STEWART
A VISIT
TO THE
SOUTH SEAS
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-I


A VISIT
TO
THE SOUTH SEAS,


IN THE U. S. SHIP VINCENNES, DURING THE YEARS
1829 AND 1830;
WITH
SCENE S
IN


BRAZIL, PERU, MANILLA, THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,
AND ST. HELENA.
BY C. S. STEWART, A.M.,
2hapiii inl tile IJUited States Navy, and author of "A  Residence in the Sandwich  Isla.ds in 1S23 and 1825. '
A principal fruit of these circuits of the globe seems likly to
be the amusement of those that stay at home."
COWPER'S CORRESPONDENCE.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOLUME II.
NEW YORK:
JOHN P. HAVEN, 142 NASSAU STREET.
Sleight & Robinson, Printers.
1831.




': Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1831, by J. P. Haven.
in the office of the Clerk of the Southern District of New-York."




sY-,/-,~/
V, 2..
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.
LETTER                                         PAGE
THE GEORGIAN AND SOCIETY ISLANDS.
I. Arrival at Tahiti......    7
II. Harbor of Papeete........              15
III. A Tahitian sabbath.......               23
IV. Visit to Eimeo, and arrival at the Society
Islands......           27
V. Interview with king Tamatoa, and a sabbath at Raiatea...                   35
VI. Audience with the Queen of Tahiti, and
visit of the chiefs on board ship..  41
VII. Letter of queen Pomare I. to the President  48
VII. Departure for the Sandwich Islands..   52
SANDWICH ISLANIDS.
I. Arrival at the island ofJI aii....       61
II. Visit on shore and description ofthe scenery  64
III. A worshiping assembly at Hido..         70
IV. Journey to the volcano of Kirauea, and
accou    f its present state..      78
V. Cascade of the Rainbow.....              100
VI. The hereditary and last priestess of Pele  105
VII. First interview with the missionaries at
Oahu.............   112
VIII. Reception of Captain Finch and party by
the king and regent....        118
IX. A morning visit to the principal chiefs.  132
X. Evening drive, and visit to the valley of
Manoa..........   141
XI. Edict of the king in answer to a memorial of the British residents....    146
XII. Visit to Lahaina in Maui.....          156
XIII. Call of Captain Finch on the princess,
and entertainment of the chiefs on
board ship.........                168
XIV. General examination of the schools ofOahu  174




IV


CONTENTS.


LETTER                                          PAGE
XV. An evening, religious meeting, and sabbath
scenes.......     184
XVI. Detraction and calumny of foreign residents...........    192
XVII. Government debt, and state of commerce    211
XVIII. A ride to the cottage of Governor Boki,
and evening entertainment by the king  220
XIX. Second visit to Lahaina......           230
XX. Three days at Kearakekua Bay....       235
XXI. Private letter of Captain Finch to the king  247
XXII. Joint letter of the missionaries to Captain
Finch......                         254
XXIII. Departure from Oahu, and letter of the king
to the president of the United States  263
XXIV. Retrospective view   of the visit at the
Sandwich Islands, by Captain Finch   266
PASSAGE TO CANTON AND MANILLA.
I. Incidents on board ship......          283
II. Arrival in the Chinese Set.....         287
III. Casualties off the coast of China..    290
IV. Visit at Macao and Canton,...          294
MANILLA.
I. Description of the bay and city of Manilla  299
II. Evening scenes at a Catholic festival, and
call upon a native family..      304
III. Excursion to the village and lake of Pasig  309
IV. The Campo Santo or Pantheon, the public
burial place.........     316
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND ST. HELENA.
I. Description of Cape Town.....           323
II. Ride to Constantia, and an evening at
Protea, the cottage of Sir Lowry Cole  327
III. Arrival at St. Helena, and interview with
the governor, the Honorable Brigadier
General Dallas.......             334
IV. The tomb of Napoleon, Longwood, and
Plantation House......           339




THE GEORGIAN AND SOCIETY ISLANDS.
VOL. II,     2








THE GEORGIAN AND SOCIETY ISLANDS.


LETTER I.
ARRIVAL AT TAHITI.
'Matavai Bay at Tahiti,
August 17, 1829.  i
A CLUSTER of low islands and coral reefs lies
about midway, in a direct line, between the Washington and Georgian groups, rendering the navigation at that point somewhat intricate and dangerous.
From a supposition, that we might be obliged to lie
to at night, when in that vicinity, we did not expect
to accomplish the passage from Nukuhiva to Tahiti,
-a distance of seven hundred miles-in much less
time than a week.
In this, however, we were favorably disappointed.
The trade wind proved unusually fine; and having
made the first of the low islands early on the 14th
instant-the second day from  Taiohae-we succeeded in running by the whole chain the same evening, and, with an open sea before us, hastened on
our course with unchecked speed.
Five of the low islands-the Tikoas, the Palliser,
and Elizabath island-were passed by us within two
or three miles of their shores. Elevated a few feet
only above the water, scarce in sight at a distance of
six and eight miles, and but scantily tufted with
groves of the cocoanut and pandanus, theypresent
a strong contrast to the loftiness and magnificent




S


THE LOW ISLANDS.


scenery of the groups between which they lie.
Though small-some fifteen or twenty miles only
in circumference-they are inhabited: but the subsistence they afford is scanty and miserable, consisting almost exclusively, besides fish from the sea, of
cocoanuts and the berry of the pandanus.
Happily for the race dwelling upon them, though
reduced in their outward circumstances almost to the
condition of the brute, the rich blessing of the gospel has reached their desolate shores. Through the
influence of native missionaries from Tahiti, they
have, within a few years, forsaken their idols and embraced the religion of the cross-have learned to
read-possess the scriptures in the Tahitian version
-and daily pay their vows to God by hymns and
prayer, in neat and humble chapels of their own
workmanship.
On Saturday, the 15th instant, at twelve o'clock,
we descried Matea, or the Island of Osnaburghhaving run some distance from our course to make
it. Perceiving it to be only a lofty, volcanic rock,
rising abruptly from the water in a truncated cone
-once evidently a burning funnel-we did not approach nearer than twelve or fifteen miles; and bore
away for Tahiti, the principal of the Georgian Islands, of which we gained an indistinct view, forty
miles distant, at sunset the same evening.
Having been under short sail during the night,
we were yesterday morning still far from land; and
it was ten o'clock before we were near enough to
Point Venus to send a boat on shore, previously to
bringing the ship to anchor.




SCENERY AT MATAVAI.


9


The morning was hazy and unfavorable for the
strength of impression which the sublimity and loveliness of the scenery is calculated to make.
In this-particularly in reference to my fellowvoyagers-I felt a disappointment. The image left
in my mind, by a first sight of the same section of
Tahiti in 1825, when on our voyage from the Sandwich Islands to England, was still so beautiful and
so vivid, that I had hoped every circumstance in
making the land at this time, would have been
equally propitious to a similar effect on those now
with me.
Scarce any scene before beheld, had excited an
admiration equal to that I then experienced. We
had not yet made land, when I retired to rest the
night previous; a fine moon, however, enabled us
to press on without hazard; and, at the dawn of the
day, we were close on the shores of the district of
Matavia. It was not yet sunrise, when I went on
deck; but the whole heavens were filled with the
glow and richness of the near approach of " the
king of day," and sufficient light was already cast
upon the island, not only to disclose its general formation, but to present every distinct feature along
the coast and in the mountains above, in the fullness
of its verdure and beauty. The wild peaks and
bare cliffs towering high in the centre of the island
were uncovered, and in strong illumination from the
sun, still beneath a watery bed. A belt of vaporish
cloud hung midway on the purple sides of the mountains beneath, while the rich lowland-a mile and
more in width-intervening between their bases and
2*




10


BOARDED BY A NATIVE


the beach, heavily covered with groves of the breadfruit, cocoanut, and other luxuriant tropical growth,
stood in the purity of the morning, with a refreshing
nearness and beauty on the sight.
Spacious chapels of the purest white, with numerous lofty doors and windows-seeming in my
eye, after a residence of three years at the Sandwich
Islands, in the early stages of improvement there,
like so many palaces amidst their palmy groves —
were seen, at intervals of two and three miles, along
the water's edge, while the plastered and whitened
habitations of the missionaries and chieftains, and
the cottages of the common people, studded the shores
in long perspective, till, at a distance of five and six
miles on either side, low points, richly covered with
cocoanut trees, terminated the view.
The most conspicuous objects were now still the
same; but, with a noonday sun and misty atmosphere,
they were seen under every disadvantage of shade
and coloring, and excited a less lively admiration,.
than they otherwise would hitve done.
While two or three miles from Point Venus, we
were boarded by a boat containing one of the inferior magistrates of the district, in a dress of nankeen
pantaloons, round jacket of blue silk, white shirt,
and black cravat, with a Guayaquil hat. He introduced himself with great civility, and tendered his
services to pilot the ship into the bay; but Captain
Finch learning from him, that there was a regular
pilot appointed by the government, declined the
offer till he should come off, and till Mr. Lardner,
our sailing master, should go in with a cutter and




AND BRING SHIP TO ANCHOR. 


I'


make some observation for himself, as to the best anchorage.
In the meantime a boat was lowered, and Lieutenant Dornin dispatched on a visit to the Rev. Mr.
Wilson, the resident missionary at Matavia. Having a slight personal acquaintance with Mr. Wilson, I accompanied him. We were received very
kindly by this gentleman on the beach, and accompanied him to his cottage, a few rods distant, on the
bank of a considerable river, running from the
mountains through this part of the district. Finding
him at leisure to go off to the ship, and knowing
that our return would be looked for with impatience,
after an introduction to Mrs. Wilson and her daughters, and a few moments conversation,, we took our
leave till the Vincennes should be at anchor.
The trade-wind was blowing very fresh, with a
heavy sea for a small boat, and the row off was tedious and unpleasant; we reached the ship without
accident, however, and the pilot having at the same
time joined her; we passed round the Dolphin-as a
shoal, extending from Point Venus some distance
along the shore, is called-and dropped anchor inside of it, within a mile of the beach, nearly opposite
a high red bank, called " one tree hill."
Mr. Wilson remained to dinner with the captain,
and then landed to secure permission from the proper
authorities, for the interment of a lad who had died
on board,the night previous, of a consumption. Some
objection was at. first made by the natives, lest the
disease, with which he had died, might have been
contagious; but when assured, that this was not the
case, a grave was prepared in the burial ground of




12      GENERAL APPEARANCE OF


the chapel; in which, at sunset, with slow procession and an admonitory service, we deposited the
body-there to rest till " time shall be no longer."
I remained at Mr. Wilson's to tea, in company
with the captain and surgeon; and passed most of
the evening at his cottage, in agreeable conversation.
It was nine o'clock before we returned to the ship;
the row off was delightful-a fine moon throwing a
double charm, by its brightness, over the loveliness of
the scenery around.
From an early hour in the morning till noon today, the Vincennes was crowded with people from
the shore, bringing various articles of refreshment
and curiosity, for trade and barter. Ignorance of
the comparative value of the articles they have to
dispose of, and those they wish to secure; and anxious
to make the exchange at the highest rate of gain on
their part, the exorbitance of their demands and their
seeming cupidity, are in some cases such, as to be exceedingly vexatious to those attempting to deal with
them; but, there is nothing of the wild shouting,
rudeness, and nakedness, so annoying at Nukuhiva
-nor any thing in their whole appearance that is offensive, or indicative of any trait of character not to
be found, in every market-place in a civilized and
Christian country.
The effect produced on them by our band, in comparison with that on the Nukuhivans, was very
striking, and very pleasing. It is long since they
have acquired a taste for the combination of sounds
characterizing the music of European countries; and
since, they have learned themselves to sing various
parts in sacred music, with correctness and some de



THE PEOPLE AND EFFECT OF THE MUSIC. 13


gree of taste. 'Though the Nukuhivans would
listen to the band for a first time, with a kind of wonder and momentary gratification, it was evident they
had no particular relish for the style of music, or
harmony of sounds produced by it; and, doubtless,
thought it unequal, in the pleasure it afforded, to the
monotonous beat of the drum, and the dull recitative
of their own songs-but here, when the musicians
were ordered on deck, hundreds clustered round in
the manifest expectation of a rich enjoyment; and
the moment they commenced playing, they hung in
the rigging and upon the guns, in a silent delight,
which none could avoid observing; while many evidently drank in the strains of varied harmony, with
all the luxury of enjoyment of so many amateurs at
home, at the performance of the first masters in the
country.
During the forenoon we had a visit from the chief
justice of the island-a respectable-looking, welldressed, and dignified old man-at present at Matavai for the trial of several persons accused of sedition.
He held a court at sunrise this morning, which I
should have been glad to have attended, had I been
apprised of it in time. Two or three persons were
convicted of the transgression of special laws, and
received the sentence annexed to the respective statutes broken.
You are aware, that before the death of Pomare
II., in 1821, a regular code of laws-including an
equitable judiciary, and the important right of trial
by jury-adapted to the state into which the nation
had been brought, by a conversion from paganism to,




14     ELLIS POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES.
Christianity, was drawn up by the Rev. Mr. Nott, one
of the first missionaries that came to the islands, and
adopted by the king and whole body of chiefs in public council. Every law has a specific penalty attached-rendering the administration of justice, after
the guilt of a person is established, perfectly equal:
no discretion being left to the judge, in a modification
of the sentence. The rehearsal of the law and its
penalty, both of which are familiar to the person
under trial-as every family is furnished with a
printed copy of the code-is the only judgment pronounced.
With the " Polynesian Researches" of our beloved
friend Ellis before you, it will be unnecessary, however, for me to enter upon any elucidation of facts of
this kind, that may come under my notice, during
the visit we shall make at the Georgian and Society
Islands. The original state of the people as found
by the missionaries, their habits and customs, their
religion, civil polity, and history-including the conversion of both groups from idolatry, the establishment of Christianity, and their present conditionare portrayed in his volumes with so much talent
and such lively interest, with such perfect candor and
minute correctness, and in such fullness of information, that I at once refer you to them for every thing
connected with this section of the South Seas, except
the incidents which may pass under the immediate
observation of myself and shipmates, the few days
we may remain within its limits.




SCENERY ALONG SHORE.


15


LETTER II.
HARBOR OF PAPEETE.
Matavai Bay, at Tahiti,
August 26th, 1829.
MR. and Mrs. Wilson and daughters dined with
Captain Finch on Monday; and on Tuesday, a
party from the ward-room and steerage, consisting of
the lieutenants Stribling, Dornin, and Lardner, Dr.
Wessels, midshipmen Maury, Keith, Hawkins, and
myself, visited the harbor of Papeete, six or seven
miles westward of Matavai.
The scenery along the intervening shore, beautiful
by nature-both in wild mountain and palmy plain
-is now doubly so, from the neat cottages and lofty
chapels, which, at the short intervals of two and
three miles, insensibly blend thoughts of civilization
and piety, with the impressions made on the mind
by the luxuriance and grandeur of the natural
imagery. We sailed the whole distance within a coral
reef, which, shortly after leaving Matavai, lines the
coast at a half a mile from the beach to the entrance
of the harbor, and arrived at Papeete at eleven
o'clock.
The bay, about three miles in circumference, is
formed by an indenture of the shore between two
points covered with groves of cocoanut trees; while
the coral reef in front-through which there is an




16


16I8ETCH OF PAPEETE.


entrance by a narrow ship channel-with a small
islet based upon it, protects it so fully from the swell
of the sea, that it is, at all times, as smooth as a lake.
The panorama, from the anchorage, is rich and
lovely. A spacious and elevated white chapel presents a conspicuous and pleasing object in the centre
of the view inland. On one side of this, within a
neat inclosure planted with shrubbery, stands the
cottage of the resident missionary; and on the other,
(corresponding to it, the parish school-house: from
both of which the habitations of the natives-some
in the primitive and some in the modern style of
building-stretch in half embowered perspective
along the curvature of the beach, to the cocoanut
points, jutting on either hand, at a distance of half a
mile or more, in heavy groves towards the reef.
Clumps of the orange and lemon tree-of the hibiscus and pandanus, with rich plantations of the
bread-fruit, cocoanut, and broad-leafed banana, and
here and there a single tree of the lofty and wide
spreading vi-spondias dulcis-fill up theremaining
parts of the foreground; while lofty and abrupt hills,
overtopped by bold and verdant mountains, complete
the sketch interior.
Our party was welcomed on the beach, by Mr.
Marenhaut, a Dutch gentleman temporarily at Tahiti, and by Captain Brock, late commander of an
English vessel wrecked on the eastern side of the
island-both of whom had visited the Vincennes
the first day of her arrival. Learning from them,
that the Rev. Mr. Pritchard, the missionary at this




MR. AND MRS.. PRITCHARD.


17


station, was quite ill, we accompanied them to their
cottage, before calling at the mission house.
At twelve o'clock, we paid our respects to Mr. and
Mrs. Pritchard; and were delighted with the neatness, taste, and, beauty of their humble dwelling.
Mr. Pritchard, a well educated and intelligent man,
though much indisposed, received us with great cordiality and kindness; andin Mrs. Pritchard, we were
pleased to meet, in this happy and honorable exile,
a refined and lovely woman. Their little parlorthough furnished with a plainness and simplicity appropriate to the situation and character of the occupants-wore an aspect of refinement and cultivation
that bespoke a familiarity with more polished scenes
than those in which they are now found. Two
fine, healthful, and neatly dressed children, beside
their mother on. a sofa, added greatly to the charm
of a home scene, so welcome to us, after the exhibitions of heathenism with which we had been conversant at Nukuhiva.   An hour. passed rapidly
away under such circumstances; when we took
leave, to pass over the bay to the islet in front of the
harbor, where we had made, arrangements to partake
a repast, furnished from stores brought with us from
the Vincennes.
This is a delightful little spot; a few rods only in
circumference, but covered with groves, in miniature,
of almost every variety of growth found on the mainland. Beneath the thick shade of these, fanned by
a refreshing sea breeze, we enjoyed our pic-nic till it
became time to return to the ship, as we intended
calling on the way at a point two miles- above,
VOL. II.            3




18      PLANTATION OF MR. BI3CKNELL.
occupied by Mr. Bicknell, an English planter, and
at the missionary station, under the superintendence
of the Rev. Mr. Nott, in sight of Mlatavai.
The habitation of Mr. Bicknell is a respectable,
new frame building-weather boarded at the sides
and end with a roof of thatch in the native stylethe wooden part being neatly painted in cream color,
with doors, Venetian blinds, and a covered veranda
in green. Within, the arrangement, finish, and furniture, correspond with the neatness, and even elegance, for this part of the world, of the exterior:
while horses and mules, herds of cattle and flocks of
goats in the adjoining enclosures-a sugar mill' and
boilers, and a warehouse filled with beautifully
grained sugar, molasses, and rum-testify to the resources, and promising circumstances of the propridetor. On landing, in front of the establishment,
we were received at the gate, and very kindly welcomed by Mr. Bicknell, introduced to Mrs. Bicknell,
and welcomed to the hospitality of his house.
From this point, a part of our number walked
along the beach to the residence of Mr. Nott. It
was quite dark before we reached his grounds, and
we called with the intention of stopping a moment
only; but the kindness and hospitality of himself
and wife obliged us to remain to a cup of tea;, and
it was late in the evening, before, much gratified with
our visit, we rejoined our barge, and rowed in safety
beneath a lovely sky, the remaining distance to the
Vincennes.
On Thursday, I made a second visit to Papeete,
with Lieutenants Magruder and Sullivan, and Mid



TURNPIKE AT TAtiITI.


19


shipmen Irving, lIaury, Taylor, and Anthony. We
spent the day much in the manner of the last; but
in returning, young Anthony and myself took a
turnpike, which has been constructed almost entirely
around the island —adistance of near a hundred miles
-as far as Mr. Nott's, at Pare. This road is a fine and
praiseworthy work for such a people —the labor principally of convicts, proved guilty of, various breaches
of the laws. It is a broad, gravel way, extending,
for the most part, i a direct line from point to point
along the coast, smoothly and well finished, and
provided with narrow bridges of plank over the
water courses and streamlets, running from  the
mountains to the sea. Thickly embowered with
luxuriant groves of various trees- -skirted, here and
there, with the humble but comfortable habitations
of the islanders-opening occasionally upon a bright
glade or extensive meadow land, with fine views
of the mountains on one side, and the ocean on the
other, it is, in many places, beautiful as a drive in the
pleasure grounds of an American mansion, or the
park of a gentleman in England.
The. distance we travelled over it at this time, was
about three miles; and we were treated with great
civility and kindness by all whose habitations we
passed, and by those met on our way. Within
about a mile of Mr. Nott's, a side road leads to the
rpoint occupied by the residences of the royal chieftains; and we turned into it, for the purpose of visiting their establishment.
Pomare III., only surviving son of Pomare II.,
having died in his childhood two years since, while




20


ROYAL RESIDENCE AND


pursuing his education at the South Sea Academy,
on the neighboring island of Eimeo or Morea, as the
natives more frequently call it, was succeeded in the
supreme authority of Tahiti, Eimeo, Tabuae-manu,
or Sir George Sanders' Island-which three constitute the Georgian cluster-by an only sister, under
the style of Pomare Yahine I. of Tahiti, or the Female Pomare I. of Tahiti.   She is now about
eighteen, and has been married some years to the
eldest son of the prince, or head chief of Tahaa, one
of the Society Islands, a hundred miles or more
northwest of Tahiti and Eimeo.
Tamatoa, king of Raiatea, the principal island of
that group is the maternal grandfather of the young
queen, and she with her husband, mother, and an
aunt-both daughters of the king of Raiatea, and
associated in a regency during the minority of the
queen-is at present on a visit there. We of course
did not expect to find any person of much distinction;
and were received by an inferior chief and his wife,
left in charge of the establishment during the absence
of the party.
These two are a respectable couple of middle age;
and occupy a large, airy, and well kept house,
standing near the sea side. A Sandwich Island woman is residing with them at present-the wife of an
Hawaiian, sent to Tahiti by Governor Boki, of Oahu,
as supercargo of the brig Ainoa, in a voyage from
which. she has just returned to the Sandwich Islands. The supercargo has remained, to dispose of
the goods; and is, at present, with the queen's paity
at the Society Islands, while his wife keeps a shop




21


TOMB OF POMARE.


for the disposal of Chinese goods, blank books, stationery, slates, pencils, &c., and various articles of
hardware, all in demand here, and     purchased
for cocoanut oil and arrow root. It is not believed,
however, from the character of the agent, that this
attempt in commercial enterprise will prove very
profitable to the governor.
The point is covered with majestic and delightful
groves, beneath which is the habitationof the queen,
and the dwellings of her immediate dependents.
Her house of frame, wattled and plastered, has an
entrance, hall, and four rooms on the ground floor,
besides an attic; and is a neat and comfortable
building, but, in the absence of the royal party, unfurnished and shut up.
The mausoleum    of Pomare II. —in which the
remains of his son Pomare ILI. are, also depositedlike the dwelling: of the queen, is a white plastered
house, in a large enclosure, embowered in the deepest
shades of the groves. Near it, a section of the great
royal chapel erected by him after his conversion to
Christianity, is still standing; and is kept in good
repair as a school-house. The original area of the
building was more than seven hundred feet in length,
by fifty in breadth.
A short distance farther towards Matavai, on an
elevated and conspicuous site, stands the chapel of
the Rev. Mr. Nott-a neat, well-finished, and even
elegant place of worship. It is an oval, ninety-eight
feet in length by fifty in breadth, two stories high,
with numerous windows furnished with Venetian
blinds. The roof is.a beautiful thatch; and the
3*




22


SCHOOLS AT THE


floor, seats, and pulpit, neatly wrought from timber
of the bread-fruit tree. The whole is of native
workmanship; and would compare to advantage,
both in appearance and comfort, with most country
churches, in ally part of the United States. We
joined the boat again at this spot, and reached the
Vincennes early in the evening.
On a following day, I made the same excursion
for a third time, with Captain Finch and a small
party. In going we sailed outside the reef, and entered the harbor by the ship channel. The only incident of interest, varying this from the preceding
visits, was the attendance of an hour at a school
under the charge of Mr. Pritchard. The nuinber
of scholars was about one hundred and fifty of both
sexes, from six, to ten and twelve years of age. It is
established on the monitorial system; and the exhibition made by the pupils of native intelligence, and
their proficiency in reading and writing, in rehearsing hymns and portions of scripture, in answering catechetical questions, and in singing, were
such as greatly to interest and gratify us; and to
elicit from Captain Finch-in an address to the
scholars, interpreted by Mr. Pritchard-high encomiums on the attainments they had already made,
and warm encouragement to a persevering attention
to the means of improvement and intelligence with
which they are favored.
The handwriting of many was quite equal to that
of children of the same age, in schools in America;
and the elder scholars are pursuing an elementary
course in arithmetic, geography, and history. Very




MISSIONARY STATIONS.


