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SANDWICH ISLANDS.




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SANDICH ISANDS c.                                             M E
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TRAVELS
IN THE
SANDWICH AND SOCIETY ISLANDS.
BY


S. S. HILL, ESQ.
AUTHOR OF "TRAVELS IN SIBERIA," ETC.
" When empire in her childhood first appears,
A watchful fate o'ersees her rising years."


DRYDEN.


LONDON:, CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193
I1856.


PICCADILLY.


(The right of Translation is reserved.)










LONDON:
Printed by G. BAkcLAY, Qastle St.Leete8.




PREFACE.
As I am not at liberty to suppose that any one
must necessarily be acquainted with the earlier
sections of a narrative to which this volume
forms a continuation, it is proper to inform the
reader that the following chapters comprise a
third, but distinct, part of an account of travels
which I have previously brought up to my
departure from the coast of Kamtschatka on
board the good whaler-ship Josephine, bound
on a voyage intended to embrace a period of
whale-fishing in a lower latitude, and to terminate at the Sandwich Islands.
My chief endeavour in the present volume
has been to exhibit a picture of an isolated
portion of the great human family, in a stage


b




VI


PREFACE.


of progress of peculiar interest, since it is that
which, at ome period or other, has in every
Christian state, formed the first step from barbarism towards those degrees of refinement
which older nations have severally attained.
When the natives of the Sandwich Islands
held their earliest intercourse with Europeans,
they seem, indeed, to have been in a condition
of society not very unlike that of the inhabitants of our own Britain when the Romans
first landed on these shores; and their present
state of advancement is probably about the
same as that of the Britons at the time when
their most barbarous customs were just giving
place to changes for which Roman refinement
opened the way.
Two reasons have suggested the introduction
of the short historic sketch which precedes
the proper matter of the volume. The first
of these is, the difficulty of giving anything
like a just picture of the natives of the islands
at the present day, unaccompanied by some




PREFACE.                Vii
sort of review of their condition, as well before
as after, their first intercourse with Europeans.
The second is, the belief that the importance
which the rapid growth of so many new
countries on the shores of the Pacific Ocean
must shortly give to the Sandwich Islands in
particular, renders such a notice desirable in
every account of them.




I




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA TO THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS..............      1
CHAPTER II.
VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA TO THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS-(continued).........             19
CHAPTER III.
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS, AND ORIGIN
OF THEIR INHABITANTS........        32
CHAPTER IV.
INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS, OF THE ISLANDERS.............   44
CHAPTER V.


SKETCH OF THE PROPER HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS


68 




X               CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
PAGE
HONOLULU......                95
CHAPTER VII.
HONOLULU-(continued)..... 107
CHAPTER VIII.
THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE......... 121
CHAPTER IX.
VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE-WAIMEAR...         143
CHAPTER X.
VISIT TO KARAKBKOOA BAY...           161
CHAPTER XI.
VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY....... 178
CHAPTER XII.
JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY AND KAILUAKA1LUA.......               193
CHAPTER XIII.
VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE...          211




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIV.
BOAT VOYAGE FROM KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILI
CHAPTER XV.
JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO AND THE VOLCANO OF
KILAUEA......


xi


PAGE
223
241


CHAPTER XVI.
THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA... 
CHAPTER XVII.
JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO..  261...  281


CHAPTER XVIII.


BYRON'S BAY AND IILO....


291


CHAPTER XIX.


HILO.............


303


CHAPTER XX.


HILO-(continued )......


319


CHAPTER XXI.


HILO-(continued)..........    331




xii


CONTENTS.


CHAPTER XXII.
HONOLULU.......
CHAPTER XXIII.
VOYAGE FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE
CHAPTER XXIV.
OTAHEITE.......
CHAPTER XXV.
VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO..


PAGE
348
366
374


APPENDIX.
SANDWICH ISLANDS-DECLARATION OF RIGHTS..      407
TREATIES BETWEEN HAWAII, FRANCE, AND GREAT
BRITAIN..........       417
TAXATION IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS....            422
MUTINY AND MASSACRE AT SEA.......               424




TRAVELS
IN
THE SANDWICH AND SOCIETY ISLANDS.
CHAPTER I.
VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
Departure from Kamtschatka-Appearance of the Coast
- Auspicious Signs -Fine Weather- Rigour of the
Climate —Sudden Change-Loss of Sails-Ship under
bare Poles-Seamen confined below-Shift of WindDangerous Condition of the Ship-State of the Barometer-Gale increased to a Typhoon-Phosphoric Light,
so called, on the Water-Appearance of the mysterious
Light described by Ariel in the "Tempest"-Composition and Character of the Light-Stroke of the SeaCessation of the Gale-Our Occupations during the Gale
— Character of Sailors-Alteration in our Voyage.
THE western breeze which had brought us out
of the bay of Avasha continued. The sea was
but little agitated, and when the sun dropped
beneath the snow-capped mountains of Kamtschatka, not a cloud nor vapour broke the outline of the vast features of the view which the,                       B




2


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


rude shores presented. As we stood contemplating the magnificent spectacle, the breeze
gradually grew lighter and lighter, just as it
happens in lower latitudes on a summer's evening; and, as the stars appeared one by one, from
those of the first magnitude to those which the
full night present, we ventured to hope, from
these propitious signs, that we should have a
fine run off the dangerous land, and a prosperous
transport to the latitudes where the navigator's
cares comparatively speaking cease.
These favourable auguries were the more
welcome to us, on account of the particular character of the coast and the climate, combined
with the lateness of the season, the 27th of
November, at which we sailed. The precursor
storm, which invariably announces the setting-in
of winter in high latitudes, as well on the eastern
shores of Asia as on those of America, and which
is always dead on shore, was hourly expected;
while it was twelve days later than any ship had
at any time before quitted any part on this coast.
Before midnight the breeze again freshened,
and it blew a gentle gale through the night;
and, at eight o'clock the next morning, we were
by the reckoning about sixty miles from the
land.  The breeze continued throughout the
secondday; and such was the clearness of the atIoosphere, that when we were considerably more
than a hundred miles from the shore, we could




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


3


plainly distinguish the highest peaks of the giant
mountains in the vicinity of the bay of Avasha.
During the next two days and nights we had
a gradual increase of wind, continually fair, with
the same unchanged and cloudless sky; and, at
the hour of sunset on the 1st of December, nothing save the blowing of a few whales, and the
snow and ice which still covered our decks, remained to remind us that we were in a more
rigorous climate than that of the northern coast
of Britain in mid-winter. About this time, when
we were 400 miles from the port we had left,
from which we had steered nearly due south,
without regard to our proper course, that we
might the more speedily change our latitude,
and with the coast of Japan lying about the
same distance west of us, the wind became unsteady and very light, and the weather altogether
exhibited symptoms of a great change being at
hand. The sea, too, which had been following
us from the north-west as steadily as a summer
swell, seemed now to be met by a cross-sea
running from the eastward. These signs are
as well known to the navigators of these regions
to indicate a breaking-up of the fine weather, as
they are known to the inhabitants on shore to
be the signal of the approach of the storm which
unfailingly breaks on the coast at this season;
and we began to shorten sail before the day
closed. The sky, too, was for the first time
B2




4


VOYAGE FROM XAMTSCHATKA


entirely obscured; yet, until near midnight, there
was but little wind, which blew, however, at
intervals from all points of the compass between
west and north-east. But about that hour, after
several short lulls, a strong gale from the east,
accompanied by a heavy swell, came suddenly
down upon us with so much force, that it became necessary to furl every sail with the utmost expedition; and the ship was now hove-to
under her storm-staysails, with her head towards
the north.  Scarcely, however, was this manceuvre accomplished, before the gale augmented
in violence, reducing our staysails to shreds,
and defying every further effort of the seamen
to retain any government over the vessel's movements. Snow, too, now accompanied the wind,
which still augmented at every gust, until the
ship, thrown half on her side, with a heavy sea
running, and under her mere bare poles (as seamen call their masts when no canvas is spread),
swept bodily before the gale, at the rate of four
or five knots an hour.
The seamen, whose presence on deck was
no longer of any avail, and very dangerous to
their safety, all now, at the command of the captain, ensconced themselves beneath the hatches
in the forecastle, and the officers retired to the
cabin, leaving nothing open abaft, save a portion
of the top of the companion. The worst was,
the little hope we entertained of a change; for




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


5


our barometer, upon which the captain had
great reason to rely, indicated that the gale was
increasing in force; and the occasional mere
wash of the tumbling waves, as they passed under us, warned us of the consequences that must
follow the ship's receiving the full stroke of the
sea on her side. She rose, however, to the top
of the waves, as they rapidly followed one another, and sank again into the hollows between
them, with such undeviating regularity, during
the whole of this night, that if our masts only
stood, we had little doubt of weathering the gale.
But about day-break on the morning after
the change of weather, while the glass was still
falling, a new danger threatened us. The tempest before which we were driving had been
preceded, as is very commonly the case at sea,
by a swell from the same quarter, which had
easily put down that which had attended the
north-west wind, and the sea had since run regularly before the gale. In the mean time, when
we first hove-to, our ship's head was placed to
the northward, under the impression of it being
most likely that the wind, if it changed, would
haul to the southward; in which case we should
head the sea, while it continued to run in the
same direction as before, instead of receiving it,
as we must necessarily do in the opposite case,
upon our broadside. But the wind suddenly
shifted to the north-east, and the sea was now




6


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


hove up into pyramids, and ran with such violence, and irregular course, that the ship laboured
heavily, falling sometimes by her bow, and as
often stern foremost, into the pits and hollows
between the seas, and was in danger of foundering. The barometer, too, still indicated that the
force of the wind was still augmenting.
Aloft, we already presented the appearance
of a perfect wreck. The gale at the beginning,
having come on with such suddenness, none of
the sails had been very nicely furled or handed,
and the greater part of them were already blown
from the masts or from the yard-arms up to the
very reef-points, so that the fragments hanging
in ropes' ends and shreds served to increase the
resistance offered to the wind, and to keep the
ship down on her side.
After another hour or two, the sea became
more regular, but the barometer, now at 29~,
was still falling, and the force of the wind
augmenting. If terror, as some in search of
the origin of our impressions seem to have discovered, be the true source of the sublime, there
was now strife enough among the elements to
whose fury we were exposed, to touch us with
the most elevated sensations.  The tenants of
the cabin knew nothing of those of the forecastle,
but from time to time, we severally crept up the
companion-ladder to endeavour to find some sign
of the tempest abating. The snow, which had




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


7


accompanied the wind when the gale commenced, no longer fell; but nothing was visible
in any direction beyond the tops of the nearest
seas that rolled around us, which the wind converted to spray and mist that limited the vision
to three or four hundred yards on all sides
around. Such, indeed, was the effect of this
wild commotion of the elements, that I was
tempted to keep my place at the companion for
an hour at a time, to watch the seas that followed or broke ahead of us, one single wave of
which, had the masts gone, which would have
lessened our drift and brought the ship upright, would have sufficed to overwhelm us in
a moment: for it was by the wake left in our
drift, causing the waves to break or turn to
foam and mist, that the wind drove over us
in too light a form to damage any portion
of our hull, and the rapidity with which the
ship drifted while on her side, that she was
protected from the crash of the furious seas
that broke around her.
No change took place during the day that
succeeded the night upon which the tempest
commenced. We continually watched the barometer with the utmost anxiety.  Still it fell;
and the day closed without any symptoms of
the wind abating. But during the middle watch
of the night, soon after it bad been observed
that the barometer had fallen 28a-U, we had the




8


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


opportunity of witnessing an extraordinary phenomenon. I shall endeavour to describe it as it
presented itself to us, with the addition of some
information I accidentally acquired concerning
its character.
I had been some time standing or holding on
alone upon the upper step of the companionladder, occupying the weary time in watching
the breaking heads of the foaming waves that
successively robed the waters with a sparkling
mantle like a hoar -frost, that was visible
through the darkness which obscured every other
object, when I was suddenly struck with amazement at seeing a light aloft. I gazed upon the
strange apparition for a moment or two, with
too great astonishment to admit of any exercise of the reason, or of recalling to mind any
thing I had seen or heard of, resembling it, and,
perhaps, not wholly free from such ecstasy, as,
at a time like the present, might be natural
even to the coldest temperament among us. It
would have been in vain to attempt to give
notice of this appearance, to any one below,
without descending the ladder, on account of
the noise made by the wind and the sea. But
at the moment I was about to descend to the
cabin, I found our second mate by my side,
arrived in search of some sign of the tempest
abating. I instantly pointed out to him the
flaming stranger, now in rapid motion upon the




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


9


mast in front of us, and upon the higher of the
yards. The mate, however, saw the light without partaking of my surprise; and, indeed, had
scarcely called it by its sea name, "jack-o'-lantern," before I recognised the phenomenon, which
I had often enough heard of, yet, though I had
weathered out many a winter gale, I had never
seen before; and which has, perhaps, never been
so distinctly described as in one especial instance
which now came to my recollection. No description, indeed, of any natural phenomenon
that I know of, might more exactly present to
our minds the image of anything not before our
eyes, none more vividly represent that which we
now saw, than the account given by the tricksy
spirit Ariel, of his own appearance during his
performance of his part in the storm in the first
act of the " Tempest," which has no doubt often
passed for a pure creation of the poet's fantasy
rather than for an illustration of a remarkable
natural phenomenon:"I boarded the king's ship: now on the beak,
Now on the waist, in every part,
I flam'd amazement: sometimes I'd divide,
And burn in many places; on the topmast,
The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly,
Then meet and join: Jove's lightnings, the precursors
0' the dreadful thunder-claps, more momentary
And sight-out-running were not."
*      *     *      *.          * 


As we gazed upon the flaming light, it at




10


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


first appeared as if it were stationary in respect
to the masts and yards, which we could not perceive, and only in motion on account of the
movement of the ship when she rolled to leeward and partially rose again as the swell, after
passing under her, left her sinking into the hollows between the running seas. It was presently, however, apparent, that the mysterious
light was in rapid motion along the ship's masts
and yards, and that it was sometimes on the
mainmast, which it ascended and descended with
the rapidity of thought, and sometimes upon the
lee and weather yard-arms, along which it played
horizontally. But once or twice, as the ship
rolled more suddenly to leeward, it appeared to
quit the top of the mast, or the yard-arms, yet
quickly to re-attach itself, as the vessel rolled
again towards the direction in which it flamed.
At other times, as if it were cut by the rigging
in its rapid flight across the yards or upon the
mast, it was divided into several parts, which
quickly united again after quitting the extremities of the yards or masts.
That which I heard and can confidently report concerning this light, and which may be
new to many, if not to all, even of those who
have actually seen it, was related to me by the
officer who witnessed the curious phenomenon
with me on this terrible night. He had navigated these seas for many years, and he assured




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.      11
me that its appearance in these latitudes was
very frequent, and that the seamen on board the
whalers often gave chase to it upon the masts
during gales of wind of less violence than that
which we experienced. He informed me, indeed, that he had himself taken it at the top of
the mast, where it was flaming and playing off
and on.  He said it appeared to emit but a
dull light when approached, and that, when
touched, it was found to consist of a substance
of a clammy nature, and of little solidity, which
caused a smarting sensation to the hand, and
that it was scarcely visible when exposed to the
light.
By midnight the tempest seemed to have
reached its utmost fury, when our barometer
had sunk down to 27-1<j-4. About this time,
while our judgments were hovering between
hope and despair, the chief officer, who was
the oldest sailor on board, after mounting the
ladder and descending, gave it as his opinion
that the ship would not weather the gale. At
these words of despair, the first that were
uttered, the captain and one of the mates
mounted the ladder also, and I followed them
as soon as I could detach myself from the sofa,
to which I was lashed. There was now nothing
to be seen save the light called phosphoric,
which, as before, rendered only the foaming
seas visible, amidst the profound darkness




12      VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA '


which obscured every other object. In my
own judgment I had not much confidence; I
wished merely to observe what change might
have taken place, but I could perceive none.
The captain descended without uttering a syllable, but the mate said, " I have weathered a
typhoon in her before," and then descended
also.
The most trying moment we experienced occurred soon after this. We were now all below.
The captain was on his sofa in his state-room,
the door of which was still open, while the chief
mate and myself remained attached each to one
end of the sofa in the cabin, and the two other
mates were lying on the cabin floor to leeward,
when one of the seas, the stroke of which we
had so much dreaded, partially struck us, and
turned its foaming head upon our deck.
But it may be as well, as every one is not
acquainted with the language of the ocean, to
explain what is meant by seamen when they
speak of the stroke of the sea. Sometimes the
waves during a violent gale are long, or, in
other words, the spaces between them wide in
proportion to their height, and they run regularly, but often it is otherwise. When they
are regular and long, the ship, if under any
government at all, is hove-to, under the closereefed maintopsail, or one or more storm-staysails. In this position she rises majestically,




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


13


with her head partially turned towards the
heaving seas, and bows again and falls into the
hollow between them, as they successively pass
under her. But, owing to her first receiving
the force of the sea in this case upon her
weather-bow, she falls off from the wind as she
rises, so that, when in the trough of the sea,
she has her side turned directly towards the
next wave. At this time, however, she increases
any little headway she may owe to the smallest
sail under which she is lying-to, which gives
power to the helm, which now brings her again
sufficiently to the wind to receive the sea upon
her weather-bow  as before. In this state of
things there is but little danger.  The sea
cannot bodily strike the ship, for she is always
ready, and rises as gradually as majestically to
the approaching swell. Nor is it very likely
she will be even struck by the curling top of
the wave, which, on account of the pace at
which the swell runs, is generally left upon the
back, if it may be so termed, rather tltan running down the front of the wave, as it is seen
upon a bar or beach. There are several modifications, however, of this condition of the sea
during a storm, which subject a vessel, even
when lying-to, to be dangerously struck by its
full force. The sea may run too short to give
the ship time to rise, owing to the suddenness
with which the gale came on, or a shift of wind




14


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHIIATKA


may throw the waves up into pyramids, which
tumnble over with such irregularity that, in case
of the vessel not coming quickly to the wind, and
heading the sea, they may strike her side, or,
falling on board, sweep the decks, and endanger
the safety of the ship. When, however, all
power over the ship is lost, by the impossibility
of setting sail, if the sea is short and irregular, the vessel is continually exposed to its
stroke, and to imminent danger of foundering.
Our case was the worst that could occur. We
had had no government over the movements of
the ship from the beginning, and, in consequence
of the sudden manner in which the gale came
on, the sea was short in proportion to its height
and the rapidity with which it ran, and very
irregular, on account of the sudden change of
wind which had taken place during the storm,
which had thrown up the waves in the manner
just mentioned. Thus there was constant danger
of the sea bodily striking the ship, or of the
curling top of a wave falling on board of us.
Hitherto we had escaped the chief and
secondary danger; but now the sea partially
struck the ship and fell on board of her. The
concussion was terrible, and for a few moments
all seemed lost. The ship staggered, as if she
were broken to pieces, and the water rushed
down the companion with such force as to
leave us uncertain whether we were already




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


15


buried in the deep, or had yet a hope left
of being saved. But we were not long in this
position before the water ceased to pour down,
and that which was in the cabin, now finding its
way to the half-deck, enabled us to reach the
top of the companion-ladder; to which we hastened, in the hope of discovering the amount of
the injury we had received, and the nature of
the new perils to which we might be exposed.
The ship was still driving rapidly upon her
side, but nothing, far or near, was to be seen,
save the foaming seas, which the luminous properties of the ocean still rendered visible on
every side around.
About an hour after this, while the wind
seemed undiminished, and the sea still threatened to complete our disasters by one fell
stroke, a slight rise of our barometer filled us
with hopes we had hardly entertained since the
gale began. Another hour, and the comforter
that administered the first hope, confirmed the
promising signs by a rise of two degrees, and
before daybreak we perceived a sensible diminution in the force of the wind.
As soon as there was light enough to perceive anything upon deck, we found all our
bulwarks gone fore and aft, and of seven boats
which the whaler carried, five were smashed
to atoms or gone overboard, the two remaining being saved only from having' been placed




16       VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


upon a frame set at ten feet above the ship's
deck.  But it was not yet possible for any
one to keep the deck long enough to ascertain
whether any planks were stove, or whether any
more damage were done than was already apparent.
The wind continued to moderate, and by
nine o'clock it had sufficiently abated to admit
of our keeping the deck with caution. The
waves were, however, running higher than ever,
while the rapidity of the vessel's drift, which
had secured her from the full stroke of the
sea, was much diminished. An attempt was
now made to set a stormii-staysail to bring her
head to the wind, but it was blown to shreds
before it was half hauled out. Nevertheless,
the wind still abated, and bv twelve o'clock we
were able to set this sail. At two, the men
were busily occupied clearing away the wreck,
and before this day closed we were once more
before the wind, under such new sails as we
were able to get bent, and running with the
ship's head to the southward, before a long,
rolling, unbroken sea.  The stars now, too,
once more appeared; and as we had been two
nights without sleep, the ship was put under
easy sail, that as many as possible of the crew
might retire to rest. I must add, that our preservation was chiefly attributed to the buoyancy
of our cargo of oil, which caused the rapidity of




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


17


the ship's drift, and gave the sea time to break
in our wake, after the manner described.
The only distraction by which we were able
to relieve the many weary hours we spent below during the tempest, without any light by
day or by night, save the glimmer of a small
lamp, which served, if possible, to increase the
gloom, arose from a somewhat forced conversation, probably very different from that which
many might think we were most likely to have
indulged in. Those who have never been for
a long time exposed to similar perils, might
paint to their imaginations the hardy seamen of
the whaler, full of impatience and round oaths,
and a traveller wearying the master and his
officers with questions, and listening with attentive ear, even for one word of hope or of
consolation. But nothing would be further from
figuring the effects of our condition than this.
While we sat apart, or stood at times upon
the companion-ladder, nothing was said save
now and then a few words concerning imagined
changes in the weather. But sometimes while
we were assembled, seated upon the cabin deck,
to eat our biscuits, which comprised all the food
we were in a condition to obtain, the thoughts
of the sailors wandered to rural scenes they had
witnessed on shore, which suggested subjects
for other remarks. They all referred with envy
to the condition of the cultivators of the soil.
C




18      VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


" How mad was I to embrace the life of the
sea!" said one. " How happy should I have
been," said another, " had I followed my father's
calling, the best which my country offered, and
been content to cultivate the land!"  " Once
more on shore," said a third, "I will never again
put my foot on shipboard." But the sufferings
of seamen duripg a storm have little enduring
effects. While the gale rages, " Now would I
give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of
barren ground - long heath, brown furze, -
anything;" but the ship is no sooner under
canvas again, than all their troubles are forgotten. The worst consequences of this storm
to the ship and the crew was, the loss it caused
by the captain being obliged to abandon the
intention with which he had sailed, of prosecuting his whale fishing in the milder latitudes,
on account of the loss of our boats; instead of
which, therefore, he determined to steer directly
for the Sandwich Islands.




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


19


CHAPTER II.
VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS(continued).
Treacherous Calm - Unfavourable Signs - Speculations
upon the Action of the Wind-Stroke of the WindEffects of the Change -Violent Gale -Wind moderates
-Description of a Ship lying-to-Description of wearing
a Ship - Making Sail after a Storm - Observations to
discover the Ship's Place-First Appearance of BirdsOccupations of the Crew-Passage of the Meridian of
180th Degree-Approach to the Sandwich IslandsMaking the Land-Character of our ChronometersPassage between two of the Islands-Appearance of the
Land-Scenes on Shore-Arrival at Honolulu.
FOR twenty-four hours after we had fairly
weathered the typhoon, or hurricane of the Pacific, the wind continued to moderate until we
had again all sail set; and, at the approach of
the second night after the gale, it almost suddenly fell calm. But a heavy rolling sea still
ran from the north-east, which seemed to indicate that the weather continued stormy in that
direction. Neither was there anything assuring
in the appearance of the sky, which was covered
c2




20      VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


with heavy clouds, either stationary, or moving
slowly in opposite directions.
We were now somewhat anxious and full of
speculation concerning the quarter from which
the next wind might blow, on account of the
condition of the ship, and of that of the crew
who were wearied out by total want of rest for
forty-eight hours, and the necessary labour of
clearing away the wreck and refitting, in which
they had been since engaged. Our doubts and
conjectures were not, however, of long duration.
Before the close of the day, we perceived the
clouds in such rapid motion, passing from west
to east, above our heads, that we were warned
of the necessity of preparing for a strong wind;
and there remained nothing but the topsails,
double-reefed, when we had plain notice that
the elements were about to make good their
threats.  While all eyes were turned in the
direction in which we expected the wind, a seaman on the watch in the maintop cried out,
" Prepare for wind! " and presently the waves,
still running high from the north-east, were observed turning their white heads, in the direction of the west, which was upon our starboard
quarter as we lay. The topsail-halyards were
now let go, and the seamen stood by the braces
on both sides, waiting a second command.
I have often observed at sea, upon the breaking up of a calm, the length of time the wind




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


21


takes before it reaches the ship, after it has appeared, by its effects seen upon the water, to be
close at hand. It has seemed to me sometimes
that even a strong wind has been ten minutes or
more passing over a space of only a few hundred
yards; and this was never more apparent than
now. The wind was evidently blowing half a
gale, and coming directly towards us, while it
seemed to make little progress in proportion to
its force. How is this to be accounted for?
Perhaps the space we look over may appear
much less than it really is; or it may be, that
we are deceived by false impressions concerning
the rate at )which the wind travels, which few
can readily believe, when it blows a strong gale,
is only sixty miles an hour. Or is it that the
motion of the air is not in a straight direction,
but rotatory, though not after the manner, which
would be apparent in this instance, of the storms
so called? These we might compare to the
action of the millstone, which turns so rapidly
without outward motion; but the course of the
wind during the gale we might compare to that
of the paddle-wheel of a steamer, which has a
rotatory and at the same time an onward motion;
which latter, as may be the case with the wind,
bears no proportion in swiftness to the former.
But we must, in this view of the matter, suppose the rotatory movement of the atmosphere
to be the reverse of that of the paddle-wheel,




22      VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


in relation to its onward movement. Be this,
however, as it may, we stood astonished at the
effects of our new-coming wind upon the sea,
for a time before it reached us, that seemed
disproportionate to its apparent strength. At
length it struck the ship with such sudden violence, that she staggered as if she had received
the stroke of the sea; and our masts would certainly have been carried away, had we not had
warning in time to let go the topsail-halyards,
and clew up the sails upon which its force would
have fallen. Sailors often wish, when they are
weary of a calm, that there were wind enough
to blow the devil's horns off; and, certainly, if
wind should ever deprive the arch-enemy of
these appendages to his personal beauty, it will
happen on such an occasion as this.
The gale which now reached us, was from
the opposite quarter to that which had last
blown; and before midnight, or less than fortyeight hours after the late storm had begun to
moderate, we were again under our bare poles,
without retaining the smallest government over
the ship's course.  Though the force of the
wind, judging from our barometer, did not
nearly equal that of the last gale, our condition
for some hours was, if possible, more perilous
than before, on account of the frightful cha.
racter of the sea. This was now running in an
opposite direction to the wind; and as the ship




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


23


lay over on her side, there was danger for some
hours of one of the seas falling on board of her,
and smashing in the decks.
All this night, and the next day, and a
part of the next night, we remained exposed to
nearly the same raging of the elements as before, with scarcely any difference in our condition, save that we were now drifting in a better
direction.
It moderated again after midnight, on the
second night of this gale, and by the next noon
it was again calm. This second relief, however,
was of little longer duration than the first, and
was but the precursor of another gale, which
lasted another thirty-six hours. On this occasion, however, we were able to lay the ship to,
under a close-reefed maintopsail, and she now
sat, as seamen say, like a duck upon the water.
This seems to me to be the position of a ship in
which she might, from a short distance, offer
one of the most gratifying spectacles that could
possibly be beheld. When thus riding over the
seas in a gale, I have often longed to be in company with another ship, by which alone the
noble spectacle might be contemplated, but was
never so fortunate. The sight of a gallant bark,
as she presents her prow to the mighty wave
which seems to be about to sweep over her, and
then gracefully bows again, descending into the
hollow between the seas, cannot be equalled by




24


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


any other exhibition of the triumph of science
and art over the obstacles which oppose our
subjugation of the elements to our will.
After we had, been lying-to for twenty-four
hours, this gale also was succeeded by a profound calm, which was once more followed by
such weather as brought us for the third time
under our bare poles. This wind, however,
which was from the northward, after commencing
in the afternoon, began to moderate soon after
daylight the next morning.
At the moment of our beginning to make
sail again on this occasion, the position and
movements of the ship afforded a most gratifying
spectacle to us, even on board. The tremendous
sea that was running after so long a period of
tempestuous weather may be easily imagined.
The wind was fair, and it had been a question
whether the ship should be put before the gale;
and this, in spite of the state of the sea, it was
now determined to endeavour to accomplish.
The helm   was first put " hard a-weather,"
with the expectation that the ship would pay
off, and be soon scudding before the gale,
while it was doubtful whether we could yet
show any canvas with a hope of its standing.
The experiment, however, was thus far unsuccessful. The ship made no headway whatever,
but continued to drift bodily to leeward as before. A part of the fore-topmast-staysail was




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.    2


25


next hauled up, and now she answered her
helm and paid off; and, as she came upon an
even keel, she began to divide the waters in
her swift course, without any' other sail set, in
a'manner that afforded, until she was in the
act of scudding before the gale, one of the noblest spectacles that our own ship can present
to us.
In the morning after this change, when I
came upon deck well refreshed by a good night's
repose, we were still steering to the southward,
and running before a fine top-gallant breeze
from the north-west, and a heavy sea. Our captain's care was now to find the ship's place, no
attention whatever having been given to the
direction or extent of our drift during the prevalence of the storms. The navigators on board
the whalers do not make use of the log-line and
reel, nor have any recourse to the ordinary calculations called dead reckoning, save occasionally near the shore in thick weather, and in very
narrow seas. They are always furnished with
good chronometers, as well as the best nautical
instruments; but sometimes, when engaged in
fishing and boiling oil, they keep no account,
and make no observations for weeks together.
We were very curious, after all the storms
we had weathered, to know to what precise spot
f the ocean we had been driven; and, as soon
s the sun was within three hours of the meri



26


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


dian we hastened to make our observations, and
found we were in longitude 162~ 30' east, and at
noon, by a meridian altitude, we found our latitude to be 47~ 50'. Thus, after being a fortnight
at sea, we were not 300 miles from the southern
point of the peninsula of Kamtschatka. But we
now altered our course, and steered in the direction of the south-east.
Up to this time we had seen no birds, but
we were now accompanied by a number of
speckled gulls. The appearance of birds about
a ship, in a little-frequented part of the ocean
especially, adds much to the cheerfulness which
good weather never fails to bring with it, or
relieves our weariness when the weather is bad.
Our present winged companions found their
account in accompanying us. They seemed at
all times to discover something to feed upon in
our wake; but whenever we pumped ship, as
the water ran overboard carrying with it the
oily matter that came from the hold, they appeared to enjoy such a feast as the mackerelgulls find in the shoals of fishes they pursue.
As we approached the latitudes of the milder
climates, our ship's deck during the whole day
presented a busy scene. Every one on board
was now occupied with his particular share ir
repairing the damage we had sustained, undei
the superintendence of the "old man," as thj
masters of the whalers are called by their crew,;J




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


27


whatever their age, and that of our " old man "
did not exceed thirty years. He was, however,
a great genius as well as a perfect sailor; and
while occupied in directing the smiths, the carpenters, and the sailmakers, he turned with a
lathe he possessed a very good set of chessmen
from the white jaw-bone of the whale, with no
other guide than a drawing I made of the pieces
and pawns.
The next incident of our voyage was the
passage of the meridian of the 180th degree,
which brought us from east into west longitude.
On this account we added another day to the
week, to make up for that which the circumnavigator who travels from west to east loses
during his passage round the globe. Our time
now, therefore, was twelve hours later than that
of Greenwich, instead of twelve hours earlier, as
it had been on the previous day.
We now dodged on gallantly for several
weeks, without any occurrence worthy of notice,
every twenty-four hours increasing our time of
daylight, and augmenting our degrees of warmth
in proportion to the southing we made.
At length, on an early day in January, being
in latitude 23~ 25' and longitude 155~ 35', we
took a course due south, with the good hope of
making the islands the next morning. At midnight the island of Molokai, belonging to the
Sandwich group, bore by the reckoning due




E
i




28


VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


south of us, distance about ten miles, which, if
we were correct, would leave the passage between that island and the island of Woahoo
open tb leeward; but as the night was dark, it
was judged prudent to heave the vessel to, until
daylight might show us our position with more
certainty. This was a moment of our voyage
of the greatest interest. Making the land after
crossing any ocean, is ever a time of interest.
But after our sufferings during the early part of
this voyage, and owing to the uncertainty we
were in concerning the condition of the chronometers (for this delicate instrument is often disturbed by weather not half so bad as that we
had experienced), it was to us a moment of the
highest possible interest.
I was upon deck with the captain and all the
officers as the day broke upon the morning of
the 29th, and our eyes were turned with intense
curiosity in the direction in which we trusted we
should see the island. But as it happened that
a haze, which had prevailed during the night,
thickened with the increase of the light, nothing
was visible, even after the sun had risen. Our
captain determined, however, considering that
we were at least sure of our latitude, to approach
within five miles of the island by the reckoning,
or even to continue to run down till we should
hear the sea breaking upon its rude northern
shores. We ran, accordingly, within, as we




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.


29


supposed, about that distance of its known rocky
steeps, but the mist continued as dense as ever,
and still we saw and heard nothing. Here we
again hove to, to see if any indication of change
would appear with the approach of noon. We
had scarcely, however, done this, when a little
augmentation of the wind, while it yet wanted
three hours of mid-day, suddenly carried off the
haze, and the so-anxiously-looked-for isle, forming a beautiful spectacle which seemed hardly
real, broke upon our sight in the very direction
in which our eyes were bent, attesting at once
the excellence of our instruments and the skill
of our navigators.*
As the day advanced, the breeze strengthened to a fresh gale, while we. were steering
directly for the passage between the islands of
Molokai and Woahoo, which is about twenty
miles in breadth; and, after entering this strait
under double-reefed topsails, as we proceeded,
we hugged the shores of the island of Woahoo.
Perhaps those only who have made similar
voyages to that which we had just accomplished
can fully appreciate the agreeable feelings with
* We had two chronometers on board. One of them,
which was manufactured at New York, having already
proved false, was made no account of. But that to which
we had trusted was of London manufacture, and was marked
" No. 790, Thomas Dean, Dumpsey Street, Commercial
Road."




VOYAGE FROM KAMTSCHATKA


which travellers look upon hills and vales, and
contemplate scenes such as this island now
exhibited from our deck. The distant view of
these two islands presented but little natural
vegetation, and no appearance of cultivation.
Rude hills were first chiefly the features of the
scene. But as we approached within five or six
miles of the island of Woahoo, fertile vales and
deep ravines between projections in the mountainous districts, and narrow plains of great
natural fertility bordering the sea-shore, successively appeared; and, as we sailed along the
coast the whole country seemed converted into
a land of enchantment. At intervals appeared
groves of cocoa-nut trees and other species of
the palm, under the shade of which were
grouped the huts of the natives; and with
our telescopes we could perceive parties of
the naked islanders, sitting about upon the
green beneath the trees, or sporting on the
shore.
By noon we had doubled the south-east point
of the cape called Koko, and half an hour afterwards we passed a bold promontory called Leahi
by the natives and Cape Diamond by Europeans. Soon after this we opened the harbour
and town of Honolulu, the present seat of the
government of the islands. But as we could
not enter this day, on account of the direction
of the wind, we anchored in the offing, and I




TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.      31
left the storm-beaten Josephine, in company with
the captain, taking advantage of the return of
the boat that brought off the pilot; and, after
an hour's pull, we once more felt the firm earth
beneath our feet.




32    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


CHAPTER III.
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS, AND ORIGIN OF
THEIR INHABITANTS.
Number and Name of the Sandwich Islands-Geographical
Position - Geological Features - Minerals - Climate -
Vegetable Productions-Animals-Origin of the Inhabitants-Races of Malay Descent -Their Means of
reaching the Islands-Piratical Expeditions-Loss of
Junks-Further Proofs of Malay Descent-Junks still
picked up-Man taken off a Junk.
THE account I purpose giving of my visit to
these islands, seems to require a short notice
concerning their position, their natural features,
their climate, and their productions, as well as
a few remarks upon the condition of their inhabitants from a remote period, followed by the
leading passages in their history since their
intercourse with Europeans.
The islands best known among us under the
name of the Sandwich Islands, and called Hawaii
by their native inhabitants, comprise, after New
Zealand and some islands that approach the
Asiatic shores, the most important of the many




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.


33


groups which lie scattered over the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, and are included in
the general term Polynesia, by which modern
geographers have distinguished this sixth division of the globe. They were first discovered
by Capt. Cook in 1778, though some ingenious
persons have imagined grounds for conjectures
tending to show that they were at least seen, if
not taken possession of, by earlier navigators.
The group is situated between the latitudes of
18~ 54' and 22~ 20' north, and between the
155th and the 170th degree of west longitude.
It consists of eight inhabited islands, and two or
three rocky, barren, and desolate islets. The
most remarkable of the islands, and those which
we shall visit, are called Woahoo or Oahu,
Owhyhee or Hawaii, and Mowhee or Maui.
The next in importance is Kawai. The three
remaining are called Molokai, Lanai Niihau,
and Kahoolawe. Their whole superficial area
is about 6000 square miles, 4000 of which are
comprised in Owhyhee alone. They are entirely of volcanic and coralline formation, and
are generally surrounded by coral reefs, lying
at a greater or less depth beneath the water,
and forming, where there happen to be coves
or indents of the coast, several commodious and
many lesser harbours.
Both the higher and the lower lands, attest
equally the origin of the islands, and the violent
D




34    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


geological revolutions - which they have approved. On Owhyhee, two enormous mountains rise to 14,000 feet above the level of the
sea, and rest crowned with perpetual snow.
Many craters of extinct volcanoes, and extensive
plains covered with the rude debris of earlier or
later eruptions, exist everywhere; and Kilauea,
on the mountain of Mouna Kea, is the largest
active volcano in the known world.
In a country thus formed, and, doubtless, at
a date comparatively so recent, we cannot be
surprised that no metals have been found, and
no minerals save the varieties of the lava, and
some limestone which has been lately discovered lying in a remarkable and raised bed
at Kahuku, in the island of Woahoo. In this
island there is also a salt-lake, a little elevated
above the surface of the sea. Soils formed of
such materials as those which thus compose the
entire bed of the islands, could not be expected
to be very fertile, save upon some of the lower
or little elevated lands, and in the valleys long
formed in situations exposed to the winter rains.
The climate generally of the islands is remarkable for its salubrity and its even temperature. Near the sea, the highest elevation of
the thermometer is 86~ Fahrenheit, and the
lowest 620. The greatest heat occurs during
the month of July, and the least in January.
Thus the extreme range during the year, does




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.


35


not exceed 24~, but the variation is rarely more
than 8~. The inhabitants may, however, by
ascending to the higher lands, live in any temperature between that of these tropical latitudes
and that of the frigid zone. But, notwithstanding
the general healthiness of the climate, at the
time that the trade-winds are irregular, which
happens during the winter months, when the
wind is commonly from the south, rains and
storms occur, attended by diseases not differing
much from those which prevail in the southern
parts of Europe at the same season - such as
headaches, rheumatism, and others, arising from
imprudent exposure to the night air, in damp
and chilly weather.
According to the reports of naturalists who
have visited the islands, the spontaneous productions of their soil are much more varied
than the evidently recent formation of the
group would lead us to expect. It will suffice
to mention, that those of the family of Rubiacewe,
Contortce, and Urticct, predominate. From the
last of these, as well as from the Broussonetia
papyrifera, or the paper mulberry, are made
cordage and cloths. The acacia also abounds
in the mountain districts, and is employed by
the natives in the construction of their canoes.
The sandal-wood was also once very abundant,
and lately afforded an article of commerce with
the Chinese, by whom it is chiefly used for
D 2




36    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


cabinet purposes. It is now, however, save
some young, and, for the present, useless trees,
quite destroyed..The more familiar plants and useful productions for domestic purposes are, the banana-tree,
the sugar-cane, the yam, the bread-fruit, and
the taro-root (Arum esculenttum), all of which
are indigenous.
Such were these islands after they first raised
their towering heads above the waters of the
mlighty ocean which surrounds them, and such
the earliest productions of the vegetable world
which sprung from the soil first formed.
Several important plants have been lately
introduced, such as the coffee, cotton, rice, tobacco, the melon and water-melon, indigo, and
even the vine, of which, however, though it
flourishes in the mountain districts, little use is
likely to be made, on account of the necessity
of discouraging the growth of everything from
which alcohol may be distilled. Several of our
ordinary vegetables have also been introduced
with success, as well as some of the fruits of
the tropical and temperate latitudes which were
not indigenous, such as pine-apples, oranges,
grapes, peaches, figs, tamarinds, and guavas.
The bread-corns will also flourish on the higher
lands.
With respect to the animal kingdom, it
seems that at the discovery of the islands




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.


37


nothing was observed save hogs and dogs,
the importation, without doubt, of the first inhabitants, and such of Nature's earlier productions as may be considered habitants rather of
the sea than of the land: but all our domestic
animals, including such as we use for food, for
beasts of burden, and for companions of our
sports, have been since introduced.
But the first thought which presents itself
to our minds, when we cast our eyes upon
these islands on the map of the great ocean, is,
surprise to find isles so remote from the world,
with whose history we are acquainted, peopled
by our own species; it may be as well, therefore, to make a few remarks, under the guidance
of such information as we possess, concerning
the first inhabitants of the group, and upon the
probable means of their transport from the land
from which they seem to have proceeded.
Future historians of this little state, will not
be spared the perplexities which have obstructed
the first steps of all who have endeavoured to
trace the course of events by which small societies became mighty nations.
We may pass very lightly over certain speculations, which cannot be wholly overlooked,
tending to show that the natives of this group,
if not those of the rest of the Polynesian isles,
are descended from the lost tribes of the Jews.
These conjectures are founded upon the obser



38    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


vation of several customs among the islanders,
which are the same or similar to those believed
to have been peculiar to the Jewish people.
The more remarkable of them are: the offering
of their first-fruits to their deities; circumcision,
which was also here a religious ceremony, and
performed by the priests; the strict seclusion
of the women after the birth of a child, and
during other periods of natural infirmity, with
the ceremonies of purification, under pain even
of death; and the possession of cities or places
of refuge, similar in design to those of that
people.
The circumstances that chiefly strike us,
when we compare one people with another,
with a view to ascertain what " propinquity and
property of blood" they possess, are their physical conformation generally, but more particularly the features of the face, and their colour;
and, after this, their language, their religion,
and their well-established customs. For such
examination of those that are at distances too
remote from us to admit of especial or frequent
observation, we have usually, and certainly in
our case, to rely upon the accounts of navigators, missionaries, travellers, and merchants.
Now we find almost the universal testimony of
all who have visited the Pacific islands, that the
inhabitants of the whole of the groups, as well
as of New Zealand, resemble one another in




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.


39


several, or in all these particulars; and, moreover, that they all bear in their type and physical conformation a greater resemblance to the
Malay race, than to any other of the ancient
inhabitants of the globe. But all difficulties in
the way of establishing the theory of their
having sprung from that race will disappear
when we consider certain traditions among the
natives, in conjunction with known facts concerning the intercourse between the inhabitants
of distinct groups, and some other circumstances
which I myself, in common with others, learned
in the capacity of traveller during these inquiries in the Pacific.
There are traditions among the Sandwich
islanders regarding the land from which their
ancestors came, and of an intercourse formerly
carried on between different groups, and it is
commonly believed by them, that they came
from Otaheite. They believe also that their
progenitors, at a very remote period, possessed
canoes of much larger dimensions and greater
capability of navigating the ocean than the frail
craft since in use among them.   If, indeed,
such canoes or vessels of any kind did ever
exist, this fact alone is sufficient to settle the
question of the intercourse formerly carried on
between the islands, as well as that of the
origin of the inhabitants.  Let us then see
what external information we have to corro



40    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


borate these traditions. We know, from history, that every country bordering on the sea
has from the earliest ages abounded in maritime adventurers; and, if we are acquainted with
many circumstances which indicate the restraints that were put upon foreign enterprise
and lawful trading, we also know that no laws
have ever been able to suppress the marauding
propensities of a nautical people, or of the organization even of direct systems of piratical
adventure. Now, although we should suppose
that no very long voyages were ever performed
by any of the " Sea Kings," or Northmen of
the Pacific, we have evidence in abundance, of
the vessels of the Chinese and the Japanese
being picked up by European whalers, after
having been blown off the coasts of China and
Japan, some of them with whole families on
board. In 1832, a junk, after being tempesttossed for eleven months, was cast on the shore
even of Woahoo, with four men of her crew
still surviving, and some of these vessels have
been known to reach even the coast of America.
During the voyage, with which this volume
commences, there were but few old sailors
among the seamen and officers on board our
ship; but these had been long sailing in whalers
in the Pacific, and especially upon the coasts
of China and Japan, and they related to me
many instances known to them of junks being




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.


41


blown off those coasts, and picked up after they
were incapable of returning, and of their crews
having been carried back to their own country.
In one of these cases, one of our officers was
himself a party to the rescue of a junk and her
crew, long after her pilots had lost all hopes of
reaching their own shore. Now it is clear, that
it would be quite enough for any single one of
these vessels to reach any island, provided
there were but one man and one woman surviving, to people at least the whole group to
which that island belonged, though it is extremely unlikely, that from a single vessel, probably cast on the shore, others should proceed
to undertake the long voyage which the great
distance between the groups would involve.
Nevertheless, if we even reject altogether the
idea of intercourse between the groups generally, we have the same probability left, of the
peopling of all the groups, one by one, by the
same accident; which would equally account for
the common Malay origin of their inhabitants,
and also for such variation as we discover in
their natural traits, customs, and language, by
the variation of the character of the different
nations of Malay origin, from which they might
have come.
The captain of the Josephine had himself
picked up a canoe from one of the islands within
the tropics, with a man surviving, whom he




42    NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS,


took with him to a port of the Atlantic States
and5 after a lapse of two years, carried back
and landed upon one of the Bonin or Arzobespo
islands, to which the man belonged, in about the
lat. 27~ north, and 145~ east longitude.
Captain Hedges' account of this circumstance was curious. The man was as nearly
in the natural state, if it be such, of our species, as can well be imagined. He had never
seen any white man before; and, when he was
taken on board, he exhibited almost as much
terror of those who had saved his life, as
satisfaction at his escape.  Kind treatment,
indeed, very soon reconciled him to his new
associates, and before the ship reached her port,
which, however, was not for many months,
he had become a very good sailor. He had
acquired, also, as much of the English language
as was absolutely necessary in his position, with
tolerable facility; but the chief use he made of
it was to press his return to his native island.
Finally, the captain, upon another voyage, was
able to approach the island to which the man
belonged, and to land him in a boat. The appearance of the whaler here, caused as much
curiosity, mingled with alarm, as had attended
the first advent of Cook and other early navigators in many of the islands of these seas; but
when the natives saw their countryman jump on
shore and run to greet his family, who were




AND ORIGIN OF THEIR INHABITANTS.  43
among others upon the beach, they approached
the boat, and overwhelmed all the, white men
with kind greetings; and they afterwards supplied them with hogs and bread-fruit, for which
they would receive nothing but a little tobacco
in return.




44    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS,


CHAPTER IV.
INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS, OF THE ISLANDERS.
Early Records-Classes of the People-Despotic RulersHereditary Rank-Orders of Nobility-Customs-Laws
-Punishment for Offences- Hospitality- Customs in
War-Pitched Battles-Naval Actions-Religious Institutions-Character of their Gods-Idolatry-Temples
- Priestly Order - Ordinances - Taboo - Customs of
Burial - Future State - The Arts - AgricultureMechanical Arts-Building-Astronomical Knowledge
-Fine Arts-Historical Poems-Oratory-LanguageExamples of Language-Remarkable Customs —Prevailing Vices-Social Life-Savage Character-Cannibals - Degraded Condition - Low Condition of the
Women.
WE may now take a short review of the ancient institutions of the islanders, both civil
and religious, and of the state of the arts,
with the character of some of the remarkable
customs which prevailed      among them.      For
our knowledge on these subjects we are chiefly
indebted to the missionaries, who, from the
nature of their occupation, and their necessary
acquaintance with the native tongue, must be




OF THE ISLANDERS.


45


considered to be the best informed on all these
matters.
The authority upon which the greater part
of the annals among the people rests, consists
of poems and songs, which, as in the early ages
of most nations, record the events that led to,
or were coeval with, the foundation of society
among them. Those which have gained the
most credit with the missionaries, appear to
register the vicissitudes of no less than seventyseven generations since the people first lived in
a state of society, subject to kings, or chiefs
firmly enough seated to exercise such degrees
of rigour as is usually found the sole means of
maintaining order in the earlier stages of any
nation's history. They abound, however, in
accounts of the deeds of warriors and extravagant tales, as well as in the records of such
vices and crimes as stain the earlier pages of
the history of every people.
From a remote period, the islands seem to
have been independent of one another. Their
internal governments were perfect despotisms,
under no other check than such as arose from
the respect in which the people held certain
customs and laws connected with the name of
any revered king. These were chiefly such as
regarded the titles by which lands were held,
the security of property and person under certain circumstances, and the regulations of some




46    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS,


taxes levied for the maintenance of the chiefs,
and for religious uses.
The people were in effect divided into two
orders; the nobles, who passed their lives in
idleness, and the slaves or serfs, who were
bound to the soil, and belonged to its owner.
The will of the reigning king, when he was
able to enforce it, was their sole law. If his disposition was good, the people were happy in his
protection against the oppressions of the chiefs;
but if it were otherwise, the whole state of
society became disorganized, and the worst of
crimes prevailed throughout the land.
The king sometimes delegated his authority
to chiefs who ruled islands or districts; but in
general the government was carried on by means
of numerous agents, through whom the king's
will became known. His particular household
consisted of a number of idlers, kept for ceremony and pomp, among whom were the executors of the law.
Rank was hereditary, descending almost
always by common consent from the woman,
on account of the impossibility, in such a state
of society as existed, for the male descent of
any one to be known.
There were three orders among the nobility.
The first comprised the king, and all his family
and relations whatsoever; the second, the chiefs
of districts, and the chiefs of villages; and the




OF THE ISLANDERS.


47


third, those who held estates upon rents paid to
the king, and those to whom these might happen
to be let. Though lands were by right held
from the king, many possessed them by titles
alone of conquest, which passed from generation
to generation, without any question of the validity of the claim. The respect paid by the
lower ranks to the chiefs was extremely servile,
and any neglect thereof was punished with death.
But, inconsistent as it may appear, there seems
to have been general assemblies of all classes
of the people, upon which occasions speeches
were made with perfect freedom, and great
powers of eloquence, judging from the reported
effects, were produced.
Some customs, rather than laws, existed,
which served for a criminal code. When offences were committed, and the parties were
equal, retaliation was sanctioned; but in case
of the injured party being too weak to resort
to this method of punishing the offender, an
appeal was made to the king, or to some chief
of a district. These, influenced by caprice or
policy, punished or pardoned the offender, or
left the matter to the priests, who, secure in the
superstitious awe with which they were regarded, subjected the defendants to ordeals sufficiently adroitly managed to condemn them or
not as they pleased.  Murders were rarely
punished, on account of the party chiefly injured




48    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS,


among the living having seldom any motive for
appeal. Theft was often punished with death;
but every license was permitted to the no.bles,
in their transactions with the inferior classes.
Hospitality, so common among the most primitive people, was also a virtue among these
islanders.
Frequent wars appear to have taken place
among the inhabitants of the different islands
of the group at every period of their history,
excited sometimes by the ambition of neighbouring chiefs or rival kings, but often arising
out of private injuries committed by the
tenants of one chief upon those of another.
The regulations and laws of war were sufficiently established to reduce their savage strife
to something like a system. As soon as war
was declared, heralds were sent forth to summon
all the people to assemble for the common defence; and the king, with his chiefs and the
priests, met to form their plans of attack and
defence, the king or highest chief of the party
taking the command. Their first step was to
dispatch all those who were not capable of
bearing arms to strongholds prepared for them
on elevated positions, or in the recesses of the
forests, or to such places of refuge as have been
above-mentioned. Then the armies assembled
under their leaders, every chief with his followers
forming a separate division. The people were




OF THE ISLANDERS.


49


trained to combat, by exercises in the use of
such arms as they possessed, and in the movements that such skill as the chiefs had attained
enabled them to plan. Their principal weapons
were javelins, spears, and slings by which they
could lance stones with great force and exactness. They do not appear to have used much
strategy, whether owing to the nature of the
ground upon which their battles were generally
fought being open, or to any other cause; nor
do their combats seem to have been so bloody
as the uncontrolled ferocity of their natures
would have led us to expect. The greatest
skill was displayed in the drawing up of the
armies and arranging the order of a pitched
battle. A solid body of spearsmen occupied the
centre, while the wings were composed chiefly
of slingers, and those who bore the missiles of
closer combat.  The king, or commander-inchief, placed himself at the head of the centre
division; and near his person appeared some of
the priests bearing the idols, and by loud shouts
and yells stimulating the courage of their own
party, and striking terror into the hearts of their
enemies. Naval actions were also sometimes
fought, in which one or two hundred canoes
were engaged. Their wars, however, were not
commonly of long duration, although generally
complete in their results, by ending in the entire
subjection of the vanquished, whose fighting
E




50    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS,


men retired to strongholds, and left the conqueror to appropriate their country and enslave its entire population.  Some of the prisoners were usually massacred; while others
were reserved and sacrificed at the altars of the
idols which had accompanied the victors.
The ancient religion of the islanders continued to prevail long after many Europeans
had been some time among them. No material
change indeed took place, until after the Christian missionaries had been able to establish themselves, and had had time to prepare the way for
the general conversion of the people, by acquiring an influence over their chiefs and principal rulers. The religion of a people in the
condition of these islanders at the epoch of the
discovery of the group, is a subject, however,
that we can rarely contemplate, without a feeling of depression almost strong enough to deprive us of the calmness with which the acts of
men in every stage of society should be reviewed, or a feeling of degradation almost sufficient to bereave us of that sense of the dignity
of our nature, which is so closely connected with
our hopes of a future life.
Nothing that ever bore the name of religion
could more excite our horror and wonder, than
that which existed among these islanders, were
we not acquainted with the practices which prevailed among even the most refined nations of




OF THE ISLANDERS.


51


antiquity, and during the lifetime of such men
as will never cease to be objects of the admiration of mankind. It consisted of the belief in a
number of gods, who were to be feared, conciliated by sacrifices and worshipped, in a
manner that was well suited indeed to the
characters given to these precious objects of
adoration; and the chiefs and priests, generally understanding each other, employed the
same means resorted to for the same ends among
all barbarians-pretended communications with
invisible powers, accompanied by such other
practices as their experience revealed to them
were the best adapted to excite the terrors of
the people.
The origin assigned to these gods, though
somewhat obscure, seems generally to have been
similar to that of all other nations that have not
arrived at any idea of the unity, and of the spiritual nature alone, of the Deity. Some were
heroes, who had been the terror of the nation;
others were creatures such as we cannot accuse
Nature of having ever formed. Some were male,
and some female; and they generally presided
over particular places, or directed especial operations in the natural or moral world. Some of
them rejoiced in the turmoil and fire of the craters
of volcanic mountains, which broke into furious
eruption or ceased to burn at their will; while
others moped in secret caves and deep ravines,
E2




52    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


or in thick forests, into which they often drew
men by their artifices, and destroyed them.
Many of them were represented by wooden
idols. There were also particular household
gods, which owed their existence or adoption to
the terrors of families on uncommon occasions.
These passed from generation to generation, like
other goods and possessions.
I shall only name two of these worthies of
the island mythology, which our course of observations in a future page may seem to give
us some little interest in-their famous male
deity, called Lono, who will be found identified with the discoverer of the group; and the
female deity, Pelee, who dwelt in the midst of
the terrible fires of the great volcano, which we
shall visit.
There were temples, or heiaus, erected in
different parts of the islands, for public worship,
and for offering sacrifices, which were sometimes of men, sometimes of the only quadrupeds
they possessed, which were dogs and swine, and
sometimes of the first-fruits of the productions
of the soil.
The priestly order comprised quite a distinct
class, whose offices and functions were hereditary, and whose revenues, besides possessions
in land, proceeded from exactions levied upon
the people.
The most successful deception practised by




OF THE ISLANDERS.,53


the chiefs and priests was, a kind of ordinance, called taboo, which sometimes put a spell
upon, or prohibition to touch or make use of,
certain objects, which became sacred to the
priestly order, and at other times served to excite the terrors by which they perpetuated their
power. By this means, everything possessed
by that order was conserved to their use, and
everything which they coveted was easily obtained. But other and more general instances
of this ordinance were sometimes carried into
effect. The whole of the population, when it
was the pleasure of their rulers, were put under the spell, which suspended every kind of
labour. The obligation to this effect was announced by heralds, who were sent throughout
the land, commanding men to frequent the temples, and pass the greater part of their time in
prayer and sacrifices to the idols within them.
Sometimes there was a seemingly rational object for this sort of taboo, supposed to be particularly acceptable to the gods, such as victory
over their enemies, or the recovery of the king
from any sickness with which he happened to
have been afflicted. But more commonly the
dread ordinance was only a means of exciting
terror, and practising acts of tyranny and barbarity. The punishment inflicted upon all who,
either by accident or design, broke these taboos
by committing any forbidden act, was always




54    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


death, except in cases where, as it sometimes
happened, the offenders were too powerful to
be quietly despatched. Some of the victims were
buried alive, and others were put to death by
lingering tortures of a day or more's duration.
The bodies of the people generally, were
placed in caverns, or holes perforated in the side
of cliffs overhanging the sea, after the manner
we observe to have been the practice of the
ancient Egyptians, in their cliffs bordering the
Nile, or in the vicinity of their larger towns.
Among the multitude of religions, as we are
accustomed to call equally the most refined systems of faith and morals, and the most barbarous
superstitions, even down to some so horrible
that they seem as if Satan had more to do with
their invention than men, there appears always
one bright spark-" give the devil his due"which still feebly illumines the general darkness
-some star that the malign spirit could no more
extinguish than he could put out the fire of that
shining orb that met his eye, when, after his
passage through the " nethermost abyss," he first
entered the precincts of light, bound on his bad
errand to destroy,
"If ancient and prophetic fame in heaven
Err'd not,"
a new order of beings-our poor race-aboul
that time to be created. In the faith of thes(
islanders, this star was dim indeed; but it classe(




OF THE ISLANDERS.


