meamea
declared these animals under a Tabu for ten years, which allowed time
for so large an increase, that they now run wild in the forests. Had
Vancouver enjoyed Cook's advantages, the islanders might still have
believed him their Rono.

Tameamea, during Vancouver's visit, swayed the sceptre only over the
islands of O Wahi and Muwe, and was engaged in wars with his neighbour
kings, whom he fought with the assistance of cannon purchased from
European ships. He commanded in every battle, both by sea and land; and
Karemaku, as first in authority under him, was his constant companion.
The O Wahians, however, could not have well understood the use of their
cannons and other fire-arms, as, after Vancouver's departure, the war
was maintained for ten years. O Tuai, the most north-westerly island,
even then held out, though the others had submitted. In the year 1817,
Tameamea conquered this also, after many unsuccessful attempts, and
thus became the supreme governor of the whole Archipelago.

From this time all his efforts were directed to the education of his
people, and the improvement of their trade. Salt and sandal-wood were
the chief articles of exportation. The latter, though bought at rather a
high price by the North-American ships, which almost exclusively
monopolized this trade, sold for a large profit at Canton.

I have been told, that the Americans have purchased sandal-wood here to
the amount of three hundred thousand Spanish dollars a-year. Tameamea
bartered this wood for some large American merchant-ships, manned them,
and other ships built in the Sandwich Islands, partly with his own
subjects, and partly with Europeans, and traded on his own account. He
had even found means to create a small fleet of ships of war; and his
warehouses, built of stone, were filled with European and American
merchandise. He possessed a considerable treasure in silver money and
utensils; his fortresses were planted with cannon of a large calibre,
and he maintained a force of fifteen thousand men, all armed with
muskets, in the use of which they had been carefully exercised. He took
much pains, assisted by the Spaniard Marini, to introduce the
cotton-tree, which answered very well, and yielded fine cotton; and
endeavoured to improve the native flax, already much superior to that of
New Zealand, and to profit by it as an article of commerce. Nothing
which promised advantage to his country escaped his penetrating mind; he
exerted, in