23


few district schools in the interior of our own country,
are accommodated-with so pleasant, convenient, and
spacious a school-house; and no school that could
be visited, would present an appearance of greater
neatness in the children, more brightness and happiness of look, modesty of apparel, and order and propriety-of deportment. Schools of a similar kind are
under the daily superintendence of the missionaries
at every station; and facilities for securing the arts
of reading and writing at least, are, thus afforded to
the whole population.
LETTER III.
A TAHITIAN SABBATH.
Matavai Bay at Tahiti 
August 22d, 1829., 
TIHE first missionaries to the Georgian Islands,
having made the voyage from England by the Cape
of Good Hope, without an allowance for the- gain of
time in sailing eastward, were on their arrival at Tahiti, a half day and more in advance of visitors, coming
to the islands by Cape Horn. This difference still
continues; and, consequently to-day, though only
Saturday, the 22d, in the record on board the Vincennes, is Sunday, the 23d, on shore.
A number of the officers and crew attended the
services of Mr. Wilson's chapel, both in the morning
and afternoon.   The exercises on each occasion




24


SABBATH SCHOOL


were so similar, that I shall speak only of those of
the morning worship, which I witnessed, in company
with Captain Finch and a party from the ward-room
and steerage.
We landed at nine o'clock, previously to which
we had seen the people, in large numbers, going to,
and returning from, a prayer meeting at sunrise.
Hearing the sound of recitations in the school-house
-a neat and comfortable building between the cottage of Mr. Wilson and the chapel-we directed our
course to it. A sabbath school, consisting of about
one hundred and fifty boys and girls, from the ages
of three and four years to fifteen and seventeen, was
here assembled, in which several respectable, middle
aged men acted as teachers and superintendents,
while others of the same age and character walked
along the passages at the sides and centre of
the building, holding long, slender rods of the light
hibiscus, with which to touch any of the younger
scholars, when disposed to be mischievous and troublesome. Many of the parents and friends were also
present as spectators.
When we entered, the whole school was repeating
the answers of a catechism simultaneously, with
great promptitude and correctness. This was followed by a recitation from the Bible, in which one
scholar would rehearse a section of a chapter, and
another that succeeding-thus alternating from individual to individual, and from class to class, with
the greatest readiness;,and manifesting, by the unhesitating manner in which they continued the exercise from verse to verse, and chapter to chapter,




AT MATAVAI.


25


no ordinary tenacity and strength of memory. A
hymn was then sung, in which all joined; when the
school was closed with an appropriate prayer by the
superintendent. Mrs. Wilson and her daughters were
present as teachers and managers of the female
scholars; and in the whole aspect of the school,
there was a cleanliness and propriety of dress, and
personal appearance, and an intelligence and order
equal to those found in any of the kind in our
own country.
While at prayer,
"The sound of the church-going bell,'
with its sweet and elevating associations in the pious
mind, began to reach us from a neighboring grove;
and shortly after, the scholars, in a procession of two
and two-the boys led by a native superintendent,
and the girls by Mrs. Wilson and her daughtersquietly made their way to a temple of God, founded
within the last fifteel years, on the ruins of altars
which for time unknown had been steeped in blood.
Crowds- of islanders, of every grade, were also seen
gathering, by well-made gravel walks, leading in
various directions, beneath the thick shade of the
trees covering the point, to the same spot, all clad in
neat and modest apparel, principally white, of their
own or foreign manufacture: and exhibiting in their
whole aspect, a dignity and respectability of character becoming a Christian people. Almost every individual had in his -hand a copy of the portions of
the scripture, translated into the language of the
group; and a book of hymns.




26


PUBLIC WORSHIP AND


The chapel is a large and neat building, one hundred and ten feet long, and forty broad; lofty, airy,
and well finished in all its parts, and wholly of native
workmanship. The number of worshippersamounted
to about four hundred-the usual congregation at
this place-including almost entirely the population of the vicinity. The whole appearance of the
people-their attention and seeming devotion, during
the exercises of reading the scriptures, singing, prayer,
and preaching-was as markedly decorous as would
be expected or seen, in America or England: and
such as to make a deep impression on my own
mind. A single glance around, was sufficient to
convince the most sceptical observer of the success
and benefit of missions to the heathen; for it could
not be made, without meeting the plainest demonstration, that such can be rescued from all the rudeness and wildness of their original condition, can be
brought to a state of cleanliness and modesty in their
personal appearance, can be taught to read and to
write-for many, besides the intelligent and familiar
use of the scriptures and their hymn book, took notes
in pencil of the sermon delivered-in a word, can
be transformed into all that civilization and Christianity vouchsafes to man.
After worship we perceived a large portion of the
middle aged and elderly men, and many of the
younger to remain in the chapel, while an equal
proportion of the females repaired to the school-house.
On inquiring the object of this, we learned that it
was customary for the members of the church, and
persons seriously disposed, to spend a half hour or




OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.          27
more after service, in conversation on the subject of
the discourse of the missionary, and in prayer for a
blessing upon its truth to themselves, and to all who
heard it.
Between the hours of public worship, I joined the
mission family in an English servie' of singing,
reading, and prayer, in Mr. Wilson's parlor. The
greatest quietude reigned around; and the whole external observance of the day by the natives, in a suspensionof all ordinary occupations and amusements,
was such as to be worthy the imitation of older and
more enlightened Christian nations.
LETTER IV.
VISIT TO EIMEO,'AND ARRXVAL AT THE SOCIETY ISLANDS;
Island of Raiatea,
Sept. 1st, 1829..
ON the morning of the 26th ult., a party, of which
I made one, sailed in two boats for the island of
Eimeo, or Moorea, twelve or fifteen miles west of
Tahiti. The Rev. Mr. Wilson kindly accompanied
us in the excursion. On reaching the north end of
the island, for which we steered on leaving Matavai,
we entered within a reef skirting it at a distance of a
quarter of a mile, and passing by the mouth of the
bay of Paopao, or Cook's harbor-at present uninhabited-reached the missionary settlement at Papetoai,




28


PAPETOAI AND


at the bay of Opurohu, or Talu, a few miles farther
west, early in the afternoon.
The scenery along the northern shore, is delightful
-both bays lying cradled, like lakes, in the midst of
mountains of the most picturesque wildness, and of
the richest verdure. The whole surface of Eimeo is
much more broken than that of Tahiti; and from
whatever point viewed, its contour abounds in lofty
pinnacles and shafts of wooded rock and mountain.
We were received on the beach by the Rev. Mr. Simpson, and most hospitably entertained by himself and
lady, and Mrs. Armitage, at their comfortable dwellings. Mr. Armitage was absent at Afareaitu, a station we afterward visited on the eastern side of the
island.
Papetoai does not differ materially from Matavai
and Papeete, in the evidences of civilization and
piety it presents. The chapel is very superior, and
more substantial than any other building yet erected
in the South Seas, being of hewn coral, not dissimilar in its appearance to a light free-stone or marble.
It is an octagon, sixty or seventy feet in diameter,
well plastered and whitewashed within, and furnished with convenient seats constructed of the timber
of the bread-fruit tree. The gallery, and a handsome
pulpit, are of the same material.
Early the next morning we left for Afareaitu, returning to the northeast point inside of the reef, and
then coasting along the eastern shore, eight or ten
miles, to a little islet marking the entrance of the
harbor. Afareitu is a lovely spot, surrounded by
magnificent and beautiful objects. The South Sea




AFAREAITU.


29


academy, chapel, and cottages of the natives-stretching in a long line of whiteness around the bay, at
the water's edge, beneath mountains springing almost
perpendicularly more than three thousand feet highpresent a delightful scene as you row in from the
sea; and show what additional beauty the hand of
art and civilization can scatter over the splendors of
natural scenery.
The Rev. Mr. Orsmond, principal of the academy,
and Mr. Blossom —associated with him in the secular
affairs of the institution and of the missionary stationgave us a most cordial and hospitable reception. We
had the gratification also of meeting Mr. Armitage,
who is preparing to remove his family from Papetoai
to Afareaitu, and to establish a cotton manufactory at
the latter place, after an unsuccessful experiment at
the former.
On this subject, however, and on others of a similar kind, as well as on the South Sea Academy, its
design, success, &c., I must again refer to the " Polynesian Researches" of our friend Ellis, in which you
will find every desirable information respecting
tliem.
During the afternoon of Thursday, we made a
water party for the missionaries and children of the
academy, and visited the islet on the reef in front of
the settlement. It commands a beautiful view of
bay and mountains; and I occupied the time we
were upon it, principally in taking a sketch, to add
to the collection already in my portfolio.
Our kind friends furnished us with a repast before
dawn on the morning of tlhe 28th; and immediately
VOL. II.             4




30


RETURN TO MATAVAI.


after, bidding them farewell, with grateful feelings
for the hospitality with which we had been entertained, we left the harbor, on our return to the ship,
while the stars were yet twinkling in the sky. Early
in the day, the trade wind set in so freshly that the
channel between the islands became very rough;
and we were glad to secure an entrance through the
reef, twelve or fourteen miles to the leeward of Matavai. It was in the vicinity of the missionary station
occupied by the Rev. Mr. Darling —of whose residence and printing establishment, chapel, and the
habitations of the islanders in the vicinity, we had a
fine, though distant sight.
On gaining the harbor of Papeete, we landed, on
the island at its mouth, to partake of some refreshment in the coolness of its groves. The necessity of
looking to our provision-chest, however, was anticipated by the arrival of Mr. Pritchard in his boat from
the shore, with one or two attendants bearing a tray
of delicacies, politely furnished by Mrs. Pritchard,
who, aware of the necessity we should be under of
returning by Papeete, and of the probability of our
arriving weary and exhausted, had in this manner
kindly borne us in mind.  On re-embarking we
called at the mission-house to make our acknowledgments, and left in time only to reach the Vincennes,
at a seasonable hour, in the evening.
On the first sabbath we were at Matavai, Mr.
Pritchard preached on board the Vincennes, and with
the Rev. Mr. Crook from a distant station on the
southern side of the island, spent the day with us;
and on the last, Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Wilson, Mr.




ISLAND OF HUAHINE.


31


Marenhaut, and Captain Brock, were at worship, and
dined on board. In the evening Mr. Stribling and
myself went on shore to take leave of Mrs. Wilson
and her daughters; and at ten o'clock on Monday,
the Vincennes took her anchor, and bore away for
the Society Islands, a hundred miles distant.
It was the intention of Captain Finch to have
touched at Huahine, the most eastern of this group;
and last evening after passing Tabuae-manu, at too
great a distance to discern it distinctly, I retired to
my cot, with the pleasing anticipation of making an
early visit on shore at Fare, the station and settlement in pastoral charge of the Rev. Mr. Barff, long
the colleague, and still the intimate friend of Mr.
Ellis. The wind, however, was light and unfavorable during the night, and by morning we had fallen
so much to the leeward of the whole island, that it
was determined to proceed without delay to Raiatea,
also in sight. I was greatly disappointed; and could
scarce feel reconciled to the idea of not visiting, at
least for an hour, the scene of the principal residence
in the South Seas of one I so highly respect and so
sincerely love.
Huahine, though not so wild in contour, is equally
verdant and beautiful in its general appearance as
Eimeo-and its characteristic features very like the
central sections of Oahu, at the Sandwich Islands.
When nearest to it, we were not more than ten
miles from its western shore, with this island and
Tahaa on the north of it, in full view-while Borabora, a fourth in the group, appeared loftily but dimly
in the distance.




32         ARRIVAL AND AtCHORAGE
By twelve o'clock we had approached so near the
northern end of Raiatea, as to distinguish the chapel
and cottages of the settlement, with a flag-staff and
the banner of the nation-a broad horizontal stripe of
white between two of red-flying from its top. At
the same time a native pilot boarded us, and carrying
the ship through a narrow opening in the reef, with
a small island on either hand, brought us safely to
anchor opposite the village, a mile and a half north
of the entrance, by which we had passed within the
reef.
We are in the midst of another varied and beautiful panorama. The ship lies within a short distance
of the shore, which is richly edged with groves and
single trees, and a fine undergrowth of the banana,
sugar-cane, and various shrubbery, surrounding and
overhanging the white cottages of the inhabitants.
These stand thickly, in regular lines, along a single
street, two miles or more in length, and are backed by
abrupt hills, covered with grass and bushes, till they
rise into a bold cliff with a flattened top, standing high
above the settlement, and forming a striking landmark in approaching the island on the eastern side.
Beneath this, on the north, several low points, luxuriantly clothed and spotted with dwellings, jut far
into the channel-while beyond them, at a distance
of twenty miles, the lofty and shell-like peaks of
Borabora tower against the sky, in a blueness almost
equal to its own.
Eastward of this island, and within half the distance, the green points of Tahaa, inclosed in the
same reef with Raiatea, stretch, like the spread fin



ATRAIATEA.


33


gers of a hand, into the sea-the only object on it,
in distinct view, being a stately chapel, which rises
like a palace on the eye, against the darkness of the
hills behind. Still further in the east, lies the open
ocean, separated from us only by the reef-a few
hundred rods distant-on which a never ceasing surf
rises, crests, and breaks, in a thousand forms of
varied beauty, as it sends its voice " of many waters"
far along the echoing shore. While behind us are
the tufted islets, marking the passage by which we
entered, with numerous palmy points along the coast
of Raiatea, and Huahine across a wide channel in
the distance.
Our arrival attracted little attention; not a canoe
came off, nor did any collection of persons on the
shore, or other appearance, indicate the childish excitement usual, among uncivilized people, on such
occasions. From the pilot we learned, that Tamatoa, the king of Raiatea, and the whole royal party
from Tahiti, were at the adjoining island of Tahaa;
and it was not till the cool of the evening, that any
of the ship's company landed. I then went on shore,
with several gentlemen of the ward-room.
The landing is on a substantially laid quay of
coral, where we met an intelligent lad of twelve
years,-the son of Rev. Mr. Williams, the missionary
of the station. He informed us that his father was
at the chapel, delivering a customary weekly lecture;
and on directing our walk up the street, we met and
returned with him to the mission house, and were
introduced to Mrs. Williams and her family. Their
establishment is more neat and rural, and more coin4*




34


MISSION HOUME AND


fortable in its whole arrangement, than any we have
before seen. The house is large and convenienthaving three pleasant rooms in front, opening by
large folding doors on a veranda extending the entire
length of the building-and commands, across an
inclosure filled with shrubbery, fruit, and flowers,
a fine view of the ocean. Every thing around
looked neat and prosperous; and, on taking a walk
through the village, we found the same features
marked, in a greater or less degree, on the habitations
and appearance of the people every where. Still,
we are told, that the evidences of improvement in
the arts and manner of life here, are not equal to
those exhibited at the neighboring island of Huahine.
On a long coral wharf, near the residence of the
king-and from that circumstance called the king's
wharf-a small vessel of Mr. Williams' is undergoing repairs, and the keel of another, of forty or
fifty tons, belonging to the king, is laid. The timbers in both, are of the tamanu-inophyllum callophyllum-a native tree, thought equal to the
American live oak for ship building; and the workmen, islanders under the direction of an English
carpenter.




RESIDENCE OF THE KING.


35


LETTER V.
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING TAMATOA, AND A SABBATH AT
RAIATEA.
Island of Raiatea,
Sept. 5th, 1829. 
MR. Williams called upon Captain Finch and the
officers of the ship, early on the morning after our
arrival, and there has been since, a daily and almost
hourly interchange of civility and kindness between
the Vincennes and mission house.  Some of our
number spend every evening on shore; and Mr. and
Mrs. Williams and family, and Mrs. Hunter, the wife
of a Captain Hunter, at present on the South American coast, have passed a day with us on ship board.
Learning that the wife of the king had not accompanied him to Tahaa, Captain Finch and myself paid her a visit on the morning of the 3d
instant. The king's house is arespectable building
of frame, wattled, plastered, and whitewashed, in the
manner now extensiely introduced throughout the
Georgian and Society Islands. It is in the cottage
style, of one story, with a roof of thatch, and has
four rooms on the floor-one large and airy, used as
a reception hall, and the others smaller, appropriated
as sleeping and dressing apartments. The former
has four glazed Windows and two large doors-one
in pannels of wood opening on the street, and the
other of glass, towards the sea, from which it is




36


QUEEN OF RAIATEA


separated by a small inclosure of grass and shrubbery.
We were shown into this, while the queen, who
was at another residence, was informed of our wish
to see her. The wood work is neatly painted, the
floors covered with fine mats, and the walls lined
with settees of native workmanship, from the timber
of the bread-fruit, with seats and backs of beautifully
braided cord of the fibre of the cocoanut husk. We
took the liberty of opening the doors of the adjoining
rooms, and found them all furnished with well-made
bedsteads, covered with several thicknesses of soft
mats, in place of matresses, and spread with counterpanes of India print. A drapery of white tapa,
or native cloth, around the windows and on canopies
over the beds, gave an air of great neatness and
comfort to the whole. Many of the cottages of the
common people, into which we looked, bear, both
within and without, similar marks of. order and respectability.
The queen soon arrived, attended by four or five
pretty looking young women, in European dresses.
She is fifty or sixty years of age, and highly respectable in her appearance, with traces of early beauty
still discoverable, in her features and expression of
countenance. Her dress was a loose slip of white
cambric, with a pau, or native petticoat, of blue and
white, in cross-bar over it; and a long shawl and
straw bonnet. She is very sedate in her manners;
and deported herself with great propriety during the
interview. Immediately after the arrival of the Vincennes, an express had been dispatched for the king,




AND KING TAMATOA.


37


and she informed us, that he would probably reach
Raiatea early the same evening.
This was the case; and yesterday morning, Captain Finch, accompanied by the surgeon and Lieutenants Dornin, Magruder, Lardner, and myself,
waited upon him. We were received in the same
room as on the preceding day; and the interview
with Mr. Williams, as interpreter, was interesting
and pleasant. Tamatoa, without being corpulent,
is one of the tallest and largest men I ever saw.
Standing, when he rises-in gigantic proportions
of limb and muscle-fully a head and shoulders
above all around him. He is dignified in his manner, and converses with much good sense and intelligence. The captain informed him of the general
objects of the visit of the Vincennes to the South
Seas; of the policy he was instructed by our government, and desirous himself, to pursue; and tendered
the services of the ship, in any manner he might
wish, during the period of our stay. He expressed
himself much gratified, and thankful for the kindness
of the government, and the politeness of the commander of the man-of-war.
On our way to the mission house, afterwards, we
made a second call upon his wife, at a house occupied by her during the visit of the queen of Tahiti,
to whom she has relinquished the use of the principal
royal establishment. The building is a fine specimen of the original, native style of architecturean oval some sixty feet in the longest diameter-surmounted by a beautiful roof of thatch, ten or twelve
feet high at the eaves, and twenty or more in the




38


THE QUEEN'S COTTAGE


centre. The sides and ends are composed of straight,
round poles fastened perpendicularly in the ground,
and lashed together at regular intervals of an inch,
* so as to admit an abundance of light and air within.
The poles being of a white wood, and the thatch
finished with the greatest neatness, the whole has a
very pretty aspect; and would furnish a model for a
rustic pavilion, or summer house, in a park at home.
The ground strewn with grass and laid with mats,
constituted the floor.
We found the queen, like those of " olden time,"
in the midst of her maidens, at work-not at the
loom or embroidering frame-but in weaving the
more beautiful of the mats, manufactured at the
islands. That which she was herself platting, not
being so fine as some of the rest, she apologized for
it, by remarking, that when young, no one excelled
her in the art, but now that she was old, she was incapable of rivalling others. The example of occupation and industry thus presented, in the household
of the first female in the nation, was pleasing and
praiseworthy; and she seemed gratified by the commendation it called from our party. Both the king
and queen are very decidedly and sincerely pious;
and I observed, with pleasure, a Testament and
hymn book, lying within reach of each of the females at work-evidently for use and not display, as
our visit was entirely unexpected to them, and not intended by ourselves, till at the door of the house.
In the evening, Tamatoa took tea with Lieutenant Stribling and myself, at the mission house; and




AND IOUSEHOLD.


39


is manifestly a sensible, dignified, and truly Christian
ruler.
To-day has been the sabbath, on shore. The
chapel here, like all we saw at the windward group,
is large, well built, and a noble edifice, for such a
people. It is not less than a hundred and twenty
feet in length, and proportionately wide, calculated
to seat two thousand hearers. The usual congregation varies from a thousand to twelve hundred. The
number assembled to-day amounted to about eleven
hundred; all well and neatly clad, and exhibiting in
their whole appearance and manner of attending the
service, every characteristic of civilization, respectability and piety, found in any common congregation
in the United States. But for the color of the audience, indeed, it would have been difficult for any one
to believe himself worshipping with those, who, till
within a few years, had been lost in all the gross vice,
licentiousness, and wildness of paganism.  The
sight was at once delightful and affecting.
The dress of the men, from the king to the most
unimportant individual present, consisted of a white
shirt, and black silk or colored cravat, with a fine
fringed mat, several yards in length, or a piece of
muslin or calico of the same size, wrapped loosely
from the loins to the knee, in a manner to resemble
the drawers or trowsers of the eastern nations. A
straw hat worn out-doors finished the attire. The
females, in general, were in white muslin slips, with
large mantles of calico or of native cloth over them;
and bonnets of straw. Many, however, were dressed
altogether in the European fashion, except the unbe



40


SABBATH AND


coming deficiency in our eyes, of shoes and stockings-Aa luxury scarce attainable by the first chieftains in the group.
The old queen was conspicuous, in a white India
muslin, handsomely made, with yellow silk handkerchief, fine ruff, satin sash, and modish straw hat
and trimmings-a present from the governor of New
South Wales. In many accidents of feature and
manners, this individual is uncommonly like one of
the most distinguished of our elderly female friends.
Captain Finch, and a dozen of the offi3ers attended
the chapel in the morning. Arrangements had been
made to take the band along, to play a few pieces of
sacred music at intervals in the service, for the gratification of many, who would have no other opportunity of witnessing the performance of the musicians.
The exercises began, as on board ship, with the Portuguese hymn. I was fearful that the novelty might
occasion some confusion: but it did not in the least.
There was not the slightest unbecoming excitement;
not even among the children, who took their seats
together, as they entered in long procession from the
sabbath school.
It was the day of the communion; and after the
general congregation had been dismissed, about three
hundred of both sexes, and of a variety of ages,
with solemnity, and seemingly deep interest, partook
of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of
Him, who gave his life a ransom for many. Much as
the sincerity and piety of the church members in the
Islands, have been doubted by the calumniators of the
mission; from all I have observed and known, and




COMMUNION SERVICE.