55


them in the order of beings to which it was designed they should belong; -they believed in
a future world prepared for the just and the
unjust, and, in common with civilised men, in
the happiness of the good and the punishment
of the wicked.
The most important of all the arts-that
upon which the accumulation of wealth and the
increase of the amount of leisure, the means
which lead to civilisation and refinement, chiefly
depend-agriculture, was, before the arrival of
Europeans, in a very primitive state among the
islanders, depending only upon practice and the
aid of the rudest implements.  Among other
useful arts of which they had attained some knowledge, may be mentioned the medical. Men, I
believe, have never been found, even in their
most savage condition, without some acquaintance with the healing, as well as the poisonous
properties of many species of the vegetable kingdom. Unhappily, however, in the simplest stages
of society, whatever knowledge is attained in
this art is engrossed by the priests, who report
that they received it from the gods of their
dread hierarchy, and oftener employ it to excite
superstitious terrors, and acquire or conserve
their power and influence, than for sanative purposes. Here, these deceivers rioted in the fulness of their ill-acquired power over the duped
multitude, secure from the opposition even of




56    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


the best of kings or chiefs, by the universal
dread entertained of their power over the lives
of all men. Those who practised the art, appear
to have been a distinct order of priests, or
hereditary seers; and, like the common herd of
sorcerers everywhere, they administered their
medicines accompanied with a multitude of occult ceremonies, and probably as often with evil
as with good effect.
The progress of the islanders in the purely
mechanical arts was as great as we could expect
where no metals were employed. The instruments with which they worked were chiefly of
stone and shell. With these they were able to
furnish themselves with their weapons of war,
their instruments for fishing, many articles of
household necessity or luxury, and such as they
employed in their various sports, their canoes,
some of which were sixty feet in length, their
mats made from rushes, and a sort of cloth
woven from a species of flax indigenous in the
lower lands, their instruments of music, and
vessels for drawing water, or for containing any
articles, dry or liquid. Their ordinary houses,
consisting of a mere frame of wood, entirely
thatched with dried grass, and containing only
a bench and some mats, required but little skill
to construct or furnish. They were usually built
by their intended occupants, and rebuilt at the
end of six or seven years, beyond which they




OF THE ISLANDERS.


57


rarely lasted. Those of the chiefs, however, were
more carefully constructed, and required the
united skill of their best workmen in the arts in
which they severally excelled.
The missionaries have collected some tolerably exact accounts of the progress even of astronomical knowledge in the islands previous to
the arrival of the Europeans.  There seems
something incongruous in applying such terms
to any acquirements of savages such as we have
seen these islanders. They appear, however, to
have distinguished one or two of the planets
from the fixed stars, and to have had names for
several of both of these. They divided their
year into two seasons, regulated by the declination of the sun, rather than by the increase and
decline of vegetation, not always regular. They
made the year to consist of twelve months of
thirty days each, rather than, as we should have
supposed, of the period of the moon. This seems
to indicate, either that their knowledge was derived from other sources than observation, or
that their observations were made from a very
remote period.
In such of the fine arts as usually accompany, if they do not precede, all the most useful
save such as are founded upon the simplest of
the mechanical powers, the islanders were considerably advanced; and they were no exception, among varied inhabitants of the earth in




58    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


the same stage of society, in their love of metrical compositions, oratory, and music. Their
earliest essays were only one of the varieties of
the universal hymn raised by all creatures, in
the dawn of their existence, to the common Lord
of all. After these came other compositions,
which recorded all the remarkable transactions
of their history. The profession of the bards,
who were the authors of these, being hereditary,
and their lives kept sacred to this purpose, their
productions were learned by heart and recited,
and thus handed down from one generation to
another, from the earliest age; so that scarcely
anything that might have been composed could
have been too voluminous for preservation. Two
circumstances, however, became the cause of the
loss of the greater portion of their annals: frequent and destructive wars, with the consequent
disorganisation of society; and, the partial cessation of the profession of the bards, before sufficient curiosity had been felt, or enough of the
language acquired by Europeans, to induce them
to gather carefully the records that remained.
There was also a class of strolling musicians,
who accompanied their rude music, consisting
chiefly of a kind of drum or tambourine, with
songs of an inferior order of composition, but
much more of which has survived.
The orators were also hereditary. These
were chiefly employed by the kings and high




OF THE ISLANDERS.


59


chiefs as ambassadors in times of peace, and to
excite the passions of the people during war.
Their language appears to have had few terms to
express abstract ideas, but to have been almost
limited to such as merely gave utterance to some
passion or sentiment which is common to our
nature. By the use of figurative language, however, they are known to have had the power of
moving the passions of the people to a degree
hardly to be conceived by those who have witnessed nothing similar.  Their proper poems
recited, as well as their odes and songs, derived
great advantages from the abundance of the
vowel sounds in the language, and the consequent smoothness and harmony of its verse and
cadence.
No attempts seem to have been made to represent language by signs of any kind. A few
simple lines and figures appear upon some of
the rocks, together with some very imperfect
drawings of animals, but they are almost too
rude to be worthy of notice. From the report
of the natives, they seem to have had no more
meaning in them than some inscribed by tourists
in many other countries, to commemorate their
visits to the places where they leave them.
Their language has now, however, been resolved
into its first principles by the missionaries, and
figured by the same letters we use. From the
beginning it was perceived that it was composed




60    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


of short syllables, terminating invariably in vowel
sounds. But after the analysis had been commenced, it was discovered that, while all our
vowels were necessary to reduce it to writing,
its variations of sound were so limited as to
require but the addition of seven consonants,
making in all only twelve letters. The following few words and explanations will give some
idea of its character. They are taken from the
vocabulary printed by the missionaries for the
use of the islanders in acquiring the English
tongue. The phrases employed to express our
most ordinary monosyllabic nouns and verbs
will show at once the better properties of the
language and its ill-adaptation to the purposes
of civilised life.
sun-e kau i ka la
moon — ka mahina
month -he hapa humikumamalua o ka makahiki
year-e makahiki
day-he la hokoa
night-ka wa poeleele
island-he dina i huo punim e ke kai
tree -he laau nui
wind-he makani
cloud-he do
to be-he haina hooid e like
to have-ua loan ia nona
to give-he haawa aku
to take-he lalau lima
to sow-he puau wahine
to mow -e oki me ka paki oki mauu mahoo
to reap —e okioki i ka ai me ka pahi kakiwi.




OF THE ISLANDERS.


61


There were many remarkable customs among
the people, of which I shall chiefly mention such
as most tend to mark their natural dispositions,
or serve to characterise the age in human progress which they had attained, with some of
those which still relieve the weary hours of their
monotonous lives. Among the more characteristic were their performances in the water. Here
they wrestled, swam in a number of different
ways, sometimes with their hands alone, and
sometimes with only their feet, often after jumping into the foaming flood beneath precipitous
cliffs. But there was a sport among them, of
which the bare mention by a name, not improperly given it by foreigners, might cause any continental European, with the imperfect acquaintance almost all possess of our own manners,
to exclaim, Behold a second Britain! This is
called mokomoko by the natives; and by the
foreigners, boxing.  The antagonists fought,
indeed, much in the same manner as our
boxers. They were the serfs of different, and
perhaps rival, chiefs; and their combats were
regulated by laws or usages similar to those
that prevail among us. Nevertheless, as there
were usually several on either side, when stimulated by the applause of the spectators, one or
two were frequently killed.
A custom also prevailed, bearing singular
relation to the wake of our Hibernian fellow



62    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


countrymen. When any one of a family died,
the relations assembled, both within and without the hut of the deceased, and filled the air
with their lamentations. But upon the decease
of a chief, the inhabitants of the villages gathered in tie valleys and along the shores,
where they lighted funeral fires, around which
they gave way to the wildest grief; and their
loud cries passed from village to village, and
from island to island, in a short time, throughout the whole group.
Some of the practices that took place on
these occasions, if not exaggerated in the accounts given of them, almost exceeded anything
that an European might imagine. All law, all
order, all restraints upon every passion of our
nature, are said to have been entirely thrown
off. Drunkenness, plunder, broils ending in the
death of many, and general prostitution, prevailed throughout the land for several successive days, terminating only in the triumph of
human shame over the spirit of licentiousness,
after the unrestrained passions of men were
exhausted, and natural weariness succeeded.
Among their peaceful amusements was
dancing by the women, which was sometimes,
however, in honour of triumphs over their enemies, and sometimes of a religious character, and
was accompanied by the beat of drums and the
songs of the musicians.  At other times the




OF THE ISLANDERS.


63


women danced only for the amusement of the
chiefs; and often their performances consisted
of mere distortions of the body and other acts,
too far removed from decency to admit of description. One of their games consisted of sliding
on a board, down smooth declivities, often terminating at the brink of a cliff, from which they
fell into the sea. The rest were mere games,
resorted to for the purpose of gambling, to which
the people were much addicted, even to the
sacrifice of the last article they possessed. One
of these resembled our drafts, and another
bowling.
All their relations of social life, or such as
chiefly distinguish the civilized man from the
savage, were of the most degrading character.
There existed a union, something like marriage,
among them; but this seems to have been confined almost wholly to the higher class chiefs.
Men usually allied themselves with only one
woman at the same time, but changed her for
another, just as inclination happened to prompt
them. But those who had the means, kept as
many as they thought proper. The tie, whatever name we may give it, was at all times extremely loose; and in general every one's wishes
were gratified, without any restraint proceeding
from the fear of the consequences of jealousy.
Guests, especially, though mere passers-by, were
permitted to indulge their inclinations, without




64     INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


regard to any ties whatever that happened to
exist between the men and women of the houses
into which they entered. It would have been
considered a breach of hospitality to have done
otherwise. But the worst feature of this phase
of their morals was the frequent incestuous
character of their intercourse, which was carried
to a degree, indeed, which almost exceeds belief. But this absence of restraint upon their
desires ceases to surprise us when we remember
we are speaking of men who " made their generation messes to gorge their appetites." Captain
King, indeed, in his journal, when giving an
account of the death of Cook, seems to think
differently; but he grounded his opinion upon a
nmere answer to a question asked of the natives
who brought off a portion of the mangled body
of his captain. They might have thought he
inquired whether they themselves had eaten the
rest; and as this was the greatest act of contempt
they could put on their enemies, it would have
been folly to confess it, when they had come on
board the ship upon a peaceful errand.* That
the islanders were so low in the scale of human
creatures is, however, well known from such of
their own oral records as we have above mentioned. Some among them, indeed, even recol* Many accounts of this matter have been given, but it
is believed that the heart alone of Cook, was eaten by some
children, who mistook it for that of a hog.




OF THE ISLANDERS.


65


lect the day when the practice prevailed. As
far as Europeans have been able to discover, it
appears that the horrible custom was very general many ages ago, when all parties in the
islands used to roast and devour the flesh of
their enemies taken in war with the most frantic
zest; but that, about the time of the discovery,
whether from any cause of mere temporary
effect, or from any real progress in their manners, it had much diminished. Perhaps their
progress in the art of agriculture, whether by
accident or from practice, was the cause of this
improvement; for we must, for the honour of
our species, believe, that hunger has always
some share in stimulating men to acts that
degrade their nature below that of the brutes
that roam the most sterile deserts.
The parental and filial attachments, upon
which civilization so much depends, scarcely
existed among the islanders. The aged were
put to death by their children, or left to perish
in exposed places.  Infanticide was practised
to so great an extent, that more than one-half of
the children are supposed to have perished by
the hands of their parents, who by the law had
unlimited power over their offspring.
The state of degradation in which the people
lived, without doubt in a great measure proceeded from their drunken habits, the art of
producing an intoxicating spirit, which they
F




66    INSTITUTIONS, ARTS, AND CUSTOMS


called awa, being well known to them. The
pernicious liquor was obtained by a process
worthy its use and effects. Men sat round a
caldron, masticating the leaves of a plant of the
same name, which in that state was thrown into
a common receiver, where this filth was left to
ferment until the spirit was produced.
Among the most pernicious of their laws
were certain prohibitions and restrictions upon
the women, which so degraded them, as totally
to destroy that influence with the opposite sex
which Nature seems to have intended to be one
of the means of humanising and refining our
species. Perhaps a just moral, as well as
political history of the progress of mankind,
would date the commencement of the best eras
of civilisation in the several countries, both
ancient and modern, that have attained any
degree of advancement, from the period of the
raising of the women to an equality with the
other sex. Not the first step in this direction
was taken by these islanders, until some time
after the Europeans had settled among them.
At the time concerning which we are now
chiefly treating, the women remained in the
lowest state of degradation.  They lived in
apartments separated from the men, or in distinct houses, not being allowed to enter those
of their husbands or brothers for other purposes than to perform the duties or obligations




OF THE ISLANDERS.


67


of slaves. They never ate or drank in company
with the men; and they were forbidden, under
the heaviest penalties, to partake of the most
choice articles of food which the islands supplied; among which were, pork, shark, tortoises,
and several of the best fruits, especially cocoanuts and bananas.
Such appears to have be en the civil and
religious condition of these islanders, and the
state of the arts among them, before the arrival
of the Europeans; such the advance they had
made, from what is commonly deemed the natural condition of our species, towards those
degrees of refinement with which we are better
acquainted. The transactions and changes which
took place between that epoch and the present
time, we shall now attempt, in as brief a manner
as possible, to relate.


r 2




68


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


CHAPTER V.
SKETCH OF THE PROPER HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.
Discovery-The King of Owhyhee- Kamehameha —Visit
of the first Merchant Ships-La Perouse-Kamehameha
invades Mawhee-Character of this King-Compared to
Fingal-Invasion of Kamehameha's Territories-Effects
of an Eruption of a Volcano-Cruelties of a Merchant
Captain- Retaliation-Sailor Davis-Sailor YoungFavourites of the King — Honours conferred on the
Sailors-Vancouver's Arrival-His Intercourse with the
Natives-Massacre of White Men-Causes - False Impressions - Vancouver's second Visit - Landing first
Cattle-Instance of Favour to the Women - Acts of
Vancouver-Young and Davis-Vancouver's AdviceNew War of Kamehameha - Kamehameha's Private
Life-Death- King Liholiho — First Missionaries arrive- Their Reception —High Priest's ConversionKing embarks for England-King and Queen die in
London - Return of his Companions - Captain Lord
Byron -Arrival of Romish Priests -Consequences —
Effects of the Mass-New Reign-Political Affairs.
ON the 27th January, 1778, Captain Cook,
perhaps aided by some vague information received from the Otaheitians, whom we have supposed to have had intercourse ages before with
the inhabitants of this group, first descried the




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


69


island of Kawai, and came to an anchor in the
bay of Waimea, on its southern coast.  The
character of the first intercourse between Europeans and the rude natives of the Pacific islands
is too familiar to every one to need any remarks
in this place.
Kalamhopuu reigned in Owhyhee at the
time of the discovery of the group. He died in
the spring of 1782, after leaving the eastern
portion of his dominions to his son Kiwalao,
who was already established in the government of those districts, and the western to
his nephew Kamehameha, who became subsequently the most famous warrior and king
whose deeds are recorded in the native annals.
Dissensions, however, soon arose, and Kiwalao,
excited by his chiefs, entered the dominions of
Kamehameha, and, being met by his rival, an
action took place, which is said to have lasted,
with short intervals of repose, for eight days.
It terminated, however, with the death of Kiwalao, by which Kamehameha became master
of the whole island.
The first event in the history of the intercourse of the Europeans and the inhabitants
of the group, after the death of Cook, which
occurred in the autumn of 1786, was the arrival of two English merchant ships, the King
George and the Queen Charlotte, commanded
by Captains Portlock and Dixon. On their




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SKETCH OF THE PROPER


appearance off Karakakooa bay, they were met
by numerous canoes, which came off to exchange such articles as the natives had found
most valued by their former white visitors, for
iron, axes, and other wares, of which they had
already learned the use. In the evening the
natives left the vessel, and the following morning the captains, pleased with their good prospects, came to anchor, though very cautiously, in this notorious bay. But here they
were boarded by such a turbulent set of
fellows, without any chief to keep them in
order, that they soon thought it prudent to
weigh again and leave the place. After persevering, however, in carrying on a running
traffic for several days, they steered for Woahoo,
and subsequently for Kawai, upon the coasts of
which islands they anchored, and continued to
trade with the natives.
Among the memorable incidents of this
period in the history of the islands, was the
visit of the unfortunate La Perouse, who anchored his two frigates in the strait between
Mawhee and Molokai, on the 28th May, 1786.
He remained but two days, and had consequently but little intercourse with the inhabitants, of whose dispositions he carried away
very favourable impressions.
During the war for the sovereignty of
Owhyhee, Kahekili, who had become king of




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


71


Mawhee, and of all the rest of the considerable
islands of the group west of Owhyhee except
Kawai, had sent aid to Kiwalao, which, at the
close of the contest, induced Kamehameha to
invade Mawhee while Kahekili was at Woahoo.
The description given by the natives, of the engagement which took place between the subjects
of Kahekili, commanded by his son, and the
Owhyhians, commanded by Kamehameha, reminds us of the battles sung by the blind bard
of our own island, in something like a parallel
age in the two people's history; and such was the
reputation of the Owhyhian hero at this time,
that even that of Fingal could hardly have been
greater. If the Owhyhian had not the unparalleled virtues of the peaceful kind, as well
as of the warlike, which together give such
affecting interest to the actions of the Caledonian, he was as much superior to any of his
predecessors in clemency and moderation after
victory, as in his acts of heroism in the field.
He was of uncommon stature and strength, and
was not less remarkable for the power of his
voice; but his heroism was always under the
government of his better judgment. Standing
far off during the battle, like the Caledonian
warrior, he directed and watched the turn of
events, until he observed any portion of his
army yield ground, upon which he rushed with
the swiftness of an eagle to their aid. By his




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SKETCH OF THE PROPER


voice alone he struck his enemies with terror,
while he animated his warriors, whom he led to
victory. This contest terminated in the total
defeat of the Mawhians, and the flight of the
son of the king of the island to Woahoo.
During Kamehameha's absence on this expedition, Keoua, one of the chiefs of the king's
late rival in Owhyhee, who had taken refuge
in the mountains after the defeat of Kiwalao,
entered his territory, left under the command
of Kaiani; but an eruption of the volcano of
Kilauea happening to occur while he was on
his march in the vicinity of the mountain, part
of his warriors were destroyed by the gasAeus
and sulphureous vapours proceeding from the
great crater, while a part, terrified by their superstitious as well as their natural fears, fled
before the supposed vengeance of Pelee, the
goddess of the volcano, who they believed had
risen to aid their enemies and destroy them, and
the rest were defeated by Kamehameha, after
his return from Mawhee. After this, Keoua fled
again to his former retreat in the mountains,
where he remained until, weary of solitude, he
surrendered himself to the conqueror, by whom
he was put to death and sacrificed with several
of his friends.
We must now recur to an event which
happened the year before the departure of Kamehameha for the prosecution of the war in the




HISTORY Of THE ISLANDS.


73


leeward islands. The American vessel, Eleanor,
Captain Metcalf, arrived at Owhyhee, and after
engaging in trade for some time, left this island
and anchored off Honuaula, in the island of
Mawhee. Two of the chiefs in that island,
hearing of her arrival, laid a plan by which
they stole one of her boats which had been
moored under her stern, and in which a seaman
that had been left to watch was sleeping. As
soon as they attained the shore they murdered
the seaman, and burned the boat merely for the
nails it contained, which served them for fishhooks. A reward was offered by the captain
of the Eleanor for the remains of his boat and
the body of the seaman; but as the island was
at the time under strict taboo, which none dared
violate, no one for the present appeared. At
the term of the taboo, however, numbers of
canoes came alongside, some bearing a part of
the body of the seaman and the remains of the
boat, for which they claimed the reward, some
loaded with provisions, and others merely to
gratify their curiosity, which enabled the American to revenge himself, after his own manner,
for the murder of his countryman.  Regulations were enforced, by which all the canoes
were gathered on one side of the vessel without allowing a man to come on board. Then,
at a convenient moment, the guns, loaded with
grape-shot, bullets, and nails, were run out,




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SKETCH OF ftIE PROPER


and suddenly fired upon the innocent and the
guilty, accompanied by a volley of musket
balls from the deck, by which about a hundred
natives were killed, and a proportionate number
wounded.
About the same time, or a little after this,
a small schooner that had been the consort of
the Eleanor, and was commanded by the son
of Metcalf, arrived at Kawaihae, in the same
island. No communication having taken place
between the father and son, the latter, who was
a mere youth, and full of confidence in the
loyalty of the natives, admitted many of them
on board, who came with a quantity of supplies
for his vessel. The natives, however, were a
party of serfs, with their chief, Kameeimoku,
who came on board in a false character, to
seek an oppGrtunity of revenging upon the white
men the late and other offences; and, as soon
as his party was in sufficient strength, he attacked the schooner's crew, and murdered them
all, save one seaman, named Isaac Davis, who
was, however, carried on shore wounded.
About the same time, or a little before this,
the Eleanor arrived at Karakakooa bay, in
Owhyhee, where, notwithstanding the news of
the massacre committed by her captain at
Mawhee having reached the island, she was
suffered to trade unmolested, on account of the
war existing between the two islands. After a




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


75


short stay, she got under weigh to leave the
bay, while one of her seamen, of the name of
John Young, was still on shore. But it happened at this very time, that news arrived at
this bay, of the capture of the schooner and the
murder of the crew, and Kamehameha, who
was here, would not allow Young to be taken
off, lest Metcalf should have heard of the circumstance, and should, in revenge, murder the
crew of the canoe that carried him. In the
meantime, the captain, unwilling to trust a boat
on shore, sailed, leaving Young behind him,
without having heard of the murder of his son
and the crew of the schooner.
With the captivity of these two seamen,
Young and Davis, commences a new era in
the relations between the natives and white
men. Thus, thrown accidentally among the
islanders, without hope of escape, they entered
into the service of the king, over whom they
soon began to exercise considerable influence.
Kamehameha, indeed, was so pleased with his
white friends, that, in order to render them contented and secure their future services, he presented them with estates, and raised them to
the rank of high chiefs.,
Notwithstanding the honours, however, that
were conferred upon these sailors, and the
security they seemed to enjoy, they had shortly
reason to find that they were still among




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SKETCH OF THE PROPER


savages. Any general ill-will borne them they
had no reason to suspect. From the king to
his meanest subject, every one seemed so much
attached to their new associates of another race,
that no open outrage could have been committed
against them without subjecting the assailants to
the certainty of being instantly put to death.
The most remarkable events which followed
the settlement of these seamen comprise the
several visits of Vancouver. This enterprising
navigator first anchored with the ships Discovery and Chatham in Karakakooa bay, on the
3d of March, 1792. His stay here, as well as in
the group on this occasion, was short, and his
opportunities for observation were few; but
he appears to have been much struck with the
apparent depopulation throughout the group
since a former visit he had made with Cook,
which was chiefly caused by the wars that had
almost ever since raged between the kings of
the different islands. Several of the natives
boarded the ships; but upon finding that the
object of their commander was to survey the
coasts, and not to trade, and that they could not
obtain any weapons of war, which were withheld from them by Vancouver with scrupulous
exactness, they left the ship in the bad humour
that never fails to display itself with men in this
stage of society at the smallest disappointment
of their hopes. After touching at Waikiki bay




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


77


in Mawhee, and at Waimea in Woahoo, the
ships sailed for the coast of America.
Vancouver, after visiting the coasts of America, returned to the islands in the spring of
1793, bringing with him the germ of future
abundance in a new source of wealth to the
natives, consisting of some horned cattle and
sheep which he had procured in California.
After visiting Kawaihae in Owhyhee, he continued his course southward along the western
coast of the island, during which he was boarded
by Kamehameha, accompanied by the sailor
Young, now the chief of the king's councillors.
The island happened at the time to be under
taboo, and all transactions were unlawful, except
for procuring fire-arms, the possession of which
was already so coveted that the firmest rooted
of the superstitions of the islanders gave way
before the desire to procure the weapons of war
of Europeans. Vancouver, however, by the
influence he had gained over the chiefs, obtained
permission to break the taboo to do them better
service, and several of the cattle and sheep were
landed and presented to Kamehameha.
At the same time, in order that the islanders
might receive all the advantages he intended, he
procured, before finally leaving the islands, a
promise from the king, confirmed by a taboo
upon the new stock, that not one should be
killed during the space of ten years, and this




78


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


promise was faithfully kept. The increase of
the animals was, however, so rapid, that before
the expiration of the time the horned cattle became sufficiently troublesome in the neighbourhood of the villages, by breaking down fences
and devouring the grass huts, as well as the taro
crops of the people, to oblige the king to order
them to be driven to the mountains, where their
race still roam wild in great numbers, and form
a valuable national property, as we shall more
particularly see when we visit this island.
The British captain, indeed, did something
more than this. He obtained a promise from
the king, at which the delicate sex especially,
among every people, could not fail to approve a
certain degree of satisfaction. It has been mentioned that, under the ancient system, the most
choice of both the animal and vegetable food
of the islands was strictly taboo to the women.
But the captain exacted some relaxation of this
unjust restraint, in a promise that they should
be permitted to eat of the flesh of the animals
he brought, after the term of the taboo; though
the favour, it must be allowed, was a little qualified by the reserve, that they should partake
only of such parts as were in other cases given
to the dogs.
The enlightened king with whom Vancouver
held his intercourse, warned by the fatal consequences that had so often attended the transac



HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


79


tions between the natives and the Europeans,
upon his finding it to be the wish of the Europeans to establish an observatory on shore, laid
down himself a plan for the regulation of the
crews of the ships and his people, which was
considered judicious by the British captain, and
was attended with complete success.
Vancouver made, while in the island, the
most strenuous efforts to put an end to the war
which was still raging between Owhyhee and
the leeward islands; but his efforts were attended with little success, on account of its being
the policy of Kamehameha to continue the war
until he had subjected all the islands of the
group to his rule.
Vancouver sailed after a fortnight's stay;
but again visited the island, and for the last
time, in January 1794.  He arrived off Hilo,
on the east coast of Owhyhee, and Kamehameha
happening to be at the time residing there, immediately came off to visit him. The British
captain received the king with great marks of
esteem, and invited him to accompany the vessel
on her voyage round to Karakakooa bay. He
appears to have been now so favourablyimpressed
with the character of the king, and especially
with his judgment in retaining the white men,
Young and Davis, of whose good sense and
humanity he had formed the highest opinion,
that he did all in his power to confirm him in




80


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


his possessions and authority. For this purpose
he departed from his former cautious policy,
and supplied him with guns and ammunition,
and instructed him in the manner of forming
a guard, as the nucleus of a formidable force
by which he might both maintain his dignity and secure his dominions. At the same
time he gave the two remarkable sailors the
best counsel which the circumstances admitted.
These white men appeared, however, to occupy
a peculiar position. With estates and great
influence with the king, and, as is not always
the case under such circumstances, greatly
beloved by the people, they nevertheless pined
for their native hearths; and, after having
made several attempts to escape, they were
guarded with such care, that any one aiding
their flight would have been put to death by
even Kamehameha's subjects themselves, if the
king had spared them. Vancouver, however,
advised them to remain where they were, pointing out the advantages of the life they now led
over that to which they would be condemned
upon quitting the islands. He advised them
also, after dwelling upon the satisfaction they
would therein receive, to devote themselves
faithfully to the service of the king, and by
their conduct to show an example of humanity
and good morals, such as would exhibit to the
people the difference between the character of




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.      81
honest white men, and that of the infamous
traders, many of whom came but to rob and
demoralise them.
The British captain, who thus benevolently
instructed both Kamehameha and those who
had acquired the greatest influence over their
master, concerning the civil government of his
dominions, was also the king's best councillor
upon the spiritual affairs of his people; and, in
spite of his own modest account of what transpired, we must proclaim him the first Christian
missionary that visited these islands. Shocked
by the effects of the superstitions that prevailed,
he dropped the first seeds of the purer system
upon such soil as the moral condition of the
natives afforded. In particular, he endeavoured,
in his discourse with the king, to show, by every
means in his power, that their system of religion was without any evidence of its truth, and
that it was condemned by its direct opposition to
the constantly apparent beneficence of the Power
by whom all things were made. The seeds thus
sown, did not for the present, however, so much
as raise their green blades of hope above the
gross idolatry which was so deeply rooted in
the land.
Not long after the departure of Vancouver,
Kamehameha undertook an expedition for the
subjugation of all the islands of the group,
and Young and Davis, and several other foG




82


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


reigners now settled in the islands, accompanied
him. His army is said to have numbered 16,000
warriors. The fire-arms they possessed, and the
counsel their leader received from the foreigners,
gave the Owhyhians great advantages over their
less fortunate foes. Thus the islands of Mawhee,
Lania, and Molokai, and even Woahoo, were
speedily subdued; and some time afterwards the
submission of the chief of Kawai left Kamehameha master of the whole group.
As soon as the king was firmly established
in his entire dominions, he changed a great portion of the ancient system upon which civil society was based in the islands, more particularly
regarding the right of property and the tenure
by which it was held. He declared himself to
be the sole lo d of the soil, which he apportioned
out to the chiefs among his followers, on the
condition alone of military service when required; and he appointed governors to the several islands, to whom he gave power to regulate all internal and minor affairs. Young was
appointed Governor of Owhyhee, and Davis had
large possessions confirmed to him; and these
two former seamen were now fully identified
with the rest of the subjects of Kamehameha.
The private life of Kamehameha was much
less stained with the excesses common to this
stage of society, than were the lives of the greater
part of his subjects, or of those of many abso



HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


83


lute princes in much more advanced countries.
The king, after a long stay at Woahoo, returned
to the hereditary portion of his dominions, and
lived sometimes at Kailua, and sometimes at
Karakakooa bay.
In the spring of 1819 Kamehameha died, at
the age of sixty-six, and was succeeded by his
son, Liholiho, then in the twenty-fourth year
of his age. A great revolution, both in the
civil and religious affairs of the people, had
been quietly taking place during the whole of
Kamehameha's reign. The influx of a better
class of foreigners than had formerly settled,
their habits of industry, and the example of a
higher degree of morals than had hitherto been
known to the islanders, (in spite of the acts of
a disreputable set of traders who still visited
the islands, and the character of some escaped
convicts who came among them,) had much
tempered the arbitrary acts of the king, and
caused a general relaxation of the rigour which
had attended all the superstitious observances;
while the universal respect entertained for this
extraordinary man, both by his own subjects
and by the whites, acted as a check to prevent
any loss of his power in the administration of
the government generally: all which tended to
prepare the way for the new state of things
about to commence in the islands.
As the commencement of Liholiho's reign




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SKETCH OF THE PROPER


was only a year before the arrival of the first
avowed missionaries, we may consider this to be
the era of the introduction of Christianity into
the islands.
The mind of the new king, who took the
title of Kamehameha the Second, like that of
almost all of his subjects who were associated
with Europeans, was in a state of extreme disorder in all that appertained to the moral condition of the country. Infidelity, even to inducing
ridicule of their ancient system of religion, prevailed; and the moment seemed arrived for the
establishment of the faith of civilised men. The
women, on account of the state of degradation
in which they lived under the old system, were
the chief instigators of the violation of the taboo
and other hard restrictions which had prevailed;
and the priests were the upholders of the ancient
system.
In the spring of the year 1820 the first missionaries arrived off Kailua, in Owhyhee, sent
out by a society in the United States. The reverend gentlemen to whom the honourable charge
had been entrusted were, Mr. Thurston, Mr.
Bingham, and Mr. Ruggles. They all had wives,
and several had children; and they were accompanied by a medical gentleman, an agriculturist,
a carpenter, and a printer. They were visited,
before the vessel which conveyed them came to
anchor, by two dowager queens, and by Kalai



HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


85


moku, the prime minister, who, on account of
his having raised himself by his eloquence and
his services as a councillor of the king, had received from the Europeans, and bore universally,
the title of " Billy Pitt;" and from all of whom
they met with the most encouraging reception.
The king had indeed already caused the greater
part of the idols throughout the islands to be
destroyed, which had left the more intelligent
of the people, in a position somewhat novel in
the history of religious revolutions, and doubtless very favourable for the introduction of the
new faith. They were wholly without any religion, save that consciousness of dependence
upon some Power unseen, with which nature
inspires all rational beings.
The missionaries, notwithstanding their favourable, though non-official reception, remained
on board until they received the formal permission of the government to land. They had
heard that there were enemies to the mission
among the white people that were in the islands,
who had tried various means to prejudice the
government against them, which determined
them to conform to every formality that the
most rigid interpretation of the law they knew
to be in existence might seem to require. All
attempts, however, to defeat the purposes of the
mission failed; and, at a general meeting of the
chiefs, called for the purpose of considering the




86


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


objections that had been made, it was determined that the missionaries should be allowed
to settle for a year upon trial.
Upon receiving the report of this proceeding,
the reverend gentlemen landed; and Mr. Thurston took up his residence at Kailua, the capital
of Owhyhee; Mr. Bingham sailed for Woahoo;
and Mr. Ruggles settled in Kawai, at all which
stations they were favourably received both by
natives and foreigners, save a few of the latter
of bad or indifferent character. Everything now
went on so prosperously, that before the expiration of their year of grace, the king formally
requested of the new instructors of himself and
his people, that they would write to their friends
in America, to beg them to send out an addition
to their number.
But the circumstance which perhaps contributed the most of all to the early success of the
mission was, the humour in which the missionaries found the great high-priest of the idolatrous
worship. When we consider the history of the
superstitions that have in every country, at some
period or other, disgraced humanity, and how
rarely the priests with whom they originated, or
by whom they have been maintained, have been
foremost in the good work of reform, we cannot
but accept this instance, as an encouraging prognostic of the future success of yet unorganised
missions upon a more extended scale; and, we




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


87


trust, for reasons often enough given by travellers, upon a different plan from those which
have been hitherto undertaken.
The high-priest, Hewahewa, might, indeed,
serve as an example to the heads of all idolatrous religions throughout the earth, who, for
the gratification of their own vanity, their sensual enjoyments, or for the love of ease or power,
combine with the head of the state, and carry
on their false system from one generation to
another, against the conviction they must entertain of the thorough worthlessness of their dull
idols, and of the ill effects of the abominable
superstitions they maintain.
Having thus settled the missionaries in the
islands, we need not follow them through the
course of difficulties which they nevertheless
experienced, partly from the suspicions excited
in the minds of the chiefs that their aim was
rather to obtain political influence than to establish the purer system of religion and morals
among the people, and partly from the jealousy
of white settlers, who feared the loss of their
influence, in proportion to the credit the missionaries obtained.  In the meantime, all the
transactions of the government were in a greater
or less degree subject to the influence which
the missionaries personally exercised over the
natives.




88


SKETCH OF THE PROPER


As general knowledge began to be spread
among the people, much curiosity was awakened
concerning the great countries from which the
tall ships came that visited their islands; and
the king, whose progress in his studies is reported to have been respectable, was not exempt
from the laudable feeling which manifested itself
among his subjects. Thus, partly under this
influence, and partly with a view of making
friendly foreign relations, he determined, with
the consent of his council of chiefs, to sail for
England by the first opportunity which should
offer. This happened on the 27th of November,
1823, upon which day he embarked on board
the Aigle, carrying with him his favourite wife,
Kamamalu, Boki his prime minister, three chiefs,
and several servants.  They arrived at Portsmouth on the 22d May, 1824, whence they proceeded immediately to London, and took up their
quarters at Osborne's Hotel.
The adventures of the royal party in the
British metropolis, and their sad termination,
need only be recalled to the memory of the
reader. Our dusky guests excited the usual
wonder of everything novel among us; and they
were granted an interview with George IV. at
Windsor. Unfortunately, however, the king and
the queen both died in London. Upon this the
English government appointed the Blonde fri



HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


89


gate, commanded by Lord Byron, to convey the
rest of the party back to the islands, with the
remains of the king and queen.
The prime minister of the late king and the
rest embarked at Portsmouth on the 28th September, and they reached their islands on the
4th May, 1825.
On the 6th June succeeding, the chiefs assembled, according to their custom on similar
occasions, and proceeded to settle the succession, which was determined in favour of Kauikeouli, the brother of Liholiho by Kamehameha's favourite wife, Kaahumanu. This young
prince, then only twelve years of age, was
accordingly proclaimed king, and Kaahumanu
was declared guardian of the kingdom during
her son's minority.
Lord Byron, who had by his urbanity acquired great influence with the chiefs, was able
to give them very useful advice at the present
juncture of affairs, when they were full of doubt
concerning every step they advanced amid the
mazes of new ideas that were opening upon their
minds concerning the government and progress
of the people, which the change of their religion
and the modification of their manners convinced
them could not be carried on without corresponding changes in their civil polity.  The
British captain strenuously supported the Christian mission, under the reserve, which accorded




90. SKETCH OF THE PROPER


with the instructions received by the missionaries from the society to whom they were responsible, that they should not interfere with
the political affairs of the country.
While matters were thus proceeding as favourably as could be expected, when all the
difficulties necessarily arising from the change
of religion of a whole nation are taken into
account, the advancement of the people was
arrested by the inopportune appearance of two
Roman Catholic priests, who arrived at Honolulu
in July, 1827. They were appointed by the
Pope, with the usual affectation of the head of
the Roman Church, of not acknowledging the
existence of any other; but they were sent out
by a society in France, which had been deceived
by the interested and false representations of
an adventurer who had resided some years in
the islands; and the captain who brought them,
being anxious to get theni on shore, had landed
them in a surreptitious manner.
Open remonstrances were made. The regent and the chiefs, while they expressed their
willingness to treat them kindly, represented to
them the mischievous consequences Which could
not fail to attend their settlement in the islands.
They pointed out to them that the people had
already received one set of teachers, with whom
they were perfectly satisfied, and that discordant
doctrines would create dangerous dissensions in




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


1 91


so small and rude a community. "In powerful
and enlightened countries," said Boki, who was
the interpreter of the minds of the rest of the
chiefs, when discussing the propriety of permitting the priests to remain, "numerous denominations may exist and live in harmony;
but in this small society, any difference in religious opinions among us would beget dangerous
contention, that would check the progress of
civilisation, and perhaps altogether disorganise
society."
Such seems not only to have been the impression of the principal chiefs at that time, but
also that of the present king, then in his minority, who has since constantly declared, that
had the Protestant missionaries arrived in the
islands after the Romish, their settlement would
have been opposed.
With respect to the Romish missionaries
personally, I am able to report, upon the authority of those the least likely to be prejudiced in
their favour, that their lives and moral conduct,
since their arrival in the island, have appeared to
be unexceptionable. Nevertheless, it appears by
their own showing, through their correspondence
with the French Missionary Society, which has
not hesitated to publish their letters, that they
obtained their ends by deception and jesuitical
practices unworthy of men of any class, in any
society whatsoever.




SKETCH OF THE PROPER


When the Mass was first celebrated, it made
a curious impression upon those whom curiosity
had drawn together to witness the ceremonies.
They found in the images which they seemed
to see worshipped, so great a resemblance to
their ancient idols, as to produce upon them a
powerful and immediate, but, according to the
condition of their minds, a very different, effect.
Those who had for some time discarded the religion of their fathers, looked upon the whole as
a system of gross idolatry, which excited their
abhorrence; while many, who were late or insincere converts, finding their disposition to idolatry flattered by the new sect, fell back to the
worship of their ancient deities, whose attributes
they found it easier to comprehend; and among
the latter was even Boki, the so lately best opponent of the settlement of the priests.
It is much to be regretted that representations were not at a proper time made to the
French government, and this easily foreseen
state of things pointed out to them, which
could hardly have failed to produce. the best
effect with a people so free as the French
from that ultramontanism, and those narrow
religious feelings which degrade several other
Roman Catholic people.
There were, at the time of my visit to the
islands, 11,000 Romanists, upon a population
of about 80,000 souls; and it was thought that,




HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS.


93


in consequence of the enemies of the Protestant
mission having obtained influence over the society in America, that such a relaxation of the
efforts of the missionaries would take place as
must shortly lead to a great increase of Romanism. The seeds, at least, of discord have been
sown, and the venomous tares which have sprung
up on the too-fertile ground, will probably increase and embitter the remaining years of the
race which this error is fast contributing to
destroy.
In 1829, though the regency still continued,
the young king began to share the burdens and
responsibilities of the government. The regent
died in June, 1833, upon which Kauikeouli, now
aged twenty, assumed the entire government of
the group, under the title of Kamehameha III.
In 1840 the political affairs of the islands
were settled as they now stand, by a declaration of rights, both of the people and the
chiefs, and a form of constitution something
analogous to that which the British race everywhere enjoy.* It was not, however, until 1843
that the independence of the islands was acknowledged by the great maritime nations.t In
that year, commissioners from the king arrived
in Europe, and obtained from the Queen of England and the King of the French, the formal


* See Appendix.


t See Appendix.




94   SKETCH OF THE PROPER HISTORY, ETC.
recognition of their independence; and they
afterwards procured the adhesion of the United
States government to the same polity. With
these proceedings close the accounts of the
more remarkable transactions recorded in the
annals of the islands.




HONOLULU.


CHAPTER VI.
HONOLULU.
Former Impressions-Realities -Harbour of HonoluluDistant Views -Appearance of the Port-Character of
the Population of the Town-The Town-StreetsBuildings-Population-Visit to the British Consulgeneral-The News from Europe -The Traveller's
Residence -Illness from the bad Water —A Native
Major-Funeral of Billy Pitt-Native Church-Natives
at Church-Droll Scenes -Procession-ClergymanThe King-Ceremonies-The Burial-The Tomb.
BEFORE I landed at Honolulu, I had a very little
acquaintance with anything concerning these
islands that related to a date subsequent to
the epoch of their discovery, and that of the
visits of Vancouver. Their very name was
to me romance. The animated accounts we
have all read of the intercourse that took place
between our earlier navigators and the native
inhabitants, I remembered only as we retain
the impression of some of the leading features
of the first work of fiction we peruse, but
to which the tragic death of Capt. Cook gave
an interest that nothing unreal could raise



96


HONOLULU.


hardly anything surpass. My former dream of
times long past, seemed, indeed, but recalled
in its fullest freshness, as the whaler sailed
along the coast, and the huts and settlements
amidst palm groves and cocoa-nut trees presented themselves to our view. But though
I confess I was, upon landing, somewhat suddenly awakened from the pleasing vision of
societies of men fresh from the hand of our
common mother Nature, which the imagination
and the memory of early reading had presented,
it must not be supposed that we are about to
see only the reverse side of the picture of these
islands and their inhabitants so long engraven
on most of our minds, and to contemplate that
view alone which has too many European
features in it to possess the charm of novelty
we expect so find; for, although we shall presently tread the streets of a semi-European
town, we shall subsequently see some genuine
traits of the proper native life of the islanders.
We shall at least travel where the merchant
and planter have not been attracted by the
prospects of gain, and where the natives still
doze away their listless existence by the fresh
brook, or beneath the shade of the graceful
palm, amidst the unchanging face of nature,
forgetting the past, and indifferent to the
future.
The harbour of Honolulu is properly formed




HONOLULU.


97


by a mere indent of the coast, and a broad
coral-reef, through which there is accidentally
a narrow and rather intricate passage, with
twenty feet of water only at its shallowest part
at full sea. It is conveniently situated with respect to the prevailing winds, and sufficiently
capacious to contain above a hundred vessels in
perfect security. Outside this reef there is a
roadstead with good anchorage, where ships
bring up when the trade-wind, as is generally
the case during the day, draws out, or when
they are of too great draught to pass the reef.
Such as do not draw too much water, have
generally the opportunity of entering early in
the morning, when it is either calm, which
admits of their being towed in, or a light air
from the sea prevails.
From the roadstead where our ship had
anchored, and during our passage on shore,
we had a noble prospect under our view. Elevated lands, divided by broad ravines or fresh
green vales, were seen terminating in a narrow
plain, at the extremity of which, by the sea,
appeared the little capital of the islands. As
we approached the town, we observed a fortress,
which did not appear very formidable, on our
right hand, commanding the port; and, as we
came nearer, we saw storehouses, small vessels
hove down and undergoing repairs, and some
of the cumbersome materials of ship-yards,
E




98


HONOLULU.


which altogether gave to the place the appearance of one of the smaller class ports in our
American settlements.
About thirty years ago the capital of the
islands consisted of between one and two hundred huts, built of dried grass, and inhabited
by the natives who subsisted by fishing and
the cultivation of the taro root, with a few
houses of unburned brick or wood, occupied by
some chiefs and a few Europeans. But as the
islands, on account of their position and the extent of cultivable land they contain, enjoy advantages above any other of the numerous groups
which lie scattered over the wide Pacific Ocean,
it is here that we find the Europeans, whether
engaged in carrying into effect the constitution
which the country now enjoys, or acting as
agents of foreign courts, or being mere speculators and adventurers, have chiefly congregated. Thus, this so lately poor native town,
has become the centre of everything tending
to Europeanize the inhabitants, not of these
islands alone, but of all the rest of the groups
of the Pacific Ocean, while it is the chief port
in the best channel of intercourse between the
eastern coasts of the ancient, and the western
of the new world.
The central portion of the capital now consists of regularly laid out streets, on either side
of which stand houses or warehouses of wood,




HONOLULU.


99


constructed after the European style, generally
painted, and frequently placed within spacious
enclosures with gardens, and inhabited by Europeans (as it will be most convenient to call all
the white settlers or visitors in the islands, when
no nicer distinction may be required), while its
outer portions are still chiefly composed of
grass huts inhabited by the natives. Besides
these, there are, the king's palace, which is a
genteel European building, in good taste, and
several public edifices, among which are, the
Custom House at the port, and a building near
this containing the several public offices, and also
two Protestant churches, one Rorish church, and
the fortress above mentioned.
The population of the capital is estimated
at 10,000 souls, about 300 of whom are Europeans, or white men, the greater proportion of
these being Americans, or former citizens of the
United States, now  naturalised subjects of
Kamehameha III.
The town was quite familiar to the captain
of the Josephine, who had visited the islands
before; and, as I wished to pay my respects to
the sole resident agent of the British government, Consul-general, General Miller, as well
as to inquire for letters, he undertook to be my
guide, and we set off at once towards the
general's dwelling.
The consul-general's house was situated at
H2




100


HONOLULU.


the upper extremity of the town. We found
the general in his chief apartment, which opened
upon a lawn with flower - beds. I introduced
myself without ceremony, and had the satisfaction of meeting a polite reception. General
Miller is a veteran of the Peninsula. But he
had entered the patriot army in Peru during
the War of Independence, and raised himself
to the rank of general officer, and been one of
the principal leaders during the most arduous
struggles of the war, and had received no less
than eight wounds.
It was now eleven months since the date
of the last news we had heard from Europe,
which contained the accounts of the sudden
breaking out of the French Revolution of 1848.
The latest news which had reached the islands
came down to the end of May of the same year,
which was just closed; and the general soon put
us, thus far at least, into the current of events.
Our natural desire to know what had passed
nearer home up to the latest date, being satisfied, General Miller politely offered me his aid to
establish myself for the time of my stay; but as
my companion had previously volunteered his
services for that purpose, I was able to decline
putting the General for the present to any
trouble on my account; and the captain and
myself now set off in search of an abode of some
sort among the natives or Europeans of the place.




HONOLULU.


101


We first inquired at some of the nearest
houses, the doors of which we found standing
open. Their inhabitants were generally Englishmen or Americans; and one of these directed us to return towards the water-side,
as the most likely quarter to succeed in; and
here we soon found, within a spacious inclosure,
a neat little native house, constructed of dried
grass, containing two apartments, and furnished
with chairs, tables, and even a sofa. It had
been built for, and frequently let to, masters of
whalers visiting the islands. Within the ample
space in which it stood, there was also a proper
native hut, in which the family who owned the
property resided, the head of whom was Major
Mahooka of the royal army. Eight or ten men
and women, as we entered this, were lying
stretched out upon mats, all indulging in the
most absolute inaction. I took the unoccupied
dwelling without hesitation, subject to the arrangement that the little offices of the household should be performed for me by some of
the major's family; and, after getting my spare
effects up from the boat, in which they had
been left when we landed, I was at once installed in my island dwelling.
The morning after my first tranquil sleep on
shore, I had the honour of breakfasting with the
consul-general; and, late the same day, I was
led by a native to the church of the mission, to




102


HONOLULU.


join a gathering to assist at the obsequies of a
celebrated chief and member of the royal family, who bore the name of Billy Pitt, which he
inherited from his father, who had acquired the
appellation from the Europeans for reasons
already stated in the preceding little sketch
of the history of the islands. His body, as well
as that of a child of the royal family to be buried
at the same time, had been kept three months.
The ceremonies on this occasion were properly
European; but the scene which the church presented was a compound of the solemn and pathetic, mingled with what was, to an unaccustomed eye, sufficiently droll for the interior of
the house of prayer.
The building was spacious, with a gallery,
and was filled with benches. The first one or
two rows in front of the reading-desk were occupied exclusively by Europeans, who appeared to
be chiefly ship-masters, mechanics, and artizans
generally, while the rest of the space below
was crowded with the natives of both sexes.
After marching up the centre of the church,
we placed ourselves at the end of one of the
benches occupied by the natives, to await the
arrival of the procession. In the meantime I was
left quite at liberty to take a leisurely survey
of the novel spectacle. As there was nothing
of the solemn yet to be seen, the droll component in the view naturally first attracted the




HONOLULU.


103


attention of a stranger. The missionaries have
been especially exact about the dresses of the
women at church, and they do not allow the
men to enter in the condition of near nudity in
which many of them appear at other times. All
the women, save a few with some pretensions to
imitate more nicely the European fashions, were
dressed in loose blue-sleeved chemises alone,
and wore straw bonnets. The first-named portion of their dress sits gracefully enough upon
them, and seems rather to harmonise with their
dark-brown skins, approaching sometimes to
nearly a black, and leaves nothing to desire or
regret; but their bonnets, in colour and form,
and by the style in which they are put on, lead
to the most inharmonious compound imaginable. Yellow, or straw colour, is perhaps the
worst shade that could be chosen to set off
tawny skins; and not two of their bonnets were
put on alike. Generally they were placed in such
a manner as to bring the part that should have
been at the back of the head to the top; and,
as this seemed to be what they wished, whether
from taste or opposition, it was the easiest to be
done, by reversing the front and back of the bonnet, and thus putting it on, as we saw many, hind
part before. The women formerly wore merely,
and still generally display, as an ornament when
they are unrestrained, a very becoming wreath
round their heads, composed of small yellow




104


HONOLULU.


flowers, real or imitated; but the religion they
now profess requiring them to be covered in
church, has been the cause of this strange anomaly and amusing spectacle.
The men formerly wore, and still, where they
are not much mingled with Europeans, wear, for
the most part, merely what is called the maro.
This consists of a mere strip of cloth, of an inch
or two in breadth, passed round the waist, and
from the centre of the front part of this, between the legs, to the centre of the back part.
They generally now, however, in the streets of
the town, in addition to this, wear a blue shirt,
much shorter than the shirt we wear; but they
put on little or nothing else save what chance
may happen to have thrown in their way. Whatever fortune does, however, provide them with,
they are sure to display at church, on account of
the obligation they lie under of wearing as much
clothing as possible when there; which, in conjunction with the appearance of the women, has
produced such a scene, as to make a stranger
wonder how the officiating clergyman can maintain his gravity while addressing such an assembly. Some of them, on this occasion, had
trousers on, and some had none. Some wore
their shirts hanging over their trousers, and
some had them   tucked in.   Several I observed, who were near us, had on, apparently,
the left-off coats of Europeans, which they wore




HONOLULU.


105


without trousers, or waistcoats, or shoes, or
stockings.
After some delay, the procession appeared,
and marched slowly up the centre of the church
towards the desk, which was occupied by Mr.
Coan, the officiating clergyman. It consisted
of his majesty Kamehameha III., dressed in our
Windsor uniform (adopted in the islands at the
recommendation of George IV.), of the Queen
and her sister, and several of the ministers, who
were Europeans, and the agents of foreign governments in their diplomatic uniforms. The
king was supported, leaning on the arm of one
of the ministers, and appeared ill or affected by
the ceremony. On the arrival of the bier beneath
the desk, his majesty and the ladies took their
seats in pews beneath the gallery on the right
of the desk, and the ministers and foreign agents
placed themselves near them.  Prayers were
now offered up by Mr. Coan, in the Kanaka or
native tongue, and hymns were sung by the
congregation, accompanied by the notes of a
small organ, played by a native young lady.
After this the clergyman spoke a funeral oration in the same tongue; and the service was
concluded by a very appropriate prayer in the
English language.
These offices being ended, the procession,
which I now joined, again formed, and the bodies
of the two chiefs and the child were carried to a




106


HONOLULTU.


simple stone edifice, at a little distance from
the church, where the remains of Liholiho, the
last king of the islands, and those of several of
the royal family, repose.
During the march of the procession, some
of the Europeans, who understood the Kanaka
tongue, criticised the oration of the clergyman.
They blamed the omission of any mention of the
ancestors of the deceased chiefs, among whom
there were, it appeared, several of great celebrity in the national annals. This proceeded,
they said, from a doubtful policy of the missionaries to let all remembrance of the ancient
religion of the islanders, and of those who professed it, pass from the minds of the present
generation.




HONOLULU.


107


CHAPTER VII.
HONOL ULU - (continued).
Effects of bad Water-Removal to the Consul-General'sIntroduction to the Ministers-Consuls-Walk up the
Valley-Views-Reception from Officials-Rains-Contradictory Course of Sickness -Climates -Prevailing
Diseases-Depopulation of the Group-Causes of Depopulation-Pernicious Customs- General Indifference to
Life-Causes of Indifference-Consequences-Observations in the Hamlets-Want of Sympathy-Sad Proofs
of this - School Examination - Speeches - ScholarsSchool of Nobles.
I WAS scarcely settled in my grass abode, before
I became too much indisposed to be long out of
doors. My complaint was a disorder in the
bowels, proceeding from the use of the water of
the low country. The derangement is common
to all strangers during the earlier days of their
sojourn in the islands. I was not, however,
informed of this on my arrival, nor that some
of the best water in the world was to be had
by sending to the higher lands in the vicinity,
which after a few days I learned from General
Miller, who favoured me with a call. My con



108


HONOLULU.


dition, in the mean time, had become so bad,
that the general, unwilling to leave me to the
care of the natives, kindly invited me to take
up my quarters at his abode. As with most
invalids, I did not at first like leaving my own
apartments, but the general insisted, and a few
days under his hospitable roof sufficed to effect
a thorough cure.
The general, while I was with him, took
an early opportunity of introducing me to the
king's chief ministers, the foreign consuls, and
several of the European merchants or planters
settled in the island. I shall mention, for the
present, the principal personages only whose
acquaintance I had now the pleasure of making. These were, Mr. Whylie, the Minister
of Foreign Relations; Mr. Judd, the Minister
of Finance; M. Dillon, the French Consul;
Mr. Tirrell, the American Consul; and Mr.,
Ten Eyk, American Commissioner. The two
latter-named gentlemen were residing in Honolulu, but the ministers and the French consul,
though they had offices in the town, resided
upon estates at one, two, or three miles up a
broad ravine, called the Valley of Nuuanu, which
divides the hills that rise from the narrow plain
immediately in the rear of the town.
On our visit to the gentlemen out of town,
we proceeded on foot across the plain, by a
carriage-road tolerably well formed, and, for a




HONOLULU.


109


considerable portion of the way, raised above
some marshy lands over which it passed. Upon
these lands appeared many native huts, distributed about the country amidst the luxuriant
vegetation of the climate. They generally stood
in the midst of plantations of the most important production of the islands before the settlement of Europeans and the introduction of
the sugar-cane and coffee-tree, and-which still
affords the staple article of food to the native
population throughout the group-the taroroot, already mentioned, and to be the subject
of some further and more particular remarks.
The views, as we ascended towards the
higher ground, were picturesque on all sides.
At intervals, throughout the lower lands, were
seen scattered groves of palms and cocoa-nut
trees, while the higher, amidst the rude evidences of former volcanic action, presented the
deeper green shades of the varied productions
of the cooler regions.
In reference to the object of our walk up the
valley, I shall only for the present say that we
found the gentlemen we were in search of at
home, living in quite European style, and at
about a mile from each other on the rising
country, with more or less of pleasure-grounds
attached to their dwellings; and, as I was in the
good company of the British Consul-general, it
need not be added that I met a very favourable




110


HONOLULU.


reception, and found no reserve in the communications of these high officials concerning
such of the affairs of the islands as formed, very
naturally, the subjects of our conversation.
I shall now, without any regard to the order
of time, proceed to mention such circumstances
as came under my observation during my stay
at Honolulu, and my communication with such
other members of its community as I had the
pleasure of knowing.
It was at this time the rainy season in the
islands, and although there was much fine
weather, and the sky was generally clear, there
were at intervals of a few days, severe storms
of six or seven hours' duration, which generally
occurred at night, and were always accompanied
with torrents of rain; and thus, sickness was
general among the natives, to whom, however,
it was wholly confineda
It seems strange, until we are acquainted
with, and consider the causes, that in these latitudes in the isles of the Pacific, the course of
sickness and health, in regard to the Europeans
and the natives, should be the reverse of that
which equally dissimilar races experience in the
tropical isles or coasts of the Atlantic. In the
islands in the West Indies, and in those near
the coast of Africa, quite free from the pestilential malaria of the continental shores, and
possessing a similar soil to that of these isles,




HONOLULU.


