28 
SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
him; and his body was treated in the same manner as 
those of their own chiefs, the bones being assigned to dif¬ 
ferent Eries, who, either from affection or from an idea of 
good luck attending them, desired to preserve them. Long 
after Captain Cook’s death they were persuaded he would 
reappear, and perhaps punish them for their breach of 
hospitality *. 
From this time, when the known history of the Sand¬ 
wich Islands begins, to Vancouver’s visit, in 1792, a great 
change had taken place. Some English and American 
vessels had touched there for the sake of fresh provisions, 
and to barter iron and other useful commodities for salt; 
and the curiosity of several Eries had led them to avail 
themselves of the opportunity afforded by these vessels of 
seeing foreign countries. One Erie of the highest class, 
Tianna, had been in China. Others had seen the settlements 
on' the North-west coast of America, and more than one 
had visited the United States. The superiority afforded by 
fire-arms in war had early attracted their attention, and the 
American ships had without hesitation furnished them with 
arms and ammunition. Several Europeans had, from dif¬ 
ferent motives, quitted their ships and become resident in 
the islands; and by their instructions the natives had 
* See Cook’s Third Voyage. 
