The real murderers had been leading
chiefs. Not wishing to surrender these, the islanders had given
Vancouver poor slaves quite guiltless of the crime.
In contrast to this wrong-headed demonstration of justice was
Vancouver's other act. At Nootka he had found among the traders two
young Hawaiian girls not more than fifteen and nineteen years of age,
whom some blackguard trader had forcibly carried off. The most of
great voyagers would not have soiled their gloves interfering with such
a case. Cook had winked at such crimes. Drake, two hundred years
before, had laughed. The Russians outdid either Drake or Cook. They
dumped the victims overboard where the {285} sea told no tales.
Vancouver might have been strict enough disciplinarian to execute the
wrong men by way of a lesson; but he was consistent in his strictness.
Round these two friendless savages he wrapped all the chivalry and the
might of the English flag. He received them on board the _Discovery_,
treated them as he might have treated his own sisters, prevented the
possibility of insult from the common sailors by having them at his own
table on the ship, taught them the customs of Europeans toward women
and the reasons for those customs, so that the young girls presently
had the respect and friendship of every sailor on board the
_Discovery_.
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