Star.
London, England, 1826-03-20 00:00:00

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.-CAPT. COOK.
FROM THE HAMPILIRIEE TELEGRAPH.

. •
Wednesday his Majesty's ship Blonde, commanded
by L-rd Byron, wiped from the Sandwich Islanai,
whither she conveyed the bodies of the Xing and
Queen of those islands, with the Chiefs who had accom-
panied them to England. The Blonde left England in
th- autumn of 1824 ; on her arrival at Valparaiso, Mr.
Charlton, Consul• General of the islands in the Pacific,
♦ras sent forward to Woahoo, to announce the death of
the King and Queen, and the expected arrival of the
Blonde with the bodies. It was regarded as a remark.
able circumstance by the natives, that just previous to
the pet iod of Mr. Charlton's arrival at Woalroo, certain
natural phenomena—such as the extraordinary over-
flowint• and recession of the tide, an eclipe of the moon,
amid so forth, had taken place, which impressed them
with a belief that some fatality had happened to the
King or Queen ; a similar occurrence being observed
when Tamahama the First died—the fit st sovereign who
conquered all the seven islands, brought them under one
r;over nment, and afterwards ceded them to Vancouver,
in 1794. This omen, or presentiment, was confirmed
by Mr. Charlton's arrival. When the Blonde arrived
at fl inuturn (the anchorage of Woahoo), in May last,
s'e was, however, immediately saluted by 19 guns
from the fort. The day afterward, Lord Byron and
all his officers had an audience of the Regent, (Karai-
moku, the brother of Boki, the Governor, who came to
England), at his house, at which were delivered, in the
jnesei}ce of all the heads of the nation, the presents sent
trot in the Blonde by our King. Toe present King of
C'e Islands is Kaukiauli, a lad about 11 years of age,
brother of Rio Rio, who died in England. On the 23d
of May (four days after the arrival of the Blonde), at
:I 1 A.M. the bodies of the King and Queen were landed,
attended by Lord, Byron and all the officers of the Blonde
flresked in their full nniforms, On the arrival of the
I oats at the landing point, they were placed on two
I uneral cars, and drawn by nativeChiels, about 40 to each
car, to the late room of audience belonging to the Prince
Regent; the tomb•hnuse not being finished. Kaukiauli
(in-other of the late King), and the Princess Nahienaena,
were the chief mourners, supported by Lord Byron and
the British Consul—the numerous Chiefs of the Island,
and the Officers of the Blonde, formed an extensive
timeral cavalcade. The Blonde continued at the islapd
about six weeks, durin which Lord Byron attended the
meetings of the Chiefs, who gravely deliberated respect-
i.ng the succession of the young King and Princess to
the thro ..e—as heretofore, might had constituted right.
This important matter was, however, very amicably
arranged, the Heads of the Nation and all the Chiefs
expressing their earnest desire to conform themselves
strictly to the laws of legitimacy and of consanguinity.
This island is described as the most fertile of all the
Sandwich Wands. The inhabitants, by a late census,
amounted to 40,000.

The Blonde proceeded from Woahoo to visit the Isle
of Owhyhee (about three days run), and refit there.—
She anchored in one of the finest bays in the world (now
called Byron Bay), which Vancouver was deterred from
entering by a coral rock appearing to impede the en-
trance, but which•actually forms its principal security.
It is a most safe position, and its rich and beautifully
varied scenery has obtained for it the appellation of
w The Eden of the Sandwich Islands." In the neigh-
bourhood of this hay the island is in the highest state of
fertility ; but the natives are in nearly the same state
as they were when Captain Cook discovered them in
1779. An American Missionary had arrived there
about six months since; whose instructions would, no
doubt, advance them in civilization, as those of his
brethr..n had the natives at Woahoo. The Blonde then
returned from Byron Bay to Woahoo, and Lord Byron
took leave of the King, Regent, and Chiefs, and fulfilled
she purpose of his visit to the islands in the highest de-
gree satisfactory to them, and beneficial to the country.
The kindness, graze, and attentions of his Lordship .to
the natives, we are assured, have made the most fa.
vourable impression on them of 'the English character.
The Blonde was literary laden with stock and provi-
sions of every description by the natives, who refused
payment for any thing they could supply the ship.—
Toe Blonde left Woahoo for Karakokoaa Bay, where
Captain Cook was unfortunately killed. Here Lord
Byron erected a humble, simple monument to theme-
mot y of the great circumnavigator—net .on the spot
where he wai killed, as that was found impracticable,
it being under water, but where his body was cut up, on
the :,•p of a hill, about a mile from the shore. -Pre na-
tives of the islands having embraced Christianity, the
Regent gave per mission to Lord Byron to visit the sacred
sepulchre,and take therefrom whatever relics of their for-
mer religion he wished to possess. The sanctuary was filled
with their gods—" the work of men's hands"—some ma-
rwfactured of wicker work and feathers, others carved
of wo al, a ith numerous articles which had been made
sacred, by being offered to them, in acts of gratitude for
success in fishing, bunting, and the other occupations of
their simple hi:. But the article that most struck the
visitors, as remarkable, was an English consecrated
drum. The temple was despoiled of most of its former
sacred treasures, which are brought to England in the
Blonde. The Blonde left. the SAndwichidands to pro-
ceed to Otaheite, but, in consequence of the trade
winds, she could not fetch it by 500 miles, and there-
fore maJe a direct course for the coast of Chili, during
which she fell in with Malden's, Ilushruck's, and Parry