111


and not very dissimilar vegetation, beneath the
most brilliant skies, and amidst the abundance
of Nature, the white man withers and dies,
while the native flourishes; but in the islands
of the Pacific the white man lives, while the
native dies at such a fearful ratio as to threaten
the speedy depopulation of the groups. The
superiority of the climate, owing especially to
the little variation of the thermometer, mentioned in a preceding chapter, may be sufficient
to account for the health of the European races;
but for the sickness generally of the natives we
must look chiefly to causes which are, perhaps,
beyond the reach of any human means to check,
and, for the immense proportion of mortality
among the sick, to others which must be more
particularly exposed.
At this particular time the natives were suffering from no less than three distinct diseases,
all of European importation-the measles, the
influenza, and dysentery; and they were dying
in such numbers that, before I left the islands,
upon a population of 80,000 by the latest census,
the loss was estimated at 10,000, or one-eighth
of the whole population.
Thus it will be seen, that even the causes of
their sickness are chiefly such as will admit of
no remedy.   But the so great proportion of
the mortality among them must be attributed,
in a very great measure, to an invincible obsti



112


HONOLULU.


nacy, and tenacious hold of some of the customs of their forefathers, which is commonly supposed to proceed from a belief in fatality, but
which, it seems more probable, springs from the
well-known indifference to life which prevails
among men in the earlier stages of society, or
in a semi-civilised condition. Their ancient religion rarely refers in such a definite manner to
a future state, as to inspire much hope or fear,
or to beget a sense of the dignity of our nature,
sufficient to keep men from sinking under every
real calamity; and the new religion, while unaccompanied by a total change of manners, has
never enough hold of the mind to excite either
hope or dread of futurity, sufficient to make
men cling to life in the manner they are wont
to do in a more advanced state of society.
But with respect to indifference to life generally, perhaps I may not inappropriately here
also remark, that it has occurred to me to observe this trait in the human character among
people of very dissimilar races, of widely different manners, and wedded to customs held as
tenaciously as any we shall observe among these
islanders; and this, too, both where the first
effects of their intercourse with civilised men
has been felt, and where ancient superstitions
and manners have undergone no sensible change;
and I may say that, as far as I have been able
to judge, I have found self-respect and value for




HONOLULU.


113


life increase in proportion to the strength of
men's rational impressions and expectations concerning the future. And this I may also remark, is one of the reasons why I have very
confidently in several instances, however I
may have differed from some who appear
to me to leap too hastily to conclusions at
which they desire to arrive, expressed a sense
of the necessity of a great change in the manner
of carrying out the missionary system generally.
These semi-civilised islanders, if we may consider them so far advanced, whatever the cause,
at any rate view the approach of death with an
indifference that is extremely striking. Some,
during illness, will listen to no counsel from
any one, and others follow a custom which they
see constantly terminate in, if it be not the
cause of, death. The moment the least fever
appears, they say, "As I am too hot and my
blood is boiling, I must find the means of cooling
myself;" and, they rise from their mats, and
when near the sea, plunge into the waves, or lay
themselves down upon the beach for the surf to
pass over them. But if they dwell inland, and
cannot reach the sea-shore, they search out a
fresh brook, in which they lie down at full
length. The consequence, in both these cases,
is of course the same. Death takes place, even
very often in a few hours, but seldom later than
the day, after the experiment has been perI




114


HONOLULU.


formed. The practice is of ancient date. The
several persons who informed me of it, told me
also, that great pains had been taken with such
of the people as were mingled with Europeans,
to persuade them to abandon a custom which
had been the cause of the destruction of so many
who had gone before them, but, that these counsels had only had effect with, or more properly,
that the practice had only been foregone by, a
few who were entirely under white control. To
these causes of mortality may also be added the
want of such aid from their relatives, as all
classes of Europeans are ever ready to render to
one another, and which arises from a remarkable deficiency in sympathy in cases of illness,
as indeed we shall presently see, even with
the nearest akin. One of my European friends
who mingled much with the natives, informed
me, moreover, that there was a general impression among them of their early extinction; which
so broke their spirit, that many when sick
seemed to grow worse and to die, from despair
and the mere want of sufficient energy to take
the commonest care of themselves.
I frequently accompanied the General upon
little riding or walking excursions in the immediate vicinity of Honolulu, and was everywhere
struck with what we saw and heard of the course
of the diseases that prevailed, and the indifference with which their consequences were re



HONOLULU.


115


garded. In most of the houses into which we
entered, two or three had been carried off; and
in some there was not a single tenant remaining.
All had been buried within a month. In one
hamlet that we visited, as we came in the centre
of the closely-packed group of grass huts, we
observed a man, apparently about the middle
age, seated upon his mat at the door, and wrapt
up as if he were feeling the cold. We approached him, and the General asked what was
the reason we saw nobody about the place, and
that we did not hear the voices and the laugh of
the women, with which a stranger is usually
greeted among the natives at the threshold of
their dwellings; upon which the man informed
us, that every human being in the hamlet, save
himself, had been buried within the last week.
"And why, then," said the General, "do you
not leave the place and come down to the town,
where you may be among friends, and where
the change may restore both your spirits and
your health?"  "I do not want to live," said
the native, in answer to the suggestion of the
General; "all my friends are gone, and I shall
soon follow them."
Another day I was walking alone within
the proper limits of the town, when five or
six young women, seated at the door of one
of the grass huts, after greeting me with the
accustomed peal of laughter, begged me to
i2




116


HONOLULU.


enter their dwelling. The huts of the natives
are usually rather dark within, for want of
proper windows. This had but one small aperture; and as there was a sort of verandah along
the front of the house, under which the women
had been sitting, the interior, further darkened
by this, was even more obscure than usual. I
observed, however, a bed upon a kind of bedstead; and as there appeared to be no other seat,
I placed myself upon this. Then as the women
all sat down upon their mats, I determined to
make an attempt to carry on as much intercourse
with them, as a few useful words of the tongue
which I had learned from the vocabulary of the
missionaries might enable me. The attempt to do
this with such a merry set soon led to all kinds
of mirth, while the essay was not quite abortive.
Questions were asked and answers given on
both sides; and our intercourse was becoming
more and more amusing, when suddenly, after
my eyes were sufficiently accustomed to the
obscurity to see better, I perceived a woman
lying on her back upon a mat near the middle
of the hut. Upon this I asked, half in words
and half by signs, why she was lying so still, or
whether she were sleeping; in answer to which,
one of the young women, also by speaking and
making signs at the same time, desired me to go
and look at her: on doing which, I observed that
she was dressed in the accustomed loose che



HONOLULU.


117


mise, but that her head was ornamented with
leaves and wild flowers. Upon seeing this, it
occurred to me that she was acting a part in
some native ceremony of the bridal day with
which I was not acquainted, and I was about
to give her a good shaking, when my ear was
suddenly struck by words from one of the women,
which I knew very well, and which revealed
what the colour of the skin alone of one of the
white race would have been sufficient to disclose-that she was not sleeping, but was dead.
Upon hearing this, after touching the flesh of
the departed child of this simple race, to assure
myself of the truth of what I heard, I returned
to my seat, which I now perceived I had been
sharing with the lifeless body also of one of the
men of the same race, which was lying in a
wooden box or coffin, made in the same style as
those in which we lay the remains of our departed friends. The man they made me understand had been dead some days; but I did not
discover what relation he bore to them. The
young woman, who was their sister, had been
dead only a few hours.
General Miller, as anxious in his repose, for
the improvement of the rising generation around
him, as he had been formerly energetic in storming towns, led me on one occasion to attend an
examination at the school for white children,




0118


HONOLULU.


both boys and girls, established in Honolulu.
The examinations were chiefly of the boys. The
first subject was English grammar. Questions
were put, and the answers were promptly and
correctly given, though they seemed to be a
little too much got by rote. The next subject
was drawing, and after this singing, in both of
which the scholars appeared to greater advantage. Then came written essays, the subject
being the question, " Which were the most
beautiful, the works of Nature or the works of
Art?" On this occasion, the essays so much
surprised some of the company as to call forth
remarks, which obliged the master to declare
that he had no share in their composition;
upon which, suspicions, whether justly or not,
fell upon the parents of the scholars.  The
business of tile day was concluded with appropriate speeches by several of the missionaries
who happened to be present, and the General.
The former were in approbation of the progress
made by the scholars, and, very properly, as
complimentary to the master as to his pupils.
But the speech of the General was wholly
addressed to the scholars, and was chiefly calculated to impress upon them, above all things,
the importance of truth, which the orator believed to be too little dwelt upon by the heads
of schools generally.




HONOLULU.


119


Another day, by the particular request of
another schoolmaster, I attended, alone, an examination at, the "School of Nobles," which
consisted of six native boys and five girls, and
two American boys, all of whom were instructed
in English. The most remarkable of the scholars here was the native young lady who played
the organ on the occasion of the obsequies
before mentioned at the church. She was fourteen years of age, and was the daughter of the
Governor of the town. Her hair, however, and
her skin, were a shade too light to satisfy every
one of the purity of her blood. One would have
thought that this was a matter of very little
importance at Honolulu. It appeared, however, to have produced much talk, until some
ingenious or charitable persons happily made
the discovery that the colour of the skin and
the hair of the native race was much changed
when the children ate white bread.
The examination of the boys here was in
arithmetic, in which they displayed a remarkable aptitude, and in geography, geometry, algebra, and drawing. Upon the whole I was
able to express great satisfaction at witnessing
the success of the efforts of the master in so
important a cause.
From the school-room we adjourned to the
drawing-room of the establishment, where the




120             HON(LJLU.
young lady just mentioned played upon the
piano-forte, the air of the national anthem of
her country, which is the same as our own.
And after a few more words of encouragement
that I thought it my duty to give all the parties,
I took my leave.




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


121


CHAPTER VIII.
THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.
Voyage to Mawhee - Fellow-passengers - Incidents -
Views-Appearance of Lahaina-Arrival-Rendezvous
of the Captains of Whalers-A Judge —Hospitality
-Town of Lahaina-Rambles-Buildings-FruitsRomish Missionary - Tempest - Rambles - Taro Plant
-Cooking Pork-Poi-Bread-Fruit- Native Humour
-Vegetable Garden-Indigo Plant-High SchoolCharacter of the School - Native Idols - Impressions
concerning the Native Intellect - Governor Young —
Gloomy Prospects -Want of Respect for Men of Colour
-Cause of Ennui.
ON the 6th February occurred the first fair
opportunity of embarking for the windward
islands, which I gladly embraced, with the intention of making a more particular survey of
Owhyhee, the largest, and, in every sense, the
most remarkable and interesting island of the
group.
The vessel in which I embarked was the
king's yacht, a little schooner of about forty tons,
and bound to Lahaina, in the island of Mawhee.
Upon stepping on board, I found a number of




122


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


natives and several foreigners upon the deck.
Among the latter were Mr. Andrews, one of
the missionaries stationed at Mawhee; Captain
Crabbe, formerly of the United States Marines;
Mr. Hubbard, United States Consul for Mawhee; and Mr. Pinchard, Merchant of Lahaina.
But before we had been long on board, a boat
came off, bringing the king's prime minister,
Mr. John Young, son of the prominent character in the little sketch above given of the
history of the islands, Prince Alexander, the
heir to the throne, with another young prince
of the blood, and the wife of the premier, with
several young women, her domestics. Of the
noble troop, however, only the lady and her
maidens were to accompany us. The rest returned to the shore as we got under weigh.
We were not long out of port before seasickness stretched almost the whole party at full
length upon the decks. It was towards evening
when we sailed, and a bright moonlight night,
with perfect calm, succeeded. No one seemed
disposed to go below save the noble lady, who
retired with two of her maidens. Such of the
rest as were not downright ill, cheered by the
beauty of the night, discoursed and told tales,
and were merry enough through its first watches,
though a little disturbed by our companion the
consul above-named, who had indulged too much
in some inebriating beverage to be agreeable.




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


123


After this, the greater part of the passengers
rolled themselves up in their cloaks, or wrappers
of some sort, and laid down upon the deck and
fell asleep. Upon seeing which, I followed the
example of the native lady, and descended to
the cabin, and turned into a berth that was left
for me.
When I came upon deck the next morning,
soon after day-break, we were making the most
of a fine breeze from the north-east, and every
one was busy preparing for our early meal.
As soon as our distinguished fellow-passenger
came upon deck, with the damsels that had
gone below with her the previous evening,
we were naturally separated into three parties
to partake of our first repast.  The tribe of
natives upon the forecastle seemed to have nothing to eat but poi; but the premier's wife and
her party, with a plentiful supply of this staff
of life to all the islanders, ate also with good
appetites abundance of raw mullet, an equally
favourite national dish, though somewhat less
plentiful than the poi.
The wind, which had commenced with the
day, died gradually away, till there was scarce
enough left to admit of our stemming the current, always setting to the westward, or of our
making any visible progress. Throughout the
day, however, the scenery which the several
islands in view presented, compensated for our




124.THI ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


delay. We observed that the island of Molokai,
which I had seen from the Josephine upon our
first descrying the islands, presented upon this
side, the same irregular and rude aspect as upon
the other.
As the passengers began to get familiar with
one another, and the invalids to recover from
the sea-sickness of the preceding day, we formed
a very merry party; and, with the aid of Mr.
Andrews I was able to carry on an agreeable
interchange of thought with our distinguished
fellow-traveller, who, if her knowledge was not
very great, was full of good nature; while several of her maidens by their gaiety, relieved the
heaviness of discourse between parties with so
few ideas in common concerning either the pleasant or the serious affairs of our lives.
The second night was like the first, calm
around us, with the sky covered with its myriads
of brilliant lights.
When I came upon deck on the second
morning of our voyage, we were just entering
the strait between the islands of Mawbee and
Lanai; and about nine o'clock, we approached
the town of Lahaina, the capital of Mawhee.
The more distant scenery which the island
of Mawhee now exhibited was mountainous and
irregular, while its shores presented much rich
natural vegetation. The island of Lanai, upon
the opposite side of the strait, is more regular




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


125


in form, but possesses a sterile soil, and is productive of too little vegetation, to exhibit any
agreeable views.
As we proceeded, the town opened before us,
seated amidst groves of such trees as abound
in tropical climates, where the deep green of
the bread-fruit, which was predominant, contrasted well with the several lighter shades of
the varieties of the palm. The rich vegetation
extended as far as we could trace the shores on
either side; and, at some distance up the mountain, appeared a sufficiently extensive building,
which forms one of the missionary establishments.
We now anchored in the open roads off the
town, where there is excellent holding-ground,
and shelter during the regular trade-winds,
though ships are exposed when the wind, as it
occasionally happens, is from the southward.
My white fellow-passengers landed in the
first boat that came off, and the natives, high
and low, soon followed; but I remained on board,
to accompany the captain of the yacht, who had
offered to aid me in discovering some place to
dwell in during my stay in the place.
Upon our landing, we marched directly to a
resort oftlhe masters of the whalers, whose ships
comprise almost all of those that anchor in
these roads. We found, however, that the place
was used only for taking meals, and had no




126


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


accommodation for any strangers for sleeping;
so we set off in search of some native grass hut.
We had not, however, proceeded far, before
we met all our white fellow-travellers, who
were in search of us. They had landed, I now
found, in haste, expressly to endeavour to procure accommodation for myself, among some of
their friends, and with the expectation of returning to the vessel before I disembarked.
They well knew there was nothing to be had
among any of the natives, that would be much
better than the open air; and they had now in
their company a gentleman, whose name has
unfortunately escaped me, who was the judge
of the island, and owner of a little estate near
the town which he was converting into a sugar
plantation, and who came very generously to
offer me a vacant apartment in his house, which
I gladly accepted.
I dined in company with Mr. Pinchard and
the captains of some whalers that were in the
roads, on the day of our landing, and afterwards accompanied Mr. Pinchard to make a
little promenade through the town, and in its
vicinity, with which he was well acquainted.
Lahaina consists of about a dozen European
dwelling - houses and storehouses, belonging
chiefly to the merchants established here and
engaged in supplying the whalers that visit the
island, and to the mission, and perhaps about




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


127


ten times that number of native huts. It has a
fortress, also, of inconsiderable importance, which
serves for the residence of the governor of the
island.
We saw but few taro plantations near the
town. Very little of the famous root is cultivated
here, in proportion to the quantity grown in the
island of Woahoo. The country is in general too
mountainous for the plant, which delights in a
low and damp soil. The lower lands, however,
abound more in other native productions, especially the bread-fruit, than the sister island.
But the place is solely indebted for the embryo
European town it possesses, to the roadstead
which the straits afford for the anchorage of the
whalers, and other ships which pass the islands
without the intention of making any stay, or
the necessity of taking shelter in a more secure
port.
In our ramble beyond the limits of the town,
we entered several of the native huts, which we
found in general the same as those of Woahoo.
But within about a mile from the shore, my companion introduced me into a wood of tolerably
close-set trees, where he wished to show me a
habitation that he had himself built and lived in
for several years, but had now some time since
abandoned. After dwelling at Lahaina, and
trading with the ships that called at the islands
for a number of years, he had amassed a good




128


THE ISLAND OF MA&WHEE.


fortune for the country, which he had, perhaps,
with as much want of taste as of prudence, laid
out in building a dwelling in European style,
or, more properly speaking, in the style prevalent among Europeans settled in tropical but
commonly wealthier lands, and which a change
in his fortunes had obliged him to abandon.
The wood and underwood had grown up so much
since the merchant had last visited the spot,
that the path was concealed, and difficult to
discover. We did not, indeed, come in sight
of the house until we were within a dozen or
two yards of it. It was built of wood, and was
falling into decay.  The bread-fruit and the
orange might have been plucked from the balconies, that were shaded also by the broad
leaf of the palm. The banana, in its several
varieties, formed shrubberies beneath the taller
trees, and the ground under these was entirely
covered with the indigo plant. This had been
sown by the missionaries upon the lands above,
where it had been so productive, and the winds
had distributed the seed so far and wide, that,
throughout the ground to leeward of the farm
of the mission it had become quite a weed,
threatening, in case of protracted neglect, to
stifle every native production of the island.
On our way back to the town we called
upon a Roman Catholic missionary settled here.
The priest received us with much politeness,




THE ISLAND OF MAWVHEE.


129


and was quite open in his communications. lie
had very little hopes of any solid good arising
from the mission of his Church in the islands
generally. In appearance, he said, the time
considered, the progress of the mission was
great. Eleven thousand of the natives throughout the group, as above mentioned, had embraced that faith. But he confessed that none
that he knew, either understood or appreciated
what they were taught, and that their morals
were, in reality, no better than formerly.
The night of the 10th of this month was
most tempestuous. The broad palm and plantain leaves, which were blown from the trees
around us by the furious blasts from the mountains, dashed against the wooden walls of our
house with such violence that, at every gust
it seemed as if we were about to be swept into
the sea; and yet during the whole of the time,
which the necessity of keeping watch enabled
us to observe, there was not a cloud in the sky.
In the morning it was calm; and when communication took place with two ships which
were lying in the strait, it was found that,
though loaded, they had lain over three and
four planks during the gale, but had received no damage. These violent, but short
gales, are of very frequent occurrence in the
islands at this season; but as they are always
from the same quarter, the inhabitants, native
K




130


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


and foreign, know well how to guard against
their effects.
Upon the occasion of a walk which I took
the next day alone among the native huts, distributed without design about the vicinity of the
little town, I had the opportunity of tasting for
the first time, the famous bread-fruit of the Pacific Islands. I found a party of some five or
six men sitting or lying upon the ground outside
their hut, around a small heap of mould, which
was smoking as if a smothered fire were beneath
it, while a large caldron full of poi was resting
by the side of the fire. They invited me to sit
down, indicating by words and signs very easy
to comprehend, that if I would stay the cooking,
I should presently partake of a feast which they
believed would be agreeable to me; and, as I
seated myself to accept their hospitality, three
or four women came out of the house, laughing
at the accustomed pitch of their voices.
The poi, when prepared for food, has about
the same consistence, as well as the appearance,
of arrow-root made with milk; but the method
of eating it is about the most primitive imaginable. The inhabitants of the eastern deserts,
and of many cities, use nothing but their fingers
to eat their meat with; yet all use spoons of
some sort or other for whatever approaches the
thin consistence of a liquid. But the natives of
he great Ocean isles have not yet acquired the




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


131


simplest means of partaking of anything that
is between a mere liquid and their solid
food.
After a merry quarter of an hour spent in
laughing about a very little or nothing at all,
some of the women placed the caldron of poi
in the centre of the party, who all now closed
around the famous mess, some sitting, and some
half kneeling; and, as the inclination prompted,
every one put the forefinger of the right hand
into the poi, and, withdrawing it, placed it in
his mouth. If this were all to be done in order
to partake of the national dish, there would be
nothing in it that might much shock the most
delicate. But whether it be to give time for all
to share alike, or to dwell a little longer on their
favourite mess, the finger, as soon as it has left
in the mouth what it has gathered from the
caldron, is turned about and licked, with such
accompanying movements of the arm and the
head, and such grimaces, as are too far removed
from the elegant to be agreeable to contemplate.
Niceness, however, would be very ill-placed on
such an occasion as this, and I joined in their
feast, and made the best I could of my fingers
for the wanting spoon.
I shall take this opportunity of adding a
few remarks to those already made upon the
important root from which this dish is made.
Upon no production of the islands, either indiK2




132


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


genous or introduced, have the natives bestowed
so much care as upon the taro-root, which is the
sole succulent plant they possess, and which
yields, indeed, their chief article of food. The
root is usually planted in swampy lands, or in
situations that may be easily irrigated. It is
disposed in square patches, regularly diked on
all sides, but with apertures in the banks, forming
channels for the water, which is made at intervals to flow through the whole plantation, after
the manner of the vineyards of Syria. When
prepared for food, it is pounded and ground by
crushing and rubbing it upon a large polished
stone, with a stone in the hand, till, after the
mixture of a little water, it is reduced to the
paste from which is made the mess called poi.
It is known to be very nutritious; though to a
stranger's taste, it is sufficiently insipid when
newly made, but a little acid when kept, in which
state it is usually eaten by the natives.
The advantages which the islanders have
derived from this root, on account of the care
which its cultivation and preparation for food
require, are perhaps almost as great as that
which proceeds from their possession of so nutritious an article of diet. By the labour and
patience which it has obliged them to exercise,
they have acquired habits of industry unknown
among the natives of any of the other groups
in these seas. The swamps, indeed, in which it




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


133


is frequently planted, are fit only for the stoutest men to wade in; and it takes eleven months
to attain its full growth.
As soon as the caldron, which was not of
the smallest, began to get a little low, the party
desisted from dipping; and one of the women
threw down the little mound of earth that had
been smoking near us, and lifted a sack of coarse
cloth, in which was wrapped a small pig, baked
whole, which afforded me the opportunity of observing the manner in which the natives usually
cook their pigs and their dogs-the only two
land animals that they formerly had for foodas well as of testing the virtue of this method
of cooking, and at the same time the quality
of their pork.
They first dig a hole in the ground, of dimensions proportionate to the size of the animal to
be dressed. They then make a fire of dry sticks
in this, which they keep burning until the ground
is thoroughly heated for several feet around.
The fire is then taken out, and the pig or dog,
after being wrapped in a cloth, is placed in
the hole, upon which the loose mould is now
heaped up. Here it remains until the vapour,
which issues from the mound the moment the
hole is covered, is no longer perceptible, when
it is considered that the meat is sufficiently
cooked. Our pig, I confess, was not quite done




134


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


to my taste; though with beef or mutton-I
cannot speak of dogs'-flesh -it would have been
otherwise. The natives, however, found it quite
to theirs. It was now chopped up with a tomahawk, and torn to pieces with the fingers, after
a manner not adapted to beget an appetite with
most Europeans, and in which, indeed, I found
myself something wanting. With the aid, however, of the accompaniment to this dish, the
bread-fruit, I managed to do well enough, to
save appearances at least. There was certainly
never a more appropriate name given to anything seen for the first time, than that which this
fruit has received: not that it has the appearance
or consistence, though it has certainly a little
of the flavour, of bread; but rather because it
supplies its want with the natives, when they, as
we, eat food too solid or too gross to make an
entire meal upon, while it is insipid eaten alone.
The fruit is about the size of shaddock, and has,
when baked, the solidity of a half-roasted chestnut. Fresh-gathered, it has slightly the smell
of the citron; but it is generally or always eaten
cooked.
A friend who had called upon me soon after
my arrival, accompanied me one morning, during
my stay at Lahaina, to visit the master of the
chief school, I believe, of the natives throughout
the islands. It is situated a mile or two in the




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


135


rear of the town, upon elevated ground, forming
the first step of the mountains which rise to so
considerable a height in the interior.
As we passed by some native huts a little
removed from our path, several laughing women
and men, after giving us this accustomed greeting, shouted out also the term " Hayleye!" by
which I had been often before greeted by the
natives at Honolulu, but had not understood.
Upon my asking my friend to explain this expression, I found the word to signify English
chief, which the merry men and women had
thought proper to apply to me. They seldom
see any visitors to the islands who are not either
missionaries, sailors, or merchants; and, being
endowed with an inquisitiveness very natural,
as well as desirable to find among them, they
make inquiries, upon the arrival of a stranger,
to what order, or to which of the above orders,
he belongs; and they usually call every one by
their own term or the English, which indicates
their avocation or profession, besides their own
general term for white men, houries: but when
they find the stranger does not belong to any order
with which they are acquainted, they invent
some new term for distinction.  In my case,
whatever they might have been told, they seemed
to have chosen the term that borders on the
limits of the highest they make use of to express
their ideas concerning the relations men bear to




136


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


one another in such states of society as they
have seen or are able to comprehend.
The only novelty I observed among the few
natives that were scattered about here was a
vegetable garden, the produce of which was
disposed of at Lahaina. Nothing, it seemed to
me, could be better adapted to beget habits of
industry among people in the simple state of
society in which we find these islands, than the
encouragement of the light, profitable, and agreeable occupation of gardening.
We found the waste land everywhere as we
proceeded, choked and overgrown with the indigo-plant before mentioned, until we came to a
path that led us to a terrace on which the buildings of the grand school are situated.  The
position of the establishment is very fine, overlooking the town below, and the strait and roads
in which the ships ride at anchor, and the lesselevated island of Lanai. 
We found the manager of the school, Mr.
Alexander, and his lady and family, at home;
but, it being the season of the vacation, none of
the scholars were present. Though the American Society, from whom the various labourers
in the mission draw their funds, is composed of
members, I believe exclusively, of the church
called the Congregationalists, they have adopted
the good practice of the Moravians in sending
out married men only, that the lady may be an




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


137


example to the mothers and the girls of the
families with whom the avocations which the
system enjoins may bring them in daily contact.
Mrs. Alexander was the first of the ladies of the
mission whom I met in the islands, and I was
gratified to find her full of such information
concerning the progress of the objects generally
of the mission, as is only to be acquired by those
whose hearts are engaged in the work they have
in hand.  Her account, however, of the state
of morals among the natives, in some essential
particulars, was not very favourable.  "She
could have wished," she said, "to mix her own
children with those of the families around them;
but she found this to be impossible." All that
had been hitherto done, had not been able to
make the native women comprehend the peculiar
obligations and delicacy of deportment which
belong to their sex in particular. In what,
indeed, is generally termed proper religious matters, the results of the missionary labours had
been happier. If the seed sown had not been
productive of all the early fruits that' the most
enthusiastic spirits had expected, they had very
nearly routed out of the native mind all the tares
of their ancient absurd superstitions. Mrs. Alexander produced a parcel of little images of gods
of wood, which had been taken out of one of
the tombs in Owhyhee. She had also in her
keeping a little black stone, which appeared only




138       THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.
remarkable from its having a hole in it. By the
simple possession, however, of this, it was formerly believed men could catch as many birds
as they pleased. All these things were now
occasionally made playthings of, by the children
of mothers not yet very old, to whom they had
been objects of worship. The suppression of the
ancient superstitions had been brought about
very gradually.  One of the means that had
proved most effectual with the elder sort was,
the respect with which their own children, by
their education and the advance they daily made,
had inspired them.
There is an impression very general among
the white inhabitants of the country, that the
natives are in a more especial manner endowed
with the mental qualifications peculiarly proper
to abstract science. This probably, however,
arises from the greater attention given by their
masters to their instruction in arithmetic than in
most other branches of knowledge, perhaps not
only on account of its general usefulness, but
also-or at least this seems to have been its
effects-for the purpose of impressing all
beyond the age of school instruction with the
greater confidence in the judgment of those
acquainted with the seeming mystery and the
results which a few figures proclaim.
During my stay in this island, I had several
interviews with the native chief; Governor Young,




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


139


whom I found communicative and intelligent.
As the Governor could not speak English, our
discourse was carried on through the means of
an European quite conversant with the native
tongue. The chief's conversation, and indeed
his whole demeanour, were tinged with a degree
of melancholy, which, if it at first surprised me,
was much more in accordance with the spirit
and fleeting character of everything left in the
islands that is peculiar to the native race, than
the lively and thoughtless disposition of the
people of the inferior classes. He was one of the
sons of the famous sailor Young. He had been
in England in company with King Liholiho; and
one of the first conversations which I held with
him was concerning this memorable incident.
It will suffice to mention only such portions of
the discourse we held, as have not been anticipated in a previous chapter. The Governor
attributed the death of the king and queen to
their excitement, caused by the excessive attention shown them by the Londoners; but he
dwelt upon two circumstances in the history of
their adventure above the rest-the interview
which George IV. granted the survivors of the
party after the death of their king, and an incident that occurred on board the ship that conveyed them back to their islands. George IV.
he said, received them at Windsor, sitting upon
a bench in the park, and after asking them many




140


THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


questions relating to the general affairs of these
islands, promised them his protection in case of
the interference of any foreign power with their
independence. Moreover, upon their asking the
king his opinion concerning the respect due
to the missionaries who were already in the
islands, his majesty, he said, very strongly advised them to embrace the religion brought
among them, and to imitate the lives of those
by whom they were taught.
The Governor next, in the melancholy strain
which seemed habitual to him, even while expressing the enjoyment which he had had during
his sojourn in England, said: " What chiefly
occupied our thoughts while in England was,
the incomprehensible causes of the vast difference between men in the state of civilisation
attained by Europeans, and men in the simple
condition of the pure natives of these islands;
and what has chiefly since occupied my own
thoughts have been reflections concerning the
little hope to be entertained of preserving the
existence of the race to a third generation. Only
the highest among you," he continued, "' who
will never visit the Pacific, would be in a position exalted enough to hold the balance ofjustice,
and bring about the sole means of saving the
natives from utter extermination, even perhaps
before the maturity of the next generation-the
mingling of the races, if not by means hitherto




THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.


141


tried with very little effect, by some other that
might prove more effectual. By George IV. we
were treated with a respect very different from
that which we now receive from Europeans of
mean rank, even to his majesty's appointing
a frigate to carry us back to our islands.
Moreover, we found matter for reflection on
board the frigate as well as on shore. As there
was not sufficient accommodation in the cabin
for so large a party, we were put among the
officers in the gun-room, which shocked these
gentlemen so much that they refused to sit at
table with us, declaring that they would not eat
and drink with savages. Their murmur, however, soon reached the ear of Captain Byron,
who sent them word that they might have their
choice, either to eat with the guests of their
sovereign, which he said was the light in which
he must look upon his passengers while on
board his ship, or to mess with the seamen in
the forecastle."
After this, the Governor, in a more general
manner, spoke in the same despairing strain
concerning the prospects of the native race.
'Everything," he said, "that concerned them
he believed, in spite of tie benign endeavours
of the missionaries, both physically as regarded
health and capacity, and also morally, to be
retrograde." He thought a capital error committed by the mission had been a chief cause of




142       THE ISLAND OF MAWHEE.
the unsatisfactory result. This was teaching
the natives so long, almost exclusively, through
their own language. It might have been better,
he said, that their tongue had never been reduced to rules and writing, for a very few books
could ever be published in it. But he added,
that he did not see this error until it was too
late for himself to learn the English language
properly, and that he would now willingly give
half the time he had to live to be able to read
English, if it were only to afford him a source
of amusement of which he felt greatly the
want.




VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE.


143


CHAPTER IX.
VOYAGE TO OWIHYHEE —WAIMEAR.
Fellow -Passengers - Weather - Arrival at Hawaihae -
Views-Widow of the Sailor Davis-Son of DavisOwhyhian Judge-Visit to the Remains of an Idolatrous
Temple-Description —lamehameha's Dwelling-Cruel
Superstitions- Human Sacrifices-A Native Lady of
Rank-Departure for Waimear —Journey -Extremes
of Climate - Vapours - Whirlwinds- Rains - Mr. and
Mrs. Kenway — Hospitable Entertainment —A longsettled Londoner — Numerous Cattle - Wild Dogs -
Catching Bullocks-Sheep-Losses caused by the Dogs
-Loss of Douglass, English Botanist-EarthquakesDifficulties of Travelling-Change of Route-Return to
Hawaihae-A Wild Bull-Use of a Dog-Departure
for Karakakooa Bay.
AT length, on the 21st of February, I embarked
for Owhyhee, the island, in a historical as well
as geographical point of view, the most remarkable and most interesting of the group. It was
here that the great navigators of the past age,
held the most intercourse with the inhabitants of
these islands. It was here that Kamehameha the
First, on whose high qualities we have dwelt so




~  144


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE 


much, reigned at the time of Cook's as well as
of Vancouver's most interesting visits. And it
was here that the memorable incident occurred
which has impressed the name of Owhyhee upon
the minds of all Europeans more strongly than
that of any other island in this ocean-the
tragic death of the great discoverer of the
group.
The vessel by which I made this passage
was a small trading craft belonging to some of
the natives, and carrying a cargo of sweet
potatoes and yams, and a number of passengers,
both men and women. We sailed late in the
evening, with a lighit breeze, which gradually
died away as we increased our distance from
the land, until it became calm, without a vapour
to obscure the wonted brilliancy of the tropical
night.
I was the only white man on board, but our
skipper spoke some English, and he proposed
to put his little cabin at my disposal, to occupy
it exclusively, if I would, while he himself and
all the rest on board remained on deck; which I
mention merely as a trait of manners, exhibiting
the degree of respect felt by the natives for the
white race. I gladly, however, took one of two
berths it contained, but upon condition that the
other was occupied, and that no one who wished
to descend should be prevented so doing as long
as there was room upon the cabin deck, and I




WAIMEAR.


145


had no want of chattering companions during
the night.
Early the next morning the north-east tradewind came down, and we hauled dead upon a
wind, now making a course by which we might
expect to fetch the island to which we were
bound. As the day advanced the wind increased, and the vessel became very wet, but
before noon we had the island full in view, presenting a rude and irregular outline of high
lands, terminating in two snow-capped mountains, which were the more distinctly seen as
the sun approached the west, contrasting the
pure whiteness of their summits with the deep
blue of the eastern sky.
The breeze continued, and as the day closed
we were rapidly approaching the island. As
we came under the influence of the land the
wind hauled a little to the northward, which
was more in our favour, and during the night
we anchored off a small port calledi Hawaihae,
where there were some storehouses belonging
to Mr. French, the principal English merchant
at Honolulu.
As the next day broke, the view of the
mountains in the interior of the island was
most magnificent. Their very summits did not
appear above an hour's walk from us, though
the distance was upwards of twelve miles.
It happened, by some accident or other,
L




146


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


that I had not had the pleasure of making Mr.
French's acquaintance at Honolulu, but I had
been furnished by Mr. Judd, the Minister of
Finance, with a letter to Mr. Kenway, Mr.
French's son-in-law, who was residing at
Waimear, at the distance of a morning's ride
from the shore, in charge of an establishment
connected with the raising and export of cattle,
which abound in their wild state in a temperate
climate, throughout the moderately elevated
lands of this island.
Upon landing I found the buildings here in
possession of a young European, of Mr. French's
establishment, who obligingly sent a native off
without delay with my letter to Mr. Kenway,
without whose aid there were no means of reaching the upper establishment.
I was fortunate, also, in meeting another of
my countrymen here, Mr. Robertson, who had
been long settled at Honolulu, and who, after
paying a visit to Mr. French's estates, was
on his return to Woahoo, and he very kindly
offered to accompany me to inspect some
curious relics of the customs of the last generation of the islanders, to be seen in this
vicinity.
Besides the above letter of introduction, I
had another from a friend at Honolulu, to a
native lady-chief, of great age, residing here,
whom I purposed now first to visit. This was




WAIMEAR.


147


the widow of the sailor Davis, only second in
celebrity to Young, as we have seen in the early
portion of the history of the connexion of the
native with the European race. On coming to
the house, we found the lady was at one of
the other islands; but we met her son, Mr.
Davis, now judge of this district of Owhyhee,
who gave us a polite reception, and offered to
accompany us in the capacity of amateur guide
upon our little excursion of curiosity.
The famous remains we were about to visit,
consist of portions of the anciently principal
heiaus, or temple of idolatrous worship, throughout the islands. After walking about a mile
and a half along the shore south of Hawaihae,
we came to a spot where we found the first step
of the mountains that rise to so grand a height
in the interior, composed of the debris of later
eruptions of the existing volcanoes than those
which had formed the more habitable part of
the shore where we landed. Of the once famous temple, in which were so lately celebrated
the idolatrous rites of a cruel and barbarous
religion, there is in reality but little more remaining than serves to confirm the accounts
given by the earlier English navigators, and by
many of the islanders still alive, concerning the
ancient practices.
This heiaus consisted either of two depart.
ments, one of which was on a step of the rise
L2




148


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


of the land above the other, or of two distinct
temples built and occupied at different epochs.
After mounting from the beach about thirty or
forty feet, we arrived at the first temple, or
part of a temple, where we stood amidst a mass
of rude, unhewn stones, among which nothing
was distinguishable that might serve to throw
any light upon the ancient usages of the priests
and people. In front of it are stil to be seen
the remains of two small stone houses, which
had been respectively the residences of Kamehameha I. and King Liholiho.
After climbing a pathless steep to a further
elevation of about two hundred feet, we came
to the later constructed heiaus, or better conserved portion of the remains, where our guide
now became very useful in explaining the
character of what was here distinctly to be
seen. The building appears to have been about
150 feet in length, and about 100 in breadth.
Three walls of loose stones, of 15 or 20 feet in
height, form the inner side and the two ends,
while the outer side, at the edge of the steep,
appears to have been open to the sea. There
is no appearance of the temple having been
covered.  Besides the exterior walls, others
remain, by which the building is divided into
four unequal departments, with the character
of which our friend was perfectly familiar. One
large department, forming the centre, comprises




WAIMEAR.


149


two-thirds of the whole area, and the three
other departments form a chamber at each end,
and a narrow space within the longer of the
outer walls. This latter portion seems to have
been the place within which the god Kaili,
to whom this temple was especially dedicated,
and a number of inferior deities, stood exposed
to the view of the people.   Only a single
pedestal, however, now remains, upon which it
is well known formerly stood the principal
god of Kamehameha I., Punkohula, whom that
renowned warrior carried with him in all his
wars, and who probably, in his attributes, so
eclipsed his brother deities during a time of
war, as to centre all the worship, as Kamehameha centred all the power, in his own particular person, throughout the islands.  The
spaces at the ends seem to have been occupied
by the priests. That at the southern end is
divided into narrow chambers, or gloomy cells,
where the priests are said to have chiefly resided, and from which they issued only when
the whole area of the grand department of the
temple was filled with the worshippers of the
idols before whom they practised their abominable rites, and at whose altars they offered
their sacrifices of human victims. Part of an
altar here remains, upon which they habitually
burned these victims. But beneath the temple,
out of the direct line, a projecting rock marks




150


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


the spot upon which Kamehameha sacrificed to
his god, the famous chief Keoua, who had disputed with him the sovereignty of the island.
On our road back from the heiaus, we met
the wife of our guide, a native lady of no little
importance, who was taking a morning promenade, accompanied by sixty attendants of her
sex, or about the number of persons which we
had supposed the little settlement to contain.
Early in the afternoon, our messenger returned, bringing with him two horses and a
guide, and a polite note from Mr. Kenway,
with an invitation to me to come up to Waimear;
for which I set off immediately, accompanied by
the guide.
Leaving the shore, we soon came upon
rough rising ground, productive only of such
wild vegetation as no sterility of the soil in the
tropical climates can defy the growth, save the
bare rock or the burning sands, upon which no
dew descends, and over which no rivulet finds a
passage. The ground became gradually steeper
as we ascended, and our path more intricate;
but with every step, we perceived an increase
of vegetation, consisting of coarse grass and
shrubs, and a few small trees. In the meantime the scenery about us, and the distant views,
began to excite that interest which belongs to
an elevated country, where the efforts of Nature
oppose one another, armed on the one hand with




WAIMEAR.


151


the rude tempests of the higher regions, accompalied with whirlwinds of snow and sleet, and
on the other with the soft winds from a lower
elevation, or from the sea, which arrest the
onward fury of the tempests, and convert the
cold vapours into refreshing showers.
A wall of thick mist was now before us, to
encounter which we were already well cloaked.
The snowy summits of the mountains upon
which we had gazed from the lower lands had
some time disappeared from our view, while on
the other hand the sun, now about to sink
into the ocean which we were leaving behind
us, gilded a lower and far-extending stratum
of vapours, which, after escaping from the
tempestuous regions that engender them, are
wont to hang suspended upon the denser air,
until they dissolve and fall in showers upon the
lower country, or till they are dispersed by the
winds that accompany the next meridian sun's
rays.
We entered into the proper mountain mist
at about 2000 feet above the level of the sea,
after which we soon met the cold easterly
blasts, which, after rushing through the breaks
and passes of the mountain regions, sweep at
intervals over the elevated plain, sometimes
with the violence of the winds in the high
northern latitudes in the depth of winter.
Some small rain, into which the mists that




152


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


at this height assume all forms that the element
of which they are composed is susceptible, had
gradually dissolved, was just changing to confirmed showers as we came in front of Mr.
French's mountain establishment. The higher
lands were now again visible, and we appeared
to have entered a basin of the mountains, from
which there seemed no retreat save that by
which we had gained the elevation. Mr. Kenway met us at the commencement of his enclosures, from which a step brought us to his
dwelling. At the door, as we approached, stood
Mrs. Kenway, ready to welcome the stranger.
Their mountain habitation was built of wood,
and constructed in a more solid manner, and
much more suitably disposed for the climate
at this elevation, than any of the houses in the
lower country. Within, it very much resembled
the abodes of the richer sort of farmers in our
North American provinces, and was spacious,
with several apartments, and conveniently furnished.
Mrs. Kenway, apart from all the ordinary
considerations in relation to guest and hostess,
was to me an object of great interest, as the
first lady I met with of the mixed races. The
women. of that caste of the under classes are
neglected, and seldom excite much interest.
We have seen something of the descendants of
the two remarkable white sailors, yet nothing




WAIMEAR.


153


indicative of the survival of any portion of the
energies which these two enterprising men possessed; but from the daughter of an English
gentleman, we might expect to perceive some
foreshadowing of the future history or course of
manners of the islanders, some type of those
doomed in the next generation to mould the
form of society in the islands, something more
cheering than the previous chapters of this
volume might lead any one to anticipate, and
I was not disappointed. I have seldom, I may
say, met a lady possessed of more easy manners,
taste, and natural refinement, than the hostess
of this occasion. Mr. Kenway had been an extensive traveller before the attractions of his
present wife put an end to his journeys, and
established him in this retreat in the mountains; we found no want, therefore, of subjects
for mutual entertainment.
After dinner, Mr. Fay, with another Englishman, came to welcome the stranger in the
mountains. These gentlemen were not young,
and had been many years settled in the islands.
There was something to me of the highest
interest in this instance also, in meeting with
two of my countrymen transformed into mountaineers of the Pacific. Their occupation was
the same as that of Mr. Kenway, upon a humbler
scale. They had been, like most of the earlier
European inhabitants of the islands, sailors in




154


VOYAGE TO OWEYHEE:


their youths, but had forsaken the sea for the
easier life on shore. Mr. Fay had been born
and bred in London, and still retained the
peculiar accent of the Londoners of the eastern
extremity in particular of the town. His native
parish was IRotherhithe, upon the banks of the
Thames, below London Bridge, and of which
he said he remembered every alley and corner.
He mentioned by name all the aristocratic
families of that quarter in his day, about half
a century ago, comprising merchants, shipbuilders, doctors, and clergymen; and he seemed
to think that no enjoyment he could receive
would equal a trip, if he could make it, to visit
the court in which he played marbles when a
boy. He had some regrets, however, connected
with the place of his birth, which were, chiefly,
that he had no cause to remember the schoolmaster with the rest, for lie had, unfortunately,
not been taught either to read or write, which
placed him very often in an inferior position to
the meanest native instructed by the missionaries.
I learned from my friends here, that it was
believed there were about 100,000 head of wild
cattle in these mountains, which had all proceeded from the one or more pair left by Vancouver, on one of his memorable visits to the
islands, and of which I have not omitted to make
particular mention in a previous chapter. Their




WAIMEAR.


155


number, however, was now in a fair way of
being much reduced by the wild dogs, which
were very numerous, and subsisted upon the
calves, few of which the cows were any longer
able to raise. A quantity of poison had been
imported by the government for the destruction
of these voracious intruders, and a large portion
of it had been forwarded to one of the native
officials in this island, with instructions to distribute it, disguised, throughout all the temperate regions of the mountains. But, whatever
benefit might have proceeded from this, which
it was thought, however, would not have been
great, the country was for the present deprived
of, by a stupid superstition on the part of the
man to whom it was entrusted, who had taken
it into his head that the opening of the box
would be the cause of his instant death.
The mountaineers have several ways of
catching the wild bullocks. They had had some
Chilians among them, from whom they had
learned the use of the lasso, in which they were
now very expert. This, however, is more frequently employed to catch those that have been
previously taken and placed in an enclosure.
The greater number procured in their wild state
are shot, as we shoot our wild deer; but many
are caught in pits. A hole is dug large enough
for a bullock to fall into. This is then concealed and covered with fresh hay, till the.            \




156


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


sweet scent attracts the wild animals, which
fall in, to be afterwards raised alive, and placed
in an inclosure, or killed or exported, as may
happen to be required.
Sheep are also bred by these mountaineers
in considerable numbers. Mr. Fay had a standing stock of 700, but they also suffered much
from the wild dogs. He kept several tame
dogs, which were always a match for an equal
number of the wild. But his flock had been
attacked only a few days before this, by a whole
herd of the voracious animals, which had destroyed twenty-seven sheep, as well as three or
four dozen geese, before they were mastered by
himself and his dogs.
It was in this vicinity that Mr. Douglass, the
English traveller and botanist, lost his life,
by means which still remain a mystery, in the
islands. Some circumstances discovered, upon
which reports have been founded respecting his
unfortunate end, were so variously related to
me, both here and in the other islands, that I
could not repeat anything that would, with certainty, throw the least light upon the manner
of his death.
Fifteen days before I arrived at Waimear,
there happened here a very severe shock of an
earthquake.
The tour of the island, which I contemplated
making, is not always practicable, without a




WAIMEAR.


157


journey even of some months, on account of the
natural obstructions to travelling, which a great
portion of the rudely-formed country presents.
The two places, above all others, which engage
the interest of the traveller in Owhyhee, lie on
different sides of the island. These are the
great natural phenomenon and geological wonder, the volcano of Kilauea; and the spot where
the greatest of our navigators of the last century ended his glorious career of conquest over
the difficulties and danger that had so long kept
this fair portion of the earth wholly concealed
from our researches, and so many races of our
species unknown to one another. The sea, to
the latter of these places, at least, offered by far
the easier route; but there were neither boats,
canoes, nor craft of any kind, to be had: I had,
therefore, determined to make my way across
the mountain districts in the interior of the island. But the day after my arrival at Waimear,
while I was, by the aid of Mr. Kenway, arranging a plan of travels, which were somewhat
doubtful in the result, a messenger unexpectedly appeared, bringing the news of the arrival
of a shallop belonging to Mr. French, at Hawaihae, actually upon her way to Karakakooa
bay, the very scene of the memorable event
just alluded to. I therefore determined to retrace my steps and embrace the opportunity of
proceeding by this vessel.




158


VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE:


Mr. Kenway proposed to accompany me to
the shore; and after I had taken leave of his
amiable and hospitable lady, we set off well
cloaked and provided against the mists which
still filled the air. It should be mentioned,
however, that it is only at this season, that such
bad weather is experienced at so moderate a
height above the sea in this island; and only
during the prevalence of strong winds, when
the position of the district, in relation to the
high mountains in the interior, affects the temperature and character of the atmosphere. We
had scarcely descended 1000 feet, by the ordinary estimate of the height of places that we
passed by, when we experienced the same great
change in the temperature which I had found at
the same altitude ascending; and soon after this
we felt again the welcome warm ray of the
tropical sun. We had now again, also, on one
side of us, a fine view of the expanse of the
ocean, as far as the distant horizon; and on the
other, the wall of mist, which appeared forming
itself into clouds, as we proceeded, only to pass
away in thin fleeting rains as they left the
region in which they were nourished.
We had a little adventure upon our journey.
While we were passing over one of the verdant
steps of the inclined country, we met a native,
on horseback, and without arms, who had been
chased by a wild bull, which, on account of the




WAIMEAR.


159


less courageous character of the bulls in the
mountains than in the lower country, he believed to be mad. He recommended us to return and procure arms, as he thought we could
not otherwise make good our journey, without
great risk. We were, however, disinclined to
this, and we filled the ample side-pockets of the
coats we wore, with large stones for arms, with
which we were determined to try conclusions
with the beast.
We had not proceeded much farther when
we observed the bull standing in our path, with
his head turned towards us; upon which we
prepared our arms, and continued our way,
fully bent upon the somewhat hazardous combat. The bull being of the same mind, after
regarding us a moment, stepped out, and was
presently at full trot towards us; while we
were meeting him at a jog pace, each with
a large stone ready for his skull, if it might
be attainable. But at the moment we had our
hands raised to launch our missiles, quite unexpectedly, a large dog belonging to Mr. Kenway,
which had been forbidden to accompany us, and
had not been seen by either of us till now,
rushed from behind, and flew at the bull, which,
whether surprised into his senses, or better
pleased to encounter a foe of the species he had
doubtless often met in the mountains, furiously
engaged our timely ally, which enabled us to




160        VOYAGE TO OWHYHEE.
pass tranquilly on, until the dog joined us, none
the worse for the efforts of his enemy to toss
him in the air.  Before night we arrived at
Hawaihae.
Early the next morning my friend returned
to his misty dwelling; and on the same afternoon I embarked on board the shallop, accompanied by Mr. Robertson, with whom I had
visited the heiuas a few days before, and who had
been long contemplating making the same tour
that I intended. This was a very satisfactory
arrangement to me, as Mr. Robertson had been
living many years at Honolulu, and was perfectly familiar with the language of the natives.




VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


161


CHAPTER X.
VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.
Departure from Hawaihae - Squally Coast - Views —
Kailua-Concealed Harbour-Arrival at Karakakooa
Bay-Description of the Bay-Geological Formation
of the Coast-Aspect of the Bay-Villages-Anchorage - Reception by the Natives - Landing- Burialplaces- Reception on Shore- Site of the Massacre of
Captain Cook- A Sentimental Moment- Reception in
a Native Hut-Intercourse with the Natives of the
Bay- Cook's supposed Divinity -Cocoa-Nuts- Breadfruit-Agreeable taking Leave-Memorials of Cook.
WE sailed from Hawaihae late in the afternoon.
The district immediately east of this little settlement, wears the appearance, from the sea, of
being wholly formed of dark beds of lava, rising
one above another, till they approach the snowy
summits of the two high mountains in the interior. The wind was moderate, and off the
land; and we glided smoothly on through the
long and unbroken swell, at a short distance from
the shore. But the trades are very uncertain
at this season, more especially under the lee of
M




162


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.'


elevated land; and at sunset the wind rushed
down from the pass of Waimear with such violence, as to compel us to put our little craft
under close reefs for several hours. The gales
here, however, are usually of short duration;
and after we had passed the first headland,
called Cape Kariahoolahooka, the wind died
completely away, and we had a perfect calm
for the remainder of the night.
In the morning, a light breeze off the land
favoured our progress, and we passed the little
capital of the island, called Kailua, which we
were afterwards to visit. The views on shore
were now changed from dark beds of lava te
verdant hills, valleys, and  ravines, alway,
crowned by the white mountain summits, and at
intervals bordered by a low coast, with groves
of cocoa-nut trees and groups of native huts,
which are ever seen together. In the evening,
when we were eight miles from the bay to which
we were bound, we passed an indent of the coast
called Kawlua. Here, the master of our bark,
who bad been some time engaged in making
coasting voyages among the islands, informed
us that there was a fine little harbour, which
was not generally known, and had not been
subjected to any kind of survey. He stated
that he had entered it, and that it was formed
like that of Honolulu, by a reef of coral rock,
which, as far as his observation had gone, had




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163


at least a pass, with a depth of two fathoms of
water throughout.
Among the objects of interest on shore, some
of our men, all of whom were natives, pointed
out to us a grand slide down a steep hill into the
sea, to descend which was formerly one of the
amusements of the people, but which was abandoned when the present influence of the missionaries over their manners had been attained.
Early the next morning we entered the
famous Karakakooa bay. There can be few
among us, who are not familiar with the particulars of the most memorable event in the
history of the discoveries of the last century, of
which this bay was the scene. The bay is broad,
and not so deep that it would have formed a
harbour or safe anchorage upon any but a
western shore, within the latitudes of the tradewinds. It presents scenery that is at once picturesque and characteristic of the climate; while
the disposition of its shores, and the materials
which compose them, throw some light upon
the formation of the island.  In front of the
approach from the sea, along the entire bottom
of the bay, appear volcanic cliffs of considerable
height; and, from the summit of these the land
gradually rises in fresh and verdant hills, growing less and less productive as they recede from
the shore, until all appearance of vegetation is
lost on the sterile sides of the more elevated
M2




164


VISIT TO KARAAKAOOA BAY.


regions of the mountains from which the elements
of the soil proceeded.  The material, on the
other hand, of which both sides of the bay are
formed, after passing on either side of the bolder
land, has spread out the country to the depth
of the present bay, and formed low shores, and
in some places sandy beaches.
On our right hand, entering the bay from the
sea, we observed a considerable village amidst a
profusion of cocoa-nut trees and palms, at the
termination of the cliffs, beyond which the
country is formed by the rudely deposed debris
of the later eruptions, and exhibits but little or
no vegetation. On the left hand, where the
event occurred which has given such undying
interest to Karakakooa bay, the shore bears the
same evidence of a similar formation; though
judging from its fertility, and the variety of the
vegetation with which it abounds, at a somewhat earlier period of the geological history of
the island. From the termination of the cliffs
to the extremity of the shore on this side, appear the cocoa-nut groves and scattered huts
which compose the almost unvarying scenes
along the low shores of the fertile portions of
all the islands.
We " brought up," rather nearer to this side
of the bay than to the other; and our anchor was
not long down, before we had five or six canoes
alongside, all loaded with bread-fruit, bananas,




VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


165


ind cocoa-nuts, and manned with natives in
their accustomed simple maro alone. Their
object, though they brought such an ample
supply of the products of the island, was not so
much for the purpose of trading with us, as to
gratify their curiosity and love of novelty.
There had been no foreign ships in the bay for
a long time, and the little trading craft that
occasionally visited it had suspended their
voyages since the commencement of the maladies which had been committing such fearful
ravages throughout the group.  They had,
therefore, the moment they saw the vessel in the
offing, collected as much as they could of what
they thought would make them most welcome;
but they pressed nothing more upon us than we
wished to take, and contented themselves with
coming on our deck, and making inquiries concerning the health of the people at the places
which we had visited.
My fellow-passenger and myself, leaving all
the crew save one, and all our native visitors,
to enjoy their intercourse and make their exchanges, now took the shallop's little jolly-boat
and our native seaman, and pulled on shore on
this side of the bay. The man we pressed into
our service belonged to one of the other islands,
but he had been at this place before, and he
undertook to be our guide, and to give us all
the information we might require concerning




166


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


the tragic event of which we were about to
visit the site.
The little arm of the bay, which we here
crossed, was almost a mile in breadth, and seemed
capable of containing half a dozen large ships,
well sheltered from all winds save such as are
very rare, and blow immediately into it.
As we approached the shore, our native
pointed out to us numerous caverns, high above
the water in the perpendicular cliffs that formed
the inner side of the bay, where there is no
beach.  These, according to his report, were
ancient burial-places of the natives. They very
much resemble such places in many other parts
of the world; and, so remarkably so, those seen
in the rocks, cliffs, and sides of mountains, and
along the banks of the Nile in particular, both
in Upper and Lower Egypt, that a traveller, of
half the imagination of some who find in the resemblances of vague customs such strong evidences of the descent of these islanders from the
lost tribes of the Jews, might here easily discover enough to speculate profoundly upon
their Egyptian origin.
Our native also pointed out to us a natural
curiosity at the base of the cliffs that form the
bottom of the shallow bay. This was a rock
standing out quite independent of the rest, with
a large hole through it, as if it had been expressly placed here for the purpose for which




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167


it will be one day doubtless required,-that of
aiding in heaving ships down, which, on account
of the inconsiderable rise and fall of the sea,
may be necessary for repairs.
We had some trouble to find a place where
we might conveniently land, and soon, good
reason to doubt our guide's having acquaintance with anything he pretended to know. The
shore was junked with masses of lava, sometimes lying a few inches beneath the water, and
preventing us approaching near enough to step
with our feet on dry ground. But while we
were pulling about to find a fair landing, some
of the natives, who were already on the beach,
beckoned to us to take a course which, at
length, brought us dry on shore, where we very
soon found ourselves in the midst of a group of
men, women, and children, who, we had no
doubt, had come to welcome our arrival. The
men wore generally nothing but the maro;
but all the women were dressed in the same
loose blue chemise worn by their sex in Honolulu. We were much struck, however, by the
total absence of the gaiety that we had observed in the native women everywhere else, but
which, whatever might be the cause, we found
at least more in unison with our feelings on this
occasion than their ordinary humour would
have been. We did not ask any questions at




VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


present; but, after exchanging with the party
the accustomed salutations of the country, we
followed our guide, whose newly assumed confidence had caused us to forget our doubts of
his being of the aid to us we required, until we
arrived at about a hundred paces from the place
at which we had landed, when he stopped to tell
us that we stood upon the spot where Captain
Cook fell from the blow which caused his death.
The party of the natives, however, who knew
very well what we were looking for, had followed
us, though they neither said anything, nor noticed
in any way our proceedings, until my companion, in their own language, questioned them
in these words: "Men of Owhyhee! is this the
spot where our great countryman, Captain Cook,
fell, when massacred in this bay?"
I cannot easily forget the change that came
over the countenances and appearance of the
whole party, both men and women, at these
words, while I could yet only guess their purport. They all hung their heads, and looked
as sad as if they had been themselves the perpetrators of the deed, and we the first of Cook's
countrymen that came to visit the bay since the
event. They led us, however, to another spot,
which was immediately beneath their own hut,
at the water's edge of a broad beach of lava,
where they pointed out the exact spot upon




VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


169


which they said Lono, (the name, for reasons to
be presently mentioned, by which Cook is remembered by the natives,) fell and expired.
We now asked them to relate all they knew
of the sad event; upon which they gave us an
account that did not differ materially from that
of Captain King, and which, it is very probable,
they had learned as much from European visitors
to the bay, or the missionaries, as from traditions extant among themselves. Some of the
actors, indeed, in the scene, who lived at other
parts of the island, may possibly have not long
passed away; and there is even an old wonan
still living in this vicinity, who, a girl at the
time, remembers perfectly well seeing Cook.
Yet it is probable that even witnesses of, or
sharers in the deed, would have found less credit
with those to whom they related the circunm.
stances with which it was attended, than would
have been given to European visitors and
missionaries.
When we had held a little further discourse
here, we each broke off a piece of the lava to
carry away with us, in accordance with the
established custom of travellers who chance to
visit remarkable places; after which we were
led by the natives to the hut nearest to the
shore, where we had our part to play in a scene
quite as characteristic of the earlier age of the
islanders as we could possibly have desired.




