206 



porter's journal. 



So that, of the whole number on board, only two were 

 actually fit for duty, and only one acquainted with the 

 management of a ship. Nothing material occurred until 

 they reached the island of Owyhee^ which was on the 23d. 

 The weather had continued pleasant, and no accident of 

 any kind happened to retard their progress. On rounding 

 the Southern extremity of the Island, a number of the na- 

 tives came off in canoes, with some cocoa-nuts to trade. 

 They informed lieut. Gamble, that Tamahamaah, the king, 

 resided at Taeigh Bay ; and fifteen of them, expressing a 

 wish to remain on board the ship that night, he ordered 

 them to sleep on the birth-deck, while the crew remained 

 on the quarter deck, with pikes by their sides — the only 

 weapon on board the ship. In coasting along the N. W. 

 side of the Island, on the 24th, several canoes came off in 

 the afternoon, with swine, poultry, fruit, and vegetables ; 

 and the ship being a great distance from the shore, lieut. 

 Gamble permitted the natives to stay on board that night. 

 In the morning, they left the ship, with the greater part of 

 their swine, &;c. not having seen any thing on board for 

 which they would willingly exchange them. They now 

 stood towards the northern part of the island, and, at sun- 

 set, three natives came off in a canoe, with a few water- 

 melons ; but, contrary to their custom, as soon as these 

 were disposed of, they returned in great haste to the shore. 

 At daylight, on the 28th, they hove to, off the northern 

 point of the island ; the weather being so cloudy and hazy, 

 as to prevent their seeing the land. The ship, however, 

 had not been long in this situation, before she was disco- 

 vered to be in the midst of the surf and breakers, and ap- 

 parently within pistol-shot of the shore. Lieut. Gamble 

 immediately ordered her to be wore round, and in a few 

 moments, had the good fortune to see her clear of the most 

 imminent danger. They now passed between several of 

 the Islands, and in the afternoon of the 31st, came to off 

 Whyateetee Bay, on the S. W. side of the island of Waohoo, 

 An American, by the name of Harbottle, came off in a 

 canoe, and gave a very flattering account of the state of 

 things on shore. He kindly undertook to pilot the ship 

 into the Bay ; and at lieut. Gamble's request, despatched 

 the canoe ashore, with a note for Captain Nathaniel Win- 

 ship, a native of America, describing the state of the vessel. 



