religion. It is believed the French are more often favourites, more easily gain and longer keep the confidence of the men of the woods, than any other nation. Perhaps these exertions of their justice and benevolence left them, under their late blood stained chief, so little to spare for their .civilized brethren.

It was thought by Cook, and those who accompanied him in his last expedition, that they were the first Europeans who visited the Sandwich Islands, and the honour of the discovery has been conferred on him. That they were the first visitors, was inferred from the conduct and inquiries of the natives, whom they were enabled, in a good degree, to understand from their language being very similar to that of the Otaheitans. The busy and active curiosity and astonishment, exhibited and expressed by this artless and comparatively uncivilized race, with respect to the ships and their crews, and almost every thing connected with them, were such as to make it evident, that the then generation had never before seen similar objects. There were, however, two circumstances remarked by the supposed discoverers, which, at the time, caused a slight degree of doubt of their being the first visitors. These were the knowledge of iron, and the dress of some of the chiefs. It was thought, that at most, they had only known iron in small quantities, and at some distant period. The dress referred to, was altogether unlike that of the inhabitants of any other Islands in the South Seas, closely resembling the Spanish cloak and helmet, in form and manner of wearing. But these facts were reconciled with the idea of the Islands never having been visited by civilized men. Their slight knowledge of iron and its use was imputed to some pieces of wreck casually thrown on their shores, and the resemblance in their dress to the Spaniards was considered to have been accidental. It is true, these circumstances, of themselves, would raise a very slight presumption of the Islands having been discovered before, but connected with other facts, the whole may amount to proof. The evidence that Cook was not the discoverer is thought now to be satisfactory, and will be exhibited after giving a description of the dress. It is composed of a short cloak and cap. The ground of the cloak is net work, on which the most beautiful feathers of red, black, yellow, and other colours are so closely and

nicely fixed, that the surface resembles the richest velvet, and is valued more than any other articles in their possession excepting iron. The cap is in the form of an helmet setting very close on the head, having notches to admit the ears, and a crest rising five or six inches. It is composed of a frame of twigs covered with net work, on which are fixed feathers in the same manner and with the same effect as on the cloaks, excepting the caps are generally, of an uniform colour. The cloaks are of similar shape and size to those used by the Spanish men, and are tied and worn in the same manner. The caps resemble the Spanish

helmets.

The evidence which, in connexion with these facts, demonstrate that Cook, in one sense, was not the discoverer of the Sandwich Islands, will now be offered. In doing this, we feel the less repugnance, for after all, it will appear, that that great and valuable man, so untimely and unnecessarily lost to science and the world, is fully entitled to the glory which irradiates his memory. He knew not the facts relative to a discovery for a long time lost, and of which it appears the natives themselves had no tradition. In the lapse of two and a half centuries it was effaced from their recollection.

The evidence referred to, is contained in the second volume of the voyages of La Perouse, pages, 116, 117. “It is," says the writer in a note, " certain that these Islands were discovered for the first time by Gaetan, [a Spanish navigator] in 1542. According to Gaetan's own account he sailed from the port of The Nativity, on the west coast of Mexico, in the twentieth degree of north latitude, and steered to the west, and after having proceeded nine hundred leagues on a western course (consequently changing his latitude but little) he came to a group of Islands, inhabited by savages nearly naked. These Islands were bordered with coral rocks, and abounded with cocoa nuts and many other fruits, but had neither gold nor silver. To the first he saw, he gave the name of Kings Island; and to another, which he found twenty leagues more to the west, he gave the name of Garden Island." It is difficult, after this relation, for a geographer, not to place the discoveries of Gaetan, precisely where Cook found the Sandwich Islands. But the compiler of Gaetan's voyage placed the group as lying

between the 9th and the 11th degrees of latitude, instead of the 19th and 21st degrees. Whether the omission of ten degrees in each instance, was accidental, or purposely done by the Court of Spain, which, in that age, had an interest in concealing the position of the Islands in that ocean, is uncertain. La Perouse, or Mureau his editor, says "he has no doubt it was accidental, and an errour of figures. He adds, "had there been an intention of concealment, it would have been useless to have published, that Gaetan sailed from a point on the 20th degree of latitude, and continued a western course a given distance, and came to a group of Islands, and then, with an intention of concealing the knowledge of these Islands to have placed them in a false position on the chart or in the books. If concealment had been intended, they could more effectually, and as easily have falsified the course.

