porter's journal. 



215 



llemen of the ward-room, with a liberality of feeling which 

 does them great credit, ordered a suitable dinner, with an 

 extra bottle of wine ; and Captain Whittemore and lieut. 

 Gamble had the happiness to commemorate that glorious 

 event, notwithstanding their confinement as prisoners of 

 war, on board an enemy's ship. 



Having reached Oruyhee on the 6th, Captain Tucker 

 sent a messenger on shore, with an invitation to the king 

 to come on board and dine with him. At three o'clock 

 F. M. His Majesty appeared, attended by his prime minis- 

 ter, Mr. Pitt, (! ! !) and a numerous retinue. Lieut. Gamble 

 was honoured with a seat at the table, near these great 

 personages, and was not a little amused to see them in- 

 dulge so freely in the wine and other luxuries of the dessert. 

 The next day, lieut. Gamble, by request, accompanied 

 Captain Tucker on shore, and visited the king's house. 

 Here they met with an Englishman by the name of Jen- 

 nings, who had commanded the brig Forrester, bound from 

 England to the N. W. coast of America ; but the said Jen- 

 nings having shot one of his crew for attempting to excite 

 a mutiny, was very safely set on shore at Owyhee, by the 

 survivors. Shortly after, a man, calling himself John 

 Young, entered the royal mansion ; and not aware that 

 lieut. Gamble was an American, he gave Captain Tucker 

 a very particular account of the ships of the United States, 

 then in those seas. He stated, that the Albatross, Captain 

 Smith, was daily expected from Canton, with twenty thou- 

 sand dollars in specie, and a quantity of dry goods ; and the 

 O'Cain, Captain Winship, from the Russian settlements on 

 the N. W. Coast. He described minutely the state of 

 affairs on the islands of Waohoo, Otooi^ and Owyhee, and 

 appeared extremely anxious to place the property of the 

 Americans in the hands of their enemy. This ungrateful 

 man had resided more than twentj^-five years on Owyhee, 

 and during that period had received from the American 

 traders, exclusively, upwards of ten thousand dollars in 

 cash, for supplies. After going through with his narrative, 

 lieut. Gamble thought proper to announce his real charac- 

 ter; when the astonished in^rate, with shame upon his 

 countenance, sneaked slily out of the way. Nothing farther 

 transpired at the king's residence ; and at 4 P. M. they 

 returned on board the ship. The day following, the king, 

 attended by Young, and four of. his wives, (weighing each 



