Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/138

118 appear we afterwards found to be true, but these people have a great deal of Cunning, they know that the Ships will only touch at their Islands about a couple of months in a year, and that all they can want would be trifling to them, and for the same price or less they would sell the same Islands over again to every Ship that stops among them.

It is difficult to determine the precise significance of Captain Brown's bargain with Kahekili, but in view of the sequel it appears not improbable that the writer just quoted has underestimated its value. We will presently see that Kahekili derived some benefit from his friendship with Brown and it is not likely that the latter allowed the Hawaiian chief to reap all the profits of the arrangement. It must also be considered in connection with a somewhat similar transaction reported to have taken place at Oahu the following year, which will be noticed hereafter.

Not only did Captain Brown sell arms and ammunition to the Maui chiefs, but it is evident that he also encouraged them in making war upon Kamehameha. One of the principal facts standing to the credit of Vancouver is the earnest effort he made to stop this destructive inter-island warfare. While at Maui in March, 1793, he urged the chiefs of that island to make peace with Kamehameha. In reply to his arguments,

"they desired to know the reason, why the advice I gave was so directly opposite to that of the several commanders, and people of the trading vessels, who for some time past had been their constant visitors? who had uniformly recommended a continuance of the war with Owhyhee; had pointed out the numerous advantages they would obtain; and had supplied them with arms and ammunition, for the express purpose of carrying that advice into execution."