8 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
position, addressing Captain Wilson, and surren¬ 
dering the district.—Haamanemane was also the 
taio , or friend, of Captain Wilson ; and rendered 
him considerable service, in procuring supplies, 
facilitating the settlement of the Mission, and 
accomplishing other objects of his visit. 
Presentations of this kind were not uncommon 
among the islanders, as a compliment, or matter 
of courtesy, to a visitor; and were regulated by 
the rank and means of the donors, or the dignity 
of the guests. Houses, plantations, districts, and 
even whole islands, were sometimes presented; 
still, those who thus received them, never thought 
of appropriating them to their own use, and ex¬ 
cluding their original proprietors, any more than a 
visitor in England, who should be told by his host 
to make himself perfectly at home, and to do as 
he would if he were in his own house, would, from 
this declaration, think of altering the apartments of 
the house, or removing from it any part of its 
furniture. It is, however, probable, that such was 
their estimate of the advantages that would result 
from the residence of the Mission families among 
them, that, in order to afford every facility for the 
accomplishment of an object so desirable, and 
impart confidence to the Missionaries, as to their 
support, they were sincere in thus ceding the dis¬ 
trict. They might wish them to reside in it, exer¬ 
cise the office of chiefs over the whole, cultivate 
as much of it as they desired, and receive tribute 
from those who might occupy the remaining parts; 
but by no means perpetually to alienate it from 
the king, or chief, to whom it originally belonged. 
This they knew could not be done without their 
permission, and that permission they could at any 
time withhold. In 1801, when the Royal Admiral 
