DEATH OF THE KING AND QUEEN. 449 
circumstances of their death, would be led to sup¬ 
pose they had been neglected, unkindly treated, 
or even poisoned in revenge of the death of Capt. 
Cook, and that the feelings of friendship, with 
which they had been accustomed to regard the 
people of England, might be followed by enmity 
or distrust. The fears of those who felt in¬ 
terested in the welfare of the Hawaiians, though 
natural, were groundless. The British govern¬ 
ment had entertained the young ruler of the Sand¬ 
wich Islands, his consort and attendants, with its 
accustomed hospitality; and when they were at¬ 
tacked by diseases incident to a northern climate, 
but unknown in their native islands, every atten¬ 
tion that humanity could suggest, and every 
alleviation that the first medical skill in London 
could afford, was most promptly rendered. After 
their decease, the highest respect was paid to their 
remains, and, in honourable regard to the feelings 
of the nation who had suffered this painful be¬ 
reavement, a British frigate, under the command 
of Capt. Lord Byron, was appointed to convey to 
the Sandwich Islands the bodies of the king and 
queen, that their sorrowing people might have the 
mournful satisfaction of depositing their ashes 
among the tombs of their ancestors. 
By the return of a highly esteemed Missionary 
friend, Rev. C. S. Stewart, I have learned, that 
the Blonde reached the islands in the month of 
May, 1825 : the natives were in some degree pre¬ 
pared for the arrival, by the intelligence of the 
death of their king and queen, which they had 
received about two months before from Valparaizo. 
Shortly after, the vessel having the remains of the 
king and queen on board, had anchored off Oahu 
Boki, the principal chief, who had accompanied 
iv. 2 G 
