114 HAWAII AND OAHU. 



tlie first day, when two boats and a canoe approached the vessel. 

 One of the boats was recognised as that belonging to the Honduras, 

 in which the captain had gone on shore ; the other was thought to 

 belong to the Waverley, but the boats did not come near enough to 

 permit them, or the persons in them, to be distinguished : they were, 

 however, clothed. Guns fired at them, when "they were entirely out 

 of reach, caused them to return. Masts, supposed to have been those 

 of a vessel, were seen over the land. 



A rumour reached Tahiti, a year afterwards, that both Captain 

 Cathcart, of the Waverley, and Captain Scott, were living at Strong's 

 Island, and that the hull of the Waverley was lying rotting in a creek 

 on the west side of the island. 



In looking into all the facts of these cases, it seems that there 

 may have been some cause for the great change that took place in the 

 conduct of the natives of these islands, in the course pursued b}^ the 

 whites. It appears by testimony in my possession, that Mr. Dudoit 

 had confined and taken away two men against their will, on a former 

 visit. We have also seen that Captain Cathcart, of the Waverley, had 

 maltreated a chief, by cutting off his beard : this act was sufficient to 

 incense the whole people, and to cause the capture and massacre of 

 all the whites within reach; for it is an indignity that no natives 

 of the South Seas would submit to. It seems very improbable that 

 the whites could have become so ascendant on the island, in so short 

 a time as elapsed between the two visits of the Honduras ; but it is 

 not at all surprising that the natives should have visited Mr. Dudoit's 

 sins upon the head of his captain. 



There was an impression at Oahu, that white men must have had 

 some ao-ency in the business, from the manner in which the guns 

 were directed and fired. If a massacre took place on board the Wa- 

 verley, it is not improbable that two or three might have been spared, 

 held in subjection by the natives, and forced to perform this service. 

 The presence and action of whites may have arisen from runaways 

 from vessels, for we have had ample proof that throughout the Pacific 

 isles there are dissolute characters, who would be as prone as any 

 savage to deeds of piracy or blood, if they themselves were to derive 

 any benefit from it. 



Whatever were the true state of things, I felt well satisfied that it 

 was desirable for some part of our force to visit this island : both it 

 and Ascension were therefore included in the orders of Captain Hud- 

 son. The latter is at present the limit of the whale-fishery within 



