78 



porter's journal. 



the New Zealander. This affair (which, when joined ta 

 conspiracies, neglect of duty, and my difficulties with the 

 tribes, had caused me much uneasiness) was now settled. 

 The arrival of the Albatross was hailed by our seamen as 

 the most joyful event. She had brought from Canton a 

 cargo suited to this Island, consisting of beads and various 

 other trinkets, to exchange with the natives for sandal- 

 wood. She soon procured all that was to be obtained, 

 and disposed of to our seamen the principal part of her 

 remaining trade at the most exorbitant prices. They had 

 all received their advance money ; it was to them useless 

 trash, and soon disposed of for such articles as would be 

 most likely to please their female friends, who, hearing of 

 the abundance of peepees (for so they called beads) and 

 otner tie iies^ with which our mtn v/ere supplied, flocked 

 round our settlement from every tribe with whom we were 

 at peace. 



On the 19th November, the American flag was display- 

 ed in our fort, a salute of seventeen guns was fired from 

 the artillery mounted there, and returned by the shipping 

 in the harbour. The island was taken possession of for 

 the United States, and called Madison's Island, the fort, 

 Fort Madison, the village, Madison's Ville, and the bay, 

 Massachusetts Bay. The following declaration of the act 

 of taking possession was read and signed, after which the 

 prosperity of our newly acquired Island was drank by all 

 present. The object of this ceremony had been previ- 

 ously and was again explained to the natives. They were 

 all much pleased at being Melleekees, as they called them- 

 selves, and wanted to know if their new chief was as great 

 a man as Gattanewa. 



DECLARATION. 



" It is hereby made known to the world, that I, David 

 Porter, a captain in the navy of the United States of 

 America, and now in command of the United States' frig- 

 ate the Essex, have, on the part of the said United States, 

 taken possession of the island called by the natives Nooa- 

 heevah, generally known by the name of sir Henry Mar- 

 tin's island, but now called Madison's Island. That by 

 the request and assistance of the friendly tribes residing 