170


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


The hut was much larger than most of those I
had previously entered, and was built, as its
tenants informed us, upon the site where the
ancient kings and chiefs of the island sometimes
resided, at a time when there was a populous
village here. It was now inhabited by a native
agent of the Government.
Oil our entering, some of the women placed
a short bench for us to sit upon; and the rest,
and also the men, appeared as much inclined to
hold a set discourse with us, as we ourselves
were to have as much intercourse as possible
with them. We now more than ever felt transported back to the epoch in the history of discovery, when the inlhabitants of these islands
first gazed with so much wonder upon our tall
ships and their white crews. The women had,
we observed, been occupied in making sonme mats
or bed-coverings of coarse wool, all of which they
put aside before they seated themselves, as if
determined fully to enjoy the novelty of conversing with us, of which the rare occasion of
hearing any white man who was not a missionary speak their language, seemed doubly to
enhance the value. Our discourse was directly
of the visits and the death of Cook, who, at the
epoch of his arrival, as well as after the event,
was supposed to be a god. But here it must be
remarked, that Akua, the word in use among
these islanders, which is usually represented by




IYISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


171


the term we apply only to beings of at least a
higher order than ourselves, means no more than
a hero, magician, or any man possessed of qualities which surpass those of common mortals;
and it happened that there were traditions among
the people at the time of Cook's visits, concerning the life and actions of some wonderful personage named Lono, who had long since, suddenly disappeared, probably blown off the coast
in his canoe, but who, it was generally believed,
though several generations had in the meantime
intervened, would one day reappear; and Cook
was supposed to be this same Lono. The mysteries concerning the return of their god or hero
transformed to a white man, accompanied by
men of another race for his subjects, and without any memory of his former language, does
not seem to have given rise to any kind of
inquiry; yet there is nothing either in this or
in the adventure itself more surprising than
many incidents we find related in the histories
of pretended supernatural events with which
the records of the human race in all ages
abound.
As our intercourse with these good people
proceeded, they asked us a question, which
seemed to indicate either that they felt the
stain of the death of Cook still attach to them,
or that they believed this to be our impression.
They asked us, indeed, what we thought would




172


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


be the means best adapted to expiate the crime
of which their fathers had been guilty in the
massacre of Lono; and to this we thought it
most proper to reply, that though no guilt
could possibly rest upon themselves, the best
manner by which they could assure the world
of the sincerity of their regrets for the act of
their fathers, and show how real was their
progress in civilisation, would be to warmly
embrace the religion in which the missionaries
were endeavouring to instruct them, and to
imitate the lives which their examples taught.
They now   brought us bread - fruit and
cocoa-nuts, upon which we made a very fair
meal. After this, we rose to go in search of
some memorials left by other travellers, of
their visits to the bay for the same purpose
as ourselves; and at this moment our interview assumed quite a new phase. All the
women appeared suddenly to have regained
their wonted cheerful dispositions, if not their
full gaiety; and one of the more aged, whom I
had caressed after the manner Nature never
fails to prompt us to do with "good old souls,"
when we think kindness abounds, now put her
arms round my neck, at the same time begging
I might be told, that they chiefly desired that I
would give a good report of them on my arrival
among the countrymen of Lono at his proper
home. Upon this, some surprise, certainly not




VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


173


displeasure, manifested on my part at the
amusing embrace, led to another move in the
same agreeable vein. Our party had greatly
augmented since we entered the hut, and there
were now at least a dozen of young women present among the rest; and the old woman turning and pointing these out to me as they sat on
the ground, begged, if it were agreeable to me,
that I would select one among them to embrace
in return for the caress she had given me.
Upon this a mere look, that was purely accidental, brought up the belle of the party,"Diana's lip
Was not more smooth and rubious,"
"nothing loath" to receive the embrace so
justly due. By all this they doubtless wished to
impress upon the stranger countrymen of Lono
the altered character of their race since the
arrival of the Europeans: for it is not impossible
that they attribute more blame to their fathers
on account of the death of Cook, than we ourselves, with all the attendant circumstances before us, now ascribe to them.
It may also be here remarked, in just
extenuation, not of this alone, but also of
other similar events, that, from all accounts,
given both of the death of Cook and of many
other mishaps which attended the earlier intercourse between white men and the natives of




174


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


the Pacific generally, it is evident that- the
hostility of the natives was commonly the result of some sudden impulse, without any attempt to ensnare their victims, or to carry on
protracted warfare. Thus it must be inferred
that their assaults -and this agrees with the accounts given by the native historians-when not
made by outlaws among themselves, generally
proceeded from the superstitious terrors with
which the strangers inspired them. White men
to them were gods, as the narrators of transactions which take place between civilised men,
and savages to whom everything that is uncommon is supernatural, are wont indeed to
call whatever excites wonder, though, unless
we keep the worthies of the mythology of the
nations of antiquity in our minds, we might as
well say devils. Men, indeed, in the earlier
stages of society, generally believe in spiritual
beings, which they embody in many fornls,
chiefly human, without any distinct ideas of
them apart from those they entertain of their
heroes of tradition, or their most ferocious
tyrants. Fear is commonly the passion alone
by which men at this time can be restrained
from committing the greatest excesses to which
their natural desires prompt them; and to excite this, is the sole or surest means of enforcing respect for the laws and obligations
of the community to which they belong. The




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175


gods or devils —it little matters which —appeared among the islanders. There needed no
other proofs of their supernatural character
than such acts as the Europeans were often too
ready to perform. Disputes arose, such as were
natural between opposite parties ignorant of
each other's tongue. The whites exercised their
power in a manner that excited just such terrors
as evil spirits, we might be sure, would desire
to raise. The untutored savages were amazed,
-their senses were confounded,"These supernatural solicitings
Cannot be ill, cannot be good."
They remained no longer masters of themselves,
and wef*e prompted to destroy the beings whose
acts only excited terror and the desire of revenge.
We now went to inspect the little memorials
of the visits of others to the bay. About a
hundred yards from the beach, stands a portion
of the trunk of a cocoa-nut tree, set in a bed of
mere loose stones and broken lava, and bearing
several plates of copper, upon which appear
the following inscriptions, rudely stamped, apparently with a punch. The largest of these
had been so badly executed that we could
only read a portion of it, which was as follows:




176


VISIT TO KARAKAKOOA BAY.


"This bay was visited by her Majesty's ship Carrysford, Right Honorable Lord George Paulet."
A second plate bore the following inscription:
" This tree having fallen, was replaced on this spot
by her Majesty's steam-vessel Cormorant, G. T.
Gordon, Esq., Captain, which visited this spot
May 18th, 1846."
N
The third has the following:" This sheet and capping were put on by the Sparrow
Hawk, September 16th, 1839, in order to preserve this monument to the memory of Cook.
Give this a coat of tar."
The fourth is as follows:"Near this spot fell Capt. James Cook, R.N., the
renowned navigator, who discovered this island
A.D. 1778. His Majesty's ship Imogine, October
17th, 1837."
We now mounted an inclined way over
rough blocks of lava, which brought us, at
about a mile from the bay and about 500 feet
above the water, to an equally unsubstantial
and rude memorial of our countryman, whose
fame will survive any marble monument that
may record his acts. This consists of a mere
post, of about ten feet in height, set in loose
blocks of lava, enclosed within a wall of the




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177


same material, and bearing the following inscription, upon a plate of copper, at the top
of it:
"In the memory of Captain James Cook, R.N., who
discovered this island A.D. 1778. This humble
monument is erected by his fellow-countrymen,
A.D. 1825."
These were doubtless the officers of the
Blonde.


N




VICINITY OF KARARKAKOOA BAY.


CHAPTER XI.
VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.
Departure for Burial-place of the Kings of Owhyhee-Geological Remarks-Road-Rude Lava Plain-Fatiguing
March-Village of Honaunau -Wailing the Dead-Assemblage of Natives-Hut of a deceased Chief-Officials
-Catalogue of Effects-Visit to the Site of the Ancient
Tombs-Place of Refuge for Peace and War-Remarkable Customs-A concealed Harbour-Return to Karakakooa Bay-Change of Route-Departure for Kailua
-Character of the Country-Village of HauhauhaHospitality-Curiosity of the Natives - Supper-Want
of Water-Anciert Cannibals-Effects of Christianity
-Improved Condition of the Women-Importance of
knowing the Customs of the Country.
AFTER the inspection of the rude memorials
which mark the place of the greatest historic interest to the European traveller in these islands,
we passed over to the opposite side of Karakakooa bay. Upon landing here, we proceeded to
make a tour of the village above mentioned, which
we found containing about sixty grass huts; after
which we set off on foot for Honaunau, which
is remarkable, as the ancient burial-place of the




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


179 


kings of Owhyhee, and is situated about three
miles and a half south of this bay.
The country we now passed over was calculated, more than any we had before seen,
to throw light upon the origin and geological
construction of the islands, as well as to show
the recent date at which a portion, at least,
of the chief materials of which they are composed properly attained the order necessary for
the habitation and maintenance of men in any
condition of society, or even, of creatures less
dependent than we, upon the produce of our
common mother Earth for the preservation of
their existence.
At scarce a hundred steps from the cocoa-nut
groves by the shores of the bay, we found ourselves mounting a steep path, rudely formed
among vast heaps of broken-up lava, which conducted to a rough plain of a few hundred feet
in elevation, inclining downwards towards the
sea at the distance of a mile on our right, and
upwards towards the mountain from which the
deluge of burning matter had proceeded. No
vegetation and no habitations were to be seen,
after we entered upon this desolate waste. Nothing was visible but the huge heaps of the volcanic substance, which encumbered the whole
face of the land. A path had nevertheless been
formed from the bay to the place to which we
were directing our steps, and, as it appeared, at
N2




180    VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


a cost of labour such as nothing we had hitherto
seen in this island had prepared us to find bestowed upon any native work whatsoever.
After about two hours' fatiguing march, we
came in sight of the village of Honaunau and
the burial-places, from the top of a declivity,
from which we had to make a descent equal to
the ascent upon the opposite side of the plain.
The village lay immediately beneath us, but the
site of the tombs was upon the opposite side of
a small bay made by a shallow indent of the
shore.
As we descended, we perceived a number of
people moving round from the opposite side of
the bay towards the village; and we distinctly
heard the sounds of voices uttering at intervals
loud cries, which my companion soon recognised
for those of women, who, within their dwellings,
were wailing, most probably, according to their
custom, some personage of distinction departed.
We observed also, before we came to the shore,
several huts placed with more than the usual
regard to regularity with respect to the road,
and farther than is commonly seen from the
cocoa-nut groves, which here also abound by
the sea-shore.
After passing these, still descending, we
perceived an assemblage of persons gathered
about the door of a hut of unusual dimensions,
which seemed to confirm my companion's sup



VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


181


position; and as the presence of two strangers
appeared here to excite much less curiosity than
is commonly exhibited by the islanders, nothing
prevented us entering among others to see what
was going on within.
As we stepped into a spacious room, we observed a large and varied collection of the sort
of articles which, being curiosities in Europe,
naturally enough gave us the idea of a museum.
Among the most conspicuous were two canoes,
which were nearly of the same length as the
hut; fishing-nets, which were hanging from
beams beneath the roof; mats in abundance, and
in great variety; tomahawks, calabashes, surfboards (of which we shall by and by have occasion to see the use), and spears. The hut was
half full of men, who did not appear to belong
either to the class of the curious or the thrifty,
such as a museum or place of sale might have
attracted. By one of the corners of the hut,
however, we observed a group of some twenty
or thirty men, evidently attracted by something
of particular interest, and towards which we
therefore directed our steps. The natives gave
way as we approached, just in the manner
idlers give place at the approach of men who
wear the dress of officials, or are plainly principals in some business in hand; and, as we mingled with the rest, we perceived two men of the
pure native race, seated among others upon the




182    VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


ground, and who were evidently officials of
some sort, from their dresses and the manner in
which they were occupied. They wore European trowsers and shirts, and had sheets of paper
before them, and pens in their hands; but the
moment they saw us, they rose and shook us by
the hands, just as great personages in a more
advanced stage of society recognise one another
in the midst of the undistinguished multitude.
Our new friends now invited us to sit down upon
mats beside them, when, as they continued their
previous occupation, they informed us they were
agents sent by the Governor of the island, residing at Kailua, to collect and make an inventory of the property of all kinds left by a chief
lately deceased, and at the same time to set
down all the information they could obtain concerning his affairs generally; for which purpose
they had summoned all the men dwelling in the
vicinity to attend them this morning at this the
late chief's dwelling. We were much struck
with the facility with which they seemed to write
a language only so lately figured in such characters as civilised men have long employed.
As soon as we had sufficiently enjoyed the
novel scene before us, we informed our friends
of the object of our visit to this place; upon
which they obligingly put us under the guidance
of the smartest-looking fellow at hand, with authoritative directions to show us all that remained




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


183


of what formerly belonged to the ancient burialplaces, which we chiefly wished to see.
As we descended to the shore of the narrow
bay, our guide informed us that the village contained forty huts, but not more than a hundred inhabitants. We had not proceeded far before we
found we had half a dozen men, and probably
all the children of the village, in our company.
After passing round the shore beneath the
village, we came to the point forming the extremity of the south side of the bay, which was
the site of the ancient tombs. The ground here
was almost entirely formed of beds and blocks
of lava; and all that remained to show to what
purpose it was formerly appropriated were some
rough walls, constructed of lava, broken into
irregular masses, a few decaying stakes, and a
cavern imperfectly covered by an enormous block
of lava, but in which, we were informed, still
remained the bones of several of the ancient
kings of the island.
Near this spot there is a more remarkable
enclosure, of about two acres in extent, of which
the rude walls, of three or four feet only in height,
are formed of the same material as those of the
tombs. This was one of those places of refuge,
called He wahi in puuhonna in the native tongue,
which, as before mentioned, have served for
evidences to support the theory of some who
trace the descent of this people from the Jews.




184    VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


Be this matter as it may, they withdraw as much
from the sanguinary character of the islanders,
* as the ancient cities of refuge withdrew from the
no less cruel disposition of the ancient people.
The law or sanctioned custom of retaliation for
injuries, with the one as with the other, appears
to have been attended with such fearful consequences as to have given rise to this means of
preventing the uncontrolled reign of ferocity,
and the utter annihilation of the race. Not that
shelter from the vengeance due for private injuries was the sole or chief use of these asylums.
Those who fled to them during peace were, for
the most part, guilty of great crimes, such as
violating the taboo, which being considered the
greatest of all, was otherwise punished with
immediate death; or slaying men, which was a
crime with them of inferior importance; or
theft. During war, they offered a safe retreat
for the women and children, and old men, who
all fled to them when the strife was at hand,
where they found huts with accommodations, in
which they remained in perfect security; and
the same with the vanquished parties, when they
were able to reach them. The gates always
stood open, and the enclosures had all one or
more temples in them, with officiating priests,
who received with kindness all those who came,
without any regard to the degree of their offences, and put to death those who pursued




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


185


them, if they approached within a short distance
of the enclosure. After a few days, all who took
refuge for offences were allowed to depart, sanctified and absolved, and, under the protection of
the gods, safe from molestation of any kind on
account of the past.
The place was now full of cocoa-nut trees,
thickly sown, and no longer retained any of its
former virtue. Near to, or forming a part of
its walls, our guide pointed out to us a block
of hewn lava, that we judged to be about thirteen feet in length, which was preserved in remembrance of an ancient chief, who is said to
have been of the length of the block when lying
with outstretched arms upon its surface.  If
this be no exaggeration, the chief must have
been of enormous dimensions indeed. There is
no tradition of any of his acts resembling those
of Goliath.
One of the intelligent natives here informed
us, that about four miles south of this place
there was a commodious and very safe harbour,
formed by a coral reef, through which there was
a passage with no less than eight fathoms of
water throughout. The thing seemed to us so
probable, from the character of the coast, and
the imperfect manner in which it had been
hitherto surveyed, with the difficulty of discovering the precise depth of water at all points
of a coral reef, and, of so much importance,




186    VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


that we should have made an attempt to ascertain the truth of the report, had we been able
to obtain the means. But being without either
canoe, lines, or leads, none of which could be
procured here, we were forced for the present
to content ourselves with cross-examining our
informant, and afterwards, with reporting all the
information we were able to obtain, at the seat
of the government at Honolulu.
On our return to Karakakooa bay, we found
the shallop was to sail the next day for Kailua,
the place of residence of the Governor of the
island, situated about fifteen miles north of this
bay, and from which she would return to Hawaihae. We determined, therefore, after having
thus far gratified our curiosity, to make our way
on foot to join her at Kailua, with the intention
of re-embarking and returning to pursue our
further travels by the route of Waimear, considered to be that alone which was practicable
between this coast and the part of the country
in which was situated the second great object
of our curiosity in the island, the mighty volcano
upon the mountain of Mauna Loa.
Our path now lay across a plain composed
of broken-up lava, like that on the opposite side
of the bay, but upon which soil enough was
occasionally seen, with the wild vegetation of
the climate sufficiently advanced to give evidence of the earlier formation of this side of




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


187


the bay than the other. The high cliffs along
the bottom of the bay lying between the two
lava districts, and forming the bounds of a
rising country well covered with vegetation, no
doubt formed at some not very remote period
in the geological history of the group, the extremity of a promontory, which having turned
aside the streams of lava during successive
eruptions at different periods, caused the formation of the country on either side the bay,
and, as before observed, of the bay itself, by
the new streams of the volcanic matter extending a greater distance into the sea than those
of earlier eruptions.
When we had marched about three miles,
we came to a village called Hauhauha. By the
term village, it is proper here, however, to mention, is meant any collection of huts, scattered
or near together, exceeding about half a dozen.
We inquired of the first of the natives we met,
where we should find the best hut in the place,
and we were conducted to one above the ordinary size, in which three or four men and
seven or eight women were residing. They all
rose from the ground, upon which they had
been sitting or lying, as we entered, and came
to give us the merry welcome rarely wanting
beneath the roofs of the native dwellings. The
floor was almost wholly covered with mats, and
the hut was divided into two parts by a curtain




188
P


VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


of coarse cloth, of native manufacture. As it
was not yet dark, however, and the heat of the
day was over, we soon came out again, accompanied by all their party, to enjoy the evening
air. Their dwelling had been placed at thirty
or forty yards from the point of a piece of land
projecting from the bottom of a broad rising
vale, lying open to the sea, at the distance of
about half a mile. Our hosts gave each of us a
bench to seat ourselves upon, while some of
them laid down upon the grass, and the rest
occupied themselves in preparing poi and fish
for our supper.
We had not, however, been many minutes
seated, before we perceived a dozen or two,
men, women, and children, coming with all
possible haste round the vale beneath us on
either side, for the purpose, as we soon learned,
of welcoming the houries, any of whom they
had rarely had an opportunity of seeing; and
presently the whole population of the place,
amounting to about eighty men, women, and
children, were assembled, all so full of gaiety
and kindness as to render our reception as
agreeable to us, as our visit could possibly have
been to them.
While the repast was preparing, we asked
for what we most wanted, a good draught of
water. But this we found to be among the
greatest of the wants of our hosts, and to procure




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


189


which they were obliged to send two miles up
the elevated country in the rear of them.
We now put ourselves in a reclining posture
upon a mat they had laid out for us, while the
natives, in whose front ranks crowded the
women, sat, reclined, knelt, or stood around us,
and, as my companion entered into discourse
with them, our intercourse became the most
jocose that can be imagined.
The first tliing they brought us was a large
calabash full of the constant poi, which we endeavoured to eat by taking it up with the forefinger of the right hand, after the manner of
the country, as before mentioned, but which
we managed so awkwardly as to cause fresh
motives of merriment among the younger portion of the women especially.   They next
brought us some green cocoa-nuts, a part of
the substance of which was of the consistence
of thick cream, while the remaining portion of
milk, supplied in some measure our want of
water till the inestimable luxury arrived. After
this they put before us some fish, toasted over
a fire they had made with a few sticks, and as
we ate these with the cream of the cocoa-nuts
for sauce, the mirth of the party was without
bounds. But the women chattered, and sometimes said things in a suppressed voice among
themselves, that my companion was not able to
hear or understand, upon which we insisted




190    VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


upon knowing all that had passed; when one of
the old women proceeded to tell us that they
had been chiefly amused at the surprise and
remarks of the children at seeing us eat the
fish cooked; it being the custom of the natives,
though the elder sort knew very well that it
was not ours, to eat it raw. But when the old
lady observed we now laughed with them, she
entered upon some revelations which, though
they amused us, and excited again the greatest
merriment among the younger portion of the
party, did not seem to inspire the elder men
especially with the same feelings.  "Good
houries," said she, " it was not fish only that
we ate raw before the missionaries taught us
the new religion. When I was a child, half the
number of us that are now present would have
found your two white bodies, fresh killed as we
should have eaten them, at least in a time of
scarcity, but a meagre meal."
While the old woman was making this revelation to us, I observed that several of the
younger women appeared moved by what she
was saying, but they soon became merry again
as she proceeded to tell us what was the condition of their sex in those dark days of their
history. Not only were they, all their lives,
she said, in a state of such degradation that
they were not even permitted to eat, as we have
had occasion before to mention, in the presence




VICINITY OF KARAKAKOOA BAY.


191


of the men, nor at any tinie to eat any portion
of the animal used for food, save such as they now
throw to the dogs, but, when old, they were killed
out of the way, or suffered to die from neglect.
It is curious to observe, how we may
sometimes, quite unintentionally, give offence to
people whose customs are very different from
our own. During the time we were carrying
on this little intercourse with these people, we
observed an old man, who was the only one
of the party that was not sitting, kneeling, or
reclining on the ground, with a countenance
the most sullen, to mutter something, and then
slink away in a manner that, had we not known
we were among a set of the best-natured people
in the world, would have set us upon our guard
against some treachery or other. All that now,
however, came into our heads was, curiosity to
know what had offended the old fellow; and
upon inquiry, we learned that he had said that
I had beaten both his wife and his daughter,
whom he had desired to place themselves, one
on each side of me, to make me as happy as
possible. On hearing this, I remembered that
it happened that I had patted them both on the
back in the way absolutely of caress; upon
which, indeed, I had observed them to shrink
back and look full of fear, instead of displaying
the pleasant humour that the same act might in
Europe have put good folks into, who should




192    VICINITY OF KARAKAIKOOA BAY.


have borne something like a similar relation
to us in the intercourse and chance-mingling
of the different grades of society into which we
are necessarily divided.
The too bright sun of the tropical day,
whose diminished force had invited us to pass
the evening in the open air, sunk beneath the
glittering waters of the calm ocean in front
of us, without attracting our attention to the
change, until the quick approach of night reminded us of the necessity of repose after our
fatiguing day's adventures.
Upon re-entering the ample hut, we found
it lighted with chips of a resinous tree, called
the kukia, which abounds in the higher lands.
The flickering lights were stuck in the sides of
posts that supported the roof of the hut, after
the manner of the Siberians. Mats were now
spread out for our beds, and we laid ourselves
down upon these and slept soundly until the
morning.




JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY. 193


CHAPTER XII.
JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY AND KAILUA-KAILUA.
Renewal of our Journey-Village of Kynaleho-Hospitality. -Village of Keauhua-Description of the Native Sports
in the Water-The Surf-Board-Manner in which the
Men combat the Sharks-Feats of the ChildrenCustoms- Fruit Repast — Confidential Communications
-Harbour of Refuge-Departure-Improved Condition
of the Country-Amusements of young Women-Healthy
Districts-Arrival at Kailua-Description of the Capital
-Buildings -Missionaries-Governor-Quartered with
the Governor-Fort-Dwelling of Kamehameha I.The Rev. Mr. Thurston-Dinner at the Missionary'sRomish Priest-Romish Church-Encounter Mr. Hall
-Governor's Politeness.
WE rose the next morning with the first appearance of day; and, after taking an affectionate farewell of our kind friends, we continued our journey. Our path now lay across
rugged beds of lava, amidst which we observed
but spare indications of vegetation at distant intervals, and generally in the ravines, which,
though still dry, seemed designed to form the
0




194 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


beds of future streams destined one day to water
a verdant and abundant country.
After about two hours' march, we reached
a village called Kynaleho, where we experienced the same warm reception as at the last
village of the previous evening. We entered
the first house at which we happened to arrive;
and, as we were now in a comparatively fertile
vale, we were able to obtain some bananas and
bread-fruit in addition to cocoa-nuts and fish,
such as we had supped upon at Hauhauha:
and we made a hearty breakfast, in the good
company of laughing women, wondering children,
and good-natured old folks. After two hours'
sojourn here, we left these good people, with the
regrets with which we never failed to part with
any of the natives we visited during our tour.
We often compared them, as we passed from
one village to another, to children at their holiday time in Europe, before the cares and responsibilities of life have somewhat saddened
the spirits natural to youth, or as it too often
happens, changed the characters of men, and
dried up the sources of good humour and benevolence.
About mid-day we reached the village of
Keauhua, where I had the satisfaction of witnessing, for the first time, the famous ancient
sport of the country played in the water, upon
what is termed by Europeans the surf-board.




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


195


This is truly a famous and animating diversion,
but, for what reason I know not, now discouraged by the missionaries, and no longer played
with the same spirit among the islanders whereever the Europeans are mingled among them.
But as we are now so far removed from the
seats of innovation upon former customs, the
occasion may be as favourable to describe, as
the opportunity we then had was of witnessing
this sport. I shall, therefore, note all we observed from the best possible position for the
purpose, with as much minuteness as the novelty of the diversion to an European, with the
character of the sport and the place together,
may seem to demand.
We had remarked as we approached the village, that the country was, within the vale in
which it is seated, more fertile than any we had
before met with; and we found the mere eight or
ten huts of which it consisted, placed apart from
one another in a grove of palms, cocoa-nuts, and
plantains, through which the rays of the sun
were at intervals seen sparkling upon the gently
agitated surface of the ocean. There seemed
also to have been some little more attention
paid here to the style of construction, and to
the position of the huts, than we had before
seen. They had large shady porticos of trelliswork covered with trained vines, which we now
o 2




196 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


saw for the first time; and several had orange.
ries planted about them.
After passing by one or two huts which had
not an inhabitant within them, we met some
women, who told us that all the men, women,
and children of the place, save themselves, were
sporting with their surf-boards in the water, and
that the Government agent, for whom they supposed we were in search, had gone to the seat
of government of the island. Upon hearing this,
we determined to witness the national sport,
and our new friends readily volunteered to
conduct us to the most convenient spot for the
purpose.
Upon issuing from the grove, we came
opposite to a small bay formed by two proniontories, and cliffs of no great elevation, and
with a low beach at the bottom. Our guide led
us on the left side of the bay, more than half
the distance to the point of the promontory on
that side, where we found five or six other women
and some children seated upon the rocks, all contemplating the spectacle in the water, which thus
affords at the same time a diversion for those
who engage in it, and for those who witness
the feats of agility and courage that are performed.
Had I not known that we were to see what
I had heard much about since my arrival in the




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


197


islands, or had we come accidentally upon this
promontory without being prepared for what we
were to see, I could scarcely have believed at
the first sight of the natives, engaged as we
now saw them, that we were looking upon
creatures that were not absolute habitants of
the sea, or at least amphibious. Three or four
and twenty men, women, and children of all
ages above seven or eight, were distributed
over the bay and beyond the promontories,
acting such a part amidst the turmoil of the
breaking seas, as we might only suppose the
beings of poets' imaginations to be capable of
performing. Nature seemed to have formed
this little bay for the express purpose of giving
the natives the opportunity of carrying their
feats in the water to the utmost verge of possibility, as well as for the spectators to witness
the exhibition with the greatest advantage. The
form of the bay, combined with the inequality
in the depth of the water within and without,
owing, doubtless, to the presence of two coral
reefs, caused the sea to break, first with terrible
turmoil, half a quarter of a mile beyond the
promontories, and again with less force within
them, at something more than that distance
from the bottom of the bay; and these two
lines of broken water were each chosen for the
basis of the performances of one of the two dis.
tinct parties into which these semi-amphibious




198 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


beings were divided-that beyond the bay for
the men, and that within for the women and
children, the feats of both of which could be
perfectly seen from the cliffs upon which we
were now seated.
The surf-board, from which this sport derives its name, consists merely of a thin plank,
on the average about a foot in breadth, and
from four to five feet in length. The party
engaging in the sport, upon entering the water
lies flat upon this, and swims out from the
shore towards the breakers upon which he intends to play.  Some of the breakers which
form the two bars, leave a smooth surface of
foam after breaking, while others roll on from
the outer bar to the inner, or from the inner to
the shore at the bottom of the bay. If the
swimmer meet one of the rolling and broken
seas before reaching the line upon which it
broke, he slips off his board, and dexterously
dives under its curling head, and appears again
when it has passed over him, with his surfboard in hand. Then he again places himself
as before, to continue swimming in the same
direction, until he reaches the bar upon which
the sea broke, or that which it is his aim to
attain. Arrived here, he is now seen floating
between two of the three breakers which usually
burst successively upon every narrow bar, diving
under these severally as they pass on, till one




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


199


of them bids fair to roll on in the manner the
white-topped waves are sometimes wont to do, to
a great distance, without exhausting themselves
or falling quite over and leaving nothing but the
carpet of foam upon the smooth surface of succeeding swells. Upon observing this, he turns
from the broken water, and swims slowly onward, until overtaken by the running swell,
on the slope of which he now places himself,
lying flat on his surf-board with his feet
upwards, and strikes out, or so maintains his
position, that he continues sliding down the
wave, with the broken water behind him, at
the same rapid rate that the wave rolls, till it
exhausts itself, if from the outer bar, or till it
arrives within a few yards' distance from the
shore, if from the inner.  In the latter case
he is subjected to the danger of being thrown
upon the shore with great violence, and to the
risk of bruises and even broken bones where
there happen to be rocks, all which he escapes by
slipping from his board in the same manner as
when among the breakers, and diving to appear
again in the rear of the rolling wave before it
tumbles over on the shore. The great difficulty,
and therein the chief merit of the performance,
consists in keeping upon the steepest part of
the rolling sea, which brings the swimmer so
near its foam, that he is sometimes lying in
almost a perpendicular position, with his head




200 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


downwards, upon the advanced side of the white.
topped swell, as it sweeps on towards its goal.
By this he is exposed to the effects of the crash
of the broken water before he has time to dive,
and, after making a summerset, with the temporary loss of his board, to the laughter of the
rest of the swimmers as well as the spectators
on shore.
While we sat watching them, the parties
were distributed between the two lines of
breakers, and within the inner line, in the act
of rolling onward, or returning to the bars, or
lying between the breaking seas, diving and
reappearing, till the time seemed favourable for
their long roll towards the shore. The women,
whom we could distinguish by their long hair,
and also the girls and boys, appeared to us to
perform their part amidst the turmoil of the
minor line of breakers as dexterously as the
men along the outer line. That they do not
generally trust themselves farther from the
shore, is rather on account of the sharks, which
the men are prepared for, and seek to contend
with, than from any distrust of their capabilities
in the water. The sole weapon used by the
men in combating the shark is a dagger or
knife, which on other occasions, when fishing,
they stick in their maro, to be used merely
when, as it frequently happens, their canoe is
upset, and they are attacked by the voracious




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


201


fish before they can put their little craft again
upon her bottom and resume their seats. But
when they are engaged in this sport, the weapon
is attached to the surf-board. If now attacked,
the shark has no chance with them. At the
approach of their enemy, they feign fear and
swim away from him, at the same time exhibiting
all sorts of awkwardness, until they give the
equally cautious as voracious animal, sufficient
confidence to approach them. Then they dive
under him, for he is not an active fish in the
water, and thrust their dagger into the under
part of his body; upon which, even the stoutest
of the species will turn and retreat, sometimes
to escape, but often in such a condition as to be
easily pursued and vanquished, and after the
action triumphantly towed on shore.
It is the custom of the islanders, more especially when they have no other means of showing
their hospitality, to make themselves as agreeable as possible to strangers, by placing by
their side, one or two of the younger women,
who, if a common language be wanting, will,
at all events, laugh the most weary traveller
out of the most sullen humour that ever accompanied fatigue. But on the present occasion
we had in our good company, only several old
men and women, and some children, and they
seated by our side, the two elder among the girls,
whose intelligence and quickness in answering




202 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


questions put to them about the diversion we
were witnessing, were as useful, to myself at
least, as their merriment was refreshing to us
both. We frequently expressed our admiration
at what we saw, to the great delight of all the
party; but upon asking the little girls near us,
whose ages were probably between seven and
nine, whether they intended, when a little older,
to join in the sport, they declared it to be their
daily amusement; and, without waiting to be
asked to display their dexterity, they ran and
picked up two small surf-boards that were lying
near us, and set off in great haste to join one
of the parties in the water.
Arrived at the beach, the girls slipped off
their sole robe, and after leaping into the sea,
soon reached and mingled with the rest in the
exciting sport; and I confess, when I saw these
little creatures sliding down the side of the
swell which runs with such rapidity before
the rolling surf, and diving to avoid its crash,
when the curling wave was about to break over
them, there seemed to me to be something absolutely superhuman in the feats they accomplished, so far were they above anything I had
deemed it possible for any creatures whatsoever
to perform in an element not their own.
This bay, indeed, as before said, possesses
peculiar advantages for the sport; and we, probably, saw the performances of the most expert




AND KAILUA-IKAILUA.


203


swimmers in the islands.  The healthful diversion is still the favourite of the few remaining
national exercises of the natives throughout the
group. I was informed by the missionaries and
by others, in proof of its popularity, and of the
constancy with which it must have been practised
for ages, that many of the natives spend whole
days in enjoying themselves in this manner in
the water. I was informed also, that Kamehameha III., then the reigning king, was known 
thus to divert himself even from sunrise to
sunset, taking his meals of poi during the day
without ever coming on shore. This was not,
however, at the seat of innovation, and of the
present government, but at or near Lahaina,
in Mawhee, which his majesty made the place
of his sojourn when disposed to quit the scenes
which continually reminded him of the decrease
of nationality among his subjects, and the loss
of independence, of his race.
After passing the greater part of the afternoon in witnessing these performances of the
natives, we returned with our friends to the
village, and at their instance proceeded to the
house of the government agent, which was in
charge of one among the men who were with us;
but as we here found nothing inviting within,
we sat down upon some mats, under the shade
of trained vines supported by a frame similar
to that of our trellised arbours.




204 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


As soon as we were seated at our ease, some
girls brought us a quantity of oranges and grapes,
both of which I now saw for the first time in
the islands; and, over these we carried on a
conversation with our friends, who continually
increased in numbers, until they comprised
nearly all the inhabitants of the village, and
during which we learned some particulars concerning the civil condition of the natives far
removed from the seat of the government, but of
which I shall repeat only what may seem most
to the purpose.
As soon as they were assured that we were
not agents of any kind, of the government,
which they had at first suspected, they became
more open in their communications than the natives generally are wont to be under the restraint
which, whether for good reasons or not, the presence of strangers has of late imposed upon
them. But what they chiefly dwelt upon was,
the burden of the taxes since the houries had
changed their form of government and their religion, but above all, that of the poll-tax of a
dollar, to be paid in money which they had no
means whatever of obtaining. In order, indeed,
to pay this, they were, they said, whenever the
occasion occurred, driven to make that use of
their wives and daughters, which has been a
fruitful source of many evil consequences from
the earliest intercourse between white men and




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


205


the barbarous races. Upon the whole, their remarks tended to show that the withering effects
of their contact with Europeans was chiefly to
be ascribed to the too hasty strides of the government on the road to civilization, with the
want of union of purpose between the civil and
religious powers through which the changes are
being brought about.
Before we left this village, our friends informed us, that upon either side of their bay
there was a safe harbour of refuge for boats and
shallops, and that that on the south side was
the better sheltered of the two.
After taking leave of our semi-amphibious
friends, we renewed our journey on foot, in
expectation of reaching Kailua before the close
of the day. On leaving the village, we found
the land covered with tall plantains, forming an
open grove. As we passed across this, we heard
women's voices, and a great chattering and
laughing, certainly not far from us; and, upon
arresting our steps to discover who there might
be so near, we presently perceived some six or
seven of the dusky lasses of the land, issuing
from the thicker portion of the grove, all
dressed in their accustomed blue loose chemises, and with their heads decorated with, and
their hands full of, flowers. Upon our inquiring, they informed us they had been to the
higher lands in the vicinity, which abounded




206 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


in flowers in great variety, to gather sufficient
to decorate their heads, as well as those of all
their friends of their sex in the village. We
were much amused in observing the different
manner in which they severally disposed of
these befitting ornaments of their persons. Some
of them had merely put on the simple wreath
before mentioned among the native articles of
dress, and others had covered their heads with
as little taste as we happen to see just now
displayed in our own ball-rooms.
The country, for the remainder of the road,
abounded more than any we had yet seen in
this island, in the natural vegetation of the
climate, and appeared to be wanting only the
application of the art of agriculture, to become an abundant district.   If there were
but little sign of industry about the villages
generally that we passed by, this neglect of
labour is attributable to the ill adaptation of
the land to produce the chief article and staple
of life of the islanders, with the abundance of
nature in the spontaneous fruits of the climate
on the slips of land, and in the valleys in which
the villages are seated.
This coast of Owhyhee appears to be the
most healthy of any portion of the islands.
Whether this be owing to the inhabitants
having retained more of their ancient customs,
or from its position in respect to the mountains,




AND KAILUA-KAILUA.


207


and the direction of the prevailing winds which
so much influence the climate in all latitudes,
we found that the sickness, during'the prevalence of the epidemics above mentioned, had
been less here than anywhere else in the group.
At Honaunau, where the children were extremely numerous, the natives informed us that
they were not aware that they had lost more
than they usually buried at the same season,
though several had died from one or other of
the painful diseases that had prevailed. In the
evening we reached Kailua.
Kailua, now the capital of Owhyhee, was
the seat of the government of the group after
the conquests of the renowned Kamehameha I.,
who, it will be remembered, died here. It is
situated within a wide bay, with a safe roadstead' and good anchorage; It has a very few
more inhabitants than some of the larger villages in the island, though much frequented by
the natives living in the vicinity, on account of
its being the centre of their civil and religious
affairs. It has, however, four stone buildings
and a fort. The buildings are, the residence of
the governor; that of the parent of the mission.
aries, Mr. Thurston, whom we have had already
occasion to name; and two places of worship.
Immediately upon our arrival, we called to
pay our respects to the governor, Kapeau, a native chief, who received us with good-humoured




208 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY


frankness, and ordered a room in the government-house to be prepared for our reception
and residence; in order, as he said, that we
might be as near to him as possible during our
stay in the place.
We were not long installed, before the hospitable chief came to pay us a visit, and, as it
happened to be a bright moonlight night, he
invited us to go at once in his company, to
inspect the fort, which was in front of his residence, and which in passable English he called
the right arm of his strength. We found it
consist of a single battery commanding the bay,
with twelve pieces of cannon of not very large
calibre.
After this, we proceeded to examine the
interior of the house still standing in the vicinity
near the beach, in which Kamehameha I.
breathed his last. Nothing was now, however,
remaining of the building save the bare walls.
It did 'not appear to have differed from the
better sort of the native huts that we had
entered since landing in the islands.
Early the next morning, we paid a visit to
the Rev. Mr. Thurston, who received us with
much politeness; and in the afternoon we dined,
by invitation, with the same gentleman, and had
the pleasure of making the acquaintance of his
lady, who has been with her husband since the
commencement of the mission. Mr. Thurston




AND KAILAU-KALAU.


209


is the sole survivor of the three first missionaries
who, it will be remembered, arrived together
from America in the month of April 1820, and
the consequences of whose reception we are
observing in our intercourse with the native
population.
The next morning we visited Monsieur
l'Abb Marechal, the chief of the priesthood of
the Romish Church in this island. We found
the Abbe living in a condition of quite anchorite
severity; but we learned from him that his
poverty was not a matter of choice.   The
troubles in France had caused derangement in
the transmission of the funds for the support
of the mission, which had reduced the whole
Romish clergy to the necessity of living upon
the benefactions of some among the poorest
classes of the natives, or of those from whom it
was still more humiliating to receive obligations. The Abbe informed us that there were
7000 Romanists in this island; that about 2000
of these were in the immediate vicinity of this
town, and that 1200 attended his church.
The day after our interview with the missionaries, we unexpectedly met with another
European gentleman, by whom we were induced to change our plans. This was Mr.
Hall, who had been some time settled in the
island, and engaged in raising a coffee plantation. He had ridden here from his estate
P




210 JOURNEY BETWEEN KARAKAKOOA BAY, ETC.
in the rear of Karakakooa bay, and intended,
after his return, travelling as far as Kaihili and
Whyhohino, beyond the south-west point of the
island, by which route, if we accompanied him,
we should be able to reach the remaining
object of our curiosity-that great natural
phenomenon, the volcano of Kilauea, on Mauna
Loa-as well as accomplish a considerable portion of the tour of the island.
As soon as the Governor heard of our intention, he offered his boat to carry us back to
Karakakooa bay, which we gladly accepted;
and as Mr. Hall had already departed, we
embarked, after a warm leave-taking of the
native chief, upon the same day.




VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


211


CHAPTER      XIII.
VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.
Departure from Kailua-Boat Voyage-Picturesque Views
-Landing - Old Friends-Affectionate ReceptionEntertainment - Singing by the Native Girls —Reflections on the Prospects of the Natives-ConversationRenew our Journey on Foot-Meeting with the Abbe
Mareelhal-Horses-Precipitous Way-Mr. Halls Estate
-The Coffee Tree- The Fruit- Kamtschatka DogTravelling again on Foot-Fertility of the DistrictThe Character of the Vegetation —Arrival at Karakakooa
Bay.
THE boat which the Governor of the island had
placed at our disposal, was furnished      with
schooner sails, and was manned by two of the
natives. As we glided out of the bay of Kailua,
a liglt air which had passed over the water
near the shore unperceived, soon augmented
to a gentle breeze; and our little craft now
mounted and descended the long rolling swell
of the great ocean upon which we were embarked
with hardly any apparent motion, while she was
making her way with the rapidity, as well as
P2




212


VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


ease, with which a vessel glides over the smooth
waters of a lake or flowing stream.
Nothing could exceed the beauty of the
views that the coasts of the island here presented.
The picturesque cocoa-nut groves appeared at
intervals along the shore, beyond which were
seen fertile vales and ravines, gradually rising
towards the higher country in the interior, and
crowded with rich vegetation, which diminished
as the elevation of the land increased, until the
stern sterility terminated in the snowy summits
of the two gigantic mountains of Mauna Kea
and Mauna Loa.
Though we were to have the use of the
Governor's boat as far as Karakakooa bay, it was
our intention to land at some nearer point upon
the coast, in case the weather should permit, in
order to visit Mr. Hall's estate, to which my
companion and myself were invited, and which
we were very desirous of seeing; and towards
evening we accomplished a landing in a shallow
bay about a mile south of that where we had
seen the feats of the surf-board during our journey on foot
Our reception here was most interesting,
and,could not fail to remind us of the time when
the boats of our celebrated navigators' ships
cautiously approached the shores of newly
discovered lands, while the natives who lined
the beach stood stupefied, or as full of doubt




VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


213


concerning the intention of the strangers, as
the Europeans were concerning the character of
the reception they might meet.
As our boat grounded within a few yards of
the foremost among the crowd, and the wave
that had lifted her on the beach recoiled, I
jumped on shore. The natives shouted the signs
of welcome that we had had no reason to believe
would be wanting, and at the moment I reached
the ground beyond the wash of the next sea, an
old woman rushed out from among the rest, and
throwing herself into my arms, gave me such an
embrace as a mother might have given her son
just escaped front the perils of shipwreck; while
the rest of the party crowded round us, and with
the happiest faces in the world asked some questions, by which we soon discovered that we were
in the midst of the same good people with whom
we had a day or two before sojourned, where we
had been so much delighted by the spectacle of
the surf-board, and afterwards so hospitably
entertained, but whom we did not at first recognise. They had seen the boat pass the bay in
which their village was seated; and they had,
on observing her approach the land, hastened
here, out of mere curiosity to see who was
about to visit their shore; and, surprise and
pleasure at again seeing their European friends,
had caused the ecstasy of the old woman, and
the joy of the whole party.




214


VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


Our friends now conducted us again to the
same house where we had been before entertained; and though the chief of the village was
still absent, they at once set about making
preparations for accommodating us for that
night; after which they brought us the same
luxuries of cocoa-nuts, plantains, and oranges,
with which they had before regaled us, and of
which we now ate heartily, amidst the same
arrangements as before.
When we had finished our supper, we conversed for a short time with our friends. On
the occasion of our first visit to this village, our
conversation was chiefly upon subjects that
regarded the relations which the inhabitants of
these remote settlements bore to those of the
towns, and to the governing authorities at
Waohoo, concerning which the natives were
very communicative. This time it was our part
to entertain our hosts after the same manner they
had entertained us, by giving them an account
of the country properly our own. They seemed,
however, from questions put to us, as the discourse proceeded, little to appreciate, if indeed
they were able to comprehend, the traits and
descriptions of European life which we endeavoured to give them.
After we had said as much upon these
subjects as the occasion suggested, and when
our discourse began to lose the interest it had




VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


215


at first excited, our friends made a general
demand upon us, to tell them whether there
was anything they could do that would afford
us pleasure. We should, certainly, if we had
consulted only our wishes, have requested that
some of the girls would dance; but we knew
this to be tabooed by the missionaries, in opposition to whose influence we did not, after the
manner of many of the white inhabitants of the
towns, wish to set ourselves, however we might
have disagreed with them concerning a part of
the means they employed to accomplish their
great ends. The clash of rival faiths, such as
that from which infinite mischief has arisen in
these islands, could hardly be more dangerous
to the interests of an infant community almost
founded upon a religious basis, than an example
of disrespect shown on such an occasion as the
present, for the advised arrangements made for
accomplishing any great work. It occurred to
us to ask, however, whether any one among
the women could sing. Upon which five or six
of the girls started up from the mats upon which
they had been reclining, and commenced singing
a hymn that had been taught them by the
missionaries.
As these children sang, we seemed transported back to a remote and very different age
of the world from that in which we live. The
whole was to me as a dream. How vast is the




216


VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


distance, how great, how real, the difference
between men in the more advanced stages of
society, and the proper children of Nature! The
constrained smile or laugh of the one, amidst the
greatest incitement to pleasure, often tells us
how small a portion of the soul is occupied with
the present, how large a portion, either with
some painful passage of the past, or with the
dark and doubtful future; while the other, has
the full enjoyment of the present, undisturbed
by any vain remembrance of the past, or any
gloomy apprehensions concerning the future.
Such, doubtless, was the condition of the earlier
inhabitants of the earth. The golden, pastoral, or poetical age, is not a bard's dream. It
was doubtless, that state of society, before men's
hearts became corrupted by the phantoms that
made them forget the proper end of their being,
which gave rise to all the train of passions that
subjected them to the necessity of laws to restrain their acts of injustice towards one another,
whence arose distinct communities, and wars, anarchy and tyranny, which have in all ages of the
world and in every country, diverted the energies
of men from their proper course, and negatived
the efforts of the best among us, for the last
ing amelioration of the condition of humanity.
Wherefore our arts, our knowledge, our science,
if they fill us with envy, instead of affection for
one another, with the love of wealth, and forget



VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


217


fulness of the sources from which it springs, the
true purpose for which it was given, and to
which it should be applied. Our vain expectations are never realized. The passion we indulge
the most, is augmented by the very fulness with
which it is gratified. What should we require
more than food and raiment, and the shelter that
the changes of the seasons make necessary, since
this earth cannot be our home? But sleep on,
ye happy children of Nature, in the same forgetfulness of the past, the same indifference to
the future. Let no one disclose to you the too
plain signs of the time; let no one reveal, how
near is the close of your dream. Your brothers
in the sister isle perish by thousands under the
white man's laws, his vices, and his diseases.
Your reception of the stranger, your right in the
soil from which your fathers tranquilly gathered
the fruits, claim a care, or merit a respect, which
ye will not receive from the invader. A few
short years and your race may be heard of no
more.  Such, at least, were the melancholy
reflections which we could not suppress, during
the entertainment we received.
As soon as the girls ceased to sing, some of
the party retired, and we laid ourselves down
among the rest, consisting of eight or ten of
both sexes and all ages, and enjoyed a night of
undisturbed repose.
Early on the following morning, we prepared




218


VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


to part with our friends; but they insisted upon
accompanying us beyond the precincts of the
village, where we prepared to take the same
leave of them that we were accustomed to take
of all the natives with whom we sojourned.
They seemed, however, at this moment, to recal
what they had appeared to listen to with so much
indifference on thle previous evening; and they
now expressed their hope, that when we were
full of the engagements which we had informed
them were usually those of Europeans, we would
not forget our friends in this island. In reply
to this, we assured thenm, not only that they
would retain a lasting place in our memories,
but that at least our particular friends among
the inhabitants of the island, from which we
came, should hear of the reception that we had
met with in Owhyhlee.  Then after responding to a request they made of us, that in case
we should ever again visit their island we would
make a longer sojourn with them, we embraced
the women and shook hands with the men, and
departed.
We had now to keep the coast for two or
three miles, before we began to ascend towards
the plantation where we were to rejoin the
friend with whom we had parted on the previous
day; but before we had marched a mile, we
were overtaken by the Abbe Marechal and a
lad, both on horseback. The Abb6 would have




VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


219


dismounted and given us his horses; but this we
refused to permit, insisting that our legs were
better than his; and we walked by his side, until
we came to a village consisting of a few huts, at
about three miles from that at which we had
slept. Here the priest had comfort to offer to
one of his flock; we therefore now accepted his
horses to finish our journey while he was occupied with his religious duties, and the lad
accompanied us on foot to bring them back.
As we proceeded, we found the way precipitous, and the priest's horses, whether from
laziness or incapacity to serve us better, were
the slowest we ever mounted.   We arrived,
however, at our destination by mid-day.
Mr. Hall had chosen a romantic and very
beautiful spot for the agricultural experiments
in which hlie was engaged, and he had already
a fine coffee plantation in a forward state.
The coffee tree does not bear until three years
after it is planted, which renders its cultivation
a speculation which requires much good management and great patience to assure success. In
the West Indies, the crop very frequently fails;
but in these islands, as far as the planters have
yet been able to observe, it is far more certain,
and will probably therefore be ultimately one of
the staples of the commerce of the islands. We
were regaled with a cup of coffee and watermelon on our arrival, and we found the former




220


VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


to our judgment of a far better flavour than any
West India coffee we had ever tasted. I have
too rarely had occasion to visit coffee estates
in other countries, to be able to compare the
young tree here with that of the same or of any
other age elsewhere. It is however a beautiful
plant to look upon, and grows nearly in the form
of the larch, but has a leaf of a lighter green;
and the fullest grown tree on this estate did not
exceed ten or twelve feet in hleight. The fruit
very much resembles the damson in form, is
about the same size, and has a substance of
nearly the same consistence covering the kernel,
but which, when the fruit is ripe, is of a bright
red colour. It grows close to the branches or
twigs, something like the cone upon the larch,
and must be gathered by hand. The kernels
of some we opened here, we found larger than
any grown in our West India Islands.
Mr. Hall had married a native lady, and had
several children. Among his domestic animals
we were rather surprised to find a Kamntschatka
dog. The animnal, however, we learned from his
owner, was of hardly any value here, and was
little more susceptible of attachment than the
common run of his species in his own country,
of which a notice has been given in another part
of these travels. His temper, indeed, was better
than that of the dogs in the great peninsula,
which seems to indicate the possibility of a




VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.


221


modification of the disposition of the species by
change of climate, treatment, and food.
After inspecting this estate, we set off on
foot for Karakakooa bay, accompanied by Mr.
Hall. We found the country here abundantly
fertile, abounding in wild vegetation in great
variety, among which, whether indigenous we
could not learn, there were peas, beans, carrots,
and cabbages of the several kinds, in the greatest
profusion.
We found also here abundance of the trees
before mentioned, called in the native tongue
hoia and kua. The hoia resembles very much
the black birch of the northern districts of
America; and the kua, the mahogany of South
America. We had already seen specimens of
both these woods worked into furniture at the
Governor's at Kailua. There was here also
another remarkably fine and very useful tree,
which had not been anywhere pointed out to
us before. This is called Kukia. It furnishes
the islanders with the resinous clips which they
burn for lamps, such as were mentioned in the
account of our journey between Karakakooa
bay and Kailua. This tree is a great ornament
to the landscape wherever it is found. It
spreads its dark green-leafed branches over a
large space, and usually stands apart from the
surrounding trees of inferior growth and less
exuberant foliage, as if it required more room




222       VISIT TO A COFFEE ESTATE.
to display its superiority over the rest of the
trees of the forest. This fertile district is the
same which has been mentioned, as comprising
an elevated country of older formation than the
coasts, and terminating in the bluff cliffs and
rocks which form the bottom of Karakakooa
bay, at the south side of which we arrived late
in the day.




BOAT VOYAGE.


