POLYNESIAN IlESBAnCHBS. 
391 
CHAP. XIV. 
Pomare^s proposed restrictions on barter, rejected by the chiefs of the 
Leeward Islands—Voyage to Eimeo—Departure for Tahiti—Danger 
during the night—^Arrival at Border’s Point—State of the settlement— 
Papeete — Mount Hope—Interview with the king—Revision of the 
laws—Approval of the queen—Arrival of the Hope from England—In¬ 
fluence of letters, &c.—Return to Eimeo—Embarkation for the Leeward 
Islands—A night at sea—Appearance of the heavens—Astronomy of 
the natives—Names of the stars^—Divisions and computation of time, See. 
—Tahitian numerals—Extended calculation—Arrival in Huahine. 
Early iii 1821^ the brig which had been purchased in 
New South Wales for Pomare, arrived in Tahiti. Soon 
after this^ the king sent a messenger to the Leeward 
Islands, with a bundle of niaus^ or emblems of royal 
authority, and a proposal to the chiefs, that they should 
become joint proprietors of the vessel, and furnish a 
required quantity of native produce, viz. pigs, arrow- 
root, and cocoa-nut oil, towards the payment of the 
Macquarie. The herald left his message and bundle 
of niaus at Huahine, in the name of Teriitaria, and 
passed on to Raiatea. In a day or two afterwards 
we learned that instructions had been sent down to the 
chiefs, not to dispose of any of the above-mentioned 
articles, nor to allow the people to barter them to any 
ship, or even to the Missionaries, but to reserve them 
all for the cargo of his vessel. We represented to the 
chiefs the injustice of not allowing every man, provided 
