Bay of Ohetity.--Tamehameha, King of the Islands.--His Visit to the
Ship.--His Capital.--His Naval Force.--His Authority.--Productions
of the Country.--Manners and Customs.--Reflections.


There is no good anchorage in the bay of Ohetity, inside the bar or
coral reef: the holding-ground is bad: so that, in case of a storm, the
safety of the ship would have been endangered. Moreover, with a contrary
wind, it would have been difficult to get out of the inner harbor; for
which reasons, our captain preferred to remain in the road. For the
rest, the country surrounding the bay is even more lovely in aspect than
that of Karaka-koua; the mountains rise to a less elevation in the
back-ground, and the soil has an appearance of greater fertility.

_Tamehameha_, whom all the Sandwich Isles obeyed when we were there in
1811, was neither the son nor the relative of Tierroboo, who reigned in
Owhyhee (Hawaii) in 1779, when Captain Cook and some of his people were
massacred. He was, at that date, but a chief of moderate power; but,
being skilful, intriguing, and full of ambition, he succeeded in gaining
a numerous party, and finally possessed himself of the sovereignty. As
soon as he saw himself master of Owhyhee, his native island, he
meditated the conquest of the leeward islands, and in a few years he
accomplished it. He even passed into _Atoudy_, the most remote of all,
and vanquished the ruler of it, but contented himself with imposing on
him an annual tribute. He had fixed his residence at Wahoo, because of
all the Sandwich Isles it was the most fertile, the most picturesque--in
a word, the most worthy of the residence of the sovereign.

As soon as we arrived, we were visited by a canoe manned by three white