B 1,312,017 p- t 11I -1T ~y F TI El'S( IV 4I H1 I S TORY AND GF ENRFIAlj VIE~WS OF TIEW SAJNDNX'1(JH 1STJANDS~ MIS SION. B'Y rEIV. D[~LC IB~BLE Xl.1dIO NARY AT IlOb1N 11SLANDSFO IL VLN XAS N1F W- Y 01 llK: yui!JiI) i3 i q~, I. vm & P0oDD, (LATE, J()IN TAVIRM) IEK,(OLC4GI L AND:-UI A'Y-io~ MA IL LOOKEL~LLRS, BRRW~ (iilt RII IIAPLL. WEntered according to the Act of Congre ss, in the ycnr J839) by TAYLOR & DODD, in the Clcrk's Office of thrc t"onthcrn District of New York.] P R E iA C E IT is due to state the manner in which this little volume has come into being. After the residence of 7 years at the Sandwich Islanlds, I was induced, by heavy domestic afflictions, and the failure of my own health (repeated bleedings from the lungs, as was supposed,) to visit my native land. I brought with me two children, one of whom, my only son, has been taken hence, and is, I trust, with his sainted mother at God's right hand. His body reclines beneath a young oak on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. During the last summer my health was too poor to admit of much public speaking. I attempted, however, something like a course of lectures at Auburn Theological Seminary, and at Troy, PREFACZ The lectures were vcry i-npl-rfect Iy prepary ed. IJo the auturmu the a pprozichttgc colo maide it nucessary for roe to go South. At the arl rotts cities of the Son~ti I found a desire to heair respectinq the SandJwich IsduidS' niissi.non. I therefo're I eelture(J. o1 somne places more, and in other plac-es le:;s-(at llaltono1re, Ftyet ttville, N. C.; Coltunmht' aind Charleston, S. C.; An~usinis, Ga.; Iontgyornry atod Motb-ile, Ala.; New Or.leans, anml Natchez. My lectnresi were partIV h istorical. and partfly oo the dittty of Chlristians to evaub~re~ zc,, the, heathen. T'he ch-inntr eristic fervor — it m(i\arm-heuatted piety of Chri.1stuians att the South led theni to feel utuch, aind to reojuest repeatedlyv that the substlance of what I hand c,-miunoiciutd,ni~rzt be, sent to thent afterwanrd in a printed form. Iut e~omp1MICane With thi1s 10 -quest, which I could not denly after the ntthoun ded hospitality and trtte kind ness whiclh I at a-ll places r(eceived,;and with the advice of friends at the Noith, where I haive PREF ACFE. V lecttured since my return, I have been induced to remodel those of my lectures that were historical,and throw them into tle form of this liltle vo'ume. Whlerever it may reach, I wish those who have bestowed favors ulpon me, to be asstlred of my kind remlnem'brance and heartfiltH gratitude. It is ny present expectation to sail for the Sandwich Islands the ensulil(n autumn. If my imnited time;tnd im-perfect heath shall pernlit, and my judicious friends advise it, I shall send you ill some form my remaining lectures before I embark. In the narrative, I have mnade an effort to be brief —to state merely the main facts. 'That thlis unpretending o volume may do good -- n!list the efforts of Christians for our ruined r,:ce, is the aim and fervent prayer of THE AUT1tOR. 1* CONTENTS. PAGC,. CHAP. I. Early History 13 -Object aimed at. Obscurity of the early history. ORIGIN C' THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS -of the people. Manner of spreading from island to island. Instances, Ano tiquity of the Hawaiian nation. Time of relapse into a state of heathenism. Tradition of ships seen from the islands. Earliest hints to Europeans of the islands. DIscove RY BY CAPTAIN COOK. First impression on the islanders. Evils introduced. WVild notions. Their opinion of Captain Cook.Anchorage of Captain Cook. Worship of Captain Cook. DEATH OF CAPTAIN COOn. The body of Captain Cook. Sandal wood. Influence of early visitors. Kinds of evil influence. A horrid incident. CHAP. II. Early History continued - 3> Vancouver's visit. Intercourse with Vancouver. Unhappy incident. Cask ofN. E. rum. A fact fiom the President's message. -DECRi.ASE OF POPULATION. Causes of decrease. Depth of degradation. I)estitution described. Description of a poor man. Insensibilitv to su!lime and beautiful scenery. Insensibility to scenes of n.c.jestic awe, and terror. ERUPTION OF TIHE V(OLCANO Extreme poverty amidst the richest gifts of God. The distance up from heathenism tI viii CONTELTS chiri~stian it y To rhvate tin de rdeil ii (11vP.Il fintod lenoin of (hrlit I aII w ity 5 GonI PREtPARED THF NxxV Cx ) (I I I CSt, o tbe, Islainids Iby[~xi domae1. (Conceiliient of Hie I,nr-s if d~xt TIQi F,1iA T he kiliel"Iiii o d!ctidiii to L~iholi — ho. A MLIT 1ION OP I D01 i' I iiN- ThooixC xwlichl letd ti it.lx K nL~ik ida cfllxs to( IenMneiele idolatv Thi littenfill Li 11 est It hr i xwrofpra~ Iee. Ae iii v~u TiPttMISnI NAuxIes I l'ti they appi acihI th ilad IA sI hutli Hwe iiy receive. Frt, int aerv iew wL ith tile sh11. Peltuiii xsioii to leidenl on tile Ixlan11(J8 Ntisslmiirxins, wlv..ixi Ia itt ofii C-In~iu. IV. Progores of tlic (ospel 7Fr ()astacldes ruman) am i Mvi seiunie-tiot of Ow et iniiiicti 'lt- tuixward the ni i xxaiiiciis. liita ncets Of' ts 'hue iii lienctes teolii t xildi il'ii5 IN I'll0t 1U TI t O~tN op '(TiC 1iii F i,,vi o ) Pit v!s's Am u':uiii ILoftlieis rsate 'thle irt iutx'wre ing. Anieejites to Ihnstriat,, It(,utu in mew -c Hitiet Of seliotulS. Coix ittS i ) siTNes Ot-hr ii' ittest iii coO x ts Conid(it it lie king, Litut.L vsi t 11 i.fi DOurArti. K~ iiUN1A NC (ISi C ii'1',1tC nilia oCt ore v 0. Wari in Kut Ii) of forts if' IKainhisim. -11 'i 1'-llrins onl die Uto iv~Il if iixvtossow CHTAP. V. Trj np of the Gospel - 93 FERA OF SUCF-S. Attie d~i0 iO' o I'ltbl it w o rs hp- Ei- 'erncsS forbi oiiisl a md she-ols ION NT E' N TS. t'(lo fand Iv. re'oits of this state of populatiy. O~pposit1ion front florci -ters. Riotous SCO11C of ( 1) tab i 1 Ot her riolous (I 11 I C.S I_~,NDUOT Oi Pornj H1is 1 IEATH~. lirI I I t e [to lAvii SOf heIR r)IsI bility of every eiort, to i vive iddfatty. An incid'nm to ilttvtrx~ t0his t i-L SLO. y of ver U0. SPEUlolo tIrNTe. ZA'ON ES OP (a VII~tN. 1-)cefat if t If r'd itc 14 1) ri vi(1 -nth n(1111 11' l~t I t ra',t. Knowle dc of (G ot pfpy. A1ritnin ~t A ilno'ty soie11(11s5 WlIiL f19 edh Ti~ I- till 60Ii Itjlitt (tffIcets. Propero y s~ate. (_ hANJG' 10r it It' '-C tiiiittder, tttten~ijertaIce 1( iW-fit(S Clitiitg III rec_ lield I to It 1I It' J I` 1,AN Tl)IDE, ANDJf Mttt U 111 f I P1 [Al VS. d S (1it t tt) tOf 11(1 sick (ifti uopl. R(IVl A MliSS~I(tiiaty Sp~irit V1j1(o011 tile ti 'amiktl( 5',iIf ppor I t~ul diiOWi jllstIlt~tiOiS. Tflu "O'Spli ai Cried ren-iedy, VAiP. ri Pk 'cltihaities of mind -131. INalnlt of Vit t'l' litmiarI~ty work. NI) preIin10d11 of tOBl 11(1 (fTAr4iES.IThe illat1111 itt lnthtinkin' p~eoi~fl Desft tuim o1(1lt Ill tol ('Xpres r iii-tolls Subljects. N )11 Itt-I te'a of aslf SO'-XiISWILl alf holly God. N tIc Soity of' II111 I11 `1 11i ills. Pre-oc., I uf) 11111 of it~r im-lv wttf VII if 'tC tittiotnS. An dlh inartiton U 11111' relt 111 C It tihl gIood1 Jppittt(I of' dho ImI tviotiry. THEit CUSTOM OtF W K ~~~ONTENTS, Tnouolrr-'VELi N. DIifficulty of (listillguishing true inquirers,. T1hought-telling rtccionpa nied with p)resents. An instance. Experlienes oftn w converts. Deceptive apIcedratices, CHIAP.YVIII. Methods of fnstruction - 1 50 Distribhimit of thle Se ipt ores, aild of retl uios books and tracts. ItTineraInt preacingjlI. >our of'Pona. TouLir of [il. Thle world Riot to be converted ch-tsp, STAT;8D Pe[,AciIlt-Nc,. H~ouscs of worship. Description of a con~yre-ation. Sty'e of pr-aclmig. Review of sermions. Catechl ci cl, vinst ruetd ii. Efforts with thle young Missionary wo k, a (irk (of toil. Thle work, not withsta'ndili all ibstttele2, very encouraging. CHAP. IX. Reasons for Schools 16SD Introdiictory remarks. The ohJect vwhipls the mission has, in vi- w. N% ork an Ing the American I i' ians. Causes that exltmniiraiate thle heathen. Dubious prospect of ieatohen ostions. A thoroughi system of edLIcation needed. Schiools prepa,ie thte anid to lie'ar the iospel, Conversion oscholagrs, TIo scho~ols we lonk for fmuore lab~orers, With. out schooi. he nation cslways lin itilaocy A VARIETY Of lab~oters must be trained in~ schools. The various meso uised iii a cliistian, villa Ze A clirisiian villagre reduced to,heathenism. The v~antage ground of a pastor at homne, ove amissionary-. Th-e means used at home, needed abroad. For the laboriers needed we must look to schools. Schools ratist be thoroughly under ehris~ian iiifluonce. The prospect of HaLwa'iian Childr-eu if left w ithiut sch. ols. Educationa barrier a-ainst Romanilsro. Native laborers traine-d in schools the hope of Poly'e cia Reasons enamerated. 'CONTENTS. X xi IPA(iR CHAP. X. Description of chIools - 197 System of schools. The same need of schools in otlher missionary fields. To educate all nations ant Minnelse Work. Missionl sem-ina ry. Ftmaisle, stmninary. Bo:.~rdingO school. Cominioii schools. -Tie feelings of m is~sieraries deeply en listed.!Schouis disbanuded. Art inic1iestino incident. A oto the time to do mnuch in schools. H'4AP. XL The wide Field - 09' The thoughit thai snggested this chapter. The view at!ii'd at. Reasoins for it. NuIxynerotis Islatids of the Pacific. Two races. Thriiece lasse~s of islantds. Former darkness. Preseiit light. 5~ew Zealanid. Isles of'the South S.as. Tahiti aiid St-el, ty islands. Dis-~ courageineni s. Special providence. Marked success. Eixociisiun of lfie gospel front ihe Society Is ands. A peculiar providence. Suecess at RIoruin Htervey Islands. Geo.. gr ipheri s ketch. AituiAki O verthitow of ido)atry. MaVlao~ia- Laiidina of teachers. Sotcet s at. Mai tiadi. Atitu, Mhitiato, atal ~atike. Re' eca f idols. Rarotoriga, Landiinii ot inative Ic~teates at Rarotonga Co t'rae and( d, Volt n of' Papeihia. Overthitw of ldalatiry. "in'ua tlutstimiony ofa Tahs tian vwonialn Plataitin of inreigil to isstun atl s at P ai oo a' a. INittes (it tic batone Isatals.Favoritig provideices. 'SecotId vi.sit to the islands. I tesite for teachers, Arrival of ltreign mtissionatries. Fricidly isla~nds. Ha1 ii I slatids. Vavaui I sIaids4. l~aog '~it5 PipeagoMaiquesaslIsiaibds, IUse ofth le fats,~ nat rait d. T~ot a smnall cwlet prise. Mandby God's spwecialfavor. Sa fe-ty securad to ships. More glorious results. Ittiportarite of mission semina Iii ~~CONTENT,% PAGE.CHAP. XII. The late revival - -254 State of feeling in IHW36. Deep feeling for the world's conversion in lf.3-7. A fihictive dispensations. Comnmenceement of the great revival. Pr-otracted meceting at Wailnku. Progrcss aind power of the wvork. Number of hopel'it conversions (luring the. year IlK8. Differen e, ot praictice in udtnitting- memhers Clintaeter of convert.. Meatisused. Large congregatei s. 1imm nse labor and resi oinsiitlilty. Interestill", SCeneS. The y "A praise, SANDWICLI ISLAND8S. C HAPTER IV EARLY HISTORY. Object aimed at. IN entering upon a brief narrative of the Sandwich Islands' Mission, we may appropriately call to mind the expression of the Prophet, 'For behold the darkness shall cover the Earth, and gross darkness the People: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.' -Darkness, thick darkness, once covered the Sandwich Islanders. Now the light and glory of the Lord our God is seen upon them. Let me first lead you back to the early history of tile islands. The object aimed at in doing so is to exhibit the people just as they were without the influence of the religion of Jesus. This is of the more importance, because, if you can appreciate the 2 14 EARLY HISTORY Obscurity of tne early history. condition of one heathen nation, you can form some just view of the whole pagan world. A plain statement of facts, it is believed, will be the most correct and graphic description of their former degraded and destitute condition. Look, then, at the Hawaiians as they were, and from them judge of a large portion of the human race. The early history of the Hawaiian nation is involved in uncertainty. It could not be otherwise with the history of a people entirely ignorant of the art of writing. Traditions, indeed, are abundant; but traditions are a mass of rubbish, from which it is always difficult to extricate truth. Very little can be ascertained with certainty, beyond the memory of the present generation, and the records of Europeans who first visited the islands. The origin of the Hawaiian Islands is matter of conjecture. Some think that where the islands are now, was once nothing but the rolling ocean-that the whole group, with their iron-bound coasts and snow-crested mountains, were thrown up from the depth below by volcanic agency. The is OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 15 Origin of the Hawaiian islands-of the p ople. lands are merely masses of lava. No rock that has not been thoroughly burnt to a cinder or melted to lava, has ever been found on the whole group. Even the soil, is decomposed lava. Craters of extinct volcanoes are every where to be seen on all the islands-some are partially extinct, continuing to emit smoke; and one presents a lake of raging fire, with occasional irruptions of awful grandeur. Such is the character not only of the Hawaiian Islands, but of many groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean. From these appearances the opinion is formed that the islands are of volcanic origin. But, what most deeply concerns us, is, that these islands, however formed, are the residence of immortal beings like ourselves, destined to Heaven or to Hell. The origin of the people of Hawaii is somewhat uncertain. This, however, we know, that they are evidently of the same race with the inhabitants of most of the various groups of islands in the East Pacific. The people of New Zealand, the Society and Tahiti Islands, the Harvey Islands, the Friendly Islands, the Navigator's Islands, 16 EARLY HISTORY Manner of spreading from island to island. the Marquesas Islands, the Sandwich Islands, and some others of the same range, exhibit the same features, the same manners and customs, and speak substantially the same language. This circumstance is an amazing facility in propagating the gospel over the wide Pacific, and is therefore a fact of immense interest to all who pray for the coming of Christ's kingdom. From which continent, or what portion of either continent, this extensive range of Polynesia was peopled, is a question of some interest. And we have but little hesitation in saying that they originated from the Malay coast. Their features and color are the same with the Malays, and many words in their language very much the same. The manner in which they spread abroad over the ocean, from island to island, is easily conjectured. Canoes filled with men and women, in passing from place to place or from one island to another of the sanr(group, are sometimes blown out to sea and from sight of land. Then they are liable to wander about on the bosom of the deep, and perish, or fall in with some other group OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 17 Instances. of islands. Many instances of this kind have occurred recently. Individuals were found on the Navigator's Islands, at the visit of Mr. Williams, who had wandered in this way from a small island south of the Society group. Others were found on the Navigator's Islands, who had wandered from Rarotonga, one of the Harvey group. Christianity was introduced at Rurutu in this way, one of the islands of the South Pacific. Two enterprising chiefs of Rurutu left the island on account of an epidemic, and went to Tabuai. On returning from Tabuai they were overtaken with a violent storm, and driven from their course. For three weeks they wandered they knew not whither, till at length they fell upon the coral reef of Maurua, the most westward of the Society Islands, became acquainted with the gospel, and were safely returned to their native isle. A Japanese junk lately came ashore in this way on the Island of Oahu-some of the crew were alive. In this manner, probably, tie untold islands in the broad ocean have been peopled with immortal beings. 2~ 18 EARLY HISTORY Antiquity of the Hawaiian nation. The antiquity of the iawaiian nation is very considerable. There have always been some persons. appointed by government from time immemorial, whose special business it has been to preserve unimpaired the genealogy of their kings. This genealogy embraces the names of seventy-seven kings. Stories are connected with most of this long list of kings, which doubtless are a mixture of truth, forgetfulness, and fancy. The Christian is curious to inquire at what time the people relapsed into a state of heathenism. TWe know that all the inhabitants of the earth descended from Noah. The children of Noah and some generations down must have known the great Jehovah, and the leading principles of true religion. There was a time, of course, when the ancestors of the Hawaiian nation were acquainted with tle true God and the service which he requires. When did the ancestors of the Hlawvaiian nation relapse into a state of heathenism? The only answer is, from time immemorial. The most ancient tradition bears no mark of a better state. According to tradition, their idol worship or OF T'lE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 19 Time of relapse iito a state of heathenism. tabu system was in force as early as the reign of their first kings; and its origin is imputed to the vilest and fiercest passions. It is represented as a price paid to the gods for license to commit crime-a characteristic common to pagan nations the world over. All their traditions, however remote, bear the impress of degradation, pollution, and blood. For many generations, then, or farther back than tradition can trace, they had been sinking deeper and deeper in all that hardens the heart to deeds of cruelty, and in all that degrades and brutalizes both the body and the soul. Like a sinking weight, they had sunk lower and lower; and like a malignant disease, their case had become more and more inveterate. The state of heathen society cannot, from the nature of the case, be stationary. It is even worse now thain when described by the Apostle Paul. Who can measure the immense depths to which for ages sinking the degraded islanders had sunk, and to which Satan, in his undisturbed efforts for many centuries, had succeeded in reducing them. And how immense the multitude who sunk to a cheerless grave and 20 EARLY HISTORY Tradition of ships seen from the Islands. to a dark eternity before the light of the gospel beamed upon them! At length it pleased God, for high and benevolent purposes, as later history shows, that the Hawaiian Islands should come to the knowledge of civilized nations. Tradition speaks of several ships seen from the islands before their discovery by Captain Cookl; and it speaks of some wrecked there before that time. The following is a tradition of this kind: In the reign of Kealiiokaloa, king of IHas waii, a vessel was wrecked at Pale in the district of Keei. The captain and his sister gained the shore. They sat down upon the beach, and seemed to be overwhelmed with sorrow. They remained sitting upon the beach for a long time, with their heads bowed down with grief. Therefore the name of that place is called Kuiloi (bowing down) till the present day. At night-fall, the people of the place received them into their houses, and offered them their usual food but the strangers made signs of refusal. They then offered the bread fruit and the banana, which they received with joy. They OF THIE SANDWICH ISLAN)S. 21 Earliest hint to Europeans of the Islands. soon became habituated to the islands, and mingled with the native population. The earliest hint to Europeans of such a group as the Sandwich Islands, seems to have been somewhat as follows: It is said, in a work of authority, that, thirty-seven years before the arrival of Captain Cook, a Manila vessel was captured by Lord Anson, and that on board that vessel Lord Anson found a chart on which some islands were newly marked of the latitude and longitude of the Hawaiian Islands, and called by a Spanish name. But the islands were never considered as discovered, till the arrival of Captain Cook at Kauai, one of the leeward islands of the group, in the year 1778. I shall give some account here of the visit of Captain Cook, with the design of developing the utter ignorance, tlhe entire destitution, and deep degradation of the islanders; and of exhibiting, to some extent, the influence of' foreigners. Facts incidentally brought to light by a historical narrative, have more force with us than direct assertions; and facts in regard to one heathen 22 EARLY IISTORY I)iscovery by Captaill (Cook. people throw light on the state of the whole pagan worll. The first island of the group discovered by Captain Cook was Kauai, and the place of his anchorage was at Waimea. The ship anchored in the night, and in the morning, when the natives on shore saw the strange sight, they were filled withl amazement and wild conjecture. At the first sight they called it amo/cu, (island,) and that is their name for a ship to the present day. And then, as they gazed at a distance at its towering masts and branching spars, one exclaimed: It is a forest that has moved out into the sea. The chiefs commanded some of their men to go in canoes, and ascertain what this wonderful thing might be. They approached so near as to survey the different parts of the ship and the men on board, and returned with the most eloquent and wild description. They spoke of the foreigners with the ltmost wonder and amazemlent — of the whiteness of their skin, the appearance of their eyes, the fitting of their apparel, the shape of their hats, and the unintelligible charac OF THIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 23 First impression on the Islanders. ter of their language. But this was but the beginning of their wonder. The succeeding night there was a discharge of cannon on board, and a display of fireworks. The people were filled with confusion and terror, concluded that the foreigners were superior beings, called the captain a god, and, on account of the fireworks, gave him the name of Lono, the god of the volcano. Ever since, even to the present day, Lono is the common appellation of Captain Cook throughout the islands. So utterly rude at that time were all the notions of the ignorant Hawaiians. An impression of wonder and of dread having been made, Captain Cook and his men found little difficulty in having such intercourse with the people as they chose. In regard to that intercourse, it was marked, as the world would say, with kindness and humanity. But it cannot be concealed that here and at this time was dug the grave of the Hawaiian nation. Sin and death were the first commodities imported to the Sandwich Islands. As though their former ruin were not sufficient, Christian nations super 24 EARLY HISTORY Ev Is inltroduced. added a deadlier evil. That evil is sweeping the population to the grave with amazing rapidity. And it is yet to be seen whether the influence of Christianity on the rising race shall stay that desolation. Kauai was the only island discovered by Captain Cook on his first visit. ile sailed thence to the north-west coast of America. In November following he returned, and fell in with other islands of the group. Early in the morning his ship was seen off the eastern shore of Maui. As it approached, the people gazed with immense curiosity. They noticed with great particularity its masts, its sails, and every part of the ship. But what struck them with peculiar awe and dread were its many yawning port-holes, for they had heard from Kauai, that from these openings issued smoke, fire, and a noise like thunder. A messenger had previously arrived in a canoe from Kauai, the island first visited by Captain Cook, and had given a description of the foreigners and of their ship. The account he gave, as handed down by tradition, shows the wildness of their first impress OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 50 Wild notions. ions, the rudeness of all their notions, and their entire and deep ignorance. The people inquired of the messenger respecting the strangers. lie replied, (as tradition says, with grains of exaggeration no doubt,) " Tlhe men are white-their skin is loose and folding," (mistaking their garments for their skin, as they themselves in their utter poverty and ignorance of civilized manners had no conception of a well-fitted garmenrt,) " their heads are strangely shaped," (mistaking at a distance their hats for their heads, as they in their rude condition had no idea of such a covering) — they are gods, gods of the volcanoe, for fire and smoke issue from their mouths," (a mistake gathered at a distant view from the smoking of cigars) —" they have doors in the sides of their bodies," (mistaking their pockets for openiings into their bodies.) "into these openings they thrust their hands, and take thence many valuable things-their bodies are full of treasure." rThen he spoke of the unintelligible language of the foreigners, and gave a terrific account of the discharge 3 26 EA R LY L-IJTSTORI Y Their opinion (if (alain twi& h of caution and the display, of fire-works, which had beetn e~xh1ibited atLrit his account, so nlofwnder, x tas sprca(1 thironghont the islands with ggrcat rajpidity. 1 oTlve it hi(r( to s~how heir uitter i(_To'n1rance~ of cidviiized liWe how rcp!,rt lad spread albrozad;and un tie retni-irn o (p tain (oo0k, both chiefs nolid people wx oreus posed to roee ye hi n -ts a nYod. Capt ain Cook proti cded. ftnom ni'a to tieC1 largre island of flawaito As hie tyo'O the islanid sortile ofth nl o wItI s von( n rod off in canroos, anud. ('6t(_d at thle shl a t (k (Ils tance. They vi t~he stf8n(ovrs sontItgrd and pronommedt it to j flesh of' no' ithdiy staw f ire 'dIol tt 'or rtion1ths, and( 511 pp)os(l it, as t fo\had~ 14Ii ht rd., to issue firont- withill thcel it Iodies I t y retri rucd! to the shore1 and rcoai'"tl 01 It men- oil hoard wor~e, rodiL-todls of' t ito, voeb Canoe1. Tlhat Xwli i t~, Y }PO P h the rimw -11eIi of' ieee, wazs dlie 1ioU or o f thei ~_ wa ter nelhm,) 1,) etrlot iito teei to whtich thecy were, theei entil~ t Jrngrtrcs and do, lir-e, of con )rse, was frolnt clea)~rs. Captatin Cook, after pass~ing at-ound, thre OF TlE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 27 A:ichl'r;i'fw of (Captain C(ook. island, anchored at Kealakeakua. The week that he arrived was with them a sacred week; and, according to custom, no canoe colid be launched without the penalty of death. But whien the natives saw the ship of Captain Cook coming to anchor, they concluded that if the gods sailed d uring tee sacred week, it was proper for them to do the same, and immediately launched their canoes. -low -unllounded the influence of foreign visitors upon the ignlorant inhabitants of the Pacific! If the thlousands of our countrymen who visit tiat ocean were actuated by tlhe pure principles of the religion of Jesus. hlowi ir ense the good they might accomplis! lBut, alas! how few visitors to the western hemisplhere are actuated by such l)ri':ciples! (Ca.ptaint Cook1 allowed himself to be worslhilppe(l as i gd. rfile pecople of Kealakealkul dteclinted trading withl him, and loaded Iis sTli) freely with tlhe best productions o tlie isltled. The priests a.pprotached him in a crouclhingr attitude, littering prayers, a1d( exhli'titinrg all the formatlities of wor 2S EARLY HISTORY Worship of Captain Cook. ship. When he went on shore, most of the people fled for fear of him and others bowed down before him, with solemn reverence. He was conducted to the house of the gods, and into the sacred enclosure, and received there the highest honmage. In view of this fact, and of the death of Captain Cook, which speedily ensued, who can fail being admonished to give to God at all times, and even among barbarous tribes, the glory which is his due? Captain Cook might have directed the rude and ignorant natives to the great Jehovah, in. stead of receiving divine homage himself. If he had done so, it would have been less painful to contemplate his death. I shall speak here of tile death of Captain Cook as it developes some traits of the heathen character, and the influence under which the heathen suffer from foreign iltercou rse. After Captain Cook had thoroughly recruited his ship, he put out to sea; but after a day's sail, he found that one of his masts was defective, and returned to refit it. On his return the people were friendly, OF' TU1E SANDWICH ISLANDS. 29 iVoatl It f Ca I ti i i Cook. but not so cordial as before. An uneasi1)e5 (Yisedin the minds Of the nati ves, fromf the lo~,s 01 })rovisiofl5, bestowed withOut com yenusaItiOn, and oni account Of the alieniation- of their Wieoccasioned b~y the protratet(I stayp of the ship's crew. r'1here -was theni a senisitveness which bordered on hostility and needed oniy a fit occasion to becom —e so. So~me men of C'aptaini Cook used violence to th e anioe of a certajal youngr ch-ief, whose unne1-1 was Paleta. A skirmish enisued, and Palea wvas struck- with the paddle of acanoe, ai~Ld le,,velled with tbe ground. Soon after, i~alea stole a boat from Captaml- C1ooks ship. Thle theft is imputed to C p~ta in Cook,- comnmanded Kalani opu ii, thinm-,r of the i I iiid, to mak"Ite search for tim 1bo11 mnd r( store it. rTle king( could not restore it, for thu ntatives bad allready broIen it. apIleces to ohtajn1t~hernails, which were to, the n1 the articles of' the greatest val ue, Captal C carir om shore with- art-ed melih, t.0, take thel kn on board, mid to keep 3* 30 EARLY HISTORY Death of Captain Cook. him there as security till the boat should be restored. In the mean time a canoe came from an adjoining district, and passed near the ship. In the canoe were two chiefs of some rank, Kekuhaupio and Kalimu. From some misunderstanding, not distinctly known, the canoe was fired upon from the ship, and Kalimu was killed. Kekuhaupio made the greatest speed till he reached the place of the king, where Captain Cook also was, and communicated the intelligence of the death of the chief. The attendants of the king were enraged, and showed signs of hostility; but were restrained by the thought that Captain Cook was a god. At that instant a warrior, with a spear in his hand, approached Captain Cook, but not in a hostile attitude. But Captain Cook, from the enraged appearance of the multitude, was suspicious of him, and fired upon him with his pistol. Then followed a scene of confusion, and in the midst of it Captain Cook struck a certain chief with his sword, whose name was Kalaimanokahoowaha. The chief instinctively seized Captain Cook OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 31 The body of Captain Cook. with a strong hand, designing merely to hold him, and not to take his life; for he supposed him to be a god. Captain Cook struggled to free himself from the grasp, and was thrown upon the earth. As he fell, he uttered a groan, and the people immediately exclaimed, "He groans-hle is nota god,"-and instantly slew him. Such was the melancholy death of Captain Cook. Immediately the men in the boat fired upon the crowd. They had refrained before for fear of killing their captain. Many of the natives were killed. In vain did the ignorant natives hold up their frail leaf mats to ward off the bullets. The body of Captain Cook was carried into the interior of the island, the bones secured according to their custom,and the flesh burnt in the fire. The heart, liver, &c., of Captain Cook were stolen and eaten by some hungry children, who mistook them in the night for the inwards of a dog. The names of the children were Kupa, Mohoole, and Kaiwikokoole. They are inow aged men, and reside within a few miles of the station of Lahaina. Some of the bones of 32 >EARLY HIISTORY Saida tl wo od. Caiptain Cook were sent on board hli- shlip, in comp-liance with thle urgent demiands of the oficers; and some were kept by the priests as objects of worship. For several years after this melancholy event no ship visited the islands. rlThe opinion was labrroad that the inihabitants were exceedingly treacherous and bloody. At lenrgt, in th e reign of IKamnelainieh a, a ship arrived, and carried away an impressionl very different from that which forinerly existed. After that the visits of ships were frequent. But, to our reproach it must be recorded, that it was no benevolent motive wvlich sent thither our shipping, but the love of money. The sandal wood was found there. Ilmortal souls had been founld befolre, but they presented no motive to our enlter pr ise. S;tindal wood w-as discovered, and oulr shlip)s were soon on the winSr. Vast quatitities of tihat article were obtaiiled for mere trifis l-carried to (Clanton, and sold for a hirll price, where it is used — the 1la rger sticks niade iiito fainey articles of filrnittire, and the smaller pieces burnt as incense t the gods. OF THE SA-DWICTI ISLANDS. 33 Infiluncce of early visitors. Here I cannot but notice, chilling and soul-sickening as it may be, the moral influence of early visitors tupon the islanders. Men of traffic were frequent in their visits to the Sandwich Islands for more than 40 years before the messengers of Christ arrived there. The children of this world are more forward in enterprise than the children of light. Scarcely a speck exists on the broad ocean, or a nook or corner of either continent, that has not been explored, and frequently visited for purposes of traffic. The love of gain had sent many a ship to the Sandwichl Islands, and thousalnds of our scheming inlhabitants, before the heralds of salvation reached those shores. And what was the influence of men of traffic on the ignorant inhabitants? Precisely the same which is even now exerted on many an island of the Pacific. It is a proverb with seamen, that when they pass Cape Horn they }hantg up their consciences there till their return. There is too much trutht in this remark. There are worthy exceptions; but to a painfiul extent tie influence of seamen in tlhe Pacific is vastly ruinous. 34 EARLY HISTORY Inifluence of early visitors. At the present time there is a check to this influence. Thlere are now islands in the Pacific, the Saldwvich Islands amorng the rest, whlere such a mtinber of Americans and Englishmen reside of moral and religious character, as to create a public sentiment, and form a link of communication with Christian countries. Formerly there was no such restraint. At the present time even, there is no such restraint at thousands of islands in the Pacific ocean. Where there is no one but God to look down and record, there is but little restraint from iniqtity; for it remlains as true in regard to mlenl now as when tle Bible was written, that there is no fear of God befire their eyes. Shameful and horrid scenes are acted now under the Jiblt of God's suin at lfAlces far off. Trley were acted formerly at the Sandwich Islands. I shall not attelmpt to exlibit that coInduct, and to portray those scenes. Neither your feelinlgs nor mine would allow of it. I wrill merely state a few tiings, leavilng the fuill exposu-re for the dat of jtri-dient. I notice then, that the choicest prodtlc OF THlE 5;~AN\)DWJCLI ISLANDS5. 35 tions of the islands were purchased for mere tri'fles —the price of' a large, hocr fo.-r inlstilice, wvas a fe("w inches of'rusty ironi hoop, Which the destitute natives formed into a sort of adz. A(gail, among1(T- the lpro~itient, articles of trude, were, gnusj swordis and other inistruiets of (dsih But, worst Of all, larorc (jH1eItIties Ol' ardenlt Spirits were, sold anelono theam, Which invo~lved thle king(, chle fs, and PecOp(c inl hahIts of' iiitentperaniee. F1 en) a III manI y ships frion the time of th~ci arriva tIl the ti me of thir salling, WvTi. ( 11o\VWdc wi\ith nztkud inihabittilts of bol i'-e anid presenuted a scene, to whi(Ah it SC (I Ie it, tly l)51(ev(WO to dul ude. nit, atoitllicr crimle, sutil may horrid if posE~idcl nmut he(' rint~ioned, (if \Vfichf the follo viir 11 ane iiv cmoavey s~omne ideca. It e fe te fac that the ig norant nlaked, an(1A islanders wcre scarcely reAvcssotl anchored ait liontMIU41i,1 on- tile Ledof Aani, file, islan(1 of myv present locatikon. 