2S0 SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 



ever reach. A direct communication with Oregon and California 

 will do away with the necessity of intercourse through the islands ; 

 they must, consequently, be left to their own resources to maintain 

 trade ; and when California and Oregon Territory can afford the 

 whalers equal advantages, which, when settled, they will do in a few 

 years ; the advantages derived from this source will be withdrawn. 

 Unfortunately for these islands, a fictitious importance has been 

 ascribed to their geographical position, in the belief that much poli- 

 tical ascendency in the Pacific must accrue to the nation which 

 may possess them ; this state of opinion has been brought about by 

 the exertions of the American missionaries, who have been the 

 means of raising the natives so rapidly in the scale of civilization, 

 and from whose success our countrymen have acquired much in- 

 fluence. This ascendency, however, has been partly the means 

 of provoking a sectarian war, which has brought about much 

 trouble, and been the cause of great distress both to the king and 

 people. These troubles have probably been of some advantage to 

 the people, and afforded the means of increasing their wealth, and 

 causing a demand for their products, which, though trifling as 

 to amount, yet in such a small community has been sensibly felt, 

 and has enabled them to obtain many advantages they could not 

 have had otherwise. I have some doubt whether the Hawaiian 

 Islands can ever become an independent nation by the exertion 

 of their own people, since they have unv/isely invited foreigners 

 to reside among them, and given them equal rights and privileges 

 with natives. Endeavours are now making to introduce foreign 

 labourers and capital, which, although proceeding from a dispo- 

 sition to advance and develope the resources of the islands, will 

 have a tendency to injure the native labouring population. The 

 introduction of foreign labour will necessarily bring with it foreign 

 habits and custom, which the natives are, even now, too prone to 

 imitate ; and the examples that are set before them are generally, if 

 not always, of the worst description. 



The inducements held out to the king and chiefs to make large 

 grants of land to foreigners, have been great; but such grants can 

 never be carried into effect without endangering the very existence 

 of the government and people. In all cases that came within my 

 knowledge on the islands, the object of the majority of foreign resi- 

 dents was solely to increase their own wealth; and on the accumu- 

 lation of a sufficient amount, they withdraw from the islands, taking 