Islands, the two former uninhabited, the latter only
• known to the inhabitants of Otaheite, and made a won-
.:caul tun of 4,500 miles in three weeks, and 1,695

miles in-49 days.
'Le King of the Sandwich Islands, Tamahama the
First, who died in 1819, had made most considerable
advances towards civilization; he had erected, for the
defence of his i‘land, three forts, one of which mounts
forty-two piece, of ordnance ; he possessed also a con-
siderable fleet, with which lie had subdued the whole
prcup of islands, and at the time of his death was ar-
ranging an ex, edition for the conquest of Otaheite and
the other Society Wands, situate at least a thousand
3niles from him. The simple habits and easy modes of 1
living ot the natives do not prompt to much personal
exertion ; they require no clothing, and their fish, which
is abundant, with the tarra-rt at, which grows spon-
taneously, afford them a gratuitous, constant, and plen-
aifuleubsistence. It has never, until now, been ascer-
tained with certainty how they disposed of their dead.
It appears that. this duty of concealment devolves
upon the licit of kin, who buries the body in the
middle of the __eight following their death ; and
when the fish has been consumed, they ga.her
up the. bones, which they convey into the in-
terior and lodge in a cavity of cliff of the rocks; these
spots are then tokocred or held sacred by the election of
t,,to poses, to go within shich is death. The only
syniptims of anger any of the naives discovered to.

' wards the Blonde's people, was when, acedentally, ones
of them removed a portion of one of these depositoriesl
of the remains of mortatity.. The bones of 004141
Family, its the same manner, are collected irr a temple
or sepulchre, and which is the only remaining ttuilding
of the former religion now on the island, and which is
situated in Karakakoa Bay. The bow, arrow; slings,
and clubs of the deceased Kings and chief warriors are
also deposited with their remains.
The dagger with which Captain Cook was killed is in the pos.
session sf a literary gentleman of the Blonde, who has collected
many new, interesting, and curious particulars relative to his death,
and °fate past history of these interesting islanders.

LAW REPORT.

ORALS AND PETITIONS SITORE THE LORD CNA/IC=olp PREVIOUS TO

Lassa& TIME, 1 826. -
Tuesday, April 4, First Seal.—Wednesday, Thursday, and Fri-
day, Bankrupt Petitions.
Saturday, April n, Second Seal.—Monday, Petitions.

SEALS ♦IUD rrrinons 'groan Tat mit
WM. TERM. 1826.
Tuesday, April 4, First Seal.—Wednesday, Thursday, and Fri..
day, Binkrupt Petitions.
Saturday, April 8, Second Seal.--Monday, Petitions.
COURT OF CHANCERY, M•aon 18.
WELLESLEY O. THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT.

