VOYAGE TO THE 
206 
CHAP, stature is the result of the better quality of their food, or whether, by 
the commission of infanticide, their parents have preserved only the 
most healthy children, and bestowed upon them a more 
careful nursing than may have fallen to the lot of their vassals, I can- 
not say, but it is beyond a doubt that the advantage which their chiefs 
enjoyed in this respect had a strong influence on the minds of the 
simple Otaheitans, who were with difficulty convinced that the size of 
the purser (who was the largest man in the ship) did not confer on 
him the best claim to be the Eatira-rai, or captain of the Blossom, 
'J’he arrival of the chiefs was an event very favourable to the wishes 
of the consul, who availed himself of the opportunity it afforded of 
urging, with some prospect of success, the repeal of an order issued by the 
regent, which had occasioned serious mischief to one of our merchant 
ships ; and which, if not speedily rescinded, must have endangered not 
only the property, but even the lives of individuals trading to these 
islands. The consul had already appealed against the obnoxious decree, 
but it was at a time when he was not supported by the presence of a 
king’s ship ; and the short-sighted policy of the regent did not anticipate 
the probability of the consul soon receiving such a powerful support 
to his negotiation. She had ventured, therefore, to dismiss his remon- 
strance, intimating that she was fully aware of his defenceless situation. 
The case under discussion was as follows. 
The queen, seeing the estimation in which the pearl-oyster shells 
were held by Europeans, imagined that by levying a duty on them 
she would greatly increase her revenue. Orders were accordingly issued 
to all the tributary islands to seize every vessel trading in shells, which 
had not previously obtained the royal licence to procure them. The 
Chain Islanders, who, from their enterprising and marauding habits, 
may be considered the buccaneers of the eastern South Sea archi- 
pelago, were too happy to find themselves fortified with a plea for a 
proceeding of this nature, and instantly sent one of their double canoes 
to Tiokea, w'here they found the Dragon, an English brig, taking in 
jjearl shells. These people behaved in a very friendly manner to 
her crew, and allowed her quietly to take her cargo on board; but 
the Dragon was no sooner ready to put to sea, than several of the 