41


from all passing before me oh this occasion, I was
led to the fervent prayer, that I might myself, at last,
be equally worthy, with many of these, of a seat at
the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Mr. Stribling and myself spent the evening with
Mr. and Mrs. Williams. This we almost invariably
do; and never without being deeply impressed by
hearing, in the stillness of the night, the melody of
the native hymn falling on the ear, in various directions, from the little cottages of islanders, as they engage in their evening devotions.  Family worship,
consisting of the reading of a portion of scripture,
of a hymn, and of prayer, is universally practiced,
not only in Raiatea, but throughout the whole nation.
LETTER VI.
AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN OF TAHITI, AND VISIT OF
THE CHIEFS ON BOARD SHIP.
Island of Raiatea, 
Sept. 8th, 1829. j
ON the evening of the 6th inst., the queen of
Tahiti, the dowager her mother, an aunt holding
the office of regent, with a train of inferior chieftains,
and a suite of followers, said to be the most lawless
company in the two groups, arrived in two small vessels from Tahaa; and on the succeeding morning,
a visit of ceremony was paid to the party, by Captain
VOL. II.             5




^4;<  ~     ROYAL PARTY.
Finch, and a number of the officers of the Vincennes.
The reputation of the Tahitian chieftains is far
from being unspotted. The regent and dowager are
both excommunicated members of the church; and
the young queen's character, according to common
report, is not sans reproche. Their whole appearance, however, was most decorous; and surpassed, in
respectability, every anticipation we had been led to
entertain. The interview took place, in the apartment already described, in the residence of king
Talnatoa-the only alteration consisting in new
mats on all the sofas, and in the introduction of two
armed chairs at the upper end, as seats of Lonor;
for the young queen, Pomare, and her aunt, the
regent.
We were introduced in the order of rank; and
found the count to consist of Pomare Vahine I..
Ariipaea, regent, Tereomcemoe queen dowagerboth daughters of the king of Raiatea, the governess
of Huahine, also his daughter-with their husbands
-king Tamatoa and his wife, the governor of Tahaa, and several inferior chieftains, with four or five
children, male and female, descendants of Tamatoa.
Indeed, he is the patriarch of the whole number, being
either the father, grand-father, uncle, or grand-uncle,
by blood or marriage, of every chief person present.
They were all dressed in European costume, varying
in the expensiveness of the materials; and more or
less complete, in the articles constituting a full suit.
Mr. Williams, at the request of Captain Finch,
attended as interpreter, and gave a full exposition of




SHREWDNESS OF THE REGENT.


43


the nature and object of the visit of the Vincennes.
The regent presided, the young queen saying nothing except through her, and then only in monosyllables. She is still young —only seventeen-of
good figure and agreeable face, especially when
smiling or in conversation, when she is better looking
than most females we have seen, sines leaving the
Washington Islands.
While at Tahiti a complaint, well founded, as we
ascertained, had been made to Captain Finch of the
conduct of the queen and regent, in reference to
some deserters from an American whale ship-natives of the Sandwich Islands, but regularly shipped
members of the crew-which he thought necessary
and desirable to bring forward. The subject evidently was not an agreeable one to the persons
principally concerned; and we were quite amused,
at the adroit manner in which the regent attempted
to screen herself and the queen, from the censure to
which she perceived they were exposed. The most
wily diplomatist could scarce have exhibited more
tact, in turning to good account an unfavorable aspect of things, or greater ingenuity in avoiding an
unpleasant dilemma. After having placed the subject in a light, calculated to prevent a recurrence of
similar conduct, the matter was pleasantly dismissed
by the captain; and the official part of the audience
closed, by an invitation to the whole company to visit
the ship the next day.
The conference being thus ended, the- king of
Raiatea and his queen, accompanied by the dowager and regent of Tahiti, retired to one of the inner




44


MEETING OF THE LANDHOLDERS


apartments, and returned shortly after, laden with
beautiful mats and native cloth which they placed,
as a present, at the feet of the captain: the regent
giving that which she bore in the name of the young
queen. At the same time, the street door was thrown
open, and the steward of the queen's household stepping in, with an oratorical attitude and loud voice,
pointed to a large quantity of provisions-cocoanuts,
bananas, taro, potatoes, &c., with several hogsplaced in full view; and enumerating the whole
in order, submitted them to the disposal of the captain, as a gift from his mistress to himself and
officers.
VWhen about taking leave, we were informed that
a regular monthly meeting of the secondary chiefs,
or land-holders, for the discussion of topics of public
importance, was then taking place in the chapel;
and, that a messenger had arrived, inviting our attendance.
This class of chiefs in Raiatea, consists of eight
or ten individuals-tall and largely framed men,
without an excess of corpulence; and dignified and
highly respectable in their appearance and whole deportment. They are the staunch friends and supporters of all the institutions of civilization and piety,
and evidently the very bones and sinews of the land.
After being seated among them, several of the number, in short but animated and appropriate speeches,
expressed the great pleasure it gave them to see a
ship from the government of the United States at
their island, and the happiness they had experienced
in learning the kind sentiments, and in observing the




AND SPEECH OF UAEVA.


45


amiable and condescending deportment of Captain
Finch-asking, in conclusion, any advice he might
think proper to address to them. In return, he assured them of every kind feeling towards themselves
and people-testified to the interest and satisfaction
with which he regarded the improvements and advances in civilization they had made, and encouraged them to unwearied attention, both in themselves and in their children, to the means of knowledge with which they were favored; and to the
enactment and enforcement of wholesome laws. On
which Uaeva, one of the most distinguished of the
number, made the following reply:
"Chieftain and Friend,
"This is my speech to you. Great has been
the joy of our hearts since your arrival among us, because of the kindness-of your object in this visit.
We greatly rejoiced on the sabbath day, for your
presence with us in worshipping the Lord: and in
bringing your band of beautiful music to unite with
us in praise. This made our hearts very glad.: You are now advising us, and strengthening us
in our small and feeble government-you are encouraging us in the acquisition of letters, and in the
formation of laws: this is good. Should any thing
prevent the benefit of this encouragement in the
affairs of our government, still may your great nation countenance and promote the work of God
among us Gentiles; and patronize our teachers in
doing their good work.
"Health and salvation to yourself, chieftain, and
to all the nobles and Christians of America!"
5*




46


RECEPTION ON BOARD SHIP.


The incidents of the morning had a tendency to
elevate our ideas of the state of the country, and of the
true character of the people: and after some refreshments at the mission-house, we returned on board,
much gratified with all we had seen and heard.
At the request of the queen, the band was sent on
shore for an hour or two in the afternoon; and a
kind of concert and oratorio given in the chapel,
attended by the missionaries, many of the officers of
the Vincennes, and a large concourse of royalty and
plebeianism. The entertainment seemed highly gratifying to all; and as it had been a kind of gala day,
rockets and fireworks were set off on board ship in
the evening-a novelty to all on shore, except the
Tahitians.
Early this morning, the ship was in order to receive our guests, and boats dispatched, at ten o'clock,
to fetch them on board. Tie queen of Tahiti was
handed over the side by the captain-the guard of
marines presenting arms, and the band playing
"Hail Columbia."   After the whole number had.
been escorted to the poop deck, a salute of fifteen
guns was fired, during which we had proof that
delicate nerves are not confined to the polished side
of the globe. M1any of the female noblesse of the
party were greatly agitated; the good old queen of
Raiatea sank to the deck, and I believe actually
went to prayer; while her majesty of Tahiti, hanging on the captain's arm in front of the rest, stood
the first two or three guns forward very well, but as
the gunners touched off the battery farther and farther aft, she began to retreat with a finger in each




GOVERNESS OF HUAHINE.


47


ear, but laughing, and exclaiming, "maitai! maitai!" —  good! good!" with a tremulous and terrified voice.
In a fashionable black satin dress, with deep ruff
of thin muslin, a golden girdle and clasp, and a
handsome round hat of fine straw trimmed with ribbons and flowers, she made quite a genteel appearance. Most of the others were equally well dressed.
The governess of Huahine I found to be one of
the most intelligent of the company. We had quite
an animated conversation before dinner, in which she
exhibited a greater degree of information than I had
expected. She appeared fully to understand the difference of government in the United States and at
the islands-knew the elective nature of the presidential office-inquired the name of the present
incumbent, and asked whether it was probable he
would be chosen for another term, &c. &c. The
general state of the Sandwich Islands is also familiar
to her. She corresponds with some of the chiefs
there, and says that the princess Harrieta is avery
fine and pious girl-that it is feared the young king,
her brother, may become dissipated-that Governor
Boki is not very good, &c. The ex-queen Kekauruohi-a wife of Tamehameha I., and afterwards of
his son Rihoriho or Tamehameha IT.-is one of her
friends; and from her, she has just received letters,
with a box of presents-containing, among other articles, a boy's suit of crimson silk velvet, worn by one
of the little chieftains on the present occasion.
This female and her husband, one of the finest
looking men of the party, are both consistent and




48


LETTER OF TIE QUEEN


zealous members of the church. Speaking of the
wealth and power of England and America, in comparison with the Islands, she remarked, that they
were a poor people, but in the arts of reading and
writing, and in a knowledge of the word of God,
they still had the highest blessings: adding, that all
the people, however, did not love these, and that she
supposed it was in America and in England, as it
was with them-that some were good and some
were bad-some regarding and some disobeying the
laws of God.
LETTER VII.
COMMUNICATION OF POMARE VAHINE I., TO THE PRESIDENT.
Island of Raiatea, i
Sept. 16th, 1829.
THE queen of Tahiti and party called on board
this morning, after having embarked on their return
to Tahaa. The appearance of the rabble, constituting a principal part of her train, in contrast with
that of most of the islanders we have seen, either at
the Georgian group or at this place, goes far to prove
the reputed licentiousness of her household; and detracts greatly from the good impression made by the
respectability and propriety of her personal deportment.
A principal object in visiting the Vincennes, was
to commit to Captain Finch a letter, she has written




TO THE PRESIDENT.


49


to the President-of this Mr. Williams has furnished
the following translation:
"Raiatea, September 26th, 1829.
"President,
"In consequence of your kindness I write a letter
to you. You sent a man-of-war formerly to our
land, commanded by Captain Jones; he treated us
with great kindness. You have now sent another
man-of-war, commanded by Captain Finch; his
kindness to us has also been great: we are highly
pleased with his visit. I now write to you to express
my gratitude; also to inform you of our present state.
"I am a female-the first queen of TahitiQueen Pomare I. is my name.' I am daughter to
Pomare II. When he died the government devolved on my little brother-he died, the government
then became mine. I am young and inexperienced.
" We have cast away the worship of idols, and
have embraced the worship of our common Lord.
In the year 1814 we embraced Christianity.
"We have missionaries on the island, who are
diligent in teaching us that which will promote our
welfare. Some have been with us upwards of thirty
years.
"We have laws by which we are governed. I
cannot send you a copy, I being on a visit to my
grand-father at Raiatea.
" Tahiti and Eimeo are the largest islands in my
government. We have not many people-perhaps
ten thousand.
" There is not much property at my island-arrowroot and cocoanut oil are the principal. We have
abundance of food, and excellent harbors for ships:




50


RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE


many American vessels call at Tahiti-tell them to
continue to call, and we will treat them well.
" All kinds of cotton cloth are in demand here for
barter-white, printed, blue-shawls, ribbons, axes,
are all good property to bring, to procure refreshments.
"We have a new flag given us by Captain Lawes;
of the Satellite, British man-of-war; will you kindly
acknowledge it in traversing the seas, and in visiting
you, as yours is by us-should that be the case at a
distant period.
"Captain Finch has made myself, and mother;
and aunt, with others, some handsome presents in
your name, for which receive my gratitude. We
are always glad to see American vessels at Tahiti.
Continue to sail your vessels without suspicion.
Our harbors are good and our refreshments abundant.
"Prosperity attend you. President of the United
States of America-may your good government be
of long duration.        Q.UEEN POMARE I."
Tamatoa, the king of Raiatea, has also prepared
a communication of similar import, to be transmitted
to the president, by Captain Finch.
Lieutenant Stribling and myself attended a meeting this afternoon, held weelly by Mr. Williams,
with those of his congregation who have been baptized. It is the intention of this gentleman, in the
course of a few months, to make an extensive voyage among the islands west of the Georgian and Society groups; and to carry with him a number of the




AND SPEECH OF A CHURCH MEMBER.  51


natives of Raiatea, of established piety, to be left as
teachers, 'wherever it may be found practicable.
Eight of his parishioners have given their names to
him in view of this enterprise; and he chose this,opportunity to communicate the fact to the members of the
church; and to ask their opinion of the fitness of the
individuals for the undertaking, and the propriety of
their entering upon it.
The introduction of the subject led to a number
of sensible, and excellent speeches. One of them
contained a very pretty allusion to the visit of the
Vincennes, and the policy of Captain Finch, with
an application to the contemplated voyage of Mr.
Williams. It was much as follows: "A large manof-war is now with us. She has come from    afar
with kind motives and designs of good to ourselves
and those like us. Her object is to learn our condition, and to encourage us to seek our own welfare.
Her officers have their reward: they are covered and
crowned with gold-they wear gold on their shoulders and gold on their heads, (alluding to the lace
and epaulets of their uniform) it is their reward.
My sentiment is that we too, send out a vessel to
those more ignorant and poorer than ourselves, to do
them good. Those of us who go on this expedition,
will not, like these our friends, be crowned with gold
for their reward. No! they will receive nothing in
this world perhaps-still they shall be crowned. Yes!
theirs shall be the crown of eternal life, to be given
them, at last, by their Lord and Master Jesus Christ!"
The evening has been spent, as usual, at the mission-house. I have become much attached both to




52


GENERAL ASPECT


Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Mrs. Williams is an amiable and intelligent woman-well educated and of
good manners; and Mr. Williams is admirably fitted,
in every respect, for a missionary: and long has been,
and still is the instrument of immense good among
this people.
LETTER VIII.
DEPARTURE FOR THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, at sea, f
September 14th, 1829.
YESTERDAY morning, we hove short before
breakfast; and at nine o'clock took our anchor to
bid farewell to the Society Islands. A native pilota fine looking and respectable man-conducted the
ship to the open sea. Mr. Williams also politely accompanied us beyond the reef.
The egress from the harbor is not by the passage
through which we entered, but round the north end
of the island, six or eight miles from the settlement,
on the opposite side. The channel is of easy and
safe navigation; and the regular trade wind fair the
whole distance. After gliding past the reef, and exchanging affectionate salutations with Mr. Williams,
we filled away; in the direction of Borabora, twentyfive miles distant. This island is of a striking contour, and readily distinguished from any other of the
group, by a central mountain, rising almost perpen



PF BORABORA.


53


dicularly on every side, a height of more than two
thousand feet. It is partially divided into two elevatiolts or shafts, with a curvature on the southern side
from the base to the top, giving it the appearance at
a distance of a thin shell of rock. 
There is a ship channel between Borabora and
Tahaa, fifteen miles southeast of it; but we passed
to the westward of both, and then ran north, with
Maurua, the most leeward of the cluster, in sight, at
a distance of thirty miles. Before evening we were
near Tubai, a small coral island covered with cocoanut and pandanus, the last of the group; and at sunset, took a departure from  it, with the hope of a
speedy run over the two thousand five hundred miles
separating us from the Sandwich Islands..
From the outline of our visit at the Georgian and
Society Islands, which I have thus given, you will
perceive, dear H ---, that I have left you to consult
the recent publication of Mr. Ellis for all that is most
important, in the history, present state, and- prospects
of their inhabitants. In the letters I have written,
however, there is sufficient evidence,, I trusty to prove
them  decidedly and interestingly a civilized and
Christian people; and to present a conclusive, and
delightful demonstration of the power of.the gospel
on the nature, habits, and life of untutored man.
Their geographical location is such, that it may
be long before they rise, as a nation, to any great
degree of commercial' or political importance, or by
agricultural improvements-beyond those introduced
in supply'of a home consumption-and by trade,, become richly furnished with the luxuries of wealth
VOL. II.            6




54       MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THE
and refinement. Still, they possess every resource
essential to the competence, comfort, and respectability of this life, while a knowledge of the Revelation of God, and the means of grace, unfold to them
the hope and immortality of that which is to come.
Their chapels and schools-their habitations and
dress-their Bibles and their hymn books-their family circles and domestic altars, with a freedom from
public licentiousness and open crime, speak volumes,
in contrast with the state in which they once were,
for the happiness they now enjoy.
If the aspect of the people in general, and the animated declaration and lively sensibility-even to
tears seemingly of deep feeling-of those who have
a full remembrance, and who largely shared in their
own experience of the evils of heathenism, are to be
accredited, the islanders themselves are far from
being insensible to the benefit and blessing of the
change they have experienced; and would not for
worlds be deprived of the light and mercy they have
received, or again be subjected to the mental and
moral darkness, and various degradation from which
they have escaped.
Yet there are those, who have visited the South
Seas-men bearing the Christian name, with a
reputation for science, and holding stations of honor
-who have affected to discover a greater degree of
depravity, and more wretchedness at Tahiti and
Raiatea, than was known in the reign and terror of
idolatry; and have ventured to proclaim to the world,
that Christianity has here —for the first time in
eighteen hundred years-had the effect of rendering




STATE OF THE ISLANDS.


55


the inhabitants vindictive and hateful, indolent and
corruptj superstitious and unhappy, and more pitiable, in all their circumstances, than when fully in a
pagan state!, And that the wars, introduced and
encouraged by the MESSENGERS OF PEACE, have
nearly exterminated the race!
Whence the data for such a sentiment could have
been drawn, must forever remain a mystery, at least
to all, who, like ourselves, have had the advantage of
a personal observation in the case.
The last warsJn the islands were previous to any
influence gained, by the missionaries, over either
chiefs orpeople. Since the establishment of Christianity there has been an uninterrupted peace; and
as to other bloodshed, the Rev. Mr. Nott assured me,
that he had not heard of a murder among the natives for fifteen years.
Theft is occasionally known, though we met with
no evidence of it; and instances of secret vice and
licentiousness doubtless occur 3 and may, when diligently sought, be found-tLough not honorably
boasted of-by foreign visitors; but do these facts
justify the assertion of a general and utter depravity?
and do they forfeit the claim of the nation to the
epithet, pure morals and genuine piety of a Christian
people? As well might the traveller, in visiting New
York or London, because he has suffered from a thief,
or discovers a haunt of debauchery, gravely state in
his journal, that there is not an honest man, or a virtuous woman in the United States, or in Great Britain-an assertion which I have heard made of the
Society Islands —and that the state of the one na



56      CONTRAST BETWEEN THEIR


tion is worse than in the time of the druids, and of
the other, than when the red man alone prowled- in
her forests.
Such a presentation of the state of this people, can
arise only from gross ignorance of their original condition, and from a very limited personal experience
of the high happiness connected with the moral
habits and spiritual affections of sincere piety,
What were the characteristics, I would ask,-not
now discoverable in the islanders-to be seen when
they were in a state of heathenism? Only such, as
would be exhibited in connection with facts. such as
the following-facts to which I have, at the Sandwich
Islands, when they were in a similar condition, myself
been an eye-witness. A vessel would scarce have
dropped her anchor, before she would have been surrounded and boarded, by crowds of hooting and shouting savages-men and women, almost, if not entirely,
in the nakedness of nature, testifying their joy in a
prospect of gain from the visitor, by every variety of
rude noise and levity: and this only in prelude to a
licentiousness of intercourse, extending frequently
from the cabin to the forecastle, too gross to be named,
while pilfering, and dishonesty in every form,-filth,
vermin, and disease followed in the train.  Such
would be the exhibitions on ship board-and what
would be the character of those on shore?
No neatly whitened European cottage would meet
the view, beneath the foliage of their groves, nor lofty
temple invite the admiration of the eye, while it
raised the thoughts to heaven; the hum  of no
thriving school would come like music on the intel



FORMER AND PRESENT CONDITION.


57


ligent ear, nor the hymn of devotion be heard floating on the breeze: but the putridity of a corpse,
lying in cruel sacrifice before an idol of wood or
stone, would direct to the altar of their gods, while
the shouts and wild sounds of the song and dance,
and the beating of drums, would proclaim a scene of
revelry and-sin. 
And, could the veil be removed from all the iniquity of the system under which they dwelt, besides
the terrors of superstition, by which they were burdened, and the many goading evils, arising from a
slavery both of mind and soul, abominations would
be disclosed against which the eye would revolt in
involuntary disgust-while the shrieks of victims
torn from their midnight slumbers to be hurried to a
terrific death, and the plaintive moanings of infants,
writhing in the agonies of dissolution, beneath the
murderous grasp of an inhuman parent, would
" Wake the nerve where agonies are born,"
and fill the soul with a horror, not readily to be forgotten!


6*




ti:r


i




THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.




e
I I




SANDWICH ISLANDS.


LETTER I.
ARRIVAL AT THE ISLAND OF HAWAII.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, oft Hawaii,
October 2d, 1829. 
AFTER a passage of eighteen days from Raiateaincluding four of a dead calm, previously to taking
the northeast trade wind-yesterday afternoon, at
5 o'clock, "land ho!" was called from  the mast
head.
I had been anxiously gazing, for an hour, from
one of the quarter-boats, at a mass of clouds and
mist on our lee-bow, expecting the outline of Hawaii
momentarily to make its appearance.   First rate
chronometers, accurate sights, and nice calculations,
enable us to judge very closely of the time of making
land: and -the sailing master having said, at 12
o'clock, that we should see the island between 3 and
5, we were almost certain that such would be the
fact.
Before the call from aloft was made, my eyes had
been fixed for some minutes, on what I believed to
be the summit of MOUNAKEA; but I dared not assert it, lest I might be deceived: I was correct, however, though a thick haze prevented any more dis



62


FIRST SIGHT


tinct sight of it. The southeast point, in the neighborhood of Kearakomo, was the only part clearly in
view before dark, and that at a distance of forty or
fifty miles.
Captain Finch did not fully determine, until a
short time since, whether he would run on directly
to Maui to-night, or lie to, and send a boat into
Byron's bay in the morning. Much to my satisfaction, and indeed principally on my account, he has
made up his mind to look in upon Hido: and thus
to give me the interview of an hour, with those of
our missionary friends who may be at that station,
and, at the same time, an opportunity of learning the
general news of the nations, before proceeding to
Oahu.
Our-voyage from the Society Islands has seemed
long, and most tedious to me, notwithstanding its
having, in reality, been short. A near approach to
this group has necessarily given rise to many feelings and associations, both of joy and of pain; and,
for the last few days, especially during and since the
calm to which.we were subjected, I have been as
restless and feverish in mind, as a child on the point
of realizing some long promised and eagerly anticipated delight; and have been incapable of confining
my attention for an hour to any one subject. Such
utter uncertainty hangs over the scenes immediately
before me, that I find myself harassed by an exciting
and painful impatience, when I ought to be under
the exercise only of emotions of gratitude and joy,
for the kind protection of God, in permitting me to
reach this " desired haven" in health and safety.




