p. 



XIV. 



NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 311 



inftantly given up. On thefe occafions I fpoke to the king, ^ ^^^ 



who made me underftand that it was warranted by their ' ^ 



eflablifhed cuftom. And after receiving fuch an anfwer, oaober, 

 I was apprehenfive that any further attempts to intercede "" ^^ ''' 

 on the poor man's behalf might aggravate the injury to 

 the fufferers, and be produdive of worfe and more ferious 

 confequences to him, as well as create fome difgufl: to me, 

 for prefuming to call in queftion, or fuggefting the im- 

 propriety of the rules by which they were governed ; and 

 therefore I waved the fubjeil, and deiifted from my pur- 

 pofe, though urged to it by all the feelings of pity and 

 compafTion. 



Among the variety of occurrences that happened durfng 

 our laft viflt to Atoui, the reader may recolledl the cir- 

 eumftance of Pooareare (a meffenger belonging to the king) 

 obliging an old chief by force to difcover where his trea- 

 fures were depofited, and afterwards feizing on them as his 

 own. As we left the ifland foon after that tranfadiion, I 

 had no opportunity of learning how it terminated ; but 

 when Abbenooe came on board at Oneehow, he informed 

 me, that whenTaaao heard of the affair, he was fo much dif- 

 pleafed with the meffenger, that he ordered Pooareare " - 

 (although a favourite) to be put to death for the robbery, 

 and his cruelty to the poor old man. This order was: 

 executed by a chief named Namaateerae, whofe courage 

 and adlivity have already been fpoken of. 



Namaateerae found the culprit in a village fituated a 

 little to the Eaftward of Wymoa, where he attacked, 

 and, after fome reliftance, killed him with a pahoa. 



The 



