158 
VOYAGE TO THE 
to diminish the trade, and shut the ports against foreign 
vessels. The origin of this was, that when the Hawaiian 
vessels had gone to Macao, and to some of the Kussian settle¬ 
ments, they had had to pay high port dues; and perceiving 
the gain of such proceedings abroad, the chiefs had eagerly 
adopted it at home; and they had raised their dues enor¬ 
mously, to meet the impositions they complain of, especially 
on the part of the American traders, who had raised the 
price of all the articles they brought to the Islands, so as 
that they feared the Islands themselves would soon not pur¬ 
chase the things of which they stood in need. The numbers 
of chiefs who have now visited other countries, nay, some of 
whom have been brought up in the United States, have 
brought to the Islands something like a notion of the true 
price of the goods they want and also of those they possess, 
and they are naturally unwilling to trade but upon equal 
grounds. Besides, when we consider the incalculable ad¬ 
vantages ships crossing the Pacific derive from the refresh¬ 
ments they procure at these hospitable Isles, it appears not 
unjust that they should contribute something to the pros¬ 
perity of the country. The port regulations have the 
farther advantage of checking desertion; a benefit to the 
ships touching here, which is cheaply purchased at the low 
rate of the new harbour dues. 
