeable intelligence, 



that we could by no means obtain a canoe, and 



were obliged to return home without having seen 



the Pearl River. In the mouth of this river are 



several islands ; it is so deep, that the greatest 



ship of the line can lie at anchor a few fathoms 



from the shore; and so broad, that a hundred vessels 



can conveniently lind room in it. The entrance 