O  HAWAII.                         6


63


As you, my dear H —, will readily believe, I
was on deck this morning by day-break, in anticipation of a sunrise view of the land and mountains,
as splendid and impressive as that with which we
were favored, when under similar circumstances, on
board the Thames in 1823-But I was disappointed:
instead of the rich and mellow tints of a fine morning in the tropics, I found a beclouded sky with occasional strong puffs of wind and dashes of rain,
while an impenetrable curtain of mist entirely cut off
a sight of the land. By 7 o'clock, however, the
rain had ceased-the clouds began to gather round
the. mountains, and the mist over the lowlands, retreating before the sun, left the wide districts of Puna
and Hido, with their extensive forests and gradually
ascending open grounds, in all their rich verdure and
freshness in full view. We were then directly off
Kapoho,the east point of the island-twenty-five or
thirty miles south of Byron's Bay-and within
twelve or fifteen miles of the shore.
For the last two hours, we have been running
along the coast, which momentarily increases in
richness. I am happy, that the ship's company thus
have an opportunity of seeing this section of the
country, so widely different from every thing on the
leeward sides. Hawaii is, without hesitation, pronounced by them the finest and most important island we have yet seen: and evidently rich in its capacities for improvement.
We are now so near the entrance of the bay, that
orders are given for two boats to be in readiness for
lowering-one to carry me to the mission house, and




64


LAND IN A SMALL BOAT.


the other to enable the sailing master to take a view
of the harbor, that we may have it in our power to
speak from observation of its advantages and disadvantages. I must, therefore, drop my pen-only to
resume it, I trust, with good news from " a far cuntry."
LETTER II.
VISIT ON SHORE, AND DESCRIPTION OP THE SCENERY,
Mission House, at Byron's Bay, 
O.ctober 3d, 1829.
You will be as much surprised, dear H-, at
the place of my present date, as I am at the opportunity I enjoy of making it.  When I wrote yesterday
morning, I little thought of spending the night under
this roof: but such I am most happy and thankful
to say is the fact.
At 11 o'clock I left the ship, in the captain's gig,
accompanied by Lieutenant Dornin, and Midshipmen Huntt and Wurts: Lieutenant Lardner, the
Master, and Midshipmen Maury, going in the third
cutter. A tremendous swell was setting towards the
land, and it was almost as much as one's life was
worth, to attempt getting into the boats, as they rose
and fell, apparently ten or twelve feet, with every returning billow. We got off safely however, and as
the sea did not break, did very well, with the excep



RECEPTION BY MR. GOODRICH.        65
tioa of the long pull to the bottom of the bay. The
ship was farther off the land than we thought-not
less than eight or nine miles, and it was half past
12 o'clock, before we got int6othe harbor.
Animmense thatchedbuilding, beautifullyfinished,
on the western side of the bay, near the rivet of Wairuku, I rightly judged to be the chapel; and we
steered for it, knowing that the mission house would
be found near. While still a considerable distance
from the beach, I recognized Mr. Goodrich among a
crowd of natives, beckoning us to the best spot for
landing. Shortly afterwards, our boat touched the
Hawaiian shore —a thousand varied thoughts and
emotions rushed upon my mind and heart, and I was
incapable of lifting up my head, lest I should betray
what might be interpreted into a weakness by my
companions, till I found myself in the strong grasp
of a missionary friend and brother. Our meeting
was the more impressive and affecting to Mr. Goodrich, from its being entirely unexpected. He had
had no further intimation of my proposed visit, than
that of having heard of my appointment in the
naval service, and of the possibility of my visiting
the islands, at some future period.
After introducing my fellow-officers, a few minutes
walk inland, brought us to the mission house, where
I was happy to meet MrS.. Goodrich and two little
daughters, in good health. Mr. Goodrich is at pWisent without an associate.
The captain had felt it necessary to limit our stay
on shore to half an hour; and consequently all was
hurry and excitement-a hundred things to learn,
VOL. II.            7




66      GARDEN AT THE MISSION HOUSE.
a hundred things to tell, and a hundred things to
see. After ascertaining that all the missionaries were
well, every thing in a most promising and prosperous
state, and a great deal else of gratifying intelligence,
we took aturn in the garden, where there is much to
admire in the variety and luxuriance of the productions of this part of the islands.
The location of the mission ground is much mole
eligible and delightful than when you were here in
1825; commanding fine views of the harbor, ocean,
and surrounding shores, ornamented and shaded by
clumps of the bread-fruit, and possessing a soil of
almost unequalled richness. Every thing except the
bread-fruit within the inclosure, is the growth of
little more than two years. Yet, besides fine liedges
of a native tree very similar in appearance to the
mountain ash, of the ti-draclna-damask rose,
and cape gooseberry, there- are many fine coffee
plants, covered with berries of an uncommonly large
size, exhibiting a vigor and rankness unequalled by
any I saw at Rio de Janiero, a fine vineyard, with
vines trained into arbors; tamarind, fig, lime,
lemon, orange, and mango trees, strawberries, &c.
&c. In the shrubbery, I observed the pride of Barbadoes-cesalpinia coriaria-the seeds of which I
believe I brought to the island, thriving finely; and
by its rich blossoms of crimson and orange, imparting
an air of gaiety to every thing near. The strawberry bed too, is from seeds sent to me, and received
after our return to America.
The news of my arrival spread rapidly among the
people; and the house soon began to be thronged




GREETINGS OF THE ISLANDERS.


67'


with those, who had a recollection of me, but whom,
principally,- I had forgotten. Many of them. shed
tears, as they embraced and kissed my hands, or
sank at my feet, manifesting a degree of sensibility
and affection-considering  their slight personal
knowledge of me —that was surprising, till informed
of the happy fact, that a period of deep seriousness
and religious feeling has long existed at this place,
and that many of thesp are still under the influence
of the lively affections of recent conversion: of a
conversion not only from the follies and sins of a
worldly life, but from theignorance, superstition, and
prejudices of, heathenism, to the love and services of
true piety.
There were those in the number, however, whom
you and I, not only know, but never can forget —
particularly Bartimeus, our blind friend of Lahaina,
and John Honorii. They both reside at this station,
as assistants to Mr. Goodrich. Many and repeated
kind-inquiries from them and others were made concerning yourself and children: and- "aroha ino
rakou," " great affection for them," repeatedly
burst from their lips.
Our limited half hour was gone before we seemed
to have been fifteen minutes on shore: and we felt
ourselves obliged even to decline the refreshments
which Mrs. Goodrich had kindly prepared, and to
take a hasty leave. The hope, that by some means,
I might see them again, before the Vincennes should
bid a final adieu.to the islands, prevented the feeling
that I was bidding them farewell; and I was therefore saved an unnecessary sorrow.




68          ENTRANCE TO THE BAY,
After a hard row of two hours, we gained the ship 
and as soon as the boats were secured, stood away, as
we thought, for Maui. But the wind had already
become light and baffling. A heavy swell and current
were setting us within the points forming the bay,
and our prospects of making much progress for the
night were very uncertain: so much so, that after a
moment's debate, to my surprise, but equally to my
satisfaction, the captain determined upon running
into the harbor, before the land breeze should come
off; and by spreading a mountain of light sail, we
were gently fanned in; and by five o'clock were
snugly at anchor abreast of the river and waterfall,
and of course in the immediate vicinity of this place.
Mr. Goodrich, perceiving our design, boarded us in
his canoe, in time to point out the best anchorage
for a vessel of our class.
As we entered the bay, the rays of the declining
sun gleamed brightly over the wide extent of open
campaign country, distinguishing this part of Hawaii from that of every other island in the Pacific I
have yet visited-presenting its broad lawns and
dark groves, in lights and shades of exquisite beauty,
and in every variety of verdure, from that which
seemed almost white to the deepest green.
From the lofty, but primitive looking chapel, as a
centre, the humble dwelling of the fisherman and
the farmer were seen, widely scattered in every direction; some skirting the beach, as it swept round in
the beautiful curvature forming the bottom of the
bay; some hanging on the cliffs of the bolder shores;
some just peeping from the thick foliage of a grove




AND SURROUNDING SCENERY.


69


more inland, or slightly screened by the shade of a
small clump or single tree; and some, again, standing unsheltered and alone, in the midst of a wide
spreading field. Such was the foreground; while
behind, an extensive country, marked in two or three
places by old, long extinguished, and now verdant
craters-rose gradually for miles, to the stately forests
enriching the broad bases of Mounaroa and Mounakea, both in distinct view-the first appearing far in
the south, above and beyond a line of green forests,
in one long, regular, and distant arch of blue-the
last, seemingly near, towering loftily against the
western sky, in irregular and broken summits of
gigantic magnitude.  The admiration of all on
board was greatly excited by the scene. I thought,
myself, I had scarce ever gazed on one of simple
nature more rich and lovely: and we all rejoiced to
be informed, from the captain, that being now at
anchor, the Vincennes would remain at least a week
or ten days, before proceeding'to the leeward.
I early took leave of the ship, to spend the evening and night on shore, and kept my friends from
their rest long beyond their accustomed hour.
As is almost invariably the case in this district,
heavy showers of rain fell during the latter part of
the night and morning, and every thing without became so perfectly drenched, that I was kept within
doors till a late hour. I felt no disposition, however,
to complain of the cause, for the pattering of the
rain on the thatch of the roof and sides of the house,




70


SCENE ON THE


proved a lulaby so soothing, as to make my repose
of the kind, that
"delights
Abcve the luxury of common sleep."
LETTER     III.
A WORSHIPING ASSEMBLY AT HIDO.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's Bay,
October 4th, 1829.  f
THE scenes of the sabbath have been such, dear
H-, that a review of them, in my own mind, will
not be an abuse of sacred time-nor will their perusal
give rise to thoughts and affections unsuited to a day
of God.
At an early hour of the morning; even before we
had taken our breakfast on board ship, a single islander here or there, or a group of three or four,
wrapped in their large mantles of various hues, might
be seen winding their way among the groves, fringing the bay on the east, or descending from the hills
and ravine on the north, towards the chapel; and by
degrees their numbers increased, till, in a short time,
every path along the beach and over the uplands,
presented an almost uninterrupted procession of both
sexes and of every age, all pressing to the house of
God. So few canoes were round the ship yesterday,
and the landing place had been so little thronged, as




SABBATH MORNING.


71


our boats passed to and fro, that one might have
thought the district but thinly inhabited; but now,
such multitudes were seen gathering from various directions, that the exclamation, Cs What crowds of
people! what crowds of people!" was heard from
the quarter-deck to the forecastle.
Even to myself, it was a sight of surprise: surprise not at the magnitude of the population, but
that the object, for which they were evidently assembling, should bring together so great a multitude.
And as my thoughts re-echoed the words "what
crowds of people!" remembrances and affections of
deep power came over me; and the silent musings
of my heart were "what a change-what a happy
change!" When at this very place, only four years
ago, the known wishes and example of chiefs of high
authority, the daily persuasion of teachers, added to
motives of curiosity and novelty, could scarce induce
a hundred of the inhabitants to give an irregular,
careless, and impatient attendance on the services of
the sanctuary. But now,
"Like mountain torrents pouring to the main,
From every glen a living stream came forthFrom every hill in crowds they hastened down,
To worship him, who deigns in humblest fane,
On wildest shore, to meet the upright in heart."
The scene, as looked on from our ship, in the stillness of a brightly beaming sabbath morning, was
well calculated with its associations, to prepare the
mind for strong impressions on a nearer view, when
the conclusion of our own public worship should allow us to go on shore.  Mr. Goodrich had apprised
us, that he had found it expedient to hold the ser



72


ASPECT OF THE


vices of the sabbath, usually attended at all the other
stations at nine o'clock in the morning, and at four
in the afternoon, both in the forepart of the day,
that all might have the benefit of two sermons, and
still reach their abodes before nightfall. For,
--  -   "Numbers dwelt remote,
And first must traverse many a weary mile,
To reach the altar of the God they love."
And it was arranged, that, on this occasion, the
second service should be postponed, till the officers
should be at liberty to leave the ship. It was near
12 o'clock, when we went on shore; the captain and
1st lieut., the purser, surgeon, several of the midshipmen and myself. Though the services had commnenced when we landed, large numbers were seen
circling the doors without, but as we afterwards found,
only from the impracticability of obtaining places
within. The house is an immense structure, capable
of containing many thousands, every part of which
was filled, except a small area in front of the pulpit,
where seats were reserved for us, and to which we
made our way, in slow and tedious procession, from
the difficulty of finding a spot to place even our footsteps without treading on limbs of the people, seated
on their feet, as closely almost, as they could be
stowed.
As we entered, Mr. Goodrich paused in his sermon
till we should be seated. I ascended the pulpit beside him, from which I had a full view of the congregation. The suspense of attention in the people
was only momentary, notwithstanding the entire
novelty to them of the laced coats, cocked hats, and




'CONGREGATIM ON"7


73


other appendages of naval uniform. I can scarce
describe the emotions experienced, in glancing an
eye over the immense number, seated so thickly on
the matted floor as to seem literally one mass of
heads, covering an area of more than nine thousand
square feet. The sight was most striking, and soon
became, not only to myself, but to some of my fellowofficers, deeply affecting.
I have gazed on many worshiping assemblies,
and of every variety of character, from those formed
of the high and the princely-with a splendor and
pageantry of train befitting the magnificence of the
cathedrals in which they bowed-to the humblest
f'two or three " who ever came together at a place
"where prayer is wont to be made."  I have listened with delighted attention to some of the highest
eloquence, the pulpits of America and England of
the present day can boast, and have watched with
sympathetic excitement the effect produced by it, till
all who heard were wrapt into an enthusiasm  of
high toned feeling, at the sublimity of the theme
presented. I have seen tears of conviction and of
penitence flow freely even to the seeming breaking
of the heart, under the sterner truths of the word of
God: and not unfrequently too, have witnessed, as
the annunciation of "Peace-be of good cheer, thy
sins are forgiven thee," has fallen on the soul, smiles
of hope and joy, such as would adorn an angel's
brow, rapidly take their place. But it was left for a
worshiping assembly at Hido, the most obscure corner of these distant islands, to excite the liveliest
emotions ever experienced, and leave the deepest im



74


EVIDENCES OF THE


pressions of the extent and unsearchable riches of
the gospel, which I have ever known-emotions
and impressions derived simply from an ocular demonstration of the power of the word of God on
untutored man, which is without a parallel in existing events, if not in the records of history.
It seemed, even while I gazed, that the majesty of
that power might be seen rising and erecting to itself
a throne, permanent as glorious, in the hearts of
these, but late utterly benighted and deeply polluted
people. And when I compared them, as they had
once been known to me, and as they now appeared,
the change seemed the effect of a mandate scarce
less mighty in its power, or speedy in its result, than
that exhibited when it was said " Let there be
light!"-" and there was light!"
The depth of the impression arose from the irresistible conviction that the SPIRIT OF GOD was
there: it could have been nothing else. With the
exception of the inferior chiefs having charge of the
district, and their dependants, of two or three native
members of the church and of the mission family,
scarce one of the whole multitude was in other than
the native dress-the maro and the kihei-the simple
garments of their primitive state. In this respect,
and in the attitude of sitting, the assembly was
purely pagan, totally unlike those of the Society
Islands already described-as unlike as to one at
home. But the breathless silence, the eager attention, the half suppressed sigh, the tear, the various
feeling, sad, peaceful, joyous-discoverable in the
faces of many-all spoke the presence of an invin




POWER OF THE GOSPEL.


75


sible but omnipotent power, the power that can alone
melt and renew the heart of man, even as it alone
first brought it into existence.
It was, in a word, a heathen congregation laying
hold on the hopes of eternity-a heathen congregation, fully sensible of the darkness and despair of
their original state, exulting in the first beams of
truth, and in the no uncertain dawning of the Sun
of Righteousness: thirsting after knowledge, even
while they sweetly drank of the waters of life; and
under the reviving and inspiring influence, by every
look, expressing the heartfelt truth-" Beautiful on
the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings; that bringeth good tidings of good, that
publisheth SALVATION!
From the thousands present, I might select many
individuals whose appearance was such as to stamp
these impressions indelibly on my heart. The aspect of one, at least, I can never forget: and will
attempt to describe. It was a diminutive old woman,
shrivelled by age till little more of her figure, with
an appearance of health, was left, than skin and
bone. The style of her features, however, was of
the regular and more pleasing character found
among the islanders, with an amiable and benignant
expression, which, in connexion with an entirely
whitened head, exacted from the observer a look of
kindness in return. Folded in a large mantle of
black tapa, she was leaning, when my eyes first fell
upon her, against a pillar near the pulpit, beside
which she was sitting, with her head inclined upwards and her eyes fixed upon the preacher. There




76   INTERESTING CASE OF ATTENTION


was not only a seriousness, but a deep pensiveness in
her whole aspect that riveted my attention: and as
Mr. Goodrich proceeded in his discourse, a tear was
seen occasionally to start in her eye, and more than
one made their way down her deeply wrinkled
cheeks, upon her mantle.
I had not, in my long absence, so entirely forgotten the native language, as not to understand much
that was said. After some time, this sentence was
uttered: " We are all sinners-but we have a God
and Saviour, who will forgive us our sins, if we ask
it of him. It is our duty to pray for this to Godand he hears the prayers of all who approach him in
sincerity."  I happened, at the moment, to look
again upon this object-her attitude and aspect were
the same, except that her lips moved in the evident
and almost audible repetition of the sentence. She
again repeated it, as if to be certain that she heard
and understood it correctly; and, as she did so, a
bright and peaceful smile spread over every featuretears gushed rapidly from her eyes, and she hid her
face in the folds of her garment. Could I be deceived in the interpretation of this case? Could I be
mistaken in the causes and the nature of those varied emotions, under the circumstances in which they
were beheld; and in one, of whom I had never
heard, and whom I had never before seen? No, I
could not: and if so-what is the language they
speak? They plainly say that this poor woman,
grown gray in the ignorance and varied degradation
of heathenism, by " the lamp let down from heaven"
sees herself to be a sinner, and is oppressed to sad



IN AN ELDERLY FEMALE.


77


ness and to sighing under a sense of her guilt. But
she hears of pardon and salvation, freely given, to
all who will freely receive hears of the glorious
liberty of the gospel, and of all the rich privileges it
confers, even to nigh access and intimate communion
with the Father of spirits-hears and believes, and
sinks before her God, in tears of gratitude and of
joy 
The simple appearance and every deportment of
that obscure congregation, whom I had once known,
and at no remote period, only as a set of rude, licentious, and wild pagans, did more to rivet the conviction of the divine origin of the Bible, and of the holy
influences by which it is accompanied to the hearts
of men, than all the arguments, and apologies, and
defences of Christianity I ever read.
Towards evening, Mr. Stribling and myself went
again on shore, and remained till late, learning from
our missionary friends the most gratifying intelligence, in corroboration of the opinion formed, in the
morning, of the state of the people. An entire moral
reformation has taken place in the vicinity of this
station. Though latest established and long far behind others in success and interest, it bids fair, now,
to be not a whit behind the very chiefest in its moral
and religious achievments.  Instruction of every
kind is eagerly and universally sought; and only last
week, not less than ten thousand people were assembled at an examination of schools. The missionhouse is daily crowded with earnest inquirers in
every right way; evil customs and atrocious vices
are abandoned; a strict outward conformity to good
VOL. II.            8




78


PREPARATIONS FOR


morals observed; and numbers, it is hoped and confidently believed, have yielded and are yielding themselves to all the sweet charities and pure affections of
genuine piety. From many an humble dwelling,
now
"Is daily heard
The voice of prayer and praise to Jacob's God:
And many a heart in secret heaves the sigh
To him who hears well pleased the sigh contrite.
Even in the hut of the child murderer,
"The father, with his offspring dear,
Now bends the knee to God and humbly asks
That he would bless them with a parent's loveWith heavenly manna feed their hungry souls
And on their hearts, as Hermon's dew, descend."
LETTER IV,
JOURNEY TO THE VOLCANO OF KIRAUEA, AND AN ACCOUNT
OF ITS PRESENT STATE.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's'Bay,
October 9th, 1829.  1
THE planning of a trip to the Volcano at the base
of the mountain Mounaroa, thirty-five miles inland
from this harbor, was a first subject of attention, after
being safely moored on Friday. A party, of which
you will not be surprised to hear that I made one,
was immediately formed; and Maaro, the head man
of the district engaged to furnish us with twenty




LEAVING THE SHIP.


79


stout men-of whom John Honorii was to be manager-to carry our provisions and luggage.
Accordingly, early on Monday morning, we were
found, in all the bustle of a hasty preparation for the
excursion; and, after a general overhauling of wardrobes for old hats, old coats, and old clothes of every
description, except old shoes, exhibited, on mustering
on the quarter-deck after breakfast, a party in costume as appropriate to a pedestrian journey at
Hawaii, as at variance, with the prescribed dress of
the service, on board ship. Our number was composed of lieutenants Dornin, Magruder, and Lardner, Purser Buchaian, the Surgeon, midshipmen
Bissell, Huntt, Melville, Wurts, and myself, with
one or two servants to take charge of various good
things, in chest and basket, and to keep under appetites, occasionally disposed, even in ordinary circumstances, to be rebellious.
By nine o'clock, we were all stowed in the first
cutter, which was to take us to Maaro's house, at the
fish-ponds, to meet the men hired of him; andy
shortly after, well pleased to be off, and full of hightoned spirits from the anticipated interest of our excursion, we waved farewell to those who, reluctantly,
stayed behind
' to walk the deck,
"And guard the ship from foe or wreck."
We soon, however, met with a damper to our
buoyancy, in a genuine Hido shower, which detained us a long time at Maaro's; and, by filling
everything in our way with water, effectually rendered the precaution we had taken against the mornI




80o


RESIDENCE OF KINAI,


ing wetness of the grass and bushes, in determining
not to start till after breakfast, of no avail. Before
eleven o'clock, all again was brightness; and, after
seeing our various luggage distributed among the
islanders, we set off. The whole route is so minutely, and, from second observation, I can confidently
add, so correctly described, in the published account
of our residence in this nation, that, in place of repetition, with the privilege of an author, I will say, see
" Stewart, on the Sandwich Islands."
We accomplished fourteen miles just after four
o'clock; and finding excellent accommodations for
the night, at that distance, determined to sleep before
proceeding farther.  The establishment-consisting
of three houses, situated a short distance from the
toad, on the borders of a fine tract of land, having
very much the appearance of a large plantation of
intermingled arable and meadow grounds at home,
and just at the edge of a fine forest running from the
sea to the interior-belongs to Kinai, the head man
of the thinly inhabited district of Ora. The master
and his family were absent, some thirty or forty
miles, superintending the cutting of sandal wood;
and a few domestics only were at home, in charge of
the houses.  These, however, received us very
kindly; and, at once, surrendered the principal habitation entirely to us-a kindness for which we were
sufficiently fatigued to be truly thankful.
Here we were quickly made sensible, that the improvements and advancement of the people are not
limited to the sea-ports or to the coast. The house
was divided into separate rooms by screens of native




HEAD MAN OF ORA.


81


cloth and mats, furnishing distinct sleeping places for
the inmates, besides one large and airy apartment,
evidently kept as a better and principal room. Into
this last we were shown; and a fine saloon at an
American hotel, had we been travelling where we
could have commanded it, would not have been so
great a luxury to us, as the neatness and evident
comfort of this, under the circumstances in which
we were.
The finer mats for the floor, were economically
rolled up against one side of the house, to save them
from injury in the absence of the chief; and other
derangement of the ordinary articles of use, was
observable from the same cause-so that we did not
see the establishment in its best state. Still, everything testified, in my-eyes, to a vast improvement in
the style of living, even among the inferior chiefs.
Among other evidences of advancement were the
few books, yet printed in the native tongue, well
bound and wrapped in covers of native cloth; and a
large slate, suspended against one of the partitions.
But that which our party, in general, hailed with
most pleasure: was a fine lounge or divan, eight or
ten feet in width, extending the whole length of the
apartment. It was composed of a great number of
thicknesses of mats, on a platform of wood, elevated
about two feet from the floor; and, surrounded by
curtains of neat furniture chintz, afforded a couch for
the whole of our number, which we might have
coveted under circumstances of much less fatigue.
Indeed the comfort of the accommodations-a refreshing cup of tea and a substantial supper-the no,
8*




A


82               ARRIVAL AT
velty of everything around-freedom from the confinement of the vessel, and with it, from the tedium
of the night-watch, &c. &c., gave such a flow to the
lively spirits of some of our younger companions, as
to make it a late hour, before we were composed to
quietude and to sleep.
Nothing of particular interest occurred the next
day, till we had arrived in the immediate vicinity of
the volcano. The smoke ascending from it was
discerned at a much greater distance-ten or twelve
miles-than on my former visit; and was so massive in its columns, as to promise a high state of action. I regretted to ascertain, that the only hut now
standing, in which we could find shelter, was at a
different place from that which we had occupied in
1825; and that, in going to it, we should approach
the crater in a different, and less striking manner. I
was wishing to have all my first impressions and
emotions renewed: and, in the disappointment,
almost lost the wildness and beauty of the more
gradual descent of the precipices, which we were
making, by a path which branched off from the old
one, just as we were coming upon them. The nearness of night, and a threatening of rain, however,
left me no alternative-and I hastened on with my
companions, to catch a first view, under whatever
advantages the new approach might offer.
Our arrival was more sudden than I had expected
it to be. I had been looking for some more abrupt
descent than any we had yet made, and was straining my eyes into the vast body of thick and heated
smoke-rising high to heaven and spreading widely




THE CRATER.


