44 
SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
traveller in particular has represented him as a creature 
sunk into the lowest state of debauchery: but it might be 
fair to ask that gentleman if he never heard of an occasional 
deviation from sobriety in any civilized nobleman or prince ? 
and he should have considered that the great difference be¬ 
tween the cases is, that the simplicity of the Sandwich chief 
exposed his failing; the decorum of Europe throws a veil 
over those committed by the members of more polished 
societies. 
On the death of Tamehameha the Great, Taamoeree 
the chief of Taui (Atooi) thought it might be a favourable 
opportunity of throwing off the yoke imposed on him by 
the Hawaiian family, and accordingly refused to acknow¬ 
ledge Tamehameha the Second. The young prince in¬ 
stantly embarked in a canoe with two or three companions, 
and when the wind arose, and the sea seemed likely to over¬ 
whelm the little bark, his companions proposed to return, 
but he ordered the sailors to go on, for he was king, and 
must complete the business he was proceeding on. And 
they did go on, and he landed at Taui, went straight to 
the refractory chief*, conversed with him, received his 
* Ilis person was sacred from the moment of his gaining the chief’s pre¬ 
sence. Karaimoku was the pardoned foe of the great Tamehameha, in whose 
presence he had taken refuge. It was common, even in Europe in older times, 