223


CHAPTER XIV.
BOAT VOYAGE FROM KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.
Leaving Karakakooa Bay-Beauty of the Night-Pass the
South-West Cape of the Island-Chlange of WeatherTrade Wind-Run for Shelter-Dangerous PositionMiniature Harbour of Refuge-Landing-Desolate Plain
-Attempt to finish our Journey o01 Foot-DDeserted
Huts-Continue our Endeavours-Sufferings fr' m Thirst
-Discovery of Natives in a Cave —Depth of Human
Misery-Causes-Rejoin the Boat on her Passage -
Arrival at Kailili-Inspection of the Village - Its Condition.
AT sun-set, the usual hour of embarking upon a coasting expedition in these islands, on
account of the prevalence of land breezes during
the night, we sailed from Karakakooa bay on
our voyage to Kailili, in a boat of the same
description as that of the Governor, and belonging to Mr. Hall. We were in lopes of
doubling the south-west point of the island
before day-break    the next morning, and     of
making even a considerable advance along the
southern shore of the island, before we might be




-224


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


met by the trade wind, which would be against
us and render the sea very rough upon that
coast.
It was still calm, some time after sun-set;
and as the daylight grew fainter and fainter, the
stars of their several magnitudes and degrees of
brilliancy appeared one after the other, until
the whole hemisphere was spangled with the
myriads of lights which the tropical night seldom
fails to exhibit. During this time, we made use
of our oars; but the night was not long
established before a fresh breeze reached us,
with the chilly air directly from the snowcapped mountains in the interior. The wind
increased in strength as the night advanced;
and we ran rapidly along the shore, which, at
the distance sometimes of ten or twelve miles,
we could see almost as clearly as by day, while
we were able to mark at the same time the line
of the distant high lands, by the absence of the
lower stars, which it obscured.
We did not double the south-west point of
the island until daylight, after which, the wind
nearly failed us. But when we were advanced
about twelve miles along the southern coast, the
wind, after increasing in strength, became less
favourable, and carried us out about eight miles
from the land. We had, however, attained a
great object in passing the cape before the
trade wind came down from the east, which




KARARAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


225


during the day as is well known, knocks up
such a bubble of a sea here, as to render the
voyage dangerous or impossible in an open
boat.
The breeze, after varying at intervals in its
force, at length utterly failed us while we were
still in the offing; and we had now to take to our.
oars, to counteract the current which could not
fail to be setting against us. About nine o'clock,
however, a ripple on the water gave us notice of
the approach of the trade, which soon came
down with such force as to remind us that our
distance from the land was too great for our frail
bark to support such rude squalls as are very
frequent upon all the coasts of the islands at
this season; we therefore steered directly for the
shore. But we had scarcely put our helm up,
before the wind increased to a degree that
obliged us to close-reef our sails, while the sea
got up so quickly as to render it necessary that
we should as speedily as possible seek some asylum against its increasing violence. No one on
board indeed knew anything more of the coast
on this side of the Cape, than that it was formed
entirely of lava and the debris generally proceeding from volcanoes in the interior. Hoping,
however, to find some little creek or cove to
serve us for a harbour of refuge during the
remainder of the day, we kept our course towards
the land.
Q




226


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


The part of the shore we first came near
to, was observed to be composed of black
lava cliffs, against which the sea was breaking
with great violence, while there was nothing to
indicate the presence of inhabitants, and no
signs of vegetation. We now ran along this
shore, sweeping over the heavy seas under the
leech of our foresail for several miles, keeping
all the time scarcely three times the boat's
length from the broken surges which rebounded
from the rugged cliffs, but without perceiving
any signs of a place of refuge. To stand off
again with the wind on our side, and the sea
running higher than our mast-head, was impossible. But after some time, we seemed to
perceive a kind of miniature haven in the rear of
some rocks, over which the sea was breaking:with frightful violence. As we drew near this,
we observed a narrow strait, where there
seemed to be a clear passage between the
breakers on either side, through which we
might by good management in the conduct of
the boat, perhaps yet run into smooth water.
The fair prospect filled us with expectation.
Our jib was now hauled up, and the leech of
the mainsail loosed, that we might obtain more
power over the course of our bark, the moment
we should change the direction in which she
was sailing. But we had no sooner luffed up,
and brought the breakers on our larboard




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


227


hand under our lee, than we observed the sea
to break in the mid-channel also, within seventy
or eighty yards ahead of us, with the same
violence as on either side. But there was now
no choice: to " stay" the boat was impossible
without more canvass, which she could not
bear: to "wear" her, was equally so.   She
would in either case, have perished in the broken
water under her lee. Our only chance was,
that the sea, as it happens upon the bars of most
harbours, after breaking twice or three times,
would leave a smooth swell for a time long
enough to admit of our running through it into
calm water, before it again broke.
At this moment, we had occasion to feel the
immense advantage that our naked companions
in peril would have over us, through their amphibious habits, should the worst occur. At the
approach of the breaker that would turn our little
bark over and over, they might plunge into the
sea, dive under the turning wave, and, appearing again beyond its influence, swim easily into
smooth water, while to the white men, accustomed
to swim only in a calm sea, but faint hopes would
remain of saving their lives. We threw off such
of our clothes however, as the most encumbered
us, and prepared ourselves for the worst.
The recoil of the waves upon either side of us,
now rendered the steerage very uncertain, while
we were running directly upon the broken
Q2




228


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


water a-head. It was a moment of breathless
expectation. Three minutes more, and our frail
bark would be in safety, or bottom up, and ourselves engaged in almost a hopeless struggle
with the raging element upon which we were
now floating. But,
"Though the seas threaten, they are merciful."
And, 'as we had hoped, after we hauled up,
the sea throughout the channel seemed again to
cease breaking, and to leave a smooth white
surface upon the swell. Upon this we gave our
little craft as much helm as the breakers and the
rocks under our lee allowed, and she now shot
a-head with the swiftness of a bird on the wing,
until she entered a basin of water, about sixty
yards in breadth, and so completely locked in,
that neither thie wind nor the swell of the sea
was able to prevent us bringing up in perfect
security, without having shipped scarce a barrel
of water, or experiencing any inconvenience,
save a thorough wetting from the spray blown
from the tops of the curling seas.
As soon as we had time to look around us
at our ease, we perceived that the rocks that
had been under our lee as we entered the little
harbour of refuge, formed an islet of the same
substance as that which composed the coast,
and that there was another channel into the basin,
similar to the strait by which we had entered.




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


229


After some discussion, concerning our next
step, we determined to land, and in case of finding the route across the country at all practicable, to pursue our way on foot, in the hope of
arriving the same evening at the place for which
we were bound, leaving the natives to bring the
boat round after the cessation of the trade-wind,
which would doubtless be some time during the
next night. We had now, however, great difficulty in getting on shore, on account of the
swell which was beating against the rough lava
rocks, and again in mounting the cliffs. Once,,
however, upon the heights, we were able calmly
to survey the foaming sea without, as well as to
look down in triumph upon the snug little asylum
which we had so opportunely gained. We had
acted with extreme imprudence in passing the
south-west point of the island before the cessation of the trade-wind, upon the evening after
that of our embarkation, and also, in suffering
ourselves to be tempted by the continuance of
the land breeze, to keep so far from the shore,
Thus, we had reason to exult, that we once more
trod upon the firm surface of the earth.
Upon examining the country immediately
around us, we found the ground composed of
lava broken up into large masses, heaped one
upon another, and strewed over the land in such
pandemonium disorder as far as the eye could
reach, as to afford no prospect of our discovering




280


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


any sort of pathway across these sterile and
dreary wastes. The very aspect, however, of
the plain, this " seat of desolation," invited us
by its novelty, and the charm of exploring new
paths and untrodden ways, to make an attempt to
carry out our preconceived plan; and, furnished
with two bottles of water, a small calabash of
poi and some bananas, drawn from our sea-stock,
after leaving instructions with our native companions, that in case we did not return to them
before night, they should leave their retreat as
soon as the wind moderated and the sea admitted,
and endeavour, by the use of the oar, to gain
Kailili before the trade met them the next day,
we set off upon our journey by land.
We first tried to make our way by the coast;
but here we found the great blocks of the volcanic matter, thrown up into rude heaps that
rendered the vay quite impassable. From an
elevated position, however, we seemed to perceive a more level track toward the interior,
which induced us to attempt to make our way in
that direction.
We now took a course immediately inland.
Our new path was at first sufficiently easy to
encourage us to proceed, but soon became very
difficult. After climbing, however, over immense blocks of lava, and leaping across the
clefts and cracks which divided them, for about
two hours, during which time we probably did not




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


231


advance two miles, we perceived three cocoa-nut
trees in the direction of the sea, which led us
to hope, that if we could reach these, we should
find also some inhabitants. We now therefore,
determined to make every effort to accomplish
this; and, although the way continued to present
the same obstruction, we had not proceeded
much farther before we perceived the tops of
two grass'huts rising above the black masses of
lava that appeared near them. This stimulated
us to redouble our efforts; and, after another
hour's most laborious march, we came to the
brink of some cliffs of lava overhanging a narrow terrace about a mile from the sea, upon
which the two huts had been placed, and from
the soil of which the cocoa-nut trees had sprung
up.
Though we yet saw no signs of the presence
of any living creature, we joyfully descended
to the terrace, not in the least doubting that we
should find inhabitants within the huts, and be
able to replenish our already nearly exhausted
stock of water at least, if we did not find the fare
and hospitality we had elsewhere received.
Upon entering the first hut, however, to which
there was no door, we found no one, and nothing
within that indicated that it had been even
recently inhabited, and the same with the second.
Upon this, we proceeded to search for water;
but we found neither brook, well, nor reservoir




232


BOAT VOYAGB FROM


of any sort.  Nevertheless, high above our
heads, beneath the spreading branches of the
three fresh green trees, hung abundance of
cocoa-nuts, which with confidence in our ability
to climb as well as the native boys, who mount
the tallest trees and gather the fruit thereof
whenever it is required, we thought we had now
within our reach as many cocoa-nuts as would
yield us milk and cream enough to restore our
somewhat exhausted strength, and fit us for such
further difficulties as we might yet have to encounter. After several attempts, however, we
found it impossible for any one of our party to
reach half the height of the lowest cocoa-nut;
and we were obliged to give up our attempts,
wishing only we could turn from the view of
the delicious fruit, with the satisfaction of the
fox, that it was worthless.
We now held a little consultation concern.
ing the next best step we should take among
several of which we had the choice; but opinions
were divided regarding that which might be the
most prudent, and no one was very decided respecting either. We had still about sufficient time
by the day, to return to the boat, provided we
could make sure of retracing the very steps we
came; but this admitted of doubt. We might
possibly find a better route; but should we be
involved in a worse, we certainly could not reach
the boat in time, which would subject us, without




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILl.


233


a doubt, to the inconvenience of passing two days
without any food whatsoever. We thought of
crossing to the shore, which might not be distant
above half a mile, and of making signal by fire,
to the boat, as she passed by at night, to come
to our aid; but although we had the means of
obtaining fire, we knew not whether we should
find fuel for our purpose by the shore. We
could take away a few sticks from where we
were, but the track might not admit of our
carrying enough. We might have determined
to sleep here, had the want of shelter been the
greatest of our troubles; but the most serious
was the lack of water; and even if we shbuld find
this, we had not sufficient food for another day.
It happened, however, while we were searching
about, under the impression that there must be
some source at hand from which the people
who had dwelt here had drawn their supply, we
stumbled upon a faint track over the lava, which,
wheresoever it might lead, as it seemed to lie in
the direction which we wished to proceed, we
determined to follow.
We now marched on famously for a few
hundred yards, after which we found the track
scarcely perceptible. Here, however, there was
a deep crack, which seemed to divide the lava
far beneath the upper stratum of blocks; while
it was, at the spot where we stood, impassable. Mr. Hall, who was the best acquainted




234


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


with this description of country, now found
his way through intricate passages beneath the
upper blocks of lava, to a second ledge, from
which he was able to make his voice heard to
inform us, that he had not only discovered a
narrow part of the crack where we could pass
over it, but that he heard water trickling through
passages in the lava beneath him, from which
he had hopes that we might be able to obtain
some of the thrice precious beverage of which
we had so much need.
Upon this, Mr. Robertson and myself hastened to join our companion, which we were
soon able to do. There were no means, however, of descending any lower, or of obtaining
any of the priceless liquid that rilled such sweet
music in our ears. Tantalus was not tormented
with more false hopes than we suffered, from the
time we jumped upon the turfed terrace where
the cocoa-nut trees flourished, up to this moment.
Our eyes had rested upon vessels containing the
richest milk and cream, which, though half
starving, we could not reach; and now our ears
caught the thrice dulcet sounds of trickling
water, for which our parched lips longed, but
which we could not obtain. We were able to
cross the crack, however, and we found our way
to the surface of the earth again, by passages
similar to those we had descended.
Proceeding now in the same direction as




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


235


before, we soon lost all signs of a track, after
which we found the way as rude and as difficult
as ever. Nevertheless, we judged it best to
continue our efforts, without altering our course
until we might have some special reason, thiough
some signs we might observe, for so doing.
But, presently, while we were upon the top
of one of the rude heaps of volcanic matter, we
perceived, at the distance of about a quarter of
a mile in the direction of the sea, some living
creature at least, and in motion, but which
disappeared almost as soon as seen. We now
called, however, with the united force of our
three voices, in the hope that in case it were
a man we had seen, he might hear us and soon
reappear, and aid our endeavours to discover
some better route across the rude plain.
Seeing nothing, however, again appear, and
finding no signs of a living creature, after we
thought we had reached the spot where we had
seemed to see something in motion, we should
have doubted the evidence of our senses, had
not the testimony of all our sights been the
same. But we had not proceeded much further than this, when we suddenly came upon
the edge of a vast block of lava, which overlooked a pit about twenty feet deep, formed
by the manner in which the volcanic matter
was laid, and the bottom of which was strewed
with indistinguishable rubbish, which seemed to




236


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


indicate the den of beasts of prey, instead of
the dwelling we had hoped to flnd of some of
our own species. But our curiosity was now
much excited, and we scrambled down from our
elevation into the pit, where we found, beneath
the lava upon which we had stood, a cavern
leading downwards with a curve that prevented.
our seeing to the extremity of it.  There was
not a vessel, instrument, or utensil of any kind
to be seen, that might have indicated the
presence of any of our own kind; and we
should have supposed that we had fallen upon a
den of wild dogs, of which we had seen one
from the distance, had it not been for the
difficulty which these animals would find to
subsist in such a barren district. However, we
entered the cavern, though very cautiously;
and we no sooner turned the curve that had
obstructed our sighlt, than we perceived two
men in their maroes, and two wonien scarcely
more covered, seated amidst filth such as I
never saw any human creatures wallowing in
before, and with their countenances, which we
could now plainly see, as sad as if great troubles
afflicted them, while they were as silent as if
they did not possess the faculty of speech.
The condition of their persons was worse than
that of their abode, of the women especially.
Their hair was of the consistence of that of a
shaggy dog, yet hung, down to their waists,




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


237


while their arms and legs and bodies were
covered with protuberances like enormous warts.
So uncommon a scene, first filled us with surprise, then with doubts whether these strange
specimens of humanity were in a condition to
move our pity or our contempt, and finally with
suspicions not very favourable to their characters. What could have subdued nature to such a
lowness? What could have plunged men into
such a depth of misery, but the terror of the
avengers of some unrequited crime? We took
our stations, however, in front of them, and
then inquired whence they came, and how long
they had been living in this condition, if, as we
doubted not, they had known a better. At
these words, the whole party, as if they were
suddenly relieved from some terror that had
possessed them at our appearance, rose up from
their bed of filth, and declared their willingness
to give us the fullest information we could wish
concerning them. Upon this, we all came into
the open air; and we now learned, that the grass
huts we had seen belonged to them, that they
had lived upon fish and the produce of the
cocoa-nut trees we had tried to climb; but that
not having the means of disposing of any portion
of either of these, they had neglected to carry
their poll-tax to Kailili, where the government
agent resided, and that they had in consequence
of this been obliged, some time since, to leave




238


BOAT VOYAGE FROM


their huts and conceal themselves from pursuit,
to escape being sent to a prison and hard labour,
the penalty for default of payment of this tax.
It need scarcely be added, that we were at first
mistaken for the tax-gatherers come to carry
them to Woahoo.*
Our thirst, which had been so great before
we arrived there, had seemed to leave us at the
sight of objects that so wholly engrossed our
minds; but, recovered from the first effects
of our surprise and our suspicions, we now
asked where we might find water, upon which
one of the women set off with a calabash, with
which she soon returned, bringing a very small
quantity, and that so brackish that we were not
able after all to drink more than a very little of it.
No doubt, the quality of this water was chiefly
the cause of the state of the bodies of these
unfortunates.
Upon now inquiring concerning our way, we
found that to reach Kailili that evening was
impossible, and that we had the choice only of
sleeping where we were, or proceeding to the
beach, and making signal to the boat, as she
might pass along during the night. The wind,
indeed, had some time since quite gone down;
and upon our consulting the natives about our
means of stopping the boat, two of them pro

* See Appendix.




KARAKAKOOA BAY TO KAILILI.


239


posed to accompany us to the shore, from which
they were certain we should be able to see, and
might hail and stop her, if she should pass in
the night; we therefore set off in that direction
without delay.
We reached the shore before sun-set, where
we had no sooner arrived than, to our great joy,
we observed our boat, which the immediate
cessation of the swell of the sea with the wind,
had already enabled to come from her retreat,
not, after all, more than three miles from where
we stood. She was rowing along the shore,
expecting the night breeze, and soon reached us.
We had some difficulty in boarding her; but
this attained, we had almost as much reason to
rejoice that we were again afloat, as we had had
in the morning at stepping on the solid ground.
As the land breeze reached us soon after sunset, we again made sail; and, late in the night,
we hauled into the cove in which Kailili is
situated, and landed before the break of day,
near the hut of the government agent, at which
we met the usual good reception given to
strangers by the natives throughout the group;
In the morning we inspected the village of
Kailili, which consisted of but three or four
huts, none of which were better than those we
had found abandoned during our passage of the
rugged bed of volcanic matter. The country
immediate to the village was also of the rudest




240


BOAT VOYAGE, ETC.


description, which led us to inquire why the
tenants of these huts lived upon such a barren
spot of earth, in place. of taking up their abode
upon some of the thousands of acres of good
land found in many districts of the island, and
only waiting the labours of man to yield abundantly all the native productions and many
others, and free for the settlement of whosoever
should think proper to cultivate them. But as
if it were to reply the more emphatically to our
reproaches, after a few spare words of course,
they gave us for our breakfast, fish, very good
sweet potatoes, and dry taro, with all which
articles they seemed to be plentifully supplied.
The truth is, that fish being the most important
portion of the animal food of the islanders, and
the labour of procuring it much less onerous to
them than the cultivation of the ground, it rarely
happens that they are persuaded to occupy even
the best land at any little distance from the sea;
and it will remain so, until some regular system
of exchange, and a better organized state of
society than they have yet known, be established
among them.




JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO.


2411


CHAPTER XV.
JOURNEYS TO WHYJItOHINO AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.
Departure - Horses - Native Carriers- Volcanic Plain —
Elevated Plain - Course of Vegetation - Improved
Country-Arrival at Whyhohino-Distressed Natives
- Stormy Weather-Absence of the MissionariesWretched Quarters-Native Visitors-Return of the
Missionaries-Our Reception at the Mission-houseHouse and Garden-Families-Simplicity of Manners
-Detained by Bad Weather-Departure for KeivaHorses-Guides-Inhabitants-First Indications of the
Volcano-Arrival at Keiva-Continue our JourneyBeds of Lava-Bad Travelling-Arrival at the Brink
of the Crater-First Impressions-Hut of RefugeMiserable Night.
THE next stage of our journey was to Whyhohino, a missionary station. Upon making
inquiry concerning the best means of proceeding  on our way, we found there were two
horses, and no more, in the village, both of
which, however, belonged to our host, who
immediately placed them at our service. There
were, indeed, neither saddles nor bridles; but
we had invention enough among us to contrive




242


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


tolerable substitutes for these; and, after confiding our spare baggage to two natives, to
carry on their backs, we set off, two on horseback and one on foot, to ride and tie, with a
fair prospect of easily accomplishing this stage
of our journey before night.
Upon quitting the little settlement of Kailili,
we soon found ourselves marching upon the
same bed of volcanic matter which, either exposed or covered with a newly-formed soil
and more or less vegetation, forms the upper
stratum of the lower lands, throughout the
whole of the southern and western districts of
the island. The lava was here, however, more
regularly laid than usual, or by time and decomposition more settled down; so that a road
had been made across it, with much less labour
than had been expended upon that which we
travelled on foot between Karakakooa Bay and
Honaunau, and easily admitted of the passage
of horses. Our course was between that which
would have led towards the mountains, and that
which would have brought us to the eastern
coasts of the island. After passing over about
five miles of the volcanic matter, we reached a
district evidently of older formation than any
we had yet seen in this island, save that in the
rear of Karakakooa Bay. It was lying at a
considerable elevation above the bed of lava
over which we had crossed. The path from




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


243


the lower to the upper land was rough and
precipitous, and we had much difficulty after
alighting, in getting our horses to the top.
Arrived here, however, we found ourselves upon the step of an elevated and verdant plain,
from which we had an extensive view across the
waste of country we had crossed. We had also
here an opportunity of making some observations upon the manner in which Nature, after
the formation of a new country by volcanic
matter, proceeds to the production of a fertile
soil. At; intervals we observed, as far as the
eye could compass the view, the great bed of
lava, of the country that seemed so perfectly
sterile as we passed over it, now apparently
laid out in small patches, exhibiting vegetation
at unequal distances apart, just as the cactus,
in portions of the eastern deserts, appears from
high hills, or like many miniature oases designed
to extend by imperceptible steps over the whole
surface of the barren plain. But immediately
beneath us, the miracle of nature was yet, in a
more remarkable manner, apparent. The lava,
it has already been remarked, is almost always
broken into masses, commonly varying in size
from ten to thirty feet square.  What we
had previously seen, where no vegetation concealed the surface, we found thrown up, either
by earthquakes or some other active agents,
and disposed in the utmost disorder. But here
R 2




244


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


the plain was almost as level as the surface of
the water; and the lava, though in the same
manner divided into blocks, was separated by
cracks from a few inches to a foot in breadth,
just as, upon a lesser scale, we see the surface
of a bed of clay that has been suddenly dried by
the action of the sun or by subterraneous heat.
In all these cracks, where they did not happen
to be too deep to admit of the lodgement of such
matter as doubtless sweeps continually over the
lower country from the verdant land above, and
from the decomposed lava of the plain itself, a
soil had been formed, and sufficient vegetation
had sprung up, to remind us of views from an
elevation of some districts of our own fertile
land, where the fields lie fallow, while the
hedges that divide them still retain all the
verdure of summer.
We were now at the distance of sixteen
miles from the dwelling of the missionaries at
Whyhohino. From the time we reached this
elevated plain, over which we were to continue
our journey, we were exposed to a damp tradewind; and before we had made three miles on
our way, rain fell in torrents. The country continued to present a great contrast to that of the
lower land; and although we saw no full-grown
trees for several miles, its earlier formation was
apparent from the abundance of the wild varieties of vegetation with which the ground was




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


245


covered. After this we observed larger trees
set wide apart; and we passed several hamlets of only three or four huts. As our path
was apparent, and there appeared no chance
of a change of weather, we did not enter any of
these, or stop to make any inquiries.  Near
Whyhohino we observed the hoia and kua trees
growing in groups, but not of large dimensions.
At length, about three hours before dark, we
came in sight of Whyhohino, a mere widely
scattered settlement about the vicinity of the
dwelling of the resident missionary.
I had been furnished with a letter to the
Reverend Mr. Paris, who had been residing
here for some time, and was about to quit the
station, as well as with another to the Reverend
Mr. Kenny his successor, who was at present
staying with Mr. Paris; and as soon as we
perceived the missionary dwelling we stopped
at the door of a hut by the side of our path, to
inquire whether the reverend gentlemen were
at home; upon which we found they were both
away, that neither of them was expected to
return until the next day, and that Mrs. Kenny
alone was at the house. Upon hearing this,
and considering our sad plight after four hours'
exposure to pelting rain and wind, and that we
were yet without our baggage, and therefore
unable to make any change in our apparel, we
did not think it proper to intrude upon the lady;




246


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


so, without waiting for the usual invitation,
which we were surprised at not receiving from
the good people of the hut at which we had
stopped, we alighted to see what quarters we
were likely to get, in case we should put up with
them for the night. But, to our surprise, upon
entering we found what we had not observed
as we sat on our horses, that the hut was only
half roofed, and was of course half full of water,
without any dry ground save a platform of earth
which had been raised at one end, with about
as much labour as might have served to complete the roof. Here, however, were huddled
together, two men, three or four women, and
several children, who had not come to greet us
at the door, in a wretched condition, without
even mats or straw to lie upon, or any of the
meanest article of furniture of any kind. This,
at least, accounted for the men who came out
neglecting to meet us with the accustomed good
humour of the people, and an invitation to
alight and enter. But before we went further
in search of some place to lay our heads for the
night, we requested them to give us some account of the causes of the wretched state in
which we found them.   Upon this they informed us that they were the family of a late
government agent here, who had died suddenly,
being in arrear in his payments of taxes collected, for which his house and effects had been




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


247


taken possession of by the legal authorities in
indemnification for the debt, which had driven
them to take shelter in this hovel. They informed us, however, that their own hut was
empty, and open, and free for us, if we chose to
occupy it; upon which we proceeded, under the
guidance of two girls, to take possession of the
abandoned dwelling, and were soon beneath its
roof: but, as we had not a, dry rag upon us, we
had little prospect of being better off here than
in the open air, until the men arrived with our
baggage.
We were scarcely under shelter, however,
before some of the men from the other hut
arrived loaded with sticks, of which we were
able to make a fire without delay. This comfort being secured, we sent a messenger, with
a few lines written with a pencil, to petition
Mrs. Kenny to be so good as to send us a
morsel of bread; and we dispatched two of the
girls at the same time, by the advice of the
men, in search of some goats that belonged to
them, and were feeding upon the hills at a distance, in order to procure a little milk. Then,
after taking off our coats, we stood before the
fire to dry the rest of our clothes, which were
thoroughly wet even to our shirts.
While we yet stood steaming over the fire,
the messenger returned from Mrs. Kenny, bringing bread and tea and sugar, and an offer of the




248


JOMRNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


shelter of her house. For the present, however,
we did not accept this kind invitation. In the
mean time we succeeded so well in the good use
we made of the fire, that in less than an hour
we were as dry as when we left Kailili; and as
the two girls now arrived, drenched and streaming like water nymphs, with their blue chemises
tight about them, and with each a calabash of
milk in her hands, we seemed to have all the
luxuries, including the most gracious attendance
that our imaginations could compass.
Neither had we any want of other good company. The whole of the proper tenants of the
hut, taking advantage of our occupying it, came
to seek the shelter from the pelting rain, which
that to which they had retired did not afford;
and before we had boiled our milk, all the
inhabitants from the houses in the vicinity came,
either attracted by curiosity, or to welcome the
strangers in their settlement. Indeed, such
were the effects of the novelty upon ourselves,
together with Mrs. Kenny's tea, and the reflex
of our good spirits upon the easier moved tempers of the natives around, that we became all
so merry, that any one not knowing our real
condition, and that we had only just comforts
enough to fortify us against the pelting of the
elements, might have mistaken the whole party
for an assembly of bacchanalians.
The two natives made their appearance with




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


2'49


our baggage, contained in two bags, soon after
dark; but as the whole contents of the bags
were as wet as the clothes we had on had been
when we arrived, we were kept very busy during
the first hours of the night in drying these also.
After this, our friends left us, and we stretched
ourselves upon the ground, with our bags under
our heads, and slept soundly through the night.
On our rising the next morning, we found no
change in the weather, and the rain continued to
fall in unremitting torrents during the whole of
this day; but our two little girls, who had served
us so well on the previous evening, again found
their way to us, and aided us in procuring such
necessaries as we required.
In the afternoon, Mr. Kenny and Mr. Paris
arrived, and we received an invitation to come to
them immediately; but such was still the violence
of the rain falling, that we thought it better to
remain for the present under such shelter as
chance had thrown in our way.
The storm had nothing abated in the evening
of the third day, when the two gentlemen came
down themselves to insist upon our removing to
their abode, which we were not able any longer
to refuse. On arriving at the residence of the
missionaries, we were most hospitably received
by Mrs. Kenny, and assigned a dry and comfortable apartment for our peculiar use.
As this was the first of the missionary stations




250


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


that we visited, where our necessities obliged us
quite to take up our residence at the missionhouse, we were much interested with all we saw,
and much impressed with the manner of life of
our charitable hosts, and the religious tone of
everything beneath their roof.  Their house,
with a little garden in front, was situated upon
ground slightly elevated above the country inhabited by the chief portion of the flock over whose
welfare they were appointed to watch, and was
a model of neatness and propriety.  In the
garden we found growing all the ordinary vegetables peculiar to the climate, upon well-weeded
beds, arranged with taste and order, and a few
ornamental shrubs and kukui trees. Within the
house, everything, from its furniture to the
dresses of its inmates, partook of an equal air of
simplicity and primitive Christian manners. Mr.
Paris had lost his wife, and was left with two
children, girls of about eight and ten years of
age, which had rendered him unable to fulfil
all the duties involved in the mission; and he
was only remaining until Mr. Kenny had become
sufficiently familiar with the language of the
natives, to perform the offices of religion, and the
other duties which his position involved.
At an early hour in the evening, before that
at which the family was accustomed to retire,
we were all assembled in the sitting apartment,
where a short service was performed. Fervent




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


251


and unaffected prayers were offered up for the
success of the mission and for the true conversion of all the natives of the islands, and all
heathens and idolaters, but also, especially for
the welfare of the three stranger guests, and for
their protection during the travels in which they
were engaged. After this, a chapter in the Bible
was read. Then one of the reverend gentlemen
entered upon a familiar discourse upon the texts
it contained, and the moral to be drawn from
these in common with the rest of the sacred
Scriptures, and the service was concluded with
a hymn.
The whole of the day after our removal at the
hospitable domicile of the missionaries, we were
confined by the continuance of the tempestuous
weather. After a frugal meal in the morning,
we had prayers, a chapter in the Bible, and a
hymn as in the evening; and at dinner we had a
long prayer or grace before, and thanksgiving
after, a modest repast; and again in the evening
the same service as before. The meals of the
missionaries are confined to breakfast and dinner.
When we arose upon the morning of the third
day of our sojourn with our benevolent friends,
we found the storm sufficiently abated to give us
hopes of proceeding on our journey before the
close of that day. Mr. Hall having found means
to transact the business which brought him to
Whyhohino, now returned with the horses to




252


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


Kailili; and Mr. Robertson and myself gladly
accepted the offer of the reverend gentlemen to
endeavour to find us fresh beasts, accustomed to
the rough country that was before us. We had
still more than a day's journey to perform before
we could reach the great remaining object of our
curiosity in the island; after which we had to
descend the opposite side of the mountain as far
as Hilo, another missionary station in Byron's
bay, where we trusted we should be able to procure a shallop to enable us to complete our tour
of this island.
By mid-day the rain had ceased; and, early
in the afternoon, our horses were ready, with
such rough substitutes, again, for saddles and
bridles as we were able to procure. Our immediate object was to arrive that night at a
village called Keiva, as yet a day's journey
from the crater of the volcano, and to a particular inhabitant of which Mr. Paris furnished
us with a letter.  And now, after taking an
affectionate leave of the two sincerely pious
families that had so hospitably entertained us
during the storm, we once more renewed our
journey on horseback, accompanied by two native guides on foot.
The first part of our route, after leaving
Whyhohino, lay near the southern shore of
the island. We here passed through two villages, consisting of scattered huts, where men,




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


253


women, and children, came scampering from all
directions to greet and welcome us.  Several
of them endeavoured to persuade us to alight
and accept such hospitality as they had to offer;
but we were too anxious to reach Keiva early
enough to make our arrangements for the next
day, to afford ourselves the satisfaction of remaining among them. Our friends at Whyhohino had assured us that we could there alone
expect to find such articles of provisions as we
might require for the rest of our journey.
Shortly after this, we took a more direct
course towards the mountains.   After now
passing one or two isolated huts, our progress
was somewhat obstructed by rougher ground,
and by strong rapids and deep ravines. This
district is called by the natives, the country of
the guelches.
As the daylight began to diminish, we perceived a faint light in the eastern sky, which
was the first indication of our being within the
distance to which the light of the burning
mountain extends. As the darkness increased,
the light assumed the appearance of the aurora
borealis, when that mysterious light is steadily
fixed in the heavens. But from the brow of a
hill we attained after the night was confirmed,
while yet at the distance of twenty miles from
the volcano, the light appeared like that of a
vast forest in flames; while high above the




254


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,


crater floated vapours which reflected the light
of the volcanic fires, and gave fearful evidence
of the terrible natural objects that lay beneath
them.
We reached Keiva early in the night; and,
although we were a little disappointed to find it
consisted of but two huts, and that that of the
family to whom we carried the letter was a very
small one, and afforded nothing we required
save the shelter of its roof, our new friends did
not suffer us to lie down, until they had procured from their neighbour all we needed, both
for ourselves and our horses for the night, including, even, some warmer clothing than we
had brought with us, which the more elevated
ground we had already attained rendered necessary.
The next morning we recommenced our
journey, better supplied with provisions than we
expected, and with the full hope that before the
close of the day we should arrive at the brink of
the crater of the volcano we had been at so much
pains to visit. From Keiva we took a still more
inland course than that which we had travelled
on the preceding day. We now found the way
very bad. Sometimes we were crossing rough
land, partially covered with vegetation, which
served only to render the way more difficult and
more dangerous for our horses, by concealing
many cracks and clefts which nothing but the




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


255


practised instinct of beasts well accustomed to
the country could have avoided falling into, and
as often we were clambering precipitous tracks.
The position of the beds of lava, and the
condition in which they remain in this island,
are incomprehensible, or require more extensive
observations than we were able to make, to explain. The volcanic matter upon the upper
country, sometimes broken up by the earthquakes or other agents, and sometimes lying in
vast terraces or elevated plains, is all evidently
of the latest formation. Upon the lands immediately below this, the condition of the soil and the
vegetation is everywhere more forward; while
beneath these again, along the greater part of
the western and southern coasts, as we have
lately seen, appear those immense beds of lava,
on many parts of which not an indication of
vegetation or of decomposition has yet appeared.
We stopped but once during this day, that we
might give our beasts an hour's rest, and partake
of some refreshment ourselves. After this, we
renewed our journey with fresh vigour, and a
fair prospect of attaining the object of our toils
before it became too dark to discern our way.
We found but little further change in the face
of the country as we proceeded; and all the indications we yet perceived by day, of the great
natural wonder we were approaching, was a
broad column of white vapour rising from the




256       JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO,
mouth of the crater, and lying in strata at different altitudes above the summit of the mountain.
At length the sun set, and the ascending
vapours began again to exhibit the same appearance we had observed on the previous night.
With the decrease of the daylight, the stars
afforded us light enough to continue our way;
and, about an hour after the commencement of
this night, we reached the brink of the crater of
the great volcano of Kilauea.
Nothing perhaps could present a grander,
nothing certainly a more novel spectacle, even
to the eye of the traveller to whom the most
striking phenomena of Nature might be familiar,
than the prospect which, amidst the darkness
around us, came thus suddenly under our view.
A vast abyss was before us, too wide to admit of
our perceiving the side opposed to that where we
stood, and too deep to admit of our seeing anything within the dread gulf, by the brink of
which we stood, save an active portion of the
ever-burning fires, which, by daily or hourly
changing their form, add always additional interest in the eye of the spectator, in proportion
to their variation from that which other visitors
have witnessed and described.
While we stood in this position, the lava was
seen issuing from a dark cone which seemed
placed in the middle of the pit, and was running
down in a vast stream of liquid fire, into a bed




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


257


of luminous vapours, from which scarce light
enough proceeded to exhibit more than the livid
countenances which the travellers presented to
one another.
Nothing could better have illustrated the
passage in our great epic poem"A dismal situation waste and wild;
A dungeon horrible on all sides round.
And one great furnace flam'd; yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible."
After this first sight of the great natural
wonder, and chief object of our journey, we
turned from the north-west side of the crater at
which we had arrived, towards the eastern, to
search for a hut that our guidesinformed us Mr.
Pitman, a gentleman dwelling at Hilo, had charitably erected forthe accommodation of travellers
benighted during their passage of the mountains.
We found as we advanced, many crevices
and clefts in the ground, from which were
issuing dense and hot vapours. The heat, however, which proceeded from the same sources,
was agreeable to us; for we were now suffering
from the cold incident to the altitude we had
attained, augmented by a strong current of air
accompanied by a damp mist, which was rushing
towards the crater, as if designed to supply the
place of the air consumed by the active volcanic
matter within.
S




258


JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO


We had no difficulty in discovering the hut,
which, as we approached it, appeared completely enveloped in the vapours that were
issuing from the clefts in the ground in all
directions. Upon coming to the door, however,
we were surprised to find it strongly padlocked.
Locks of any kind, to the honour of the islanders, are at this time, whatever they were at the
epoch of the discovery of the group, so little
needed, that nothing was further from our
thoughts than to find ourselves excluded from
the shelter prepared expressly for travellers
like ourselves. But we heard from our guides,
that no one ever approached the crater by the
route we came, save occasionally one of the
missionaries of the district, who, having nothing
to detain him, contrived generally to reach an
inhabited hut on the descent to Hilo, from which
all the visitors came who were likely to be
detained during night in the mountain. Thus
we had no choice between sleeping under
the lee of some scanty bushes that were in the
vicinity, or breaking the lock and taking violent
possession of the desired asylum. One might
suppose the question was not difficult to determine. But it must be remarked, that if the
burglary should not happen to give great offence
to the owner of the hut, it was certain that it
would give to our semi-barbarous companions
a very bad example of respect for the rights of




AND THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


259


property,-at all times, among the more difficult
of the essential laws of civilised man to make
men in the earlier stages of society comprehend.
We had our particular interests, also, to consult.
Should the principal European at Hilo, the
owner of the hut, from whom we were counting
upon a friendly reception, hear of the offence
from our own mouths at our first interview, and
we could not contemplate concealing it, we might
find ourselves in a very unenviable predicament.
While we were full of these doubts, however,
the cold mist was changing into rain, which soon
came down with such fury as to subject all
reason to the circumstances of the time, and to
determine us to break open the hut and put off
all inconvenient reflections concerning its consequences until the morrow. But we found
this not quite so easy to accomplish as we
had expected. No instrument that we had,
proved strong enough to draw the staples to
which the lock was attached from their hold upon
the portals of the door; and we were obliged, in
order to effect our object, even to tear down a
portion of the grass walls, through which we
now entered.
We found nothing within the hut, save, indeed, the inappreciable comfort of shelter from
the pelting rain and the wind. But we set our
guides to gather sticks, of which they procured
sufficient to enable us to kindle a fire, dry ours2




260    JOURNEYS TO WHYHOHINO, ETC.
selves, boil water, and cook some taro, upon
which we supped, quite regardless of any little
inconvenience arising from the want of a chimney
to our habitation. After this, we stretched ourselves upon the driest spot of ground we could
find, to repair our somewhat exhausted strength,
and prepare ourselves for the descent of the
crater of the volcano, as early as possible the
next day.




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261


CHAPTER XVI.
THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.
Sunrise-Magnificent Spectacle-Aspect of the VolcanoDimensions of the Crater-An Unfaithful GuideSuperstitions-The Goddess Pelee-Observations at the
Brink of the Crater — Descent of the Crater - Aspect of
the Interior-Of what Composed-Lake of Liquid Fire
-Our Impressions-Illusive Spectacle-Effects of the
Liquid Fire-High Cones-Attempt to reach one of the
Cones-Frightful Objects around-Threatened Eruption-Dangerous Position - Narrow Escape- Conjectures concerning the Composition of the MountainsAltitude of the Mountains-Frequent Earthquakes.
THE cold was too severe, during the night
we passed at the brink of the crater of the
volcano, to admit of the most weary among us
sleeping very soundly; and we rose from our
damp beds long before it was day, and, after
again boiling some water, breakfasted upon tea
and dried taro.
When we appeared in front of our stormbeaten habitation, the rain had ceased, and the
day was just breaking. Dense vapours were




262


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


still issuing from many fissures around us,
which a gentle air directed towards the mouth
of the crater, where they seemed to disperse or
fall in soft showers, as they mingled with the
more rarified atmosphere. But the sky above
our heads was as clear, and as full of its mysterious lights, as it is wont to be in these latitudes, at all seasons and at every altitude, between
the intervals of tempestuous weather.
Long before the sun's direct rays touched
the land, at the elevation at which we stood,
they fell upon the snow-capped summits of
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which seemed
rising by some magic power from the abyss of
floating vapours which still concealed all the
lower country from our view. Far above all
other manifestations of the power and beneficence of the Creator which we behold, is the
spectacle of the rising sun, when his earliest
beams fall upon any of the grander objects of
interest which compose the material world.
Placed beyond the reach of whatever might
distract our thoughts, or draw away our attention from the scene we then contemplate, our
souls become entranced by the objects upon
which our eyes rest, and we seem to see Nature
awaking from her healthful slumber, and preparing to welcome the glad image of her great
Author throughout the wide expanse of her
material realm. While we regarded the splen



THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


263


did scene now before us, the peaks, hills,
forests, and deep ravines, successively caught
the beams of the still unseen orb, until his
direct ray fell upon the floating mists around
us, and fully established the day.
From the hut in which we had found shelter
for the night,.to the brink of the crater, was
but a few steps. When we were so placed as
to take a survey of the great gulf by day,
there was no liquid fire issuing from the cone,
from which it had been streaming on the previous evening. No smoke, I believe, at any
time, ascends from the volcano; and there was
now nothing to intercept the view, even of the
opposite country, save a thin vapour ascending
from the great abyss, which, at an altitude not
much above that at which we were placed, became a silvery cloud, and hung suspended over
a portion of the pit where the volcanic matter,
in a state of ebullition, appeared.
It seemed as if nothing could exceed the
frightful desolation which the abyss exhibiteda rude plain of black and pink-coloured lava,
great rocky substances thrown up into hills of
no mean dimensions, two high black cones, and
around these a lake of liquid fire, which appeared
ready to overflow the cool beds that formed the
more even portion of the lava plain.
The crater is of an oval form, and, by the
latest actual surveys, three miles and a half




264


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


in length, and two miles and a half in breadth,
making a circumference of about nine miles.
Its height, above the level of the sea, is about
6000 feet.
Our object was now to descend to the bed
or plain of lava called the black ledge; and, by
crossing this, to approach the great lake of fire,
in order to examine, as closely as possible, the
more remarkable features of the frightful gulf.
But if the active and ever-changing portion of
its contents were, at this time, in the centre of
the pit, as it has usually been found, we had
probably near two miles to traverse upon this
set bed of lava before we could reach the chief
object of our curiosity; for it was certain we
were at one of the more remote points of the
figure formed by the crater.
We were now each furnished with a staff of
six or seven feet in length, cut from some
stunted trees in the vicinity; and we prepared to
descend. But at the moment we were about to
leap from the edge of the crater to the first
step on our way, we found we were only to
be accompanied by one of the guides, and, upon
inquiring the cause of this, we were surprised
to find that the other had refused to descend
with us, on account of his fears, not of the fires,
but of the deity of the volcano. Though nominally a Christian, his early impressions were not
yet effaced from his mind concerning the goddess




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


265


Pelee, who made this volcano the seat of her
empire, the gross superstition with which her
worship was accompanied, and the terror with
which this, her turbulent temple, was invested.
This Pelee is the second of the two deities
of the islands which were thought worthy of
being especially named in a former chapter, on
account of their connexion with events or objects
which the course of these travels would lead us
to be particular in noticing. Of all the deities
with which the ancient religion of the islanders
abounded, Pelee seems to have been the most
terrible in her attributes, and the most demoniacal in her acts. The priests, with the same
facility as those of ancient Europe, and of so
large a portion of modern Asia, in order to build
up their system and give individuality to the
monstrous creations with which their dread
hierarchy abounded, had personified the moral
attributes of men, both good and evil, and the
most striking natural phenomena. Thus the
goddess, seated amidst the turmoil of this volcano, was in her material nature composed of
fire, while her moral attributes were cruelty and
hatred of men. She reigned over a tribe of
worthies, all of whom were demons and agents,
who directed the natural causes of terror; and
they received severally the appellations that
were most in accordance with the acts they were
supposed to perform, such as the god of the




266


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


thunder, of the rain, of fires, of vapours, and
many others. They all dwelt amidst these
fires, whence they issued only to torment or
destroy those who came within their influence,
unless the sovereign goddess had been pre.
viously appeased by large offerings of hogs and
fruit, which served to fatten the priests who
dwelt in the neighbouring heiaus: we could
not, therefore, be surprised, that wherever any
particle of such superstitions as these still remained, they should have some portion of their
former influence upon those uninstructed men.
Even our Christian, or more sensible or charitable
guide, though he condemned the cause of this
departure of his companion from the straight
path of duty which his engagement with us
enjoined, we could not help thinking, from the
manner in which he spoke and regarded the
abyss beneath us, was not quite free from
similar terrors himself. Upon our inquiring,
however, whether he had descended into the
crater before, without which it was not probable
he could be of much, if of any use, he informed
us that he had descended with one of the missionaries some time since, and that upon that
occasion, and not before, he had become convinced of the error of his former impressions.
Still it is probable that his speech was at variance with his feelings, and that he was an instance
of the strange inconsistencies which accompany




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


267


all extravagant superstitions; for when we endeavoured to turn into ridicule the absurdities
which accompanied the faith in the precious
deity of the volcano, he appeared far from disposed to unite with us in our merriment, while
our unfaithful guide, with the same want of
consistency, laughed as heartily at what we said,
as if he had never been under the spell which
still withheld him from approaching any nearer
to the goddess's fearful throne.
Before, however, we attempted the descent,
we made a little tour of observation about the
banks of the crater, where we had the opportunity of gathering up some of a curious material
known by the name of " Pelee's hair," for which
it formerly passed. This is a fibrous substance,
resembling the threads of flax when gathered
green and rubbed and pressed, but is almost as
brittle as glass. It is found adhering to the
bushes, in the same manner as any light fibrous
matter caught sweeping before the gale. All
who have visited the volcano have noticed this
curious substance; but I do not know whether
it is considered to proceed from the streaming
fissures found everywhere around, or, as is more
probable, from the crater itself.  On the side
of the mountain by which we had approached
after dark, we now found it covering the bushes
in many places like cobwebs.
The depth at which the black ledge or en



268


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


circling portion of set lava lay in the volcano
at this particular time, according to observations
made since the last changes, compared with the
latest actual surveys, was about eight hundred
feet, and the volcanic matter had been so long
at that depth, or lower, that the guide who was
to accompany us believed we should have no
difficulty in finding the same way by which he
had before descended.
Our path for the first three or four hundred
feet, though steep and difficult, lay amidst beds
of ferns and wild shrubs, very plainly indicating
that a long time had elapsed since the sinking
of the volcanic matter beneath that point. After
this the way was more rugged, and lay across
rudely placed blocks of lava; so that it was about
half an hour from the time we commenced our
descent, before we reached the set ledge of
matter that rests upon the ever-burning element
beneath it. We had now a hundred or two
yards of a smoother and more gradual descent,
evidently caused by the volcanic matter as it
settled down after it cooled, leaving that portion
of its crust resting against the more solid banks.
Arrived at the even ledge, we directed our
course rather by our memories of the aspect of
the interior of the crater from the heights above,
and by the aid of a compass we carried in our
hands, than under the guidance of our native.
We made our way with the help of our staves




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


269


tolerably well for a quarter of a mile, when our
direct course was obstructed by hideous heaps of
basaltic blocks, hove up by some mighty effort
after the existing plain had been formed, covering a space of about two hundred yards long and
nearly as many broad, and rising to the height of
three or four hundred feet above the ledge upon
which we were walking. After turning from this,
towards the left hand, we found our way made
so difficult by the manner in which the blocks
of lava were heaped up, that in seeking for a
better, we approached the banks of the crater of
this side, which we perceived at a particular
spot were formed by immense deposits of pure
sulphur. After this, the plain became more
even; and we now directed our course towards
what seemed the centre of the great gulf, near
which appeared the cones above mentioned. We
next passed by several deep cavities, which
seemed formed by partial sinkings of the volcanic
matter after the cooling of the last settled crust.
At length, after about two hours' march across
this difficult way, our further progress was
arrested by the great lake of liquid fire, from the
midst of which rose the two remarkable cones,
apparently as firmly established as if a base of
adamant were beneath them.
Arrived here, we stood and looked about us
in breathless excitement, not under the apprehension of danger, but moved by the grandeur




270


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


and character of the natural objects around.
The boiling lake of fire beneath us, from which
jets of the liquid element were thrown at intervals, like small fountains in a vast basin, the
oozing of hot and hissing vapours from many
fissures in the fixed bed of lava on which we
trod, the mighty cones which rose from the fiery
gulf, the isolation of our position, the desolation
of the plain, all combined to impress us with
sensations we could not communicate to one
another. That which took the strongest hold of
my mind at this time was, the great contrast
between that upper stratum of the firm earth
from which the sun draws up wholesome vapours
that descend in fertilizing showers, and the
terrible abyss of the modern geologists, which
seemed now half open to our view-the region
of chaos and perpetual night-the condition,
doubtless, at one time, of the upper stratum as
well as of the interior of our globe, save the
presence of light and those directing and modifying powers which led to the incrustation that
preceded vegetation, and before the earliest forms
of organised nature found the means of perpetuating their species.
As we stood by the bank above the burning
lake, with each his staff in the right hand, with
one end resting upon the cool lava beneath our
feet, we doubtless formed such a picturesque
group, as to an enthusiastic fancy might have




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


271


seemed three of the infernal peers just escaped
from the fiery gulf in which the rebel hosts of
Satan lay vanquished, after vain war waged for
the supremacy of their bold leader.
The appearance of the inner walls of the cliffs
of the crater within, were not the least remarkable
of the objects under our view. It was impossible to tell our exact distance from any given
point; but if we were, as we supposed, near the
centre of the crater, we were nearly two miles
from the solid ground in some directions. There
was nothing anywhere resembling the regular
strata of any geological series. In some parts,
mighty patches of calcareous, and sulphureous
earths appeared at irregular intervals. But on
the side of the south, fromn which we were perhaps the furthest, as if the views of the real
objects of wonder upon which we gazed were not
sufficient to compensate our labours, an illusive
spectacle of extraordinary character now excited
in us a new interest. Here we seemed to see a
country extending from the termination of the
lava plain to an immense distance, comprising
hills and vales, and even cities and villages, and
flocks of sheep which appeared grazing in great
numbers upon the sides of the hills and the vales.
After we had dwelt for some time with exultation upon all the remarkable objects under
view from the site on which we had planted
ourselves, we determined to reach, if it might




272


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


be possible, the very Stygian pool itself; and after
descending, by our estimation, about a hundred
feet beneath the black ledge, through fissures
and over steps formed by terraces along the
lava cliffs, we effected our purpose: and we now
stood by some small pools of the liquid element,
which were separated from the unbroken flood of
fire, without experiencing anyotherinconvenience
than such as proceeded from a good scorching,
while we dipped the ends of our poles into the
live lava to assure ourselves of the reality of the
quick consuming powers which we had heard it
possessed. Nothing could be more true. The
fire that did not emit heat enough to prevent
our approach, after only covering our faces, to
its very edge, reduced the portions of the green
wood that touched it, to ashes in a moment.
But the objects of the greatest interest,
among the realities about us on all sides, were
the two dark and high cones, which stood amidst
the turmoil around them like impregnable
fortresses in the infernal empire, or like supports for the steps of the prince of darkness to
stand a second time and call up his legions,
lying "'outstretched upon the burning marl."
That to which we were nearest, seemed to be the
same from which we saw the stream of lava
issuing on the previous evening.
After returning to the black ledge, we were
resolved, if it were possible, to approach some



THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


273


what nearer to one, at least, of the great cones,
in order to ascertain whether they were composed of the basaltic blocks of lava, or of such
scoriaceous debris as form the cone of Vesuvius;
and we determined to attempt the tour of the
lake in search of some means of effecting our
purpose. We now directed our steps towards
the south, and, with each his staff in his right
hand, recommenced our formal march. We had
not, however, proceeded far, before we perceived
that one of the cones was connected with the
firm lava upon which we were walking by a
kind of bridge, or broad inclined causeway across
the gulf out of which the huge towers rose.
On seeing this, we determined to make the
nearest possible approach to this cone. Our
native guide, indeed, when our resolution was
communicated to him, thinking we designed
to peep into the cone itself, whether from
superstitious or more rational motives of dread,
was full of alarm, and began to remonstrate
with us most eloquently. But, upon hearing
that we only wished to get a little nearer to
the object of our curiosity, he consented to
accompany us.
One might suppose, that what we had seen
on the previous evening had been a sufficient
warning to suggest great caution at least, in our
movements about this part in particular of the
T




274


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


great crater; but the firmness with which everything appeared to be set, save the bubbling lava
beneath, inspired us with confidence, and put
out of our minds all ideas of present danger.
Thus we commenced our passage of the causeway, ascending towards the great cone, with
almost as much assurance as we should have trod
upon a path of granite between two solid hills.
The lava here, was not so much cracked or
broken up as we had observed the volcanic
matter elsewhere, and the colour of its surface
was such as we had nowhere before observed;
-generally a pale greenish white, from which,
had the substance not been perfectly cool, we
might have concluded that it was composed of
the matter that we saw streaming from the
cone the preceding night. It was more probable, however, tlat it had been sometime set,
and that that which we had seen issuing from
the cone had fallen into the fiery lake below.
In many places, which we had also nowhere
else observed, the firmer set blocks of lava were
covered over with matter of a fibrous and brittle
texture, an inch or two in thickness, with a space
between it and the more solid substance, from
one to five feet in depth. But this we did
not discover until one of the party fell cracking through the brittle matter, upon the more
solid bed beneath. Upon this, we used our




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


275


staves, after the manner of travellers who try
the ice on doubtful spots, by which we at least
escaped any similar accident of moment.
When we had reached about half way across
the horrid gulf, we halted for a moment, once
more calmly to contemplate the terrible objects
around. Beneath us, at a great depth, boiled
the fiery pool; above us appeared the huge
conduit of the unchained fires from within the
earth; and, on all sides, a gloomy region of
frightful desolation. Such feelings possessed me,
at this particular time, as the contemplation of
the grander objects of nature seldom fails to
inspire, alternately partaking of elevation and
of depression. Whenever we regard what is at
the same time grand and uncommon, we almost
seem to hold intelligible intercourse with some
invisible agent of the Author of all we behold.
Then, as if conscious of having soared to an
altitude of thought beyond the powers of humanity to maintain, we are suddenly struck with
a sense of our insignificance, the shortness of
our existence, the temporary nature of all we
may acquire, and of the worthlessness of all
our pursuits that have not a direct moral
object.
The condition of three creeping things on
their insecure way across this fiery pool, might
not be unlike that of the proudest among us
seen at a sufficient altitude by some immortal,
T2




276


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


who beheld, as it were yesterday, the formation of the crust upon the globe upon which
we walk over the fires beneath us, as unconscious of their presence, as a child of the dangers
inseparable from every step that it must by and
by take in the moral world. Whatever might
have been, at this moment, the precise thoughts
of my companion and our semi-civilized guide,
every idea of danger seemed put out of all our
minds by the engrossing character of the scene,
and the reflections of one sort or other which,
no doubt, equally possessed us; and we now
renewed our efforts, determined, at least, to
pursue the adventure till our way was arrested
by some more formidable obstacle than we had
yet encountered.
We had, not, however, been climbing many
minutes after the reverie in which we had indulged, when our purpose was suddenly arrested
by a fearful warning that some change was about
to take place in the elements around us. No
sounds I ever heard before could be compared
to the unearthly noises that now pierced our
ears, accompanied by the shaking of the infirm
bed of lava that was beneath our feet, Had
the fires of the infernal regions been about to
expire, and the elements combined to restore
their heat, the rush of the hellish blast, and the
re-kindling of the flames, could scarcely have
produced more frightful sounds than those that




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


277


issued from the mouth of the cone above us.
TFor an instant we remained transfixed to the
spot on which we stood, not knowing where to
seek security from the dangers that threatened
to overwhelm us.   But, recovered from our
momentary stupor, we commenced our retreat,
descending with steps as rapid as the rude
character of the way would permit, towards the
lava plain we had left. But, before we had
made many paces, the sounds that had first
struck our ears, like mighty blasts, turned to the
smart cracking of near thunder, while immense
masses of red-hot lava began to fly from the
mouth of the cone to a great height into the
air, scarcely leaving any doubt that a current
of lava was about to stream down the sides of
the cone into the gulf beneath.
But the most immediate danger to which we
became exposed, was that of being crushed by
the falling blocks of lava that issued from the
cone. The greater part of these were at first
observed to fall into the crater from which they
proceeded; but, while we were still upon the
infirm bridge we had attempted to cross, they
began to fall beyond the cone.   Some now
tumbled into the gulf on either side of us, while
others, after striking the sides of the cone, fell
into the pool, or rolled by us with the impetuosity of falling matter down a steep way,
crushing with horrible turmoil every obstruction




278


THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


to their course. Several even fell perpendicularly upon our frail bridge, and breaking through
the stratum of volcanic element which composed
it, were lost in the profound beneath.
For many minutes we were thus exposed to
the danger of being crushed to atoms, amidst
the wild uproar and confusion that surrounded
us. We finally, however, reached the firm ledge
of the longer set element, unscathed. And while
we recrossed the plain, with somewhat quicker
step than we had approached the seat of danger,
the great cone, instead of making good its threats
to vomit fresh streams of lava, resumed the
tranquil state in which it seemed to repose
before our adventure.
The two gigantic mountains which chiefly
form this island, are doubtless vast globes of
fire, encrusted with thicker or thinner strata of
the various substances which have at different
periods issued from  many volcanoes.  The
eruptions which formed their summits, appear
to have happened at a time too remote to have
left more than vague traditions concerning
them.   But there are found many craters,
similarly placed in relation to the figure of the
mountain, to that into which we have just
descended. The volcanoes of the greater part
of these appear to be entirely extinct, while
others, at intervals, still vomit their destructive
elements, which have not, however, during any




THE VOLCANO OF KILAUEA.


279


of their later eruptions reached the lower, or
inhabited lands, and not always even the forest
region.
The highest point of Mauna Loa,'according
to the latest scientific observations, is 14,000
feet above the level of the sea. Upon its broad
summit, there are no less than four ancient
craters, from which streams of vapour alone
issue at present, through some fissures in the
lava beds. The depth of the largest averages
600 feet. The temperature of the atmosphere
upon these mountains varies during the twentyfour hours from 170 to 500 Fahrenheit. Mauna
Kea, has been less subjected to scientific observations, on account doubtless of its having no
volcano in active operation like that of Kilauea;
Nevertheless its sides abound in extinct volcanoes, or such as break into eruption only at
long intervals of time. It has more snow on it,
reaching generally to a lower altitude than that
on the sister mountain, which is doubtless
owing to its having less internal heat, or a thicker
stratum of the volcanic matter, of which it is
equally composed with the other. Its height is
about 200 feet above that of Mauna Loa.. Violent earthquakes are of frequent occurrence around both these mountains, and also
throughout this island; and the same, indeed,
though with less violence, in all the islands




280      THE TOLCANO OF XILAITEA.
belonging to the group, which, combined with
what we have seen, afford tolerably plain evidence, as well of the elements of which the
mountains' are composed, as of the unsubstantial
foundation upon which the islands themselves
rest.




JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO. 281
CHAPTER XVII.
JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.
Departure from the Volcano-Condition of the Way-Lava
Beds-Arrival at Konakoa-Good Fare-Pass the Night
-Condition of our Beasts-Determine to repose a DayComposition of the Soil and the Country-Curious Efforts
of Nature-Early Productions-Birds-Oo, the most
precious of the Island Birds — Departure for Hilo -
Jaded state of our Beasts-Meadow Lands-CattleArrival at Hilo.
UPON our return to the upper regions, after our
adventure in the infernal pool, we had still four
hours of daylight left; we therefore made our
little arrangements as speedily as possible: and,
mounting our beasts again, which, under the
care of the less faithful of our two guides, had
fared but indifferently during our absence upon
such wild herbage as the mountain afforded, we
renewed our journey.
Our immediate object was to gain a half-way
station between the great crater and the settlement of Hilo, called Konakoa, if possible, before
dark. Our guides informed us, that we should




282 JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.


here find another asylum, erected by the same
gentleman whose locks and keys we bad not
respected, and an inhabitant in charge, from
whom we should be able to obtain lawful
permission to enter.
For the first hour, we found the descent very
gradual, over ground formed. of the constant lava,
sometimes reduced to a soil producing scanty
vegetation, but often broken up and thrown into
the same disorder, in which some of the rudest
beds of the volcanic substance were lying upon
the opposite side of the mountain. By picking
the way, however, a path had been formed which
our guides found no difficulty in following, though
the condition of our horses, after their sufferings
during the last night, was not such as to enable
us to make very rapid progress.
After we had accomplished about a third of
the distance, we found great improvement in the
country, both in respect to its soil and its productions; and, the character of the way became
now such as to enable us to increase our speed.
But by the time we had made about two-thirds
of the distance, our path became again very rough,
and the more dangerous, on account of the wide
cracks in the set bed of lava, which the vegetation often concealed from our horses as well as
ourselves. On one of the precipitous descents,
the horse of my companion fell, throwing his rider
so far from him as to cause some apprehensions.




JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO. 283


Nothing serious, however, followed, and we
renewed our efforts. But we were now overtaken by the night, and heavy rain, which
obliged us to dismount and grope our way with
poles, to prevent the horses falling into the cracks,
or stumbling over the rugged masses of lava
that were lying in their way.
At length we reached Konakoa, without
having met with any serious accident, but once
more wet to the skin. We found here, besides
the house of refuge, several other small huts, in
one of which resided the family in charge of that
erected for the accommodation of travellers. It
appeared that many officers of men-of-war and
of whale-ships which put into Byron's bay visit
the volcano, which had induced Mr. Pitman to
erect an asylum here, to serve the same purpose
as that we had the last night occupied; and this
had led to the settlement of several natives, who,
if they got a dollar or two from travellers in the
course of the year, were contented to abandon
superior spots of ground, for the means this
afforded them of paying the onerous poll-tax.
Having gained lawful admittance to this
house of refuge, we lighted a fire in the chimneyless abode, and dried our clothes. After this,
some women brought us sweet potatoes and
bananas, upon which we made a hearty supper.
Then, as the night was now well advanced, we
laid down upon an inclined plane occupying half




284 JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.


the area of the hut, and similarly placed to that
upon which soldiers lie in a guard-house, and
enjoyed such a night's rest as well repaid us for
the loss of the last.
In the morning we found our horses suffering
so much from sore feet, occasioned by the roughness of the way, that it seemed very doubtful
whether they could perform the rest of the
journey without twenty-four hours' rest; we
therefore determined to remain here until the
next day, and to occupy ourselves in making
some observation, if it were possible, of the surrounding country: thus, after we had made a
good breakfast of the same delicious fruits upon
which we had supped, we set off on foot for this
purpose. We were not, however, very successful
in our researches; for our progress was arrested
in every direction in which we attempted to turn
our steps, by the unevenness of the ground,
which kept us clambering over heaped-up blocks
of lava, and jumping across the interstices between
other more regularly disposed masses, without
affording us an equivalent for the fatigue we
suffered. We were interested, however, in comparing the marked difference in the manner by
which Nature was here and in other places we
had visited, converting these shapeless and sterile
elements from  her " nethermost abyss," into
productive and fruitful soils.
The way in which the mould appeared to be




JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO. 285


forming by the deposit of the perishing vegetation
proceeding from the higher or older lands, and
gathering in the interstices, and about the ridges
upon the otherwise level surface of the lava, has
been above noticed; but, since we passed the
mountain, we had observed, that the rudest
country about us was covered with vegetation,
from the stunted and coarser herbs of the climate,
even up to shrubs almost arrived at the dignity
of trees: and we had now the opportunity of
observing in what manner these grew, and of
conjecturing the cause of their early appearance,
and the part assigned them in the miraculous
transformation of the most sterile substances
into the most fertile soils. We found all this
vegetation growing upon the flat surface of the
blocks of lava wherever these were not almost
perpendicular, in a greater or smaller quantity,
in proportion to the approach of the surface of
the lava to a level; and, when we examined the
roots of the several plants or shrubs, we found
them attached to the lava, without penetrating
it, just as the branches of our creeping-plants
cling to a brick wall. Thus far, at least, our
actual observation extended; from which we
concluded, that the early beginning and rapid
progress of vegetation upon this side the mountain, proceeded from the trade-wind blowing
here continually from the sea. This, doubtless,
brought moisture that was absorbed by the lava,




286 JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.


which it served to honeycomb before time had
been able to reduce the rude masses to a level
fit for more advanced vegetation. Moreover,
as we extended our observations, we found the
herbs that were flourishing in many places gradually crumbling the masses of lava into mould,
which their decaying matter enriched as it
formed. Certain spots indeed, of which advantage had been taken by the inhabitants here,
were in a condition to admit of the cultivation
of the sweet potatoe and the banana, of which
we had already partaken, and found the latter
superior to any we had before tasted.
But although we were arrested in our attempt
to examine much the country in the vicinity of
this incipient village, we had the gratification of
making acquaintance for the first time, with
some of the spare number of the winged tribes
of the island. Any one who has happened to
sojourn at any time in the solitary forests which
the hand of man has not yet subdued, will not
forget some moments at which the dead silence
has been broken by the note, perhaps, of the
least harmonious of any of the winged species.
So rare are the birds in these islands, that when
we here found ourselves greeted by their songs,
we remembered our former sensations; for we
had both known the solitude of the virgin forests
of North America; and we received the same
impressions that we had often there experienced.




JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO. 287


In those ancient forests, however, the axe of the
woodman precedes the actual establishment of
birds of beauty or of song. Not until the soil is
exposed to the rays of the sun, and wild flowers,
and shrubs abounding in fruits, begin to spring,
do we see the gayer plumage, or hear the sweet
notes of the more precious of the species. But
here, the beautiful winged vocalists, as if impatient of the obstruction that the character of the
ground placed in the way of the more rapid progress of vegetation, had broken the island solitudes by the melody of their voices; and, before
even a soil had been properly laid, they were
joyously hymning into existence the new creation that was forming around them.
I have speculated, in an earlier chapter of
this volume, with the freedom of irresponsibility,
concerning the race to which the rational inhabitants of these islands belong, and the epoch of
their arrival in the group. If any one, not so
wedded to the principles of deductive philosophy
as to disregard the suggestions of the imagination, would as freely speculate upon the origin
and epoch of the advent of the irrational creatures found in the islands, in combination with
the apparent operations of Nature in the formation of the group, they might give some of the
same kind of aid to the Herschels, Lilles, and
Cuviers of Europe, that natural science has
probably received from the productions of the




288 JOUJRNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.


poets' fancies. Let them ask of the plumed
songsters of the forests of Owhyhee, whence
they came, and of
"The hill, the valley, fountain, and fresh shade,
Made vocal by their song;"
when, and by what operations of Nature, they
took their form, and at what epoch they first
echoed the "Flail, universal Lord!" of these
winged creatures that now chant the praises of
the Creator of all.
But among the habitants of the air found
on this part of Owhybee, there is one species of
which great numbers have been taken by the
natives from time immemorial, on account of the
value set upon two feathers especially of its
plumage; and, as we saw several that had been
lately caught, I shall take the opportunity of
mentioning the traits that chiefly distinguish
them, and the use made of the two precious
feathers. The bird is about the size of the
sky-lark. Its body and its beak are black. To
form its tail, it has two white feathers at the
root, of an equal length and edged with black,
and two similar on either side these, and two
perfectly black, reaching to a length equal to
that of the body of the bird from the root of the
tail to the point of the beak. But the two
feathers which, on account of their beauty and




JOURMNY tO0M THE VOLCANO TO HILO. 289


rarity constitute the great value set upon the
bird, are of a beautiful bright yellow colour,
and are found, one under each wing. These
were, during the lifetime of Kamehameha I.,
for many years used for no other purpose than
to adorn, if not entirely to compose the state
cloak of that king; but they are now chiefly
employed by the court ladies to form the band
before mentioned which encircles their heads.
There are also, under the tail of the bird, some
other small yellow feathers of a tufty texture,
and not of great value, but made use of by the
ladies of less dignity for the same purpose. The
name of the bird in the language of the natives
is Oo, or something very similar to the rather
rapid but distinct double sound of this vowel.
The next day, at an early hour, we remounted
our beasts, and, leaving the inhabitants of this
wild hamlet to the enjoyment of the songs of
the winged tribes and the destruction of the
most precious among them, we continued our
descent towards the eastern coasts of the island.
As we proceeded, we soon found great increase in the quantity and the strength of the
vegetation in which the soil abounded, till we
passed through groves of trees, and finally forests
of several miles in extent, bearing ample evidence
of the much earlier formation and the more
favourable position, of the lower lands upon this,
than upon the opposite side of the island.
U




290 JOURNEY FROM THE VOLCANO TO HILO.


We had had hopes that our jaded horses would
have benefited sufficiently by the day's rest, to be
able to transport us to the end of our journey
by an early hour this afternoon; but, notwithstanding the improvement of the country after
the first part of the way, their joints seemed
even less supple, and their feet but little better,
than on the previous day: and it was not until
near sunset that we discovered any signs of our
approach to the little port of Hilo, when we
came suddenly upon a piece of meadow land, on
which were feeding several head of cattle, with
letters marked upon their skins, which as plainly
revealed the fact of their captivity as it assured
us of the near termination of our journey.
In another half-hour we opened a view of
Byron's bay; after which, we crossed some
further meadow land, which brought us to the
village of Hilo, seated upon the bay near the
shore. The place appeared to consist merely of
a few scattered huts, among which it was easy
to distinguish the residence of an European;
and we rode immediately up to that of Mr.
Pitman, to whom I had brought the letter of
introduction, and from whom we now met a
hearty reception, without a word of reproach for
our depredation at the crater of the volcano.




BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


291


CHAPTER XVIII.
BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.
The Bay-Character of the Town-Buildings-Mr. Pitman's
guest of another Character-Inhabitants- Missionaries'
chief Mission house- School-Reception- Studies of
the Boys-Agriculture-Attention given to Arithmetic
-Reason for this —Estimation of the Capacity of the
Natives -Examination of the Boys-Their Impression
concerning their Institutions -Native educated for a
Priest under the Idolatrous System-Practical Study of
Agriculture - Neglect of the Art of Building - Consequences- Suggestions- An Ancient Crater- King's
Birth-day.
BYRON'S bay, or Waiakue Kaikuono, as it is
called by the natives, comprises a spacious
harbour, formed by a reef of coral rocks, of
about half-a-mile in breadth, through which
there is a channel three-quarters of a mile wide,
with a depth of water throughout, of about
eleven fathoms. Hilo is a missionary station,
both Protestant and Romish, and has one of the
best Protestant schools in the islands. It is
u2




292


BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


well situated, as well in relation to the bay
upon which it is placed as to the surrounding
country; and promises to become one of the
most flourishing settlements in the islands. It
consists, at present, of thirty or forty scattered
huts, a Protestant church, a small Romish chapel,
the dwellings of the missionaries, a school-house,
and several houses belonging to Mr. Pitman, by
whom all the proper commerce of the place is
carried on.
This hospitable gentleman, who entertained
us with great hospitality at his own dwelling
on the evening of our arrival, and afterwards
put us into another house that belonged to
him, came on the next morning to summon
us to his breakfast-table. We had now the
pleasure of being introduced to Mrs. Pitman,
a very reserved and amiable native lady; and
we sat down to a meal consisting of the ordinary
components of the American early repast, which
are much the same as those partaken of in
Scotland, with the addition of excellent sweet
potatoes, dry taro, oranges, and bananas.
Mr. Pitman had another guest, in the person
of one of those victims of inebriety, who, after
passing the bounds that are endurable in any
civilized society at home, are often found " treading the stranger paths of banishment," and not
unfrequently seated at the tables of those who
have become voluntary exiles from their native




BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


293


hearth, and fixed their dwelling where the love
of adventure or of gain has attracted them.
After the polite attentions we had so frequently received at the hands of the missionaries, we made a point of calling on the chief of
the mission here, Mr. Coan, on the morning after
our arrival. We found the reverend gentleman
at home, and we were much impressed with his
benign and Christian deportment, as well as with
the warm reception we experienced both from
himself and from his lady, still young, and, as it
was immediately apparent, of a kind and gentle
disposition, well adapted to second the benevolent labours in which her husband was engaged.
This amiable couple were living in the same
simple style as the missionaries of Whyhohino,
and had several children.  Our observations
were for the present confined to their neat little
house and garden. Mr. Coan had been at great
pains to make his residence a worthy pattern for
the imitation of the native youths now receiving
instruction here. The house, with the garden
attached, stood upon an elevation commanding
a fine view of the bay at the distance of about a
mile, across open and partially cultivated ground,
gradually descending towards the sea, with a few
native huts set at distant intervals, and the
Protestant Church standing quite apart from
any other building. rThe garden was enclosed
within a neat railing, with a little wicker-gate,




294


BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


which led to a walk up to the house, that was
bordered by ananas plants. On either side of
this were several fruit trees, among which, on
one side, stood a remarkably fine tamarind,
which had been an object of the particular care
of the missionary.
We next called on Mr. Lyman, the master
of the native school, where our reception was
not at first quite so satisfactory as we could have
wished, or as we had been accustomed to meet
with. Whether this proceeded from any peculiar disposition on the part of the missionary, to
more reserve than we had before found, or was
owing to the misunderstanding existing between
some of the white inhabitants of the islands and
the gentlemen of the mission, we could not then
tell; but, as we were subsequently treated by
the same gentleman with the attention we had
hitherto received at the stations, we had no
doubt that it arose from our seemingly too great
curiosity about the schools, and the system of
instruction generally pursued throughout the
islands, which had been subjects of sufficiently
ill-natured controversy to beget very natural
doubts concerning the loyal intentions of unexpected visitors.              0
On the occasion of our second interview with
Mr. Lyman, we were shown into the school-room
while the boys were engaged at their studies,
and afterwards introduced without doors, to the




BYRON S BAY AND HILO.


295


same scholars occupied in the practical study of
the most useful branch of industry among every
people. We had, therefore, the occasion of
witnessing the results which were developing
themselves, both in the cultivation of the intellects of the boys by the more ordinary means,
and by those best adapted to direct their future
most necessary labours.
There had been a hundred boys in this
school, previous to the appearance of the prevailing and late epidemics, which had not spared
the inhabitants of this part of the island, but
there were now only fifty-nine. Not that the
number deceased was so great as to make this
difference. Many had been kept at home after
the vacation which had just terminated, in consequence of the decease of their parents, and the
state of destitution in which their families were
left; but the proportion these bore to the number
wanting was not yet known. They were all
lodged, fed, and clothed, as well as instructed,
at the expense of the missionary board.
The branches of knowledge taught in the
school were-reading, writing, arithmetic, a little
music with singing, geography, history, with particular attention to such portions as seemed the
best calculated to aid the study of sacred subjects,
and finally the elements of agriculture, accompanied by practical lessons in tilling the ground




296


BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


and the cultivation of the most useful productions.
We commenced a formal little examination
of the boys, by passing between the forms and
looking over their work, like high officials, magistrates, or other personages at a country school
in England. After this Mr. Lyman placed us on
seats of honour by his side, and requested us to
put some questions to his scholars generally
upon the several branches of their studies.
We had on other occasions observed, that
the teachers in the schools were proudest of the
progress their boys were making in arithmetic,
and that this branch of learning, and geography,
seemed to be more attended to than others.
There is indeed an opinion prevailing among the
white population at the seat of the government,
that the native youths have a peculiar capacity
for mathematical calculations. I do not, however, think there is solid ground for this. I
rather believe that the method of teaching generally in the islands, has been more favourable
to progress in this branch of knowledge than
any other. The possession of superior powers
of calculation is assuredly inconsistent with a
certain want of steadiness in the pursuit of any
object they engage in, which is a well-known
characteristic of the islanders. Some among
the best educated of them, being in easy circum



BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


297


stances, have commenced building houses and
laying out grounds in the European style; but
I do not believe there has been an instance of
any one having completed the work which he
has undertaken. I was shown several villas
near Honolulu, which, after considerable labour
had been bestowed upon them, had been abandoned without any assignable reason.  This
unsteadiness of purpose, or neglect from incapacity to follow up what they conceive, may
remind any one who has been in our American
provinces, of the Irish labourer there, who serves
a master with faithfulness and contentment under
circumstances where a Scot or an Englishman
would very soon direct. Nevertheless, these are
far from being parallel cases; for the native of
the Sandwich Islands, in whom we observe this
unsteadiness, has an education very little inferior
to that of an European master of many servants,
while our Hibernian countryman, instead of
being taught whatever is most useful and best
calculated to develope his admirable intelligence,
is left to the guidance of an imperious tutor,
who, if not quite so ignorant as himself, often
uses what knowledge he does possess, for the
purpose of subjecting his countryman to all the
degrading consequences of abject obedience to
dictation, as inconsistent with the state of society
in the sister kingdom, as it is derogatory to the
common nature we possess. Happily, however,




298


BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


in the second generation of his race, in most
parts of America, we may seek in vain for traits
of character which degrade so many of our
countrymen at home below the level of a semibarbarous people.
From our seats of honour, we now commenced our more formal examination of Mr.
Lymran's scholars. As my companion, Mr.
Robertson, was able to question them without
an interpreter, and was otherwise very competent to the task, he became the chief interrogator.
We began, by asking questions in arithmetic,
which required some little labour to work out;
and, I confess, I was surprised at the quickness
and correctness with which the answers were
given. We next proceeded to subjects of history, giving no other aid to the scholars than a
hint from the missionary enabled us to do, in
the selection of such parts of the barren and
fertile prairies of this wide field of knowledge
as they had had the latest under their view.
Our questions were cliefly upon the leading
events in the Greek and Roman, and in the
English and American history; and they were
answered in a manner that we thought did equal
honour to the master and the scholars.
After this, we asked the boys a few questions
concerning their impressions of the character of
the government under which they lived; and we
were much gratified to find, from their answers,




BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


299


that they not only took great interest in every
thing that regarded public affairs, but that they
seemed also to comprehend, and to be much
attached to, their established political institutions.
One of the under-masters, who was a native
of forty-five years of age, had been raised for
a priest under the idolatrous system. Mr.
Lyman informed us, that the old faith had taken
such firm root in his mind, that he still showed
occasional symptoms of relapse, though he was,
by appeals to his reason, soon led back again
into the right way. He seemed to be well
acquainted with the secret springs that had at
times influenced the leading events in the religious history of his country.
The mental labours of the boys ended for the
day with the close of our examination, upon
which there was a general scamper, not for hoops,
rackets, and tennis-balls, to play away the re.
maining hours of the day, but for instruments
and tools to commence their bodily labours, in
the art of which they studied the practice in the
open air. Then, from the school-room we passed
to the grounds in the rear of the house, where
some of the scholars began to hoe and some to
dig, while others listened to the instructions of
the missionary in the direction of the labour in
which they engaged. It was a busy scene, and
as gratifying to us as it was novel; but we did


*




300


BYRON'S BAY AND HILO.


not think quite so much discipline had entered
into the management of this branch of the boys'
studies, as into that of their mental labours indoors. It was a step, however, in the most solid
and sure way-perhaps to become an example
for the guidance of future more important efforts,
for civilizing the countless millions of our species
that inhabit the unenlightened countries of the
globe.
After what we found instituted, and making
such fair progress here, some thoughts suggested
themselves concerning the step that might, with
the fairest prospects, be next taken in the path
of instruction, so well commenced in this school.
Two great objects are especially the aim of the
European friends of the natives-their religious
and moral progress, and their preservation from
the early extinction with which they seem
threatened.  The former of these has been
hitherto the very soul of the mission, and may
want no other change than well-digested measures for more effectually teaching the English
language; but, as its attainment must be only of
partial and temporary benefit, without equal
success in the second object of the mission, it is
most desirable that definite measures should be
taken to attain this also. The people should be
taught such of the arts of civilized life, as are best
adapted both to place them above want, and to
protect them from diseases springing from their




BYRON S BAY AN] HILO,0


301


change of manners, and their intercourse with
Europeans. The first step in this way, we have
indeed just seen, in the practical study of the
art of agriculture. The next should be the most
advised attention to the art of building, and
the adaptation of its principles to the altered
condition and present wants of the islanders.
When the natives engaged as formerly, in
wars, sports of the most healthful kind, and
war-exercises, their physical constitutions were
better than at present, and their grass huts were
not perhaps ill-adapted to their condition; but,
since the changes above mentioned, it is far
otherwise. The walls of the huts, in which they
continue to dwell, are thoroughly soaked, and
as damp as it is possible for them to be, during
the rainy season, which is at the coolest period
of the year, and sometimes lasts for three months.
By this, diseases are engendered or aggravated,
to which, in conjunction with some tenaciously
held customs before mentioned, must be chiefly
attributed the depopulation of the group. The
Society which has done so much, might accom.
plish all that is in the power of human means to
bring about, were they to send out a few competent hands to devise the best means that the
materials which the islands afford might admit,
for lodging the inhabitants in such huts as would
shield them from the effects of the dampness
during the inclement season.




302


BYRON S BAY AND HILO.


While all the young farmers were engaged,
with their several implements, the missionary
led us to a few hundred yards in the rear of his
dwelling, to inspect one of those natural evidences
of the entire, as well as recent, volcanic formation of the whole group, which abound in the
islands. Here we found the cone of a small and
long extinct volcano, in the interior of which a
soil had been completely formed. It did not
exceed fifty yards in circumference, nor was it
raised more than a third of that measure above
its base and the plain. We found the soil
within, consisting of fine black mould, formed, of
course, of decomposed lava, and lying about
fifteen or twenty feet below the sides of the
crater. It was now sown with plantains, which
had attained a superior height to any we had
seen in other parts of the islands, or in any other
country.
On the 17th March, five days after our arrival
at Hilo, we kept the King's birth-day. Mr.
Pitman fired a salute from a single old rusty
cannon, which comprised all the warlike engines
in his stores, and afterwards gave a dinner to all
the inhabitants in the place whom he deemed
refined enough to sit at "good men's feasts,"
and we drank his majesty's health in champagne.




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CHAPTER XIX.
HILO.
Sugar and Coffee Estate-Inspection-Busy Scenes-The
Boiling  house- Process - Character of the Native
Labourers - Chinese Overseers- Chinese Tenants -
Effects of the Settlement of Chinese in the IslandsMingling of Races-Difficulty of Contracting Marriages
-Chinese Stoicism —Marriage of a Chinese with a Native
Woman-Regulations of the Government-Comparison
of Characters-Moral Uses to be made of the ChineseAnecdote illustrative of Chinese Barbarity- Chinese
Superstitions- Manner of Overcoming the Devil- The
Coffee Estate-Method of Raising the Coffee-Quality of
the Coffee-Visit to a Cataract.
Mr. PITMAN introduced us, during our stay at
Hilo, to a fine estate he had himself planted in
the rear of the bay, which not only afforded us
much gratification for its own sake, but furnished
us with a favourable opportunity of seeing several
of the Chinese settlers, in a light calculated to
give us a fair idea of the present position of their
countrymen generally among the mixed races
in the islands, as well as of the part they are




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HILO.


reserved to play in the settlement of the population destined to raise the country to the
condition it is so well adapted to attain.
We found the estate situated upon elevated
ground, between one and two miles from the
port, commanding a fine view of the bay and the
ocean, and in the midst of a country still rising
as it recedes from the shore, and comprehending
one of the most fertile districts in the island.
It produced chiefly sugar as an article of export,
at present; but it was in a fair way of adding
the profits of a large coffee plantation.
We first inspected the sugar department, with
its various buildings, sheds, and mills. The
machinery and apparatus employed, from the
gathering in of the crop to the appearance of the
sugar, were all at the same time in operation;
and the scene was as full of life as if the estate
had been in one of our Atlantic islands. In the
field, men of the native race were cutting the
cane, and boys and girls were running to and fro
to supply the mill, which was fed by one single
hand, while others were hurrying away with
the substance that remains after the cane is
exhausted to mix with the leaves, which serve for
fodder for the cattle.
In the boiling-house, into which the juice
runs from the mill, we found a succession of
boilers and coolers, through which the process
of the manufacture might be traced from the




HILO.


305


trickling of the succulent matter down the sides
of the first vessel into which it fell, to the appearance of the firmly set sugar from which the
molasses is drained, and run off to a reservoir
provided to receive it. Here our attention was
arrested by the presence of two of the Chinese
who were superintending the works, which led to
Mr. Pitman informing us of the plan he had
adopted in the management of his estate, and the
especial use he was making of the yellow men.
The few sugar estates in other parts of the
islands had been very unproductive while native
labour, even under European superintendence,
was exclusively employed.  But whalers and
other vessels touching at the islands, had occasionally left some Chinese behind them; and it
was soon discovered, that not only were these
men better labourers, generally, than the natives,
but that they were so superior in industry and
steadiness, that they could be employed with
the greatest advantage as overseers of estates.
Mr. Pitman had employed several of them, first
as labourers, as others had done, and afterwards
for some time as overseers. But, upon finding
his estate wonderfully thriving under their
manargement, he had determined to go farther
than this, and to give them a direct interest in
its prosperity. For this purpose, after averaging
the crops of the last two or three seasons, and
making calculations upon the chances of the new
x




306


ItLO.


plantations, he let his estate to the same men
he had advanced from labourers to be overseers,
at a fixed annual rent, from which arrangement
he was reaping great benefit. Such indeed was
the success of the management of these men,
that even the thoughtless natives had been induced to perform more work than before; and the
most listless among them were becoming, under
the present superintendence, comparatively industrious. In accounts, above all things, the
Chinese were quick, punctual, and exact.
Though the appearance of the Asiatics in
the group, marks an era in the moral and civil
history of the islands, it can hardly be supposed
that it will for a long time much affect their
political position; for though a superior class of
the race will by and by probably form a considerable portion of the population, the Chinese
are not a people of a character likely to obtain
influence under popular or any other such
European institutions as must prevail here;: nor
is it probable that they will even appreciate
them, or desire to have any share in public
affairs. Men must long have known a state of
civilization of a very different character from
that which prevails in China, before they can
comprehend the advantages of possessing an
influence over institutions from which they do
not derive particular and immediate benefit:
they must have acquired a much higher degree




IIILO.


307


of moral sentiment than the Celestial Empire
affords, before they will make any regard of
interests not exclusively or directly their own.
But whatsoever may be exactly the future
relations in which the pure Chinese will stand to
the entire population of the islands, the men of
that race serve at this time to fill the wide gap
between the Europeans and the natives, which
is too great to admit of union of purpose without
an intermediate link in the incongruous materials
of the social chain.  We have just seen this
operating in the arrangement of labour; and it
is also beginning to be manifest in the more particular relations between the different races.
The moral distance which separates the Europeans and the islanders, does not admit of marriages between them being at all equal, though
several have been with some success contracted.
If it had been possible that any other union
could be substituted, that did not place the
native woman upon an equality with the European wives of the islands, the women proceeding
from this alliance might have been educated and
made equal to contract the more sacred Christian bond; but, as it is, the Chinese are not illsuited by their union with the native women to
soften down the moral asperities inseparable
from  the condition of such an heterogeneous
population.  Unfortunately, however, for the
present, there have been great difficulties about
x2




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HILO.


alliances between these parties, owing to the
rigour with which the missionaries insist, not
merely upon the Chinese receiving baptism
before contracting the marriage, which the
looseness of their religious principles renders
them at all times ready to accept, but also, that
they should afford sufficient proofs of the reality
of their conversion to satisfy the missionary
called upon to officiate, which is a very different
and a very difficult thing.
The marriage of one of the Chinese of this
place with a native woman, had lately taken
place under the following circumstances, which
were related to us by the Reverend Mr. Coan
himself. Application was made to him by the
parties to celebrate the marriage, to which he
replied, that he would be very willing to do so,
upon the conversion and baptism of the Chinese.
The Chinese, believing that all that was necessary was included in the ceremony of baptism,
concerning the proper signification of which he
seemed to have no desire to be instructed, agreed
very willingly to the terms prescribed, and
brought his betrothed the very next day, to have
the baptismal and marriage ceremonies performed at the same time. The missionary was
surprised at his appearance with these expectations, and the Chinese was as much disappointed to find that neither the one rite nor the
other would be performed until he had given




HILO.


309


proofs of his understanding and firmly believing
all the essential points of the Christian revelation.
He now, willingly however, accepted Mr. Coan's
offer to give him all necessary instruction, and
for the present retired.
The day after his disappointment, the man
came to commence his course of study of the
religion, of which up to this time he had hardly
heard a word beyond its name; but it was
soon apparent to the missionary, that there was a
wide difference between the task of converting a
Chinese and that of instructing a Sandwichislander. Our great opponent to the doctrine of
innate ideas, might scarcely have found a better
example of the originally unimpressed character
of the mind, than one of these islanders, not so
old as to have been under the spell of their
ancient religion, nor sufficiently instructed at an
early age concerning the new, to have received
the impressions that can only be indelibly stamped
upon unoccupied understandings. It is very
easy to write legibly upon a sheet of white paper,
if one will take the smallest pains, but it is
difficult to do the same upon a sheet of parchment covered with characters long since too
firmly impressed to admit of their being effaced.
Moreover, there existed no means of communication between the missionary and his pupil,
save through the native tongue, which, besides
being insufficient for such a purpose, was very




310


IIILO.


imperfectly understood by the Chinese. With all
these disadvantages, however, their studies were
continued for several days, when the Chinese
declared that he now quite understood, as well
as believed, all that was taught him. But, notwithstanding this, the missionary, after putting
some appropriate questions, was convinced that
he neither believed nor understood anything
whatever of all that had been communicated to
him, and declined to celebrate the marriage until
truly assured of the conversion. It happened,
however, whether by law, or by custom alone,
that the government native agents had been at
one time allowed to celebrate marriages between
Christian parties; and, upon the downright refusal of the missionary to perform the ceremony,
while he believed the Chinese to be still in his
original condition of heathen darkness, the parties
applied to the agent of the district, who, after some
hesitation, finally united them; and the affair
was ended by a reprimand from the authorities
at the seat of the government to all the parties
concerned, and, I believe, due notice to future
lovers, that any other marriage of the kind would
not be recognised.
After these remarks upon the character
generally of the Chinese, and their willingness
to mingle their blood with the native race of the
islands, it will be at least apparent, that there is
an element in the present society of the group,




HILO.


311


that may by and by serve to unite the two
extremes of the European and the native races,
from which a population may be raised, based
on the blood of the three races, sufficiently
blending for political union, yet comprising such
varieties of character and capacity, as to assure
to future generations the most convenient division
of labour in every branch of toil, both mental
and physical, that the most enthusiastic advocates for whatever tends to perfect every element
of civilization might desire.
At an earlier period of the travels to which
these sketches belong, I had the opportunity of
becoming acquainted with an isolated portion
of the Chinese people, under peculiar circumstances.  On that occasion I chanced to see
them in their holiday mood, full of hospitality,
good humour, and urbanity, and I did not allow
the opportunity to pass without setting these
favourable features in the character of the Celestials in prominent relief. But it happened also,
that I heard at the same time such accounts of
the evil lives and barbarities of the same people,
seen under other circumstances, as induced me
to qualify the favourable report of what fell
under my observation, by relating all that I
heard also, through sources the most pure to be
obtained. In the phase in which we have just
seen the Chinese of these islands, we have at




312


HILO.


least had occasion to mark several good features
of their character, and especially their industry
and their punctuality; but I am compelled for
the same reason, and I have the same means as
before, to report what I heard here likewise,
and upon the best authority, concerning the contrary side of the character of this most peculiar
people.
A short time before I arrived at Honolulu,
an English ship put into that port on her voyage
from Hong Kong to some part of the coast of
America, and chanced to have a Chinise woman
on board, a domestic in the service of an English
family. No Chinese woman had at that time
been seen in the islands, so that the circumstance
caused at least curiosity enough to make the
event very soon generally known; and of course
it reached the ears of the few Chinese that were
residing in the place. Among these, and at the
head of his people, was a Mandarin, Slam Sing
by name, who was keeping a little store and
dealing in Chinese merchandize; and this worthy
magistrate, impressed, as it appeared, with a
sense of the obligation which the arrival of his
countrywoman imposed upon him, applied to
the King, stating that whereas by the laws of
China no woman was allowed to leave her
country, it was his duty to require that this
woman should be given up to him, as the chief




HILO.


313


of her nation resident in the islands, in order
that he might deal with her according to the
laws of the Empire.
The King was embarrassed by the nature
of the question. That he should be so-that an
independent sovereign in any country, whether
he were weak or strong, should be perplexed,
and uncertain how he ought to meet so strange
a demand, will not appear wonderful to any one
who may have perused the foregoing chapters.
The circumstances, inseparable from the state
of transition, as well moral as political, and it
may be, even physical, in which we find the
population of the islands, have involved questions new in the history of civilization, such as
might puzzle much shrewder men and more
experienced sovereigns than King Kamehameha
III. He might, if he refused, compromise the
good understanding which he had hitherto maintained with the mighty prince of the Celestial
Empire. He might equally endanger his relations
with the British sovereign if he allowed one
of the ships of her Majesty's subjects to be
searched, and the rights of any of the crew or
passengers to be violated within his dominions.
In this dilemma, however, he very wisely sent
for the British Consul-general, who was cautious
in his counsel to the King on the occasion.
The general advised his Majesty to allow him
first to visit the Mandarin, that he might at least




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HILO.


discover what grounds the man had for his
claim, and what was his intention, in case it were
granted. To this the King readily consented;
and the Consul-general set off for the dwelling
of Slam Sing. He found the Chinese magistrate engaged in his store; and, upon questioning
him, if he was not able to discover any grounds
for his claim, he was at least able to obtain
sufficient information concerning his intentions
after he should get possession of his countrywoman, to satisfy himself, and release the King
from all further embarrassment. In fact, the
Mandarin informed the general that it was his
intention to inflict upon the Chinese woman the
full penalty of the law of China which she had
violated, and that this was-let any unprepared
fair reader hold her breath for a second-to
suffer death by being buried alive.
It is unnecessary to report anything further
concerning what passed between the Kilng and
the British Consul-general. Suffice it, ample
measures were taken to prevent any attempt to
defeat the humane decision come to by the King,
to prevent this infamy at all hazards. I may
remark, however, that the general, who declared
that nothing but the man's own word would have
been sufficient for him to credit, what he was
now compelled to believe, thinking that I had
an equal right to the same proof of so strange a
circumstance, before giving credence to what he




ItLO.


315


himself informed me, led me to the house of the
Celestial Magistrate, and, while I was present,
asked the man whether, if he had obtained possession of the woman, he would have gone to the
extreme he had declared to be his intention
while his countrywoman was in the port; and to
this, the Chinese replied: that it was the law of
his country, which he would most certainly have
caused to be put in execution.
I must mention one more little incident,
equally illustrative of the character of this peculiar people. Upon Mr. Pitman's calling on one
occasion upon a Chinese of this place, he found
the man occupied in a manner that seemed to
carry a degree of mystery with it, and excited,
at first his curiosity, and then his suspicions.
The yellow man had a fire behind his house,
over which he was sitting, surrounded by pots,
kettles, pans, ladles, and bottles; and some silver
money was strewed upon the ground near him.
"This man must be coining!" said or thought
the white magistrate of Hilo. "There cannot
be a doubt about the matter. I must arrest and
send the intolerable rogue to Honolulu. The
fellow has no doubt escaped from justice in his
own country."
" Pray my friend," now roughly demanded
the Magistrate of the Chinese, who spoke English
indifferently well, " account to me for what you
are about."




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HILO.


"Very willingly," said the Chinese, without
exhibiting any surprise or apprehension.
"What are you doing with all this apparatus,
and this silver coin?
" Give me but time, Sir-be a little less hasty,
and you shall be satisfied: I have no secret to
conceal."
The yellow man then informed the white
magistrate, that he was engaged in forging arms,
yet, not to encounter either white men, yellow
men, or Sandwich-islanders, but to face the devil,
with whom he had already had several encounters, and in one of which he had lost his cue.
In the last, indeed, he said, had it not been for
the devil's abhorrence of fire arms, with which
he had been provided and discharged, he might
have been torn to pieces. Leaden balls, however, which he had fired, had only a partial
effect.  They only somewhat repressed the
fiend's boldness. But, he said, he was now casting some silver balls, which were alone effective
against the prince of darkness, who never revisited any one from whom he had received a
volley of them. It was only the poverty of men,
he added, or their ignorance of the sole weapon
effectual against his hellish devices, that gave
the devil so much power over every people.
This tale would doubtless in many parts of
the world have suggested method in the man's
madness, and have rather confirmed than set at




HILO.               317
rest the white magistrate's suspicions.  The
place and party, however, were, after a moment's
reflection by one acquainted with the character
of the Chinese, quite sufficient to put aside
the suspicions of any plot against the treasury interests of the state; and the worthy
proprietor left the fellow to carry on his war
with his spiritual enemy after the manner most
agreeable to himself. But it is time to remember, that we have not yet left the estate whose
tenants have led us into this digression.
From the sugar works we proceeded, still
rising, towards the more elevated ground of the
coffee plantation. Arrived here, we found ourselves at an elevation which on one side commanded a noble view of the sea beyond the bays
with a portion of the coast, and on the other, the
mountainous land in the interior of the island.
A broad way conducted through an extensive
plantation, sown with 22,000 young coffee trees,
and producing a considerable number of breadfruit, and tall and fine tamarind, trees. The
greater part of the coffee trees were very young,
and were rearing beneath the broad leaves of
the hardier plantain, which protected them
from the too-scorching rays of the sun. The
kindly growth of the plantain, and the facility
with which it is raised, render it peculiarly
adapted to the wants of the natives of the climates in which it is found. A single hand, with




318


HItLO.


the use of no other implement than the hoe, may
cultivate several acres of these plants. They
spring up rapidly, bear but once, and decay,
but are succeeded by shoots from the same roots.
To render them, therefore, of the use which was
here made of them, it is only necessary that a
time should be chosen for their plantation that
may assure to the young coffee trees the benefit
of their full shade during the hottest months of
the year.
On another occasion, our hospitable friend
accompanied us to visit a cataract which had
been named the Rainbow Fall. After passing
over much rough ground, we came upon a broad
basin of water, at one extremity of which a
stream fell from the height of fifty or sixty feet.
The ground around was picturesque, and the
banks of a ravine formed below the cataract
were covered with a broad-leafed creeping plant,
resembling ivy; while a deep cavern entered
beneath the falling waters, which had of course
its legend in common with everything strange,
or presenting any object of terror, among a primitive people. We did not, however, hear any
connected story concerning it, or anything worth
remembering.




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319


CHAPTER XX.
HILO- continued.
Arrival of an American Whaler-Account of a MutinyGalapagus Isles-Numerous Mutinies in the PacificCapture of the Mutineers —MTutiny and Massacres on
board the Amelia-Arrival of the Vessel at I-onoluluRemarkable Natural Phenomenon -Consequence - Loss
of Life-Speculations concerning the Causes-Probable
Formation of a New Island-Earthquakes of 1838-Arrival of Mr. Paris-Account of Changes in the Condition
of the Volcano-Missionary Forebodings.
ON the 23rd of the month, the American whaler
Hope, Captain Christian, came into the bay in
search of supplies. She had been six months
out of port, and therefore brought no news,
commonly    so called, from    any part of the
changing world; but she was the herald of the
tidings of one of those instances of mutiny and
violence, with which the history of the discoveries and commerce of Europeans in these seas
abounds, and which are still of frequent occurrence in many parts. It seems as if the wide
Pacific and its innumerable islands, offered at




320


HILO.


once the two greatest of temptations to the very
crimes of which it has been the scene-security
from pursuit, and an isle " to throne in."  And
if we may judge from the numbers of instances
that have come to light, even within the last half
century, and the numbers of ships that have been
missing and never heard of, we shall be disposed
to believe that there are more Pitcairn's Islands
than that which was peopled by the mutineers of
the Bounty; or, that many more have been
sought for, if never found, by the perpetrators
of similar outrages.
Captain Christian informed us that, after
fishing for some months off the coast of Peru,
he had touched at one of the Galapagus islands
to procure terrafin, or great tortoises, which are
found upon these islands in almost incredible
numbers. On his bringing up, about a mile off
the shore, he perceived some men upon the
beach, which, as he did not believe the island to
be inhabited, much surprised him. But upon
taking up his telescope, he was still more surprised to find they were white men, and in
European costume. They appeared to be making
signals to him, which allayed some suspicions he
at first entertained, that they were a party of
mutineers; he therefore made arrangements to put
himself as quickly as possible in communication
with them; and, after overcoming some obstacles
to his landing, he found himself on shore in the




HILO.


321


midst of a party, not of mutineers, but of the
victims of one of the Pacific mutinies.
The short tale of the party is as follows.
They consisted of the captain of a Chilian brig,
and nineteen men of his crew and passengers,
who had landed here to procure terrafin and
recreate themselves on their voyage, and been
abandoned by their vessel, of which they knew
no more. It appeared that the anticipation of
much sport had induced the passengers to land
with the rest, imprudently leaving alone on
board, a girl of only ten years of age; and that
the party had no sooner landed, than the brig
made sail and left the island. They had at this
time, however, been only a few days on shore, and
had been occupied in making preparations to
enable them to reach the coast of Peru in their
own boat; but they had not been able, when the
ship appeared, to recross the surf at the place at
which they had landed, and hauled the boat up,
which had prevented their coming off to her.
All but one among them, who had been a baker
of Tarquina and was now on board the Hope,
refused the offer of Captain Christian to carry
them away and land them at these islands,
preferring to make the attempt to reach the
coast of America in their boat. The sea is
rarely much agitated between these islands and
the continent, for which the great ocean is,
doubtless, indebted for the somewhat too favourY




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HILO.


able appellation it received from the Spaniards
who first coasted its shores, as the reader of the
first chapter of this volume will have discovered,
-and they could carry with them any quantity
of terrafin they thought proper for the supply
of their wants in the way of food. The Chilian
captain, however, promised the captain of the
whaler 5000 dollars out of his own purse, if he
would capture the vessel, in case of his falling
in with her, and bring her to the port of Valparaiso.
Whatever might have been the design of these
mutineers, after the cowardly act, it soon met, at
least, such retribution as South American ideas
of justice were capable of awarding.  Captain
Christian, not many days after his visit to the
Galapagus Isles, called off the Marquesas,
where he learned that the brig and the mutineers had been captured by the French, who
were in possession of those islands. It seemed
she had appeared in the offing, manoeuvring in
such a manner as to cause suspicions, which
induced the French commander here to board
her in an armed boat, to ascertain what she was.
On his stepping upon her deck he perceived at
once that she had neither her complement of
men nor her proper commander on board, upon
which he demanded her papers.   Instead of
these, however, the mate had his tale to tell.
But the French officer, finding nothing to cor



HILO.


323


roborate what the Chilian informed him, arrested
the men, and, after taking the child on shore,
sent the vessel with the Chilians in irons to
Valparaiso, in charge of some of his own seamen. All that had transpired concerning what
passed on board after the mutiny, up to the
recapture of the vessel, had been obtained from
the child. It amounted to little more than the
account of her own treatment, which had been
the most brutal that can be conceived.
Another case of mutiny in the vicinity of the
Sandwich Islands, occurred immediately before
my arrival at Woahoo. A young Englishman,
who was in the service of the consul-general
while I was in the islands, and who had navigated the vessel and brought her into Honolulu,
after she had been taken and re-taken by
different sections of her crew, and all her
officers massacred, gave a full account of the
affair.
The vessel was the schooner Amelia, which
had sailed from Mazatlan, upon the west coast
of Mexico, bound, I believe, to Hong Kong,
with a freight of silver and gold. Three of the
men, being Spanish creoles, had, it appeared,
formed a design to murder all the officers and
two male passengers that were on board; and,
after overawing or subjecting the rest of the
crew, to carry the ship into some port where
they could secure the produce of their enterprise.




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HILO.


They first took an opportunity of stabbing the
second mate while he was forward on the ship's
deck, and the captain was below; and, next, of
murdering the captain and Mr. Cook, a passenger, both of whom came on deck, unarmed, to
discover the cause of the noise they heard; and,
subsequently, the other passenger, whom they
induced to quit his defensive position, armed
and in dommand of the cabin, by a promise, at
his own proposition, to set him adrift in one
of the vessel's boats, with his wife and her maid
whom he had with him.
The next act of the tragedy was twenty-four
hours of drinking, riot, and playing with the
gold and silver that was on board, which they
brought up and threw about the deck like dirt;
and the last, the massacre of the three mutineers by another section of the crew. After
this the vessel was, by the consent of all that
were living, brought by this young man to
Woahoo.*
I shall now mention a remarkable natural
event, of which this particular spot of Owhyhee
was the chief scene, so lately as in the year
1837, by which some of the natives perished,
while nearly all the rest that were living on the
lower grounds owed their lives to their expertness in the water, or to the fortunate circum

* See the deposition in the Appendix.




HILO.


325


stance of an English whaler being at anchor in
the bay. This account will differ from that
given by other visitors to this island. I shall,
however, state precisely what I was informed by
Mr. Lyman, an eye-witness of the phenomenon.
About mid-day, while the inhabitants of the
place were engaged as they are wont to be,
some in musing by the sea-side, some in trimming their banana plants, and some in preparing
taro, or other articles of vegetable diet, suddenly
the sea retired and laid open the secrets of the
deep to some distance from the shore. The
circumstance, however, though nothing similar
was known to have occurred before, instead of
causing alarm among the natives, only excited
their curiosity; so that many of them followed
the retiring flood to the distance of nearly half
a mile from the shore. Shortly, however, the
sea returned in a vast wave about twenty feet
in height, rushing furiously towards the shore,
carrying with it all the people that had descended from the beach, and sweeping onward
till it passed over the usual bourn of the
ocean, dashing to pieces and carrying off all the
huts that were upon the lower ground to the
distance of a quarter of a mile in-land, then
returning to the bay with the wreck of the huts
and all the inhabitants, their domestic animals,
and the rest of their property.  Thus there
were now about a hundred men, women, and




326


HILOo


children, all floating in the bay, so completely
unprepared for such an adventure, that a great
portion must have perished, notwithstanding
their amphibious habits, had it not been for the
fortunate circumstance of the presence of the
whaler above mentioned, which was the Admiral
Cockburn. The ship was riding at single anchor
in six fathoms of water, at the time the sea
retired, upon which she was suddenly left in
about three fathoms, when the captain dropped
his best bower. Soon after this, the mighty
wave swept over his ship, but without carrying
away any of the men, whom he had taken
measures to secure, or even driving his ship
from her anchors. Thus he was able, with his
six or seven boats and strong crew, to pick up
so many of the exhausted swimmers, that it was
found, after the sea had regained its wonted
repose, and the inhabitants recovered from their
terror, that there were only thirteen, chiefly
children, missing.
I am not aware that any measures have been
taken to discover the cause of this remarkable
phenomenon, which the safety of ships and the
interests of science equally demand. The same
wonder occurred upon the coasts of all the
islands of the group, but in a less and less
degree, in proportion to their distances from
Owhyhee on the course of the wave, which was
in the direction that the islands lie, from south



HILO.


327


east to north-west. This, and the action of the
sea during the occurrence, favours a supposition of
the rising of the ground by some agent beneath
the waters, and even of the formation of the
base of a new island, rather than the mere eruption, as some have conjectured, of a submarine
volcano. The sea was observed, as above stated,
first to sink and retire, and then to return in an
enormous wave, which it is evident, is precisely
what would be caused by the sudden rising of
the waters at a certain distance from the shore,
from whatever cause this might proceed.
The geological history of the group, with
the relative position of the different members of
which it is composed, equally indeed suggest
the probable early appearance of a new island.
The apparent dates of the formation of the
islands which exist, are to be observed in the more
or less advanced state of the soil, the progress of
vegetation, and the cessation or diminution of
the number of the volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Thus we find the island of Kawai in
these respects the most advanced, and Owhyhee
the most backward; as if the former had first
arisen, while the volcanic action from which it
proceeded had continued advancing from northwest to south-east, and were still advancing and
preparing to raise another isle off this coast, or
south-east of the island which seems last to
have appeared.




328


HILO.


The autumn of 1838 was also memorable in
the geological annals of the group, on account of
the number of earthquakes which occurred. At
this place, during the whole of two days and
nights, the earth trembled violently, with scarce
any intermission. The inhabitants at the different
islands give equally grave accounts of the character of these shocks, with some variations in
the details. The people around this bay state,
that after eight or ten heavy shocks, the earth
continued agitated during the period abovementioned, in such a manner, that the plants and
trees, from a blade of grass to a koa tree, trembled incessantly with more rapid motion than a
twig shaken by the hand, while frightful noises
issued continually from beneath the ground. In
other places, the motion is described as having
been undulating, perpendicular, horizontal, or
partaking at intervals of all these movements;
though, owing to the light character of the huts
of the natives, very few were thrown down.
On the 24th of the month, the Reverend Mr.
Paris arrived from Whyhohino, after following
our track across the pass of the mountains.
The accounts he brought of the state of the
great volcano, when he passed by the crater,
were to us highly interesting, and confirmatory
of those given by all travellers who have
observed this great natural phenomenon in any
of the various phases which it presents. It had




HILO.


329


been in more violent action since we passed by,
and the wide interior of the crater, over the crust
or black ledge of which we had marched with
so much apparent security, had become one vast
lake of liquid fire, from the bosom of which large
mounds of solid matter had arisen, and several
new cones, which were vomiting their fires amid
the fearful turmoil around.
The next day being Sunday, Mr. Paris
preached to a congregation of between 300 and
400 natives. His sermon appeared to me to
excite much more than the usual attention, and
to cause an impression such as I had not observed in any of the churches of the natives
before, which I attributed to the eloquence and
pathos of the preacher, but which I found afterwards, whatever were Mr. Paris' powers of oratory, proceeded rather from apprehensions which
certain forebodings of the missionary had occasioned. The people, however, were probably
hot taken by surprise, though affected, at hearing from the lips of one of their teachers that,
the measure of their iniquities being full, offended
Heaven was about to cut them utterly off from
the land, that their place might be filled by
the children of a worthier race. Of the probable
fulfilment of the prophecy, if any one race be
really more worthy than another, few would be
disposed to dispute; but, while a particle of hope
exists, of saving the natives from utter extir



330                HILO.
pation, by any means now operating, or reserved
to be tried, the discourse might scarcely be
deemed politic. It was to us the more unwelcome, on account of its coming from the very
source through which all the friends of the
natives have chiefly hoped to receive the earliest
notice of the approaching regeneration of their
race.




HIILO.


331


CHAPTER XXI.
HILO —continued.
Traveller becomes a Christian Instructor-Causes thereof
-Not versed in Doctrinal Questions-A Cause of Religious Intolerance-Missionary's Charity-His OpinionsAlarming Position of the Traveller-Consoling PointsThe Audience-Missionary's Arrangements-Marriages
en masse-Discourse upon the Holy Land-Plan thereof
-Degrees of Intelligence among the Natives-General
Impressions-Morefamiliar Tale of Travels-Satisfaction
of the Traveller- Missionary's Sermon -Opinion concerning the Lord's Prayer-Embark for Woahoo-Views
upon the Coast-Whyhio-Touch at Kailua-Missionaries on Board-Impressions-Arrival at Honolulu.
IT remains to add to the above account of our
sojourn at Hilo, a rather novel incident in the
intercourse between travellers, missionaries, and
any of the late adopted children of the great
Christian commonwealth.       I fear I shall not be
able to make this report without placing myself,
for a short time, in rather too prominent a position for any traveller to occupy —" some have
greatness thrust upon them" —for any one at




332


HILO.


least who should not be engaged in more
important researches than those which these
pages record. I must, indeed, appear in the
character of an instructor, which was sufficiently
new in my adventures. I must even stand side
by side with the principal missionary in the
islands, on the rostrum of a Christian temple;
and I will not pretend to feel no exultation
upon the occasion-no just pride, which some
might call vanity, at being able to remember
having been, as I believe, for once usefully
employed-no satisfaction at being found aiding
good men in their benevolent labours.
We were frequently, while here, entertained
with great kindness by the Reverend Mr. Coan;
and in exchange for the information we received
from him concerning the mission, and such other
subjects as were made matter of conversation
between us, we gave an account (for the travels
of my companion also were not inconsiderable)
of our adventures, and of customs and traits of
character we had had the opportunity of observing in other countries. My travels, however, happened to have been in such parts of
the world as in a more particular manner interested our good friends and hosts. We have
not in England; in hardly any circle of society, a
dearth of travellers who have visited, or of books
that describe, the " Holy Land," and the adjacent
countries; but, as it is otherwise in the islands




HILO.


333


of the Pacific Ocean, all indeed of our white
friends were much interested with the accounts
I was able to give them of my journeys and
sojournings in the countries which that ternm
comprises; and it occurred to Mr. Coan that
it might serve a useful purpose, to have suitable portions of the same information communicated as directly, and in as striking a manner
as possible, to his native Christian family. Thus,
he requested of me that I would, upon an early
day which he would appoint, share with him the
broad estrade that served for a desk and pulpit
in the church, and through his interpretation
deliver a familiar discourse for that purpose.
But before proceeding further, I ought, perhaps, to say a few words concerning the religious relations in which the parties that will
occupy this estrade stood to each other.
I do not know any one less informed than
myself, in all that kind of knowledge which
belongs to the history or analysis of the faith,
the ritual, or the dogmas of particular churches;
but it seems to me, that the great obstacle to a
universal system of religion, not a common
Church, but as far as all that is essential is
concerned, which I suppose to be whatever
belongs to the lives of men, their charity, and
conduct towards one- another,-is, not so much
their differences in doctrinal points, impossible
for mankind to agree upon, nor even the ana



334


HILO.


themas of some sects against others, as the
attempts, as well of the laity as of the ministers
of religion, to make proselytes of Christians of
different forms of worship from themselves.
"For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight,
His can't be wrong whose life is in the right."
Out of this proceed humours which tend to
weaken the common bond that should unite men
with one another, and many impediments to the
progressive improvement of the best social institutions. Were this bane of that charity which is
the soul of Christianity abandoned, at least one
obstacle to a closer union of men of different sects
living under the same political institutions would
be removed, which might be a step towards some
international spiritual union, not amalgamation,
that might lead to such increased intercourse of
every kind, as would perhaps have a certain
influence upon the relations even of peace and
war, among all the nations of the world.
I am not able to say that the missionary with
whom I was to share the rostrum of the house
of prayer, held the opinions that the subject has
just led me into expressing, and for the evil or
good of which I stand alone accountable; but
I was the more desirous of contributing what
little might be in my power, in aid of Mr. Coan's
labours, upon finding him possessed of a degree
of charity I was not prepared to find in the




HILO.


335


minister of a Church in which tolerance is not, I
believe, a distinguishing characteristic. The missionary, during our agreeable intercourse with
him, informed me, indeed, that, before he entered
upon his mission, while very young-which must
be remembered-and before he had mixed in
general society, he entertained opinions, tending
to establish that the members of his community
alone were capable of inheriting the kingdom
prepared for all good men before the beginning
of time; but that, since his intercourse with men
of other creeds, his opinions had been greatly
modified. He was now, he said, not only sensible of the excellence of other Protestant institutions, but even of opinion, that the differences
which at first seemed to be so great between
them were more in appearance than reality,
and, moreover, that those differences, wherever
charity abounded, might perhaps even form an
indispensable element in a grand common system,
destined at some future day to unite the whole
Christian family by the closest bonds of amity
and affection.
On the 18th of the month, being Sunday,
Mr. Coan, after his sermon, gave his congregation notice, that on the Wednesday following the
English traveller who had lately arrived at Hilo,
would give them an account of travels he had
made in the land so familiar to all of them
through the preaching and other means of




336


HILO.


instruction of their missionaries, and particularly
to those who were able themselves to read the
Bible, that had been happily translated for their
advantage.
The congregation seemed to receive this
intimation with curious interest, and on the day
appointed, the missionary and the traveller
appeared together upon the broad railed-in
estrade on which Mr. Coan was wont to offer up
his prayers, and deliver his discourses. My
feelings were, I confess, at this moment, not only
novel to me, but also rather alarming. Not a
particle of the orator, unless it be shut up in
some secret cell of the mind's narrow storehouse
not likely to be ever unsealed, belonged to the
whole of my moral constitution, and least of all
of that kind which the occasion seemed to
demand. Theie would be, it is true, very consoling circumstances. No matter what the style
or the language might be-figurative or plaincorrect or loose-calm or vivid-magniloquent
or modest, it would fall with much the same
effect upon the ears of the greater portion of the
congregation.  Only one or two white men,
indeed, who were all that would be present,
might be capable of forming any judgment of its
merit; and I believed I had already secured their
charitable reception of all they would receive
directly from the mouth of the parvenu orator.
The whole would reach the ears of the rest of




HILO.