La Perouse, with a view to remove all doubts on the subject, cruised several days in the latitudes of 9 and 11, and could discover no land, nor signs of land. In answer to an anticipated objection, that the island seen by Gaetan, may have since disappeared, it is said; had a group of islands existed in latitudes 9 and 11, unless they disappeared very soon after Gaetan saw them, they must have been frequently seen, for those parallels of latitude, are in the common and ordinary rout of the Galleons from Acapulco to Manilla. After these proofs, and the persevering and unavailing search of La Perouse, to find land in the latitudes 9 and 11, this will no longer be a subject of discussion with geographers. We must be satisfied, that the Isles seen by Gaetan, and the Sandwich Islands, are the same.

La Perouse says that those who know his character, will not suspect him of having made these researches from envy to the character of Captain Cook, or to lessen his fame; that he has the highest veneration and respect for the character of that great man. He views him as among the first of navigators; as he who determined the situation of these Islands with precision, explored their coasts, and made known the manners, the usages and the religion of their inhabitants, and paid with his blood for the first knowledge we had of these people. He was, most truly, the Christopher Columbus of the coast of Analaska, and of nearly all the Islands of the South Sea.

The Islands to which our attention has been drawn, were called Sandwich, in honour of the Earl of Sandwich, the liberal and enlightened patron of Cook, then at the head of the British board of admiralty. The only animals then domesticated by the natives were dogs, hogs, and fowls. They now have, cows, horses and goats, put there by the Americans and English. They possessed considerable knowledge of agriculture, the land was divided into fields. and bounded in some instances by walls of stone; and in other different parts of a field having the same produc- tions under cultivation, were designated for the proprietors by sticks set in the ground, bearing little flags.

The natives shew much ingenuity in the fabrication and ornamenting of cloths, which they make from a tree called pappalla; the same name they give to paper. Their war instruments, domestick utensils, fish hooks and lines are made with great neatness, and they evince considerable proficiency in the sculpture of their images, and fertility of invention in the almost infinite variety of figures painted on their cloths and other articles. They cultivate the sugar cane, sweet potatoes, tarrow, melons, &c. and the cloth tree or bush, all of which are indigenous, and a variety of esculent vegetables, the seeds of which have been given them. The homely appearance of the walls of their fields is concealed by planting the sugar cane against them. They are fond of manly sports and exercises, and have competitions in wrestling, boxing, running, swimming, throwing the spear, playing at quoits, and have games of chance and skill, at which they bet desperately. Their greatest game of skill considerably resembles our game of chequers. The board is divided into a greater number of squares, they use black and white pebbles, and move from square to square. The game of chance is played by hiding a stone in a heap of sand or under a piece of cloth. A number of heaps being previously made alike, or a number of pieces of cloth, similar in form and appearance being laid on the ground. The leader of the game, having a polished stone, carefully closed in his hand, puts his hand under each heap or piece of cloth. The other standing by, and watching his motions, and the movements of the muscles of his arm with eagle eyes. In this consists the dexterity of the game. The leader exerts himself to make such motions of the muscles

of the arm, as would naturally be made, if he opened his. hand, and when he really leaves the stone, his greatest skill is exerted to act as if he kept his hand closed. The followers mark the place, where each one for himself supposes the stone to have been left. Those who designate rightly, win, those who mistake, loose. The leader bets against the whole, and the chances are calculated upon the supposed skill of the leader, and the number of heaps or pieces of cloth combined, and the odds are made accordingly.

The ensuing observations will, generally be confined to Owyhee, but will, in a good measure apply to the other islands. The climate is equal to the most favoured spot on the globe. The longevity of the natives is not unfrequently so great, as to induce the remark, that they sometimes live until they become so dry and light, as to be blown away by the wind. The heat is moderated by the trade wind constantly from the north-east, at right angles with the general position of the group. The thermometer is seldom higher than 80 or lower than 60. All the tropical fruits, and most of the productions of the temperate zone are, or may be produced in profusion. This Island is remarkable for a mountain of about 13000 feet elevation, called MonaRowa, its top is almost always covered with snow. Formerly, it must have been a great volcano. Smoke frequently issues from it. In every district of the Island, large masses of slag, pieces of rock which evidently have been exposed to the action of fire, pumice stone, and courses of lava are visible. This mountain, although not so high as Mount Saint Elias, on the North-West coast of America, nor so elevated by 2500 feet as Chimborazo in South America, has been seen at a greater distance than either of them, from the sea. It has been clearly discerned 53 leagues.

We shall conclude, by a slight notice of Taammamaah, the chief, who by usurpation and conquest, has obtained and maintains a despotick sway over a large proportion of the entire group.

When Cook, in January, 1778, discovered five of these islands, and had been cruizing among them several days, it was remarked, that notwithstanding great numbers of the natives came to the ships, they had not observed any one bearing tokens of high authority. At length, a chief appeared, who is described as being a young man, clothed from head Vol. III. No. 7.