The force of this evidence of reformation will be best understood by those who have known what the character of the intercourse of shipping with its inhabitants, as well as those of every other part of the Sandwich Islands, even within a few years, has been; and, by such, it will be acknowledged as one which the most sanguine believers in the success of the mission never expected to find, so early as the year 1829.

LETTER XLIX.

FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE MISSIONARIES AT OAHU.

U. S. Ship Vincennes, Roads of Honolulu,

October 13th, 1829.

YESTERDAY morning at four o'clock, we weighed anchor in Byron's Bay, and bore away for Oahu, some two hundred miles distant.

We made the eastern end of Maui sometime before dark; while the nigher parts of Mounakea were still distinctly in sight, and, from their loftiness and the rich deep blue of their shades, seemingly still near. Most of our gentlemen have felt disposed to question the estimate, that has generally been made, of the loftiness of this mountain; but, as we left it yesterday, the more distant we became from it, the more evident it was to all, that, whether 18,000 feet or not above the level of the sea, it must be, and is, immensely high.

I went up at six o'clock this morning. We were then far past the channel separating it from Morokai, and were rapidly approaching that between this island and Oahu. At seven o'clock, when off the north end of Morokai, we descried one of the headlands of Oahu in the neighbourhood of Diamond Hill, rising dimly, like a conical islet, from the water,

Our approach after this was very rapid; and, in the course of a couple of hours, the whole of the eastern side came in view.

We reached Diamond Point before noon; and in passing it, as the groves and wide-spreading plantations of Waititi, and the valleys and mountains behind them, came upon the eye, followed by the long plain of Honolulu, the port itself adjoining, and the distant country beyond, to the range of mountains far in the west, the same marks of dearth which we had before observed were seen stamped on the whole coast; and so different was the entire face of the country, in this respect, from every former appearance, that I could scarce believe it, the rich and beautiful Oahu, which all visiters have considered the most pleasant and fertile of the islands, and been accustomed to call the garden of the group.

We dropped anchor at twelve o'clock, in a range with three or four ships in the roads, just as Adams, the pilot, boarded us; and were, at the same time, about announcing our arrival by a salute, when informed by him, that the commander of the fort, and all the chiefs, were some miles in the country, and that it could not be answered immediately. It was, therefore, postponed, till arrangements on the subject should be made with the proper authorities.

As soon as a boat could be lowered, Lieutenant Dornin and myself were on our way to the shore: he, to apprise the American consul of Captain Finch's arrival; and I, to meet the embraces of our friends. We were two miles off; and, before reaching the entrance of the harbour, saw a boat approaching, in which I recognized Mr. Jones, the consul. Mr. Dornin having a packet for him, we lay on our oars, and spoke her. Mr. French, an American merchant, and Mr. Charlton, his Britannic majesty's consul, were also in the boat. After an interchange of civilities, and the delivery of the package, we resumed

our course, and entered the harbour, filled with ships, (whalers, merchantmen, &c., and the native craft,) and exhibiting every appearance of a busy and thriving port. Several stone quays are now built at different places, along that which was only a sandbeach when we left. We landed at one of these, opposite the American consulate, and immediately directed our way towards the mission-house.

There are very considerable changes in the appearance of the town near the water, and very great improvements. The coral platform, along the walls of the fort and adjoining point, which, on our arrival in 1823, was the court-end of the metropolis, is now converted to a more appropriate use-that of a dockyard, and kind of depôt for naval stores. At least, so I judged, from seeing one or two small vessels on the stocks there, and many others undergoing repairs, a large, two-story storehouse of stone, &c. The neat wooden building erected at the same place by the regent Kaahumanu, and occupied, as you recollect, by Lord Byron during his visit, has been removed into the town, on the level ground, some distance from the water, near Mr. Jones'; and, fitted with green blinds, a flagstaff, and look-out, stands a conspicuous object, both from the water and on shore, as the "Blonde Hotel," owned by Governor Boki. Besides this, there are many other well-built European-looking structures. Among, them a storehouse and office of Mr. Charlton, near the water, at the corner of the fort next the town; and a very large and convenient establishment, consisting of warehouse, shop, counting room, and other apartments, belonging to Mr. French. Indeed, every appearance indicates an advance in the importance and business of the place.

The arrival of ships seems now so much an every day occurrence, as scarce to attract attention, except among the gentleman in business; and when

X

we landed, the name and character of the Vincennes were not yet generally known on shore.

My first call I felt due to Mr. and Mrs. Bingham; and, therefore, made my way to the door of the old wooden house opening into the rooms they occupy. From Mrs. Bingham's exclamation, in an inner apartment, on hearing my voice, and Mr. Bingham's hurried entrance, I ascertained that we had taken them by entire surprise; which Mrs. Judd verified, as she rushed into the room from an adjoining part of the house. You, my dear H- can better imagine what my feelings, and what theirs were, for a time, than I describe them. There was a mingling of pain with the fulness of our joy, which, perhaps, all have experienced in meeting those they love, after a long separation; and for which Cowper well accounts, when he resolves it into a necessity, interwoven with our natures and our condition, that no earthly happiness shall be without its alloy.

After an hour or two spent with my friends, I prepared to return on board ship. Mr. Bingham would have accompanied me to call on Captain Finch and my fellow-officers, but it was late, the ship three miles distant, and the captain had sent to ask of him the favour of a translation into the Hawaiian language of the President's letter, and some remarks of his own in an address to the king, to be in readiness for an audience with the government, as soon as the necessary arrangements could be made. On my way to the town, I called on Mrs. Chamberlain and Mrs. Shepherd, who live in a couple of neat stone cottages, near the printing-office; and on Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Ruggles, and Mrs. Green, at Mr. Ellis's house. Mr. Green is at present on the northwest coast of America, on an exploring visit among the natives there. I reached the ship just before dark; and, thus, have at once furnished you with an account of my first day at Oahu

INTERCHANGE OF SALUTES.

307

LETTER L.

RECEPTION OF CAPTAIN FINCH AND PARTY, BY THE KING AND REGENT.

U. S. Ship Vincentes. Port of Honolulu,

October 15th, 1829.

Ar daybreak, yesterday, we fired a gun for the pilot, and the boats of the shipping at present here; and were towed into the harbour during the calm of the morning; and, before breakfast, safely moored in an open and pleasant birth.

At the request of the captain I went early on shore, to learn from Mr. Jones the arrangements made for the firing of a salute, and the reception of himself and officers by the king and chiefs. And having ascertained that the salute would be expected and returned at twelve o'clock, and the audience held directly after, I went to the mission-house to apprise Mr. Bingham of the necessity of his being prepared with the translations at that time; and, also, to deliver an invitation from Captain Finch to such of the missionaries as might have it in their power to attend, to be at the palace at the hour appointed. Mr. Jones had been requested to present the compliments of the captain, in like manner, to the residents and visiters of respectability in port, and to invite their presence on the occasion.

At twelve o'clock we fired twenty-one guns, the established national salute here, and, soon afterward, Capt. Finch, attended by as large a number of the officers as could be spared from necessary duty, left the ship. All were in full dress; and we pulled away, in a handsome procession of four boats, while the guns of the fort were still answering those of the Vincennes. The last of these had just been fired, as the captain's gig approached the moorings of the Tamehameha, the king's finest vessel, which is kept in naval order, in the centre of the port, with a long