1 hi0ii ear to g_,ive the n1a n of the vessel thonodi, it is recorded in Hawvaiian 36 3EARL Y HISTORY A horrid incident. history. At night a boat attached to the stern of the vessel was stolen, in Twhich a sailor was sleeping. The sailor was killed, and the boat broken in pieces for the purpose of obtaining the nails. The persons engaged in this affair resided at an adjoining village called Olualu. The captain took his anchor, and removed to a position near the village. The captain feigned to be friendly, and the people came off to trade as usual; but were required to approach on one side only of the vessel. Soon a large crowd of canoes, filled with men and women, were collected, entirely unsuspicious of any evil,-when suddenly a number of cannon were fired upon theim, and the waves covered with the dead and the dying. The vessel sailed. TIhe dead bodies were collected; and, as the natives say, were so many as to make a large pile upon the sea-shore. Another instance of the same kind occurred a few years since at the Washingiton Islands and another at a group of islands farther west. -low many such scenes OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.37 have occurred we leave for God's faithful register to develope. Under all these evils. unchecked and unmitigated, the Sandwich Islanders sutlfred, till the word of God reached their shores, Diiring the intercourse of forty years with multitudes from Christian lands, what did they learn? They gained no knowledge of God, or of te way of life. But, as if the guilt and ruin of a heathen state were not sufficient, new modes of crime and new modes of accelerated destruction were introduced from Christian countries! 4 38 EARLY HISTORY CHIAPTER II. iARLY HISTORY CONTINUED. Vancouver's visit. SOME ships that visited the islands exerted, on the whole, a good influence. Among these I may perhaps name the ship of discovery under the command of Vancouver. VANCOUVER visited the islands three several times, in 1792, '93, and '94. Kamehameha was then king. Vancouver had much intercourse with him, and with his subordinate chiefs. That intercourse wts characterized with friendship and good feeling. Ie refused to sell guns and powder to the people, and gave the king much wholesome advice. He seemed interested in the islands, and sought their prosperity and improvement. He introduced many things that were useful. He brought cattle from the coast of California, and made them a present to Kamehameha. The cattle were preserved with care, and at length OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 39 Intercourse with Vancouvcr. suffered to run wild on M'auna Kea. They now range in immense droves, are taken in the Spanish mode with the lassos, and killed by hundreds merely for their hides. On account of the friendly behavior of Vancouver, Kamehameha said to him:" When you return to Great Britain, say to your king, take care of us." This expression has been interpreted as a surrender of the islands to British authority. But protection merely was the idea in the mind of Kamehameha. During the visits of Vancouver a very unhappy incident took place, wliich should teach us wisdom in our intercourse with barbarous nations. The vessel employed as tender to Vancouver's ship visited Oahu, to obtain a supplyof fresh water. Tho captain and astronomer of the tender went on shore, and were killed by the natives. The circumstances are not distinctly known. Some months after, Vancouver visited Oahu, and demanded the imurderers of his men. The chiefs were unable to obtain them. Vancouver still continued llis demand. The chiefs were greatly terrified, and 40 EARLY HISTORY UnhIappy incident. took three innocent men, as they now fully confess, and presented them before Vancouver as the murderers. 'They were stoned to death in his presence. I mention this fact to show the injuLdiciousness of urging barbarous chiefs, in such a case, to a point of extremity. Though the conduct of YV:ncouver was marked with kindness and generosity, yet truth demands that something more should be said. Ie, like others, countenanced the practice of giving a few inches of rusty iron hoop as a compensation for the best productions of the islands, and the most arduous services of the natives. Neither can we record his name, nor that of Captain Cook, as standing pure and aloof from the fearful work in which their men were engaged,of spreading about them degrading evils and a desolating curse. If the most kind, honorable, and respected visitors thus countenanced iniquity, what think you htas been the inftilence of the mass of seamen on the degraded heathenl The degraded heathen, I say; for the OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 41 Cask of N. E. Ruim. influence exerted at the Sandwich Islands is substantially the sane as that exerted upon barbarous nations the world over. 0! if the shores of Africa, of Asia, of the unnumbered isles, and of our own north-western wilderness could speak, how fearful and black the array of crime they would reveal, and how deep and inexpressible the notes of woe! The improvements in navigation and the facilities of commerce are bringing Europeans in close contact with every heathen people, with the whole array of deadly evils of which I have made mention in regard to the Sandwich Islands. As things now are, Satan has a thousand missionaries in the field where Jesus Christ has one. Evil influences are continually going out from among us to heathen lands, and the extent of those influences eternity will reveal. When some of our exploring missionaries arrived at the head of the Black Sea, where no foreign vessel was allowed by law to approach, the first thing which attracted their attention was a cask marked N. E. RUM. 4* 42 EARIY HISTORY A fact frtol tho Pretsidenlt's nssage. I noticed that in the message of President Van Buren, it is said that tlhe Russian government has refused to renew a stipulation by which our ships were allowed to have free access to their ports on the N. W. coast, -and entirely on tie ground that our ships have carried thither scarcely any thing else but fire-arms and ardent spirits. — What a deep reproach to us, that a nation like the Russian should forbid us to enter their ports, because of the moral evils we disseminate! r'lis pestilential and deadly influence was exerted upon the Sandwich Islanders without any alleviation, for the long period of 40 years before the introduction of Christianity. For mtany, very many long years, among the thousands who visited them, there vWas no herald of salvation; and atnong tlte manly commodities brought to their shores, there was any thing to be found but the bread of life. The river of intemperance was made to run through the land, and, connected witl the curse of inftmous dissipation, made quick work in utmibering the unwary pco-ple e f th rave, OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 43 I)tclias c of pop, l;iltion. lThis remark leads me to another topic, the decrease o'popzllation. Captain Cook estimated the population at 400,0(00. Other early visitors confirmed this estimate. It probably was somewhat too high; but tradi. tion, alld tie very appearance of the islands, show that the population ill years past was far greater than at present. The present population of the islands is not above 130,000. Facts, carefully gathered the last 4 years show a rapid decrease of population. For this decrease many causes may be assigned, such as, first, an extensive war, which raged about the time of Vancouver's visit; then the plague, which swept over the islands soon after; also infanticide, oppression of the government, and things of a like kind. 1But most of these causes have ceased to exist, and the depopulation still goes on. ''lhere is, then, another cause, —a cause still operating; and what is it? It is that to which we have already alludednot t!e contact of savages with civilization, as some assert, but the knrown stamp of God on a prevailing vice. At Rarotonga, ian island shut out by its coral reefs from foreign 44 4EARLY HISTORY Causes of decrease. shipping, the population is increasing, whilst Christianity and civilization are rapidly advancing. It isthis latter cause, then, that is mowing down heathen nations at so fearfuil a rate. Nations, I say; for, so far as facts have been gathered, almost every barbarous nation is rapidly decreasing. The dissemination of evils from Christian lands is laying the earth waste. And the guilt of such havoc, who can estimate? And the reputation of sweeping the earth of its population, and glutting the pit of hell! O! who can envy it, but the arch-fiend himself! It would seem that even Satan would be more than satisfied with the immense desolation we are spreading in every heathen land. 0! when will the redeeming influence of the gospel of Jesus begin to keep pace witl the ruin we are spreading! When will the number of heathen souls, we save instru mentally, equal the number of those that we destroy! 0, when shall it once be! that we sliall go into all the earth, and visit every creature, not to destroy mankind, but to preach the gospel! When shall we cease to add and superadd crimes and OF TIlE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 45 iDeptlh of dgradation. curses to those already existing among the barbarous and degraded! Is not their present condition, without any agrralvating causes, sufficiently gloomy and appalling? And here let us capitulate a little the evils of their state, as they are incidentally developed in tlis brief lnarrative. We find them destitute, ignolrant, wild, beastly, and degraded —inconceivably so. The degradation, physical, mental, and moral, is so deep, that it takes time —it takes years, in any good meastire to explore it. I had some sense of the degradation of the heathen tie first year of my residence among them-, but the whole period of seven years did not serve to reach, in conception, the immiense -the fathomless depth. The longer one lives among the heatlhen, the more filly does he realize the ignorance, the vileness, and the abominations of the horrible pit in which they are sunk. But this statement is general. I wish I could portray in detail a little of their destitution alld degradation. A native goes to the forest, and with the aid of fire and a stone axe succeeds in pro= 46 EARLY HI STORY Destitution described. curing some poles. He brings them home on his shoulder, erects them in the earth, and covers them with leaves or grass. He leaves an opening for a door, and another for a window, and strews the interior with grass and a rude mat, whicl serves every purpose, for floor, table, bed and chairs. The inmates of the little hut, (for in their chaotic state they could not be called a family)-the transient and changing inmates, perhaps 5 or 6 in number, of all ages and of both sexes, with a mere apology for clothing, crowd around one calabash, eat poi from it with their fingers, and then with or without a tapa for a covering, and a smooth stone of the beach or a block of wood for a pillow, lounge and sleep on the same mat. I cannot stop to describe all their destitution, but a word or two may assist your imagination. Look, then, at another herd, (for I cannot call them a family.) Their dwelling is a cave, the damp earth their floor, and the solid rock their covering. A small excavation in the centre is their fire-place and their oven, and their food OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 47 Descriptiont of a poor man. the roots of the forest. I never saw a poor man till I visited the Sandwich Islands, and, as much improved as the inhabitants now are, there remain too many exhibitions of the destitution and loathsomeness of their former condition. But then they were not only destitute and degraded, but they were covered witl blood and black with crime. Idolatry reigned with all its abominations-its frantic rage and horrid exhibition of bleeding human sacrifices. They were guilty, too, of all the crimes enumerated by the Apostle Paulthey were even murderers of children and murderers of parents. But these expressions, I am aware, are familiar to you, and have in a great measure lost their force. It is an alarming tendency of our nature to become shockingly familiar with such facts. Waiving them, then, take another view. To the heathen the book of nature is a sealed book. Where the word of God is not, the works of God fiil either to excite vdmiration or impart instruction. Tlie Sandwich Islands presents some of the sublimest 48 EARLY HISTORY ins'iinsibility to sublime and hcautiiful scenfmy. scenery on earth, but to an ignorant nativeto the great mass of the people in entire heathenisrn it has no meaning. As one crested billow after another of the heaving ocean rolls in anid dashes upon the unyielding rocks of an iron-bonnd coast. which seems to say, ' Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther,' the low-minded heathen is merely thinking of the shell fish on the shore..As he looks up to the everlasting mountains, girt with clouds and capped with snow, he betrays no emotion. As he climbs a towering cliff, looks down a yawning precipice, or abroad upon a forest of deep ravines, immense rocks and spiral mountains thrown together in the utmost wildness and confusion by the mlight of God's volcanoes, he is only th-iking of some roots in the wilderness that may be good for food. I remember standing in a deep-shaded ravine, and gazing with intense rapture at a beautifil waterfall. Trhe stream, as it came over the precipice, seemed to be of considerable size, but the height of the fall was so great that none of it reached the bottom. As it rushes over it is a stream, in the fall it be OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 49 Irnsensilbility to scenies of majesty, awe, and tfrrmr. comes foam-then mist, and soon becomes so liglht as to ascend again to the side of the mountain, adorned and enriched by the colors of the rainbow. But my attendants would have enjoyed infinitely more a calabash of poi or a raw fish. Instead of reaping delight from the beauties and sublimities of nature, the heathen choose low, wild, and grovelling sports-too low and vile to be mentioned; or place the perfection of happiness in gluttony and lounging. Neither is it to the beauties and sublimities of nature alone that the entirely uneducated heathen show an unmeaning gaze and cold insensibility. Scenes of majestic awe and terror make but little impression upon their minds. I remember a scene of terrific grandeur, —it is as fresh and distinct as though it occurred but yesterday. I was then at i-ilo, the nearest station to the volcano of Kilauea. In the after-part of the day we experienced several earthquakes, and about six o'clock we felt a shock so severe as induced us to leave our house for the night. The trembling, heaving, rocking, and undulating movements of the con5 50 50 ~EARLY HI1STOR-Y Eruption of the voicanio. vulsed earth, produced sensations that,are altogyether indescribable. Th~le fotundations underneathi us Seemed to be uncertain and treacherous. But, to add irnotAMsurably to the awe and granideur, the whole he aveins, in the direction of the volcano, were intensely lighlted. It Seemed like billow uplonl billow of flamning fire rolling through the whjole arch of heaven. ThoighI at the dlistance of 10 mii-les the lig-ht was suifficient to convert nigiht into day. Th~1e heavens onl fire above us, and thec earth treachecrouis beneath our feet, was a scene too awful and niajestc to be enijoyed. The emuptiou con tinuned dunring the uiiiht and. thec following day. r'iit thi~rd day, w~hen all seemcd to ble Juiet anid still, we resolved to rviit the volean-o, and See' the eff'ects Of stick i111cinrnee aInd terrifil action. (hiir company consis ted of Mlr. CT rCeen mnyselt; and our wives. Whnfii wel arrived within11:eIvena Imille: of' the volcanlo we, found( tile earth hrmolken into deep chasnjs and when ve canme within ai ha Ifinie, per'Ih ps ot` the crater11, we, 4ound that thle earthi for that di.st'an~ce around hald stunk tibout IS in Ihes) and from thu~e On to thee, rater's edge OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 51 Elruption of the volcano. the ground was so rent into chasms as to be almost impassable. As we came upon the immediate edge of the crater, which is nearly 7 miles in circumlference, and looked down the giddy depth of 800 or a thousand feet, we judged that this tremendous depth and immense area had been filled with boiling lava; that in the rollings and tossings of the mighty convulsion, the lava had been thrown out in huge waves on every side, until, by some shock, a chasm was rent in one side of the crater, through which it appeared the immense mass had disgorged itself into tle ocean. The almost fathomless abyss was now empty, presenting only a raging lake of fire at the very bottom. We erected a little hut, or rather a screen from the wind, on the edge of the crater, and spent most of the night il gazing nt its majestic and impressive scene. Iewitrso the riters of the Ne Testament had stood wlhere we stood, when describing the prison of Hell, and taken their representation fromn what we actually saw, tlhey would not lhave materially altered a single feature of their description. There ans an abyss almost fithornlless, enclosed 52 EARLY HISTORY 'r-uption oftthe volcano. by dark, ragged, and everlastin g rock-a lake of fire below, rolling and tossing, and dashing against its black and gloomy ledges, and the suffocating smoke of fire and brimstone ascending up unceasingly in immense volumes. No pious visitor has gazed at the scene without recognizing filly the Bible picture of the pit of Hell. My eyes were fixed upon the exhibition before me, and I stood mute and trembling under a sense never before so fully realized of the power, the majesty, and terror of Almighty God-the resources of his wrath, and the untold horrors of the finally impenitent. But ho1w, think youl, were our native attendants affected by such a scene? Utterly regardless and unimlpressed, they were only careful about their supper, chatted about their fish, and then stretched themselves upon their mats to sleep for the night. I repeat the remark: The book of nature to the heathen is a sealed book. TIhey are equally insensible to the beauties, the sublimities, and awfil terror of God's works. During a certain eruption, as stated by Mr. Ellis, one of the rents or chasms made by it )F THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 53 ]'rilptiio of tlle volcano. emritting sulplhurous smoke and flame, ran directly through the floorless and thatched hut of a native living at iairnu. All the notice hle took of it was merely to remove his sleeping mat a little distant from the chasm, and compose himself again to Is slumbers. A stupid insensibility to every elevated idea and every elevated emotion is a trait of heathenism. If you wish to awaken their attention, present a calabash of poi, a raw fish -or call them to some low, grovelling, and sensual sport. To them the perfection of enjoyment is fulness of bread and aburndance of idleness ---sleep by night, lounging by day, filtlhy songs and setisual sports. 0, how lost were they to all that elevates the immortal soul! In vain did God lavish upon the Sandwich Islands every beauty, everysublime prospect, and every exhibition of awful grandeur; in vain-utterly in vain, till the book of revelation was brought in as a key to the book of nature. Notice another fact. With a mild and salubrious climate-with a soil adapted to all the tropical productions-with good harbors and abundance of water power-with 5* 54 EARLY IISTORY Extreme p verly amidst the richest gifts of God. almost every natural resource, and no winter to provide for; still the people were in the very lowest depths of poverty-compared with whom our poor men are rich. Utterly destitute were they of knowledge and skill to apply to advantage their muscular force, and bring into use the rich resources of their favored islands. "In vain with lavish kindness, The gifts of God were strown." They were at the farthest remove possible from intelligence, industry, skill, and enterprize; for these characteiestics, however much it may be denied, flourish only under the genial and energetic influence of the religion of Jesus. Look over the world, consider facts. They are stubborn, and there is no evading the inference. T'he heathen, too, were reckless of life. Where there are but faint ideas of a future state, the loss of life is lowly estimated. It is so with barbarians the world over. It was so also with theinfidels of France. And it is so in our own country, just in proportion as infidelity and barbarism prevail. What, now, is the sum of what I have OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 55 Tie distance up from heathenismu to Christi anity. said? The heathen are reckless of life, extremely poor from mere degradation of intellect; stupid to all that is lovely, grand, and awful in the works of God; low, naked, filthy, vile and sensual; covered with every abomination and stained with blood-in short, exhibiting fully the graphic character long since given by the Apostle Paul. Then, superadd to all this the deadly evils introduced from Christian lands during an intercourse of 40 years, and you will place them in the position in which they were found by the first missionaries who arrived among them. How immense the distance up from heathenismn to Christianity! Who can conceive of it? Look down, if your sight can bear the giddy depth, low down into the deep pit of mire and heatlen pollution, and then up to the eminence of a true child of God, and measure, if you can, the distance. Do this, and then you will have some due conception of the divine power of the Gospel of Jesus; for it alone can reach this depth of ruin. It reaches down, takes the feet of the beastly heathen out of the miry clay, raises him up to the dignity of angels, and 556 EARLY HISJTORY, &C. To (leva; t tlie t egraded a nob le work. places lhim safe, lorious, pure, and happy on the firm and golden pavement of heaven. 't ere is soniethin'l' tob)le ir the thotughilt of beilng instzIrumtenta in cilertatting those owho (are StIk so Iow-! Oh, how the Archangel Gabriel would delight in such a work. I mistake his character if lhe would not glory in it as a work the most noble and most truly sublime. If the word of reconciliation were conmmitted to ang(els, where, think you, would Gabriel wineg his way? to ILondon or to Greenland? to New-York or to New Holland'? Wllich would be the sublimest trophly of the grace of God, and the brightest gem in the diadem of Jesus, a soul saved froml the midst of intelligence and refinement, or a soul rescued from the depthls of heathenism-dTu up, as it were, from mire and filth-purified, clevated, refined, and made holy? If Gabriel then should strive to place the brightest jewel in the crown of Jesus, would he not dive at once down to the depths of hcathten degradation, and bring it up from thence? May God give us this spirit, that the lower men are sunk, tle more readily we shall toil and labor to be the instruments of their salvation.. 57 CHAPTER III. INTROI)UCTION OF CIRISTIANITY. Cod lrepared tile way. TrFIE picture thus far has been dark. Let us now turn our eyes to the cheerful dawn of heavenly lio-ht. And as we trace the introduction and progress of Christianity in the islands, we shall be forced to exclaim, in the lan.mllge of stronc emotion, ' Vhat hath God wro'm 'ught P This excilamation was scarcely more appropriate to the nation of Israel than to the people of the Sandwvich Islands. The work at the Sandwich Islands has been emplhatically the work of God-marked by his timely and special providences. God?'repacred the way for the heralds of salvation before their arrival. The first step of preparation was to unite the group of islands under one governlmect, 5S INTRODUCTION OF CHIISTIANITY Conquest of the Islands by amnelhamcha. And in doing this, he made use of an interesting young chief by the name of Karnehameha. This chief was rarely endowed with physical strength, mental energy, and a mild disposition. He seemed to be raised up by divine providence to accomplish this very important purpose —to prepare the way, in part, for the introduction of Christianity. He was a chief of low rank, and had possession only of a single district of IHawaii. In self defence, rather than from a warlike spirit, he was drawn into a series of battles, first with the chiefs of his own island, and then with the chiefs of the other islands; in all of which hle was uniformly victorious, and which eventuated in bringing the whole group of islands under his sovereign control. MIany of tlhese wars were bloody beyond description, being fought with savage instruments, and showing no mercy. The identical spear used by Kamehamneha in t}lese wars is now in my possession. It is of woold-about 16 feet in ]ength, and was lhorrilly barbed with sharks' teeth. After the battle at Wailuku, the brook of Iao was said to lhave AT THlE SANDWICHII SLANDS. 5 ConqiiUPt (ii'the islad s i by Kamehniii neliaa been stopped lby the dead bodies that were thrown into it. hI the progress of these various struggles, Kahekilb, the king, of Oahu, sent wvord to Kallnebaielha styif "Wait till teblack ~(,ltz-a/icovers itui, and then my kin-l'tinr shall be voltirs.' vPi is request aninehatneha respected. Kanunntalil, the kin of Kxai ai, volu-ntarily surrendered his island, but E~UlatuehaineYha nobly restored it. TPhus tIice ninny independent clas, whi ch prescnted before~ ani unin~terrupted scene of jealdousy discordC., and war. wvere united by by Kaitiehanut ha, and mostly in self'defence, 1unuet one government; anid throutit his S'vr'rity. ier io y, and unbounded an,thoritv were eta Stin ) suje tionad at peace durino)( tile, whide period ofthis reigni. For a h1 ti l 1II *%7 It uc nicha was an excellent viler colbin)innf 0 i th. rieiat einergy anti de cision of cliaia tete, a mild and hnumane (usj)QsIti on In a tin ae ol fiaun n, rather than oppress his hc~e, plaiited food with his owl], hi ids10 I IC wz s onec of' thle few exceptions thait exst, t ven am',ongr the lieathen of' native siirev dnie2ss and energy of' mind, a(d solwue noble1 traits oli character. 60 INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY Obookiah. If the system of independent clans had continued, it would have presented a very formidable embarrassment to the introduction of the gospel. On the other hand, nothing could have been more favorable to the reception and propagation of the gospel throughout the whole group of islands than their union under one government, and the subjection and peace which prevailed. The hand of God was in this event. No one can doubt it. At the same time too, Providence directed to our shores some tHawaiian youth, as Opukahaia, (Obookiah,) tlopu, and others; and awakened in Christians the thoulght of sending to those islands the gospel of Jesus. Look at Opukahaia, (Obookialh,) sitting down and weeping on tlle threshold of the College buildings at New-Haven, till taken under the care of a )Dwight and a Samuel J. Mills. Follow him throlugh lhis interesting but short history, and observe the feelings awakenled I)y him in bellalf of his countrymen, and then call to mind the events at the same time transpiring at the islands, and AT TI]E SANDWICI ISLANDS. ( Sickness and deatll of Kainelamela. you cannot fail to be convinced of the direct movements of an unseen hand. Kamehameha was not spared to welcome to his shores the heralds of salvation. Ti1e church was too dilatory in her movements. Before the messengers of mercy arrived, he hadl sunk, in his heathenism, to a dark and cheerless grave. 0, who can count the millions and hundreds of millions of precious souls that are lost through the tardiness of the church! During the sickness of Kamehameha, the priests, according to the prevalent custom, proposed to offer human sacrifices to the gods for his recovery; but, from the kindness of his disposition, or from some light that he might have gained from foreigners, he would not admit of it. At his death several persons offered to die with him, but were withheld by their friends. HIe was supposed, according to the prevalent superstition, to have been d, troyed by sorcery, or, as they express it,; i ryed to death by his foes. They scarce, itdmitted that any person died from nat; t. causes. They, 62 INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY The manner in which Heathen mourn for the dead. therefore, burnt the flesh of Kamehameha, as a means of destroying the sorcerers. His death, as was the custom on the death of chiefs, was succeeded by hideous wailings, day after day and night after night, throughout the whole group of islands. This wailing, uttered as it is with a deep and tremulous voice, and proceeding from a thousand dwellings, at the dead of night is mournful beyond description. As you stand and listen to it, it strikes the soul with deep dread and peculiar horror. And the people not only wailed, but shaved their heads, burnt their bodies with sharp-pointed sticks, and knocked out their front teeth. But this was not all. According to custom, all law was suspended, and all restraint taken away. On such an occasion it was made a virtue to commit crime. He who should produce the most confusion, distress, and disorder, was considered as paying the greatest respect to his deceased king. Theft, rapine, and murder were let loose, to spread far and wide as much havoc as possible. The people, of all ages and both AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 63 Concealment of the bones of Kamehameha. sexes, threw off all covering and all restraint; and the combination of discord, wailing, self-torture, robbery, licentiousness, and murder, formed the full ingredients of a temporary hell. This is the way in which the heathen mourn for the dead. And in view of it, when contrasted with christian mournin, O! what tongue can tell how much we are indebted to the religion of Jesus! The bones of Kamehameha were kept for a while, and then concealed; and no one but the person who concealed them knows where they are to the present day. This was done as a token of respect. It was a proverb with the people that the bones of a cruel king could not be concealed. They would make the bones of such a king into arrows and fish-hooks, and whilst using them, load them with curses. The kingdom of Kamehameha descended unimpaired to his son Liholiho, who recognized Kaahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha, as his prime agent. Liholiho was brought forward in gaudy array; and in the presence of his subordinate chiefs, 64 INTRODUCTION OF CHRIS'TI'ANITY. 'The kingdoii dcscends to Liholiho. Kaahunrlanu thus addressed him: * Most excellent king, I now declare unto you your inheritance from your fatler: here are your chiefs —here are your soldiershere are your guns-and here are your lands; but I also must partake with you in the administration." To this Liholiho assented. Soon after his accession to the crown, an event took place which has no parallel in the history of the world. When Isaiah wrote, he could exclaiml, in the language of strorgo negation, "'1lath a nation changed her gods!' Now, it may be said that tho Sandwich Island nation demolished in a day her whole system-i of idol worship. The motives which led to it, so:fr as they can be gathered, are something as fo1 -lows: Their idol worship was connected with the tabu system-or a systmn of restrictions and prohibitions. This connection was so intimate, that the one could not be given up without the other. The prohibitions were very numerous, and very grievous to be borne. They extended to sacred days, sa AT THIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 65 Abolition of idolatry.-The motives which led to it. cred places, sacred persons, and sacred things; and the least failure to observe them was punished with death. A prohibition, which weighed as heavily as any other was that in regard to eating, and was the first to be violated. A husband could on no occasion eat with his wife, except on penalty of death. Women were prohibited, on penalty of death, from many of the choicest kinds of meat, food, fruit and fish. These prohibitions extended to female chiefs as well as to women of low rank. Many of the highest chiefs of the nation were females, and they, especially, felt burdened and uneasy. They did not fear being killed by the priests, for they were chiefs; but the priests, all along, had made them believe, that if they violated any prohibition, they would be destroyed by the gods. This they began to doubt, for they saw foreigners living with impunity without any such observances. Besides; (a fact which shows the power of God to bring good out of evil,) ardent spirits had been introduced among them; and they often, when partially intoxicated, trampled heedlessly on b(6 INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY Abolitiou of Idolatry. the prohibitions of their idolatrous system, and yet were not destroyed by the gods. The awful dread, therefore, which formerly existed, had in a measure subsided; and when no longer restrained by fear, the female chiefs were quite ready to throw olt the burdens so long imposed upon them. Keopuolani, the mother of the king, first violated the system, by eating with her youngest son. Other chiefs, when they saw no evil follow, were inclined to imitate her example. But the king was slow to yield. At length, however, lie gave his assent, and then the work was done. The chiefs, as a body, trampled on all the unpleasant restraints which had been imposed upon them by their system of idolatry. In doing this they were aware that they threw off all allegiance to their gods, and treated them with contempt. They saw that they took the stand of open revolt. They immediately gave orders to the people that tlh tabu system should be disregarded, the idols committed to the flames, and the sacred temples demolished. Many of the peo. ple readily obeyed but idolatry was too old AT THE SANDWICI ISLANDS. 6 Kealkuaokalani refuses to renouiice idolatrvy. a system, and too firmly rooted, to be relinquislied without a struggle. A chief' by tle name of Keakuaokalani cllung to idolatry, and firmly withstood all solicitations and all commands to relinquisl it. The priests flocked about him, and elcoutraged hlira witlh the highest prormises of favor from the gods, saying, the kingdoml should be his, since he only stood faithfuil. A large body of the people, when they found tllat there was still a chief on the side of idolatry, flocked over to his standard. The king and chiefs used with him every means of a persuasive and conciliatory kind. Keopuolani and Hoapiri, chiefs nearly related to Keakuaokalani, were sent to try the force of argument and entreaty. Their entreaties were utterly vain, and they themselves escaped with the hazard of thleir lives. It was found necessary to resort to the open field of battle. The two armies, of about equal strength, and armed withl horrid war-cl ubs, and barbed spears, met on tlle plain of Kuamoo. The question to be settled is the existence or abolition of idolatry. 0, what an hour of 68 INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY The eventful battle.-Result, the answer of prayer. interest with such a question pending! The God of battles had the direction of events. Keakuaokalani was killed and his army subdued. Immediately the whole mass of the people made thorough work in demolishing their sacred inclosures and destroying their gods. This unparalleled event did not result from the influence of Christianity, nor from any good motive; but it was an instance in which the wonder-working hand of God was displayed in overruling the basest appetites and the vilest passions of men, to accomplish his benevolent purposes. Opukahaia (Obookiah) had sent up many a prayer for his countrymen, which was remembered before God. A Samuel J. Mills, and other Christians of this land, had mingled their supplications with his. Our missionaries were on the ocean approaching the islands with devotement of soul,strong faith, and humble prayer; and followed by the earnest intercessions of a Worcester, an Evarts, and many a friend of the heavenly enterprise. Thus the idolatry of Hawaii was besieged by faith and prayer, and, like the walls of Jericho, crumbled and fell. AT TIIE SANDWICHL ISLANDS, 6) Arrival of the first missionaries. The missionaries, with some Hawaiiall youth, educated at Cornwall, arrive within sight of the islands. I can almost imagine tllat I sec them standinlg upon the deck, and grazing at the snow-crested unllltainis as they first heave in sight. 