1i"0RTEr's aoURNAI.. 



217 



hove to, off Whymea Bay, and displayed the American 

 flag : but no person appearing to take notice of it, he bore 

 away for the island of Oneehow. In the morning, at 11 

 A. M. the ship was brought to, off the S. W. point of the 

 island, and soon after, a canoe, wnth seven of the natives, 

 came alongside. They informed him, that the O'Cain and 

 the Mercurio (the Portuguese ship, of which mention is 

 made a few pages back) had left the island for the main, 

 two days since; and Captain Tucker, despairing of any 

 farther success among the Sandwich Islands, now bent his 

 course apparently for the Marquesas. 



And here I cannot avoid recording a specimen of the 

 Captain's manners, at a time when, of all others, he should 

 have set a better example to those around him, considering 

 the station he filled. A few days before leaving the Sand- 

 wich Islands, he sent for Mr. Lathrop, the late chief mate 

 of Captain Whittemore's ship, and put several questions to 

 him, with a view of ascertaining the state of Captain 

 Whittemore's property at Otooi^ and the best means of 

 gaining possession of it. To these questions, Mr. Lathrop, 

 Tery justly and very honestly, did not conceive it his duty 

 to give answer; and Captain Tucker, instead of doing jus- 

 tice to the motives of this upright man, turned him out of 

 the cabin, in the most ignominious manner, and with lan- 

 guage unbecoming his station and character. 



On the 21st, six days after leaving the Islands, being in 

 lat. 12°. 42'. N. and 155°. 53'. W. longitude, Captain Whitte- 

 more, Mr. Whitewood, the first lieutenant, and the sailing- 

 master, went upon deck, for the purpose of taking an ob- 

 servation ; but Captain Tucker would not lend them a sex- 

 tant, and of course they were disappointed. What were 

 his reasons for this strange conduct, I cannot pretend to 

 determine. 



During the passage to Valparaiso, which was subse- 

 quently found to be the destination of the ship, no events 

 of any particular interest occurred. This passage was per- 

 formed by the Cherub in the unexampled space of ten 

 weeks ; whereas the dullest merchant vessels commonly 

 perform it in six. In fact, from the favourable state of the 

 weather, it was the general opinion on board, that they 

 ought to have gained sight of the continent in eighteen 

 days after leaving the Sandwich Islands. From this cir- 



VOL. n. 28 



