PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
41 1 
naturalist ready to resume his occupations. During our absence, he CHAP, 
had unfortunately been prevented pursuing his researches among the ^ 
islands by a severe illness. Jan. 
After the usual etiquette of salutes, I visited the king and Kahu- 
mana, who appeared very glad of our arrival, and being informed that 
the ship was to remain a few weeks in the harbour, they very kindly 
appropriated three houses to the use of the officers and myself, and 
seemed determined to show by other acts of attention that the regard they 
had always expressed for our nation was not merely an empty profession. 
In my first visit to this place, I gave a sketch of the appearance of 
the town of Woahoo and of the inhabitants, with the advances which 
the country appeared to be making in civilization. It may not be 
superfluous here to insert a very concise account of the islands during 
the last few years, to enable my readers to judge more correctly of their 
progress, and to furnish information to such as may not have the history 
of them fresh in their memories. 
At the time the Sandwich Islands were discovered by Captain Cook, 
Owyhee was under the sovereignty of Terreeoboo, or Teriopu, who 
died shortly after the departure of the discovery ships. Tameha- 
meha, who afterwards became so celebrated, was the nephew of Ter- 
reeoboo. He is not mentioned in the official account of Cook’s voyage, 
but in a narrative of the facts relating to the death of the great navigator, 
published by Mr. Samwell, the surgeon of the Discovery, Meah Meah, 
as he is called by that gentleman, is represented to have slept on board 
that ship, and to have had with him a magnificent feather cloak, with 
which he would not part, except for iron daggers, six of which he pro- 
cured, and returned to the shore well pleased with his bargain. No 
doubt his intention was to wrest the sovereignty from the hands of the 
successor of Terreeoboo, an enterprise which he performed shortly after- 
wards by assembling his forces and defeating him in a pitched battle, in 
which he is said to have slain him with his own hands. After this 
victory, no other chief possessing sufficient power to oppose Tame- 
hameha, we find that on the arrival of Vancouver in 1792 he had 
acquired supreme authority both in Owyhee and Mowee. He soon 
afterwards attacked and conquered Woahoo, and, assisted by his valiant 
3 G 2 
