PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
233 
attending it would have been considerably felt by him, and more par- CHAP, 
ticularly as Lord Byron bad previously declined the same offer. 
The young king, who bad been taking an airing, arrived at this May, 
moment, and repeated the sentiments of his protector ; making at the 
same time many inquiries for his friends in the J3londe. Boki was 
absent at Owyhee attending his sister, who was dangerously ill. Madam 
Boki, Kuanoa, Manuia, and the other chiefs, who were of the party in 
England, were all anxious to show us civility ; and spoke of England 
in such high terms, that they will apparently never forget the kind 
treatment they experienced there : but they had a great dread of the 
diseases of our country, and many of them considered it very un- 
healthy. My impression was, that those who had visited it had their 
curiosity satisfied so fully as not to feel disposed to risk another visit. 
The want of their favourite dish Poe was, besides, so serious an incon- 
venience that when allusion was made to England, this privation was 
always mentioned. 
Our reception was friendly in the extreme ; all our wants, as far as 
possible, were supplied, but unfortunately there was this year a scarcity 
of almost every kind of production ; the protracted rainy season and 
other circumstances having conspired to destroy or lessen the crops, 
and the whole population was in consequence suffering from its effects. 
There was also a scarcity of dried jjrovision, our visit having preceded, 
the usual time of the arrival of the whalers, who discharge all they can 
spare at this place previous to their return home, and our expectation 
of replenishing the ship’s provisions was consequently disappointed ; it 
therefore became necessary to reduce the daily allowance of the ship’s 
company, and to pursue the same economical system here, with regard 
to taro and yams, as was done at Otaheite with the bread-fruit. 
The few days I had to remain here were devoted to astronomical 
and other observations, and 1 had but little opportunity of judging of 
the state of the island ; but from a letter which I received from Boki, it 
Was evident that he did not approve of the system of religious restraint 
that had been forced into operation, which was alike obnoxious to the 
foreigners residing upon the island and to the natives. 
At the time of our departure the health of Mr. Lay was by no 
II H 