PIL ITIOUS TO

The whole of Saturday was occupied in the Court of
Chancery with the further hearing of this cause. We
gave a part of the proceedings on Saturday, but Mr.
HRALD was proceeding in his argument when our Paper
went to press. The Learned Gentleman commented
at great length on the affidavit of Dr. Bulkeley, which
was directly contradicted in the letters of Mr. Wellesley,
who denied that he had paid any attentions to Mrs.
Bligh which were crlculated to wound the feelings of
Mrs. Wellesley, or that any thing criminal had taken
place between them under his roof. On the contrary,
Mrs. Wellesley professed the greatest regard for het
after she had advised her to quit the house, which feeling
was evinced by her letters to Mrs. Patterson. Dr. Bulk&
ley represented that the most profligate and disgrace-
ful scenes took place between these patties in the pre•
sence of Mrs. Wellesley; but how was that to be under-
stood, when, after she had quitted the house, Mrs. Wel-
' lesley could write such a letter as this to Mu. Bligh's
mother:— ig TO MRS. PATTERSON.
" Dear Madam,—lt is with the deepest distress that I have to
'inform you, that owing to the reports in circulation, respecting your
daughter, Mrs. Bligh, and Mr. Wellesley, I have been under the
painful necessity, in compliance with the suggestions urged by my
friends in England, as well as by Mr. Wellesley himself, for the
sake of both their characters, to state to her my opinion of the
absolute necessity that existed for her quitting my residence, and
returning to the protection of her own family. I assured her I
was convinced of her innocence, and that I should be always
anxious to afford her my protection."
Mr. HEALD then proceeded to shew that Mr. Wel-
lesley was a kind father, and read several letters writ.
ten to his children and to Mr. Pitman, which evinced
affectionate regard towards his children, and an anxious
desire for the proper formation of their principles. It
appeared from them that when he received a good ac-
count of them, he rewarded the boys with watches and
ponies, and the girl with fancy articles of dress, such
a; necklaces, Etc. like those worn by the peasants of
Normandy; but when he was dissatisfied with their
conduct, he did not fail to reprobate it in forcible lan-
guage. The Learned Gentleman, after observing that
there Was one stain on the character of Mr. Wellesley
which he hoped would be completely eradicated by
his subsequent repentance, concluded by expiessing a
strong hope that upon a clear and distinct viert3Of the,
whole case, to be derived both from tbe letter aticl affi- '
davits, his Lordship would think fit to grant the prayer
of the Petition.

Mr. BZAHES followed on the same side. He said, one
of the circumstances which were relied upon by the
other side, as affording proof that Mr. Wellesley was in
unfit person to have the charge of his children was his
having taught or encouraged them to repeat indecent
Italian expressions. It was admitted- that the children
were ignorant of the meaning of the words which they
repeated, and it was sworn by Mr: Wellesley, and had
not been contradicted, that Mrs. Wellesley was totally
unacquainted with the Italian language. How was it
possible, then, to contend that, the utterance of the
words in question could have a demoralizing influence
either upon the children or Mrs. Wellesley ?
The LORD CHANCELLOR observed, that he could not
help observing titre, that it was almost impossible, to
suppose that Mrs. Wellesley could have .heard her
children constantly using the expressions in question,
without once asking the meaning of them.
Mr. BEAMES then alluded to Mr. WELLESLEY'S care
of his children. Their tutor kept a sort of journal of
their conduct, which they called Dooms-day Book : by
the entries in which Mr. Wellesley was regulated in the
distribution of pocket-money.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, who had been examining
the book, said he feared that he would make a worse
figure in Dooms-day Book than the children did, if, as
he supposed, the few black marks which he observed
were intended to designate the days on which they had
been naughty.
Mr. 13zataza continued to comment on the affidavits

on the other side, and maintained that the letter which
Mr. Wellesley wrote a short time previous to his wife's
death could have had no share in producing that unfor-
tunate event, as had been stated by Mr. Shadwell. The
letter in question, which was addressed to Col. Windsor,
was as follows: •

" hlv bean COLONEL—I have the greatest possible anxiety not to
proceed in an unkind manner towards the mother of my children,
which could work upon the tenderness of her feelings. The mean-
ing of your niece's letter I take to be this—that the Will exercise
her sole control over the children, and will not allow them to go to
Draycot. The point I want a direct answer to is this question—
Will you be good enough to give me one from your niece, or from
Dr. Lushington ? I &a not wish to lead you to a correspondence on
the subject with me, and therefore name Dr. Lushington. My
fixed resolution is, not to give up my parental rights over my chil-
dren. My anxious desire is not to exercise those righti in an unkind
manner towards your niece, but exercise them I will if i can."
This was the letter which was said to have had so
great an effect upon Mrs Wellesley, and even to have
accelerated her death. The Learned Gentleman in
conclusion entreated the Court to bear in mind that it
could not take the children from under the guariiianship
of Mr. Wellesley 'without affixing to him a stigma
which it would be impossible for a long course of ex-
cellent c. nduct to remove.
The SoLtctron GEN ZRA L rose to reply, on the put
of the Duke of Beaufort. He set out with stating, that
Mr. Wellesley's untitness for the office of protector to
his children had been made out by his own case. Now
that the case had been gone through, he felt himself
justified in declating, that Mr. Wellesley's culpahility
rose very high indeed in the scale of vice. The de'ence
which he. bad brought forward was marked by a greater
want of morality and manliness of feeling than hi,
original vices,- which contributed to, it they: did not
wholly cause, the untimely death of his wile. 'NA raiir,‘
he said, could doubt the adulterous intermuse bet secs
• •