0, what sensations fill their soils! They bow their knees before the God of missions-thank him for his protection o'er the boisterous deep —and in view of the untried and perilous scenes in prospect, cast themselves entirely on the arm of his strength. The events that had taken place at the islands were entirely unkntown to them-all to them was uncertainty, except that they had confidence in tle protection and aid of the God of missions. Cheered and encouraged by a cmmnitment of themselves to the great Jehovah, they arise from their knees, and still standingl upon the deck, and gazing at the towerirng mountains, shaded forests and extended plains, unite in a song of deep-felt praise and holy courage, which they had composed for the Occasionl. Soon the shore is distinctly in view, with its cultivated fields and clusterinrg huts. 7) INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY Their feelings as they approach the Islands. Then some specks are noticed on the waves, and as they approach, are seen to be canoes filled with men and women. The missionaries gaze upon these naked, tawny, and sun-burnt beings, and are amazed that human nature could be sunk so low. The sailors turn to the missionaries with an expression of countenance that seems to say ( You must return with us to America; you and your wives cannot live with these filthy, savage, and brutal beings-it is impossible.' But the missionaries had counted the cost; and as they now fix their eyes on these miserable objects, they see concealed, under their deep degradation, precious and immortal souls, destined to vie with Gabriel in intellectual power and moral feeling; and as they look upon their wretchedness and gloomy condition, their desire is in. creased to be the instruments of their salvation. The inquiry is made, ' What is the state of the islands I' The answer is: ' LIHOLIHO IS KING-THE ISLANDS ARE AT PEACE-THE TABU SYSTEM IS NO MORE-THE GODS ARE DES AT TIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 71 First intelligence they receive. TROYED, AND THE TEMPLES ARE DEMOLISHED.' 0, what an hour was that! It were worth a voyage through five oceans, simply to experience the sensations of wonder, joy, and praise which our missionaries then felt. This unprecedented revolution had taken place simply in answer to prayer. In effecting it, the all-wise God had made use of the base appetites and the vices of men. The nation was now without any religion, -and at this favorable moment the religion of Jesus was brought to their reception. If Christianity had not been introduced at this time, the people would have been in a worse condition than before; for even idolatry is better than atheism. God had the ordering of events, and all things were rightly timed. The missionaries arrived at Kailua, March 30th, 1820, a short time only after the decisive battle, and near the field of the bloody engagement. The king and chiefs had not yet dispersed. The missionary company went on shore to see the chiefs, and ask permission to reside among them. A Cornwall 72 INTRODUCTION OF TCHRISTIANITY First interview with the Chlief. youth ran before, and inqluird if the house of the chie fswas tabu, or prohibited. The answer was: ' It is not.' The missionaries entered, and the Cornwall youth introduced them by saying, I These persons are the priests of the most high God, the maker of heaven and of earth.' The chiefs received the missionaries with respect, and heard their proposal, but declined giving an immediate answer. They remained in council several days, and whilst discussing the question before them, some foreigners, who had gained a residence there, advised them to send back the missionaries; and only one, it is believed, encouraged their reception. This was a time of immense interest with the miissionaries, and they spent much time in prayer before God. They would have felt more solicitude had not the hand of God been already so remarkably displayed in opening the way before them. It was a time of deep feeling, for, in behalf of the Sandwich Islands, and as we look into the future, in behalf of Polynesia too, the glories of Christianity or the horrors of heathenism were held in a trembling balance. In AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, 73 Permission to reside on the Islands.-Missionaries' wives. the event, notice again the favor of God, The chiefs concluded, notwithstanding the advice of many ill-minded foreigners, to per mit the missionaries to reside among them, The wives of the missionaries, as they first landed, were an immense curiosity to the people. They were the first white females they had seen. The people crowded about in great multitudes to gaze upon them, and exhibited the greatest eloquence and the most earnest gestures in describing their appearance and their dress. The people showed not only their curiosity and interest, but seemed kind and well pleased. The wives of the missionaries, too, presented an argument of immense importance. It is said, that when somre foreigners remarked to the chiefs that the missionaries had come to make war upon them, and dispossess them of their land, they replied: 'If they had come to make war, would they have brought with them their delicate wives?' The same has been the unanswerable argument in the commencement of other missions. Their presence has been the best possible defence. Agreeably to the wishes of the chiefs, 7 74 I~NTR0DUCTION1 &C. Location of t11e Missionaries. Some of the missionaries remained at Kailua -others went to Oahu with. the kinc —and others accompa nied the son, of Kaumnualii to the Island of Kaniai. So the way was hully opened, and the MeSSen ers of mercy im mediately planted on the whole group of' isi'ands. CHAPTER IV. PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEl. O)staclcs rcrnaininrg. T'El: mnissionaries, we have seen, were ftvorably received, and some of the external hindrances, as by miraculous agency, entirely removed. T'here were, lowever, obstacles enough remaining to test their energy, their self-denial, their perseverance, and their faith. Ignorance, destitution, degradation, and crime stood forth in all tleir prominence, loathsomeness, and horror. In all thlse respects their condition was not in the least improved. And, added to these traits, were the evils introduced by a 40 years' intercourse with dissipated foreigners. Every improvement above this low condition is the product of Christianity. Their ignorance was beyond description, especially on moral and religious subjects. Centluies of heathenism had swept away not only the idea, but tile name even, of any 76 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL M isconcleption of the truth communicated. Supreme Being. They had no terms it their language to express pure morality, virtue, or the graces of the spirit. This utter ignorance of all the principles of true religion and pure morality led, in the commencement of the mission, to much misconception. I can only mention an instance or two to illustrate my meaning. The missionaries spoke of the great Jehovah, his Son Jesus Christ, and the IH-ol Spirit. The people conversed among themselves, and concluded that Jehovah was Kane, Jesus Christ was Maui, and the lHoly Ghost was Kanaloa-three of their former gods. The missionaries used the expression E hiki rmai auanei ka la nui, —(the great day is approaching.) The word la means not only day, but also the sun; and they understood the expression to mean, that the sun was about to increase in size and destroy the earth. The report was circulated with rapidity, and tle people filled with terror and dismay. Almost every expression that was not guarded with the greatest care was liable t:. AT TfIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 77 Jealousy towalrd the llissionlaries. lead to a wild interpretation and the grossest mistakes. But there was not only a misapprehension of the instructions of the missionaries, but also a misconception and jealousy of their object. They knew nothing from experience or observation of the benevolence of the gospel-had not the least conception of such a motive. How, then, could they believe that men came to reside among them simply for their good!? For you know there are men, even in our own land, who, being ignorant of the motive of benevolence, cannot conceive of missions to the heathen without the imputation of sinister designs. One of the missionaries made his first attempt to address the people. It was at a small village near Ilonolulu. He succeeded in assembling a little group, and arose to pray. The people immediately rushed from the house, and hid themselves in the forest. They connected with prayer the idea of destruction. They thought the missionary was going to pray tthem to death. In their idolatrous system, prayer was often sorcery, and death tle result-perfectly in 7* 78 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL Instances of jealousy. contrast with the prayer of the Christian. When one of the missionaries dug the cellar for his house, the people went to the king, and said: ' Your land, 0 king, has become the property of the foreigners. There is to be a deep pit under the house of the missionary. Meln, guns, and powder will be brought in casks, and deposited there. Every preparation will be made: and when you and the people shall be collected for worship, then you will be slain and your kingdom taken.' As they stood at the doors and windows of the house of the missionaries, and gazed at them, imploring the blessing of God over their food, they wildly whispered one to another: ' E ahac la ka poe haole i moe iho la na maka^ (what are these foreigners doing with their eyes downward?) Some replied, ' E amna ana ana ia kakou,'^ —(they are praying us to death.) These instances I mention merely as specimens of many others of a like kind. These jealousies gradually wore away as they became acquainted with the mis AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 79 The influences tending to subdue jealousy. sionaries. One of the first things which impressed them favorably in regard to the missionaries, was the union which prevailed among them. The expression was very common, and became a proverb: ' Iookahi 1no ano o kia na misionali hlana ana, aole kmu e kcckcahi i kekaahi? —(' the missionaries have but one aim in all that they do-there is no division amoiig them.') Then they noticed that the missionaries were industrious, toiling night and day, with no other ostensible object but to confer blessings upon them. They especially remarked the meek and unrevengeful character of the missionaries when provoked by enemies. A certain foreigner abused a missionary, but the missionary took no notice of it. The foreigner was weak, and staggering from intoxication. The crowd that was looking on observed: ' This man is weak-the missionary could easily punish him, but shows no disposition to be revenged.' Others said, The word of God is verified, which speaks of meekness and forgiveness: for this drunken man insults the teacher, but he does not resent it.' Instances of this kind had great influence. s0 PROGRESS OF TIHE GOSPEL Introduction of thi( PIriltilg-p)ress. Even tle heathen lhave their eyes open to the conduct of ministers, and are nice judges of consistency. And there is no jealousy that cannot be lived down by a uniform and christian deportment. By the time that these jealousies began to wear away, a reinforcement of missionaries had arrived, and new stations were taken on the different islands. Soon, also, a mission press was set up, and a small primary book printed, in which were contained some plain passages of God's word. The HawaTiian language contains but 12 articulate sounds, and of course the missionaries introduced but 12 letters —a, e. i, o,, h, k, I, m, n, p, \. They adopted also the simple method of avoidinoi all arbitrary spelling. Every word is spelt precisely as it is pronounced, so that to teach spelling is scarcely an object. Every one who can combine two letters in a syllable, and put two syllables together, can both read and spell with readiness. The art of reading, therefore, is very easily acquired. I thinlk I am safe in saying, that the children of Hawaii learn to read their language in a much ZZ-) V L L LII L AT THE SANDXWICI- ISLANDS. 81 Alnazemenet of the islanders at the art of writing. shorter time than our children do the English. This is an immense advantage, as it unlocks at once the rich treasure of God's word. The people were amazed at the art of expressing thouglhts on paper. They started back fromn it with dread, as though it were a sort of enchantment or sorcery. A certain captain said to Kamehamleha, 'I can put Kamnehameha on a slate;' and proceeded to write the word Kamamhameha. The chief scornfully replied, ' That is not menot Kamehameha.' The captain then said, ' By marks on tiis slate I can tell my mate, who is at a distance, to send me his handkerchief;' and proceeded to write the order. Kanmehamela gave the slate to a servant, who carried it to the mate and brought the handkerchief. Kamehamleha then took the two-the slate and thle handkerchief. He looked at the writing and at the handkerchief-they did not look alike. He felt of the two-they did not feel alike. And what connection there could be between the one and the other lie could not imagine. With this ignorance, itis not strange that the people 82 PROG(RESFI 0F TIlE GOSPEL Anecdotes to illustrate it. formed very wild conceptions of' tle power of letters. They even imagined tlat letters could speak. Every article of clothingr that had a name upon it, was for a time safe; no one would steal it —for tllere were letters there, and they did not know lbt they might tell the owner where it was. This amazement at thle art of writing is common to all barbarous nations. I find in the work of Mr. Williams a strikitlg illustration. When he was erecting a chapel at Rlarotonga, he came to his work one morning without his square. lIe took a chip, and with a piece of charcoal wrote upon it a request that iMrs. Williams would send him that article. lie called a chief, and said to him, ' Friend, take this, go to our house and give it to Mrs. Williams.? ' Take that!' he replied, ' she will call me a fool, and scold me if I carry a chip to hler; and if I carry it, what must I say?' 'You lave nothing to say,' replied Mr. Williams; tlhe chip w\ill say all I wish.' c How can this speak ' replied the chief; ' has tills a mouth? lie carried it, however, gave it to Mrs. Williams, and she AT THE SANDWICH- ISLANDS. 83 Colnmrencclent of schools. handed him the article written for. ' Stay, daughlter, said tli chief, how do you know that this is what Mr. Williams wants ' ' Why,' she replied, 'did you not bring me a chip just now?' ' Yes,: said the astonished warrior; ' but I did not hear it say any thing.' ' But I did,' replied Mrs. Williams; and upon this the cliief leaped out of the house, and catching up the mysterious piece of wood, ran tlhrough the settlement with the chip in one hand and the square in the other, holding them up as hiigh as his arms could reach; and shouting, as he went, ' See the wisdom of these English people; they can make chips talk, they can make chips talk!' I relate these anecdotes because I know not how 1 can better impress upon you the impnortant fact, that the people were utterly igntorant of the art of writing and of reading, and thlat the introduction of writing, and especially of printing, was an interesting era in the nation. Witlh the introduction of printing, sc' e were commenced; and many of tle 84 PROGRESS OF THLE GOSPELI Converts.-Bartilmeus. chief s and people soon learned to read the Scriptures. Then fruit began to be gathered, to the praise of God's grace. About this time some f'ew souls were hopefully converted to Christ. The first who was admitted to the church was a poor blind nan, who, at his baptism, took the name of Bartimeus, —an illustration of the fact that God is no respecter of persons — often chooses the poor and despised. When an infant, his mother, according to a prevalent practice, attempted to bury him alive; but he was rescued by a relative. After his conversion he soon showed that, though blind, lie was spared to be a man of extensive usefulness. He possesses an uncormmon memory, a strong and discriminating mind, deep piety, and much practical wisdom. There is scarcely a sermnon lie has heard, however remote the time, but he remembers the text and the leading thoughts. He assisted me at Hilo, as a fellow-laborer, for three years. Itc is employed much in exhorting the people from village to village. A boy leads hlin to the place of meeting, and to his seat before the assembly; and AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 85 Interesting converts. then he arises to speak. He possesses much native eloquence. And I have often sat in breathless silence as I have gazed at the big tear rolling from his sightless eyeballs; witnessed the earnestness of his action; and heard him, in the fulness of his soul, tell of a Saviour's love, and exhort sinners to repentance. 0 that you could see him with your own eyes and hear him with your own ears, then you should have a practical exhlibition of what the gospel can effect. A young man by the name of Ii was brought forward about this time. IHe is attached to the king as an attendant and counsellor. Every allurement and every threat were used, in times past, to cause him to renounce Christianity; but the grace of God enabled him to stand. I might mention other interesting instances, bit I shall tire your patience. In the midst of this incipient success, one of the greatest difficulties with which the missionaries were called to contend, was the conduct of the king Liholiho. He was reckless, profligate, and intemperate. He S 86 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL Conduct of the king, Liholiho. gave himself up to his pleasures and his passions. In a fit of jealousy he unhesitatingly beheaded one of his worthiest chiefs. To obtain rum, gaudy dress, and other gratifications for himself, wives, and favorites. he heedlessly involved the nation in a debt, from which it has never been relieved. He practised also great extortions upon his people. Notwithstanding this reckless and dissipated character, he paid an external respect to the missionaries. He attended school for a short time, and made some effort at reading. When reproved for his vices, he showed no resentment. The missionaries used every means to reform him, even taking from him supplies of rum that he had purchased, as a parent would from a dissipated son. Once a missionary visited him, and, after much entreaty, Liholiho made the following promise, ' Elima o' makalliki e koe, alaila huli au i kanaka maikai,' (five years more, and then I will becomle a good man.) Alas! little did he think that a much shorter space than that would find him at the bar of God. This expression of his is on AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 87 Liholiho's visit to England. the lips of all the people as a warning against procrastination. Christianity was retarded by his reckless career, and the nation on the verge of utter ruin; when God, who so remarkably prepared the way for the introduction of the gospel, appeared again il his wonder-working providence, and wrought relief. Liholiho imbibed the notion of visiting Great Britain. What were distinctly his motives in going is not known. It is most probable that he had no distinct motive, but went rather from a state of restlessness. But the hand of God was in the movement. He embarked with some of his guardians, wives, and favorites,-12 in number. His favorite wife, as she left the shore, broke forth into wailing, characteristic of the people: 'E ka lani, e ka honua, e ka mauna, e ka moana, e kahu, e ka makaainana, aloha oukou; e ka lepo e, aloha oe; e ka mea a kuu makuakane i eha ai, auwe oe;' —( heavens, earth, mountains, ocean, guardians, subjects love to you all. O land, for which my father bled, receive the assurance of my earnest love.) The crowd stood on the 88 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL Death of Liholiho. beach, filling the air with their wailings, and following the ship with their eyes as it slowly receded from their view. When its masts disappeared beyond the billows, that was the last they saw of Liholiho, till his lifeless body and that of his wife were brought back to their shores by Lord Byron. Only a few of the company who sailed with him lived to return. It is melancholy to record the death of the young Liholiho, even though in his death we see the deliverance of a sinking nation. Without his reformation or his death, the ruin of the nation seemed inevitable. It is a fearful thing for Icings, rulers, or men of influence to resist warnings, and perseveringly stand in the way of a country's salvation, when that salvation is a subject of prayer among God's people. When Liholiho sailed for England, the government was left in the hands of Kaahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha. She, though a proud and haughty woman, possessed many qualifications well adapted to the trying emergency. Her decision, energy, and strength of mind, not only held AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 89 Kaahumanti's character and conversion. her own subjects in perfect subjection, but successfully withstood many ill-minded designs of foreigners. She succeeded in extricating the nation from many perplexities in which Liholiho had involved it. But, though of great service to the nation, Kaahunanu for some time stood entirely aloof from the influences of religion. She was haughty, proud, and disdainful in the presence of the missionaries. She looked down upon them with contempt. If a missionarjy passed her and offered his hand she would turn away her eyes, and simply reach out to him her little finger. She was tyrannical and cruel in her domestic relations. Many a head was severed at her peremptory order. But no heart is too proud or too obdurate for the all-conquering grace of God. This same haughty and disdainful Kaahumanu was soon broug(ht to the feet of Jesus. Her conversion was the more cheering, as it took place soon after the gloomy event of the war on Kauai. Kaumualii, the first chief of Kauai died, and a dispute arose about the 8* 9o PROGRESS OF THE COSPEL War on Knuai. division of territory, which led to an unhappy and bloody contest-the first and last battle since the introduction of Christianity. The slain were left exposed on the field, and buried, as the natives express it, in the months of the swine. In this scene of destruction the missionaries on Kauai thought it prudent to flee to an adjoining island. A small vessel was about to sail, and they embarked upon it. On the vessel was chained a hostile chief, who had been taken captive in the war. There he was seen at the close of day, and in the morning he was not-he had been thrown into the midst of the channel to drink death among the foaming billows. This bloody scene was calculated to fill the minds of the missionaries with gloom and dejection, and it was therefore peculiarly grateful and cheering that, soon after this event, Kaahumanu, the ruling chief of the nation, was hopefully brought to the feet of Jesus. After her conversion she became as warm in her affections for the missionaries as she was before cold and contemptuous. And in the administration of the govern AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 91 Christian efforts of Kaahumanru. ment she united her former firmness and energy of character with a real desire to promote tie good of her subjects. She made thorough work of being a Christian and a christian ruler. She not only attended strictly to the affairs of government, but visited repeatedly every island of the group, and almost every village of each island;encourag inl schools, introducing improvements, and exhorting the people to forsake their many vices, and cleave to the pure religion that had been brought to their shores. She rejoiced that the precious light beamed upon her people from so many points, and longed for the time when every obscure valley and deep recess of her islands should be illumined. I remember the expression of her feelings on the arrival of a new reinforcement of missionaries. The scene is as fresh to my mind as though it were the occurrence of yesterday. She. was in ill health at the time, and did not attend upon their formal reception. As they were introduced into her room, she was sitting, neatly attired in an arm-chair, and apparently quite feeble. 92 PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL, &C. Hler feelings on the arrival of new Missionaries. She very affectionately gave her hand to the newly-arrived missionaries, and raised her languid eyes, whilst tears of gratitude and joy rolled down her pallid countenance. She remained in silence, was entirely overwhelned with emotion, and we rt ired. The conversion of Kaahunma:tn was an important era in the history of the mission. Various hindrances and discotlracgements were no longer felt. Many a hard strnggle was over. Here we can erect an Ebenezer to the Lord-and from here onward speak with humble gratitude of glorious triumphs and wonderfil success. 93 CHAPTER V. TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL. Era,~f success. OUR narrative has brought us to an era of marked success, and in view of it I cannot but allude to the thankful expression so often repeated in the 107th psalm: ' O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, andfor his wonderful works to the children of men ' This era was connected, as was remarked, with the conversion of Kaahunanu, the Queen Regent of the islands. Soon after her conversion, many of the subordinate chiefs and many of the people turned to the Lord. The tide was turned in favor of Christianity, which soon became a strong and broad current. Public sentiment was entirely changed, and the christian religion was received with very great favor. Missionaries had become familiar with the language, and had received quite 94 TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL Attendance,on public worship. an accessior to thleir numbers. The press was in successful operation, and schools were established. rl'he people attended upon the preaching of the gospel in immense crowds-in some places from 2 to 4 thousand souls-and as there were then, comparatively, but few missionaries, many of the people traveled tile whole of Saturday to arrive at a place of worship. It was pleasant and amusing at sun-setting on a Saturday evening, to stand and see the little company come in one after another, and from almost every point of compass. It reminded one of the Jews coming up from every tribe to their favored Jerusalem. After traversing many a field of lava, descending many a precipice, and climbing many a cliff, from morning dawn till the setting of the sun, they arrive, wearied but joyful, at the place of worship.Each one can be seen as lie emerges from dell or forest, with t\vo calabashes balanced with a stick onl the shoulder —one containing a change of Kapas for tile Sabbath, and the other provisions for the journey. In this way immense congregations assembled for many miles around. AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 95 Eagerness for books and schools. But they were eager not only to hear, but also to read the word of God. Every printed sheet, as it issued from the press, was eagerly sought. The gospel by L1Iuke, the first printed, went off in sheets, in several editions, before it could be bound or stitched. Schools of some sort were established in almost every village throughout tlle whole group of islands, and every youth that could read at all was sought for as a teacher. Multitudes thronged the houses of the missionaries, from early dawn till the midniglt hoursome sincerely inquiring the way of life, and others coming merely from the force of custom, or with a desire to enter the church. Christianity was a novelty-the people were in a great measure ignorant of its Iumiliating doctrines and self-denying duties -and the lhighlest chiefs ill the nation were its varmn and zealous converts. It is not strange, therefbre, tllat the whole mass of the popultltion were strongly desirous of entering the church-of putting onl the forms of religion, and being acknowledged as Christians. It consumed a great part of the time and strength of the missionaries to act on the defensive. 96 TRIUMPIHS OF THE GOSPEL (ood atid evil rtesults of this state of popularity. Great good and some evil resulted from this state of things. Almost all the people learned somethin g concerning te true God and salvation through Jesus Christ; a large portion of the popullation learned to read, and obtained portions of the Scriptures; external reformation was every where promoted, the people became externally religious, and some souls were truly converted. At the same time there was great temptation to formal religion, to mere deceptive profession. The missionaries neither expected nor desired that this state of unbounded popularity s!hould exist fr a long time, but endeavored to make the best use of it while it continued. Here it is necessary to notice a fact of a very unpleasant kind. As soon as Christianity became popular, some ill-minded men from Christian lands became bitterly enraged at the efforts of the missionaries;-illminded men, I say; for some foreigners, visitors and residents, were upright in their deportment, and warmly attached to our cause. I notice this opposition, not from AT THE SANDWICHI ISLANDS. 97 Opposition from foreigners. choice, but with deep regret. I would pass it by, did not faithful history require me to mrention it. Whilst the chiefs and people were oppos. ed and. jealous, the opposers to whom I alhlde, were friendly; for the exertions of missionaries could not materially interfere with the gratification of their desires. But when the tide was turned —the missionaries had acquired influence —a check was given to unjust gain-open acts of sabbatlhbreaking made an offence, and the sloughs of intemperance and licentiousness in a measure dried up-then they were filled with raage and bitterness. I cannot consent to give either you or myself the pain to enter upon the details of their opposition. I will only mention a few things as specimens of what frequently occurred, leaving the full exposure for that day vhen the books shall be opened, and all men shall be judged. Take the scene of October, 1825. A mlissionary and his family are alone on the Island of Maui. A British ship arrives and coomes to anchor. The crew soon find tlhat 9 98 TIVAtIPHfS 0F THEi (-,OSVWz'L mt011 "i~tU 1CCI1 of Octloiwr 15"'25. a chiangre ht s tahI-ell Place. hi stead of, the 'accustomed throii c of native fem.rales, not an idivi iidiiat of the sex appi'oachir~S the Slipt Tihey naturally in p11W-t this chaiv re to the1 influence of the mt~issioniary, land arc full o-f la-'ge o~i 'account of it. A little -after smiset two of thern approa —ch his door, and sh11amc1CSI comlain of the reformatio ciOU ectedL Their complaints are clis'pa'ssiollviatly, bnIt firmily mect by sout(1 antid sruhstatintial reason;. and they ret ire. Aniother comapaniy soooii cuter the inclesut-re-soRme rush iln 'at the door, uttering threa ts;anid somec th-rust thenr heads into the wvindowvs, and thec venV t th(eir rage.c(, Ono, more forward than hins (k Hlowxys, comes fully up Inl the falce of the -InLQ~siona(ry,,and in the presence of his sic wif an helpless children, ti reateuis first his property, then his house, then his lifQe and theni the lives of all hi's fanimily. Tfie inilssionary relpiis 'We left our counitry to de-vote 0o11 lives, whiether Io ~ror shorter, to dhe sativation of the heIathen; xve h ope wve are, equally prepared for Ilife or deathi, a~nd shaill throw our breastUs open to your IniveIs raLther than retracc the stfqp We hvave tahcni AT THE SANDWICII ISLANDS. 99 Riotous scene of October 1825. In siglt and in hearing of all this sits the wife of the missionary, sick and surrounded by a group of helpless children. She, sustained and nerved by the grace of God, firmly adds, 'I am feeble, and have none to look to for protection but my husband and my God. I might hope, that in my helpless situation I should have the compassion of all who are from a Christian country. But if you are without compassion, or if it cal be exercised only in the way you propose, then I wish you all to understand that I am ready to share the fate of my husband, and will by no means consent to live upon the terms you offer.' The adamant seemed to melt a little at such an appeal as this, and the mob merely vented their rage in horrid oaths and threats, without using personal violence. Two days after they came again in a body, armed, some with knives, and one or two with pistols. They found at the gate a guard of natives. They made several thrusts at the natives, and pressed their way through to the door. The missionary and his family retired to a back apartment of the 10(} TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPE L5 Other riotous scene. house where they supposed they would )b the most secure. The natives, armed with clubs, immediately rushed in through every window, and obliged the mob to disperse. A note had been sent to the captain to take care of his men. lHe replied in subwstance, ' Comply with the wishes of the sailors, and all will be peace and quietness.3 A different answer could not have been expected, for on board his ship was a native female, whom on a former visit lie had procured of Wahirepio for $160, and had obliged her to accompany him, notwithstanding all her tears and entreaties. After these disturbances, the natives kept a double guard about the house of the missionary till the sailing of the ship. About a year after, when several ships, American and English, were at anchor at Lahaina, riotous proceedings took place, of equal enormity and for the same reason, As the only safety for the females of the place, they were sent by the chief to the mountains, and remained there several days, Not many months after a third attack was made; cannon balls were fired near the AT THE SANDW)ICHI ISLANI)S. 10)1 O)tier riotouis scenes. house of the missionary, and he aid his fit milv took refuge in the cellar. A scene somewhat similar took place at IHool0ulu, in;which an officer of our nation was colcerned, and for tie honior of our country wve rwill pass it by. lIy own house, at tlhe station of lIilo, was attacked by ni(ht in the same way and for hle samel: reasonl Many such scenes occurred, but I refrail from describing them. VWe should exhibit but little of the spirit of our Malster, if we should lmaifest vilndictive felilings ill view or f such scenes as I have now mlenltioned. Let us rather be stimulated by such facts to more labor and prayer, that all who o goforthl fromi a Christian land may show themselves worthy of the christiian name. Let us never name tlhe ungodly conduct of' seamenl. without deep self-reproach for our necglect of tlemi. iVhyT are tlc!/y, as c class, wvickced aCnd dcg(cYradcl d Who of us would lhave possessed a better character if we llad b-een left to grow up under the same neglect andt abuse? 