Page:American Diplomacy in the Orient - Foster (1903).djvu/137

 Kamehameha heard of the occupation he ordered the Russians to leave the island, which they did under protest, and the fort was destroyed. This ended all attempts on the part of Russia to gain a foothold in the group.

The first official connection which the government of the United States had with the islands was through John C. Jones, who was appointed September 19, 1820, as "agent of the United States for commerce and seamen." Under this appointment he discharged the usual duties of a consul, and sustained to the government and local authorities the relation of a political representative. He was the sole foreign official until 1825, when Richard Charlton arrived, as consul-general of Great Britain for the Hawaiian and Society Islands. Both of these officials remained at their posts for a number of years, but neither of them seems to have been happy in their relations with the authorities, and both were finally removed from office by their respective governments.

In 1825 the government of the United States directed the commander of the Pacific squadron to have one of its vessels visit the Hawaiian Islands to inquire into the state of trade and concert with the government of the islands a better method of conducting relations. The task was intrusted to Captain Thomas ap Catesby Jones,