83


over the whole hemisphere to the south-for at least
a glimpse of the tremendous gulf from whence it issued, when, scarce without warning, we found ourselves entering heavy currents of steam, rising rapidly from crevices and deep fissures about our path,
and extending, at intervals, on one side, to the smoke
from the crater, and on the other, to a low precipice,
flanking our right. This, on turning towards it,
was seen itself, in many places, even to its very
top, to smoke like a coal-kiln. The whole surface of
the level on which we were-a plain a mile in length
and half a mile in breadth, inclosed on the edge of
the crater by a sweep of the precipice-exhibited, in
a greater or less degree, the same evidences of wide
spread subterranean burnings.
The trade-wind blew freshly, and swept the dense
steam and highly heated air, bursting from the
ground, in strong currents and whirling eddies across
our path; and, at the same time, bore before it above,
a thick and gloomy scud from the sea, flying so low
as to brush swiftly through the trees on the top of the
precipice, and, at times, to be scarce above our heads.
Everything wore a foreboding and saddening aspect:
and, whatever I felt I had lost in a clear and distant
view-like that enjoyed when with Lord Byron-the
sight of the hut, which was to be our sleeping place,
still far ahead, and, seemingly, in the midst of these
admonitory signs of a dangerous substratum, gave
rise to a sense of exposure, and to apprehensions, not
experienced on the former occasion.
The rude lodge we were to occupy, open in front,
and only slightly thatched on the side next the wind,




84


EVENING SCENE


stands two or three hundred yards from the edge of
the crater on the north end, but does not command
aview below; we, therefore, scarce stopped at it, but
with impatient eagerness, hurried to the brink. It
was, however, only to meet with disappointment:
the smoke, in the whole chasm, was so dense as to
be utterly impenetrable-a flickering flame, here and
there, was only occasionally to be seen through its
thickness; and, now and then, a sudden flash,
sending an illuminated column high towards the
summit. Still the sight was deeply impressive.  It
was evident that the perpendicular depth, from our
very footsteps down, was tremendous, and seemingly
unfathomable; and the obscure outline of the upper
edges, sweeping off on either hand till lost to the eye
in the smoke, gave an impression of awful immensity, disposing one to shrink back from the proximity
already adventured.
Another cause of disappointment, was the absence
of those terrific noises, which on my first visit, were
constantly bursting upon the ear: now scarce a sound
was to be heard, except the rushing of the wind, as
it swept over the edges of the cliffs, to the more rarified atmosphere within-unless it were an occasional
indistinct sigh-a half smothered murmur or wheeze
-and now and then, as a lull or eddy of the wind
rendered the hearing from that direction more distinct, the hiss of escaping steam, and something
like the simmer and the bubbling of a mighty cauldron, mingled with the distant sound of a surf, rolling on a pebbly beach..




AND LODGINGS.


85


There was in this assemblage of images-in the
lowery sky and driving wind-in the riven and
steaming ground-in the heavy masses of smoke
rising from the hedious chasm beneath, as if from a
bottomless pit-and in the oppressive and saddening
sounds occasionally coming to the ear-that, which
was well suited to the recollection of years gone
by, and of friends afar, who had once shared with
me in the enthusiasm of high wrought admiration,
excited by the same object. And, in the indulgence of
- a mood of mind we all have known,"
thus induced by circumstances and by scene, I
lingered on the brink till completely chilled, by the
increasing freshness and dampness of the breeze.
The rude hut, or rather screen against the windconsisting of poles propt in a slanting position, and
covered on one side only with a few leaves of the
sugar cane, and bushes slightly placed upon themwe thought for a time very comfortable, and wisely
located as to temperature; being on a spot of ground
of such grateful heat, compared with the rawness of
the mountain air, as to lead us to congratulate ourselves in the advantage it afforded, as we sat on our
various packages in front, and partook of our evening
repast, within a foot of a crevice, from which steam
issued of such power as to cook our potatoes, in a
short time, without the aid of fire. But when we
came to take possession of the mats, strewn inside of
it for beds, we found ourselves in quarters considerably hotter-than those, in which, Coleman the poet
puts his lodger over the bake/ shop. You will
scarce believe, that we all slept on a temperature of




86


CRATER AT MIDNIGHT.


120~ Farenheit-but such is the fact: and it was
well the air above was as low as 56~ or 60~, so that
by frequent turnings, we could let one side cool, while
the other was cooking, or we should have been wellnigh parboiled by morning. There was no alternate however-it was the only shelter-and as there
were dashes of rain through the night, it would have
been almost death to have slept, in the open air, on
any cooler bed. We, therefore, made the best of the
necessity; and after many a twist and toss of restlessness, an occasional groan of impatience, and not
a few forebodings, from one part of our bower or another, that we should be steamed to skeletons before
morning, we made out a tolerable night's rest; and
were quite in good humour with our dormitory, to
find, on rising, that the continued vapor bath had
dissipated, almost entirely, the stiffness of limb which
most of us had suffered, from the length and rapidity
of our walk.
I rose at midnight, and went to the crater. The
steam from above was still driving, in thick volumes,
over the cliffs; and with the smoke from below, rendered every thing obscure; but various seats of fire,
in tremendous action, sent up flashes of light through
the dimness, to the highest clouds, and, at times,
converted the whole body of smoke into one lurid
mass. Some of the spots, apparently most liquid
and most agitated, were immediately below the place
where I stood; and, now and then, fiery streams in
them, circling widely and swiftly in different directions, glared on the eye, in all the regularity and brilliancy of the lamps of an orchestra. But as these




MORNING WALK.


87


exhibitions were but fitful and obscure, compared
with what I had on a former occasion beheld, and
the wind bleak and piercing, I was glad to make a
hasty and shivering return, to the warmth of my
couch.
The morning was bright and beautiful, affording
us-with a sky as purely blue as any ever looked on
-splendid views in purple of Mounaroa, seemingly
close at hand, and of Mounakea far behind us in the
distance. I was at the crater again, before sunrise;
and followed its brink a half mile and more westward, with an opportunity of distinguishing, for the
first time, its characteristic features. But the light of
the day had extinguished the fires-where, in the
night, the principal action, had been, nothing could
now be discerned but smokinglakes, or black cones,
tipped with pale, sulphureous flames.
Having reachedtthe spot, where the low precipice
inclosing the level on which the hut stands terminates at the crater, I took a path crossing it towards
the forests, lying between the volcano and Mounaroa.
Mr. Magruder and Mr. Lardner had gone in the
same direction with their fowling pieces, in search of
wild ducks, for a more sumptuous dinner than we
could otherwise command. I joined them; and on
the way, we fed luxuriously on the whortleberries of
Pele-which covered the whole surface of the ground,
in rich clusters of the finest size, dripping with
the rain of the night-not knowing how much
more delicate a repast there was in reserve for us,
beyond the rising ground over which we were walking, in an abundance of delightful strawberries.




88    SINGULAR PROVISION OF WATER.


These are found, principally, in an open meadowlike place, skirting a wood qf noble trees of the
eugenia and acacia.
In returning, we passed by the pools, furnishing
visitors with the only water in the vicinity. Its preparation is a kind provision, not only for the weary
traveller, as he occasionally crosses the island at this
wonderful place, but for the fowls of the air, who,
at most times, find security in the regions around-I
say preparation, for the provision, though natural,
is strictly such; and one of the most singular in the
world. It is by the condensation of steam, escaping
from holes and crevices in the ground, immediately
to the windward of a bed of earth and lava so hard
and compact, as to be impervious to water, and into
excavations and natural basins, of which the drops,
formed by the effect of the cold wind upon the vapor,
fall, and furnish a constant supply of the purest
water. I looked with admiration, on the simple process ever taking place, and thought with wonder and
gratitude of the wisdom and goodness of the Almighty, often displayed in the economy of nature,
in which circumstances seemingly small and unimportant, are not only highly condusive to the comfort, but vitally essential to the well being of his creatures. Well indeed may it be said, that "His WORKS
DO PRAISE HIM."
Soon after breakfast we began to prepare for a
descent below; and, before long, were all marshalled
and equipt with long canes, water flasks, &c., for the
undertaking.  Directly in front of our sleeping
place, and entirely round the western side, the descent




DESCENT OF THE FIRST CLIFF.


89


to the ledge, or offset, is a perpendicular wall of nine
hundred feet; we, therefore, went some quarter or
half mile to the east, by the direction of our attendants, many of whom had, within the last two or
three years, been here with several successive parties.
On coning to the path leading down, I was quite surprised to find the commencement of it so different
from that of my former descent. Indeed, I did not
know, till then, that any part within the upper circumference, presented such an aspect-at a single
view, affording the most conclusive proof of the kind
of process going on, in the undermining of the surrounding mountain; and of the manner in which the
enormous fires beneath are fed, when oldm.asses of
matter upon which they have been acting, become
utterly reduced to scoria and ashes.
After an almost perpendicular descent of eighty
or a hundred feet,rin accomplishing which, we,
at times, hung from rock to rock,-the path came
upon an extent of ground, half a mile in length and a
quarter broad, broken into abrupt hills and deep glens,
and covered with grass, shrubbery, and small trees.
The whole declines gradually, several hundred feet
towards the crater, and constitutes a little valley, separated from it, by a succession of barren hills, of volcanic rock and sand. It had evidently been shattered into its present forms, and sunk from the
level above, at no very remote period, in some convulsion,, after its foundations had been sapped by
the element still raging beneath. And it is not improbable, that, even now, the whole is suspended on
some comparatively slender base, till another throe
VOL. II.             9




90


GLEN WITHIN THE CRATER.


shall open for it a descent into a fiery abyss, to be
converted, in its turn, into a mass of liquid fire.
The scenery, here, was strikingly unique and romantic.; consisting, above and behind us, of the bare
and perpendicular face of rocks, from which this
section had been rent as it came down; and of a succession of miniature mountains and ravines, thrown
in to every wild form, and still beautifullyverdantwith
various growth. The path winding over and through
these-though plain and seemingly safe -is in truth,
the most dangerous that I have met, in the whole region. In many places, the bushes and grass skirting
it) either partially or entirely conceal, the most horrible
pits and fissures, into which, almost without knowing
it, a single false step, or a slip, might plunge one to be
heard of no more. In several instances, when least
dreaming of danger, I have come upon some of these,
with a suddenness and want of caution, that have
made my blood curdle, as I ventured a gaze, into their
yawning and unfathomable mouths. Once, in particular, the first intimation I had of being near any
thing of the kind, was the heat against my face, of
the steam issuing from it; my feet being already
on the very brink; it was sufficiently large to admit the stoutest man entire; of a depth to which the
eye could not reach; and filled with vapor scalding
hot! To have fallen into it must have been instant
and irrecoverable destruction. In another place the
path led over a crack-to all appearance without bottom, several feet in width, and extending on either
hand as far as we could distinguish-by a single narrow arch of a foot's breadth only, in the manner of a




CHANGES ON THE LEDGE.


91


natural bridge, from which to have stepped, would
have been for eternity!
After traversing this singularly-located glen, we
found ourselves still four or five hundred feet above
the ledge, within the crater: and the descent to it, very
abrupt and difficult, from the hardness and smoothness of the lava of which chiefly it is constituted.
In many places, large streams of no very ancient
date-since they cooled and hardened in their running form-marked the sides of the cliff; and by a
principal one of these, resembling a cascade still pouring down the face of the hill, most of our party, in
slow and necessarily cautious progress, reached the
offset, or natural gallery, running round the chasm.
Here the changes that have taken place since 1825,
first became striking. The general features were
much the same; but almost every spot, when looked
upon in detail, shows evidence of new and tremendous
action of fire, and of convulsion after convulsion, that
must have shaken every thing far and wide. The
greatest alteration, however, is that of which I had
been apprised-the filling up of the whole surface
below the ledge, at least two hundred feet. The depth
below this, was estimated by Lord Byron's party, at
five hundred feet-at present it cannot, on an average, be more than two hundred. Many of the
highest of the cones have, thus, been much reduced in
their loftiness; and many have entirely disappeared,
In all other respects, the general surface and aspect is
the same: though there is much more fire in the
north end than formerly, and the very route we took,




92


DESCENT TO


in crossing the bottom at that time, is now a chain
of liquid lakes, from one side to the other.
My first walk on the ledge was westward-the
same direction I went when with Lord Byron-but
I had not proceeded half the length of the northern
side, before the way was interrupted bya sulphur cone,
which has risen on the ledge; and which was surrounded by such a suffocating vapor, as to prevent
passing. I therefore returned to my companions,
who were busily employed, in gathering curious specimens of a variety of kinds, till I should return to
accompany them down the remaining distance to the
bottom.
By the rising of the lava, the difficulty of making
the descent is, in a great degree, done away in those
places where it was ever practicable; and it occupied
but a few moments to go down. The surface is
more broken and distorted than ever; and presents a
truly hideous mass of ruins. There being much
more fire at the north end, than in 1825, the currents
of heated and gaseous air, are more numerous, and
more strongly impregnated; and, consequently, an
examination more hazardous. Our number became
divided into separate parties-one of which went far
into the middle of the northern section, and believe
themselves to have been at the very edge of the
largest lake, seen in powerful action the night before.
The specimens of sulphur, collected from its border,
are of the finest and most beautiful kind, but so recently formed and so delicate, as to be very difficult
of preservation.




THE BOTTOM.


93


In the course of the two or three hours, we were
ht the bottom, we visited four cones —all the centres
of great activity in the fires. The first was almost
encrusted with sulphur; and could be approached
only on the windward side, from the heat and suffocating vapor in every other direction. This was only
a few feet high; and we got near enough to touch
the sides and top with our canes. Though smoke and
steam were projecting from its top with great force,
and considerable noise, we perceived no flame or liquid lava: but the roaring of mighty fires below
were distinctly heard; and, at a nearness,that marked
with temerity the adventure, that brought us within
the hearing of its undulating, and deeply menacing
sounds.
The eager curiosity, however, which rendered us
in a degree insensible to the hazards of our situation,
was afterwards more completely gratified, in a visit
to two others, much more lofty and unique, and altogether more imposing in their state and aspect.
They were situated a mile farther south, along the
eastern side; and our attention was called to them by
the loud hissing and laborious action of steam, and
by the flames which, oc asionally, flashed from their
summits. They were in the neighborhood of each
other-each about twenty feet in height, not more
than sixty in circumference at the base, and tapering almost to a point at the top-being in fact two
immense, hollow columns, formed by successive slight
overflowings of lava, cooling as it rolled down, into
irregular flutings, ornamented with rude drops and
pendants, and long, tapering stalactites.
9%




94


EXAMINATION


The nearness of our approach, and the examination
of these were greatly exciting. Though the ragings
beneath must have been intense-from the tremendous roar within, the irresistible force and deafening
hiss, with which the steam rushed from every opening, and from the flames which flashed up, followed
by lava white with an intensity of heat-still
the incrustation of scoria immediately around,
seemed firm, and was less hot, than in many other
places: admitting, not only of our coming close to
the sides of the cone, but also of clambering some
feet up them, till we could run our canes into the
orifices at the top, and withdraw, with their burning
ends, red hot lava, on which we readily made impressions, with pencil cases and naval buttons.
Pele did not seem well pleased with this familiarity,
however-even the slightest touch with our sticks
against the molten lava, produced an increased rush
and roar from below, with an angry spitting of the
fiery matter high in the air around us; and, more
than once, we retreated hastily to a more respectful
distance, anticipating from the ill-natured mutterings
and menacing struggles of her ladyship, to see a
burning stream roll forth to put an effectual barrier
to such close inspection.
So much of novelty-so much of fearful sublimity
attracts the attention and calls for admiration, on
every side, that day after day, in place of a single
morning, would be insufficient to exhaust the points
of interest in this grand 'object: and we regretted
the necessity, that hunger, thirst, and fatigue im



OF TWO CONES. 


95


posed upon us, of taking leave of the depths to which
We had descended.
The ascent to our cabin, by the same path we
came, was toilsome in the extreme; and but for the
refreshment derived from the whortle-berries-after
having surmounted the first cliffs-we should have
been almost entirely overcome.
The first evening of our arrival from the bay,
while standing on the edge of the crater, a sudden
blast of wind brushed from my head a Leghorn hat,
which I had worn to shield my face, by its broad rim,
from the sun; and in an instant swept it out of sight
over the precipice, as was then supposed, beyond all recovery. But, while at dinner, after having reached the
hut, we were alarmed by the running of one of the
natives from the crater, calling, in great agitation, for
a rope, which had been used in lashing our provision
chest; and on hastily demanding what was the matter,
learned, that an islander, when below in the morning,
had caught a glimpse of it, lodged on the face of
the precipice over which it had been blown,; some
hundred or more feet below the summit; and, that
on coming up, he had gone over the brink, and by
a most frightful effort, had succeeded in gaining possession of it. After making his way back, however,
till within some twenty or thirty feet of the top, he
found it impossible to get farther; and was then
standing on a single projecting stone, in danger every
moment of losing his hold, and of being precipitated
to instant destruction, down a wall-faced cliff of at
least nine hundred feet!




96        TEMERITY AND DANGEROUS
We shuddered at the bare thought of what the
catastrophe might be-but seeing a sufficient num-'
ber of the natives collected, to render any assistance
practicable, we waited the event, in silent agitation;
not wishing to be exposed to the possibility of witnessing with our eyes, what might be too horrid to
relate. In a few moments we had the happiness to
perceive, from the general movement and appearance
of his companions, that the attempt at rescue hrad
been successful; and, shortly after, pale as deathtrembling like an aspen leaf- and covered with a
cold sweat, he came and laid the old Leghorn at my
feet!
The hat was not worth a moment of anxiety,
much less the exposure undergone; and, while I rewarded the intrepidity of the young man, I felt disposed to reprove the daring rashness that led to the
exhibition of it. None but the kindest and most
disinterested motives induced the attempt-a principal one, doubtless, being that of seeing me under the
necessity of resorting to a turban of silk handkerchiefs, to shield my head from a noonday sun-and
though alarming in its possible consequences, the motive merited commendation and grateful acknowledgment.
The remainder of the day was almost necessarily,
from the exhaustion of the morning, given to lounging and repose. As the darkness of the night closed
around us, however, we took a station in sight of the
crater, and, wrapped in our cloaks, sat in the fresh
wind on the precipice for an hour or more, catching
occasionally through the smoke, exhibitions of great




FEAT OF' AN ISLANDER.


97


beauty and sublimity. But there were none to prevent a feeling of disappointed expectation, on my
part, in comparison with the high gratification before
derived from the same object: and I returned to our
lodge with my companions, thinking that I must remain indebted to my first visit, for the sublimest impressions ever made on my mind and feelings, by a
work of nature.
In this, however, I was mistaken. After some
hours of sound sleep, I awoke; and perceiving the
smoke and clouds over the volcano to be splendidly
illuminated) hastened with a glass to a point of observation. A very sensible change had taken place
in the liveliness of the seats of fire-in the vividness
of the flashings of light —and in the sharpness and
force of the sounds from various parts. I had been
seated about ten minutes, fixing the field of the telescope on one and another of the cones, and on the
lakes and rivers of bright lava, with great delight,
when a sudden hissing and mingling of confused
sounds, accompanied by a brilliant glare of flames
almost directly beneath me, attracted my attention,
and led me to direct the glass to the spot. In doing
this, I was presented with a spectacle, which, even
imagination itself can scarce rival.
The power of the glass was such as to bring the
scene, seemingly, within touching distance; and to
make me involuntarily recoil, from the apparent
proximity to which I was brought by it. A lake, a
half mile or more in circumference-and probably
but just unclosed-was raging in all the tumult of a
tempest at sea. At first, the agitation was perpeadi



98


SUBLIME NIGHT SCENE.


cular-precisely that of a boiling cauldron-tossing
up masses of the red-hot matter, in a bubbling action,
fiften and twenty feet, with a rapidity of motion,
equal to that of the most heated boiler. Then came
a long, regular motion from the south, heaving before it a fiery surf, whose billows rose, and crested,
and broke, in sheets and spray of fire, like heavy
billows sweeping over a reef to the shore! The
effect was almost too fearful to be gazed on; and,
for a moment-in forgetfulness of the distance and
safety of my location-as billow after billow rose
higher and higher and seemed ready to dash over
me, with an exclamation of horror, I dropped the
glass and closed my eyes upon the sight.
I would have run for my fellow-travellers, but
feared, that before they could be roused and would
reach the spot, the aspect of the scene might be entirely altered. This indeed would have been the
case; for, in less than fifteen minutes, the agitation
had entirely ceased; and the surface soon became
less bright and fiery than that of many other spots.
I waited a long time, hoping to see it renewed, but in
vain: and then returned to my couch under an excitement of varied emotion, admiration, awe, and
deep humility, before the -majesty and power of the
Almighty in his works, never before experienced;
and repaid a hundred fold, by the scene, for all the
fatigue and exposure of the journey.
In the nearness and distinctness of the view, and
in the clear perception of the form, character, and
power of the action, it far surpassed any thing beheld on the nights I was there with Lord Byron



PEDESTRIANS IN A STORM.


99


though the general exhibitions, at that period, were
far more beautiful, and less obscured by smoke, than
during this visit.
Early on Thursday morning, our encampment
was in the bustle of preparation foi a return to the
bay: and breakfast was finished, and our long procession formed, by half past six oclock. The weather did not promise much in our favor. The clouds.
were low and scudding-every thing wore rather a
gloomy aspect-and we had scarce accomplished
three miles, before it began to rain; and in a short,
time, we found ourselves in a perfect storm. There
was no alternative, however but as rapid a march as
possible. With stiffened and swollen limbs and feet,
shoes very much the worse for service already performed, stores nearly expended, a driving rain in our
faces, and a walk of twenty miles to accomplish before we could reach a shelter, we did not feel much
disposed to be facetious; and formed rather a silent
and wo-begone procession, compared with the buoyancy, with which we had hurried over the same
ground, two days before.
Each one seemed to think, that the sooner he
brought his own precious body under cover, the better; and we made short work, to the residence of
Kinai, the petty chieftain of Ora. We were there
by 12 o'clock; and found his establishment tenfold
more welcome than before. All of us were drenched
with rain, and in a state greatly to relish the luxury
of a large fire, and a change of clothes, which our
portmanteaus still fortunately afforded. We should
have remained here all night, had there been no rain;




100


ARRIVAL AT THE BAY.


and therefore, the storm instead of being an annoyance, rather added to the cheerfulness of our spirits,
when screened from its power.
We were off early again in the morning; and
after a very fatiguing walk, from the wetness of the
path, and the excessively bad state in which we found
the road through the wood, reached Maaro's about
noon. An express had been sent ahead, with information of our approach, and a request for a boat to
be in waing for us-so that we were safely on board
the Vincennes in time for a dinner, fr wiich we
had long felt well-set appetites. Thus, dear H-,
you have the outline of a second excursion to the
habitation of PELE.
LETTER V.
CASCADE OF THE RAINBOW.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's Bay, '
October 10th, 1829. 
WE were to have sailed for Oahu, at 4 o'clock this
morning; but before our anchors were up, the land
breeze died away, and it became necessary to drop
them again. All hands were kept on board till after
dinner, in the hope that we might still be able to get
out of the harbor: but then, there being little prospect of this for the day, Captain Finch allowed a
party to go on shore, to be recalled in case of a change




RAMBLE ALONG THE WAIRUKU.