'This opposition from some foreignl visit 102 TRITUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL Conduct of Poki —Iis death. ors and residents was the more embarrassing on account of the co-operation of one of the principal chiefs of the islands. This was Poki, the governor of Oahu, a chief of some distinction, and of much influence among the people on account of his visit to Great Britain with Liholiho. I-e repeatediy threatened the death of Kaahumanu and a revolution in government. A small band of lower chiefs united with him. It needed all the energy of Kaahumanu to keep them in check. They were often suspected of nmaking preparations for war. At length the God of Missions, who had so signally interposed in other emergencies, displayed again his timely aid. Poki imbibed the wild notion, from the representation of some foreigner, of going to a group of small islands in the South Pacific in search of sandal wood. He fitted out two vessels for the purpose. The outfit of water was put on board on the Sabbath day, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties and faithful admonitions of some influential church members. Poki, and with him almost the whole company of opposers, era AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 103 Christian character of Kaahumanu —her death. barked. Some time after one of the vessels, with a few men returned; but olki and most of the company have not been heard of to the present day. The progress of Christianity on the islands was in the mean time uninterrupted, New reinforcements of missionaries arrived — books were multiplied-schools became numerous-the people increased in knowledge, and many were hopefully converted. This tide of prosperity continued full and unchecked till the death of Kaahumanu in 1832. Kaahumanl increased in knowledge as she advanced in years-died in peace, and left a name that is precious to the hearts of the mnissiontries and to all her people. Iow pleasant and glorious the death scene and funeral solemnities of Kaahulmanu, when viewed in contrast with the frantic, hideous, and disgustful practices of their heathen state! I was on the island at the time of the mournful event. There were, indeed, some exlibitions of immoderate grief and bursts of wailing. But, for the most part, true sorrow, order, and christian solemnity 104 TRlUMPIIS OF THE GOSPELI Funcral Sitlc itif'St ' \.-Ap arent revers('. characterized the scene. An appropriate sermon was preached to the royal tfimily and as many of the immense throng as could comle within the reach of tllc speaker's voice — antd the remains of the deceased were conveyed to the sepulchre in stillness and quict. Ton gue cannot express the imlmense contrast between this christian mourningil and the confusion, horror, and untold abominations, which in their heathen slate i'nvariably attended the deatl of a disti irluishcd chief. After the deattl of Kaahumani l tche people Ihad no longer blefore t}hem the steadfast and christian example of a supreme rler. The king, rauilkcaouli, who now took in a mieasure the reins of goverlnment; was at that time opposed to the restraints of relitionthe princess hacl apostatized from- religion and sunlk into sin-the novelty of Christianity had Nworn away, and through the pro — gress of lighrt and trutl the people beganl to see the humiliating nature of its doctrines and the self:denying character of its duties, Like all ignorant people, too, they were rea. dy for sometiling new. AT TiHE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 105 Fir'm hiold of tlhe ('iiristi;i lr irLion upon the people. For ti tme then there appeared something like a sad reverse. ThIe missionaries had all alolng expected it, and almost desired it, for religion was suffering from too great popularity. Colnrec;ations o:n the Sabbath were diminished-many schools were desertel, and some companies of men revived for a short time their heathen worship. Some sons of Belial were constantly about tile king-prejudicing his mind against Christianity, and leading himi into vice. lBut the reverse was merely apparent and temporary. Tle missionaries were made to feel more than before their entire dependence upon God. 'lhey were much at the throne of grace. They asked wisdomtrusted in God —and redoubled their efforts; and in a fiw monlths it was seen that the reverse only showed the deep hold which Christianity had gained upon the nation. Even tile king, after much effort to throw off the true religion, and revive heathen sports and practices, and after having commanded in vain some professing Christians in his train to use ardent spirits on pain of his displeasure and the confiscation of all 106 TRIUMPH S OF THE GOSPEL Impracticability of every effort to revive idolatry. they possessed, saw that his efforts were futile. And the princess exclaimed, Ua oni paaloa ka pono,'-Christianity is firmly established. The Christian religion was shaken at-this time, that it might settle down to a more permanent basis. Before, the mass of the people had been carried along by the current. Now they were led to stop- inquire -and act independently. And, after all their inquiries, they found that Christianity had claims which they could not resistthat they must yield assent to its excellence and divine authority, however much opposed to the selfish feelings of their carnal hearts. True religion, then, gained in purity, permanency, and power from the apparent reverse which took place. Even those companies in secluded parts of the islands, who attempted for a short time to revive idolatry, were of themselves so convinced of the vanity and foolishness of their ceremonies as to be unable to continue them. They could not boldly hold up their faces and advocate a system of idol-worship, even though their carnal hearts longed to return AT TI:Il SANDWICI ISLANDS. 1i) iAn illcilcit to illuistrate this fiict. to it. They had too much light, and, however muchll they nmight wish to extinguish it, it was beyond their power. I will relate one incident of many to illustrate thlis fact. In I'utina a district under my missionary superintlltendl ce, and about thirty miles froin my place of residence, some young mei took ad;vantagr e of the state of tlilnos to bl'ing themselves into notice. They devised a system of religion hIalf Christian and half heathen. They promulgated that there were three gods,-Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and halpu, (a young woman who had pretended to be a prophetess, and had lately deceased.) They dug up the bones of Hapu, ad:orned them with kapas, flowers, and birds' feathelrs; deposited them in a prominlent spot, anc marked about this spot a definjite iclosure. 'This they called the place o!/rvcft'c. T-rlley went from house to louse, andl firom villa'e to village, and exhorted tlhe people with much earnestness and elo(luence, to go to tie place of refuge, sayinlg, tlhat the heavens and earth were about to mleet, and all who were not fbund in tllh 08O TRIUMIPIS OF THE GOPEL Sttorry of Iil pu.I place of refuige, would be destroyed. Iany other things they said whic 1I shall not take up your time to mention. Many of the ignorant people, in part from terror, and in part from the promptings of carnal hearts, listened to tile young men, and assembled around the bones of the deified Hapu, They erected at once a:neat thatched building as a tmple, and another as a sepulchre. The throng of people was very great, and they continued nirght and day in their worship. In the midst of it tlie report was brought to our station; and in company with a young cl-ief by the name of Iloolulu, I immediately set out for the place. They heard of us before our arrival, and dispersed to their houses. Self-conrvinced of their folly, they could not think of meeting us. On our arrival, all we m1et seemed to be ashanied, and disposed to hide their fhices. We succeeded in collectinll a compa-ny together and mildly exposed thle foolishness and guilt of their conduct. The.y seemed to be confounded. We then inquired if they ]ad any desire to continue thle senseless worship of Hapu. ' No desirce, wtas the reply; and AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 109 Favorable effict of the apparent reverse. as a test of its sincerity, the temple of Hapu was soon ascending in flame and smoke toward heaven. Instances of this kind showed that they were incaplable of boldly advocating a system of idolatry. IThey could only steal away to it as those wlio were fond of its lusts and yet sensible of its folly and guilt. By this apparent reverse, then, of which I have spoken, the claims of Christianity were tested, and more permanently established. It was a struggle which was anticipated, but which can never again take place. Afterward the popularity of religion was not so great as before, but the church had a better prospect of purity and genuine religion —there continued to be as luch sincere and earnest inquiry on the subject of the soul's salvation as ever before existed. At this time of apparent reverse, the providence of God, which seemed ever to watcll over the interests of Christianity at the Sandwich Islands, was again signally displayed. The princess who apostatized from religion, and was drawing a multitudo 10 VO TRIUMPHS 01? THlE GOSPEL after her, sickcened anml (lied. Kaonu, also, an apostate fro-a rehigion, whlo- was proimoted by the kiu,11( as prine, minister,2 and who hakd myore-, influence than any other in leading the k-ingr astray, was also t~akenl sick, anld SOOf ded, Ilie died on board a schooner oti wtnch I hatd just, t~akenl pl~ssagre. At is death, in'steadj of the mlourning promipted. by aff-etioin and estleem, there seemed. to be adeep horror at thec departure, o-,f one so ill prepared for theo mvaitin scenes of eternlity. F"aithfull llistorV rcw —jivies that we shouild noiead penh las as wetll here ini coninexion with111 tile provideCe)C.s Of Uo towvard thec III;,s i oin, as c"lsewictr, thlIAt th-e Pious -iaudhnnvnu refused a re.sidence on I icr is IaH(Is to ti(mlt ioane of thei11 (~ii i~a - of Pto0me. Th'e, Peo ple wvitnlessed the cereniaDies of t'tesc ifWianead reimarked vXqjh so na Ioi'ce, IThe wvorsllip) of suchthiuie~- xve -I Idee m yetars Sin1ce, anld do,- niot \vilit to retufni to it.' Thec chiefs in-quired- of the teachers altieady amyong~ them their opinlion or thjese newlyarrived missionaries, aind received in reply AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 1ll Iefitlsal of r('si(l'ii,c to tf!e To aniin CatIolic missiomlariep. a full, faitififl, and hlonest statement of the views wh ilhi Protestantsentertain on tlhesubject. Kaahnunani soon expressed to those new missionaries her unwillingness that they slould settle in her kilngrdom, and insisted on theirreturn; and as the means of return vere not at hand, slhe fitted out a vessel at her own expense, and kindly carried tliem back. After the death of Kaahumanu, and the government had passed into the hanlds of an ungodly and dissipated young king, the Catholic missionaries again came to the islands. The king, thouIgh he had manifested his hostility to the Protestant religion of the land, yet out of respect to the memory of Kaahumanu, who had sent these missionaries back at much expense, and out of regard to motives chiefly political, firmly and perseveringly insisted upon their returning again to their own land. The details of this event we have not place to give. I simply mention the event as a providential interposition of much importance; and I am sure ihat all who regard the best interests of the islands cannot fail thus to consider it. 112 TRIUMPHS OF TIHE GOSPELT, 5&C (;od's constant cars. And now may it not be said with emphasis, that tile Sandwich Islands' Idission has been a mission, planted, nourished, protected and matured by the special interpositions of God's providence? The great Shepherd of Israelwhlo slumbereth not, has watched over the efforts of his servants witl constant, unwearied, and jealous care. For all this kind superintendence surely we cannot fail to render a tribute of thlanksgiving and praise. 113 CHAPTER VI. PRESENT STATE OF IMPROVEMENT. Contrast.-Knlowledge of Geogriapiy. LET us now look a little at the present state of improvement at the islands, in contrast with their former condition. Remark, then, that formerly they were sunk in ignorance —ignorance inconceivable. Of geography they knew nothingr beyond tlhe extent of their own islands; tlose little specks on the ocean were to themn all the vworld. Within so small a sphere were their views circumscribed. Now they have, in their own language, two universal geographies-one complied mostly from the valuable work of Mailte-Brun, and tle otler a firee translation of the standard work of Woodbridge. They have withi these geographies a complete atlas, engraved by themselves on copper. T'hey have also a Scripture geography and a Scripture atlas, 10* 1.4 STATrE OF IMPROVEMENT Arithiietic, and otller exact sciences-Writing. The study of geography is quite common throughoutt the islands. Formerly they knew nothing of arithmetic, except the simple process of counting. Now they have il their language a children's arithmetic, Colburn's intellectual arithmretic, and Colburn's sequel, and the study of the science is very general. Nothincg las done more to arouse, strengthen, and discipline their minds than the study of intellectual arithmetic. They have also in their tongue an algebra, and a book mol the higler lmathematics, such as geometry, trigonometry, navigation, and surveying. F'ormerly they thad not the least conception of writing, prillting, and readin'. Thae simple business of putting thoughts on paper, as I have before described, was to thecn so great a nmystery that they stood in amazement and wild conjecture. Now it is a commion practice with them to write letters to each other. They have a newspaper in their language, published once in two weeks, and nmany of the communications are from their own pens. About one third of the AT TIE SANDWICI ISLANDS. 115 'rintiiog-Astroutinly. whole population can read. Four printingpresses and two binderies are in constant operation, except when stopped for want of funds, employing about 40 native young men in both departments, who execute their work well with very little supri n teitndence. They have now in their language most of the Scriptures, several hymn books,-one printed with a gamut and notes, religious books anid school books of various kindsmaking in all quite a library. Formnerly they looked up to the planets and stars as mere specks in the heavens; tlow they lave a small astronomy, and their minds are expanded with enlarged views of God's creati0on. Formerly they hlad no schools, except to teach their vile anmusements and the art of breaking a ima's bones for the purpose of robbery. They had sometlling like schools for these purposes. Now you can enter a High School, and see young men of intelligelnce demonstrating problen:s atnd theorems on a black board, or answering( questions with readiness in geography, history, and religion. You can enter a Female Semi 116 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT Schools. nary too, and lower boarding-schools, look upon their sparkling eyes, their cleanly though humble dress; witness the ardor and propriety of their behavior, and listen to the readiness of their answers. -And wherever you go, throughout the whole group of islands, you will meet with schools of more or less interest. Every station has had at times from 50 to 150 district schools connected with it. Under my own care at Hilo at one time there were 87 schools, and not far from 7,000 learners. When collected at the centre at a quarterly examination, they formed an immense crowd, no house could contain thein. They might have been seen regularly arranged, with books in their hands, and covering a large enclosure. These schools were very imperfect, and soon accomplished most that they could accomplish. Schools now are less numerous-better organized and furnished with better teachers. Formerly they had no axe, but one of stone -no clothing but the frail cloth of bark, no house but one of grass and leaves, and no conveyance from island to island but the un AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 117 Civilized hallts. safe canoe. Now iron is introduced-a great part of the people cover themselves with cottons and calicoes obtained fromn the shipping in return for tile produce of the land. Several pieces of cotton have been manufactured by themselves —sut ar and molasses are made from the cane-some houses of stone have been erected-chairs and tables to some extent introduced, and a number of small vessels, as brigs and schooners, are owned by the chiefs and people. I must remark, however, that reformation in religion and morals is much more rapid than in the habits of civilized life. In the one case the arguments for reform are as weighty as eternity; in the other, the considerations are of less moment. There has been, however, much reform in the habits of every-day life. In measuring the progress which has been made in civilization, it is necessary to remark, that no one can fully appreciate the advancement which has been made, except such as are acquainted with the actual position of the nation when tlhe first step was taken to enlighten and civilize them. The difficulties 118 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT Trial for capital oIfl';::c-;s. of introducitng habits of industry, the arts and usages of civilized life, are such as are wholly unknown to thosa who have never seen whlat heathenism is in its most revolting character. The careless observer or transient visitor may see but little to admire aad much to disgust, while those who have known the people in their most degraded state, see that the advantages gained are very great. Formerly the kiong and chiefs took the lives of their subjects at pleasure, and often with little provocation. An instance is handed down of a king who made an inclosure of some extent with the bones of men. And another instance is mentioned of a king who took the life of every one whose dress or personal appearance happened at any time to be better than his own. Now no chief would presume to take the life of a subject any sooner than the governor of this state. Trial for a capital offence is always by jury. Fortnerly the family constitution was in ruins-a perfect chaos. Poligamy-polyandry, and every thing of the kind prevail AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 119 I'roperty safe. ed. Now all the people are married in a christian form, and exhibit a good degree of domestic peace. Formerly theft prevailed to an unbounded extent. The people were called a nation of thieves. Not only things out of the house; but thilngs withiinl even around your bed-side, were not safe. Theyli would lurk about the door durintg tlie day, and spy out the situation of articles, anld at niiht, by a pole introduced at a window or some opening in tle thatch, contrive to hlook tlhem out. Now property exposed is as safe as in tilis land. It is common lo commit valuable articles in perfect conlfidence to the people wherever you meet tlhem. On arrivitng with my goods on thle shores of' I-ilo, sotile boxes were too heavy to be carried vwith colnveniene to my louse. 1 opened them on tlhe beach, and distributed tlhe articles one by one to the prollisculous crowd, and they were all carried sa-ely to mly room. Whenl we (ro fron tic various islands to attend general rneetingd, we leave our houlses for weeks, with all our goods, entirely in the hands of the people; and on our return fild every article safe and undisturbed. 120 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT CIiange in respect to murder, intemperan ce anl1 lewdness. Oi1ce robbery and murder were common. Now, during mny residence of seven years, I never saw two Sindwich Islanders enrzaged in firhting. Daring that timn only 3 instances of murder occurred throuahout tlhe whole islands. Two of the murderers were hanged, and the other banished to a desolate island. Intemperance once deluled the land. Tie nation was a nation of drunkards. Now the manufin.ctire, sale, and use of ardent spirits is strictly prohibited, and viewed in the light of crime, like theft or robbery. At the last intelligence the importation of ardent spirits was prohibited on a heavy p enalty. Openn licentiousness once abounded. Society was a dead sea of pollution, and many ships visiting the islands, were floating exhibitions of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now all such inmmorality is frowned upon by public sentiment, and every gross act is punished by law. The odious sin is driven back as in this land into deep concealment and midnight darkness. There was once no God, no Bible, and no AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 121 Change in regard to idol worship. Sabbath. Now, every soul on the islands has been instructed, more or less, in the great truths of religion. The whole bible is translated, and large portions of it are in the hands of the people; and t}he Sabbath is noticed by all visitors for its peculiar sacredness and stillness. Formerly idol-worship prevailed, with all its obscenity, horror, and blood. Look at that immense crowd ol naked, sun-burnt, and degraded beings who fill the area of a large and gloomy heiau. In the midst of them stands a huge and frightful image, whose horrid grin bespeaks at once the sava(re attributes ascribed to it. Before it are spread out offerings and sacrifices of various kinds, and prominently and in filll view a number of immolated human beings streaming with blood. The crowd offer a senseless and frantic homage, and go away to dive deeper in every scene of vileness and crime. Often, when assembled to engage in their horrid rites, and there was need of a human sacrifice, a priest, standing on an eminence, would point out some individual of the crowd. He is instantly knocked 11 122 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT Clianrge i regard to idol worship. down with a club; and his mangled body, gory with blood, is dragged to the altar, cut in pieces, while yet warm and twinging with life, and presented before the horrid image. Now look again, that same crowd are re-assembled. Thley are decently clad, and sit in stillness and order. In the midst of them, instead of the huge image stained with human blood, there stands the messenger of the meek and lowly Jesus, with the precious gospel in his hand. IIe is teaching them the way of life with kindness, affection, and earnestness. The people listen with attention, and some of them with tears. Spread out neatly before him, instead of bleeding human victims, are the simple memorials of the dying love of Jesus. With apparent humility and deepfelt gratitude, the communicants receive these emblems-retire with solemnity to their houses, and forget not to offer the evening prayer. Fifteen large congregations at least regularly assemble on the Sabbath, averaging at some places from 1 to 3 thousand hearers. In the late revival, AT THE SANDWICHS ISLANDS. 123 Infanticidc.-Murder of parents. congregations have been even larcer than this. There are also fifteen churches, embracing in all more than 10 thousand cornmunicants. Once infanticide prevailed to an alarming extent, and the mutrder of parents, too, and the desertion of the sick. Look at that wretched woman, she is carrying something to a secluded spot in a distant field. She stops, lays down her burden, and digs a pit in tlhe earth. Ahl what is it that she is about to bury? — Hler own smiling infint. She is tired of taking care of it-thrusts it into tlie pit, covers it with a little earth, and then tramples upon it till it is dead. But wait-look around a little, and you will find that this is not the first pit she has tdug. Many a mother has confessed to me, with her own lips, tllat she has buried alive iumrbers of her children, some 5, anrd some even 10, and some are left entirely destitute. Again, look at those two athletic young men, they are bearing a sick aged person upon a rude litter. He is their father. They are pretending to remove him to a 124 STATE OF IMPROVEMEINT Desertion of the sick.-Stoning of Ianiacs. place of more comfort. But fbllow them awhile. Soon they approach a grave which they had previously dug. They come upon. it in a moment unexpected to the father, cast him into it, and bury him alive. Then, as you return from this scene, stop at a hut by the way-side, and you may find there a sick, emaciated object. There is no one near to smooth his mat, prepare him a morsel of food, or wet his lips with a drop of water. He is left entirely without care by the nearest relatives, who will feel relieved when they hear of his death. You turn away from this sight, and conclude that the lot of the father, buried alive, was truly enviable. You pass on, and the noise of savage mirth meets your ear. A gang of boys are hunting down andstoning a maniac; and for no other crime than that God has taken away his reason. I mention these things as mere specimens of what frequently occurred, and with which the heathen world is full. But, you nmay ask, where now, are these unnatural mothers and these unnatural AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 125 (Co.!trst.-Power of the tgospel. sons? Go with me, and I will show you. Enter the sanctuary of God, on a communion season, and I will point you to many of them sitting at the table of the Lord. You shall see them exhibiting the loveliness and Christian graces of the true followers of Jesus; purified by the Holy Spirit, and preparing to hold communion with angels and with God. O, as I have stood at the communion table, and called to mind the former character of this individual and of that-I lhave been held in mute astonishncnt at the transforming eficaluy of th. gospel of Jesus Christ. Let any one witness such a scene, and candidly consider facts, and I shall honor not either his heart or his head if he continue to be an infidel. That the Bible is of human origin, and yet accomplishes such results. would be a stretch of credulity too great for a man of ordinary sense. Again, scenes of excitement and great interest at the islands were once those only of noisy mirth and raging war. But now I can point you to seasons of interest of a different kind. Ot, that I could carry 11' 126 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT Revivals. you from island to island, and from station to station, to witness the many precious and powerful revivals which have so signally marked the Sandwich Islands' mission. 0 that you could have seen, during the late out-pouring of God's spirit, crowd upon crowd thronging the house of the teacher, from the break of day till the midnight-hour, inquiring, with heavy sighs and streaming tears, 'What shall we do to be saved?' and had noticed, as hope beamed upon them, the lighting up of their countenances and thle joy ot their hearts —thlat you could have gone from station to station, at successive communion seasons, and seen the thousands who publicly enrolled themselves as the followers of Jesus. Then you would have exclairned, with an earnestness and force of which you have not yet been sensible, What hath God wrought! The Lord hath done great things for us. Oh that men would praise thle Lord, for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of ment ' The conversion in one year of 2(0,000 souls from thle population of the city of New-York would not be a great AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 127 Missionary spirit among the islanders. er manifestation of the grace and power oi God. But I merely allude here to this great work. Its importance demands a separate and detailed account, which, at the conclusion of this little volume, I shall attempt to give. One pleasant fact, which I must not omit, is this. Not only are the islanders recipients of God's blessings, but they begin to impart these blessings to others. On the first Monday of the month they not only meet to pray for the heathen, but contribute of their strength and their substance. At some stations they come in the morning, and work on a cotton-field during the day-the avails of which are thrown into a missionary fund, to send the gospel to other islands of the Pacific. When the day's work is done, they meet for prayer. Others bring loads of wood on their shoulders as they come to the meeting, and throw it into a pile, which at the time of shipping may be converted into money. The women bring arrow-root, and fill barrels and casks with it, which may be converted in the same way. In these and in other ways some churches 128 STATE OF IMPROVEMENT Support of'thcir own ilnstitutiois. contribute several hundred dollars during the year for thie spread of tlhe gospel. Trhe district schools, of which there have been at times an1 immense number, are sustained by the people. The Higher Schools are assisted by them in food, and in such services as they can render. Several substantial meeting-houses and schoolhouses have been built by them, and missionaries are assisted by them in various ways, so as to diminish much their annual expenses. When tlhe missionaries for the Origon Territory were at the islands, and it was said at a public meeting that they needed some persons to go with them to help them in building houses, clearing land, cultivating food, etc.-quite a numbler of church members rose up, and offered themselves for that work. It was not thought best, however, to send them. From the narrative thus far, we are impressively taught this trullth-that there is no state of degradation and crime too deep for the reach of the gospel. There is a perfect remedy in the gospel for the wants and AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 129 The gospel a perfect remledy. woes of all mankind. If it could reach the low condition of the Sandwich Islanders, what people may it not elevate and save? There is no obstacle in the crimes and degradation of a ruined race that is insuperable to the grace of God. There is the strongest possible ground for encouragement, not only from God's word, but from what he has done. What he has effected for the Sandwich Islands, he is able and ready to do for every heathen people. There is power in the glorious gospel of his crucified Son to raise up humarn beings front the lowest depths of degradation. Let us, then, take courage, and press onward with renewed strength. Ah! I can almost imagine that I hear you say, 'We will pray, we will give, and we will go too; that the name of Jesus may be known on earth and his saving health among all nations. If suchl are your feelings, 0 let them not be transient-let them show their permanency and power in your increased prayer and efforts. Then Jesus will look down and smile-angels will rejoice-the heathen will be saved, and you will meet them 130 STATE OF IMPROVEIMENT, &,C. Joy ill success. with indescribable delight on thre heavenly h'ills. 0 who, xvowould riot rejoice to meet there, somic heathen souls, saved througah his humble instrumentality? 131 CHAPTER VII. PECULIARITIES OF MIND. Nature of ile nissionary work. HA VING thus fir given a coltinuous narrative of the Sandwich Islands' Mission, I wish now to introdulce you in a measure into thle midst of us, and show you something of the interior of our work-how we preach, how we itinerate, and how we teach. BIlt before doing this, I must in this chapter give some idea of the obstacles in the way of cornmunicating truth to heathen minds, and of the methods adopted by missionaries in overcoming those obstacles. To preserve unbroken the thread of narrative, and consulting unity of view, I have reserved all such thoughts for this separate place. If you attend closely to the information contained in this and the succeeding chap 132 PECULIARITIES OF MIND No prescribed mode of instruction. ter, you will be better able to judge of the late marvellous out-pouring of God's Spirit. Our Saviour once said to his disciples, c Frvery scribe which is instructed into the kin:rdonm of heaven, is like unto a ma7n that is a householder, which briirteth forth out of his treasur2e tting s new andl oldl.' The great work of minisers is to bring the gospel into contact with the mindsof men, and impress its claims upon the conscience and the heart. In doing this, much, very much, is left to human discretion. The Saviour, who made the mind, and knew well its philosophy, has prescribed no definite method, nor enjoined any particular way of conmmunicating truth. HIe did not consider it wise to prescribe a particular way of making known the gospel to all nations, kindreds, and grades of men. He has left it to his ministers, aided by the Holy Spirit, to study the prejudices, modes of thought, and peculiar condition of mind among the people, where they labor, and devise methods of conmmunicating trtth best adapted to their circumstances. IHe ths told us, moreover, that wisdom is requisite in the work of win AT THE SANDWICHI ISLANDS. 133 Obstacles. niMng souls, and commalnded us to be wise as serpents, cautious as the fisherman, and as scribes vell instructed to bring forth out of our treasury things new and old. The Saviour, in his methods of instruction, exemplified these precepts, and the apostles to some extent copied his example. In accordance with tllis thougtht, the missionaries at the Salndwichl slLands have felt themselves called upon to institulte a thorough, constant, and prayerful inquiry respecting the most advantageous ways of making known the gospel to a heathen people. The methods in use hy them cannot be appreciated without some previous knowledge of the obstacles in a heathen's mind, with which they are obliged to contend. Let us, then, look a moment at these obstacles. 1. Tle first obstacle I shall mention is one that cannot be easily expressed in words. It is an almost entire destitution of thle power of reflection-of originating thought, or of carrying on a continuous chain of reasoning. Am1ong the uneducated heathen, (I speak nit rf those trained in schoolsf)~ 12 134 PECULIARITIES OF MI,/ D Tli^ I althe, all unthinlking plople. instances are very rare of those whlo have strength and discipline of mind enough to connect three links of a chain together, and come to a satisfactory conclusion. There areI instarces of native shrewdness tlhat may sulrprise and startle you, but very little of the power of reasoning. They are just the opposite of what we call a thinking people. The ignorant mrass, except when operated upon by God's Spirit, exhibit a vacant trid untneaning stare, wlhich indicates the emptiness withil. At ordinary times, try every mode of expression with such minds -— task ingenuity to the utnost, and if the idea you attempt to communicate is at all an ahtruse one, you may find, after all your efforts, tlhat it has not been in the least appFreended. There is an indolence of mind -a listlessness, confirned into a settled hatlt- a powerlessness of thought on intellectlal sulbjects, induced by years of inapplication. Mental strength reels and stag-gers from long enervation. Thlis is true of the mass, and the exceptions among lthe uneducated are very few. Butt this is not the most discouraging trait of a heathen's mind. AT THE SANDWVICH ISLANDS. 