337


the assembly, if a judgment might be formed
from Mr. Coan's conversational powers, in
a style worthy of the subject and the occasion.
After these remarks, I do not think any one
will be apprehensive that the traveller is about
to attempt a reproduction of the dual-discourse
of this day. It will doubtless suffice to mention the heads of what was delivered, with any
little accompanying incident that may not have
escaped his recollection.
As the white party, including the wives and
families of the missionaries, entered the church
together, the officiating missionary and the traveller ascended the estrade, and seated themselves on a bench by the wall, while the rest
took their places in front of the railing by which
the estrade was inclosed. When Mr. Coan
rose, the church had probably within it, about
three hundred natives of both sexes and various
ages, including Mr. Lyman's scholars with their
maps in their hands; and upon the walls behind
him hung some drawings illustrative of the geography of the countries upon which we were
about to speak, all hastily prepared for this
purpose.  The day, however, was not to be
entirely devoted to the principal object of the
meeting. We had first some eight or ten marriages, all celebrated by one common ceremony.
After this the proper affair of the day comrz




338


HILO.


menced with a religious service, opened by a
prayer from the missionary, chiefly asking a
blessing upon the discourse about to be delivered,
and concluding with a hymn.
Mr. Coan now proceeded to state to his congregation more exactly the object for which he
had called them together; which, he said, was
by presenting to their minds in a more lively
manner than heretofore, the sites of the most
memorable events related in Scripture history,
to impress them the more strongly with the
reality, importance, and end of the wonderful
works which had been wrought by Jehovah,which is the name of God in most constant use
by the missionaries. Then, after introducing
hiis companion of the estrade, as the traveller
whom he had on the last Sunday promised to
present to them fior this end, he requested they
would give as much attention as possible to the
account they would hear through his own interpretation, of observations made in these countries.
After this, stepping forward to the front of the
estrade, I now made a commencement of the
novel discourse, while the missionary, with a
rod in his right hand, prepared himself to point
out on the drawings against the wall, the several
countries, provinces, or cities that happened to
be named.
I had been somewhat embarrassed among
other things, about the order that might be the




HILO.


339


most suitable for the delivery of the discourse,
considering the manner in which it must necessarily be conveyed, and the character of the
audience; but had after some reflection determined to commence with an account of the
places in the order in which they severally came
under my observation. This appeared to be
the simplest as well as easiest method, and the
best adapted to our particular purpose. I began,
therefore, with Egypt, which I had happened
first to visit, and the sites, as far as known, of
the events recorded in the Jewish scriptures,
from the sale of Joseph by his brethren to the
advent of Moses, and the circumstances which
led to, and attended, the escape of the Jews from
their long captivity. At this break, however,
more material as well as more intelligible matter
began to introduce itself. We had now the
Desert before us, the Red Sea, the places of
the encampments of the Jews, Mount Sinai,
where alone (in the words of the missionary
while commenting upon the events under review)
Jehovah ever conversed face to face with the
creatures whom he has formed, the approaches
to Judea, the Dead Sea, the Jordan, and finally
the Holy City.
As these sites of so many memorable incidents came one after the other to be mentioned,
the missionary, while conveying to our audience
the remarks which it fell to my share to make,
z 2




340


H.tlLO.


deemed it necessary to recall to their memories,
and to comment upon all the greater events of
the scriptural history; and what fell from him
seemed to impress every one very strongly with
the feeling and the interest which he wished to
excite. At the same time, as is the custom of
the missionaries in all cases when important
information is conveyed, in order to insure
attention and to ascertain how far what they
deliver is understood, Mr. Coan invited his
hearers to ask any such questions as the subjects
suggested to them, which they did not fail to do.
Some of the questions, by Mr. Lyman's youths,
when they reached my ear, surprised me by the
proofs of intelligence which they afforded, while
others, generally from the elder sort, were droll
enough. Suffice it, the missionary's purpose
was accomplished.  New interest was excited
in the minds of the natives concerning matters
closely connected with the grand objects of the
mission, and all parties seemed satisfied.
The missionary then offered up a prayer for
the protection of the travellers that were now
with them, during the remainder of their journey;
after which, the serious business of the day being
over, the most decently attired of the men
crowded round the estrade, to welcome and
shake hands with the traveller, well attesting
the clearness with which the missionary had
conveyed what he had received, and the impres



HILO.


341


sive manner in which he had commented upon
the matters that had been under review.
This little intercourse led to another more
familiar tale of travels. I was asked by some
of the natives, how I came to these islands;
and, upon stating that I was on my passage
round the globe, coming from the west, and
proceeding always towards the east, several of
them were somewhat embarrassed, and wished
to be made fully to understand this; upon which
Mr. Coan proposed that I should give a rapid
little relation of my travels from England to
these islands. I shall here, however, only mention, that the subjects that their questions led me
most to dwell upon, were chiefly the excessive
cold experienced in the northern regions of Asia,
the absence of the night during the summer,
and the shortness of the day in winter, the travelling on the snow, and the use made of reindeer and dogs. There seemed to be only one
thing related to them that they could not comprehend, but it was what has puzzled others, not
semi-savages. This was the necessity, which
was described to them, that we are under, of
adding a day to the calendar after the passage
of the meridian of the 180th degree of longitude,
to avoid finding ourselves a day before the rest
on our arrival at any port on this side that
meridian, or in other words, that we have some



342


HILO.


where or other lost twenty-four hours of our
time during our travels.
Thus, upon the whole, the day passed off
very well; and, trusting that the small share,
which was all I perhaps in reality had in the
serious business thereof, had contributed in some
degree to illustrate the Jewish and early Christian histories, and the objects of Mr. Coan, I felt
the satisfaction of having spent a day not in vain.
I shall take this opportunity of mentioning a
discourse delivered by Mr. Coan, which I thought
remarkable on account of the reasons, or the
apology, which it contained, for the spare use
made of the Lord's prayer by the Congregationalists and some other Christian sects. There
was.a little chapel at Hilo, built at the expense
of the mission, expressly for the purpose of attracting the crews of whalers and other ships
that put into the bay; and Mr. Coan proposed
to perform service here in English, and invited
the captain of the whaler that was in the port,
and his crew, and all the white folks in the place,
to attend. The ship's crew, however, not making their appearance, our number, when assembled, did not reach to ten; upon observing
which, the missionary announced that, instead of
a proper sermon after the ordinary offices of
worship, he would make some familiar remarks
upon the Lord's prayer. The discourse, how



HILO.


343


ever, which followed, measured by the dial, and
weighed by the character of the matter, was a
moderately long and a very eloquent sermon.
Its tendency was nevertheless chiefly to explain, as above stated, the reasons for the apparent neglect of the clergy of his Church of
the use of this prayer, which the missionary
endeavoured to show was not designed to be
used in its simple undress, but to be made rather
a text upon which to found our longer and more
especial petitions. I do not know whether our
clergy have any counter-arguments for the excessive use of the same prayer in our Church.
On the 26th of the month, my fellow-traveller and myself embarked on board the same
Kamehameha by which I had made the passage
from Woahoo to Mowhee. We were accompanied by the two missionaries of Hilo and Mr.
Paris, for whom the vessel had been sent to
transport them to Honolulu, to attend a meeting
of the whole missionary body, and also by Mr.
Coan's amiable family. The wind was very
light and baffling when we came out of the harbour; but with our taut-rigged and sharp little
schooner-yacht, we slipped along the coast even
more swiftly than the strangers wished during
the day, on account of the novel and agreeable
scenery which was constantly in view. All this
portion of the island, has evidently been formed
at a date long anterior to the southern and




344


HILO.


western districts.  Here deep ravines, called
gulches by the inhabitants of the country, divide
green sodded hills, attesting the length of time
that the winter rains, by which the inequalities
were doubtless formed, have run down the hills,
and the presence of a fertile soil throughout a
great portion of this district of the island. Beyond
the higher lands along the coast, appeared ruder
shaped hills and steeps, with the scene crowned
by the more distant snow-capped summits of
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
The wind continued light during the night.
In the morning we passed by the village of
Whyhio, remarkable on account of the success of the natives in the cultivation of the
vegetables introduced by Europeans into the
islands. It had a population, we were told, at
the commencement of the labours of the mission,
of 1000 souls, which was now reduced to between
three and four hundred. After this, we passed
a remarkably grand ravine or gulch, called
Whyanun, and many of the lesser sort, the dark
scenery of which was sometimes relieved by the
white foaming waters of sparkling torrents. At
mid-day we arrived offMohokona, where we hove
to, and received on board the Reverend Mr.
Bond, another gentleman of the mission, and his
family. After this, we doubled the north-west
point of the island, and at sun-set arrived once
more at Kailua, which completed our tour round




HILO.


345


Owhyhee, since our stay with the governor of
the island at this place.
The object of the vessel's touching here was
to take on board the Reverend Mr. Thurston,
the " Father of the Mission;" but upon communicating with the shore, we found the missionary
had already embarked by a native vessel. Thus,
as there was a light breeze from the land, we
again weighed and put to sea, in the hope of the
wind freshening and running us well off shore
during the night. Our expectations were, however, disappointed; for the next morning upon
coming upon deck, we found we were not above
three miles from the land.
The breeze continued light during this day;
but as the sun set, we had a last glimpse of the
coast of Owhyhee, towards which the two greater
strangers of our party looked back with a
degree of regret, such as not every land inspires
in the breast of a traveller upon so short an
acquaintance with its inhabitants. From the
time I touched its volcanic shores, arriving by a
native vessel,-from the moment of first treading
upon the newly-formed land, destined doubtless
to see generations of our species rise, flourish
and disappear, up to the last hour of our stay, I
had felt as if I were transported to another
planet, from which it was easy to contemplate,
unimpassioned, as it may be one day in our
power to do, all the moral and physical changes


It




346


HILO.


that have happened in this our temporary home.
The visions of tens of centuries of time past,
continually floated in my mind-the rising of
the islands, the geological revolutions they have
undergone, their first inhabitants, the degrees of
progress made by all of our race, from their
state either of nature or of degeneracy, from
perhaps roaming the forests like the wild beasts,
up to the condition of society under which we
live. Though the similitude between the Malay
race and these islanders indicates, as we have
seen, a common origin, yet the bareness of the
traits by which this is perceived, shows how far
back into the abysm of time we must recoil, before we can connect the people with any one
of the grand branches of the great human
family; and it is this which gives to every trait
in their character, and to every custom of the
land, the charm which we experience in our
intercourse with those among them who are the
farthest removed from the seats of innovation,
and all the sad consequences of the too close or
too abrupt contact of dissimilar races. Perhaps
the condition in which we have seen some of
the inhabitants of this particular island, may
greatly resemble that of the human race generally, before they formed any other society than
that of the family hearth-before even the commonly so-called patriarchal age.
We had light airs during the night, which




HILO.               347
ran us past the island of Kahoolawe; and when
we came upon deck again in the morning, we
were threading the passage between the islands
of Lanai and Molokai.
The wind continued light, so that we passed
another night at sea, but arrived on the following afternoon at Honolulu, where I now
procured a native hut, similar to that in which I
had first lodged.




345


HONOLULU.


CHAPTER XXII.
HONOLULU.
Visit to the Roman Catholic Bishop-The Bishop's Opinions
of the Pope's Flight-His Opinions of the Stability of his
Church-French Tolerance-Divisions among the People
-Mass to celebrate the Republic in France-The Congregation-Ceremonies incomprehensible to the Natives
- Their predominant Impressions — Native Religious
Quarrels - Consequences of Confession - Arrival of
Russian Ships-Introductions to the King-The Palace
-Ceremonies-The Court - Speech of Captain Nievieleskoy-The King's Reply-King's Reply to the Traveller's Speech-Dusky Ladies-My Friends at Honolulu
-Otaheitian Wife.
IT was my wish, on my return to Woahoo, to
proceed immediately to the Society Islands;
but, as there was no vessel about to sail in that
direction, I was detained here the whole of the
month of April.      During this time, I chiefly
associated with the Europeans of the capital,
and can mention but one or two incidents apart
from the manner of life which has already been
the subject of a previous chapter.




HONOLULU.


349


I paid a visit, on one occasion, to the Roman
Catholic bishop residing here; but I cannot
report a very satisfactory interview. The treatment that the Pope had received so lately in
Europe seemed to have soured the good gentleman's disposition; and he was very cautious in
his remarks upon that page of his Church's often
eventful, and sometimes very droll, history. I
consoled him, however, as far as Was in my power,
for the decline of the temporal and spiritual
influence of the head of his Church, by assuring
him that I believed all good men in Europe, of
every denomination, had approved of Pius IX.'s
early measures of amelioration, which, as the
Pope could not but have been sincere, I said,
I trusted would be pursued with augmented
energy upon the first favourable occasion. The
countenance of the bishop, which had seemed,
as the first part of these words were uttered, to
be somewhat improving, before their conclusion
presented anything but an amiable expression;
and he replied: "Amelioration, sir, is a term
which has no application to the Catholic Church.
The visible Church is, at present, depressed by
the enemies of religion, but its spiritual essence
is invulnerable and eternal. Revolutions overthrow or change political institutions, but the
Catholic Church remains unshaken amidst the
ruins of empires, monarchies, and republics."
He candidly, however, informed me, that there




350


HONOLULU.


was not a single Christian among all his supposed
converts.
It has never been my practice to maintain an argument with any one, upon any subject embraced
by the profession of the opposite party, even in
the most remote degree.   This has always
appeared to me to be as impolitic as indelicate,
and I bowed, therefore, to the bishop, without exhibiting any disposition to dispute his proposition.
Thus, I trust our interview, which lasted but a
short time after this, terminated as satisfactorily
to him as he could expect. It certainly ended
more so to myself than it would have done, had
I, after much argument, even thought I had
gained a great victory. I will here, however,
add a few remarks, to those already made, concerning the establishment of the Romish mission
in these islands.
We are not accustomed to hear of French
intolerance. For my part I have met Frenchmen in many countries, far and near, besides
having a fair acquaintance with them at their own
hearths, and I am able to say, that I have met
but one intolerable bigot. I speak, however, of
men.   I have known French women " cast
beyond themselves in their opinions," and run
into extremes, when unrestrained by the more
sober judgment of a papa, or by promises made
at the altar of Hymen. I may say, even, that
the French gentleman alluded to, who filled the




HONOLULU.


351


important office of consul in one of the cities
where Islamism triumphs, was far too good for
the priests, whether on account of the jealousy
which an air of great sanctity might have excited, or from any inconvenient watch he might
have kept upon their morals, good or bad, I am
not able to say. In these islands, however, the
Gallic Church, in the keeping of the French
priests, has sinned greatly, both against the
temporal and spiritual interests of the people,
by its usurpation, and by the opposition of the
priests to the system they found established on
their arrival. Through their interference, education has been interrupted in many places, the
progress of the English language, so essential
to the preservation of the native race, has been
arrested; and the former social intercourse
among the natives has been embittered by the
seeds of hatred and contempt of each other, which
have been sown among them.     The firmest
rational advocate of the Romish Church could
not approve of the introduction of its dogmas
among a simple people, with whom another
form of Christianity had just succeeded the gross
idolatry of their fathers. It has divided the
house against itself, while the boys neglect, or
are withdrawn from the means of acquiring, the
language which must, at any rate, be ultimately
that of the surviving islanders and of the mixed




352


HONOLULU.


race. The nearest relations quarrel on account
of their religion, and even come to blows in the
streets of Honolulu. Perhaps it is not, even
now, too late for France to relieve these simple
people, in whose welfare she has the same
interest as ourselves, from this obstruction to
their prosperity, and this most certain means of
destroying them.
About this time, the French Consul summoned all his friends, without distinction, to
attend the celebration of mass at the Roman
Catholic temple, in honour of the proclamation
of the republic in France; and I happened to be
of their number. As I was desirous of observing the effect of the Romish service upon the
natives, as far as appearances at least might go,
I made a point of responding to Monsieur Dillon's
polite call. On arriving at the appointed edifice,
I found a very meagre attendance of the natives,
the greater part of whom were women, and only
three Europeans had arrived. Two long benches
for seats, an accommodation not always to be
had in places of Romish worship, were set in
front of the estrade before the altar; and upon
these the three Europeans had seated themselves,
while the natives stood distributed about, gazing
on the appendages to Romish forms of worship,
apparently with as much curiosity as if they
now looked upon them for the first time. There




HONOLULU.


353


was no doubt that I had arrived before my time;
so I sat down to await the entrance of the rest
of the white company.
In a few minutes the principal personage
expected, the worthy consul, made his appearance, accompanied by the chancelier of the legation and a small retinue; and he was soon
followed by several of the king's ministers, the
foreign diplomatic agents, and the consul's private
friends.
Whether the entrance of these high pelsonages, or whether the hour, were the signal for
the commencement of the ceremonies, the bishop,
who was to officiate, now entered by a side-door,
with his accustomed attendants, bearing the
symbols and apparatus for the miracle and mysteries of the mass,
"( -  crosses, relics, crucifixes,
Beads, pictures, rosaries, and pixes,
The tools for working out salvation,
By mere mechanic operation;"
and the good work was commenced.
If there should be any Christians unable to
comprehend this, to unaccustomed eyes, most
curious mode of worship for any rational creatures to offer to our common Parent, it is fortunately not among the traveller's obligations to
enlighten them. I cannot indeed say that, I do
not know what the performances before the altar
are intended to signify, nor, that I am unacA A




354


HONOLULU.


quainted with what is understood to be their
signification, both among the enlightened classes
and the very ignorant, in European countries;
but, I declare with the utmost confidence my
conviction, after what transpired when the mass
was concluded, and one of the white men, well
acquainted with the Kanaka tongue, had aided
me in conversing with several natives in the
church, that not one among them had the
smallest conception of the meaning of anything
that had passed. The only impression made
upon them, indeed, by the whole of their religious
education, as far as we were able to discover,
was, a strong anti-Christian hatred of their
brethren of the elder communion, the consequences of which have already been shown to
be so fatal to the whole of the race just turned
from the idolatrous practices, and just freed from
the tyranny of their ancient system. The only
quarrel that I witnessed among the natives
during my stay in the islands, was at the door
of this temple, between two men of the opposite
sects, but not on this occasion. I was passing
by, in company with a white resident of the
place, when our attention was drawn to these
two fellows, who were shaking their fists at each
other, and uttering expressions, such as it is
always painful to perceive originate in feelings
excited by differences in the religious education
of the parties. Not that it was possible, that the




HONOLULU.


355


words we heard, or the sentiments they conveyed,
had been directly taught by the ministers of
religion of either sect. It is sufficient, that they
confirm many observations previously made, that
abundance of the seeds of ill-will and hatred have
been sown throughout the land, by the advent of
the instructors of the second of the two Christian
sects established in the islands, which has much
tended to check the progress of civilization generally, and to destroy the best feelings of the people
for one another. Among the phrases that we
heard these men utter, that might the least offend
delicate or shock pious ears, and which reached
ours in capital English, were:-" Every one of
you Protestants, and every one of you Romanists,
will be damned."
Before leaving the temple, I observed halfa-score of women, all passing young, standing
at the foot of the altar; and upon inquiry, I
found they were waiting the return of the bishop,
to confess them.  All, I believe, who have
marked the steps by which men advance from
their primitive condition towards the degrees of
refinement more familiar to us, or who have had
the opportunity of making observations upon
the character of any of our frail species in the
stage of society in which we find these islanders,
agree in the necessity of raising the condition
and advancing the education of the women, as
the most essential step towards the reformation
A A 2




356


HONOLLULU.


of manners in the society to which they belong.
Thus, the obstruction which this great work has
encountered in these islands, is not among the
least of the evils, which have been sufficiently
shown to have arisen out of the presence of
rival faiths; for, whatever be the general effects
of Romanism, there cannot be a doubt of the
evil consequences of the confession upon the
delicacy of the female character in this stage
of society, and, consequently, upon the moral
improvement of the sex, and the general progress of the people.* I was confidently informed indeed, that the progress made in this
respect, among even the Protestant women, had
been in a great degree negatived by the ill
example of the women of the opposed faith
wherever Romanism had spread.
The monotonous days of my second sojourn
at Honolulu were relieved by one more incident,
which, as it will introduce us into the presence
of Majesty, itself a piece of good fortune which
travellers do not everywhere experience, I must
not omit to mention.
On the sixth of the month, a Russian ship
entered the port, which, upon boarding her, I
found to be the Menchinkoff, belonging to the
Russo-American company, and commanded by
* " La nature," says a French moralist, "a donne deux
garants de la chastite des femmes, la pudeur et les remords;
la confession les prive de 'un et 'absolution de l'autre."




HONOLULU.


357


the brother of Captain Rudakoff of the imperial
navy, who has been mentioned among my good
friends in an earlier section of these travels. A
day or two after this, a Russian man-of-war also
arrived, which proved to be the Baikal, Captain
Nievieleskoy, a friend of General Mouravieff, the
governor-general of Eastern Siberia, also mentioned among my friends during my travels in
that dreary country.
Up to this time, I had not had the honour of
being presented to the sovereign of the islands.
The matter, probably, never struck ConsulGeneral Miller. I was able, indeed, to count
the principal ministers of his majesty among my
friends; but, whether from some little natural
doubts about the policy of admitting the toofrequent approach of strangers to the presence
of the king, or from mere forgetfulness, I had
not had the offer of a presentation. It happened,
however, after the arrival of the Russians, that
I was more frequently with Mr. Wylie, the
minister of foreign relations, in the company of
these greater strangers than myself; and my
good friend proposed, on a day to be fixed upon
for the occasion, to present the two captains,
and his countrymen at the same time, to King
Kamehameha, in his state apartments in the
palace.
On the day appointed, the three foreigners,
under the guidance of the minister, appeared at




358


HONOLULU.


the gate of the palace. But if the reader of the
preceding chapters should have partaken of the
smallest portion of the vision of "times long
ago betid," with the day-dreams which the traveller enjoyed during his journeys'in Owhyhee,
he must now return to the "sober certainty of
waking" realities, to view the semblance, however wanting in the pomp and circumstance
of wealth and power, at least modest, of an
European court of this our own good day.
The gate leading to the palace stood wide
open as we approached it; and, upon entering,
we found about an acre of pleasure-grounds,
with a walk up the centre of these bordered with
the fine deep-green-leafed kokui and koa trees.
After mounting some steps, we were met before
the door of the palace by several of the native
chiefs belonging to the household of his Majesty,
by whom we were led into a broad hall which
we found decorated with taste, and in the
European style. Here were already assembled
several other aspirants to the same honours as
ourselves, on some such accounts as the appointments of foreign governments to consular or
other dignities, or after an acceptance or change
of office.
Upon a table in the centre stood a large vase,
and on the walls hung the portraits of Admiral
Thomas, and the last King of the French; and,
in other parts of the room, were miniature copies




HONOLULU.


359


of several of the works of the great Danish
sculptor Thorwaldsen.
After some little order had been put in the
arrangement for our entrance into the presence,
we were led to the throne-room, forming the
left wing of the little palace. Here we should
have been much struck with the European air
of everything around, had we not been prepared
for this, after what we had already seen. The
state apartment was about the dimensions of,
and decorated in the same manner as, one of
our middle-class drawing-rooms. But near to
one of the side-walls appeared an appropriately
decorated armed-chair for a throne. On the
left of this stood the King, and next to his
Majesty his near relative and heir to the throne,
Prince Alexander, a fine youth of about twenty
years of age, and next to him Mr. Young, the
prime minister, a descendant of the celebrated
character in the history of the islands; then,
several other of his Majesty's ministers. On the
opposite side of the throne stood, first the Queen,
and next the prime minister's wife, then, one
after the other, all the dusky ladies of the court
(among whom there were one or two of a little
lighter tint than that of the unmixed native race)
reaching full round this wing of the room.
Nothing could exceed the benign and modest
countenance of Kamehameha III., when all the
strangers stood in front of his throne. The




360


HONOLULU.


minister of foreign relations, Mr. Wylie, having
already well assorted the party, the ceremonies
commenced with the presentation of Captain
Nievieleskoy and his officers; upon which the
Captain proceeded to read an address to his
Majesty, but which, being in the Russian language and understood by none but the Russians
present, had to go through several translations
before the business of the day proceeded further.
It was first rendered into French by the Baron
Giesmar, one of Captain Nievieleskoy's officers,
and next from the French into English by Mr.
Wylie, and finally by Mr. Judd, minister of
finance, into the language of the country and the
court, in which accent it reached the royal ear;
but, how nearly resembling the original I cannot
pretend to say: it was afterwards, however, put
into print in the English language as follows:
"YOUR MAJESTY-All ships of the Russians,
and Russian subjects, have been received with
friendship in the ports of your Majesty's islands;
wherefore, I, and the gentlemen my officers, do
ourselves the honour to appear before your Majesty, offering our thanks, and the assurance
that in all the ports of his Imperial Majesty, my
Emperor, the subjects of your Majesty will be
received with the same marks of friendship.
"I venture to hope that the present friendship will be always a connecting tie between
our nations. I take leave of your Majesty, with




HIONOLULU.


361


the assurance that I shall have the pleasure of
representing to my Emperor the friendly recep.
tion I have had in your Majesty's dominions."
Upon the conclusion of this address, his Majesty was graciously pleased to return the following reply, which being written and read in the
language of the islands, did not reach the Captain's ear in intelligible accents until it had passed
through the same threefold translation as the
address:CAPTAIN NIEVIELESKOY-" I am very glad to
see you and your brave officers in my kingdom.
" It has always been my wish and my orders,
that Russian officers and their ships, and all on
board, should be received and treated with the
utmost kindness. The liberal feeling of his Majesty, your great Emperor, to all strangers, is
well known to me. His dominions on both continents approach my islands. I desire that the
most friendly relations should ever subsist between them and my dominions, and that his
Imperial Majesty may long live to reign over
his vast Empire, and promote the happiness of
the Russian nation.
" When you reach St. Petersburg, you will
please me by making known to his Imperial
Majesty that these are my sentiments, and that
I desire his friendship, while I, with great sincerity, proffer mine."
Lieutenant Rudakoff and Mr. Schmidt of




362


HONOLJLVU.


the Russo-American Company were next presented, both of whom complimented the King
upon the condition and progress of his subjects.
After this, came my turn; upon which, I
took the opportunity of making my address
also, which reached the King's ear through the
single translation of Mr. Judd. I informed his
Majesty that, after four months stay in his
islands, it gave me great pleasure to be able
before quiting them, to express the satisfaction
I had experienced in observing the progress of
his people in such branches of knowledge as
form everywhere the true elements of civilization, and, at being able to carry with me the
most agreeable recollections of the kindness and
hospitality with which I had been received by
all his Majesty's subjects, both native and European, with whom I had come in contact. I then
dilated a little upon my more particular observations, especially during my travels in Owhyhee, which the foregoing chapters render it
unnecessary to repeat in this place.
To this address the King was graciously
pleased to make the following reply: -
" I am glad to see you, Mr. Hill. It is my
wish that my ministers and all my people should
be kind to foreigners. I am glad that they have
been kind to you. Were any one to act otherwise, it would be contrary to my commands.
"It is true, I and my people owe much to




HONOLULU.


363


the good missionaries. It pleases me to hear
you speak so favourably of them-of my islands
and my people. As a traveller and man of the
world, you will see that much remains to be
done; but you will also make the proper allowances for the difficulties I have had to contend
with.
" On a small scale, I am endeavouring to do,
with the blessing of God, what Peter the Great
of Russia did on a large scale. The success I
have met with encourages me to go on; and I
count upon the sympathy and good will of all
friendly nations."
After all the presentations had taken place,
pure official ceremony resolved itself into the
less restrained intercourse of the lev6e. My
curiosity was greatest about the dusky ladies
of the court; and as they alone remained in
their original position, stretched out from the
right of the throne, around that wing of the
room, a good opportunity offered itself to pass
along the line, questioning and being questioned
from end to end. After all due allowance,
however, for the difficulties attending the want
of a common tongue, I confess I found, but in
one instance, sufficient attractions of person or
speech, to be induced to persevere in this dull
intercourse.  All the ladies, however, I am
bound to say, were extremely amiable.




364


HONOLULU.


About an hour after we had entered the
throne-room, we all bowed to the King and
retired.
I had made very frequent visits during my
stay at Honolulu, and was indebted for many
acts of kindness to all the parties and their
families whom I have named at the beginning of
this volume. To Mr. Wylie, the Minister of
Foreign Relations, who is an English gentleman
of uncommon energy of character, and of
acknowledged great abilities, I was in a particular manner indebted for other kind offices
than those which the opportunity has occurred
to mention, during the whole time of my stay
in the islands. At the house of Mr. Tirrell,
the American Consul, I spent several agreeable
evenings. Mrs. Tirrell was an object of great
curiosity, on accouut of her having been declared by the Chilians of Valparaiso, where the
consul touched on his voyage to the islands, to
be the greatest beauty that had yet passed Cape
Horn; and, I must say, I have not the least
doubt of the correctness of the judgment of the
Chilians, albeit themselves not wanting in that
agreeable attribute of the fair sex. From the
French Consul, Monsieur Dillon, also, and from
Madame Dillon, an English lady educated at a
convent in France, I was in the same manner
indebted.




HONOLULU.             365
I was under equal obligations to Mr. Ten
Eyk, the United States Commissioner for these
islands; and I feel pleasure in here mentioning
that upon one occasion that I happened to be at
a soiree at the house of the commissioner, there
were three of the dusky ladies mingled among
the wives of the consuls; but, it must be added,
not coloured by any of the blood of the race
so degraded, and so much despised throughout
the Union. Their fine rich olive colour contrasted well with the fair skins of the ladies of
the white race, and presented an agreeable
variety. One of them was a young Otaheitian,
married to a merchant captain who had brought
her to this island.




366


VOYAGE FROM THE


CHAPTER XXIII.
VOYAGE FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE.
Departure from Woahoo-Fellow Passenger- Difficulties
about making the Passage-Character of our ShipCrossing the Sun-Crossing the Equator-The Southern
Heavens-The North Star-Southern Cross-Prospects
of fetching the Island-Making the Land-Magnificent
Scenery-Pilot on Board-Harbour and Town of Papiete
-Two Ships only here-Bring up-The Town-Visit
of Merchants.
AT length an opportunity occurred, which
enabled me to carry out my wishes of visiting
the Society Islands, and completing the passage
of the Pacific by continuing my route thence for
the coast of South America. The schooner
Sola, commanded by a young Swede and
manned by Chilians, arrived from the west
coast of North America bound to       Otaheite
and Valparaiso'; and I embarked by her on the
5th of the month of May, accompanied       by
Monsieur Hardy, Chancelier of the French
Legation at Woahoo.
Some difficulty attends making the passage




SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE.


367


from the Sandwich to the Society Islands, which
occasionally becomes inordinately long. This
is owing to the southern group lying four or
five degrees to windward of the northern, which,
unless the little variation in the direction of the
trade-winds, depending on the season, or proceeding from tempests, or from some other
inconstant cause, be in favour of the ship,
is a distance too great to fetch on a direct
course, even sometimes by the fastest vessels
that visit any of the islands. In this case the
ship must run to the southward till she falls in
with the variables, where she has to make her
easting, re-enter the trades, and run down upon
the islands to which she is bound. Our Chilian
schooner was, however, a clipper, and we hauled
dead upon a wind on leaving the port, and had
great hopes of fetching the southern group
without the necessity of making this circuitous
course. Our voyage was short, and scarcely
afforded an incident worthy of remembering.
I shall very briefly refer, therefore, to such only
as served to mark our passage from one hemisphere to the other.
The 8th of the month was memorable in the
"travel's history" of the two passengers on
board the Sola, in now for the first time finding
themselves south of the sun. I had myself been
in tropical climes long ere this, but had never
before crossed the latitude of the declination of




368


VOYAGE FROM THE


the sun, whether north or south of the equator,
at the time. The star of day, however, was now
in north latitude 70 5', and the Sola glided over
his bright track about noon on this day.
If we are susceptible of lively emotions from
the observation of natural phenomena, such as
the contemplation of the relations of the beautiful
globe we inhabit, with her mightier and lesser
rivals in the race of glory assigned to all alike,
what a world of reflections does any novelty in
these relations, which we seem to experience,
create within us! My companion and myself
were never tired on our voyage of speculating
upon the different systems of the universe, as
they are displayed by the great natural philosophers of our respective countries; and we
thought we never felt in so favourable a state of
mind to appreciate what we had learned.
The day after we crossed the sun's path we
caught two aquatic web-footed birds, in form
resembling pigeons.  They came indeed on
board of us, and settled on our deck. They
were, in their kind, strangers to all our crew.
Their colour was a dusky brown and white, and
their voice was not unlike that of the raven,
though somewhat less harsh. After keeping
them for one night we gave them their liberty,
and they soon disappeared.
On the 10th, by our observation of the sun's
altitude at noon, we found we were only eleven




SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE.


369


miles north of the equator, which we passed over
about an hour and a half afterwards.
The change in the face of the heavens at
night, is now the chief novelty which falls under
the observation of the navigator. As we increased our distance from the line, that star, so
remarkable on account of its position in relation
to our globe, and its general usefulness to navigators-that sure guide,
"Of whose fixed and resting quality,
There is no fellow in the firmament,"
slowly sunk beneath the waters, while the whole
face of the heavens gradually assumed an entirely new aspect. The sky of the southern
hemisphere, as may be seen in the representation of the heavens upon our little celestial
globes, when the several magnitudes of the stars
are marked with distinctness, is far less varied
and striking than the northern.  The famous
Southern Cross in the constellation of Centaurus,
is perhaps the most remarkable of all the clusters
in this hemisphere.
It is not alone the different aspect of the
heavens by night, however, but also the change
in our relations to the only heavenly body we
behold by day, that hourly reminds the traveller
after crossing the line of his having passed from
one hemisphere to the other. As we sail, or turn
our faces, towards the east-to those who are
B B




370


VOYAGE FROM THE


familiar with the impression from experience,
and perhaps to some others, this may seem a
trifling circumstance to mention-it is difficult
to recognise the same sun we have been accustomed to see on our right hand, now sweeping
round from east to west, by apparently a different course from that which he has been wont
to take, qnd reversing the adage adapted only to
the northern hemisphere, of turning anything
with or against the sun.  Nor can we for
some time reconcile ourselves to the change
which brings us soft airs from the northern
quarter of heaven, and rude and cold winds
from the southern.
On the 27th, at noon, the island of Otaheite,
by our account, bore south-south-west of the
position of the ship, distance 245 miles. Thus,
as we had a spanking breeze, we were now able
to keep away without a doubt about our fetching the group, and with a fair prospect of
sighting the principal of them soon after break
of day the next morning, in which we were not
disappointed.  As the day broke, the highest
peak of one of the two mountains which wholly
form the island of Otaheite appeared above the
edge of the water, bearing south-by-west, which,
as the trade was steady at east-by-south, enabled
us to run down with the wind a-beam.
As we gradually rose the less elevated lands,
the island first presented nothing but rugged and




SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE.


371


barren rocks and steeps; but as we approached
its shores, we observed that these abounded in
cocoa-nut groves, and orange-trees.  Beyond
this, denser forests of deeper tints flourished in
the vales or broad ravines towards the interior
of the island. Above these were seen steeps
and prominences, terminating in a peak, which
the navigators of the Pacific call the Crown,
though, seen from this point, it rather presented
the appearance of a mitre; thus ominous, at least,
of the destiny, either civil or religious, or both,
of this fair isle.
Two hours before noon we came in sight of
the harbour of Papiete, and soon afterwards the
capital town of the same name, which is now
the place of residence of the French naval governor, as well as of the native Queen, Pomare.
A canoe came off to us when we were about
three miles from the land, bringing the pilot, a
white man, with face and features plainly marking his English origin; and he was not on our
deck a second before he informed us that he was
the son of the first English missionary to these
islands. The wind continued fresh, and as our
position was a little to windward of the harbour,
we soon reached its entrance, and shot in without
accident.
The port of Papiete appears to have several
advantages over that of Honolulu at Woahoo.
There is more water here at the entrance; and
BB 2




372


VOYAGE FROM THE


although the regular trade is not a leading wind
to enter, the position of the port is nevertheless
such as to allow of its being more easily gained
than that of the Sandwich Islands. The town
lies east of the entrance of the harbour, and is
commanded by a fort which we left on the right
hand. As we beat up to the town, we were
struck with the desolate appearance of the port,
and the little movement on shore, compared with
the shipping and the busy scenes at the place
we had last left. A single French fruit-vessel
lay by the town; and one man-of-war, the
frigate Syrene, evidently, from her half-dismantled condition, a guard-ship, was riding at
anchor in the broader water.
Upon our bringing up off the town, three or
four merchants who inhabited the place came
on board. Tley were all English except one,
who was an American. Their chief business
was about our cargo, and to learn whether we
had any later news from Europe than had
reached their island. From them we learned
that the French merchant-ship was to sail in
three or four days for Valparaiso, and that
there was little chance of any other opportunity
occurring, by which I might leave for many
months, save the vessel by which I came. Thus,
I should only have the choice between reembarking on board the Sola, which it was
expected would sail in about ten days, or being




SANDWICH ISLANDS TO OTAHEITE.  373
detained in these islands for an indefinite period;
so that I determined at once upon limiting my
visit to the time of our vessel's stay. What fell
under my observation, therefore, during this
short time, will not involve the same minute
details which more independent movements, and
a more protracted sojourn, gave occasion for at
the Sandwich Islands.




374


OTAHEITE.


CHAPTER XXIV.
OTAHEITE.
Discovery of the Island-Quiros-Cook-Society Group —
Geological Features-Climate-Population-Character
of the Natives-Natural History-Productions-Introduction to the French Governor-Appearance of the
Town-English Missionaries-The Rev. Mr. HoweDinner at the Government House-The Ladies-Son of
Pomare-Scarcity of Luxuries-The Cheremoia-The
Governor's Garden-Residence of Pomare-Interview
with Natives at Mr. Howe's-A King's Herald-Cruelties under the Ancient System-Effects of the Christian
Mission-Predominant feature of the Character of the
Natives-Causes-Effects on their Intercourse with
Europeans —Inconvenience of Commercial Regulations
-A Gascon-Governor's Politeness-Anomalies in the
Island.
OTAHEITE, the largest and most important island
of the group known by the name of the Society
Islands, was first discovered by Quiros, a Spaniard, as early as the year 1606, and called
Sagittaria. But it was not until 161 years after
this, in the year 1767, that it was seen again by
any European. In that year it was visited by
Captain Willis, who may be considered its second




OTAHEITE.


375


discoverer; for it had been so ill described by
the Spaniard, that the English navigator was
not able to recognize it for the island of Quiros.
It was next visited by Captain Cook in 1769,
who gave it the proper name by which it was
known to the inhabitants, Otaheite, or Tahiti,
which it has since borne.
The Society group consists of five islands,
and several inconsiderable islets.  They are
called Otaheite, Eimeo, Mpatia, Maiaviti, and
Tituaro; and they all lie between the latitudes
of 16~ 30' and 17~ 54' South, and the longitudes
of 148~ and 153~ West. The island of Otaheite
is the seat of the native government, as well as
that of the French since its subjugation. In
their proper geological construction, these islands
differ more from those of the northern group
than in their general features and configuration.
Otaheite is formed by two distinct mountains of
unequal extent, rising to the height of from 6000
to 8000 feet above the level of the sea, but
divided from each other by a low isthmus of
about three miles in width. Its circumference
has been variously given from 110 to 130 miles.
Its coasts are girded by a coral reef from ten to
twenty yards in width, at distances, from a dozen
yards to two miles from the shore. It has no
volcano, nor any remains of craters to indicate
their former existence. Nevertheless, there are
found everywhere traces of fire, and volcanic




376


OTAHEITE^.


substances stratified, broken, and thrown up in
the wildest disorder. Thus it seems not impro,
bable that the islands took their present form
after some great geological convulsions, at a
remote period, beneath the water, and were
subsequently raised to their present position by
earthquakes, or by some agency, of the character
of which we are not yet acquainted. The volcanic materials found are chiefly basalt, or cellular and doubtless aged volcanic stone. The
sides of the raised valleys around the solid
mountains are in some places covered with a
layer of light earth, and in others with a thick
stratum of marl. The less elevated lands around
this island are from half a mile to three miles in
breadth, and are of extreme fertility. Many
valleys on all sides are filled with a rich deposit
of alluvial and vegetable soils, which teem with
abundance far above anything to be met with in
the northern group.
The climate of this group is better than that
of the Sandwich Islands. The temperature is
steadier; storms are less violent and frequent,
and more rain falls throughout the year. The
rainy season, which is remarkable, occurs during
the same months as in the islands on the opposite side of the equator. Thus the rain falls here
in summer instead of winter; or, more properly
speaking, when the sun is vertical instead of at
his lowest altitude. Some rain, however, falls




OTAHEITE.


377


here at all seasons, but does not come in storms
or endure long, save at the proper rainy season.
In other respects the climates of the two groups
differ only in there being a little more heat in
the southern group, on account of its greater
proximity to the equator. The thermometer
in summer in this island ranges between 68 and
76 degrees when the sun is north of the line,
and between 78 and 86 when it is in south
latitude.
The population of Otaheite at the time of
Cook was estimated at 200,000. This was probably too high; but for want of other data that
might be more relied upon, it must be accepted
as approximating the truth. The diseases, however, introduced by Europeans in the group,
wars, the use of ardent spirits, infanticide, and
other vices common to the infancy of society, or
arising out of the contact of the aboriginal race
with white men, became so destructive in their
effects, that at the time of the arrival of the first
missionaries in 1797, the population is said to
have been under 20,000, and, twenty years after
this, not to have been above 5000. But about
the year 1820 or 1821 the births were found to
have become equal to the deaths; and, since
that time, they have so much increased under
the influence of the new religion upon the morals
generally of the natives-but especially in the
total abolition of infanticide-that the popula.




378


OTAHEITE.


tion, which is still increasing, has again already
reached 20,000.
The men are generally a fine race, above the
middle stature of Europeans. The women are
slight and disproportionately tall. Their colour
is a full shade lighter than that of the Sandwich
Islanders, notwithstanding the nearer approach
of this group to the equator. In mental capacity the missionaries report favourably of them,
judging partly from the facility with which they
acquire general knowledge, but also by the character of the historical songs extant among them,
and the aptitude which they also, as with the
inhabitants of the northern group, are supposed
to display in arithmetical calculations.
These islands seem to have been more
favoured than any others of the Pacific, in their
native irrational inhabitants, especially of the
winged tribes. Among the lakes in the interior
were found several kinds of heron, wild ducks,
some of the woodpecker tribe, and also paroquets of very beautiful plumage. Among their
few singing birds, the most remarkable is called
by the natives Omaomao. In its appearance,
and in its note, this bird resembles the thrush.
Even domestic fowls were found here. Hogs
and dogs were the only quadrupeds; but, since
the missionaries arrived, horses, sheep, black
cattle, and goats have been introduced. The
goats alone, however, I believe, have thrived.




OTAHEITE.


379


As it was late when we anchored, I remained
on board the Sola for the night; but early the
next morning Mr. Gibson, the merchant to
whom our vessel was consigned, called on board
to offer to present me to the French Governor
of the island, Monsieur l'Amiral Lavaud. On
our landing, I observed a slovenly mixture of
native huts, formed chiefly of poles set upright
in the ground, and houses of wood constructed
in the European style, placed fronting the
water, and forming a street running parallel to
this in their rear. The governor's house stood
at the end of a lawn of about 100 yards in length,
beyond the street formed by the European
houses, with the palace of Pomare (a boarded
cottage something better than the ordinary huts
of the natives) on its right. We found the
Admiral at home, and I met a polite and hospitable reception, with an obliging offer of aid in
anything I might wish to undertake during my
stay in the island.
From the Government-house, we set off to
look for some kind of lodgings in which I might
take up my temporary abode. After a long
search, however, we found nothing of the kind
in the place; so that I was obliged to make
arrangements with the Captain of our vessel, to
remain on board during our short stay.
My next step was to call on the English
missionaries residing here, the Reverend Mr.




380


OTAHEITE.


Howe and the Reverend Mr. Thomson; by
both of whom I was also very politely received.
The next morning I breakfasted with Mr. Howe,
accompanied by the master of our vessel, who
was as remarkable for his piety, as most sailors
are for their indifference to the forms at least of
any of the various religious sects with which
the ports throughout the world, wherever the
English language prevails, abound. Mr. Howe,
seemed to me to be a gentleman eminently
adapted for the sacred duties in which he was
engaged. Before we sat down to our morning
repast, he offered up a prayer that might have
been made by one of any creed, that happened
to be present, ending with a touching supplication to the Omnipotent, for the continued protection of the travellers now under his roof.
On the second day after my arrival, I had
the 'honour of dining with the Admiral. There
were present on the occasion, Madame Lavaud,
and two other French ladies, relatives of the
family, which comprised, I believe, all the white
women in the island, except the wives of the
missionaries. There were also, the Commander
of the troops, the Admiral's private secretary,
and my travelling companion, Monsieur Hardy;
and, if mentioned the last, not the least in rank,
a prince of the blood royal of the island, the son
of Pomare, and heir to the shadow of a throne
upon which his mother still sits, but now a kind




OTAHEITE.


381,


of spoiled child of the Admiral, who condescended to feed his highness with a spoon. The
little prince had been named Joinville.
We had a sort of Franco-Tahitian repast, in
relation to the viands, yet spare in dishes, at
least of solids, which were wholly of the flesh of
birds, such as ducks and fowls, raised from
French importations (there being neither beef
nor mutton now in the island), and some very
indifferent vegetables. At our dessert, however,
besides all the fruits mentioned as abounding in
the Sandwich Islands, we had the most delicious
of all the productions of the Pacific, and perhaps
of the world, the Cheremoia. I had heard, while
I was in the northern group, of the estimation
in which this was held throughout the Pacific.
I was not therefore wholly taken by surprise
when I tasted it. I cannot compare it, in point
of flavour, to any other fruit with which I am
acquainted. I believe, several among the most
tempting to the eye, and the most delicious in
flavour, of the various productions of the tropical
climes, have at least received the name of that
fatal fruit that one " rash hand in evil hour,"
gathered, when
" Nature from her seat
Sighing through all her works gave signs of woe
That all was lost."


But I do not know whether any of the unfor



OTAHEITE.


bidden fruits of the same garden are supposed
to have been discovered in our blighted earth.
I am sure, however, that there can be none with
a higher claim than the Cheremoia, to have first
grown, and to have been first gathered in Paradise, beyond the walls of which, we may easily
believe, the fatal tree that stood in the midst of
the garden never propagated its kind.  This
Cheremoia is about the size of a large orange,
and is round in form, with a thin skin, and when
ripe, is of the consistence of a thoroughly mellow
pear.
We found the Governor a frank, plain sailor;
and there was no constrained ceremony at his
table. The conversation was general, gay, and
agreeable; and the ladies were especially amiable.
As soon as the dinner was over, we retired to a
garden which had been planted behind the
house, where, over our coffee, we indulged in
the lighter sort of table-talk; after which his
excellency led us round his grounds, comprising
two or three acres laid out in beds of flowers
and shrubs, and teeming with excess of vegetation of the clime, half wild and half trained.
The most remarkable of the plants we observed
here were two Norfolk Island pines, not less
beautiful in their forms, than precious on account of their novelty among the shrubs of the
sun's tropical beams.
At the upper end of the garden there




OTAHEITE.


383


was a fresh spring oozing from a break in the
solid rock which bounded the garden, whence
the water was conducted to the Government
Wharf, to supply such shipping as entered the
port. It appeared as if it were a new source;
for there was no appearance of a natural watercourse, which could not fail to have been formed
wherever there had been water long running.
A paling only divided these grounds from
the garden in which stood the palace of Queen
Pomare, before mentioned, near which there
was one of the ordinary native huts, with walls
formed of sticks, in the same manner as in some
parrots' cages; which, indeed, the huts of the
Otaheitians' very much resemble. This method
of building, at least, supersedes the necessity for
windows. In the evening we played billiards,
in which almost sole amusement that the place
affords for Europeans, the ladies joined us.
I paid a short visit to the officers of the
Syrene, on board their ship, soon after our
arrival in the port, and was very politely received. There appeared to be another French
ship of war belonging to the place, but she
was at this time at the Marquesas, whence
she had lately proceeded to bring back some
stores left there, in consequence of the French
government having, after the conquest of those
islands, determined to abandon them.
I was frequently at the houses of both the




384


OTAtEITE.


English missionaries during my stay here. One
evening that I was at Mr. Howe's, two or three
native families came in for the express purpose
of having some conversation with their instructor's countryman, so lately arrived; and
as Mr. Howe, like the chief missionary of the
northern group, was fond of conversing on subjects connected with the Holy Land, we were
soon engaged, over the map of the globe, in
pointing out the sites of the most memorable
events in the history of Judaism and Christianity.
This time, however, our pupils were very
dull, and were on some points incredulous; so
that we did not pursue our lecture very far.
Their incredulity, indeed, was not confined to
the subjects upon which Mr. Howe was most
desirous of instructing them. Among other
things, they would not believe that the great
continents we showed them delineated upon the
map had any real existence. One very sage
fellow, when the little figure Otaheite made
in the vast ocean in which it was placed, was
pointed out to him, said: "It could not be a fair
representation; and that the pride of those who
made the map had caused them to show this
island so small, that it might appear less than
their own country."
On another occasion when I was at the missionary's, I met an old chief called Oharohee,
who much excited my interest, on account of




OTAHEITE.


385


the part he had played in the last king s service,
under the old system, before the introduction of
Christianity, or, at least, before its influence had
been in any degree felt. He appeared to be a
very sincere convert, at this time, and was
much respected by Mr. Howe and his family;
and though the part he had acted must have
been accompanied with the ferocity that attends
only the highest degree of fanaticism and the
greatest crimes, there remained no visible traces
of a savage disposition upon his aged features.
He did not exactly know his age; but he perfectly remembered the last visit of Cook, in
1777; and as he said he did not then wear the
maro, which it was the custom of the people
of these islands to put on at twelve years of
age, he was, probably, at this time, about 84.
He did not appear to me, however to be above
74 or 75. His ancient eniployment was near
the person of the king, whom he served as a
kind of herald of the chief's dread approach to
any island or any village when he travelled,
and to procure human sacrifices whenever, and
for whatsoever, they were required.
These cruelties, more or less terrible, accompanied the royal steps wherever they were
directed, but especially when the king visited
any of the islands in which he did. not reside,
and at his return. This mighty prince never
landed, after embarking, until five or six of his
c c




386


OTAHEITE.


subjects had been slaughtered and stretched out
on the beach for him to tread upon as he
stepped on shore. It was the custom of the
herald to land from his canoe, while the king's
canoe and the little fleet that usually accompanied her remained upon their paddles. He
carried in his hand a stone; and several attendants accompanied him as he marched from the
beach to the huts before which he landed.
Upon entering any one of these, he was sure
to find all its tenants seated on their mats in
patient expectation of their fate. He merely
said, in the language of his country, as he
entered: "I want a broken calabash," and then
proceeded to break the sculls of one or two of
the men, one after the other; and as he met no
opposition, he thus easily procured the number
the occasion required. But I must not omit to
mention that this once dread herald of a savage
chief's will, and the instrument of his cruelties,
now the sole living evidence of this former sad
condition of the islanders, related his tale with
evidently unaffected pain; and, when all he had
said had been communicated to me, he desired
of the missionary that he would not omit to
inform me also, that whenever these passages of
his former life occurred to his mind, they made
him very unhappy; but that he was consoled in
the assurance given him by his instructors, that
as his acts were done in ignorance, if his repent



OTAHEITE.


387


ance were sincere, they would be forgiven him
in the future life.
After Mr. Howe had communicated all this
to me, he repeated, in a very impressive manner,
the assurances he had often before given this
native; and the now Christian man recovered
from the gloom that his countenance had expressed while telling his tale.
The condition of the Otaheitians has been
much healthier than that of the natives of
the northern islands, even since the arrival of
the French and the introduction of new diseases
among them. This may be attributed chiefly to
their manner of constructing their dwellings,
which being open, as before described, have none
of the inconveniences attributed to the grass huts
of Sandwich Islanders during the rainy season.
The most prominent feature in the character
of the Otaheitians appears to be their love of
indolence, in which the too great bounty of
nature has permitted them to indulge. They
seem to have been hitherto an exception to the
common law of nature, which has seemed everywhere else to have imposed toil in a greater or
less degree upon all men. Their magnificent
valleys abound not alone in luxuriant forests
that attract and charm the eye, but also in trees
bearing sufficient food to supply all their proper
wants, The trees which produce the breadfruit, the banana, the orange, the cocoa-nut,
cc2




388


OTAHEITE.


and the cheremoia, seem to contend with one
another for the palm of superior strength and
beauty, and for the quantity of their spontaneous
abundance.
The hogs of these islands resemble those of
the Sandwich group, require no care, and feed
upon fruits which might exempt their flesh from
the curse of impurity, under which it ought,
perhaps, to lie everywhere else. And as to fish,
with these also their coasts supply them at the
price of no more labour than might be called
pastime.
The disposition and character of the Otaheitians are said to have much changed since
the late conquest of the islands. - I saw nothing
of that cheerfulness about them which is so
remarkable in the natives of the northern group;
and it is certain that the circumstances which
attended their recent subjection are far from
passing from their memories. They are found
to have the same deficiency as the Sandwich
Islanders in their capacity to carry out designs
which they are led, by their imitation of Europeans, to commence. Many plans and foundations of houses have been laid down by the
chiefs: but, I believe, no one has been followed
up until the dwellings have been completed.
The same error, as it appears to me, has been
made here by the mission, as in the Sandwich
Islands: that of teaching through a medium




OTAHE1TE.


389


quite insufficient for the ends proposed. This,
however, will be the same wherever the mission
is wholly for religious purposes, unaccompanied
by the teachers of some European language,
and unsupported by instructions in the most
useful arts, by means better adapted to the
ends to be attained than those which have been
hitherto tried.
I made several excursions, on foot, in the
vicinity of the town,; and entered many of the
native huts, accompanied by Mr. Howe; we
found them generally well supplied with necessaries. Dried fish hung about the walls, or
above our heads, and abundance of the fruits
already mentioned among the products of the
islands, more especially the plantain, lay strewed
upon the ground. The greatest difference in the
manner of living of the inhabitants of the two
groups appeared to be in the character of their
huts, which leads me to refer again to the evident
effects of different modes of constructing habitations upon the health and constitutions of
men.   The greatest advantage would, undoubtedly, arise from the missionary societies,
and, perhaps, from all societies that have any
influence upon the destinies of the poorer classes
everywhere, taking measures to cause the principles of the art to be applied to all the circumstances of climate and the materials at hand.
We have seen how wholly insufficient for the




390


OTAHEITE.


wants of the natives are the huts constructed
with grass in the Sandwich Islands, since the
change of manners and the prevalence of many
new diseases in that group; and nothing can more
plainly show the good grounds that exist for the
adoption of the measures above recommended,
than the undoubted fact that the population of
these islands, lodged in open huts constructed
of mere poles as already described, is actually
on the increase, although exposed to the same
inconveniences attending their sudden change
of manners, and their abrupt contact with Europeans, as the inhabitants of the northern group.
In a word, the greatest necessity exists of
adapting the dwellings of men to the changes
introduced among them, wherever those in which
they originally lived are not found sufficient
to meet all the consequences of their altered
condition.
On the evening of the 1st of June I had
notice that our ship would be ready for sea at an
early hour on the following day. Upon this,
my fellow-traveller and myself called to take
leave of the Admiral and Madame Lavaud, to
whom we were both indebted for unaffected
kindness and hospitality.  On our return,
however, to the port, we found that the captain of the Sola had discovered, to his great
surprise and regret, that the rules of the place,
with which he had not made himself acquainted,




OTAHEITE.


391


required that he should give forty-eight hours'
notice before sailing. But the officer in authority
was a Gascon; and if we might judge from the
character which his compatriots of the same
department have obtained, the least likely of
men to be inexorable. We therefore determined
to take advantage of this circumstance in our
favour; and, by engaging him in a cross-fire of
gibes, such as were known to suit an inhabitant
of the province where wit, good-humour, and
the best dispositions are said to have found the
most congenial soil in all France, we even so far
gained our purpose as to prevail upon him to
go himself to the Governor to ask permission to
allow us to depart.
The Gascon, whether by the force of his wit,
or more solid reason, soon gained the Governor
and returned; and, early on the morning of the
2nd, aided by the boats of the Syrene, which the
captain of the frigate, on observing that we had
not wind enough to leave the harbour, very
politely sent to our assistance, we took our
departure from the island of Otaheite.
Upon the whole, the impressions I retained
after we left this fair isle, and I think I may say
those also of my fellow-traveller, had less of the
agreeable in them to counterbalance the dark
pictures which the condition of a declining race
must ever exhibit, than those which we retained
of the Sandwich Islands. The memory, there



392


OTAHIEITE.


fore, of what had the latest fallen under our
observation, was not much calculated to relieve
the anticipated tediousness of the long voyage
now before us. Everything that has been introduced which seems proper to the intercourse
between the white man of the European race and
his less fortunate brethren of the Pacific isles,
appeared unsubstantial and transient to us; while
the darker phases of the contact were too deeply
impressed upon our minds, to enable us to dwell
with satisfaction upon such little hopes as may
remain of the regeneration of the native race.
Anomalies the most anomalous, both physical
and moral, strike the stranger in a particular
manner in this island. A simple race of men,
just turned from their idolatrous worship and
their degrading superstitions, by the efforts of one
European people, checked in their progress by
the conquest of their country by another European people, and exposed to an attempt to change
their faith by means unworthy of the tolerant
spirit of the conquerors as a nation, and probably
even without the assent of their Governmentan isle under European military rule, declared
an independent kingdom under a necessary protectorate-a port said to have been established
for the refuge and protection of the ships of all
nations, subjected to such regulations as to
oblige even the very whalers of the protecting
power, as it has happened, that formerly fre



OTAHEITE.