101


of wind, by the firing of a gun, and the hoisting of a
flag at the foremast head.
I did not regret the detention. There is one object worthy of notice, in the vicinity of the bay,
which I had not previously an opportunity of visiting-a waterfall in the Wairuku, two or three miles
above its mouth, calledby the natives, "ke Wai Anue
nue," "the Cascade of the Rainbow," from the
beautiful exhibition of that phenomenon, on the
spray created by it, whenever the sun is unshaded.
Mr. Goodrich had dined with us; and became the
guide to this spot of a party, consisting of LXutenant
Stribling, Midshipmen Irving, Smith, Rowan, Maury,
Taylor, Anthony, and myself. We landedatthe mouth
of the Wairuku, on the wild rocks forming its precipitous banks. This place has been a favorite resortof our
gentlemen; and the untiring feats of the islanders,
in throwing themselves from some of the highest of
the adjoining liffs-thirty, forty, and fifty feet-into
the basins below, and in gliding down the falls above
the watering-place, at the- seeming hazard of being
dashed to death, have daily afforded them  great
amusement.
The path to the curiosity we intended visiting, led us
along the top of the high banks and precipices edging
the ravine, through which the Wairuku —by a
gradually descending and winding course —rumbles
and foams over its rocky bed, from the mountains
fifteen or twenty miles inland, to the bay. A bright
and beautiful afternoon, after a clouded and dull
morning, added to the unexpected pleasure of another ramble over-these verdant and truly charming
VOL. II.            10




102


CIRCUMSTANCES OF


shores, and the gratifying thought of leaving nothing
of interest in the immediate neighborhood unseen,
imparted great vivacity to our company. I scarce
know when I have more enjoyed the freshness of the
land, the beauty of grass and flower, the twittering
of the birds, and the babblings of the mountain
stream, with varied other sources of delight both to
the eye and to the ear, connected with the landscape
around, than on this occasion.
When a mile on our way, we heard the pouring
of- a waterfall; and soon came in sight of one, extending like a mill-dam, in an unbroken ledge across
the stream. It is some sixteen or twenty feet in
height, and very similar in its general character, to
one or two of the most admired sections of the range
of cascades, forming the falls of the Canada creek,
at Trenton in the state of New York.
In many places the bed of the river is deep-apparently unfathomable; and at such parts especially,
the embankments are bold and abrupt-forty, sixty,
and a hundred feet high-and generally perpendicular. One of the loftiest and most precipitous,
just below the cascade to which we were going, was
regarded by us with particular interest, as designating
the scene of one of those tragic casualties, which,
unhappily, have thrown a melancholy, though perhaps not unprofitable association, over two or three
of the most celebrated resorts, of a similar kind, in
our own country.
Not long since, a young female, with some of
her companions, strolled up the banks of the river,
to gather flowers for the wreaths worn as orna



A FATAL CASUALTY.


103


ments of the head and neck. On reaching this
spot, a splendid cluster of the crimson blossoms
of the ohia leihua-a species of eugenia-cacght
her eye, on the branch of a tree hanging over the
precipice. Poising herself against a limb which she
thought secure, she stretched her hand after the
flower; when-in the act of seizing it-her support
suddenly gave way, and she was plunged to instant death, in the whirling eddies of the gulf
below! The young tree, flourishing gaily in the
splendor of its dark green foliage and rich blossoms,
still marks the fatal locality; and, as long as it remains, will doubtless recall to the islanders, the doom
of the youthful victim of vanity.
The principal object of our ramble surpassed, in novelty and beauty, every anticipation. It is decidedly
superior, in the variety of its points of interest, to any
other of the kind I have ever seen. It is also strikingly
unique. The projection of water is one hundred
and ten feet in height; and the offset, causing it, in
the view had of it from below, strictly a natural
bridge, spanning the basin, into which the water is
poured, in one broad arch, resting on either side upon
massive abutments of basaltic rock.  The arch,
however, instead of being open entirely through, is
the entrance of a deep recess or cavern, into the darkness and gloom of which the sight can scarce penetrate.
The basin beneath-a perfect circle of some hundred yards diameter-is as placid -as a lake, except
where the stream plunges into it from above, and
completely walled in, save at a single narrow outlet,




104    DESCRIPTION OF THE CASCADE


by precipices of rock a hundred and fifty feet or more
high, richly covered with moss, fern, and shrubbery.
An insulated, pyramidal peak, at the base of which
we stood, rises directly opposite to the cascade; its
formation, like that of the arch, being almost precisely that of the Giant's Causeway-possessing the
same distinctive characteristics in form, and in regularity of arrangement.
There was something so secluded in the location,
so wild in the outline, so rich and beautiful in the
foliage and clothing of the cliffs, and in the mantling
of their summits, so imposing in the rushing of the
stream-as it poured itself in a silvered mass, directly,
as it were, from the blue bosom of the sky, and then
plunged, in equal splendor, into the depthsbelow-that
we were irresistibly charmed with the whole scene;
and greatly regretted, that we should not have an opportunity of revisiting it for a day, in addition to
the single hour we could now remain.
There is another waterfall in the Wairuku, still
farther inland, which, Mr. Goodrich thinks, cannot
be less than three hundred feet in height. Indeed,
the numerous streams furrowing this section of Hawaii, from the mountains to the shore, are filled with
them; and the whole may appropriately be styled
' the region of cascades."
We returned to the bay, by a different path, from
that by which we went up. It led us directly to a
range of three old craters, in the rear of the mission
house, and half a mile from it. The highest and
largest is that next the bay; and, when viewed from
the water, partially conceals the others. Its trun



AND ADJOINING SCENERY.


105


cated summit, a half mile in circumference, rises three
or four hundred feet above the adjoining ground;
and is now, in every part, perfectly covered with turf.
The sides of the rims next the sea, are in all of them
the lowest; and show plainly, that when in action,
they disgorged themselves in that direction. Mr.
Goodrich has encircled the largest, with a broad,
deep ditch; and converted it into a pasturage for his
cattle, and for the horses of some of the chiefs, which
have been sent to Hido for keeping.
The tops of the craters command fine views of the
surrounding country; especially of the bay, in its entire outline-from  the blue and peaceful waters
of which, the Vincennes was now seen to rise, loftily
and beautifully, with her long pennant and broad
banner gleaming brightly, in the setting sun.
LETTER VI.
THE HEREDITARY AND LAST PRIESTESS Oi PELE.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's Bay,
October 12th, 1829.  I
ON our return from the cascade of the Rainbow,
Mr. Stribling and myself called at tile mission house,
and were, unexpectedly, gratified by an interview
with the hereditary and last PRIESTESS OF PELE.
In speaking of the volcano, Mr. Goodrich incidentally remarked, that this individual was now residing in the immediate neighborhood; and, at our
10*




106 PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF TBE PRIESTESS.


suggestion, sent a messenger to invite her over. She
almost immediately came, attended by her household, consisting of eight or ten individuals, male and
female. I should judge her to be forty or forty-five
years of age; a tall, finely formed, majestic woman,
wrapped in a large, black mantle of native cloth,
falling in thick folds like the Roman toga, from the
bust to the ground. We were much impressed with
her appearance, as she entered at the head of her
train, and, after receiving our salutations, became
seated on a mat in the centre of the apartment, in
the attitude of a Turkish female on a divan. The
style of her face is remarkably noble and commanding-indicative of strong traits of character-with
a full, piercing black eye, which I can readily imagine, might be fearfully intimidating to the superstitions, when flashing in the wildness of an imaginary inspiration. There was not only a deep seriousness, but a decided cast of melancholy in her
whole aspect, which reminded me, in connection
with the strongly marked and superior contour of
of her features, of a fine print of the tragic muse,
which I recollect to have seen.
Perhaps the impression on my mind was deepened, by the recollection of a rencontre, when
a resident of Lahaina, with an inferior priestess of
the same order, then still holding, or claiming the
prerogatives of her class. I unexpectedly met her
in an evening walk, followed by a considerable company; some, evidently under the influence of a superstitious feeling in reference to her; and others as
evidently disposed to deride her pretensions. She




INSTANCE OF AFFECTED INSPIRATION. 107
was dressed in a fantastic manner, with dishevelled
hair-her eyes flashing in a half-frenzy, from the
degree of excitement to which she had wrought herself-and appeared altogether like a maniac: such
as I supposed her in reality to be, till undeceived by
the exclamations of the crowd, " it is a goddessit is a goddess " 
As if to intimidate, she approached me with a
fierce and daring look; and waving before her a
small flag of tapa, appended to a light staff -supported
the claim by the declaration, " I am a goddess-a
goddess indeed!- the palapala and the pule (letters and religion) are not good: they will destroy
the people" - Until then, I was passing without intending to take further notice of her; but, understanding this-in view of the respective causes thus
brought forward by her-as a kind of challenge, I
stopped; and deliberating, for a moment, what course
to pursue, fixed my eyes fully on hers, and charged
her with falsehood and wickedness, in her attempts
to deceive the people, by proclaiming herself a goddess, while conscious that she was an impostor, and
that her pretensions to inspiration were a " mea punipuni wale no,"" a thing of falsehood only."  I
spoke in a serious and positive tone, and my words
had the effect designed. She could not meet the fixedness of my gaze; her eyes wavered and dropt; and
becoming greatly embarrassed, she endeavored to turn
the whole into a laugh; but I continued my reproof,
till she hurried silently away, followed by the hootings and ridicule of the whole throng.




108    CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY.


This individual was of small figure, and not of
striking face, except in the brilliancy and power of a 
fine eye; yet, in the fit of enthusiasm in which she
at first appeared, there was an expression so unnatural, as to be fearful, even to the mind superior to superstitious emotions; and which, irresistibly, reminded me of what I have imagined the looks of a
demoniac to have been, in the times, when such possessions were, for wise purposes, permitted.
A lively recollection of the impressions of this incident, connected with the disadvantage in person
and feature in the case, compared with the individual now present, enabled me easily to conceive, how
fully this chief priestess, from the strength of expression and action of which her face and figure are evidently capable —under the excitement of a supposed
inspiration by the goddess whose% altar she served,
while her
" eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Should glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven,"
might infuse, into a credulous votary, impressions
and fears, that would readily be attributed to the
power and agency of a supernatural being.
It was by exhibitions of this kind, and the effect
produced by them on the populace, that the priests
and priestesses, especially those of Pele, or the goddess of volcanoes, continued their sway over the
belief and superstitious feelings of the people.
The priestess is now a firm believer in Christianity, and is one of the most attentive pupils of the
station, at which, entirely for the benefit of instruc



FORMER SACRIFICES TO PELE.


1.09


tion, she has become permanently established. Her
convictions of the folly and wickedness of her former
vocation is such, that she is reluctant to converse
much upon it. Her father was the hereditary kahu,
or steward, as she was the priestess, of Pele. The
duty of the kahu was to provide the materials for the
general sacrifices-the food and raiment of the supposititious deity: to grow the taro, potatoes,and sugarcane, and the cloth-plant, from which the garments for
her were made; to provide the hogs and fowls, &c.,
and to have all things in readiness for the offerings,
at the appointed seasons.
Of the plantations sacred to this use, one was on
the seashore, and another within the precincts of the
crater-in the broken ground, described as that upon
which we first came, in descending from our hut, on
our late visit. The kapu and his family resided, part
of the time, on the coast; and part, in the neighborhood of the crater.
At the time of sacrifice, the priestess herself descended into the depths of the volcano, and, approaching the place most accessible and most active with
fire, cast upon it the gifts, with the exclamation
" Here Pele is food for you "-specifying the article or articles-" and here is cloth," mentioning its
name and varieties.  In answer to the question,
whether she was not afraid of the fire which she approached? she said no, for she then believed, that the
goddess would defend her from harm-but, that now,
when she knew, that there was no such being as
Pele, she should be afraid to go to places where she




110


TOTAL SUBVERSION OF


once did without apprehension, lest she might perish
in her temerity.
Such,'dear H —, have been the rapid and happy
triumphs of Christianity, over the but lately deep-rooted
heathenism of this country-and thus, havethe shades
of superstition and error been dispersed by the mild light
of the gospel! Even those who have grown old in
the performance of the most favorite rites of idolatry,
and who held unbounded influence and distinguished
rank from their office, have discarded the whole system; and, conscious of their ignorance and their
guilt, are found meekly sitting at the feet of the
High Priest of Salvation, to be instructed and redeemed by him!
The inhabitants of this section of Hawaii, as I
have before remarked, are among the most primitive
and rude of the islanders, still, they are no longer a
pagan population, but, from every observation that
our ship's company have been able to make, strictly
and most conspicuously a Christian people. The
description I have given of a sabbath here, will convey some idea of the manner, in which that and
other external observancesof Christianity are regarded. To it I may add, what I then omitted, that
not a canoe-unless it might have been some one or
two bringing their proprietors to church-was seen
upon the water, nor a single instance observed of
labor or amusement. Forty of our crew had liberty
on shore on the afternoon of that day; and the report I overheard one and another of them giving to
their fellows, was in itself sufficient to satisfy me of




THE HEATHENISM OF THE COUNTRY. 111


the utter change which had been accomplished, in
the whole character of the people. So punctilious
were the inhabitants, in their regard for the sabbath,
that the seamen sought in vain to purchase anything
whatever.  Not even a watermelon or a banana
could be obtained, except as a gift of hospitality. No
rude crowd gathered round, as they sauntered from
place to place. The men treated them with civility
when they came to their houses; but the women,
universally, with such distance, by withdrawing
from the places where they were, and by seeking security in the bosoms of their families, from any familiarity that might have been offered, that no one,
so far as I can learn, has it in his power to report,
that he met with a single instance of licentiousness
at Byron's Bay.
The force of this evidence of reformation, will be
best understood by those, who have known what the
character of the intercourse of shipping with its inhabitants, as well as those of every other part of the
Sandwich Islands-even within a few years-has
been; and, by such, it will be acknowledged as one,
which the most sanguine believers in the success of
the mission, never expected to find, so early as the
year 1829.
Along the whole coast, no noisy drum of heathenish carousal, nor rude song of obscenity is now heard
-but in their place, the hum of the crowded school,
the voice of thanksgiving and prayer, and, not unfrequently, the chanting of the morning and the
evening hymn!




112    DEPARTURE FROM BYRON'S BAY.


LETTER VII.
FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE MISSIONARIES AT OAHU.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Roads of Honolulu,
October 13th, 1829.  I
YESTERDAY morning at four o'clock, we weighed
anchor in Byron's Bay, and, after being gently
fanned from the harbor by a land-breeze, took the
trade-wind, and with all sail set, bore away for Oahu,
some two hundred miles distant.
We made the eastern end of Maui, sometime before
dark; while the higher parts of Mounakea were still
distinctly in sight, and-from their loftiness and the
rich, deep blue of their shades-seemingly still near.
Most of our gentlemen have felt disposed to question
the estimate, that has generally been made, of the
loftiness of this mountain; but, as we left it yesterclay, the more distant we became from it, the more
evident it was to all, that, whether 18,000 feet or not
above the level of the sea, it must be, and is, immensely high.
Just now we are favored with a beautiful moon;
and the officer of the mid-watch informed me this
morning, that the view of the windward side of Maui
was so distinct and fine, for two or three hours before
daylight, that he thought seriously of calling me on
deck to enjoy it. I went up at six o'clock. We
were then far past the channel separating it from
Morokai, and were rapidly approaching that between




ASPECT OF OAHU.            113
this latter island and Oahu. At seven o'clock, when
off the north end of Morokai, we descried one of the
headlands of Oahu in the neighborhood of Diamond
Hill, rising dimly, like a conical islet, from the water.
Our approach after this was very rapid; and, in
the course of a couple of hours, the whole of the
eastern side came in view. As we drew in with the
land, so as to distinguish the objects on shore, we were
all greatly disappointed in its appearance-more so,
no doubt, from having so recently left the luxuriance
and verdure of Hido. Instead of the freshness and
beauty of aspect exhibited, when first seen by us in
1823, it looked as if seared with fire; and in place
of green hills and rich vallies, every part, except
the very tops of the mountains, was of a dead ash
color-and seemingly just swept, by a siroc of the
desert. The sight quite dispirited me-I had been
told at Hido, that, both at Maui and Oahu, there had
been the longest drought known for many yearsbut, I-was not prepared, for such a general and deforming evidence of it.
We reached Diamond Point before noon; and in
passing it, as the groves and wide spreading plantations of Waititi, and the vallies and mountains behind them, came upon the eye-followed by the long
plain of Honolulu-the port itself adjoining-and
the distant country beyond, to the range of mountains far in the west-the same marks of dearth'
were seen stamped 'on the whole coast; and so different was the entire face of the country, in this respect, from every former appearance, that I could scarce
believe it, the rich and beautiful Oahu, which all viVOL. II.            11




114        ARRIVAL AND LANDING.
sitors have considered the most pleasant and fertile,
and been accustomed to call the garden, of the islands of the group.
We dropped anchor at twelve o'clock, in a range
with three or four ships in the roads, just as Adams,
the pilot, boarded us; and were, at the same time,
about announcing our arrival by a salute, when informed by him, that the commander of the fort and
all the chiefs were some miles in the country; and
that it could not be answered immediately. It was;
therefore, postponed, till arrangements on the subject,
should be made with the proper authorities.
As soon as a boat could be lowered, Lieutenant
Dornin and myself were on our way to the shore —
he, to apprise the American consul of Captain Finch's
arrival, and I, to meet the embraces of our friends.
We were two miles off; and, before reaching the
entrance of the harbor, saw a boat approaching, in
which I recognised Mr. Jones, the consul. Mr. Dornin having a packet for him, we lay on our oars and
spoke her. Mr. French, an American merchant,
and Mr. Charlton, His Britannic Majesty'sconsul, were
also in the boat. After an interchange of civilities,
and the delivery of the package, we resumed our
course, and entered the harbor, filled with ships —
whalers, nerchantmen, &c., and the native craftand exhibiting every appearance of a busy and
thriving port. Several stone quays are now built, at
different places, along that, which was only a sandbeach, when we left. We landed at one of these,
opposite the American consulate; and immediately
directed our way towards the mission-house.




IMPROVEMENTS IN HONOLULU.


115


There are very considerable changes in the appearance of the town near the water; and very
great improvements. The coral platform, along the
walls of the fort and adjoining point, which, on our
arrival in 1823, was the court end of the metropolis,
is now converted to a more appropriate use —that of
a dock-yard and kind of depot for naval stores. At
least, so I judged, from seeing one or two small vessels on the stocks there, and many others undergoing
repairs —a large, two story, store-hourse of stone,'&c.
&c. The neat wooden building erected at the same
place, by the regent Kaahumanu, and occupied, as
you recollect, by Lord Byron, during his visit,has been
removed into the town, on the level ground, some
distance from the water, near Mr. Jones' and fitted
with green blinds, a flagstaff, and look-out, stands
a conspicuous object, both from the water and on
shore, as the " Blonde Hotel," owned by Governor
Boki. Besides this, there are many other well-built,
European looking structures. Among them a storehouse and office of Mr. Charlton, near the water, at
the corner of the fort next the town-and a very
large and convenient establishment, consisting of
warehouse, shop, counting room, and other apartments, belonging to Mr. French. Indeed every appearance indicates an advance in the importance
and business of the place.
The arrival of ships seems, now, so much an
every day occurrence, as scarce to attract attention,
except among the gentlemen in business; and
when we landed, the name and character of the
Vincennes were not yet generally known on shore.






116            MEETING WITH
No suspicion of my arrival was entertained by my
former associates, till we he had nearly reached the
mission houses; when we met Rev. Mr. Clark and
Dr. Judd, of the last reinforcement to the mission,
and shortly after, Mr. Ruggles, with our friend Mr.
Hunnewell, still engaged in mercantile pursuits at
Honolulu.
My first call I felt due to Mr. and Mrs. Bingham;
and, therefore, made my way to the door of the old,
wooden house, opening into the rooms they occupy.
From  Mrs. Bingham's exclamation, in an inner
apartment, on hearing my voice, and Mr. Bingham's
hurried entrance, I ascertained, that we had taken
them by entire surprise —which Mrs. Judd verified,
as she rushed into the room, from an adjoining part
of the house. You, my dear H -, can better
imagine what my feelings, and what theirs were, for
a time, than I describe them. There was a mingling of pain with the fullness of our joy, which,
perhaps, all have experienced in meeting those they
love, after a long separation; and, for which, Cowper well accounts, when he resolves it into a necessity, interwove with our natures and our conditionthat no earthly happiness shall be without its alloy.
At the end of a half hour, and after partaking of
some refreshment, Mr. Dornin returned to the village
and on board ship-I having made arrangements for
a boat towards evening.
It would be impossible to give even an outline of
the topics of our conversation, they were so numerous, so varied,and so incongruous-embracing mis-.
sionaries, chiefs, and people-friends in all parts of




THE MISSIONARIES.           117
the world-scenes of joy and scenes- of sorrowevents past, present, and to come; and calling into
exercise ten hundred feelings of joy and' sadness, of
hope and apprehension, of thanksgiving and prayer:
and in such power, as to rouse to excitement many
of the strongest affections of the heart.
After an hour or two spent in this manner, I prepared to return on board ship. Mr. Bingham would
have accompanied me to call on Captain Finch and
my fellow-officers, but it was becoming late-the ship
three miles distant-and the captain had sent to
ask of him the favour of a translation into the
Hawaiian language of the President's letter, and
some remarks of his own in an address to the king,
to be in readiness for an audience with the government, as soon as the necessary arrangements could
be made. On my way to the town, I called on Mrs.
Chamberlain and Mrs. Shepherd, who live in a couple of neat, stone cottages, near the'printing office,
and on Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Ruggles, and Mrs. Green,
at Mr. Ellis' house. Mr. Green is at present on the
N. W. Coast of America, on an exploring visit
among the natives there.
I saw none of the chiefs or people that I knew.
The king was out riding-Governor and Madam
Boki up the valley toward the Pari-and Kaahumanu, the regent, at her country house, at Manoa.
Expresses had been immediately sent, in the various
directions, to inform them of the arrival of the Vincennes. The ex-queen, Namahana, died two or
three weeks ago; and Governor Adams, of Hawaii,
and the Princess Harieta, and Governor Hoapiri, of
11*




118


INTERCHANGE


Maui, only returned to their respective residences —
after attending her during her sickness, and at her
funeral-a few days ago. I reached.the ship just
before dark; andt thus, have at once furnished you
with an account of my first day at Oahu.
LETTER     VIII.
RBCEPTION OF CAPTAIN FINCH AND PARTY, BY TIE KING
AND REGENT.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honoiulu, 
October 15th, 1829.
AT daybreak, yesterday, we fired a gun for the
pilot, and the boats of the shipping at present here;
and were towed into the harbor, during the calm of
the morning; and, before breakfast, safely moored in
an open and pleasant berth.
At the request of the captain I went early on
shore, to learn from Mr. Jones the arrangements
made for the firing of a salute, and the reception of
himself and officers, by the king and chiefs. And
having ascertained, that the salute would be expected
and returned at 12 o'clock, and the audience held
directly after, I went to the mission house to apprise
Mr. Bingham of the necessity of his being prepared
with the translations at that time; and, also, to deliver an invitation from Captain Finch, to such of
the missionaries as might have it in their power to




OF SALUTES.


119


attend, to be at the palace at the hour appointed
for the levee. Mr.. Jones had been requested to
present the compliments of the captain, in like manner, to the residents and visitors of respectability in
port; and to invite their presence on the occasion.
At 12 o'clock, we fired twenty-one guns-the established national salute here-and, soon afterward,
Captain Finch, attended by as large a number of the
officers as could be spared from necessary duty, left
the ship. All were in full dress; and we pulled
away, in a handsome procession of four boats, while
the guns of the fort were still answering those of
the Vincennes.  The last of these had just been
fired, as the captain's gig approached the moorings
of the Tamehameha —the king's finest vessel —
which is kept in naval lorder, in the centre of the
port, with a long pennant, banner, and jack flying.
Much to our suprise, she commenced a salute, in
compliment to the captain's landing; which brought
us to our "oars," as the technical phrase is, and
obliged the Vincennes, as a matter of course, to return gun for gun, according to established etiquette
-making in all eighty-four, whose bellowings had
echoed far and wide, in little more than twenty minutes. Our landing, consequently, was attended, at
least, with noise enough.
We disembarked in front of the consulate, where
we were expected to take a glass of wine, before Mr.
Jones should conduct us to the palace. Here all the
residents and visitors of respectability, including the
British consul, and several other English gentlemen,
were assembled; and, after a general introduction,




120


WALK TO THE


a few moments conversation, and some refreshment,
a messenger announced the readiness.of his Majesty
KAUIKEAOULI, or TAMEHAMEHA III., to receive us 
and we formed a procession, led by the captain with
the consuls on either side.
The king's establishment, but lately erected, is
quite in the outskirts of the town-having the open
plain towards Punchbowl Hill, immediately in the
rear. In going to it, we, consequently passed through
a principal part of the village. A noisy rabble, such
as no part of the island but Honolulu would now
present, lined our way on both sides nearly the whole
distance; large numbers of whom, running ahead
through the dusty streets, in order to take an additional view after our whole number had passed once
by them, made no little annoyance, in addition to the
heat of a noonday sun, by the dirt they raised, notwithstanding the attendance of police officers, here
and there, to keep them from pressing too closely
upon us. The limits to which they could accompany us, however, were before long pointed out, by
a large white gate —the entrance to the grounds of
the royal residence-at the end of a street we were
following, beyond which, none but our party were
allowed to pass.
On entering it, we found ourselves in a spacious
yard of some acres, enclosed on all sides by a well
constructed and high fence, and furnished with two
other gates, similar to that through which we had
passed-one, on another street, in the direction of the
residences of most of the chiefs in the neighborhood
of the chapel and mission houses, and the other, in



KING'S RESIDENCE.