135 l!estitutionl of itrims to express religitus sui)jects If it were so, tile t;sk of enlightening it would be comparatively easy. 2. Another obstacle may be imperfectly term;ed at destitution of ideas, and a consequent destitution of words on the slubjiect of true religion. Centuries of heathen-isitm have done the work of devastation most efficiently. I'hey have swept away the idea of the true God, and buried all his attributes in oblivion. When the Sandwich Islanders heard the namies Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, they substitied at once the names of three of their fom ner gods. A chief'of an island in the South Pacific gave them as names to his children. The Marquesians have no narne for a god, higher than they ivet to a franltic, hideols, and halaf-beastly prophet or juggler, who inhabits the forest and receives ltlmanll sacrifices. iThe Sandwich Islanders and Society Islanders had no name for a superihman being too high to l)e applied to thle departed glhosts of sensuall and blood-stained cltiefs. hMalny heathen lnations have no term expressive of l hi(her being thanll deified warriors. To Z:3 Z: 1t6 PEI:CULIARITIEI OF MIND No just idca of a silf-exist t Int l hily (God. these gods, of course, they attach the same attributes which pertain to them here on earth. If a missionary, tlen, wishes to speak of the high and holy God, what terms shlall he use? Tihere is no term in the language. If lie uses the lname applied to th eir low and vile tods, it will mislead. If he use an English, Itebrew, or Greek word, it will not be understood. If he uses the heathen name for a god, and endeavor to elevate the idea, and guard it by attaching proper attributes, where shall he find terms for those attributes? IHe wishes to say-self-existent and eternal:-the Sandwich Islanders, (I speak of them now, yon remember, in a state of entire heathenism,) had no such ideas and no such terms. tle wishes to say holy:-the Sandwich Islanders had no notion of holiness, and no word for it. He wishes to express God's justice,-they had somne idea of justice, but exceedingly inadequate; and their word for it was equally inexpressive. lie wishes to say ---gracious and mercifil; andc here, too, lie is perplexed: -tle highest idea they had of a merciful manl, was what we term a good-natured AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 137 Necssity ot inanutfacturillg rtriIs. man. So, if he wish to speak of the exceedinCg sinfiulness of sin, of the immortality of the soul, or of any of the graces of tie Spirit, such as repentance, faith, hope, joy, peace; — he finds himself in the same difficulty. Such ideas having been obliterated for ages, the terms also expressing such ideas have long since been lost. And, in consequence of this destitution of terms, missionaries are obliged in their conversation, their pro.aching, and in their translations of the:3criptures too, to use words nearest allied to the sense they would express, though far fromn conveying the precise idea at first, or till the meaning has become fixed by frequent use and frequent explanation. In many instances they succeed, in a measure, by circumlocution; in others they use a sort of patch-worli of native w ords. For instance: manao means thought, and io means true or real;-so the combination, manaoio, is used for faith. Again, anao means thought, and lana means buoyant, — so the combination, manaolana, is made by us to express hope. Ala means to rise, hou means again, and ana is a participial 12* 1 3S PECULIARITIES OF MIND Necessity of i!lnlltactlurilg CerIls. termination;-so we make alahoianana to signify the rising again, or the resurrection. We are obliged to manuftcture many of the most important words expressive of religious subjects. It is perplexing to the ignorant people, but it is unavoidable. Then, again, in some cases we introduce words of English, Greek, and Hebrew origin. Such being the case, how can it be expected that the heathen should understand a lar:e portion of the important terms expressive of the nature of God, of true religion, and pure morality? They cannot, till the ideas conveyed by tlese terms have been first communicated by a patient and thorough course of inductive reasoning ---just as a child is taught the meaning of such words as philosophy, botany, and astronomy. And to do this with no common ground to stand upon —to convey ideas to which they have been entire strangers from time immemorial, and expressive of which there is not a word in the language, this is a toil of which you can have but little conception. 3. But, there is another trait allied to this, AT THEr' S ANIVWICrI ISLANDS. 139 I're occ(up'll tion of tie minld witlh f;alse niontiO S. which- I must mention. Not only are the heathen destitute of ideas and term-s on the subject of true religion and pure morality; but, on the other hand, their minds are preoccupied with ftLlse notions, which have grown with tleir growth anld strengthened with their strength. And who can estimate the influence of erroneous ideas imbibed in infancy and matured in manhood? If we pronounce it small, we betrav a gross ignorance of the forming power of early education. For the heathen early imbibe, as it were by absorption, notions and sentiments the very reverse of what the Bible contains. The influence of this early bias is such, that even in individuals and nations where the outward practices of heathenism are forsaken, the prevalence of heiathen notions is still very considerable. Could we, in some mysterious way, be brought into the interior of their minds, and accurately measure the corruptilng sentiments whiclh remain. we should start back il horror and amazement. I have often wished that I could be introduced for a mloment within a heatien's soul, 140 PECULIARITIES OF MIND Pre-occuipatioii of the mind with false notions and see how he thilnks and feels. I have no doubt that I should be greatly surprised. For, suppose a h:athen nation has thrown away their idols, and acknowledge one God instead of many, still their notions of the nature of God, of the manner of propitiating his favor, of departed souls, and of almost every point of morality and religion, are to a painfill extent the same as before. Therefore the utmost attention is required in the missionary at familiar and careful illus tration, that he do not inculcate wrong sentiment instead of truth. Without such special care, he may preach respecting the true God, and they to a great extent measure what he says by their notions of false gods, for false gods are all they have in mind;he may tell of departed spirits, and their minds recur to the wandering ghosts;-he may speak of sin, and the idea they get be that of detection or misfortune;-he may talk of humility and love to God, and they understand a crouching sycophancy to receive his favor, just such as they are accustomed to exhibit when approaching a chief. AT TETE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 141 An illustrntion. Their ideas, and those of men in Christian lands, run in very different channels. An instance may illustrate my meaning. At the Mission Seminary it is clstomary for the scholars to meet once a week, in the presence of their teachers, and discuss some subject of practical interest. I remember a discussion, whether it was pono —right, or hewa-wrong, for parents to aive away their children-a practice commont among them. The debate was of some length, and it was obvious, thlronchout the wholey that the prominent idea of right with them was merely convenience, and their idea of wrong mere inconvenience. And the conclusion to which they crame was, that it was pon), not hlwa, to alienate their children. I cannot believe that they pronounced the practice pono in our sense of the word right, but merely in the sense of convenience. This is but one instance among many to show how confused, indistinct, and inadequate the views of the heathen are on nloral suibjects. 'lThey halve by no means the clear anld tfrcible imnpression of the great ideas of rigliteoulsnets and 142 PECULIARITI'S OF MIND IUndue reliiance on the good piniiln of the Missilary. sin which are indelibly starmped on christian countries. This is a very great obstacle, but one that you cannot appreciate. 4. There is another trait allied to this, but sufficiently prominent to be separately noticed. Under the former system of idol worship, the people gtained access to the gods orly through the priests. They were regarded as the mediators or intercessors; and the people imagined that if they could succeed in pleasing the priests, they should readily find acceptance witll the gods. Of course they approached the priests with much show of humility, and loaded tlem with presents. Idolatry, it is true, has lonz since been abolish d; but it is too evident that a notion solnewhat similar to that I have named still lingers about them. It can be accounlted for only from the permlanentcy of early notions and the strength of habit. There arc instances of individuals, even at this late period, who seem to act under the belief that if they can succeed ill pleasing tile missionaries, somethingT materi;l is gained toward receivinlg the Lfvor of God. The AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 143 ITnrdle relia;nc on the good opinion of the Missionnary. crowditln of the people about the house of the missionary, in years past, has not been altogether to obtain instruction of the way of life, but in some instances to tell a thought, and gain the good opinion of the missionary. This practice, as I think, has not obtained chiefly from an intent to deceive, but from ignorance, and from the influence of the former notions and customs to which I have alluded. Take an extreme case, such as, not manjr years ago, used to occur. A company of ignorant backwoodsmen assemble together, and it is proposed to visit the missionary and tell a thought. One of the company furnishes his more ignorant companions with a sentence or two, which they commit to memory, and then march down to tell it to the missionary. They approach. The missionary looks from his window, and sees them slowly wendingtheir way in single file down the acclivity, perhaps, of some little eminence. Their movement and their countenances indicate their object. The sight is full of the ludicrous and the painful, and the missionary is at a loss whether 144 PECULIARITIES OF MIND The custom,f thouiilt telling. to smile at the one or to weep over the other. They arrive-seat themselves about the missionary, and fix their eyes on the ground. (One of the number expresses the thouglht they had agreed upon, which is confession of Sin, love for the Bible, or something of the kiind, says —' 0 ko mlakou manao hookahi i:,' (this is the thought of us all,) and then they arise to depart. It is in vain to attemtpt to get their ears at such a time. Their minds are intent upon their own tholugIt, aid their eyes are watching whether its effect upon you is favorable. Notwitllstanding all the missionary may say to undeceive them and convince them of sin, they go away with something of a feeling of self-satisfaction and meritoriousness. At the present time a case so gross as this does not occur; but not many years since instances of the kind were common, and even now different shades of the same custom are quite observable. There have been times when, if we would have allowed it, our houses would have been crowded, not only by day, but during the night too, by AT THE SANDWTIC ISLANDS. 145 DifHi tu ty o dsti riguishing true InqtIirers. persons desirous to make known, their thouLhIts. It requires much discretion to discoura ge the practice, and at the same time receive the visits of those whlo are seriously inquliritg the way of life. Nothing, in all our missionary labors, occasions uts so ilmucl anxiety and pain. At a time of unIlsual interest, crowd after crowd, from early dawn till tle midnigt hlour, tlronO' the house of tlle missionatry, to converse, as they sav, respectingr teliir souls. Some, yea, iany of tllem, are sincre inquirers, and need to l)e di rtcted itl the way to Jesus; but not a few; even nowx, come Irorm selfrigahtous motives. or from force of custom. 'I'lie course of duty itl such cases is exceediJllly perplexinlg and painful. It has occasiolled untold solicitude to our brethren in the late powerful revival. They need our prayers for wisdom from on high. lanyy of the ignorint natives, too, in days of ignorance not entirely passed, not only came and told tlheir thoulgsts, but, in accordance with previotus custom, accompanied their tholuglts wittl presents. They 13 146 PECULrAIlITIES OP MIND Thought-tell;ng accompanicd with plresents. seemed to think that in tlis way they could make a stronger impression in their fivor. Take a case of this kind. As I look from my study window, I see a poor ignorant native approaching my door with a bunch of banianas, a bundle of figs, a turkey, or some gift of equal value. I am sensille, from his very appearance, of the object of his visit, and my soul is sickened and chilled at the tholught of such delusion. He enters my door, and I endeavor, by the plainest conversation, to open the eyes of the poor islatlder, and to tear from him his false liotions, but all in vain. A few days after 1 see him approachingr me witll a solemti countenance, and bearing on his shoulder an additional present. And, notwithstanding all I can say, and in t;ie most pointed manner, unless the convincingr power of God's Spirit interposes. he will continue to seek salvation in this deluded way, month aster month and year after year. A desire to merit salvation-to construct a ladder and climb to heaven-is a prominent trait of all men, the world over. It AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 147 An instance. is so with the heathen. 0, how many have I seen plodding on in this deluded collrse! I have iln my eye a certain chief. Other clhiefs had become hopefully pious, and had united with the church, and this chief had a desire to be numblered with them. He frequented the house of the missionary to tell his thourghts and to bestow his presents. For a long time he persevered in this course. At length lie came to the missionary, and with much earnestness expressed his mind somewhat as follows: 'I have, for a long time: visited your hous3 day after day. I have approached you with hiumility, and expressed my thoughts with sig(hinll and with tears. I have broughlt presents of every lind, and I have carefully observed every form of public and private worship.' Hfe was discouragred-exceedingly chagrined at his faitlure, and showed his hollow-hearted ness by relapsing at once into a state of immnorality. This is one instance among many. This practice of thogrht-telling to gain the favor of the missionary, and thereby find acceptance with God, is so thoroughly 148 PECULTARITIES OF MIND l'xlerit lces of new cnvli rt.l inwrougllt by the force of former customsy that some slhades of it are observable even in those who are truly pious. A memhber of my congregation gave evidence of true conversion, anld was admitted to thle church. Thle ffollowiln' week I observed that almost all who came to converse with me used nearly thle same Janguage-there seeme'i to be a stereotype thought for the whole; and on examination I found that it was tlle substance of the last conversation whichl the newly-admitted member hlad with me just previous to her entering tlie church. She had cornmuniicated it to others as a thoughlt of some preva'ency, and therefore each adoFted it as his own. This trait is so conspicuous that we place much less dependnllce than we otherwise should on tie experience of new convertso Neither do we confide altoetlher in their tears. It is not atn ilunxknown case that a native comies into your rl-om, andt sca's hlimrn self on tlie floor witll his head bowed down and his tears droppinit like rain.:He coni fesses his sins in the fullest terms, and asks AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 149 I)ccelptivc;Ipl)pea anl llc'. your prayers. lte leaves tile room, and when perhaps a few rods from your door, falls in with some companion, and laughingly tells hinm he tlas been to converse with tthe missionary, and thilnks he has succeeded in making a favorable impression. Our mlain evidence of conversion is a humlle and conscientious deportment day after day-not so much the experiences they may tell nor the tears they shed. The nmissiollaries are all fiully aware of these deceptive appearances among the natives-are constanttly on their guard on account of them-and feel at all times a deep and painful solicitude —an untold responsibility. In admittingr members to the churcll, they can only act according to the best of their judgmelt, and coiisole themselves with the thought that the Lord knowcth tllemn that are hlis. It would be more than wVe can hope, if among the many thousauds admitted the last year, many will not prove themselves unworthy. Not to fear tills with the liabilities to deception that exist, would be ascribing to the missionaries a wisdom more than human. 13* 150 CHAPTER VIII.:ETIHODIS OF INSTRUCTION. Distribution of thle Scripturs a id of religious books anid tract. I HAVE glanced at some of the more prominent features of the heathen's mind. We are prepared, now, to consider some ol the methodts used by missionaries to comn municate truth to such minds. 1. Much has been effected. and much more can be effected, by the distribution of the Sacred Scriptures, and of religious books and tracts. Not far from 9)0,000,000 of pages have been printed at tlhe islands and scattered amonog at least 3),00,O readers, Much good has been done in this way. It need not be objected that the distribution of Bibles and tracts arnoton the unithinking heathen, as many of the Sandwich Islanders still are, is quite a different tiling fromn their destribution in this enlirghtened land; -that a heatthen's intellect is not materially changed by simply teaching him to read; — EIETLIODS OF INS'NiuCTION, &C!. P15 Distributio o~t(f t v -',cr:pturi s, a ii of nligiutms lwokhs sod1 t acts. that ilha cyes and li"ps maly read wvhile SCiflr~elv a thougrht ocCIIIipes the mind. True, greatt obstacle-s to the acquisition of correct kiiowledce still remaiji-obstlacles so great its cati only be overcomet by thre presencee of the livingc teacher, wvho slialh. call tip the attenition of thu reader to the meaning, of what lie peruses, explain the pas~sage by the most Simple illustrations, and -apply it with miiiutencss and. particularity. All this is trute, anid yet, as iwstritinents rin the hands of the missionary, printed Bibles and tracts have accomplished very miuc h am ong the Sandwich Islanders. Lii the firm of school-books they heave been of immense service. Well-qu ali fled men,7 indeed, imust bear a due proportiOn to the supply of Bibles aind tracts. By merely furnishing~ a1 'supply of Bibles and tracts we cannlot freve ourselves fr-om thi blood of the hiecahen ----we cattuot thus ac-, Couruphish the Main Uwar/C of the World's conversioni. It Is absolutely inidispenisable that a great body of meti go //ntmselves, anid teach the, Bible to the heathen. W e i must neve~r forgret that the miain dking, which 152 METHODS OF INSTRUCTION Itinerant preaching. cail'ot be commuted for any other effort, is to go forth in person. This point being secured, tlen furnish those who go with Bibles, tracts, and every facility for their work. The only caution needed is, that every one feel, Providence permitting, that the first claim upon him is to go, and the next to firnish facilities. But 1 must not add remarks. 1 pass on to give some account of itinerant preachingr. Before a description, however, pardon a single thoulght. Minds like those of the heathen-obtuse and entangled by error, need line upon line'-the most familiar instructions, often repeated, and presented in every variety of form that ingenuity can devise. Concentration of efforts on individual minds-the bringing of gospel light to burn and blaze at particular points, rather than scattering it over an extended field, aIffrds the best hope, so far as means are concerned, of overcoming the obstacles I have described. Yet itinerant preaching has important uses, and must not be given up. At the Sandwich Islands it tends to bind the people of remote districts to us, and AT TfHE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 1053 '1(Ilur Of Pmu-a. Cexerts a (renlel'al jinflence which is of imuch service. 1 wvish I could grive yon some idea of our Prafiliiiiii totiris. At smOniC stat iotS II-hey mayi lie takien on liorseb!~ck-at others they mIust be tatken cii foot. I wvill speaik of lou rs in Hilo anid IPiin, districts in which 1 was Caltled] to labor for it ntimnber of yeairs. My hou-se was sit tinlted neaer lie bouinda iy I jim of thre two districts-Pnaa stretchfiinir in one direction abouit 4i) wine ilislad Iii o extending in thre opposite direction about 30 Ini tnakitii~ the touir o,,f Puna, you first pro. Vide yourljself Withl twXo (rotrdshleIs of (rod W~ater, contittitigr about a bucket a piece. Youi balance, these oit a short pole or stick, which clti. place ott I ire slioii der of' one of you r atietidants. You then fiJ two etulabashes with changres of' r Jiellett and sal~wl pro visios, Midl balance thentl on tile shouilder of a.itotlier' attendant. Youi tie an pair of sandals of dri-ed bull's hide, ott dile bottomn of youlr 5ho05, a id talke caeto place several o~ter pit 'S a o or h~g~zfnr V o,, are to tra-vel over fields of shiturp-pointcd hla 154 METHODS OF INSTRUCTION Tour it 'uia. va, and a common pair of shoes would serve yol but a short time. Thien with a native testament and lymn-bookC in your pocket, and an utmbrella in yotlr hand to shield you from a tropical sun, you set out on your wav. You arrive at the first village, and sit down perhaps under a grove of cocoanut trees. A sllell is blown, and the people assemble. You deliver a short address of 30 minutes, perhaps under the trees, and perhaps in a school-house; make various inqliries about schools, books, and tlings of the kind; and then pass on to the next villaae or grove of trees, and preach afafin a short discourse. After passingsix or:event villages alid preachirg as many sermons, it is nilzht-fiAll, and you turn your attention to food and rest. Food, after the native form of cooking, you nlmy find in abundance, but it will be a large hoog baked whole in the earth, a calabash of fermented p oi, or somethitng of the kind, and will not probably 1le ase your taste. You look about for a chicen perhaps-roast it on some coals, and that, together with the sweet potatoe or the Kalo, and AT THE S.ANDWICH ISLANDS. 155 Tour of lilo. some biscuit froml your calabash, makles a palatable meal. Thus food is easily obtained. To find rest is rather more difficult. A mat, braided of the lauhala leaf, something like tile palmetto, is thle bed, a small pillow you usually carry with you, a sheet of bark cloth is tile coveringt. Such a bed, in a warmi climrlte and after the fltigue of a day's journey, you may enjoy as a luxury, and sleep as qulitly as on a bed of down. A tour through Pulna usually occupies a week or ten days, and the travelling is entirely on foot, under an oppressive sun and over many fields of rugrgSed lava. lThe tour in the direction of tIilo occulpies about the same tinie, and is attended with equal difficulties but of a difTerent kind. Here we have deep ravines to pass. Some of the ravines are very precipitous and difficult to climb —and some are immiense — the descent and ascent being, as I should judge, at least a quarter of a mile. If a freshet occurs during your journey, then you are oblioaed to wade and swim the rivers which flow down these numerous and deep IMETRODS OF IN'STi[uiJCTO\ T' )iJo r ilII If. ravines. Th~e rivers are rapid, and tie Inetliod we so'neC1,intes adopt, i- passilig, theta1 is this WeN(- first obtain a stroiUr rope; an expert swirmimer takes one end of the, rope, and attempts to swvim directly nero.s the river; lie is cairried] down diagroivialv, imtt succeeOds in ai ii the opposite Skoi('C. TUhe rope1- is thein d rawim Stliiri-Irt;across, anid well seciirad; theti phinm!Ii 1110 th miv r and pul inr hand over Irlan1d, You eIsdily pass over. I have merely (Ie:crilhcd tours at one statiol);at Other stationls they are, Somewhat di (ff2rent., perforrncd somfe MIn fuotsome 1,0CInI canoes, and some,, 01 1horsehack; hut it wonu14 be iwedles~s perhaps to attemp~t any finrth. r description. 'Pliesa tours exert a general influence which cannot be d ispetused withI, huit we rely mostml, un der God, uipon instruct tions often relpeatedl, week a itcr weck aiid year after year. at pIr 1-yjiaiitit stationS No idea could lbe more, vi~ionary than that entertained. Iy Some, that the proclamat ion of til-, icrgopel h ae Ii Id i ia travellingr througli the lenoth aiid breadth ATr THE SANDWICHT ISLANDS. 157 Tlie world not to be converted cheap. of heathen lands is sufficient to convert them. Effects must take place without their appropriate causes before such results can be anticipated. It is visionary to think that such beings as the heathen are, would be ready to understand, appreciate, and receive the gospel as soon as they hear it. There is a great mistake on this point. No baseless dream of the night could be more unfounded. It is visionary, too, to imagine that converts from a state of heathenism, the feeblest and most wayward children of all Christ's flock, would be able to live consistent and christian lives without the constant instructions and unremitted watchfulness of a pastor. It is to be feared that those who dream of converting the world by a few men traversing the nations and preaching as they go, indulge such a thought because they wish to convert the world cheap. It would be disastrous to Christians to convert the world cheap-as disastrous as for a man to gain a livelihood without labor. God will not suffer the work to be done easily. It has already cost the precious blood of his only Son, and it 14 15S METHODS OF INSTRUCTION Stated preaching. is certainly worthy of all the wealth of the church, and the labor, toil, and blood, if necessary, of every redeemed sinner. The treasures of the church shall be literally emptied, and a large body of stationed laborers permanently planted in every land, before the latter day glory. WVe must sow in proportion as we hope to reap. The church has sown much at the Sandwich Islands, and is now reaping much. It must be so over the wide world. 3. We proceed, then, to notice the stated preachings of the gospel at permanent stations, and to give some account, so far as experience has yet taught us, of the most advantageous methods of conducting it. It is natural for a missionary, when he first commences his work abroad, to fall into that argumentative or didactic method of preaching to which he has been accustomed in his own land; but experience soon teaches him what common sense at first dictates, that this is a method ill adapted to the character of his audience; that it is choosing a dull iron, and putting to the more strength, instead of using a little discretion which is AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 159 JIouses of worship. profitable to direct. A missionary rmight in this way waste the bone and sinews of his constitution, and consume his precious time; and. after years of toil, find to his confusion, that his hearers are familiar with various words and phrases, and can mimic the use of them, but have little notion of their meaning. Missionaries, therefore, the longer they are on the ground, become more and more convinced that the inductive method of reasoning, familiarly conducted in the conversational style, with simple and apt illustrations, is the surest way of access to heathen minds; that it succeeds best in eradicating filse notions, and conveying clear and distinct ideas; and that it is inferior to no other in impressing the claims of the gospel on the conscience and the heart. Let me try to portray before you a Sandwich Island congrergation, and in the most familiar words tell how we preach. Most of the houses of worship are mere thatched blildings-large, but frail. There are some stone buildings, but in the late powerful revival some of them were deserted, as being too small for the thousands who 160 METHODS OF INSTRUCTION D)scription of a congregation. assembled. These thatched buildings are destitute of floors, but the ground is covered with dry grass, andt then neatly spread with mats, braided from the lautlhlal leaf. A few persons, as chiefs and head men, sit in chairs or on benches; but the great mass of the congregation sit closely crowded on the mats —from the feet of the speaker as far as his voice can reach-so closely crowded, that as you look over them, you see little but their heads-a forest, as it were, of several thousand heads. As the missionary rises up before this crowded assembly, an immense array of eyes are at once turned upon him. He feels an indescribable responsibility, and a sense, too, of unearthly joy, at the glorious privilege of preaching Christ to so many listeners. I describe not only my own practice, but the practice of some others, when I say that the missionary chooses one single truth, and lays himself out to illustrate it. One prominent truth is altogether better than two, in preaching to heathen minds. The missionary, instead of attempting to pour out a flood of thought, which would merely con,: AT TIHE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 161 Styl. of plreaclliir. fuse, bends all his fiforts and ingenuity at illustrating the particular truthl le has chosen. IIe tries analogy —le tries sober and judicious anecdote-he presents the particular truth in various attitudes-turns it over, as it were, on this side and on that, that it may be clearly seen. And after 15 or 20 minutes' attempt of this kind, lie pauses perhaps, and begins to ask questions of this and that person in the congcregation, to see if the doctrine has been clearly apprehended. If it seems still to be involved in mist, he makes another attempt at illustration, and again makes inquiries. When he is sensible that lie is clearly understood, then he follows up the truth with a sliort, direct, and practical appeal. At other times he takes a different course. 1He selects his passage of Scripture, and, instead of deducing a prominent truth, he begins by asking questions of this individual and of that on the meaning of the passage, and its practical application; elicits thought in this way, and then follows on with remarks, interspersed with questions, and 14* 162 METHODS OF INSTrRUCTION.eview:,, Of stI'I)Ii,. concludes with an animated and direct ap — plication. These, and other like methods of thle familiar and conversational style, we find altogether the most successful in comiunicating truth to heathen minds. Som-e missionaries are in the habit of reviewing on Wednesday the sermons of the precedintg Sabbath, and the people, expecting it, prepare themselves for it. They bring slates to meeting on the Sabbath, and sketch down the principal thoughts and illustrations. In this way they fix upon their minds much that they hear. As you return from church one and another may run after you and pull you by the elbow, saying, ' Ua haule kahi poo '-(a certain head has fallen), and ask you again to state it. In this way they secure all the poo's for the Wednesday review. The review makes the hearers more attentive, clears up points before obscure, fixes the truth upon the memory, and impresses it more deeply upon the heart. These remarks do not apply, in fill, to the course adopted by all missionaries, AT TIlE SANDWICHI ISLANDS. 163 Catcchlc tic;ll instruc tio n. Esachl one, of collrse, is governed by his own pariticular talent. 4. From these remalrks on publlic preaching, you will anticipate what I am about to say respectilng another methol)d of con-1mmunicating trlth, that of catechctical instruction. I embrace under this term, Bible classes, Sabbath sclhools, alnd all famtiliar investigation of religious and moral topics in the way of questions and answers. That this mode of instruction is of great use where gross ignorance, dulncss of apprehension, and strong prejudice are to be contended with, not only appears reasonable from tlhe obvious principles of common sense, but is abundantly confirmed by experience. It calls up and fixes attention, elicits thought, and brings to lighlt ignorance and error, with the opportunity on the spot to enlighten the one and correct the other. This method, then, when accompanied, as it ought to be, with solemnity, unction, personal application, and earnest appeal, is eminently successful, under God, in grappling with the appaling obstacles of a heathen's mind. I need not hero 164 METHODS OF INSTRUCTION ElSorts ilth the young. give a familiar description of our Sabbath schools and Bible classes. They so nearly resemble those in this land, as to make it unnecessary. We extend this conversational investigation to the manners, habits, usages, and every-day practices of the people, to ferret out what is right and what is wrong. The whole fabric of heathen society, political, domestic, and religious, is based on the most absurd and rotten principles. There must be a tearing up of the very foundation, and a building anew of the whole superstructure. Unless much of this work is done, we must ever complain of inconsistent christians, and sinners remain unconvinced of their manifold transgressions. In doing this work, a familiar and conversational examination of particular points, thoroughly conducted with the Bible in hand, is the most effectual means. 5. There is one other method to which I will here just allude, and treat of more fully hereafter, and that is, efforts with the young in the form of schools, religious instruction, and systematic training. In AT TFIIH SANDWICIl ISLANI)S. 16i l1issionary work, a work of toil. adults, where torpitude of mind has become a habit, wIere erroneous notions, Cerly implanted, Ihave become inveterately fixed, and where the iflexibiliy incident to age has become established, the prospect of' imparting clear ideas of gospel truth is comparatively cheerless. With aid from on high, the task is not altogether hopeless —many adults have been hopefilly converted but witl the young is our greatest hope. The adult population of 600,000,000 of our race are ensnared by Satan-wound in a thousand coils, and in 20 years the rising generation will be so unless the churches increase their efforts a thousand fold. If there is a fact in the wide world that ought to start us from our slow-paced efforts, it is this. It should make our hearts to throb with agony, and call forth all the effort that our inatures cani sustain. Let ime say here, for the narrative suggests it, that the missionary work is a work of sober, patient, prayerful, and persevering toil. It is not a work of romance, but a business of a hlumble and 166 METHODS OF INSTRUCTION Tile work by no means discouraging. self-denying form. It requires inexhaustible patience and unwearied application. Again let me say, a vast number of laborers are needed. The work is inconceivably great, peculiarly difficult, and emphatically toilsome. One man can do but very little of it before the grave opens to receive him. The immense and arduous task of instructing and elevating 600,000,000 of low, vile, and ignorant heathen, cannot be done with a little labor or a small amount of means. There is no danger yet that we shall be debarred the angelic honor and heavenly luxury of laboring, giving, and going. We can have a share in the glorious enterprize. There is room enough yet for all your wealth and all your effortsstock in the bank of God to be obtained, so that you can make the profitable investment of a hundred per cent. in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting. Let me say, too, the work of laboring for the heathen is an encouraging work. There are obstacles, indeed, various and great. But God's Spirit can overcome them. Nothing is more evident than the AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 167 The work by no means discouraging. insufficiency of human means to contend with the obstacles I have portrayed, but the power of the Holy Ghost knows no limit. Under the Holy Spirit, the stupid become attentive-the ignorant begin to think-and those of but little conscience begin to feel, and feel deeply. I take delight in describing the various and appalling obstacles, for the greater they are, the more sublime the power of divine grace in overcoming them. Let it not besaid of any class of men on earth, they are too stupid for God's Spirit to operate upon. 0, what a display of divine power the last year at the Sandwich Islands-no mind can conceive of it. When we take into account the condition of heathen minds, we are forced to break forth in strong exclamation at the wonderful exhibition of Almighty power. Let us be encouraged, then, to toil for the heathen. And let us remember that the time is short,-much is to be done, and here is not our rest. Let us deliberately and cheerfully choose a life of patient and humble application in the work of Christ while breath remains, and be content to look upward and say: God give me rest in IHeaven. 168 CIAPTER IX. nEASONS FOR SCHOOLS. Introductory remlarks. IN speaking of the kinds of missionary work at the Sandwich Islands, 1 named that of Christian schools. This is a class of efforts of vast importance, and demands a particular notice. I wish to describe our missionary schools, trace a little their history, and give some account of their present condition. Before entering, however, on a description, I must ask my readers to peruse attentively a few remarks. After the remarks, the description will be hetter understood. The fact, too, that the subject of missionary schools is one now under discussion in the public mind, renders the remarks I shall make still more necessary. The Scriptures affirm, ' That the soul be REASONS FOR SCHOOLS, &C. 169 Introductory Remarks. without knowledge, it is not good.' Heathen souls are without knowledge. The depth of ignorance cannot be fully portrayed. It is inconceivable. 'Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people.' The evils of this state of deep ignorance or mental death are neither few nor small. No one can tell how much light excelleth darkness. The great need then is, to communicate light. And the inquiry arises, what means shall we use to enlighten the mind-to arouse and strengthen its dormant powers, and to furnish materials for thought? No better instrumentality has been devised than that of Christian schools. Pious school instruction is a simple means, but one of amazing efficiency. It is a means well adapted to every land, yet it is, if possible, more appropriate and more indispensable among an ignorant people. Its instrumentality, therefore, is peculiarly needed in a land of pagan darkness. Experience teaches us that light and truth make but slow progress without it. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the most important of all truth, finds but very imperfect inlets to the soul 15 170 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS The object which the mission has in view. where there is no school instruction. And as to permanency of religious institutions, we cannot with reason hope for it among any people, unless their minds to some extent be aroused, expanded, and strengthened by the discipline of schools. But, before noticing definitely the reasons which weigh in the minds of the missionaries for prosecuting with vigor a well-devised system of education at the Sandwich Islands, it is necessary to formn clear and distinct notions of the object which the mission has in view. At what do the missionaries aim? There are two objects, in some respects quite distinct from each other, which they may be supposed to have in view; one is, merely to gather in a harvest of souls from the present population, or, in other words, to fit the present generation to die; and the other is, to raise the people from a state of heathenism, to take a permanent stand as a christian nation. Merely to preach the gospel to a people in the form of public instruction, give a little knowledge perhaps in common schools, and gather in a harvest of souls, though an AT THE SANDWICIH ISLANDS. 171 The object which the missioln has in view. object of iitinite moment, is, notwithstanding, in one respect a superficial work-it leaves the territory still in the hands of the enemy. Even this is a very great and difficult work, but yet comparatively easy, and, with God's blessing, often accomplished; while to place a nation on a permanent basis, is quite a different undertaking, and one rarely effected. The work of missionaries hitherto has been mostly of the former kind, and such, also, to a great degree was the work of the Apostles. And what people, we may ask, stand on the record of history as having been elevated and saved, as a nation, except by a great combination of means, connected with the preaching of the gospel, and operating for a number of centuries, as in the case of Great Britain? The work of raising a people, within a short period, from a state of heathenism, to that of an intelligent, industrious, and christian nation, is a work not yet on record. Such an event, whenever it shall take place, will fill a page in history of inconceivable interest. Elliot, Brainerd, and other missionaries 172 REASONS FORL SCHOOLS Work lamong the American Indians. to the Indians, were instrumental in saving many of the souls of their hearers; but did not rescue those tribes from extinction. It may be said, perhaps, that powerful causes were in operation to exterminate those tribes. And, in reply it may be said, that to a greater or less extent the same causes are in operation at this very hour to exterminate almost every heathen nation on the globe. The spirit of traffic and of commercial enterprise has carried the rum, the diseases, and the overreaching avarice of professedly christian nations to almost every shore and village of the whole known world, It is not the contact of civilization with a savage state, as some imagine, that exterminates the heathen; but the introduction of evils from civilized lands. And, unless redeeming influences, to a far greater extent than heretofore used, can be speedily put forth, it requires not the spirit of prophecy to affirm, that the extinction of almost every heathen nation, the world over, is inevitable; and that only scattered individuals can be saved, or rather prepared to die, whilst the tide of desolation sweeps away the multi AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 173 Causes that exterminate the heathen. tude. To counteract, under God, the desolatino evils, and place a nation on a permanent basis, requires a vast amount of means and of effort-far greater, perhaps, than even the most thininking part of the community imagine. A harvest of souls has been gathered in by missionaries, and is being gathered in at the present time, from several heathen nations. This is truly the case with the Sandwich Islands. A glorious harvest has been gathered; unto the praise of God's grace. But the question whether the mass of the people is to be elevated and added to the list of Christian nations, remains yet to be settled. It remains yet to be known whether the territory shall be left in the hands of Satan, or gained over to the side of Christ. But if the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands cannot be saved as a nation, what heathen nation can be rescued and placed on a permanent basis? Look over the list of heathen nations, and examine narrowly into the exterminating causes which are at work in each. I have paid some little at 15* 174 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS Dubious prospect of heathen nations. tention to this subject, and I find facts that startle and overwhelm me. The conclusion is too melancholy to be entertained, that all heathen nations must be lost, and the ground occupied, not by worthy citizens from christian lands, but by the very refuse of those lands; Satan still triumphing with malicious joy. And yet, to all human appearance, such must be the inevitable result, unless moral means are brought to bear on heathen nations to a vastly greater extent than has been thought of by the christian community. If the Sandwich Island nation is to be saved, and the territory gained over to the side of Christ, efforts must be put forth, compared with which all that has yet been done, notwithstanding the glorious triumphs effected there, is scarcely more than a mere commencement. So much greater is the work of raising up a people as a nation, than that of merely gathering in a transient harvest. And yet, who can endure the thought of merely reaping a transient harvest, and leaving the territory under the dominion of the great enemy of God.? Your missionaries AT TIIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 173 A thorough system of education needed. cannot. They believe, according to the promise, that Christ shall inherit all nations; and not that his inheritance shall consist merely of a few scattered individuals saved from an universal wreck. Your missionaries, therefore, aim to elevate the nation, and make it a christian people. They aim at this. though they see the causes of extinction scattered everywhere in fearful profusion. They feel that they must not be discouraged by these exterminating causes, for that would be to give up all heathen nations. They cling to the only remaining alternative, that of endeavoring to counteract, under God, this array of deadly evils by a corresponding amount of moral means. And who, who would not embrace this alternative, even with the vast amount of effort which it supposes? One class of means necessary to such a result, is a well-devised and thorough system of education. If the sole aim were to lead to repentance a portion of the present generation, then God might bless the faithful preaching of the gospel with a little school instruction perhaps, to the accom 176 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS Schools prepare thie mind to hI ar tlic gospeil. plishment of that end; thoucgh even that end, judging from God's providence hitherto, could not be so advantageously effected by such a course, as by more attention to schools; for facts show most incontestibly, that those persons whlose minds hlave been aroused to think, and whose consciences have been enlightened by school instruction, are by far the most hopeful subjects of divine grace. Having then this general view before us, let us now look at reasons and facts. We shall aim so to connect facts with reasons, as not to be tedious. 1. The first reason which presents itself is that to which we have already alluded, that without school instruction heathen minds are so dormant, so unaccustomed to think, and so pre-occupied with false and grovelling notions, as to be in a great measure unprepared to comprehend the truths of the gospel. The heathen mind (as previously described) is in such a state as to render school instruction of indispensable importance. Without schools, as a general remark, there cannot be intelligent hearers AT TUI: SANDWICH ISLANDS. 177 Conversion of scholars. of the gospel. The youth taught in schools, whose minds are aroused to think, and whose consciences are enlightened, are the persons most likely to be converted. This is not the voice of theory, but of experience. It is not the experience of one mission merely, but of all. What copious blessings have descended upon the schools in Ceylon? What christian is there whose eye has not been lighted up, and his heart cheered, with the reviving intelligence which has come to us from time to time from those interesting schools? The Sandwich Island mission also, for the last several years has turned much of its attention to schools; and eternity only can reveal howv far these instructions have prepared the way for the late powerful and wide-spread revivals. In some of the schools for children and youth, more than one half have been hopefully converted. Of the whole number of estimated converts, about 1000 are from the young embraced in schools. And I think it may be safely said, that the instance has been rare of a soul converted who has not been in some neasuro 178 REASONS FOR1 SCITOOL0 To schools we look for future laborers. connected with schools. The boarding schools, the schools on which the most pains and labor are bestowed, have shared most largely in the out-pouring of the Spirit. These are facts, which cannot be forgotten or disregarded. They illustrate the declaration of Scripture, that we are to reap in proportion as we sow. 2. Again, schools among the heathen afford the readiest means of access to the people-the most favorable openings for communicating gospel truth-the firmest bond of interest, and a most pleasant and important chain of posts from which the most salutary influence of various kinds can be most advantageously disseminated. These points are too obvious to need illustration. 3. Again, any other course than that of introducing the work of education, involves the supposition that the nation is to be permanently supplied with preachers from abroad. There is no other alternative. Without a system of education, and a thorough system too, how are preachers of the gospel to be obtained, except from other AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 179 Without schools, the nation always in infancy. lands? In such a case, preachers must be furnished by the American churches, not for a number of years only, but for all time to come; and if for one heathen nation, most evidently for all-a conclusion from which the mind instinctively shrinks as utterly impracticable and absurd. Look over the pages of history, and tell us of the nation where the experiment has been tried. Where have preachers cf the gospel been supplied from another land century after century? What would be thought of an attempt to supply the valley of the Mississippi as a permanent arrangement with preachers of the gospel from the other States? How much wiser to introduce schools, colleges, and seminaries, in the valley, and raise up laborers on the ground! 4. Again, were it possible for the Sandwich Island nation to exist, and be permanently supplied with preachers from abroad, yet it could only exist in a state of infancy. And how unwise and ridiculous should we appear, nursing an infant with grey hairs. The eagle is wiser, who teaches her young 180 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS A variety of laborers must be trained in Sehools. to use their own wings and depend upon their own strength. We are wiser in the education of our own children. We teach them to stand upon their own feet-train them gradually to think and act for themselves, and when somewhat mature in years we expect them to be sustained by their own industry, and to be guided by their own wisdom. The Sandwich Island nation is the infant we are training. Let us teach it to exercise its own powers, and ultimately to depend, under God, upon its own strength and its own resources. As soon as practicable, we must raise up preachers of the gospel, and other laborers, from among her own youthful population. But this end can never be secured without a well-devised and thorough system of education. It cannot be secured without such a system entered upon immediately, for the nation is going to decay. It cannot be secured without engaging in the work with vigor and unwearied preseverance, for the difficulties are many and great. 5. Again, the mass of the people can never be elevated to be an intelligent, indus ..T THE SANDWICHI ISLANDS. 181 A variety of lahoers rmust be trainled iii Sclhols. trious, and christian nation, without a great variety of laborers; and to furnish a permanentl supply of suchl lal orers, the work of education is absolutely indispensable. T!'he work of public preaching, thollgh a promninent mode of brilnging truth before the mitnds of the people, is, notwithstanding, far fiom tbeing tlhe oily wav ofexertitiga gospel influence; and,- t htgh a principal rmeans il rescuing a nation and placing it on a permanent basis, does not pretend to accomplish that end withiout bringing into requisition many influences of an auxiliary kind. If at y one doubts this assertion, let him look at ficts. Let himn look back through the whole chronology of national history, and bring an instance to confute it. Or let him look at the United States, and estimate the variety and amount of means which are deemed necessary to counterpoise the sitiking tendency of a nation alreadv intelligent and christian; and then let himl reflect, that if such is the anmount and variety of effort necessary to hold up the United States from heathenism, wlhat 16 182 REASONS FOR SCIOOLS A variety of labIorers miust be: trainrld in -cllols. must be requisite to raise lip tile heavy mass of a hleathen nation from the incolceivable depth to which for centuries it hlas been sinking. With such a view of the case, he cannot fail to be convinced that to elevate a heat-hen nation, if the instrumentality is to bear any proportion to the end, requires a great variety and a great numbner of able men; that the efforts of a few public preachers alone is too small a power, as we judge of instrumentality, to bring to a poise the downward momentum of a barbarous people; that a great number and variety of other laborers must unite their strength, or the leaden mass will never be raised. In looking, as proposed, at the various means which are in use to buoy lp) the United States, and preserve above-board its intelligence, its habits, and its cliristian chlaracter, it is difficult to take in the whole at a single view. The mind becomnes confulsed, and the impression Is obsculre. Let us then look a little in detail at the means used in a single village. Take, perlhaps, a village of 2,(00 inhabitants. Its peaceful citizens, for the most part, are the descend VT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 183 T cV almU meal s i.us'd (il aU (Ijris~tjfaj V'ii'agi'. aiits ol zin( (stors, hfiterhc than Incior y can trzace, or perhanps for '30 genert'ioti() 11,Ii VC hit thle in Thf-ence of thle, Christi,-.ii re,1ci'Thni Tlrir tltis period of 30 gee t ionItfls, tile pam re, per fect, and hol y pritieiples oif the grospel have b)een correctino' the halbits of society, renlovat1ino' its croverilmont, elevitiug its principles, and seiidlino a flow of' benievolenit anid refinied feelinga throturh all the interchangoes of life. Ecortomy pre'Ils an-iong these villagers as the habit of 'eres ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and the foste-rino' care o good grovernment, holds f'OrthI motives to iiidustry anid enterprise, which cannot be resisted. Agrrienitrre, the useful arts, and labor-savinginr improvenments are wvell tunderstood; and afford in abtindance the mneans, of civilization and refinemrent. These active vi layers are also itlgetarezadi ng and a thinking(1 people; anrd before them lies a boudles feldof iteratuire, both scientific, and reli(Yious. Theiir minds have been stored with the public instructions of the house of God, ----theV have been trained ini Schools, anid improved by the remarks of the learned and wvise. But, more than all 11 REASONS FOR SCHIOOLS Thli variolla n'as t~i;.i if] a dr111sie ali Vill ge. this,. a Ilarge, portion of these Inhabitants are Chtnsf urns. 1 harve Chosen, you perveive, a villagoe of the very first orde,.r ir reilgion,1 gr-ood morals, an1d i tiel Iig,,ence fo(r it must he, admuitted that such a people reyi. re- as little, amount, of mnean. as any otheir, to preserve them frotmI ret roced'in( g into ignrace, de%gr-adaltion, mad vice. I inquiire, then, what is thle amount of means whic h xvon d he (lIeermed nee,1ssary to preserve In g'ood condition this cliri,:tiati1 'IIag? Would mo-rel y die labors of one0 cleyrgyman he suffirietit? Ltns, O hemt cive thiese 21)00 inhabhitants a filiutifnh preacher ok the grospel. Now)\x, we are. to d evolve u ipona this single cler~vminn all t hit Is neWCessaIry to preserve tile it)te'll igence, thle itidmistrv, thle good I imhits, at d clri ist mul chliar;,celr of' fihese V Iltager. Is. We A-Vill thenl suppose, Hthe case he Supposable, that we lock up1 the, school-houses or cotivert them to otl er puirp-ses —nmake a hon fire of all hooks, scientific, antd religionts-sa upteliso intellget and pra vitng chiuirch n iemhers -cast ott the type of the periodical press —tear downt the AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 185 The vario(us xmeans used in a chrisiian village. sign-board of the medical man and the civilian-overturn the goverlnment, and substitute a despotism —extilingishl tlhe blacksmitll's forge ---hush the busy Ium of every mec-hanic and every artist, and break in pieces all the labor-savin malchinery and improved implements of husbandry. These auxiliaries, a nd all others, must be anllihilated, il order to devolve thle w olole work as was sull)poscd on one preacher of the gospel. Now, I ask, would ttle unaided efi)rts of this one man save the villagoe from retroceding ilto ignorance and degradatioll? Anid yet this one clergymanll Ilas an easy task comtpared with tllat of tlhe missionary. For the missionary is a foreigner-lhas the lan oiuage to learn ---must become acquainted with the tlabits, prejlludices, an](1 opinions of the people —mI —aintain a fiithllfl correspondence withl foreign directors tand a religious commlunity, and be e lbar-rssed with many time-wasting perplexities of a secular kind, of which a minister ill a Ceristian land has no conception. Besides, in the vill(age iln cuestionr we did not imagine the inhlabitants reduced to a 16* 186 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS A christian village rtduccJd to heathelis!!. state of hleathelnism before we cast them on the labors of one man, but merely slupposed all external influences of an auxiliary kind to be suspended. To place the village in a state of heathenlistr, we must not only m:Ike all the external changes we have slruposed, but effect changes of vastly greatter importance —clannres in the minds and liearts of the inhabitants. We must erase all good maxims, break up all habits of industry — roll back the intellect many centuries, far back into the thick recesses of nirht —in short, undo all that religiot and civilization have for a es effected, and completely enervate and brutalize both the heart and the mind. And even then the work is not done, but we must infuse all the notions of a low and groveling superstitioln, entwine these notions with the vilest passions and basest appetites, and rivet them by the habit of ages. The single clergyman, then, in the village supposed occu pies higlh vantag'e ground above that of a foreign n:issionary. And yet, how soon would he find his field becoming a wilderness, could his efforts be iso AT THIE SANDWICH ISLAND'). 18 Th'le vatiige ground of a; pasor at lhonie above a mlissiolary. lated as we have supposed? He does not appreciate the vast extent to wlich lh is indebted to intelligent and praying church members, to school teachers, physicians, wise legislators, mechanics, artists, lanufactulrers, a(ricultura;lists, an extensive literature, and;t periodical press; because, having always enjoyed these and similar idvantages, lie has become insensible to their importance. Could he be deprived of them as we have supposed, he would tlen feel his loss. A man does not fully appreciate the value of hands, feet, and eyes till he is deprived of them. So, it is not till a minister goes firth ulnaided to a barharous people that he begins to attribute due importance to the various advantages we have enumerated. Is it not clear, then, that to elevate tho Sandwich Island nation, requircs not only a few ministers of the gospel, but a great number and variety of laborers? It is not sufficient, even in respect to a religious influence, that it be exerted by a public preacher alone, but private individuals of some intelligence must carry it everywxvere-.to 188 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS 'ThIll means Iusedt at home, n itctldtd;b~;ltdl. every village ald every hut, however remote and obscure, and faithlfllly dissemiljnate it by a familiar mode of instruction, and by a consistent example througlhout the wllole mass of society. Mintd, too-the whole mass of mind, must be awakened; and to accomplish tills, the simple but efficient means of conlmnlol sclhool instruction must be universally diffused. Then, too, there must be imen of skill in the usefil arts, to teach the people 1how to apply to advanllae tleir muscnlar force; for it is not phtysical stren.ctlh that is wanting, but intellig'ence and skill to niake use of it. Th1e usefiul and bulsy arts mlust wake up tile death-like stillnless andl ina;ctivity of heathen society, promrote industry, and furnisil tlie nmeansI of civilized life. Much must be done, too, in tlhe profession of lmedicine, not only to stay the proogress of diseases wXl-ich are rapidtliy sweepinii away the people, but to outroot a system of quackery of thel very worst kilnd —a quackerry combined with tlie grosssuperstitions of lheathenismn-a quackery which not only cuts AT THEi SANDWICH ISLANDS. 189 Shor't 1many liVes, bUt, joisons as tdS e 1, u InMortal soid. Alneb, too, is to he done iii respect to the1. political affairs of the natlion, lie onit is troly free whom the Sonj of' God makes free,) an(1 the farther a unation is removed from the reliyion of Crimst, the more)T (leSpo-tic 1)ccom~e its in lers, atid the miore enslV (1 atid trodden) doxvi twee ne thle I(Y eat fli(hSS of- the P(eoPl. Ileathen IIS In, all the xvord ove is,- state of bo1tcida~,e ---- nti, only, itetial 11(1 nie ral bondicoe het ii'so astate of no! it cal de —adat ionl to inl iion hearl)ted desj otis i. U f lie, Silt11( a i Ii s iii(iis ar03 to exist as a (iliri-Stiaii naio~o 11 t,)Aii 11nest, be a tliormonlh reformation, not oinly in religion, i,(-ood haithis. atid iiit( It in cilp,:city, bnt also iii the~ formn of govern ewen. Bu'tt how is this change- to be efietediti (:55CS men ar rilsedl tp from1 I o t le' o \Vr population), wvhose in teilli'(ence- an11d iiiegrIity Shall be competenit to so1 iniportat it1 a task? lo all these, departuiemits, of laker, at which e lmII ve briefly (i a ned lest I sihnutld tire, your patience(-, there muist be, wveli-traiticd am.ti-d efiie'en t laborers, 19() REASONS FORl SCHOOLS For the Ialibc i's RIWNI1(I WC IlitiSL IMucIt F110 H IAI.()1) Wh N~enice aF tlhev to be, oIbtiitted Itt is evident that at first they most. be. fiur uished by christian lands, ini suflicientt 1hunt1 ber at le-ast to be teaheriis of' others. But nothIiting but a thorough sytein of ecdii cation) can1 hirnish ai a pertualieiit at-u e'enicnti the( requisite ittuiber of rireatehers physicians, legris~lator-s, seliool-teaeher-S Catcduists, inelet rists,;ad the li1ke. And. aill these aire needed to coriilbiii their strcuo-ih and 11ft at various pojnts inraslc Upi thle h~eavy mIass of heathen society. What won Id have b~een the preseti t states of this coun1try haid not the i_)ilgrinu) Fathers erected the school-house and the collegre as well ats the house of worship 7 Could she alw~ays have been supplied with preachers, phylsciansIZ, and other laborers fr-om the fatther-land 7! Anid if ilhat, were possible, in, what a state of helplessness and untional imbecility would she have existed1 instead of acqttiringr thre intelligent, independent, -and manly character which shte at present exhibits. Let uis imitate-,, the wisdom of the Pilgrim Fathers, and in our endeavors to elevate the Sandwich Island nation, associate AT TIlE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 191 Scl.iios must be tllhorougiity liuder christian i nfluenlc. the means of a thorough education with the instrluctions of the house cf God. When I speak of a system of education, I mean, of course, a system blaptized with tile Holy Ghlost ---most thoroughly under the influlence of the religion of Clhrist, entered upon and prosecuted t.t every step with fervent and humble prayer. By such a course, it is to be hoped, a large numbler of men migoht be raised up to do good in various ways, and prove, under God, the salvation of their counitry. At least we may confidently assert, that if, for the lack of money or of men, a cIlss of laborers of various kinds cannot be raised up from among the rising generation of the Sandwich Islanders, we olught to relinquish at once all hope of savin( the nation, notwithstanding the powerfil revivals experienced there, and merely aim to prepare for death as many of the present generation as possible. In familiar words, we ought to give up the ship and save wlhat we can from the wreck. 6. But, in addition to this urgent consideration, we must notice again, that unless 192 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS The l-<is; ecct of llawainnl children it left without schol ols the work of' edactic llo hbe prosecuted with vigor at the Sandxvich lslands, the rising generation of children and youth will Trow up in a state worse, il possible, thani that of their fathers. There are at the islands not f.tr from 30.000 children-all of whom lie entirely at our disposai-completely on our hands-the formiln of th lir chlaracter, in the Providence of God, is devolved upon tile American churches. They will soon arrive to years of tanalhood, and be the Sandwich Island nation. Time flies-tle fathers die-and the children stand in their places. The plastic clay is now in our hands. If we do not take advantage of the present favorable period, we may be certain tlat Satan will not let it pass unimproved. Leave the children without schools, and what will be tile result? You might see them from morning to night, ungoverned by their parents, allmost naked, ranging the fields in companies of both sexes, sporting on the sand-beachl, bathing promiscuously in the sulrf, or fillowing in the wake of some drunken sailors, and learning all their profaneness, obscenity, and swaggering be AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 193 Education a proper barrier against Romanism. havior. Leave them without schools, and they will grow up like the wild goats of the field-grow up under the influence of the blasphemer, the adulterer, and the drunkard-and, more than all this, grow up hardened against all the influences of Christianity-a state worse, if possible, than heathenism itself. With schools, as facts have shown, they may be trained up with moral habits, and religious feelings, and many of them besafely gathered into the fold of Christ. 7. Again, education is necessary to guard against the threatening aspect of Romanism. With a zeal and perseverance worthy of a better faith, the Church of Rome still continues her efforts to gain a footing at the islands. Now we know that it is a motto, in regard to that religion, that ignorance is the mother of devotion; and were the slowy forms once thoroughly introduced at the Sandwich Islands, there is no room to doubt that they would flourish in all their luxuriance as they already do in many a fair island of the Pacific Ocean. In view of this danger, it is of the utmost importance that the people should be trained by the discipline of 17 194 REASONS FOR SCHOOLS Native laborers trained in achools the hope of Polynesia. a school education to think and judge for themselves. 8. Again, the training of native help. ers is called for on account of the local circumstances of the people. The islands are volcanic, and are very much cut up by deep ravines, which render access to distant parts of them very difficult. But no inconsiderable portion of the population live in the deep vallies, remote caverns, and obscure recesses. Unless native preachers, teachers, and catechists can be raised up for these remote and secluded parts of the islands, there is much reason to fear that they will ever be left in a state of destitution. 9. And here we must add, that to all human appearance, most of the islands of Polynesia must remain unevangelized unless a native agency can be raised up for the purpose. The islands, many of them at least, are quite small, and on many accounts which I have not time to enumerate, extremely inconvenient for the residence of Europeans. Foreign teachers, of course, must be expected to visit all the important AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 195 Reasons enumerated. groups; but how, I ask, are the untold spots to be evangelized which dot the whole surface of the wide Pacific? Unless a native agency can be raised up for the purpose, their prospect is dark and cheerless. If native laborers can be trained for the work at the schools of Hawaii, they will possess the great advantage of being acquainted in a good measure with the language of the people, and their manners, customs, prejudices, and modes of thought; for the language of a great part of the Polynesian tribes is substantially the same, and so are their habits and modes of thought. We are urged, then, to enter upon the work of education at the Sandwich Islands as the only means of raising up intelligent hearers of the gospel, as the most favorable mode of access to the population and the firmest bond of union, as the only prospect of furnishing a permanent supply of preachers for the islands, as the only prospect of furnishing such a supply of other laborers as are absolutely indispensable to the education of the nation, as the only way of training the people so as to possess any ma 196 REASONS FOR eCHOOLS, &C. Reasons enumerated turity of character, as the only measure to preserve the rising generation from growing up in a state worse, if possible, than that of their fathers, as the only proper barrier against the threatening attitude of Romanism, as the only method of spreading knowledge and religious influence in the remote parts of the islands, and as the only hope of a large portion of Polynesia. 197 CHAPTER X. DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOLS. System of schools. ACTUATED by such considerations as I have named, the missionaries at the Sandwich Islands have, for several years past, turned many of their thoughts to the subject of education, and have entered in some measure upon the work itself. I would here give a brief statement of the system of schools which they have in mind, and which they have engaged in so far as men and means would allow. 1. A Mission seminary for young men, where an education somewhat thorough may be obtained. This school has been in progress for several years-hlas three professors (including one in ill health and absent,) and public buildings of stone in a state of forwardness to accommodate from 150 to 200 students. The number of students is restricted at present to 60, for 17* 198 DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOLS System of schools. want of teachers and funds. The scholars are trained to habits of neatness and systematic industry, as well as in religion and science. The school was instituted in 1831. The first scholars were adults, who built their own school-house under very great discouragements, and with unwearied perseverance. Experience has led us to remodel the school. The scholars are now all young-boarded, and trained like a large family. 2. A Female Seminary, acounterpart of the Seminary for young men. The number of pupils is restricted to 40, for want of funds. Indeed, orders came to disband it, but some means were borrowed on personal credit to continue it in existence. It is an institution of deep interest. 3. As preparatory to these higher seminaries, lower boarding-schools are needed; but, for the want of means, only one as yet has been commenced. This is at Hilo, and has 31 scholars. 