Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 . ssued the foregoing orders very particularly, in orderto avoid all misapprehension, and to leave as little as possible to thediscretion of the officers who had charge of the boats. They were allwell armed, and the boats were provided with boarding-nettings; forI felt satisfied that any inattention or want of care would inevitablylead to the destruction, if not of the whole, at least some of the party :the accident that had recently occurred to the tender of the Leonidas,showed that the least d
Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 . ssued the foregoing orders very particularly, in orderto avoid all misapprehension, and to leave as little as possible to thediscretion of the officers who had charge of the boats. They were allwell armed, and the boats were provided with boarding-nettings; forI felt satisfied that any inattention or want of care would inevitablylead to the destruction, if not of the whole, at least some of the party :the accident that had recently occurred to the tender of the Leonidas,showed that the least degree of confidence reposed in the natives wasattended with great risk, and that so treacherous a people were not tobe trusted under any circumstances. A departure from these instruc-tions, and an undue confidence, res id ting from having for a long timeescaped the many dangers encountered, was, I regret to say, the causeof the loss we met with before leaving this group, and taught, whentoo late, the necessity of obeying strictly the orders of their com-manding officer, whether absent or On the 12th, whilst engaged at the observatory, the canoe of Tanoa,the King of Ambau, was discovered rounding the southern point ofthe island : it had a magnificent appearance, with its immense sail ofwhite mats; the pennants streaming from its yard, denoted it at onceas belonging to some great chief. It was a fit accompaniment to the OVOLAU. 57 magnificent scenery around, and advanced rapidly and gracefullyalong; it was a single canoe, one hundred feet in length, with an out-rigger of large size, ornamented with a great number (two thousandfive hundred) of the Cyprsea ovula shells; its velocity was almostinconceivable, and every one was struck with the adroitness withwhich it was managed and landed on the beach.* Tanoa disembarked, accompanied by his attendants, who are gene-rally Tonga men, forty of whom had the direction and sailing of hiscanoe. Shortly after landing, he was met by
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade184, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