121


land, towards the hill and valleys. Every thing within, appeared exceedingly neat. On the side of the
square at which we entered, and near the gate, there
are three or four good sized houses, but not differing, externally, from most of the better kind of native
dwellings. -These, we were informed, are the dining and sleeping rooms, offices, &c., of the king
and his household. At a considerable distance,
on the 6pposite side, stands the palace-a fine,
lofty building of thatch, some hundred or more feet
in length,'fifty or sixty broad, and forty or more
high-beautifully finished and ornamented at the
corners, from the ground to the peak, and along the
ridge of the roof, with a rich edging of fern leaves,
the dark brown of which, in their dried state, contrasts prettily with the lighter color, and smoothness
of the general covering. It is enclosed by a handsome and substantial palisade fence, with two gates
-one large, in- front, and a smaller at the side-and
a pebbled area within.
As we entered the square, the royal guard were
see' under arms, beside the palace, at the gate we
were to pass, in double file of a hundred men each
-the whole being in a, complete uniform of white,
with cuffs and colars of scarlet, and black caps. The
captain, our old friend Kahuhu, was at their head, in
a handsome dress of scarlet, with gold lacings, and
expensive sword. As Captain Finch passed, they
presented arms, in a style, perfectly en militaire: and
at the same time, Kekuanoa, now styled the General, from being at the head of the military forces of
the king, appeared at the gate, in the full and rich




122


DESCRIPTION OF THE


suit of a major general; and with the gracefulness
and-polish of a gentleman, received the captain from
the consuls, and ushered him through a folding door
of glass, into the interior.
Mr. Jones had said to me, that the king's house
was a very beautiful building-the most so of any
that had ever been erected at the islands; but scarce
any thing that could have been told of it, as a structure in the native style, would have prepared me for
the coup d'ceil, as-we passed the threshhold.
The whole is one apartment-spacious, light, lofty,
and truly elegant. All the timbers in sight, the numerous posts, rafters, and centre pillars, are of a fine,
substantial size, and of a dark, hard wood, hewn
with the nicest regularity. The lashings of sinnit,
made of the fibres of the cocoanut bleached white.
are put on with such neatness, and wrought into so
beautiful a pattern, at close and regular intervals, as
to give to the posts and rafters the appearance of being divided into natural sections by them; and to
produce, by the whiteness and nice workmanship
of the braid, in contrast with the colors of the wood,
an effect striking and highly ornamental.
But that, which most attracted my admiration in
the building, is an improvement-a device of native ingenuity-of which I was told, we then saw
the first specimen, and which gives to the interior a
finish, as beautiful as appropriate, to such an edifice.
It is a lining, between the timbers and the thatch,
screening entirely from sight, the grass of which the
external covering is composed; and, which always
gave an air of rudeness, and a barn-yard look, even




PALACE AND ITS FURNITURE.


123


to the handsomest and best! finished of their former
establishments.  The manufacture is from a small,
round, mountain vine, of a rich chesnut color- tied
horizontally, stein upon stem, as closely as possible, in
the manner, and probably in imitation, of the painted
window blinds of split bamboo, brought from the
East Indies, once much in- fashion, and still occasionally seen in the United States.
The whole of the inside, from the floor to the peak
of the roof-a height of at least forty feet-is covered with this, seemingly in one piece; imparting,
by the beauty of its color and entire effect, an air of
richness to the room, not dissimilar to that of the tapestry, and arras hangings of more polished audience
chambers.
The floor also is a novelty, and an experiment
here: consisting-in place of the ground strewn
with rushes or grass, as a foundation for the mats, as
was formerly the case-of a pavement of stone and
mortar, spread with a cement of lime, having all the
smoothness and hardness of marble.   Upon this,
beautifully, variegated mats of Tauai were spreadforming a carpet as delightful, and appropriate to the
climate, as could have been selected. Large windows on either side, and the folding doors of glass at
each end, are hung with draperies of crimson damask;
besides which, and the mats on the floors, the furniture consists of handsome pier tables, and large mirrors; of a line of glass chandeliers suspended through
the centre, with lustres and candelabra of bronze,
ornamented or-molu, affixed to the pillars lining the
sides and ends of the apartment; and of portraits in




124


DRESS OF THE KING.


oil of the late king and queen, taken in London,
placed, at the upper end, in carved frames richly
gilt.
Such,, dear H, is the reception room of His
Majesty of Hawaii, in 1829. Contrasted with the
one, into which you were received, in 1823-in
those days considered highly respectable and elegant
-and with that, in which Lord Byron and suite
were ushered, in 1825, the difference is equal, almost,
to the improvements that would take place in a century, in the abodes of royalty in most other countries;
and greater than that, which now exists, between
the new and the old rooms in Windsor Castle. I
do not fear being thought extravagant, in saying,
that this palace of KAUIKEAOULI would, even in the
Royal Park, form a rustic pavilion, in which his Majesty of England might occasionally lounge, not only
with comfort, but with delight.
But as there are no ante-rooms, I am keeping you
a long time in the presence' without an approach to
the throne. In the middle of the room, about sixty
feet in front, or two thirds-the length of the apartment, the young monarch was seated, in an arm
chair, spread with a splendid cloak cf yellow feathers. His dress was the Windsor uniform, of the
first rank, with epaulettes of gold-the present of
George IV.-and an underdress of white, with
silk stockings and pumps. On a sofa, immediately
on his righ, were Kaahumanu, the regent, and the
two ex-queens, Kinau-at present the wife of General Kekuanaoa-and Kekauruohe. Beingin mourning, they were in well-made, and becoming dresses of
black, with ruffs, and caps of white, trimmed with




PRESENTATION.


125


love-ribbon. -Governor and Madame Boki had not
arrived from: the country; and the only other chiefs
in the room, were those of inferior rank, holding different offices in the establishment of the -king, and
who, in military dresses, stood in household style, at
intervals of some yards against the walls.
A range of chairs swept off on either side from
the king and chiefs, in a circle towards the entrance;
for ithe accommodation of our party; and at the foot
of the row on the left hand, were Mr. Bingham, Mr.
and Mrs. Ruggles, Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain, Dr.
and Mrs. Judd, Mrs. Green, Miss Ward, Mr. Clark
and Mr. Shepherd, oft the Mission.
The introduction, by Mr. Jones, took place in the
order of rank. I did not. need the civility; and only
regretted, that a first meeting with those-in whom I
feel so deep an interest, should be on a formal and,public occasion.  Our greetings, however, were most
cordial, as I passed them in my order in the train; and
were renewed again and again, on their part, as soon
as' the courtesy due to jny companions as strangers;
allowed them to direct their attention to'me. This
ceremony with the chieftains over, the captain and
officers crossed the room to the missionaries, to interchange salutations with them, when we became seated
for business; the captain on the left of the king, the
consuls next, with the gentlemen of the Vincennes
and mission family on one side, and the merchants;
visitors, residents, &c., to the number of thirty or
forty, on the other.'
Captain Finch, having chosen to avail himself of
Mr. Bingham's services, as interpreter, requested him
VOL. II.            12




126


ADDRESS OF

to take a seat at his side; and then rising, read to.the king, in a distinct and impressive manner, the
following address.
King TSnehameha, 
The president of the United' States has confided to my care a written communication for youtself,
and such counsellors as you rely upon; accompanying it with various presents, for each; in testimony
of the good opinion he entertains of you, individually, ahd to evince his desire for amity and confidence, in all intercourse that may subsist, between
your people and my'countrymen.
That the genuineness of the letter may not be
questioned, which might have been the case, if the
transmission had been intrusted to casual conveyance; and to make it the more honorable to yourself, he has dispatched a ship of war for this and
other purposes: and it is enjoined upon me as the
commander, to deliver it in person into your keeping; to reiterate the expressions of good will which
it contains; and to exhibit by my own deportment,
the sincerity of the motives which has actuated him.
The friendly and kind reception afforded by your
government to one other of our national ships, the
Peacock, has been most favorably represented by her
commander, and doubtless has conduced greatly to
the visit which I now make.
The improved state of your people has also been
so interestingly described by one of your friends, the
Rev. Mr. Stewart, now beside me, as to awaken
among my countrymen at large, great benevolence
of feeling towards you; and-it will be my study, and




CAPTAIN FINCH.


127


I trust I shall be warranted on my return among
them, to strengthen their prepossessions in your favor, and to confirm the accounts of the good traits of
character of our new acquaintances, the islanders,
subject to your authority.
With your leave I will now acquit myself of the
pleasing duty devolving upon me, by reading and
handing the document adverted to; which illustrates
the light in which the president wishes to hold your
nation; and upon which you willy I hope, ponder
often, deliberately, and fully.
The presents I also ask permission to distribute
amongst those of your faithful friends for whom
they are intended;: trusting that they will tend to
the enlargement of knowledge, invite to social and
rational enjoyments; and further, secure -enduring
recollections of the assurances which I give of the
disinterested friendship of the president and government of the United States.
W. C.. B.FINCH.
October 14th, 1829.
Mr. Bingham having read a translation of this in
the Hawaiian tongue, Captain Finch proceeded in
the perusal of the document from the government.
TO TAMEHAMEHA III.
KING OFP HE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
Navy Department of the United States of America, 
City of Washington, 20th January, A.. 1829.
By the approbation and direction of the president
of the United States, I address you this letter, and
send it by the hands of Captain William Compton




128


LETTER OF THE


Bolton Finch. an officer in our navy, commanding
the ship of war Vincennes.
Captain Finch also bears to you, from the president, certainsmall tokens of regard, for yourself and
the chiefs who are near to: you, and is commanded
to express to you, in his name   I the anxious desire
which he feels for your prosperity and advancement
in the arts of civilized life, and for the cultivation of
harmony and good will between your nation, and
the people of the United States. He has heard:
with interest and admiration, of the rapid progress
which has been made by your people, in acquiring
a knowledge of letters and of the True Religionthe Religion of the Christian's Bible. These are
the best, and the only means, by which the prosperity and happiness of nations can be advanced and
continued; and the president; and all men every
where, who wish well to yourself and your people,
earnestly hope that you will continue to cultivate
them, and to protect and encourage those by whom
they are brought to you.
The president also anxiously hopes that peace, and
kindness, and justice, will prevail betweep your people: and those citizens of the United States who visit
your islands; and that the regulations of your government will be such as to enforce them upon all.
Our citizens who violate your laws, or interfere
with your regulations, violate at-the same time their
duty to their own government and country, and merit censure and punishment. We have heard with
pain that this has sometimes been the case; and we.
have, sought to know and to punish those who are




r


SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.         129
guilty. Captain Finch is commanded diligently to
inquire into the conduct of our citizens, whom he
may find at the islands; and, as far as he has the
authority, to insure propr conduct and deportment
from them. 
The president hopes, however, that there are very
few who so act as to deserve censure or punishment;
and, for all others, he solicits the kindness and protection of your government, that their interests may
be promoted, and every facility given to them in the
transaction of their business. Among others, he bespeaks your faivor to those who have taken up their
residence with you, to promote the cause of religion
and learning in your islands. He does not doubt
that their motives are pure, and their objects most
friendly to the happiness of your people; and that
they will so conduct themselves, as to merit the protecting kindnessof your government.
One of their number, the Rev. C. S. Stewart, who
resided for some time with you, has received the favor of his government in an appointment to an office
of religion in our navy, and will visit you in company
with Captain Finch.
The president salutes you with respect, and wishes
you peace, happiness, and prosperity.
[L. s.]               SAML. L. SOUTAARD.
Secretary of the Navy.
This also was immediately made intelligible to
the king and chiefs, by a translation in the native
language, read by Mr. Bingham.
12*




; It


130      DELIVERY OF THE PRESENTS.
Both documents were listened to with intense interest. I never before saw Kaahumanu more excited. She seemed scarce able to command her feelings; and before Mr. Southard's letter was finished,
her eyes were filled with tears. "Maitai-maitai
no!" " good-good indeed!" uttered with the quick
tone, in which he usually speaks when pleased, was
the hasty comment of the king; while the females,
with bright fakes, re-echoed the. approbation, "maitai no-maitai no!"
Both papers were then placed by the captain in the
hands of the king, who received,them with-a more
formal expression of his satisfaction by saying, that
himself and chiefs were highly favored by such a
communication; and acknowledged his obligations
to Captain Finch as the bearer of it, and for the
kind sentiments with which it had been delivered.
The servants having charge of the presents were
now called, and these placed before the king. A
pair of globes, celestial, and terrestrial, and a large
map of the United States, for himself: a silver vase,
inscribed with the arms of the United States, and her
name, for the regent: two silver goblets, with inscriptions of a similar character, for the princess: and
two large maps of the world, one for Governor Boki)
and the other for Governor Adams.
The kind acceptance of these, led to a renewal of
the sentiments of good will previously manifested on
the part of the captain; in the midst of which, Governor Boki, accompanied by Manuia, captain of the
fort, in a riding suit, with cap and whip in hand,
made his appearance. He had just dismounted;




PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF THE KING. 131
and, apologized for the lateness of his arrival,'and
undress, by saying, that both himself and Madam
Boki were ill when summoned to the palace; and
the latter still too unwell to come to town. -After a
moment's conversation with him, the king invited
the captain and officers to a glass of wine, and led
the way to a side table, handsomely laid with a superb set of cut glass-stained and ornamented with
cameos in white-on large trays of silver plate.
This movement broke up the formality of the seated
circle, and various familiar groups were formed in different parts of the room, engaged in easy and pleasant conversation.
TAMEHAMEIIA III., or as more generally styled,
KAvIKEAOUL,, instead of the little boy you knew,
in 1825, is now a fine, stout young man of sixteen;
as graceful, well-bred, and perfectly gentleman-like
in his whole deportmentj as any lad of his age in the
most polished circles of our country. I was highly
gratified with the dignity and propriety of his demean6r: and still more so, to learn that his private
character is as unexceptionable, as his public appearance is manly and becoming the station he occupies.
At the end-of an hour we took our leave, much
pleased with the whole entertailmnent-the guards,
still on post, presenting arms again as we passed.
The officers expressed themselves astonished at the
reception; and seemed half disposed to charge me
with having deceived them, in the representations I
had made-both in my published account, and in
private conversatiolns-of the state of advancement
among the people. On disavowing this, and ex



132     EVENING PRAYER MEETING.


pressing the surprise I had myself experienced-notwithstanding my knowledge of their state only four
years ago-they replied, that the truth. then must
be, which is unquestionably the fact, that the reports
given of the people by the missionaries and by visitors, have.by no mfeans kept pace with the rapid
strides making by them, in the various departments
of civilization and refinemeat.
LETTER IX.
A MORNING VISIT TO THE PRINCIPAL CHIEFS.
U, S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 
October 16th, 1829.
ON leaving the palace yesterday, Gaptain Finch
and myself, accompanied by Mr. Jones, called on.the
ladies of the British consul's family, and on those of
the mission; and took dinner afterwards at the American consulate.
The usual weekly prayer meeting of the mission
family occurred in the evening.- Lieutenant Stribling and myself attended; and in the participation
of its elevating and happy influences, in the midst
of those who we, dear H —, must ever regard, in
a peculiar manner, as our sisters and our brothersin joining in their praises and their prayers, in receiving their affectionate Christian salutations, and in
imparting to them such encouragement and exhorta



LETTER OF THE REGENT.


133


tion as I could present fiom the land of their fathers,
and the churches of their special love-I" enjoyed
one of those seasons of Christian communion and
sympathy, which cheers and animates the heart with
a power above the charm of ordinaryintercourse.
'Early after the introduction to the government,
Captain Finch received the following note, in the
native language, from the regent.
Captain Finch,
I am made joyful by your arrival here, with
good counsel for us. Now, if you desire it, there is
the house, of two stories, built by my blother, Karaimoku; it is Lquite a- ouir service, for your accommodation to lodge on shore.
The house is not very good-we are tre not very
well furnished,, but I am happy to show you hospitality arid kindness..
ELIZABEra  H KAAHirUMANU.
Oahu, October 15th, 1829.
The house referred to is the large stone residence
erected by Karaimoku, during the visit of the royal
party in England.  Since his'death, it has remained
unoccupied, and is unfurnished, which explains the
apology at the close of the communication. I subjoin the answer.
TO ELIZABETH KAAHUMANU.
Regent, 
Your letter is very gratifying to me, and I
give you thanks for it.
I would accept the house which you offer, as a residence during my'short stay here, but it has not been
my custom to live outside of the walls of my vessel




134


KEKUANAOA AND


Mr. Jones, our consul, has already offered me a
suitable apartment, but I declined accepting it.
I value this proof of your desire to extend hospitality to me, quite asmnuch as if I actually enjoyed it.
I sincerely desire your welfare; and am happy in
having been the herald of advice which you; esteem
good for you.
Let what my government has said to you, engage
your deepest attention-honest motives have dictated
the language it has used.
May you be always happy.
W. C. B. FINCH.
U. S. Ship Viltcennes, lonolulu,
October 16th, 1829.  1
After this reply had been dispatched this morning,
I accompanied Captain Finch in an in formal call on
the principal chiefs at their respective residences.
We landed at eleven o'clock; and, following the
street towards the mission houses, made our visits according to the order of dwellings, without reference
to the relative rank of the occupants.  The first inclosure we came to, is that of Kekuanaoa. Like
that of the king, it is large and neatly kept, differing
entirely, in this respect, from the state in which the
precincts of their habitations were once seen. The
general was walking in front of one of the buildings; and, on perceiving us, hastened himself to
point out the entrance, and open the gate.
On this chieftain, at least, the peep had of the Court
of St. James-when in Great Britain with his late
royal master —has not been lost. There is mnuch of the
ease and courteousness of high life in all his movee




HIS RESIDENCE.


135


ments; and-in his manners, figure, dress, and whole
deportment, that which would, secure to him the epithet of a " gentleman" in any society.
We had approached the rear, as was discovered,
instead of the front of his establishment; and to
reach the principal apartment, or rather house-for
every room is a distinct building-were conducted
by him first through that, which, frm a spread table
and sideboard, evidently was a-dining hall; and then
through another with accommodations for sleeping.
I by no means. regretted this, however, when I perceived the perfect neatness, good taste, and keeping
of each. Had I entered them by accident, without
knowing to whom they belonged, I should not have
thought of being in the residence of a. native, but,
from the finish of every part, and from the furniture,
in that of some foreign gentleman. 
The sitting room is delightful. A large door at
each end opens a fine draft for the air: the floor was
beautifully carpeted with mats; while, in the centre,
stood a rioh couch of yellow damask, with armed
chairs placed on either side, so that those occupying
them, enjoyed all the benefit of the breeze sweeping
through. On one side, a native, lounge or divan extended the whole length of the apartment. Spread
with a succession of the finest mats beautifully variegated with stained grass, and furnished- with
round -pillows of damask and silk velvet, it looked
more tempting to us, on entering from the noontide
heat of a tropical day, than the- ottomans of more
polished draWing-rooms would under circumstances of
less lassitude. A pier table covered with a rich cloth,e




136


PRINCIPAL APAIRTMENT.


a large mirror, and a portrait of Manuia, completed
the furniture on this side. On that opposite, a curtain or screen of handsome chintz, looped up a foot
or two at the bottom, partially disclosed, as it waved
with the wind, the boudoir of Madam Kekuanoa,
a principal article of its furniture being an elegant
writing table, with papers and books in the language
of. the country. From this she appeared to have risen,
as we entered the farther door. Her dress, manner,
and whole deportment in receiving us, were those of a
lady. A neatly bound copy of the Gospel of Luke,
in the Hawaiian version, the first I had seen, was
found lying on the sofa, with a blank book, in which
she had been writing.
The captain was exceedingly pleased with this
specimen of private life; and, for some time, could
scarce say anything, but in admiration of the whole
establishment, and in gratulation to our friends, at
the comparative luxury of comfort in which they
were living.  After much-pleasant conversation,
which I was enabled, with the assistance of Kekuanaoa's English, to interpret, and a glass of wine politely hande by the master of the house himself, for
not a common native was within hearing-a change
which you can scarce credit when you think of the
dirty, idle throng formerly ever swarrming about the
houses and visitors of the chiefs-we took leave.
saying, that we intended continuing our calls among
their compeers. On hearing this, they both exclaimed, sl kakou pu,"-" all of us together;"-and
the lady taking the arm of the captain, and the general one of mine, we proceeded a few rods farther to




KEKAURUOHE AND KANAINA.


137


the house of Kekauruohe the ex-queen, and her
husband, Kanaina..
These two, also, are among the most interesting
of the aristocracy; and, of their claims to respect
and attention, we needed no other proof, than that
afforded on the present occasion. The- entrance is
by a large folding door-the lower pannels painted
green, and the upper part of glass-into a spacious
room floored with mats, and furnished, as that we
had left, in its whole length on one side with an
inviting lounge, and, on the opposite, with a side
table, and mirror. A semicircle, of chairs, with a
centre table, occupied the middle; and at each of
the further corners, stood a handsome cabinet, surmounted by a bookcase top, with glass doors and silk
hangings. At the one, the lady of the house was
seated, and at the other her husband; both engaged
in writing, with books, slates, and papers around
them. A curtain of chintz separated this room from
one of equal size behind: of which a tent:door in
the centre, festooned with loops and buttons, gave so
much of a view, as to show it to be a large and appropriately furnished sleeping and dressing room.
We were received here, with the same kindness
and ease of manner observed at the generals. Mr.
Bingham, hearing that we were in the vicinity, came
in;, and, by his facility as interpreter, added to the
pleasantness of the visit. The captain adverted to
the manner in which they were occupied, on our entrance, and requested to see their handwriting. They
both write with great readiness; and the husband
with a freedom and command of hand that would
VOL. II.            13




138


RESIDENCE OF


class him-among good penman anywhere. Both
are among the most studious and improving of their
compeers; and merit the encomium and encouragetnent, which the captain was kind enough to bestow
upon the evidences he had of their attainments, in
the elements of literature. Before leaving, a well
dressed servant was summoned, and refieshments of
wine, &c. offered; and salutations and good wishes
interchanged, with as much urbanity and good grace
on their part, as if they had been accustomed to such
usages from childhood.
On saying that we were going stillfarther to the
regent's, the whole company joined us; and we proceeded to her residence. 
Every thing, here, was not less pleasant and interesting than at the other houses, though there was
more of the air of an old lady's mansion. An easy
chair, and low old fashioned sofa, both covered with
chintz, were conspicuous articles of furniture; and
two young chiefs, a girl and a boy, the children
of Kekuanapa, hanging about her, like spoiled pets
on a fond grandmama at home.
The old queen herself, was in high good humour.
With her portly figure and commanding face, in a
handsome dress of black silk, a black crape shawl,
and white collar and cap of lace, we felt as if before
a respectable matron of our own nation; and returned
her salutations with as much respect and good will,
as they were with kindness given. The children,
like all present, were dressed in the European style;
the girl, four years old, in a white muslin, with a
blue silk cap and ostrich feathers; and the boy, about




IKAAHUMANU, 


139


two, also in white, with cap of wrought muslin, trimmed with lace and ribbons. Two female servants
only, were in attendance —Kanakina, as featherbearer to her tnajesty-a —nd a pretty, modest looking
girl in blue silk and plain handkerchief, as maid in 
waiting, behind her mistress' chair.
Much lively and agreeable conversation took place;
principally, on our part, in congratulating them on
their advancement in the true sources of enjoyment,
and on theirs, in expressing their happiness in our
visit, and in the kind advice received from our government and from Captain Finch. I know not
when I have myself been more highly delighted, or
more affectingly impressed, with the changes which
have taken place here, and are still rapidly going on.
In a single circle now before me, I beheld five of the
highest chiefs of the islands-those whom I had myself known as naked, debauched heathen, not only
addicted to vice, but glorying in their shame-respectably and even tastefully dressed; demeaning
themselves with all the propriety and courteousness
of civilized society; modest and decorous in all their
actions; pure and intelligent in their conversation;
and surrounded, in the furniture'and accommodations of their. dwellings, not merely by the comt forts, but also by many of the elegancies of an; advanced state of improvement; and this, most evidently, not for the exhibition of an hour, but in proof
of their present ordinary mode of life. In view of
the magnitude and extent of the change, I could but
inwardly exclaim-especially as I looked on Kaahumanu, who for fifty-three years lived and hardened




140


PRESENT AND FORMER STATE.


in all the grossness of paganism, a debauchee in private character, a terrific despot in-her public rule —
surely it is a truth, that " the eyes of these have
been opened, and they turned from darkness unto
light, and from the power of Satan unto God!"
Scarcely any thing in the contrast, passing in
my mind, struck me more forcibly than that connected with the appearance of the children. In
place of being utterly unclothed, as would have
been the case ten, and even five years ago, left entirely to the management of a rude train of attendants, and screaming with terror, at the approach or
look of any civilized being, we beheld them neatly
and elegantly clad, differing from children at home
only in their color, and receiving not only the fondlings of their parents and relatives, but courting, by
the cleanliness of their whole persons and every appearance, the caresses of the captain and myself.
Here also we were offered refreshments, at a sideboard spread with cake, wine, &c. On completing
our visit, we went to the printing office, where native
workmen were busily engaged in setting type, and in
working the press.  A call on some of the ladies of
the mission-leaving our cards for the king, who was
not at home-and a visit of a few minutes to Mr.
Marin, the Spanish resident, where we tasted a very
palatable wine, the production of his own vineyard,
made it past four o'clock when we reached the ship
to dinner.