4. As a fourth item in our plan of education, it is deemed exceedingly desirable that there should be one well-qualified foreign AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 199 The same need of schools in other missionary fields. school-teacher at every station, to teach a model school, and to establish and superintend common schools in every district as fast as competent native teachers can be furnished for the purpose. The plan here stated is not an untried experiment, but has been already so far entered upon as to ensure, if faithfully prosecuted, the most abundant success. And here allow me to remark, in passing, (for I would not selfishly confine my thoughts to one field of labor,) that what I have said applies with equal force and with little modification to Africa, Ceylon, Asia Minor, the Indian Archipelago, and almost every missionary field. It is in view of the fact that the reasons I have urged are of almost universal application, that I have consumed so much time in dwelling upon them. My soul's desire is, that from one heathen nation you may learn the wants of all. I would not restrict your view particularly to the Sandwich Islands, but lead you to look at the wide world. To do then for all nations what I have urged in behalf of the Sandwich Islands, what an inconcceiva 200 DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOLS To educate all nations an immense work. ble work! How vast the number of men. and how immense the amount of means which seem necessary to elevate all nations, and gain over the whole earth to the permanent dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ! Can 300,000,000 of pagan children and youth be trained and instructed by a few hands? Can the means of instructing them be furnished by the mere farthings and pence of the church? Will it not be some time yet before ministers and church-members will need to be idle a moment for the want of work? Is there any danger of our being cut off from the blessed privilege either of giving or of going? There is a great work yet to be done-a noble worka various and a difficult work-a work worthy of God's power, God's resources, and God's wisdom. What we have as yet done, is scarcely worthy of being called a commencement. When God shall bring such energies into action as shall be coinmensurate with the greatness of the work — when he shall cause every redeemed sinner, by the abundant influences of his holy Spirit, to lay himself out wholly in the great AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 201 Missionl Seminary. enterprize, then there will be a sight of moral sublimity, that shall rivet the gaze of angels. Angels may gaze, wonder, and admire; but we, brethren, may have the higher honor of being co-workers with God in accomplishing the glorious event. God forbid that any of us should undervalue the honor, or fail of receiving it. Let us love toil, love self-denial, and love to die, if necessary, in so glorious a work as that of the world's conversion. To fail to do this when a world is sinking, and there is an immensity of work to be done, who, who will incur the responsibility? It is a responsibility of amazing and fearful extent. Keeping in mind this fearful responsibility, let me turn your thoughts a moment to the interesting nature of the work. I have said our missionary schools are interesting, and while I briefly describe those at the islands, you may, if you choose, regard them as merely examples of what may bo seen in many foreign fields. Enter, then, the Mission seminary, and look upon the assembled group of interesting young men. They are all decently clad, 202 DESCRIPrTION OF SCHOOLS Fenmalc Seminary. and are trained to habits of economy and systematic industry; have regular hours for study, labor, recreation, eating and sleep. Many of them are youths of piety; 13 of their number have been added to the church the last year. They answer with readiness questions in history, philosophy, and religion, and demonstrate with precision, problems and theorems in the exact sciences. They are in a process of training to be teachers and preachers to their own countrymen, and to other barbarous nations. Already scholars from the school have been of immense service as teachers, catechists, exhorters, and advisors to the chiefs. Enter a Female Seminary, and look upon the clustered group. Propriety and neatness are seen in their humble dresssprightliness and discretion characterize their deportment. It cannot be otherwise but they shall exert a great influence upon society, and be models for imitation. They are not only instructed in science, but trained as a family to correct and sys AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 203 Boarding-school. Common schools. tematic habits. Eighteen out of 42 have become the last year hopefully pious. i Enter a lower boarding-school at Hilo, and look upon the sparkling eyes and bright countenances of a group of boys. They are decently clad, sitting with books in their hands, and exhibiting a docile and attentive spirit. And then go from village to village, and fromr district to district, and visit the vast number of common schools. At the Sandwich Islands there have been at times from 50 to 150 district schools connected with each station. At a quarterly examination, when they assemble at the centre they form so great a multitude that no house can contain them. At some stations from 5 to 7 thousand learners could be seen with books in their hands, and covering like a cloud the wide plain. The former system of schools; however, has accomplished most that it can accomplish. Schools now are less nulmerous, but better organized, and furnished with more competent teachers. They are mostly for children. A considerable portion of the children are now trained 204 DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOLS The feelings of missionaries deeply enlisted. in schools. The latest accounts of them are very encouraging. These schools, I remarked, are an interesting feature in our operations-and they are, too, for the reasons enumerated, vastly important. Missionaries appreciate their importance and feel it deeply-far more deeply than it is possible for you to conceive of. Nothing takes a deeper hold of a missionary's feelings than his school of children and youth. They are dear tohim as the great hope of his toils, and they are dear, too, as his adopted children. It cheered our hearts when we were told to devise liberal things in regard to them, and to press forward in enterprize. We readily obeyed-multiplied our schools, and gathered in many interesting and sprightly groups of children. Our brethren in Ceylon and inother missionary fields did the same. But, when they were joyfully engaged in this work, a voice came to them from o'er the great deep. Oh! what a voice was that! It required them to disband their schools, and to send back the objects of their toil and care to all AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 205 Schowls disl)<aII(le(t. tlhe alominations, vice, ar.d ruin of their former stale. At the Sandwicli Islands it crippled our Mission Seminary, required us to relinquish our Female Semiinary, (a measure, however: which was not found necessary,) and blotted out the bright prospects we had formed of lower boardin g-schools. You can little appreciate the trial of a missionary when called to disband his school. Look at it a moment. A missionarv nieets his scholars for the last time. Ilis coulltenance is dejected and sad. He gazeSs upon1 themr awhile, as they sit neatly clad, and properly arr!anged upon their seats. He calls to mind their former statethe dens of crime and the pit of pollution from which they were taken. He thinks of the pains and toil already expended in trainiilr them, and of the chleering liopes he had fotndly entertainled. Ile then turns the picture, anid looks at the gloomy prospect now )efore theml-that tliese, his adopted children-the oljects of his affections, iis prayers, and his u1nwelaried toil, must be senlt back, to wander, stumble, and fall-to 18 206 DESCRIiPTION OF SCHOOLS Schools dihlaritd. be thrust down from the gate of heaven to the pit of woe. —With sutch emotions, he gazes upon tile interesting flock ---tle allguish of his spirit dries up his tears and chains his tong.ue in silence. Tlhle stifilngo his feelings, hle forces out thesad intelligence, tlhat this is the last time of their meeting. The clildren in tears reluictantly leave the room, and the teacher retires ---for what? To sleep! think you? or to spend the night on his knees in deep sorrow and agony of spirit? Is this fiction, think you? I wish it were. The last few years have given us too muchl of the livitng reality. And in view of facts like these, can you e njoy, C ristian brethren, your various luxuries —can you find relish in them? A little incident related at the last meetinr of the Americanl oard, very affectin(gly shows the feelings of one heart. 0 tlhat there were rmany such! It was a pious female in the state of Illinois. She said to her hlnsband, one eveningl, that she had been thinking whether she couldr not do something to resuscitate one of tie hea AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 207 All iit! r stinLu iicidtent. then schools. ' Well,' slid li, ' yoll may if you can afI;rd to forego one grattification.' Tlhey lhad laid a lovely child in the grave. They were abolt to send for a stone, which would cost 25 dollars, as a memento of affection, to be p!aced at the head of this little grave. ' But,' said the mother, ' I would rat}her do some.thinit for these living children, than gratify my fond feelings for the memory of the dead.' The order for the stone was arrested, and the money given to resuscitate a heathen school. What this female did, shall he had in sweet remembrance long after the memory of the wicked shlall have perished. Let us thus feel, thus act, and humbly and fervently pray. Most of the disbanded sclools have been revived, but are still very mDuch crippled in their operations. The bnildings of the Mission Semilnary at the islands are constructed to accommodate between 150) and 200 students, and the students can be had at any rnomenit, but for want of funds the number is restricted to 6). Several hoarding-schools are needed on the different is: 203 DESCRIPrION OF SCHOOLS, &C. Now the time to (i, much ii schools. land<, and plants for thern had been projected, but there are no funds to carry them into operation. The late unexampled revival at the islands renders seminaries and oiher schools of d utble importance. The youth converted should be in these schools-in a process of training,to be helpers in the grent work, which has become so heavy that the missionaries cannot carry it. Unless ttis is done, an immense advantage will he lost —a golden opportunity suffered to pass by unimproved. Unless the seminaries can be carried forward with vigor, it is to be feared tliat a re-action will take place. How can one man watch over a church of three thousand members, with no deacons or elders to stay up hlis hands. It seems scarcely possible to retain what has been gained without raising up many native helpers to take hold of the work. All things are now ready. Now is the time. More, perhaps, may be done now in a year. tlan some time hence in ten. Vigorous efforts must be speedily made, or much, very much mulst be lost. This is a truth, the force of which every ttinking mind mutst feel at once, and feel deeply. 209 CHAPTER XI. THE WIDE FIELD. The thought that suggested this chapter. IT was stated as a strong reason for education at the Sandwich Islands, that it was necessary to raise up a native acrency for the rlnumerous islands of the wide Pacific,that the training of native laborers was the only hope of a large extent of Polynesia. It may be well, therefore, to look at the wide field, of which the Sandwich Islands are a part-to bring in at one view the different groups of islands in the Pacific, to which the gospel has been carried, and those which still lie in darkness; and at one general glance catch some outline of the progressive extension of Christianity from island to island and from group to group. And, particularly, it may be well to notice the experi18* 210 'T'HIK WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Ttie vi-w aimtrd t-R-.as;>ns fr it ence already gained of the use of native laborers i; thiis work tunder the superintendence of Mr. Willians and others. For if teachers of such limited inlformation have been of great service, twhat nmay we not expect, under God, from laborcrs thoroughly trained in our MAiss-ion Seminary? But not only the importantce of schools at the Sandwich Islands, but the importance of all our efforts there, can only be properly judged of by taking into view the whole race, with similar language, modes, and customs, of whlich the Standwich Islanders are merely one tribe. The late oult-pouring of the Spirit, too, suggests the inquiry, to what other places can it be expected that the light so gloriously kindled up will eventually extend? Let us consider, then, the Sandwich Islands as connected with the wide extent of Polynesia-look at the whole field, and collect the main facts that history may afford in regard to it. In doing this, my information will be drawn not only from personal observation, but from a variety of sources, and especially from the Narrative of Mr. WITH THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 211 Numerous islands of the Pacific. Williams. I wish it to be understood that I attempt not a detailed account of nmissionary enterprises throughout Polynesia, but only such a general sketch as may assist in judging correctly of the bearing and importance of our efforts at the Sandwich Islands. The reader is requested to look at the facts that follow with ttis thought distinctly in mind. Takle, then, a map, and spread it out before you. Island after island, and group after group, variotus in size and almost endless in number, dot the whole surface of the wide Pacific. Some of thlese islands marked on the map do not exist-a vast number not marked, do exist. The Pacific is yet a field of discovery. Though alnimmense number of islands are already known, yet many more doubtless remain to be sought out,and of tlose that have beell discovered, few, comparatively, have been flly explored. Polyntesia, so far as has yet been ascertained, is peopled by two races, who are in a great measure distinct. Let us divide Polylnesia, tllen, according to the races, into Eastern and Western. Western Polynesia, so 212 THE W'ID2 FIELD CONNECTIED Tw > r-aces —Tilree classes of i.amlalj. far as known, is said to he inhabited by a people somewhat resembling the Africans. Eastern Polynesia, includilng also New Zealand, exhibits a race whicli, with little doubt, may be called the Malay race. The principal islands and groups of this range, commencing at the South, are New Zealand, the H1.tpai Islands, the VYvanl Islands, the Navigator's Islands, the Friendly Islands, the Hervey Islands, the Austral Islands, tle Dangerous Archipelago, the Tahiki and S.ciety Islands, the Marquesas Islands, and the Sandwich Islands. The inhabitants of all this Eastern range of Polynesia exhibit the same color, the same features, the same manners and customs, and speak substantially the same language. And they not only resemble each other in all these respects, but in a great measure also the Malays of the coast. The manner in which the race might have spread over so great an extent of ocean I have before explained. Tlhe islands exhibit three distinct formations. There is, first, the low corralline islands, yielding little else than the cocoa-nut WITI THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 213 Foriiimr ldarkness-l'rcs -it I glit. tree; then the crystal rock islands, somewhat more elevated and fertile; and last and most inmportant, tlhe volcanic islands. All the larger islands are volcanic-high, and thrown together, apparently, il immense confusion.-exhiibiting every thing that is beautifll, grand, and awful in prospect, and possessineg at the same time a luxuriant soil. The productions throughout all the larger islands of [lastern Polynesia are substantially the same, and so also, to a great extent, are the cistoms of the people and their modes of living. Not many years since, the inhabitants of this whole range of islands were lying in untold vileness, abomination, and crime. They were wrapped in a veil of darkness many centuries thick-sunk to a depth of degradation entirely unfatthomable, and covered with the bloody marks of savage rage and horrid superstition. Now all these islands and groups of islands, unless we except tle Marquesas lslands, have been in partevangelized. Thesun of rilglteousness has bearned upon the Pacific. The name of Jesus is known from New Zealand to 214 THTE WIDE FIELD CONNECT, ED New Zeail1atd —l shie of lht S. P.icific. Hawaii, anld the saving health of his precioul gospel is felt Inore or less thrortghout this whole extent. With tile mail in one hand anld history iii the otlhr, let us tbe(ri at the Sm ith, and take an on!line of wlhat God hias been pleased to accomplish. At New Zealand, missionatries of the Chnrch and XVesley;an missionary societies have labored since 1S14. They have met with very m:iny discouragemlents and trials, from the wild and fierce disposition of the people; but tlleir eflorts of late ihave been attended with marke:l success. The numerous and extremely ferocious inhabitants of those two larre islands have been brouglht in a good measure into a state of peace and quietness by the mild influences of the religion of Jesus; and not a few souls have been safely gathered into his precious fold. For details of the work, aLnd interesting incidents, look at tlie periodicals of the Cilurch and Wesleyan missionary societies. We pass on North. lThe introduction of the gospel into the Tau'li i, S)ciety, and other groups, that are strictly call the Isles of the South Pacific, lWITHt THIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 215 Tahliki aI,!l S< ciely Islands was an enterprise earlv Iulder'aken by Clhristians of iTglrland, under the hilgest lopesand on a scale of effort, for the times, truly nolle and praise-wortlhy. The Island of Thlliki, for beauty and luxuriance, tile Queen of the Southt Seas, was discovered by Captain Wallis in 1767. A year or two after it was visited by Captain Cook, and more fully explored. At the same time a vast inumber of the adjacent islands were also discovered. Accounts were soon published that were full of novelty and interest. lThe climate was represented as most sallubriots-tlhe cold of winter never known, and tile heat of a tropical country alleviated by breezes from the ocean. Tile scenery of the islands was represented as most enchanting, and the productions novel and abundant. Facts of this kind, mostly true, butshaded witt something of tile marvellous, excited great interest. There arose v2ry soon in the hearts of Christians a desire to add the crowning blessing of the gospel to tile natural advantages and beauties of tile Isles of the Sen. Many were ready to embark in the new 216 THE VIDE FIELD CONNECTED Ta iki iand Society lsl;ads. enterprize. Twvntty-niine years, however, rolled away, and one generation went down unsaved. (, how slow we move! Sandal wood would Ihave attracted ships there in one-tenth the time. At length the London Missionary Society purchased a ship, and sent out no less than twenty-five Iab3rers 'o commence mnissions simultaneonsly at the Mlarquesan, Tahitian, and Friendly Islands. At thlis time there was no experience in commencing missions amongi barbarous tribes-the work was entirely an unexplorcd wo,'-1-alnd it should rot surprise us, in looking back, to find that some movements were quite romantic, and some nieasures ill-judged. The Marquesan Mission failed. —at Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands, some of the missionaries lost their lives; and that mission, in consequence of a series of disastrous circumnstances, was a;bandoned; those settled at rTaliki unlder favorable circumnstances at first, had, from fear of their lives, nearly all fled to New South Wales; so that, after a few years little remained of the 'WlTF THIE BANDWrCH ISLANDS. 217 Discouragements at the Tahiti and Society Islands. splendid embassy of Christian mercy to the South Seas. A few of the brethren persevered in the work. They appeared: however, to be 'laboring in vain.' For sixteen years, notwithstanding every effort, no spirit of interest or inquiry appeared-the wars of the natives continued frequent and desolating, and their idolatries abominable and cruel —The heavens were brass, and the earth iron. At length God was pleased to bestow his favor, and it was in such a manner and at such a time as to secure to himself the glory of the whole work. This is a fact worthy of special notice. The few persevering missionaries who remained were driven away from the island of Tahiti by war, and cut off from all communication with it. Two native servants, formerly in their families, had received, unknown to them, some favorable impressions, and had united together for prayer. To these a number of persons had attached themselves, so that, on the return of the missionaries at the termination of the war, they found quite a number of praying people. About this time the patrons of the mis19 218 TE WIE I FIELD CONNECTED Special providence-Marked success. sion in England were about to abandon it — the entire want of success had almost discouraged them. Sone, however, were determilned to persevere. Among these was Dr. Iawves, who threw in, as a test of his unyielding faith, 200 pounds-Rev. Matthew Wilks said ' he would rather sell his garments from his back than that the mission should be given up;' and proposed that a season of special prayer for the divine blessing should be observed. The proposition was agreed to, and letters of encouragement were written to the missionaries; and while the vessel which carried the letters was on her passage to Tahiti, another ship was conveying to England, not only the news of the entire overthrow of idolatry, but even the idols themselves that had been rejected. How true it is that to be the instruments of any great and eminiently useful event on earth, God will require of us perseverance and faith! and how true, too, that he will thus arrange the time and the means as to humble the instruments and magnify his sovereign grace! WITH THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 219 Extension of the gospel from the Society Islands. From the time spoken of till the present, a rapid series of successes has attended the labors of missionaries in the South Seas; so that island after island, and group after group, have in rapid succession been brought externally to acknowledge the christian re- ligion, and in some measure, too, to feel its benign and healing influences. But the main fact is all I can mention. Let us pass on to notice the extension of gospel light from the Tahiti and Society Islands to other groups adjacent. I love to notice the leadings of God's providence-the incipient movements of his hand in bringing about great and glorious results. The work of missions in the Pacific, from New Zealand to Hawaii, has been peculiarly marked from the commencement till now with the special indications of an ever-watchful providence. It was so with the extension of the gospel from the Society Islands to other islands adjacent. At Raiatea, (one of the Society Islands,) the minds of the missionaries and of the native converts were awakened to the subject by a pe 220 THE E VI FIELD CONNECTEDI A peculiar providence. culiarly interesting circumstance. I will relate it. There is an island by the name of Rurutu, about 350 miles south of Raiatea. It was visited by an epidemic, and Auura, a chief of some energy, determined to commit himself to the winds and waves, and seek some happier isle. The chief with a number of men embarked in canoes. Their island soon faded from view, and left them amidst the tossings of the restless ocean. They fell upon the Island of Tabuai. Here they recruited their strength, and supposing that the epidemic from which they had fled to have ceased, embarked again to return to their native isle. A storm overtook them -drove them from their course, and tossed them about on the trackless deep for three weeks; when, in the providence of God, the chief and other survivors were driven on the reef of Maurua, an island west from Tahiti. They had come within the horizon of the sun of righteousness. There were no foreign missionaries on the island, but the natives of Maurua told the strangers of the true God and the true religion. The WIT'l THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 221 A peculiar providence. strangers wished to see for themselves the teachers from the land of light. They set sail, therefore, and reached Raiatea, and were much surprised and delighted at the neat dwellings and other christian improvements which they saw, and at the new and amazing truths which they heard. They remained three months, and in that time Anura and several of his men not only gained considerable knowledge of the gospel, but learned also, as the testimony is, to read, spell, and write. A foreign ship touched at Raiatea, that was going in the direction of Rurutu, and Auura desired to return, and communicate what he had learned to his dark-hearted countrymen. He said, however, he could not return to his 'native land of darkness without a light in his hand,' meaning some person to instruct him more thoroughly. The church members were assembled, and Auura's request made known. Two deacons said, 'Here are we- send us.' They sailed. A boat was sent in company with a native crew to bring back intelli19* 222 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Success at Rurutu. gence. A little more than a month after the boat returned. It was laden with the trophies of victory, the gods of the heathen taken in a bloodless war, won by the power of the Prince of Peace. A meeting was held in the evening to praise the Lord for this triumph of his gospel. The rejected idols of Rurutu were spread out in filll view as an indisputable evidence of what God had wrought. So speedily was an external change wrought from idolatry to the christian religion. Soon after this the American ship Falcon, Captain Chase, was wrecked on the island. The captain and crew were kindly treated. Soon after the deputation of Tireman and Bennet touched at the island-found many improvements, and, among others, a pleasant house of worship. The stairs to support the balustrade of the pulpit stairease were made of their former war-spears. Thus Rurutu, so far as the external act is concerned, was converted to christianity; and all the circumstances attending the event were of so interesting a kind as to WITF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 223 Hervey Islands.-Geographical sketch. make a powerful impression on the minds of the missionaries and native christians of Raiatea and other islands of the Society group. They were aroused to the thought of extending abroad the precious light of the gospel to the benighted islands on their right hand and on their left. About this time, too, it became necessary for Mr. Williams of Raiatea, on account of the sickness of his family, to visit New South Wales. They determined, therefore, to take the Hervey Islands in their way, and to station there; if possible, two native teachers. The church were assembled, and selected Papeiha and Vahapata for this interesting expedition. To make this new field clear before us, let me give here a slight geographical sketch. I pass over the Sandwich Islands, New Zealand, and the Tahiti and Society Islands without any such sketch, for the geography as well as the history of those groups must long since have been familiar to you. But, in regard to this comparatively new field of the Hervey Islands, it may be necessary to be a little more 224 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Geographical sketch. minute. Our information in regard to the Hervey group is almost entirely from the Narrative of Mr. Williams. The Hervey Islands, (as you see marked on the map,) are from 500 to 600 miles west of Tahiti. They are seven in numberMauke, Mitiaro, Atiu, Mangaia, Rarotonga, Hervey's Island, and Aitutaki. Very little was known of them till they were visited by Mr. Williams and Mr. Bourne in 1823. Hervey's Island is really two small islets -was discovered by Captain Cook-is surrounded by a reef, having no entrance for shipping. When visited by Mr. Williams in 1823, wars had reduced the population to about 60 individuals. Six or seven years after, they had fought so desperately, that the only survivors were five men, three women, and a few children; and there was yet a contention among them who should be king. Mauke is a low island-is about 15 miles in circumference; was discovered by Messrs. Williams and Bourne in 1823. WITH THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 225 Geographical sketch. Wars had reduced the population to about 300 souls. Mitiaro is an island similar in appearance to Mauke, but still smaller. Famine and invasion had reduced the population to about 100 souls. Atiu is a larger island-is about 20 miles in circurnference-was discovered by Captain Cook-is somewhat elevated and beautifully verdant, and has a population of about 2,000 souls. Mangaia is also hilly-is about 25 miles in circumference-was discovered by Captain Cook-and has a population of between 2 or 3,000 souls. Rarotonga is the most important island of the group-is quite elevated and verdant — is surrounded by a reef, having only landing-places for boats-is about 30 miles in circumference, and has a population of between 6 and 7,000 souls. It was discovered by Mr. Williams in 1823. Aitutaki is the last of the seven islands -was discovered by Captain Cook-its landscapes are rich and variegated-is about 226 'rET WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Aitutlaki. 18 miles in circumfrerence, and has a population of about 2,000 souls. The population of the whole group then is betweenl 14 and t6 thousand souls. The island of this group to which the gospel was first introduced was AITUTAKI. This was the island at which Mr. Williams touched on his voyage from Raiatea to New South Wales, of which we have taken notice. At that time many of the islands of the group were not known. The Aitutakians were found exhibiting all the disgustful and wild features of savage life. Mr. Williams succeeded in gaining a friendly interview with Tanatoa the chief, and left with him Papeiha and Vahapata, the two Raiatean teachers, of whom wo have made mention. These two teachers seemed at first to be kindly received-but many trials awaited them. All their little property was soon stripped from themthey were frustrated in their efforts by the frequent wars that prevailed, and the peck WITH TIHE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 227 Overthrow of idolatry. pie spoke contemptuously of them, as 'two logs of drift wood, washed on shore by the waves of the ocean.) After some months a ship from Raiatea touched to visit the teachers, and brought various articles for their comfort. This attention raised their importance at once in the minds of the people. At this time, too, a peculiar circumstance in the providence of God had much influence. A daughter of Tamatoa the chief was taken very ill. The priests offered many sacrifices. and put up many invocations to the gods; but the child died. Tlie king was angry at the gods for thus requiting his kindness, and sent his son to burn the sacred inclosures. Several were burnt. The worshippers, however, checked the work of destruction. On succeeding days many idols were brought and cast at the feet of the teachers. The next Sabbath-the 3d Sabbath of December, 1822-about 15 months from the first landing of the two teachers, almost the whole of the population were convened under tlie shade of a grove, to hear of the true God and his holy religion. Of course 228 THE 'WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Overthrow of idolatry. a conflagration of temples, and a rejection of idols ensued; and the people engaged with readiness and zeal in erecting a house for the worship of Jehovah. Partly to encourage and strengthen the work, and partly to explore other islands of the group and carry teachers to them, Messrs. Williams and Bourne, with 4 native church-members selected for new missions, set out to re-visit the Island of Aitutaki. On their arrival they were saluted with the glad tidings: 'Good is the word of God-it is now well with Aitutaki.' 'The good word has taken root at Aitutaki.' A neat thatched chapel was erected. A ringing sound, produced by striking an axe with a stone, was a substitute for a bell. Eighteen months before they were among the wildest people of Polynesia-now somewhat mild and docile, learning to read, and gaining some knowledge of true religion; then cannibals-now paying an external homage at least to the God of peace and love, and some few, as may be hoped, adding the true homage of the heart. Gods, and bundles of gods, were taken on W IrT THE SANDWICII ISLANDS. 229 M angaia. board the vessel-trophies of another victory of the gospel of Jesus. The people of Aitutaki have continued to learn more and more of the way of life, but they have had none to guide them but native teachers, who, with the means of instruction heretofore afforded, have possessed but very limited information, and been often erroneous and wayward in their practice. In speaking of Aitutaki, as well as of other islands that I shall mention, a di/erene, wide as the world, must be placed between an external renunciation of idolatry and true conversion to God. From Aitutaki, the next island touched at by Messrs. Williams and Bourne was MANGAIA, On arriving, it was found impossible either to induce the natives to come on board, or to land among them. At length the enterprising and fearless Papeiha, who had labored so zealously at Aitutaki, and who now accompanied the expedition, offered to make the attempt of landing alone, 20 230 THIE x WIE FIELD CONNECTED Landini g or tenchlers. As there was no opening in tle reef for boat, he unhesitatingly leaped into the sea and swam through t:he s1rf. lie was borne safe on the top of a billow to the shore. EIe was kildly received —stated to the assembled chiefs and people the object of the visit, and proposed that two teachers and their wives should reside amnong them. The people expressed a desire that the teachers should land immediately. Papeciha returned to the vessel with tllis encouraging information, and the two teachers with their wives, and Papeiha to pilot theemr went on shore. On landing, their persons and property were immediately seized. They suffered the loss of all things, and escaped to the vessel at the great hazard of their lives. As they came again on board, their appearance was truly deplorable. Their hats and their bonnets had been torn from their heads- they had been dragged through water and through mud, and their whole apparel was hanging in ribbands about them. The chief, on being upbraided for treachery, replied: 'that in his island WITH THE SANI)WICH ISLANDS. 231 Slccess at Manraia. all heads being of an equal height, his influence was not sufficient to protect them.' Thus pleasing anticipations were for a time frustrated. But, some time after, Davidaand Tiere were sent thither. They, like Papeiha before them, leaped into the sea and swam ashore, taking nothing but a light dress each, and a portion of the Scriptures, carefully wrapped and tied upon their heads. Contrary to expectation, they were kindly received. That Providence which has been so signal in all missionary movements in the Pacific, had prepared the way before them. Soon after the unsuccessful visit spoken of, a disease broke out at the islands, which was exceedingly fatal. They concluded at once that the disease was inflicted by the gods of the strangers, and made a solemn vow, that if the strangers would return, they would treat them kindly. When the teachers arrived, therefore, many of the people of Mangaia received them with favor, and listened to their instructions. A heathen party continued, howevcr to annoy them much, threatening to kill 232 ITHE WVIDE FIELD CONNECTEDr A tiMu, 1 itiarro, and Maikce. them, and make use of their skulls as drinking cups.' The island was visited by missionaries in 1830 —31 and 33, when much improvemeint was witnessed; attended, however, with some evils. It must be remembered that the only instructors of small islands like this have been mere native teachersfrail in judgment, limited in information, and too often wayward in practice. 0 that they had enjoyed the benefit of competent schools, and been thoroughly trained! What good then, under God, might they not have accomplished! To impress this truth is a main object of the present chapter. And is it not, I ask, forced upon us at every page? We proceed to notice three other islands of the group: ATIU, IITIARO, AND MAUKE. These are three small islands, and being under one chief, it is natural to mention them together. When first visited by missionaries, the name of the chief was Romatane. The time of the visit was after the WVITH THIE SANDWICTI ISLANDS. 