393


quented it, to take shelter in other harbours in
other islands-a population composed of one of
the finest races, physically speaking, found upon
the face of the globe, sickening amidst the superabundance of the native productions of the soil,
and in the healthiest of climates.
Whatever may be the result of the moral
changes taking place in the sister group, and
whether the half-wild man perish or regenerate,
every thing is there open and what it seems, and
creditable to the Europeans, ever struggling,
if not against a universal law, certainly against
a very common ordinance of nature, by which
men in the infancy of society perish upon the
advent of men in a condition in advance of them.
It would be far better for the Otaheitians, for
France, and for all other countries interested in
the welfare of the natives of the Pacific, were
the anomalies just spoken of to cease. Were
France to give the Otaheitians again their independence, and were the three great maritime
nations to agree to respect this, and equally
furnish a commissioner to aid the establishment
of such a government and laws as the example
in the sister group would afford the best means
of doing, justice would at least be rendered to the
population of the Society Islands, with the fairest
prospect of great benefit to all the countries of
the Pacific, as well as to all the maritime nations.
Nothing could be easier for the French, than to




OTAHEITE.


find other islands in this wide ocean, on every
account far better suited than these for their
establishment, and where they might begin the
race of conversion or civil progress in the
manner most in accordance with their own institutions or their inclination, and where their
efforts would be more likely to be aided than
otherwise, by the other European nations established on the coasts, or on any of the islands
of the great ocean. There were two priests here
at this time; but I do not believe they met any
encouragement, even by their government, beyond the habitations of their own countrymen
of the garrison; and they had not yet made a
single convert among the natives throughout
the islands.




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 395


CHAPTER XXV.
VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAlSO.
Leaving the Island-First Objects to attain-Bad Weather
-Pot au noir-Return of fine Weather-The Variables
-Cape Pigeons-Island of Turnbull-Island of Juan
Fernandez-Change of Weather-First View of the
Land-Gale-Magnificent View of the Andes-Arrival
at Valparaiso.
ON leaving any of the islands within the tropics,
if the ship be bound to the eastward, her first
object is to gain the variables; and if the port
from which we set sail be situated, like that of
Papiete, upon the opposite side of the island to
that of the latitudes we must first attain, it becomes a question, whether we should attempt to
beat up to windward until we clear the island, or
run to leeward, which is commonly decided by
the state of the wind in regard to the little variation that the trades admit. Thus, after marking
well the direction of the wind, and consulting
the pilot who brought us out of port, our cap



396 VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO.


tain determined to put the vessel before the
wind, so that we were soon threading the passage
between the islands of Otaheite and Eimeo; and
early the same afternoon we were sufficiently
advanced to haul close upon a wind, with a
moderate breeze and a favourable prospect of soon
reaching the latitudes in which the variables
prevail at this season.
The voyage upon which we were now embarked, was attended with few incidents worthy
of noting. The war of the elements, with the
description of which this volume commenced,
no more came to supply anything sufficiently
novel to dwell upon; and nothing within the
narrow confines of our bulwarks supplied the
place of what might have been new or important
beyond them. The report of this voyage then,
which the plau of this narrative nevertheless
demands, will be confined to a few remarks upon
some circumstances characteristic rather of the
latitudes we were navigating, than peculiar to
our own experience.
The wind that had run us so rapidly off the
land, failed in the evening; and when the rays
of the too-bright tropical sun of full day, were
softened by the approach of the great source of
light to the bourn of his day's travel, we could
plainly see the high peaks of Otaheite, at the
distance by the reckoning of 45 or 50 miles.
We had several hours of calm, and of light




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 397


winds, during the night, as is commonly the
case in the tropical latitudes, where the wind
almost always commences in the morning, and
increases from hour to hour, till after the sun
has long passed the meridian, and declines again
on his approach to the horizon where he sets.
We were told by the French naval officers
before leaving Otaheite, that we should certainly
not reach the variables without passing through
the bubbling turmoil of a "pot au noir." I do
not know whether our officers have any equivalent for this expression; but I will record what
we experienced, as a feature in the character of
the latitudes between the limits of the variables
and the trades.
On the 5th of the month the wind, which had
been blowing fresh during the day, died away
more rapidly than usual after the sun had attained the meridian. By four o'clock it was calm;
but the swell, which from the time we quitted
the islands had been regular, was now observed
running in opposite directions. Upon this we
had not a doubt of our being about to experience
the weather, against the consequences of which
the warning of the French officers had caused us
to be prepared.  By five o'clock the sun was
obscured, and dark and thick clouds seemed
meeting each other from almost all points of the
compass, and rain was seen falling in several
directions. Soon after this, the lightning flashed




398 VOYAGE FROM OTXHEITE TO VALPARAISO.


around us, and the thunder cloud broke over
our heads with a crash that was worthy of the
stormiest latitudes that the sun's beams illumine.
There was not, however, a breath of air upon the
water, for nearly another hour, when a squall
from the north broke suddenly upon us, driving
the irregular swell before it for a short time, and
then giving place to a wind of equal force in the
opposite direction, which redoubled the size and
violence of the waves.
This uncertain and troubled state of the
elements, this " pot au noir," continued during
the day, and throughout the first watches of
night; but by eight bells the next morning, the
weather had assumed its wonted serenity.; and,
although the sea was still too high and irregular to admit of our carrying much sail, we
were now steering our course for the coast of
America, with a spanking and steady breeze from
the north-west.
The day after that of the "pot au noir," we
made our first acquaintance with the species of
winged tribes called cape pigeons by the navigators of these regions. Two or three only first
joined company with us, rather than visited us;
but their numbers augmented as we proceeded.
They are not misnamed. They very much
resemble the wood-pigeon, but are somewhat
larger and rounder. They are perhaps the
tamest of the ocean birds, and become quite




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 399


companions to the seamen, who frequently feed
them alongside; and, they follow a ship some.
times for many thousands of miles, certainly
without finding any place to take their natural
rest, save the surface of the agitated sea.
On the evening of the 7th, we passed in sight
of the island of Turnbull, which appeared to be
but a huge and scarce habitable rock. This
and several other islands scattered about near
it, are said to produce nothing whatever save
cocoa-nuts, upon which their spare number of
inhabitants wholly subsist. The merchants
established at, or trading to Otaheite, send vessels here to purchase the oil of this fruit, which
they obtain in abundance.
From this to the 29th of the month, we were
running continually with the wind from northwest to south-west, but it was more frequently
north-west, answering of course to the southwest of our hemispheres, and with exceedingly
fine weather, and at the rate of nine or ten knots
an hour. But nothing could have less interest
than this long equality of the elements. We
almost longed for something like a storm. Our
sole resource was conversation; and this was
much less than it might have been, owing to
the habits of my French companion, who was
so great a hater of the sea, that he turned in
and slept exactly half the day in addition to the




400 VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO.


night, that he might seem the sooner to get rid
of the time.
We were early on this day, by the reckoning, abreast of, and very near the island of Juan
Fernandez, so famous on account of its having
given rise to the story which is, perhaps beyond
every other, the most indelibly engraven on our
minds from our earliest years. It was our misfortune, however, to be very uncertain whether
we even saw the island or not. The weather
had suddenly changed during the night, in a
manner known to seamen to indicate the vicinity
of elevated land.  We seemed to be sailing
into some new region. Dark and loaded clouds
concealed the heavens, hanging around us, and
intercepting our view on all sides. But for a
few minutes in the afternoon, the winds that
appeared one moment struggling for empire above
our heads, and the next, allayed by the equality
of the strength of the opposed currents 'of air,
seemed to cause the clouds sufficiently to
divide, to show us any very high land there
might be in some directions. The island at
this moment by our account bore ten miles only
south of us; and as we watched for some indication of its existence, various forms of peaks
and lofty promontories, which appeared almost
directly above our heads, seemed to be breaking
and dividing the clouds that passed by them.




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 401


It remained uncertain, however, whether we
were looking upon clouds of varied density and
unequal motion, or upon the solid land; though
the next day, when the weather was fine after
an observation of the sun, we found, as near as
we could calculate, that we had passed within
five miles of the shores which bound the rocky
steeps of the famous Juan Fernandez. About
this time, we saw the first of Mother Carey's
chickens, so common in these latitudes in the
Atlantic.
On the 1st of July, as we came near the land
of the continent, we had a return of the same
thick weather we experienced off the island of
Juan Fernandez. It rained heavily all day, and
at sunset we supposed we were within forty
miles from the shore.  The wind, however,
being from the northward, we kept on our
course under easy sail.  But about an hour
before the break of day, the seamen on the
watch believed they heard the sea falling upon
rocks, which induced us to tack.  After this
we had an increase of wind, and the glass fell
very low, which warned us to prepare for a
storm.
During all the next day we were standing
off to sea, under storm-staysails; but the weather moderating at sunset, enabled us again to
run in for the land. The night was clear; and
the morning presented us with a first view of
D D




402 VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO.


the firm earth; and such a scene, while the day
broke upon the mountains now in sight, as my
imagination, I confess, had never painted-my
conception of what I had read, whether in verse
or prose, never reached. I shall by a mere
enumeration of the natural objects which came
under our view, instead of dwelling upon the
ecstasies we experienced, endeavour to give some
idea of the magnificent spectacle we beheld.
As soon as it was light, the captain, who
had been upon deck ever since the ship tacked,
sent to his French and his English passenger to
inform them that land was in sight; upon which
we arose with the usual eagerness of travellers on
board ship to gladden our eyes once more with;
the welcome view of the firm earth. On our
reaching the deck, the ship was standing to the
northward with a light breeze from the east, in
which direction the land appeared.  A dark
blue uneven line of distant mountains, extending
far north and south, broke the monotony of the
unvarying horizon which the mere ocean at all
times presents, and was rendered the more
apparent by a faint light already seen in the
sky, and forming the background of the picture
just opening to our view.
As we stood observing the gradual increase
of light in the same direction, other mountains
of a slightly darker shade seemed developing
their outlines beneath those which had first




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 403


appeared, as if they formed the base which
supported the vast range beyond them, the
highest Cordillera of the mighty Andes. But
as the moments passed, and the light increased,
the scene began to present quite a different
phase. The entire of the unequal line was now
brilliantly gilded from north to south, while the
lighter and darker shades of the nearer hills
discovered to us the relative distances at which'
we beheld all that our sight embraced. But
there came yet another change, which, indeed,
presented us with a spectacle that entranced our
senses and filled us with emotions such as the
consciousness of the presence of some superior
power might alone excite. As the bright orb that
had thus heralded his near approach was himself seen rising above the most distant mountain
summits, with a direct ray not so bright as to
dazzle the eye of the spectator, while his oblique
beams illumined and turned every object upon
which they fell to colours varying from violet to
that of glittering gold, we seemed to perceive
the hand of Nature directing the movements
of globes newly created, in all the varied relations it was designed they should bear to one
another. The summits of the higher Cordillera,
along their whole extent, hardly yielded in
brightness to the great orb that enlightened
them, plainly indicating that they were capped
D D2




404 VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO.


with their perpetual snows, while the various
modifications of the parent colour shaded all
the mighty succession of mountains upon mountains that the eye compassed.  At the same
time, the full moon, a little less brilliant than
the cold satellite is wont to appear in the complete absence of the sun, hung suspended a few
degrees above the great abyss, in the opposite
quarter of the heavens, completing the picture,
and contrasting the softened shades of the departing night with the gaudy presence of day.
This most magnificent of all the natural
scenes which had ever come under the view
of any one who now beheld it, began to grow
duller and duller as the sun increased his distance from the terrestrial objects which his
beams first gilded, until nothing remained but
the blue outlines of the mountains, now too
equally enlightened to exhibit any peculiarity
in their forms.
The light airs that had prevailed, died away
early in the day; and after a short interval of
calm, a breeze sprung up from the west, which
being dead on shore, enabled us to run in for the
port of Valparaiso, which, by observation of the
sun, we found to lie due west of us.
As we approached the shore at our wonted
spanking rate of sailing, other high lands, which
had been beneath the horizon when the sun rose,




VOYAGE FROM OTAHEITE TO VALPARAISO. 405


seemed rapidly rising out of the ocean, while the
distant mountains appeared gradually sinking
behind these, till they became obscured from our
view. At length, about an hour before dark,
we reached the entrance of the port, when the
breeze drawing out, obliged us to haul our wind
and attempt to beat in. A very little was yet
to be seen of the town, which appeared to be
placed near the centre of a deep amphitheatre of
sterile or not very productive land.
We had scarce a hope of getting into safe
anchorage before the day closed, until a circumstance deemed favourable to our prospects was
observed by the seamen. The aquatic birds,
called cape pigeons, which joined us as we
entered the variables, had followed us all the
voyage, augmenting their number daily, until
they amounted, at the time of our arrival, to
about a hundred; and they had become so
tame as almost to take biscuit from our hands.
But now, as if the land we were about to set our
feet upon were as much an object of dread to
them as of joy to us, they all suddenly took their
departure, flying towards the north; upon which
the whole crew, who had been watching for their
departure, proclaimed this to be the sign of the
termination of their labours, and a full assurance
of our being able to anchor before dark, in which
we were not disappointed. The wind, indeed,




406 VOYAGE FROM O 'P IEITE TO VALPARAISO.
almost immediately a> -in favoured us, and soon
after sunset we shot iii among a fleet of shipping
riding at anchor in the lay; but, as it was against
the rules of the port for any one to land after
that time, we were forced to remain on board
until the morning.




APPENDIX.
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, BOTH OF THE PEOPLE
AND CHIEFS.
GoD hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on
the earth, in unity and blessedness. God has also bestowed
certain rights alike on Jll men and all chiefs, and people of
all lands.
These are some of tie rights which he hath given alike
to every man and ever- chief of correct deportment; life,
limb, liberty, freedom from oppression, the earnings of his
hands and the producticiis of his mind, not however to those
who act in violation of the laws.
God has also established governments, and rule, for the
purposes of peace; but in making laws for the nations, it is
by no means proper to enact laws for the rulers only, without
also providing protection for their subjects; neither is it
proper to enact laws to enrich the chiefs only, without
regard to enriching their subjects also; and hereafter there
shall by no means be any laws which are at variance with
what is above expressed, neither shall any tax be assessed
nor any service or labour required of any man, in a manner
which is at variance with the above sentiments.
PROTECTION FOR THE PEOPLE DECLARED.
The above sentiments are hereby published for the purpose of protecting alike, both the people and the chiefs of




408                  AEPENDIX.
all these islands, while the maintain a correct deportment;
that no chief may be able to oppress any subject, but that
the chiefs and people may enjoy the same protection, under
one and the same law.
Protection is hereby secured to the persons of all the
people, together with their lands, their building-lots, and all
their property, while they conform to the laws of the kingdom, and nothing whatever shall be taken from any individual, except by express provision of the laws. Whatever
chief shall act perseveringly in violation of this Constitution,
shall no longer remain a chief of the Hawaiian islands, and
the same shall be true of the governor, officers, and all land
agents.
But if any one who is deposed should change his course,
and regulate his conduct by law, it shall then be in the
power of the chiefs to reinstate him in the place he occupied
previous to his being deposed.
CONSTITUTION.
It is our design to regulate our kingdom according to
the above principles, and thus seek the greatest prosperity
of all the chiefs and all the people of the Hawaiian islands.
But we are aware that we cannot ourselves alone accomplish
such an object-God must be our aid, for it is His province
alone to give protection and prosperity. Wherefore we first
present our supplication to HIM, that he will guide us to
right measures, and sustain us in our work. It is therefore
our fixed decree,
I. That no law shall be enacted that is at variance with
the word of the Lord Jehovah, or at variance with the
general spirit of His word. All laws of the islands shall
be in consistency with the general spirit of God's law.
II. All men of every religion shall be protected in worshipping Jehovah, and serving Him according to their own
understanding; but no man shall ever be punished for ne



APPENDIX.


409


glect of God, unless he injure his neighbour or bring injury
on the kingdom.
III. The law shall give redress to every man who is
injured by another without a fault of his own, and shall
protect all men while they conduct themselves properly, and
shall punish all men who commit crime against the kingdom,
or against individuals, and no unequal law shall be passed
for the benefit of one to the injury of another.
IV. No man shall be punished unless his crime be first
made manifest; neither shall he be punished unless he be
first brought to trial in the presence of his accusers, and
they have met face to face, and the trial having been conducted according to law and the crime made manifest in
their presence, then punishment may be inflicted.
V. No man or chief shall be permitted to sit as judge or
act on a jury to try his particular friend (or enemy) or one
who is especially connected with him-therefore, if any man
be condemned or acquitted, and it shall be afterwards made
to appear that some one who had tried him acted with
partiality for the purpose of favouring his friend or injuring
his enemy, or for the purpose of enriching himself, then
there shall be a new trial allowed, before those who are
impartial.
EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THE PRESENT
DYNASTY IS FOUNDED.
The origin of the present government and system of
polity is as follows:-KAMEHAMEHA I. was the founder of
the kingdom, and to him belonged all the land from one end
of the islands to the other, though it was not his own pri.
vate property. It belonged to the chiefs and people in
common, to whom Kamehameha I. was the head, and had
the management of the landed property. Wherefore, there
was not formerly, and is not now, any person who could or
can convey away the smallest portion of land, without the




410


APPENDIX.


consent of the one who had, or has, the direction of the
kingdom.
These are the persons who have had the direction of it
from that time down-Kamehameha II., Kamehameha I.,
and, at the present time, Kamehameha III. These persons
have had the direction of the kingdom down to the present
time, and all documents written by them, and no others, are
the documents of the kingdom.
The kingdom is permanently confirmed to Kamehameha
III. and his heirs, and his heir shall be the person whom he
and the chiefs shall appoint, during his lifetime; but should
there be no appointment, then the decision shall rest with
the chiefs and House of Representatives.
PREROGATIVES OF THE KING.
The prerogatives of the king are as follows:-He is
sovereign of all the people and all the chiefs. The kingdom
is his. He shall have the direction of the army and all the
implements of war of the kingdom. He also shall have the
direction of the government property-the poll-tax-the
land-tax-the three days' monthly labour, though in conformity to the laws. He shall also retain his own private
lands, and lands forfeited for the non-payment of taxes shall
revert to him.
IIe shall be the chief judge of the supreme court, and it
shall be his duty to execute the laws of the land, also all
decrees and treaties with other countries; all, however, in
accordance with the laws.
It shall also be his prerogative to form treaties with the
rulers of all other kingdoms; also to receive ministers sent
by other countries, and he shall have power to confirm
agreements with them.
He shall also have power to make war in time of emergency, when the chiefs cannot be assembled; and he shall be
the commander-in-chief. He shall have power to transact




APPENDIX.                   411
all important business of the kingdom which is not by the
law assigned to others.
RESPECTING THE PREMIER OF THE KINGDOM.
It shall be the duty of the king to appoint some chief of
rank and ability to be his particular minister, whose title
shall be Premier of the Kingdom. His office and business
shall be the same as that of Kamehameha I. and Kamehameha II. For even in the time of Kamehameha I. life
and death, condemnation and acquittal, were in the hands of
Kamehameha. When Kamehameha died, his will was, The
kingdom is Liholiho's, and Kaahumanu is his minister!
That important feature of the government, originated by
Kamehameha I. shall be perpetuated in these Hawaiian
Islands, but shall always be in subserviency to the law.
The following are the duties of the premier:-All business connected with the special interests of the kingdom,
which the king wishes to transact, shall be done by the
premier, under authority of the king. All documents and
business of the kingdom executed by the premier shall be
considered as executed by the king's authority. All government property shall be reported to him (or her), and he (or
she) shall make it over to the king.
The premier shall be the king's special councillor in the
great business of the kingdom.
The king shall not act without the knowledge of the
premier, nor shall the premier act without the knowledge of
the king, and the veto of the king on the acts of the premier
shall arrest the business. All important business of the
kingdom which the king chooses to transact in person, he
may do it, but not without the approbation of the premier.
GOVERNORS.
There shall be four governors over these Hawaiian
Islands-one for Hawaii, one for Maui and the islands ad



412          -       APPENDIX.
jacent, one for Oahu, and one for Kauai and the adjacent
islands. All the governors from Hawaii to Kauai shall be
subject to the king.
The prerogatives of the governors and their deputies
shall be as follow.  Each governor shall have the general
direction of the several tax-gatherers of the island, and
shall support.them in the execution of their orders, which
he considers to have been properly given, but shall pursue a
course according to law, and not according to his own private
views. He also shall preside over all the judges of his
island, and shall see their sentences executed as above. He
shall also appoint the judges and give them their certificates
of office.
All the governors from Hawaii to Kauai, shall be subject
not only to the king but also to the premier.
The governor shall be the superior over his particular
island or islands. He shall have charge of the munitions
of war,-under the direction of the king, however, and the
premier. He shall have charge of the forts, the soldiery,
the arms, and all the implements of war. He shall receive
the government dues, and shall deliver over the same to the
premier. All important decisions rest with him in times of
emergency, unless the king or premier be present. He
shall have charge of all the king's business on the island,
the taxation, new improvements to be extended, and plans
for the increase of wealth, and all officers shall be
subject to him. He shall also have power to decide all
questions, and transact all island business which is not by
law assigned to others.
When either of the governors shall decease, then all the
chiefs shall assemble at such place as the king shall appoint,
and shall nominate a successor of the deceased governor, and
whosoever they shall nominate and be approved bythe king,
he shall be the new governor.




APPENDIX.


413


RESPECTING THE SUBORDINATE CHIEFS.
At the present period, these are the persons who shall
sit in the government councils; Kamehameha III, Hoaphiliwahine Kuakini, Kekauonohi, Kahekili, Paki, Konia,
Keohokalole, Leleiohoku, Kekuanaoa, Kealiiahonua, Kanaina, Keonili, Keoni Ana, and Heralilio!  Should any
other person be received into the council, it shall be made
known by law. These persons shall have part in councils
of the kingdom.  No law of the nation shall be passed
without their assent.  They shall act in the following
manner. They shall assemble annually for the purpose of
seeking the welfare of the nation, and establishing laws for
the kingdom. Their meeting shall commence in April, at
such day and place as the king shall appoint.
It shall also be proper for the king to consult with the
above persons, respecting all the great concerns of the
kingdom, in order to promote unanimity and secure the
greatest good.  They shall, moreover, transact such other
business as the king shall commit to them.
That they shall retain their own appropriate lands, whether district or plantations, or whatever divisions they may
be, and they may conduct the business on the said lands at
their discretion, but not at variance with the laws of the
kingdom.
RESPECTING THE REPRESENTATIVE BODY.
There shall be annually chosen, certain persons to sit
in council with the chiefs and established lords of the nation.
They shall be chosen by the people, according to their wish,
from Hawaii, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. The law shall decide
the form of choosing them, and also the number of the chosen. This representative body shall have a voice in the
business of the kingdom. No law shall be passed without
the approbation of the majority of them.




414


APPENDIX.


RESPECTING THE MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BODY.
There shall be an annual meeting as stated above, but if
the chiefs think it desirable to meet again, they may do it
at their discretion.
When they assemble, the chiefs shall meet by themselves,
and the representative body by themselves, though at such
time as they shall think it necessary to consult together, they
may unite at their discretion.
The form of doing business shall be as follows: The
chiefs shall appoint a secretary for themselves, who, at the
meetings shall record all decisions made by them; and that
book of records shall be preserved in order that no decrees
affecting the interests of the kingdom may be lost.
The same shall be done by the representative body.
They too shall choose a secretary for themselves, and when
they meet for the purpose of seeking the interests of the
kingdom, and shall come to a decision on any point, then that
decision shall be recorded in a book, and the book shall be
preserved, in order that nothing valuable affecting the
interest of the kingdom shall be lost; and there shall no new
law be made without the approbation of a majority of the
chiefs, and also a majority of the representative body.
When any act has been agreed upon by them, it shall
then be presented to the king, and if he approve and sign
his name, and also the premier, then it shall become the law
of the kingdom, and that law shall not be repealed unless it
be done by the name of those who established it.
OF CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION.
The Constitution shall not be considered as finally established, until the people have generally heard it, and have
appointed persons according to the provisions herein made,
and they have given their assent, then the constitution shall
be considered as permanently established.
But if hereafter it should be thought desirable to change




APPENDIX.


415


it, notice shall be previously given, that all the people may
understand the nature of the proposed change; and the succeeding year, at the meeting of the chiefs and the representative body, if they shall agree as to the addition proposed, or
as to the alteration, then they may make it.
The above constitution has been agreed to by the chiefs,
and we have hereunto subscribed our names, this eighth
day of October, in the year of our Lord 1840, at Honolulu,
Oahu.
Signed        KAMEHAMEHA III.
KEKAULUOII.
SANDWICI          ISLANDS.
OFFICIAL.
[Copy.]
DECLARATION.
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom     of
Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the King of
the French, taking into consideration the existence in the
Sandwich Islands of a Government capable of providing
for the regularity of its relations with Foreign Nations, have
thought it right to engage, reciprocally, to consider the
Sandwich Islands as an independent state, and never to
take possession, either directly or under the title of Protectorate, or under any other form, of any part of the
territory of which they are composed.
The undersigned, her Britannic Majesty's Principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador
Extraordinary of his Majesty the King of the French, at




416


APPENDIX.


the court of London, being furnished with the necessary
powers, hereby declare, in consequence, that their said
majesties take reciprocally that engagement.
In. witness whereof, the undersigned have signed the
present declaration, and have affixed thereto the seals of
their arms.
Done in duplicate at London, the twenty-eighth day of
November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and forty-three.
(Signed)      ABERDEEN. L.S.
[Copie.]
DECLARATION.
Sa Majeste la Reine du Royaume Uni de la Grande
Bretagne et d'Irlande, et sa Majeste le Roi des Francais,
prenant en consideration l'existence dans les Isles Sandwich
d'un Gouvernement capable de pourvoir a la r6gularite de
leurs rapports avec les nations etrangeres, ont cru devoir
s'engager reciproquement a considerer les Isles Sandwich
comme un ttat incependant, et a ne jamais prendre possession ni directement, ni a titre de Protectoral, ni sous aucune
autre forme, d'aucune partees des territoires dont il se
compose.
Les soussignes, Principal Secretaire d'Etat pour les
Affaires itrangeres de Sa Majeste Britannique, et Ambassadeur Extraordinaire de Sa Majeste le Roi des Francais,
pres la cour de Londres, munis des pourvoirs necessaires,
declarent, en consequence, par les presentes, quo leurs dites
Majestes prenant reciproquement cet engagement.
En foi de quoi, les soussignes, ont signe la presente
declaration, et y fait apposer le scelle de leurs armes.
Fait double a Londres, le vignt-huit Novembre, l'an de
Grace mil huit cent quarente trois.
(Signe)     ST. AULAIRE.




APPENDIX.


417


TREATIES
BETWEEN THE KINGDOMS OF THE
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, FRANCE, AND GREAT BRITAIN.
SIGNED AT HONOLULU, MARCH 26, 1846.
BRITISH   TREATY.
IT being desirable that a general convention should be substituted for the various instruments of mutual agreement
at present existing between Great Britain and the Sandwich
Islands, the following articles have, for that purpose and to
that intent, been mutually agreed upon and signed between
the Governments of Great Britain and the Sandwich Islands;
and it has been determined that any other treaty, or conventional agreement, now existing between the respective parties, shall be henceforward abrogated and considered null
and of no effect.
ARTICLE I.
There shall be perpetual peace and amity between Her
Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, and the King of the Sandwich Islands, their
heirs and successors.
ARTICLE II.
The subjects of Her Britannic Majesty residing within
the dominions of the King of the Sandwich Islands, shall
enjoy the same protection in regard to their civil rights as
well as to their persons and properties, as native subjects;
and the King of the Sandwich Islands engages to grant to
E E




418


APPENDIX.


British subjects the same rights and privileges which now
are, or hereafter may be, granted to or enjoyed by any other
foreigners, subjects of the most favoured nation.
ARTICLE III.
No British subject accused of any crime whatever shall
be judged otherwise than by a jury composed of native or
foreign residents, proposed by the British Consul and accepted by the Government of the Sandwich Islands.
ARTICLE IV.
The protection of the King of the Sandwich Islands shall
be extended to all British vessels, their officers and crews.
In case of shipwreck, the chiefs and inhabitants of the different parts of the Sandwich Islands shall succour them and
secure them from plunder. The salvage dues shall be regulated, in case of dispute, by arbitrators chosen by both
parties.
ARTICLE V.
The desertion of seamen embarked on board of British
vessels shall be severely repressed by the local authorities;
who shall employ all the means at their disposal to arrest
deserters; and all reasonable expenses of capture shall be
defrayed by the captains or owners of the said vessels.
ARTICLE VI.
British merchandise or goods recognised as coming from
the British dominions, shall not be prohibited, nor shall they
be subject to an import duty higher than five per cent ad
valorem. Wines, brandies, and other spirituous liquors, are
however excepted from this stipulation, and shall be liable
to such reasonable duty as the Hawaiian Government may
think fit to lay upon them, provided always that the amount




APPENDIX.


419


of duty shall not be so high as absolutely to prohibit the
importation of the said articles.
ARTICLE VII..
No tonnage, import or other duties, shall be levied on
British vessels, or goods imported in British vessels, beyond
what are levied on vessels or goods of the most favoured
nation.
ARTICLE VIII.
The subjects of the King of the Sandwich Islands shall,
in their commercial or other relations with Great Britain,
be treated on the footing of the most favoured nation.
Done at Honolulu the 26th of March, 1846.
WM. MILLER.                  R. C. WYLLIE,
H. B. M.'s Consul-General for the  His Hawaiian Majesty's Minister
Islands in the Pacific Ocean.   of Foreign Relations.
[L.S.]                       [L.S.]
IOANE II.
Member of the Treasury Board.
[L.S.]
FRENCH    TREATY.
Le temps ayant demontre la convenance de substituer un
traite general aux diverses conventions mutuellement consenties jusqu'ici par la France et les Iles Sandwich, les
Gouvernements Fransais et Havaien sont reciproquement
convenus des articles suivants, et les ont signes apres avoir
reconnu et arrete que tout autre traite ou convention, actuellement existant entre les parties contractantes, serait
desormais considere comme nul et de nul effet.
EE 2




420                   APPENDIX.
ARTICLE I.
II y aura paix et amitie perpetuelles entre S. M. le Roi
des Fran9ais et le Roi des lies Sandwich, entre leurs heritiers et successeurs.
ARTICLE II.
Les sujets de S. M. le Roi des FranCais demeurant dans
les possessions du Roi des Iles Sandwich, jouiront, quant aux
droit civils, et pour ce qui regarde leurs personnes et leurs
propriet6s, de la meme protection que s'ils etaient sujets
indigenes, et le Roi des Iles Sandwich s'engage a leur accorder les memes droits et privileges, que ceux accordes
maintenant, ou qui pourront etre accordes plus tard aux
sujets de la nation la plus favorisee.
ARTICLE III.
Aucun Francais accuse d'un crime ou delit quelconque,
ne pourra etre juge que par un jure compose de residens
indigenes, ou etrangers proposes par le Consul de France, et
agrees par le Gouvernement des Iles Sandwich.
ARTICLE IV.
Le Roi des Iles Sandwich etendra sa protection sur les
navires Frangais, leurs officiers et equipages: en cas de
naufrage les chef et habitans des differentes parties des Isles
Sandwich devront leur porter secours et les garantir de tout
pillage.
Les indemnites de sauvetage seront reglees, en cas de
difficulte, par des arbitres nommes par les deux parties.
ARTICLE V.
La desertion des marins embarques a bord des navires
Fran9ais sera s6verement reprime par les autorites locales,




APPENDIX.


421


qui devront user de tous les moyens a leur disposition pour
arreter les deserteurs.  Toute depense faite dans de juste
limites pour s'emparer d'eux sera remboursee par les capitaines ou proprietaires des dits navires.
ARTICLE VI.
Les marchandises Francaises ou reconnues comme venant
des possessions Francaises, ne pourront etre prohibees ou
soumises a un droit d'entree plus eleve qui celui de 5 per
cent ad valorem. Les vins, eaux de vie, et autres liqueurs
spiritueuses, sont except6s, et pourront etre soumis a tout
droit equitable, dont le Gouvernement des Iles Sandwich
jugera convenable de les frapper, mais a condition que ce
droit ne sera jamais assez eleve pour devenir un empechement absolu a l'importation des dits articles.
ARTICLE VII.
Les droits de tonnage ou d'importation, ou tout autre
droit leve sur des navires Francais, ou sur des marchandises
importees par des navires Francais, ne devront point exceder
les droits imposes aux navires, ou aux marchandises de la
nation la plus favorisee.
ARTICLE VIII.
Les sujets du Roi des Iles Sandwich seront traites sur
le pied de la nation la plus favorisee, dans leurs relations
commerciales ou autres avec la France.
Fait a Honolulu, le 26 Mars, 1846.
EM. PERRIN,                  R. C. WYLLIE,
Consul de France, Charge d'une  His Hawaiian Majesty's MinisMission Speciale aux lies Sand-  ter of Foreign Relations.
wich.                                   [L.S.]
[L.S.]
IOANE II.
Member of the Treasury Board.
[L.S.]




422


APPENDIX.


TAXATION IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
SCHEDULE, IN DOLLARS AND CENTS, POLITELY COMMUNICATED
BY MR. JUDD, MINISTER OF FINANCE.


POLL TAX.
Every able-bodied Hawaiian adult male -
Every able-bodied Hawaiian adult female
Every male aged from 15 to 20 years
Every female aged from 15 to 20 years -


- 100
50
50
25


SCHOOL TAX.
(Called also Paahao Poalua and Labour Tax.)
Every able-bodied man, a tenant of land, is liable
to be called out during 13 weeks, 3 days in the
week (every year)    -      -      -   Days
During 13 weeks, one day per week     -
Days


39
13
52


Every able-bodied man, not a tenant, is liable to work
on this tax 26 weeks, 3 days in the week - Days  84


This tax may be commuted for 1 Rial per diem, or $2
paid in advance in cash or $3 in produce. The avails are
all devoted to education.
Both classes are liable to a Road Tax of 12 days in the
year, or to pay $1*50.




APPENDIX.                   423
Tenants are required by law at present to labour for
their Landlords 13 weeks, 3 days in the week
Days    39
and 13 weeks, 1 day in the week                 13
52
This is a private right of the Landlord, and there is no
legal commutation except the Rial per day. Many take $2650
or 3 00 per annum.
From this it appears, that the tax for Government in
labour, is, for Schools (per annum) -    Days   84
for Roads (per annum)   -      Days    12
96
Reckoned at 1 Rial per day is $12
In Cash it is for Government.
Poll Tax-     -    -    -  $1x00
School Tax    -    -    -   2-00
Road Tax      -    -    -   1-50
4-50
The commutation for the School Tax is of recent origin,
and the number of days' labour was not reduced, in order to
induce people to commute.
Horses    -     -    -    per annum     50 cts.
Mules and Asses    -     -    -    -    25
Dogs and Cats      -     -      -      100
No other direct taxes are collected from the natives.
The labour tax will soon be abolished.
G. P. J.




424                 APPENDIX.
DEPOSITION.
MUTINY AND HORRIBLE MASSACRE AT SEA.
"Schooner Amelia. Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1848.-About
four bells in the middle watch, a tremendous noise on deck
-yelling and hallooing-starboard watch on deck. The
second mate, Kitano, had gone forward at the time, in consequence of the swinging-boom guy having given way. He
was immediately fallen upon by three men, Josse Torris,
Andrew Baldibego, and Josh Calero, and left dying upon the
deck. Captain Alva hearing the noise, came on deck, and
asked what was the occasion of the noise. The ringleader,
Torris, told him, Nothing, only a bad wind. Mr. Cook,
passenger, came up after the captain. As the latter was retreating aft, he was attacked by the three men and stabbed in
several places. He, however, managed to get down into the
cabin, and in reaching for a cutlass endeavoured to make
Mr. McNally, who had just turned out on hearing the noise,
comprehend what was going on. He then, with the cutlass
in hand, gained the top of the companion, but was stabbed
mortally by two men, one on each side; he fell back and
staggered into the cabin, and expired. Mr. Cook, seeing
the captain running aft, pursued by the murderers, endeavoured to get down into the cabin, but was stabbed through
the back, left a little while on deck, and afterwards thrown
overboard. The murderers then went forward, called the
larboard watch, and showing their bloody knives, told them
they had murdered all aft except Mr. McNally, English
master, Mrs. Cook, and her servant Mary Hudson: and that
they were in command of the vessel, and if one of them refused




APPENDIX.


425


to obey their orders, they would murder him immediately.
They then threw the body of the second mate overboard,
and commanded the ship to be put about and steered for the
coast of Peru. The remainder of the crew had no arms to
defend themselves, and if the least hesitation was shown, the
knife was at their throats. They then went down into the
hold and brought up large stones and pieces of lead, which
were laid on the deck for the purpose of killing Mr. McNally.
About 8 A.M. they spoke (by the carpenter) to Mr. McNally,
assuring him that if he had laid down his arms and submitted quietly, they would not take his life. He would not
consent to that, but told them that if they would allow him
with the females to be put, with what things he required,
into the gig and sent adrift, he would not trouble them at
all, but would show them what course to take for the place
they wanted to go. The three then spoke together, and
answered that what he required should be done. They then
passed the necessaries they wished to take with him on deck,
and one of them went down and got the course for Malabeigo
from him. Trusting to their faith he went on deck unarmed.
They had put the ship about and given pretended orders for
lowering the boat, but seeing it was not done, he went to the
cabin skylight and told the females not to come up then as
the boat was not ready. He was stepping from the skylight
to the side of the vessel, when he was seized upon and
thrown overboard. The murderers then filled upon the vessel,
and ordered all sail to be made. They then went down into
the cabin, took all the gold they could find and brought it on
deck, making every one in the vessel take his share. They
then dressed themselves in the clothes belonging to the
murdered, destroyed all papers they thought offensive, with
many valuables which were thrown overboard. The captain's body was tied up and with heavy weights sunk. They
were shifting clothes four or five times a-day, and parading
the decks. They commanded the jib-topsail to be cut away,
fitted new swinging-boom gear and main guys.




426                 APPENDIX.
"Wednesday, 4th. John Smith, born in Rotterdam, Holland; William Christiansan, Norway; Frank Feering, St. Michael's, Western Islands; John Burringer, Bordeaux, France;
Jose Calero, Bilboa, Spain; proposed a plan to take the lives of
the murderers that night, and which was communicated tothe
rest of the crew, four excepted.  The carpenter's axe, maul,
pump-breaks, boarding-pikes, were to be ready for the purpose. At 4 o'clock p.m., the three murderers brought up a
quantity of wine which was offered to the men, in order to
make them drunk. This being done, Andrias Baldibego
went down into the hold, cut open one of the bags of silver,
and brought up some, which he threw about the deck; they
then commenced playing together for gold.  Afterwards,
they got a muster of fire-arms together, trying which was
the best, and loaded them with heavy charges. One of them,
from the foot of the companion-way, discharged a loaded
pistol at the man at the wheel (John Smith), without effect.
'They then put the arms away for that time, but told the
females they should have occasion for them in the morning.
They then came on deck, (half past nine p.m.), Jose Calero
having the first watch, and who was to call the other two at
twelve o'clock. At ten o'clock John Smith was relieved
from the wheel and went to the lee-side of the long board,
and asked the carpenter if the implements were ready. The
carpenter replied, Yes, all ready, but the axe was below.
John Smith then went below in the steerage, and brought it
up and told the boys, Charles and Thomas, to have the
boarding-pikes ready, and should he want the cutlasses to
run down in the cabins and hand them up. Jose Calero,
who had the watch, then being drunk, struck eight bells at
11 o'clock. He then called out to heave the log. Smith
immediately seized the axe, and running aft, dispatched at
once the sleeping men (Jose Torris and Andrias Baldibego)
when they lay on the deck, whilst Peter, who went to hold
the reel, dropped it, and fell upon Jos6 Calero, trying to get
him overboard; but being unable to manage him, John




APPENDIX.


427


Smith jumped to the lee side and struck off his right arm
with the axe. John then called out for the boys to get the
cutlasses, in the event of meeting with any opposition in the
four men whom he could not confide in, but they received
no opposition.  The bodies of the three men were then
thrown overboard. John Smith then took command, the
rest of the crew being all agreeable to the same. He then
went down in the cabin, assured the females of their safety,
and consulted with Mrs. Cook as to what would be the best
plan to pursue in order to restore the vessel and cargo to
their rightful owners. The money was all brought aft, and
it was distributed, and placed in the cabin. It was thought
best to return to Mazatlan; and accordingly, we steered the
nearest course to that place. There was a heavy sea on,
with frequent squalls. We took in flying jib, fore-topmast
stay-sail, and gaft top-sail.' The jib had blown to pieces,
being in a bad state of repair. Between six and eight o'clock
p.m. the fore top-sail sheet went three times, and the running
once. The bowsprit was sprung in two places, and in consequence of the violent working of the vessel was expected to
go.  The top-gallant-mast had been badly sprung since
leaving Mazatlan, and was totally unfit to carry any sail.
John Smith then went down in the cabin, acquainting Mrs.
Cook with the state of the vessel and aspect of the weather.
He thought it best to steer for the nearest land he could
make, and which she thought was the best thing that could
be done.
" John then called Thomas and Charles down in the cabin,
acquainting them with his purpose, and as they were the
only persons that knew anything of navigation, although their
knowledge was imperfect, he told them to find the course for
the Sandwich Islands. He then went on deck and asked
the crew if they were contented to take the vessel to Oahu;
ready assent was given. Accordingly, at eight o'clock,
October 5, the vessel was put before the wind, steering W.
by N. half N. for the south port of Hawaii."




428


APPENDIX.


The following is a note of Captain McNally, referred to
in the above report.
" Half-past four a.m. Captain Alva lying stabbed in the
heart, in the cabin; the mutineers have got a muster and
are determined on my death. It will soon be day-light, and
then the scoundrels will see their way. At present they
are afraid of my pistols. I will sell my life dearly. Unto
the Almighty I commend my spirit.
" ROBERT L. MCNALLY."
THE END.


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SKETCHES BY BOZ...           36
CHRISTMAS BOOKS.3                         6
AMERICAN NOTES..                     2  6




PUBLISHED BY CHAPMAN AND HALL.


WORKS BY THOMAS CARLYLE.
OLIVER CROMWELL'S LETTERS AND SPEECHES.
With Elucidations and Connecting Narrative.
Third Edition. In Four Volumes. Post 8vo, 2. 2s.
CRITICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS.
Third Edition. Four Volumes. Post 8vo 21. 2s.
FRENCH REVOLUTION: A HISTORY.
Third Edition. Three Volumes. Poet 8vo. 1I. 11s. 6d.
LIFE     OF JOHN         STERLING.
Second Edition. Post 8vo, 10s. 6d.
SARTOR RESARTUS;
OR, THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF HERR TEUFELSDROKII.
Third Edition. Post 8vo, 10s. Gd.
LATTER-DAY PAMPHLETS.
Post 8vo, 9s.
PAST AND PRESENT.
Second Edition. Post 8vo, 10s. 6d.
LECTURES ON HEROES AND HERO-WORSHIP.
Fourth Edition. Small 8vo, 9s.
LIFE OF SCHILLER.
New Edition, with a Portrait. Small 8vo, 8s. Gd.




LIST OF BOOKS


THE    SABBATH; Or, an Inquiry into the Supposed Obligation of the
Sabbath of the Old Testament. Vol. II. By Sir W. DOMLVILLE, Bart. 8vo, 9s.
Also, by the same Author,
THE    SABBATH; Or, an Examination of the Six Texts commonly
adduced from the New Testament in proof of a Christian Sabbath; with a Supplement.
Vol. I. 8vo, 9s.
And
THE    MOSAIC       SABBATH; A Pamphlet showing the Fourth Commandment to be not obligatory on Christians: it forms the first Chapter of the Volume
of the Sabbaths of the Old Testament. 8vo, 6d.
THE DIVINE DRAMA OF HISTORY AND
CIVILISATION.
BY THE REV. JAMES SMITH, M.A.
One Volume, 8vo, 12s.
WORKS BY BAYLE ST. JOHN.
THE LOUVRE;
OR,
BIOGIRAPHY   OF A MUSEUM.
Post 8vo, 10s. 6d.
PURPLE TINTS OF PARIS:
CHARACTER AND MANNERS IN THE NEW EMPIRE.
Second Edition, post 8vo, 12s.
THE TURKS IN EUROPE:
A SKETCH OF MANNERS AND POLITICS IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE.
Post 8vo, 7s. 6d.
TRAVELS OF AN ARAB MERCHANT IN SOUDAN:
THE BLACK KINGDOMS OF CENTRAL AFRICA.
ABRIDGED FROM TIHE FRENCH.
Post 8vo, es.




PUBLISHED BY CHAPMAN AND HALL.


11


WORKS BY CHARLES LEVER.
NEW WORK BY THE AUTHOR OF "HARRY LORREQUER."
Early in June will be published in One Volume, 8vo, with 40 lllustratiols,
price One Guinea.
THE MARTINS OF CRO' MARTIN.
BY CHARLES LEVER.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 1I. K. BROWNE.
"We are always glad to welcome a new serial from the pen of Mr. Lever. Although
perhaps others may surpass him in knowledge of character and in depth or fantastic
discursiveness of humour, he may fairly dare comparison with any for the delightful qualities
of easy and picturesque narration, light and elegant satire, inexhaustible ' fun,' and effective
and vivid representation of the foibles and oddities of mankind, and particularly of his own
countrymen. It is no wonder that a writer who combines powers such as his with the
fresh, healthy, and chivalrous feeling which breathes through every one of his works, should
have always found eager readers for each of the long series of publications which, commencing with ' Harry Lorrequer,' has now reached the 'Martins of Cro' Martin.' "-,Morning Chronicle.
THE DODD FAMILY ABROAD.
BY CHARLES LEVER.
WITH FORTY ILLUSTRATIONS BY PHIz. Demy 8vo, 21s.


CHI


CHEAP EDITION.
IN DEMY OCTAVO, ILLUSTRATED BY PHIZ.
HARRY LORREQUER.
1 Vol., with 22 Illustrations, 7s.
ARLES O'MALLEY, THE IRISH DRAGO(
2 Vols., with 44 Illustrations, 14s.
JACK HINTON, THE GUARDSMAN.
1 Vol., with 26 Illustrations, 7s.
TOM BURKE OF "OURS."
2 Vols., with 44 Illustrations, 14s.
THE O'DONOGHUE:
A TALE OF IRELAND FIFTY YEARS AGO.
1 Vol., with 26 Illustrations, 7s.
THE KNIGHT OF GWYNNE.
2 Vols., with 40 Illustrations, 14s.
ROLAND CASHEL.
2 Vols., with 40 Illustrations, 14s.
THE    DALTONS; or, THREE ROADS IN LIFE.
2 Vols., with 48 Illustrations, 14s.


3N.




12


LIST OF BOOKS


CHAPMAN AND HALL'S JUVENILE BOOKS.
THE KING OF THE ROOT VALLEY AND HIS
CURIOUS DAUGHTER. A Fairy Tale. By R. REINICK. In 4to, with Eight
Coloured Illustrations. 4s. 6d.
BOOK OF STORIES FROM THE HOME TREASURY,
including the Fairy Tales and Ballads, 30 coloured illustrations, small 4to, cloth, gilt
back and edges. 6s.
THE SUNDAY PICTURE BOOK, with numerous Engravings,
square, cloth. 4s.
SHOES       OF   FORTUNE, &c. By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, with
Illustrations, small 8vo, cloth. 3s. 6&.
CHILDHOOD'S            HOURS.        By MRS. BARWELL. Small 8vo, cloth. 3s.
ROYAL       NURSERY          A.. B.C. BOOK, with 500 Engravings,
crown 8vo. Is.
MY    OWN      TREASURY; an Illustrated Gift-Book for Boys and Girls.
With 200 Engravings. Small 8vo, red cloth gilt back and edges. 5s.
FAIRY TALES FROM ALL NATIONS. By A. I. MosTALBA. With Twenty-Four Illustrations by I. DOYLE. Small 8vo, cloth. 5s.
GAMMER GURTON'S OLD STORY BOOKS OF
ENGLAND. Edited by AMBRosE MEnroN. New edition, with Coloured Illustrations.
Small 4to, cloth, gilt back and edges. 5s.
PICTURE BOOK FOR A NOAH'S ARK. Square cloth.
2s. 6d.
NOVEL ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB THE
GREAT, showing how he visited the Insect World, and learned much wisdom.
By Mns. BARWELL. New Edition, 16mo. Eight Illustrations. 2s. 6d.
HEROIC TALES OF ANCIENT GREECE. Edited,
with Notes, by FELIX SUI.TERLY. Coloured pictures. Small 4to, cloth. 2s. 6d.
TRADITIONAL FAIRY TALES: Red Riding-Hood, Beauty
and the Beast, and Jack and the Beanstalk. With Coloured Pictures. 2s. 6d.
POPULAR         FAIRY       TALES:        Jack the Giant-Killer, Cinderella,
and The Sleeping Beauty. With Coloured Pictures. 2s. 6d.
FAVOURITE           FAIRY       TALES:       Whittington and his Cat, The
Sisters Golden Locks, Grumble and Cheery, and The Eagle's Verdict. With Coloured
Pictures. 2. 6d.
TRADITIONAL NURSERY SONGS OF ENGLAND.
Coloured Pictures. Square. 2s. 6d.




PUBLISHED BY CHAPMAN AND HALL.


13


OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE.
For the Use of the Junior Classes in Colleges and the Iigher Classes in Schools.
BY GEOPGE L. CRAIK,
Professor of History and of English Literature in Queen's College, Belfast.
Second Edition, with numerous Additions. Small 8vo, 3s. Gd.
LANGUAGE AS A MEANS OF MENTAL CULTURE
AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION;
OR MANUAL OF THE TEACHER AND THE LEARNER OF LANGUAGES.
BY C. MARCEL, KNT., L.H.,
French Consul at -  2 Vols., Crown 8vo, 16s.
--— 4 --- —
GOVERNIENT SUCCESSION DUTY TABLES,
For the Use of Solicitors and others concerned in the payment of the NEW DUTIES
now levied on Successions.
COMrPUTED BY ALEXANDER GLEN FINLAISON,
Actuary of the National Debt and Calculator of the Tables of thle Values of Life Interests
Scheduled with the present Act.
Price 5s.
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ART.
Treating of Beauty of Form, Imitation, Composition, Light and Shade, Effect and Colour.
BY J. D. HARDING,
Author of " Elementary Art," &c.
With numerous Illustrations, drawn and Engraved by the Author.
Imperial 4to, cloth, 42s. Proofs on India paper, 52s.
COSTUME IN ENGLAND:
A IISTORY OF DRESS, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD UNTIL TIlE CLOSE
OF THEI EIGC TEENTH CENTURY.
With a Glossary of Terms for all Articles of Use or Ornament worn about the Person.
BY F. W. FAIRHOLT, F.S.A.
With upwards of 600 Engravings, drawn on Wood by the Author.
One thick Volume, Svo, 21s.
THE RIFLE MUSKET.
-A 1RACTICAL TREATISE ON THE ENFIELD-PRITCTIETT R.IFLE, RECENTLY
ADOPTED IN TIlE BIRITISII SERVICE.
BY CAPTAIN JERVIS-WHIITE JERI:VIS, ROYAL ARTILLERY,
Author of tlme I Manual of Field Operations,".and " l istry of Corfil."
Post Svo, 5.s.




; LIST OF BOOKS


LEAVES FROM
THE DIARY OF AN OFFICER OF THE GUARDS,
DURING TIlE PENINSULAR WAR.
Fcap. 5s.
NARRATIVE OF A MISSION TO CENTRAL AFRICA.
PERFORMED IN THE YEARS 1850-1,
UNDER THE ORDERS AND AT THE EXPENSE OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT.
BY   THE LATE JAMES RICHARDSON.
Two Vols. Post8vo. 21s.
WAYFARING SKETCHES AMONG THE GREEKS
AND TURKS,
AND ON THE SHORES OF THE DANUBE.
BY A SEVEN YEARS' RESIDENT IN GREECE.
Second Edition. 1 vol. Post 8vo. 9s.
THE
HUMAN BODY AND ITS CONNEXION WITH MAN.
ILLUSTRATED       BY   THE   PRINCIPAL      ORGANS.
BY JAMES JOHN GARTH WILKINSON.
Post Svo. 14s.
THE PASSIONS OF ANIMALS.
BY EDWARD P. THOMPSON,
Author of " Note-Book of a Naturalist," &c. Post 8vo. 10s. 6d.
THE ORCHID-GROWER'S MANUAL.
Containing a Brief Description of upwards of Two Hundred and Sixty Orchidaceous Plants,
together with Notices of their Times of Flowering, and most approved Modes of Treatment.
Also Plain and Practical Instructions relating to the general Culture of Orchids; and
Remarks on the Heat, Moisture, Soil, and Seasons of Growth and Rest, best suited to the
several Species.
BY BENJAMIN SAMUEL WILLIAMS,
Author of "l ints on the Cultivation of Ferns," Gardener to CHARLES B. WANEEn, Esq..
Hoddesdon, Herts.
With a Coloured Frontispiece of " Sophronites Grandiflora," by J. ANDREWS.
8vo. 5s.
HINTS ON THE CULTIVATION OF
BRITISH AND EXOTIC FERNS AND LYCOPODIU3IS
WITH DESORIPTIONS OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
BY   BENJAMIN     SAMIUEL WILLIAMS,
Author of "The Orchid Grower's Manual." 8vo. cloth. 3s. 6d.




PUBLISHED BY CHAPMAN AND HALL.                   15
CHAPMAN AND HALL'S
SELECT LIBRARY OF FICTION.
PRICE TWO SHILLINGS EACH NOVEL
M11ELINCOURT.          By the Author of "Headlong Hall."
ALTON       LOCKE, TAILOR AND POET.           By the Rev. CHARLES
KINGSLEY. With a new Preface, addressed to the Working Men of Great Britain.
LIZZIE        LEIGH; AND      OTHER    TALES.    By the Author of
" Mary Barton."
C RANFORD.         By the Author of " Mary Barton."
RUTH.       A  NOVEL.    By the Author of "Mary Barton."
MARY       BARTON: A TALE OF MANCHESTER LIFE.
THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY. A NOVEL.
OLIVE.      A   NOVEL.    By the Author of " The Head of the Family."
ITHE    OGILVIES.       A  NOVEL.    By the Author of "the Head of
the Family."
THE      WHITEBOY.         A STORY OF IRELAND IN 1822. By Mrs. S.
C. IHALL.
THE FALCON            FAMILY; or, YOUNG IRELAND: A
SATIRICAL NOVEL. By M. W. SAVAGE.
THE BACHELOR OF THE ALBANY. By M. W. SAVAGE.
MY    UNCLE      THE    CURATE. A NOVEL. By A. W. SAVAGE.
THE     HALF      SISTERS.      A  TALE.    By Miss JEWSBURY.
THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE. By NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
*** Other Popular Novels will be issued in this Seres.
NOTICES OF THE PRESS.
"The Fictions published by this Firm in their ' Select Library,' have all been of
n high character."-Press.
"Who would be satisfied with the much-thumbed 'Library Book,' when he can procure,
in one handsome volume, a celebrated Work of Fiction now offered by Messrs. Chapman and
Hall at the low price of Two Shillings." —Britannia.
"Capital Novels, well worth the price asked for them:'-Guardian.




16 iLIST OF BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CHAMAN AND HALL.


|twihs         faor   t   Itse nf $r muis,
ISSUED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART,
MARLBOROUGH HOUSE.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF STYLES;
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF TIHE HISTORY OF ORNAMENTAL
ART.
BY RALPH N. WORNUM.
In royal 8vo, with very many Illustrations.  [Nearly ready.
PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE.
THE SUBSTANCE OF THE COURSE OF LECTURES ON LINEAR PERSPECTIVE,
Delivered at, and forming a part of the Course of Instruction in the Training School,
Marlborough House, and in the Schools of Art in connection with the Department
of Science and Art.
BY R. BURCHETT,
Head Master of the Training ard Normal School.
Post 8vo, with Illustrations. 7s.  [Thisay.
DYCE'S   ELEMENTARY       OUTLINES OF       ORNAMENT.
50 Selected Plates, small folio, sewed, price 5s.
TEXT TO DYCE'S DRAWING BOOK. Fcap. 8vo, price 6d.
BURCHETT'S      DEFINITIONS     OF   GEOMETRY.       24mo,
sewed, price 5d.
BURCHETT'S PRACTICAL GEOMETRY. Svo, cloth, price 5s.
REDGRAVE'S MANUAL AND CATECHISM oN COLOUR.
24mo, sewed, price 9d.
IEDGRAYE      ON   THE   NECESSITY     OF   PRINCIPLES
IN TEACHING DESIGN. Fcap, sewed, price 6d.
A SMALL DIAGRAM1:       OF COLOUR. Small folio, price 9d.
PRINCIPLES OF DECORATIVE ART. Folio, sewed, price Is.
LINDLEY'S SYMMlETRY OF VEGETATION.               Svo, seweJl,
price Is.
ROBINSON'S LECTURES ON THE MIUSEUM              Fp.. sewed.
price 6d.
AN ALPLHABET OF COLOUR. Reduced from the works of Field
H-ay, Chevreuil. 4to, sewed, price 3s.
DIRECTIONS      FOR    INTRODUCING        ELEMENTA RI
DRAWING( IN SCHOOLS AND AMONG WORKMIlEN. Published at the reqe'
of the Society. of Arts. Small 4to, cloth, price 4s. 6d.
rRAllr'R   AND: VAN. r, RNS,   WleNrTSRS,   V rIt I'R'1.




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