1835. 



EXPLANATION MEETING ENDS. 



541 



opinions or inclinations, but to make useful enquiries. They 

 feared the noisy guns which those ships carried, and had often 

 expected to see their island taken from them, and themselves 

 driven off, or obliged in their old age to learn new ways of 

 living. 



I said, " Rest assured that the ships of Great Britain 

 never will molest Otaheitans so long as they conduct themselves 

 towards British subjects as they wish to be treated by Britons. 

 Great Britain has an extent of territory, far greater than is 

 sufficient for her wishes. Conquest is not her object. Those 

 ships, armed and full of men, which from time to time visit 

 your island, are but a very few out of a great many which are 

 employed in visiting all parts of the world to which British 

 commerce has extended. Their object is to protect and defend 

 the subjects of Great Britain, and also take care that their con- 

 duct is proper — not to do harm to, or in any way molest those 

 who treat the British as they themselves would wish to be 

 treated in return."' 



I was much struck by the sensation which these opinions 

 caused amongst the elderly and the more respectable part of 

 the assemblage. They seemed surprised, and so truly gratified, 

 that I conclude their ideas of the intentions of foreigners to- 

 wards them must have been very vague or entirely erroneous. 



The business for which we had assembled being over, I 

 requested Mr. Pritchard to remind the queen, that I had a 

 long voyage to perform ; and ought to depart from her terri- 

 tories directly she confided to me the promised document, 

 relating to the affair of the Truro ; and I then asked the queen 

 and principal chiefs to honour our little vessel by a visit on the 

 following evening, to see a few fireworks : to which they wil- 

 lingly consented : some trifling conversation then passed ; and 

 the meeting ended. 



Much more was said, during the time, than I have here de- 

 tailed : my companions were as much astonished as myself at 

 witnessing such order, so much sensible reasoning, and so good 

 a delivery of their ideas ! I shall long remember that meeting 

 at Otaheite, and consider it one of the most interesting sights 