233 Ltjeetion of Idols. unsuccessful attempt to plant teachers on Mangalia. The missionaries sailed thence direct to Atiu. The chief, Romatane, soon came off to the vessel, and the chief of Aitutaki, who was on board, immediately began to tell Romatane, in a zealous and enthusiastic manner, of the superior claims and advantages of Christianity-its reception at Aitutaki, and the overthrow of idols. Romatane was at once favorably impressed, concluded to renounce idolatry, and expressed a desire for axes to cut down trees to erect a house for the worship of Jehovah. He said, moreover, there were two other islands under his authority, which he was certain would unite in the important revolution. These islands were Mlitiaro and Mauke, islands entirely unknown to Europeans. The missionaries, with Romatane, their chief, sailed immediately to visit them. From the representations given, and the influence of their chief: the people of these islands immediately assented to change their idolatry for the new religion. Thus, almost in a day, three islands, and two of them never known before, renounced 20* 234 THE WIDE FIELD CONNEC.'TED Rarotonitga. idolatry, so far, observe cautiously, as the external act isconcerned, and embraced Christianity in its stead. The first vessel that ever visited the islands of Mitiaro and Mauke carried thither the gospel, and brought away their hideous idols. At subsequent visits to these islands a gradual advancement was witnessed in the knowledge of God, and some little improvement in morals and civilized habits-as much, certainly, as could have been expected from the character and qualifications of their very imperfect native teachers. We will now give a moment to the last and most important of the Hervey group, which is RAROTONGA. This island, like some other islands I have named, was undiscovered. The missionaries had heard of it from the people of adjacent islands, and on Aitutaki they found some natives of Rarotonga, who had been lost at sea and found a landing there. Taking on board these natives, they sailed in WITH THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 2351 Landing of native teachers at Rarotonga. searcl of the island. Their search for a tirme was entirely in vain. At length they reached the island of Atil, and froml there obtained the direction of Rarotonga fron the chief Romatane. On arriving, a canoe withl Vahileino and Papeiha was sent on shore. Being kindly received, they gave an account of the rejection of idolatry in islands already visited, and proposed to leave some teachers, who should teach them also respecting the true religion. The king, Makea, and his attendants, seemed pleased; and the teachers, with their wives, came in — mediately on shore. Notwithstanding this apparent welcome, they returned the next morning tothe vessel-exhibited their tattered garments, and told of the perils which they had escaped. Thus the hope of planting a mission at Rarotonga was almost given uip, when Papeiha, who had before exhibited so much devotion and fearlessness, offered to remain alone at Rarotonga, provided a helper that he named could be sent to his aid. He took an affectionate farewell, stepped down into a canoe, and went ashore; carrying 236 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Courage and devotion of PaplCiha. with him nothing but the clothes he wore, his native Testament, and a bundle of elementary books. The vessel sailed, and Papeiha was left, with no friend or companion but his God, in the midst of a dark and savage population. Under every discouragement and threat, he began to tell the dark-hearted heathen the way to heaven. There was a little rock, on which he used to stand and speak to those who would assemble. HIe sometimes pressed into the midst of the heathen assemblies, and represented the folly of their ceremonies. Providence protected him, and, at length, the force of his addresses began-to take effect; and lie was encouraged, also, by the arrival of his promised helper. About this time a priest brought his idol to the teachers. One of the teachers took a saw-cut the idol in pieces-roasted bananas upon it, and proceeded to eat them. The surrounding crowd expected that the teachers would fall down dead, but after looking a long while, like the people of Melita they changed their minds. WITrH TrE: SA.NDWICH ISLANDS. 237 Overthrow of Idolatry. Soon Tinomana, the chief of a neigliboring district, invited the teachers to his residence-declared his determination to embrace christianr ity,anrd britging forth his liuge idols, committed them to the flames. Some of the people were enraged at the chief for listening, as they said, to worthless fellows, -' drift wood fromt the sea-washetd on shore by the waves of the ocean.' Some frantic women cut their bodies with sharks' teeth —smeared themnselves with blood from their wounds, and broke forth into wailing. Alas! alas! the gods of the madman Tinomana, the gods of the insane chief, are given to the flames.' The destruction of idols, however, was not arrested. Pa, another chief, became a convert. At this some opposers came about his dwelling, and loudly vociferated, ' Why do you preserve two rotten sticks driven on shore by the waves? Why do you listen to the froth of the sea?' Notwithstanding tllis opposition, christianity gained ground. The following circumstance had much influence. A Talitian woman had in some way been broluilt to RaLrotonga, and she, in a manner very 238 THE W\IDE FIELD CONNECTED.in I2uIa t' stinmlloy of a '1 alitiaii w omanI. characteristic of the heathen, represented the advantages of the clhristian religion. She said, ' The people of Tahiti llad ceased to use stone axes for hewingr their trees, for the servants of Jehovah had brought sharp things, with which they could cut them dowtl with the greatest facility; that they ceased to use human bones as tools for making canoes and building houses, for the same people had brought them sharp, hard things, with which they could effect their work with greater ease;-that their children did not cry and scream when they had their hair cut, as they formerly did when it was performed with sharks' teeth, for the strangers had brought shining and sharp things with which the hair was easily clipped-that they had no need now to go down to the water to look at themselves. because these wonderful people had brought them small shining things, which they could carry about with them, and in which they could see themselves as plainly as they could see each other.' This representatiou had no little force upon the people of Rarotonga. WITH TIiE SANDAVICIH ISLANDS. 239 I't;\itinr of ftrcigni missionl;rics on Rarotonsa. rl'hroul th tihe labors of the teachers, and the illnlfu:,ce of sulch} circumstances as I have naincd, a little more than a twelveImonth afLer the discovery of the island the whole poprllation had renounced idolatry. Pal)eiha and his colleague wrote to the missionlaries it(r hlcilp-for the work, said they, is so lle avy, that we cannot carry it.' Tile cry vwas thedcld, and soon forcion laborers took up their abode on the island. The mission has been. a prosperous one, though, since its commencement it has struggled witll a fatal epidemic and a desolatinlg liurricane. Some souls have been hopefully brought to a knowledge of Christ. Among others, a poor cripple, who, as the people returned fromn tlhe services, was in the habit of taking his seat by the way-side, and begging a bit of the word of them as they passed by. ' One,' said he, 'gives me one piece, another, another piece, and I collect them together in my heart.' Many interesting things might be said of Rarotonga, but a mere sketch is all we at present aim at. We pass on to say something of the 240 THE WIDE FIELD CONNIFCTED Names of the Samoa Tslalnds. SAMOA, OR NAVIGATOR'S ISLAND. This group of islands, whose situation is prominent as you glance at the map, is one of the largest and most populous in the Pacific at which missions have been commenced. The islands are eight in number, Savaii, U7polu, Tutuila, Manono, Aborimna, lnlanua, Oroseznga, and OJt. Savaii is about 250 miles in circumference, Upolu is about 150. Tutuila is about 80, and the rest are much smaller. The population is not known, but roughly estimated at near 160,000 souls. The introduction of Christianity to this important group is quite recent, and has been attended with very interesting circumstances. The mind of Mr. Williams had long been directed to this group. In 1830 he set out to visit it in a vessel called ' the Messenger of Peace,' which he had constructed with his own hands, with but few tools, on the heathen island of Rarotonga. He touched on his way at Tongatabu, one of the Friendly Islands, where some Wesley "tWIT THE SANVWICH ISLANDS. 241 Favoring providences. an missionaries were successfully laboring. Here notice the directing hand of an alwiise and favoring Providence. While at T onatabu, a man came to Mr. Williams, and stated that lie was a chief of the Navigator's Islands, and was desirous of returning, and would use all his influence in favor of the christian religion. His name was Panuea. His statement was the truth, and hiis influence tended perhaps, more than any thing else, to secure to the missionaries a tavorable reception. Notice also another providence. Fauea said there vas a personage at the islands called Tamafainga, in whom the people supposed the spirit of the gods dwelt, and there was reason to fear from him the most violent opposition. On arriving, the first intelligence was, ' Tamafainga is dead.' They came to anchor between the two largest islands of Savaii and Upolu. Fauea was greeted by his countrymen as their long-lost chief, and he immediately commenced giving them an account of the islands adjacent that had embraced Christianity. He;gave a graphic description of 21 242 TIlE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Second visit to lhe islanrls. tlhe fivorable change, and the superiority of their present advantages over their former condition. " Thie impression Ile made was instantaneous and decided. The first clief they met was Talalelail gi. Malietoa, lis brother, was engaged in battle. While one wvas kindly conveying the teachers to his shores, his brother was shedding blood; and the smoke of burning villages was distinctly in sight. The warrior, however, when sent for, carme and received the teachers kindly, but could not be persuaded to discontinue the war. I-e strangely promised, that as soon as the war was over, he would zealously attend to the new religion. Mr. Williams succeeded in stationing native teachers on the islands under favorable circumstances, and then returned. Mr. Williams revisited the islands in 1832. On nearing the shore of Maurua, the first of the group, the shout from the first canoe was, We are Christians, we are Christians.' The islands of Orosenga and Ofu were yet in entire darkness-had earnestly requested teachers, but the laborers xWvIT'H TIhE SANDWICHI ISLANDS. 243 tl ir: for ta iAhwrg. were too few. At 'rTtu ila a few had elmbraced Christianity, but a fierce war was raging. The little company were very desirous of a teacher. A leading man among them said, 'I go down in my little canoe (to the teachers at the other islands,) get some religion, which I bring carefilly home and give to the people; and when that is gone I take my canoe again and fetch more. And now you are come, give me a man full of religion, that I may not expose my life to danger by going so long a distance to fetch it.' It was trying to deny his earnest importunity. And in view of it, Mr. Williams exclaims, ' Oh! when shall it be that missionaries shall not be doled out as they now are, but when their number shall bear some proportion to the wants of the heathen T' At Upolu many of the natives wished to be regarded as christians. At Manoto, the chief Matetau came off, vociferating ' where is my missionary T' and on receiving a native teacher, seemed to be very happy. On arriving at the anchorage where the former teachers were left, it was found that 244 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Arrival of foreign missionaries-Friendly Islands. in the large islands of Savaii and Upolu the gospel had been introduced, to some extent, in more than 30 villages —a chapel was erected, and the chief Malietoa was favorably impressed. At this visit an arrangement was made for the residence of foreign missionaries, who have since taken up their abode upon those interesting islands, and are laboring with success. The intelligence from this very important group has been very cheering. The detail would be interesting, but our aim now is, as stated above, a brief summary of facts to illustrate some definite thoughts. A little South West from the Navigator's Islands, are the FRIENDLY ISLANDS. At Tongatabu one of the Friendly Islands, it will be recollected, some of the missionaries were planted, who first sailed to the South Seas. A part of the company lost their lives, and the remainder fled to New South Wales. Some years after, native teachers were sent thither from the Society WITH THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 245 Hapai Islands. Islands, gained a residence, and labored with some success. In 1814 missionaries of the Wesleyan Mission Society went there, found the field encouraging, and have ever since labored at that and the adjoining islands with much success. Near the Friendly Islands is a cluster of srmall islands, called the IIAPAI ISLANDS. Traufaahau, the chief of the Hapai Islands, heard of the introduction of the christian religion at Tongatahu, one of the Friendly Islands, and determined to go and judge for himself of its character and its advantages. He came to Tongatabu-listened to tihe instructions of the missionaries-learned to read-saw the improvements that were introduced, and at once decided to embrace Christianity. He returned to his group of islands with some native teachers, and induced his people to abandon their idols and listen to the word of God. He was so delermined and resolute, as to hang up in pubclic places by the neck many of the idols, as 21 " 246 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Vavan Islands-I)algerous Arclipelago. a sign of contempt, and as the true desert of their deception. A foreign missionary has since taken up his residence on Lefilga, the principal island of the group, and is laboring with encouragement. There is another little cluster of islands near by, called the VAVAU ISLANDS. Finau, the chief of this group, was at first violently opposed at any change at his islands-threatened with death any who should favor the christian religion, and, it is said, actually carried his threats into execution. But not long after, this same ferocious Finau was hopefully converted to the christian faith, and became active in the overthrow of idolatry. DANGEROUS ARCHIPELAGO, In regard to the Dangerous Archip)elago -an extensive cluster of very small islands S. E. from the Society Islands —.most of them have been visited by missionaries; and on many of them native teachers are planted, who are doing as much as could be WITHT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 247 M;arqiesas Islands. expected from their qualifications and character. But, lest I weary you, pass on North to the MARnQUESAS ISLANDS. These islands, which you see prominent ly on the map, are yet the darkest islands in Eastern Polynesia. You recollect that some of the first missionaries from England were located here. They staid but a short time. The islands were then left in entire darkness till 1833, when a colony of 3 missionaries and their wives, from the Sandwich Islands, went and resided there 8 months. They saw abominations untold and incommunicable, endured peculiar trials, and met with great discouragrements. For a variety of reasons, particularly the wish of the London Missionary Society to occupy the field, which they can more conveniently do than the American Board: our brethren left. The London Missionary Society is now doing something for that grotup-but the prospect is yet very discouraging. There is need of indefatigable 248 THE WIDE FIELD) CONNECTED Use of the facts narrated. Not a small enterprize. energy, self-denial, and perseverance. Let us pray for them. Passing on nortl from the Marquesas, we come to the Sandwich Islands, respecting which I have already given a detailed account. I have now glanced at all the principal groups of Eastern Polynesia, and stated the main facts in regard to them. These facts, in the form of simple narration, have been sufficiently graphic, I trust, to be kept in mind while we make lhat use of them for which they were introduced. Let us notice then, first, that the Missionary Enterprize in the Pacific Ocean is not a small enterprize. It does not appear a small enterprize if you look at its hardships. It has been a barbarous, dark, and unexplored field. Neither does it seem a small enterprize if you look at the extent of the field. It is not merely in a few islands that missionary effort is expended, but, in the whole of Eastern Polynesia, embracing the whole range from New Zealand to the Sandwich Islands -about one-third, as it appears to the eye, of the Isles of the Pacific. I have heard the re WITH THE SANI)WICH ISLANDS. 24t9 An entel prize Imarked by God's special favor. mark, that an undue amount of labor is bestowed on so small a field as the Sandwich Islands. Tlis would not be true,even if that group were isolated. But look at the islands as only part of a wide field, and at the peopl,; as only a portion of a numerous race, and certainly that remark cannot be repeated. Again, the enterprize cannot appear small, if we look at the results. How vast and how important the changes effected! Again, the Missionary Enterprize in the Pacific, the introduction and progress of Christianity in all the groups of islands-is a work that has been marked by God's special favor-the timely and remarkable interpositions of his providence. No one can revert to the history of either of the groups of islands without being impressed with this fact. We saw this to be true of the Sandwich Islands, and we see it to be true also of all the islands. As missionaries have penetrated into different islands of the Pacific, God has remarkably verified his promnise,-' Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the world.' The work 150 TtILE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Fafety SeclCred to shijps. is God's work-stamlped with indubitable sigllS of his api:robation. But look at another thought. rThere is one result of the missionary effort, which is often overlooked. It is the safety secured to ships in the Pacifi that visit to refit or recruit at the different groups of islands. A little more than 20 years ago there was not an island in all Polynesia where a ship could touch without imminent peril. There is scarcely a group of islands with which is not connected some tale of massacre. Recall the fate of the La Perouse at the Navigator's Islands —the Port au Prince at Lefuga, one of the Hapai Islands, and then go on with the catalogue till you have named almost every group of islands. Now, throughout the whole of Eastern Polynesia, except, perhaps, the Marquesas Islands, ships may anchor, refit, and recruit; and the seamen may wander in safety over the fields and through the groves. If the missions in the Pacific had been sustained entirely by our government and the governments of Europe, it would have been a snitll expenditure compared with the mere commercial WI'Tl' THE SANDWICII ISLANDS. 251 More glorious results. advantages which have been gained-a far more economical expenditure than characterizes most of our national enterprises. What does it require to support one Manof-war or one Exploring Squadron? Yet how limited the results in comparisonhow small, I say, if we look merely at the commercial benefit to the world. But there are higher and nobler results, which, as Christians, we cannot fail to rejoice over with deep-felt praise to the God of Missions. It is pleasant-unspeakably so, to take the map and mark one spot after another where heathenism, with its degradation, destitution, and woe; its horror, abolinaltions, and crime, is receding before the benign influences of the Gospel. Angels look down with delight, and strike anew their lharps of praise. The Saviour smiles-and the Father bends from his eternal throne to see the glorious triumph. But while we rejoice at what, under God, has been effected, let us also look at what remains to be done. Look at the extent of the Pacific, with its large and numerous islands, where no ray of light has ever pene 252 THE WIDE FIELD CONNECTED Iilpilt.anice o*f Ti ission Seminiari s. trated-a darkness reions that may be felt — and all ttle indescribable horrors of heathenism are entirely unmitigated. In view of this, see the imlportance of our Mission Senillaries. If so much use has been made, as appears fromt the facts narrated, of even very imperfectly trained teachers, what might not have been accomplished by those better informed and well disciplined? What more powerful arguments could exist for traininlg np native laborers-and for training them thoroughlly, and in great numbers? Facts force upon us the conviction that our schools must be sustained as the great hope oJ Polynesia. One thougilt more. As the Sandwich Islands are only a portion of an extended race, the late powerful revival among them, we may hope, will tell in its results in years to come on many an important and interesting group of islands. A light has been kindled by the loly Spirit, not only for the Sandwich Islands, but alsofor Polynesia. May it be our privilege to do something for the benighted islands of the Pacific be 'WITHI TIlE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 253 Pleasuant to lahor. fore we die. Soon death will remove us, and we shall no longer have a share in the glorious enterprise. It is so pleasant, so honorable, so delightfil to pray and labor f(r the destitute and the dying, let uIs lay ourselves out in the work while the privilege is afforded. 22 254 CHAPTER XII. THE LATE REVIVAL. State of feeling ill 1836. THE God of missions has watched over his own precious cause at the Sandwich Islands with constant care, and has given from time to time special indications of his favor. The general meeting, at which almost all the missionaries were present in 1836, was a time of great interest. The utmost harmony and love prevailed. Every mind was wholly absorbed in the momentous topic of the world's conversion, atnd every heart seemed to feel —to feel much ---and to feel deeply, for the millions of our dying race. All, as if by a general impression from on high, were thoroughly convinced that the present measure of prayer and effort among Christians was not the instrumentality needed to usher in the millennial day. All resolved, in God's strength, to TI E LATE REVIVAL, &C. 255 Deep feeling for the world's conIversion il 1837. pray much and with more fervor, and to keep in their eye a higher style of action. During the year, refreshings from on high, of some extent, were experienced at maost of the stations. It was a common remark among them, that the spirit of our general meeting seemed to be blessed of the Lord-that the state of mind which led us to pray much, and to think much in behalf of the millions of our race in the wide field of the world, was indeed a preparation of heart for revivals among ourselves. This was the pleasant state of the mission during tho year, but no very powerful out-pouring of the Spirit was experienced. At the general meeting of June, 1837, there was exhibited much of the same earnestness and feeling of deep responsibility in view of a dying world. And it exhibit ed itself not only in sending entreaties to our clristian brethren at home, but also in mutual exhortations to pray much, and to labor with more faithfulness in our immediate field-to honor God by having higher aims and more confident expectations. To this strength offeeling God was pleased 256.. n..; to add a clhastelled anld solernll aspect, rfIs he did by the ffllictive dispensations of hlis Providence. A f \v\ monLths ll before lie hadt taken home to himse(lf a dcear sister of tie mission, and nlow, as the missionaries antd their families were all assembled, lie saw best to appear suddenly in the very midst of us and to remove one of the youngest, most lovely, and useful of our whole nuiber. On the Sabbath day slhe was seen in the house of God. She had been recently afflicted by the death of an infanlt. The mild expression of her countenance exhibited a chastened, mellow, and heavenly spirit. She was in health; and her prospects in life were fair and bright. But this Sab — bath was her last on earth-the next she spent with her Saviour on high. Tr'le few days of her sickness we saw a christian suf. fer, and at the closing scene we saw a christian die. Nearly all the nmemblers of the 1ulission were present. The ad i onition was meant for all: and the Holy Spirit, I trust, applied it to our hearts. It was painful to see the nmournnllitlr lli A:T HiE SAND WICH ISLANDS. 257 Comiirencement of the great revival. band as he embarked on board the brig, with his little son, the only surviving member of his family, to go back to his distant station and his lonely home. But the Saviour went with him. And the first intelligence we heard from his station, (the station of Waimea on Hawaii,) God was pouring out his Spirit there,-reviving his children, and bringing to repentance many precious souls. This, perhaps, may be regarded as the commencement of the great revival. At the same time the Holy Spirit seemed to be hovering over many stations. At Wailuku on Maui, there appeared to be a hearing ear. A spirit of inquiry and increased attention were manifest. Meetings began to be full and solemn. In this state of things a protracted meeting was appointed, and the brethren of the station sent over the island for the assistance of one of the brethren from the Seminary. After a tedious ride he arrived at the place soon after sun-setting. In the evening, as he was walking the room with Mr. Armstrong, and consultiuln about arrange22* 258 THE LATE REVIVAL Protracted meeting at Wailuku. ments for the ensuing day, the expression was made: ' The arrangements are comparatively of no account-God's blessings can make any means effectual, and without his blessing all efforts will be vain.' As the words were uttered, his mouth was full of blood from the throat or lungs, and he was laid aside from all labor for more than three weeks. Many of the church members, as they entered the room, said, with much humility and penitence: 'God is displeased with us, and therefore deprives us of hearing the voice of one of our teachers.' The impression of the event was deep and solemn. The meeting was one of interest, though in most who attended there seemed to be more wakeful attention than real concern for the soul. There was a similar state of wakefilness and inquiry at most of the stations-and here and there conversions, till tie time of my leaving the islands in the month of November. At Waimea, at that time, 7( individuals were propounded for the; church AT TIHE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 25t Progress alndl powcr of the work. Soon after I left, as we learn from tlhe accounts received, the work of God became powerful. On the first Sabbath in January the admnissions to the church at Waimea and Hilo were quite numerous. As early as tile first of March, 1838, there was evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit at nearly all the stations;-his influences were shed down more generally and abundantly than had ever been known before, and at some stations, apparently, in wonderful effusions. Preaching seemed to chain the audience. The gospel became the power of God. There was a shaking and noise among the dry bones. In many instances, wherever the truth was proclaimed, conviction and conversion seemed immediately to follow. 0, as our brethren then stood between the living and the dead, and pointed sinners to thle lamb of God, it cheered their hearts to see the tear of tenderness, tlhe fixed eye, the eagerness to catch and keep the words of the preacher. Somne imembers of the church of good cIharacter began to quake-to examine themselves, aid repent. Prayer began to he 260 THE L,.t'E IREVVAL N umber of hopeful conversions during the year 183M. offered with much fervency, and often with strong crying and tears. The burden of all seemed to be —of many professing christians as well as sinners -an oppressive sense of guilt in view of the amazing mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Neglected, despised, rejected mercy was the whole topic. In April following, the power of the work became still more wonderful. It became distinctly evident that there was no limit to the power of the Holy Spirit. Under his operation, the dull and stupid became attentive; the imbecile and ignorant, who seemed scarcely capable of any mental exertion, began to think; and the wretched, vile, low and grovelling, who had not appeared to possess conscience enough to be operated upon, began to feel, and to feel deeply. It was truly a time of the right hand of t-he Most High. The work progressed, and in June (183S) about 5,000 converts had been received to the churches, and about 2,400 stood propounded for admission. At some of the stations the work had declined, and at others was advancing with unabated power. And AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 261 Number {of Iiop;fui conversionl s during the year 1f"1r. we lhave since learned, that on some portions of HIawaii; from the time of general meetilln down to a late date tlle work had continled to advance without ilterruption and with unabated enerlgy. ThFe letter of AMr. Coan, dated Sept. tells us that the waves of salvation were still rolling deep and broad over the windward side of Hawaii, (a field dear to me as my former pastoral charge.) As far as can be gathered, about 10,000 souls were added to the churches on the Sandwicli Islands durilng the year 1S38. As late as January the worl was progressing with great power on the Island of Miaui, and at some other stations. In admitting nmembers to the church there lhas been some difference of practice amnongL the missionaries. Some have admitted converts in great numbers, and very soon after their hopeful conversion. Others have admitted but few, and those after a much longer probation. It \would not 1be safe to judge of tlie relative power of the work at the different stations by the nunmber of converts that lhave been admitted. Some mny have been too slow in receiving the lambs 26'), THE LATE, REVIVAL. D)iftremice of practice in admnitting nmembc rs. to the fold, but there is more fear that others, under the ardor and strength of feeling, have been too hasty. The missionaries say, after expressions of rejoicilg: ' We fear that the increase of strengcth to our churches has not been in proportion to the increase of nuinbers. We fear that we nmay have erred in judgment, in some cases, in receiving too hastily to the church those who profess to have bean converted; and we may have occasion hereafter to regret having done so. We fear we may find hereafter that many have deceived us and themselves in this important matter, and that they will live with the veil upon their hearts in this state of deception, till the light of eternity shall tear it from them, and reveal to them their true characters. The seal, however, is a blessed one, ' The Lord knoweth them tlat are his.'' To determine the course which ouglht to be pursued in relation to professed converts at the Sandwich Islands, is a most difficult business, and requires great wisdom. God }has done there a great work. Let us rejoice, but rejoice with trembling. Whlilst we AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 263 Character of converts-Means used. praise God-let us not forget to pray to him to give to our brethren the wisdom which they need. 'The paral)le of the sower, it is feared, will be filly verified in regard to the work at the Sandwich Islands. At the latest date, in January, tie converts in churches where they had been admitted hastily and in great numbers, were occasioning no little trouble, at other places they continued to appear well. This multitude of babes in Christ need our prayers, that they may adorn thteir profession. Their pastors tmust have our prayers, or they will sink under the immense burden, intense anxiety, and unremitted care. r'he means used in these revivals were tlose which God has appointed for the salvation of souls —the prayers of the church, the preaching of the gospel, conversingo with the people in small companies, and with individuals, and visiting from house to house. Protracted meetings were also held at all the stations, and at some stations were repeated several times. The manner of conducting thenl was very simple, much of the time being given to the plain preach 2(4 THE LATE REVIVAL Large congregations. ing of God's truth, and the intervals filled up with prayer. These meetings were greatly blessed. So far as we learn, no measures were taken to excite the feelings, aside froml a simple declaration of the truth. Some instances of disorder there have been, but as few as could have been expected in a time of such intense excitement. The missionaries aimed with much simplicity and plainness to impart correct conceptions of the character of God, the nature of sin, the plan of salvation, thle work of the Spirit, and the nature of true religion. Especially did they insist on the sin andd danger of rejecting an offered Saviour. The hearts of the people were tender; and under such truths as I have named, the hoLse of worship was often a scene of sighing and of weeping. The congregations during these revivals have been imm-ense. rThe congregation at Ewa was obliged, on account of its size, to,cave t heir chapel, and meet under a shelter 165 feet long by 72 wide, sitting in a compact mass, in number as estimated about AT TIHE SANI)WICH ISLANDS. 265 I!m cillse I!lh,)r a(1 rvsponlllsibi!ilv. 4,000. There are two congregations at the village of Honolulu —one was estimate-d at about 2,500 souls, and the other between 3 and 4 thousand. At Wailuku a house 92 feet by 42 was found too straight, and the people are building a new one 100 by 50. At Hilo, merely the church members number about 4,00)(0. Mr. oan thinks he has often preached to congregations of from 5 to 6 or 7 thousand souls. Let it be observed however, cautiously, that in estimating a colngregation we are always in danger of makiln the number too high. The prayer meetings have frequently been adjourned from the lecture room to the body of the ch urch. During this great work the anxiety of the missionariess las bee intense, their sense of responsibility exceedingly oppressive, and the amolunt of labor very great. In soime instances they have preached from 7 to 20 times a week. And almost all have been so pressed from daylight in the mornilng till late at nilht, as scarcely to allow them time to eat, or spend half an hour with tleir fitmilies. Stchl frequent 23 266 THE LATE REVIVAL Ilitfresiig scenes. preactling, and such a constant throng of inquiries, in addition to other labors, would have broken down our brethren, had not the fatigue been a deligltful faitiue, containing within itself a principle of resuscitation. Scenes have been witnessed during this revival, which were never intended to be fully described here on earth-it is not in the power of tongue or pen fully to portray them. All classes crowded to the place of worship. The children thrust themselves in wherever they could find a little vacancy. Old hardened transgressors, who had scarcely been to the house of God, were now there in tears, melted down under the power of omnipotent truth. The blind were seen led along the way to the house of God sometimes by a parent, sometimes by a child, and sometimes by a grand-child, just as they were tottering over the grave. Cripples, also, were seen crawling on their hands and feet-laboring hard to get to God's temple. And in the vast assembly what sacredness and solemnity-the visible AT TIE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 267 'The duty of praise. presence of God Almighty, and the immediate operation of his Holy Spirit. And could we have entered a prayermeeting, we should have witnessed the tears, the soul-melting fervor, the earnest importunity, and the strong wrestling which honors God and which God loves to honor. And then could we have gazed at the immense and motley throng coming up to the table of the Lord, —we should have seen men of all ages, and once, too, of all crimes, and many children among the number, the hope and joy of the nation. Blessed be the Lord our God for ever. Let heaven and earth praise him. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Let us rejoice, yet not without trembling. Let us takee courage, and press onward. Above all, let us pray, (will you not?) that there may be no falling back of this great multitude of feeble ones, that tt ey may be all safely nurtured up, and become the strong men of the Lord Almighty. There is hope of the world's conversion. God has come down, and told us there is hope. A ray of light is sent to cheer us. 26S 28 THE LATE REVIVAL, &. Thi duty of' praise.. This is a new era in onr work amnongr the heathen. By an-d by, perhaps, if we pray mnuch and labor onl, we may be allowed to climb to the top of the motinttain, see the twilight of' morning-feel that it is enough -quietly breathe out our spirits, a-nd coo home to Jesus, TIH E END. N t:w- Yo1itK: Pr-ilittid by St'ATciiIPRD & AD.CIS, No. 38 Gold Street. of THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GRADUATE LIBRARY DATE DUE,, —I f- -1;" " I'"'.... - -, -," il~ JAN i K U91tow it 1991 r-B* 1r I_ " s-I 't, I 't~~ k-,A UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 11 1 11111 III II, ll I 3 9015 00916 9064 DO NOT REMOVE OR MUTILATE CARD