EVENING SCENE.


141


LETTER X.
EVENING DRIVE AND VISIT TO THE VALLEY OF MANOA.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 
October 18th, 1829.
Two evenings since, Mr. Bingham' gave Lieut.
Stribling.and myself a drive as far as Allen's on the
plain. It was at a delightful hour of the day; and,
as most of the gentry were taking the air, we had an
opportunity of judging of the degree of improvement,
in point of equipage, &c., made at the metropolis.
The vehicle in which we rode is the property of the
mission; but, in place of the ox cart and porter's
barrow of former years-in both of which I remember you, my dear -H -  had occasionally the honor
of a seat-it is a light painted wagon, of the kind
called Dearborn in America, drawn by a good horse,
affording a comfortable, and, for this part of the world,
a respectable conveyance. Several of these, belonging
to the chiefs and residents, were seen at different points
of the road, besides numbers of horsemen, both foreigners and natives, genteelly equipt-among the latter of
whom, we recognized the general, and his brotherinlaw, Kanaina.
The American consul has a country seat on the
plain towards Manoa; and a principal equipage met
by us belongs to him. It was built at Oahu, and is
rather a non-descript-something between a New
England pedler's wagon, and a coach, early after
13*




142 EQUIPAGE OF THE AMERICAN CONSUL


'" the birth-day of invention" in that luxury. It is
constructed almost exclusively of wood, with Venetian blinds in place of curtains; is swung low, and
has a wooden boot in the centre, fopthe feet, descending almost to the ground. With wheels and carriage
of red, body of sky blue, and a red box high in front
for a native driver, it makes no inconsiderable display, as it rumbles over the plain. It was drawn by
one horse; and contained two or three gentlemen, one
of whom I perceived to be our Captain.
Shortly afterwards, a gig without a top, very similar in its style and finish to the preceding, except in
something of a tilbury height-and, apparently, of
the same manufacture, was seen dashing at full speed
up the street. It contained two gayly dressed females
in opera hats, with streamers of satin flying far behind
-the one on the right bearing the reins, and occasionally floikishing a whip, with all the tact of a
leader of the ton, figuring in curricle or phaeton, on
a more distinguished drive. As they whirled past, I
recognized, in their light complexions and broad faces,
the sisters,  -  and Mjrs. MiThe variety was still kept up, in the appearance behind these, of four fashionables on horseback; two, in
bonnets and mantles, mounted on side saddles, in the
manner in which ladies ride in America and England; and two a la Peru-astride with pantalets and
the Manilla hat: the poncho alone being needed to
complete the costume of the coast.
To the picture thus presented in single figures
and in groupings, add one or two handsome and well
finished gigs, such as are driven by the wealthiest




AND OTHERS TAKING THE AIR.


143


gentlemen in our country, and in the scene you will
perceive, I think, in contrast with the recollection of
by-gone years, evidences of a march of body, if
not of "'the march of mind."
Allen keeps pace with his neighbors in improvements. All the numerous buildings in his establishment are in good order, and now very conspicuous,
both from land and sea, by being stuccoed and
whitewashed. From the same cause, the mission
houses look less gloomy than they did; and by the
whiteness of the stone cottages and printing office
opposite the old wooden edifice, throw quite an air of
cheerfulness over the nakedness and sterility of that
part of the plain.
The valley of Manoa, you recollect, was always a
favorite resort of mine-this afternoon Mr. Bingham drove me in a wagon to it. There is now a
good carriage road, in that direction, as far as the
country house of Kaahumanu, nearly five miles
from Honolulu. Her residence is beautifully situated; and the selection of the spot quite in taste.
The house is an inferior building, but stands on the
height of a gently swelling knoll, commanding, in
front, an open and extensive view of all the rich
plantations of the valley; of the mountain streams
meandering through them, and the humble habitations of the farmer sprinkled around; of the district
of Waititi; and of Diamond Hill, and a considerable part of the plain, with the ocean far beyond.
On the right, the ground rises rapidly for a few rods,
to a thicket of hibiscus and eugenia, at the foot of a
magnificent mountain, exhibiting from the base to




144


COUNTRY HOUSE OF KAAHUMANU,


its summit-a perpendicular height of a thousand
feet-as rich a variety of projecting cliff and wild
recess, of dripping rocks and mantling foliage, of
graceful creeper, pendant shrub, and splendid flower,
as Arcadia itself can boast. On the left, there is a
gradual descent, from the house, of two or three hundred feet to the depth of the valley. Here this is half
a mile wide, and bounded, at that distance, by a spur
of mountain, which, commencing at the entrance of
the valley on the plain, two or three miles in front,
rises first in uncovered swellings, but rapidly assumes, as it runs inland, a bolder formation, till in
several places it presents a succession of broad based
and regularly defined pyramids, beautifully verdant
and tufted with wood; giving a most peculiar character to that section of the scenery.
Immediately behind the house, and partially flanking it on either side, is a delightful grove of the dark
leaved and crimson blossomed Ohia, so thick and so
shady as insensibly to remind one of Cowper's Wilderness at Olney-filled with cool and retired walks
and natural retreats, and echoing to the cheerful notes
of the little songsters, who find security in its shades,
to build their nest and lay their young. The view of
the head of the valley inland, from the clumps and
single trees edging this copse, is very rich and beautiful; presenting a circuit of two or three miles, delightfully variegated by hill and dale, wood and lawn, and
inclosed in a sweep of splendid mountains, one of
which in the centre rises to a height of three thousand
feet.




AND THE PROPRETS, CHAMBER.         145
In one edge of this grove, a few rods from the
house, stands a little cottage built by Kaahumanu,
for the accommodation of the missionaries who visit
her when at this residence. It is scarce twelve feet
square in the area, and not as. many high, but furnished with glazed windows and doors, a bedstead
and lounge, a small table and chair, answers, delightfully, as the prophet's chamber in the wall of her.habitation; and is very frequently occupied a day or
two at a time, by one and another of the families
most enervated by the heat and dust, the toil, and
various exhausting cares of the establishment at the
seashore.
While examining this little retreat, the eventide,
with its sober shades and meditative influences, began to approach; and, feeling that we were in a
place where prayer is wont to be made, as brethren
united by many of the strongest ties, we spent
amid the silence and quietude around, one moment
before our God, in praise for the past, and in prayer
for all that is to come.




146


IMPORTANCE OF A


LETTER XI.
EDICT OF THE KING IN ANSWER TO A MEMORIAL OF THE
BRITISH RESIDENTS.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 
October 19th, 1829.
THE degree of civilization to which the chiefs and
many of the islanders have attained, and the increasing importance of this group as a place of commerce,
— as a maratime depot, and a resort for repairs and
refreshment by whaling ships and other vessels traversing the Pacific, seem to render it both important
and desirable, that a monthly or other periodical
newspaper in the Hawaiian and English languages
should be published at this port.
It has been necessary, on several occasions, for
two or three years past, to resort to printed handbills
as a substitute for something of this character; and
the demand for these by the king and chiefs is such,
and the material for a useful publication so abundant,
that were it possible for any of the missionaries, at
present, to find time for the superintendence of a
it, the world would speedily be furnished with a
"HAWAIIAN HERALD AND SANDWICH          ISLAND
REGISTER." Captain Finch and several of the
officers in the Vincennes have joined me in strong
recommendations for such a paper.




NEWSPAPAER AT THE ISLANDS.


147


A first order of the king and regent, after the
audience on the 14th, was for printing, in handbills,
the address of Captain Finch and the letter of
the President, to be circulated among the nobles of
the land, and the more intelligent of the people.
This has been done; and several copies politely sent,
by the king, to Captain Finch and his officers.
It had been preceded only a few days, by a
document published, in like manner, by royal authority. This was an edict, addressed by the government to the foreign residents; and being the
first official proclamation ever made by the chiefs to
this class of dwellers in the land, is worthy of preservation. Every syllable of it is of unaided and
unadvised, native composition; and requires some
preliminary explanations to make its meaning and
force perfectly intelligible.
Foreign residents of every grade, with few exceptions, have ever denied the right of judicature over
them, to the government of the Islands; and have
tenaciously held the new political doctrine, that the
laws of the country in which they dwell, are for their
protection, and not their obedience. And not only
this, but I believe I am warranted by facts in saying,
that in general, they have been decidedly opposed to
the establishment of all defined public laws, even for
the government of the native subjects themselves,
under a pretense that if laws were formed, they
would be made by the missionaries; but in reality, I
fear, because they wished the whole nation to remain
lawless, upon all points not affecting the interests of
their own property or persons.




148


NECESSITY OF NEW LAWS.


The abolition of idolatry, and adoption of the
Christian religion, the consequent change in the
whole condition of the people, the introduction of
new customs and formation of new habits, the dissemination of letters and truth, and the establishment of the press, have rendered new and wholesome laws not only desirable, but absolutely necessary. The most intelligent and influential of recent
visitors at the islands have seen this necessity, and
have urged upon the government the importance of
enacting and enforcing laws conformable to the light
and knowledge they now possess.
So early as the summer of 1825, Lord Byron, during his visit in H. B. M. ship Blonde, at a general
council of the chiefs, convened principally for the
purpose of acknowledging the right of the present
king to the throne, and.of appointing a regency during the minority, took occasion to submit to them a
brief schedule of civil polity adapted to their new
state, and a set of maritime regulations in reference
to foreign shipping frequenting the port. The last
were put into immediate operation, to the abrogation
of others, more unequal and exorbitant, previously
existing.
The suggestions of this nobleman, however, referred rather to the form of government, and the respective and relative rights of the king, chiefs, and
people, and to the tenure of lands, &c., than to a
criminal or municipal code; and towards the close of
the same year, an attempt was made, by the regents
and their associates, to lay a foundation for laws affecting these points. This was by a public discus



LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTS.


149


sion of the precepts of the Decalogue-as presenting
the highest principles of moral and social actionat a council then convened; with the design of publisling the ten commandments without any penal
obligations to their obedience, preparatory to the promulgation of specific laws founded upon them.
Some of the missionaries had been invited by the
regents, Karaimoku and Kaahumanu, to be present;
on information of which among the residents, a party
of leading individuals from their number, violently
and riotously interrupted the council, with such menaces and threats against the members of the mission, even to the taking of life, that the chiefs were
utterly intimidated; and for the time, relinquished
their purpose.
Two years afterwards, however, in December
1827 —notwithstanding that the opposition of foreigners in general to the establishment of all legislative restraint on vice had continued to increase, rather
than to diminish-the king and chiefs in a general
council, determined on the promulgation of laws
against murder, theft, and adultery: the first to be
punishable with death, and the other two with imprisonment in irons.
The proclamation of these, with their respective
penalties, was first made by the king in personsupported by the Regent Kaahumanu, by Governor
Boki, and all the high chiefs-in a grove of cocoanut trees near the sea shore, to an immense throng
of the people, and many foreigners. They were
immediately reduced to printing, by the authority of
the government, and extensively circulated in handVOL. II.            14




150


ANCIENT USAGE IN RESPECT


bills.  Shortly after, an addition was made to the
code, of others against gambling, drunkenness, prostitution, a profanation of the sabbath, by improper
amusements or labor, and against cohabitation, where
the persons did not regard themselves as husband and
wife.
These historical data will enable you fully to understand the first part of the edict. A detail of a different character is necessary to throw light on the
second and third sections.
It is an ancient and established custom of the
country, that anyanimal breaking through the fence
or inclosure of a plantation, and injuring the crop
contained in it, becomes forfeit to the possessor of
the premises. In most cases, however, a restoration
to the original owner takes place, either with, or
without a small compensation for the injury sustained.
A British resident, whose dwelling and gardens
are in the immediate vicinity of a crowded population, chose, as appears on the face of the edict, without having given to the natives around any notice of
his intention, to shoot every animal of his neighbors,
whether fowl, pig, or goat, making its way into his
grounds.   This arbitrary proceeding, so different
from the general usage among themselves, offended
and exasperated the islanders; and, on this point,
the gentleman became obnoxious to their ill will and
resentment.
The large plain skirting the coast eastward of Honolulu, is a common, for the pasturage of all the
horses, neat cattle, &c., in the vicinity, belonging




TO THE TRESPASS OF ANIMALS.


151


either to the natives, or foreigners. Open in one
part to the beautiful and productive valley of Manao,
the plantations bordering it there, are exposed to depredations from the flocks and herds left grazing at
night; and it has been publicly ordered, and is customary, to have them secured in yards, by their owners, every evening. Mr. -, the gentleman alluded to, neglected this injunction, though specially requested to attend to it; and a fine milch cow of his
herd, becoming troublesome and destructive to one of
the plantations, was caught and detained by the
planter, with the intention of securing damages for
the spoliations of his crop. On hearing this, Mr.
-, became exceedingly angry; and in going to
the man for the release of the animal, instead of offering a remuneration for the injury sustained, reproved him for the seizure in violent and threatening terms.
The result was, that the cow making another inroad on the same premises, was shot by the farmer;
but escaped from the inclosure to the common, before
she fell and died.
This fact was soon reported-to Mr. —; and,
joined by an American of equal rank, he mounted
his horse, and riding immediately to Manao-without reporting the case to the king, or any of the chiefs,
or recognizing their authority to investigate the conduct, and punish the offences of their own subjectsseized the farmer, and pinioning his arms, tied a halter round his neck, and on horseback, dragged the
native behind him three miles to the town.




152


CASE OF OPPRESSIVE


The speed at which the gentlemen rode, was
such, that the islander, after running till entirely exhausted, fell, and was hauled along the ground till
greatly bruised-so much so, it is said, as to have several ribs injured, besides being much excoriatedand till the cord round his neck was strangling him.
An islander at hand, perceiving this, had the resolution to run and cut the rope with a knife, in the fear
that unless immediately relieved, he would die. On
reaching Honolulu, he was, by the order of these
gentlemen, put in irons, and thrust into the fort-the
usual place of confinement-where he still remains,
too ill to be removed.
These facts have been related to me, precisely as
stated by various natives, both chiefs and common
people: some of them eye-witnesses of the whole
transaction, and one, the individual who cut the cord,
to save the life of the prisoner. A public meeting
of the English residents was soon called, of which
Mr. Charlton, the British consul, was appointed
chairman. Affecting to consider their property, and
even their lives, no longer in safety at the islands, it
was resolved, that amemorial signed by the whole
number, should be presented by their consul to the
king, expressive of their fears, and appealing to the
government for protection.
A document of this character was accordingly
drawn up, and formally laid before the king, through
Governor Boki as secretary of state, with a request
that the answer might be carefully prepared, as it
was to be transmitted to his Britannic majesty's
minister for foreign affairs, in London.




TREATMENT BY FOREIGNERS.


153


The king immediately called a council; and the
following answer was written, and delivered to Mr.
Charlton-a copy, at the same time, being sent to
the mission press, with a request that it should be
printed in a handbill, both in the English and native
language.
The memorialists were so little satisfied with the
edict, that they denounced the most violent threats
against its publication. The excitement on the subject was such, that gentlemen who have ever been
most friendly to the missionaries and their object,
and the constant defenders of their characters, earnestly advised that the document should not be
printed, lest unhappy consequences might result.
But no satisfactory reason for disobliging the king
and government, by refusing to print, being presented, it was determined to hazard any ill consequences which might befall them, in the exercise of
their just rights; and they committed it to the press.
Furnished thus with its history, you will find some
interest in a perusal of the article. The following
is a literal translation, printed on the same sheet with
the original, in the Hawaiian language.
(TRANSLATION.)
These are the names of the King of the Islands,
and the Chiefs in Council.
KAUIKEAOULI, the King. KAAHUMANU, Regent. BOKI,
Governor of Oahu. ADAMS KUAKINI, Governor of Hawaii. MANUIA, KEKUANAOA, HINAUS AIKANAKA, PAKI,
KINAU, JOHN II, JAMES KAHUHU.
Oahu, October 7, 1829.
I. This is my decision for you. We assent to the
request of the English residents; we grant the pro14*




154


REHEARSAL OF THE LAWS.


tection of the laws; that is the sum of your petition.
This therefore is my proclamation, which I make
known to you, all people from foreign countries:The laws of my country prohibit murder, theft,
adultery, prostitution, retailing ardent spirits at houses
for selling spirits, amusements on the sabbath day,
gambling and betting on the sabbath day, and at all
times.
If any man shall transgress any of these laws, he
is liable to the penalty; the same for every foreigner,
and for the people of these islands-whoever shall
violate these laws shall be punished.
This also I make known-The law of the great
God of heaven, that is the great thing by which we
shall promote peace; let all men who remain here
obey it.
Christian marriage is proper for men and women.
But if a woman regard a man as her only husband,
and the man regard the woman as his only wife,
they are legally husband and wife; but if the parties
are not married, nor regard themselves as husband
and wife, let them be forthwith entirely separate.
II. This is also our decision, which I now declare
to you. We have seen your wickedness heretofore.
You did not warn us that your dooryards and inclosed plantations were tabu before the time when
our animals went into your inclosures: you unhesitatingly killed our animals. But we warned you of
the tabu of our plantations before the time when the
animals came into them, even yours; and then it was
told again to you that have cattle; but for some days




4~    -


ANSWER TO THE MEMORIALISTS.      155
past we have known your cattle to come in to eat up
what we had planted; on that account some of your
cattle are dead.
This then is the way to obtain justice: if you
judged the man guilty, you are not forthwith to
punish him; wait till we have a consultation first:
then, had we judged him guilty, we would have
given you damages; but no, you rashly and suddenly injured the man; that is one of the crimes of
two of you. And we state to you all that the wounding of a beast is by no means equal to the wounding
of a man, inasmuch as man is chief over all the
beasts.
This is our communication to you all, ye parents
from the countries whence originate the winds: have
compassion on a nation of little children, very small
and young, who are yet in mental darkness, and
help us to do right, and follow with us that which
will be for the best good of this our country.
III. As to the recent death of the cow: she died
for breaking a tabu for the protection of the plantation. The place was defended also by a fence built
by the owner of the plantation. Having secured his
field by a fence, what remained to be done was the
duty of the owners of cattle, who were told by him
who had charge of the plantation, to bring home
their cattle at evening. He did tell them so; but
they did not regard it: and in the night they came
in, but not by day. On that account the owner of
the plantation hoped to recover damage; for many
were the cattle that were taken up before, but no
damage was recovered for the crop they had de.




156


PREPARATION FOR


voured; the owners plead them off without paying
damage, therefore he to whom belonged the crop, determined that one of the cattle should die for destroying the~crop: for it had been said that if any
of the cattle should come into the inclosure devouring
the crop, such cattle would be forfeited and become
the property of the owner of the crop. Many have
been seized, but they were begged off and given up
again; this has been done many times. Why then
are you so quick to be angry? For within the inclosure was the place where the cow was wounded,
after which she made her way out. What then
means your declaration that the cow was wantonly
shot in the common? The cow would not have
been killed for simply grazing in the common pasture; her feeding upon the cultivated crop was well
known by those who had the care of the plantation.
(Signed.)                KAUIKEAOULI.
LETTER XII.
VISIT AT LAHAINA IN MAUI.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's Bay,
October 28th, 1829.  i
As you will readily believe, the accomplishment of
an early visit to Lahaina was a first thought, after
the arrival of our ship at the islands. The Vincennes was not expected to go to the windward
again; and, hearing of no immediate opportunity of




A VOYAGE TO MAUI.


157


making the voyage, I determined, early after the
official interview with the king and chiefs, to express
my wishes to the regent.
I accordingly called at her residence for this purpose, the second morning we were in the harbor. I
found her seated, in a loose morning robe of richly
striped satin, in front of a large mirror, making her
toilet-her head being under the comb and brush of
a native dressing maid. She was in the finest spirits, and, on congratulating her on her seeming happiness, she replied that her heart had known nothing
but joy since the arrival of the Vincennes, and since
she heard the palapala, or letter of tie president, and
knew the manao, or sentiments of Captain Finch.
After a lively, and on her part quite facetious conversation, I mentioned the object of my call, on which
she immediately said that her own pilot boat-the
fastest sailer among the vessels of the governmentshould be immediately at my command, to go to
Maui and to return, at my pleasure. The morning
of the 19th was fixed for sailing; and the captain,
in addition to a leave of absence for ten days to myself, having given permission for four gentlemen of
the steerage to join me, I had the pleasure of the
company of midshipmen Irving, Huntt, Bissell, and
Anthony.
At the time appointed every thing was in readiness, and we sailed shortly after breakfast-Captain
Finch having previously boarded us in his gig, to see
the accommodations of the schooner, and our prospects of comfort for the passage. From all former experience of voyages in native vessels, I had not pro



158


ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION.


mised my companions much in this respect; and wa&
agreeably disappointed in finding the cleanliness and
whole state of our little craft equal to those of any
similar vessel in our own country, with a commander;
mate, and six or eight common sailors, differing only
in color from the crew of a coaster at home. In
their dress, general deportment, civilities to us as
passengers, and good management of the vessel, they
appeared equally respectable and skilful.
The captain and mate seemed both piously disposed, and held worship on deck by reading a chapter in the Testament, a hymn, and by prayer, regularly at the setting and rising of the sun. The
prayers of both were as intelligent, appropriate, and
apparently devout, as any that would be heard under
similar circumstances, on the waters of America or
Great Britain.
By twelve o'clock on the 20th we were in full
view of Lahaina, and soon after dropped anchor inside of eight or ten whale ships, and, in a few minutes, I was in the embrace of those bound to us by
ties, never to be forgotten or dissolved.  You, at
least, dear H — can more readily imagine, than I
describe, the character of a first interview with Mr.
and Mrs. Richards, and the nature of our feelings;
and can enter into the warmth of my thanksgiving,
as I beheld them sitting in health and prosperity,
" beneath their own vine and fig-tree, with none to
make them afraid," on the very spot, where, four
years before, I had parted from them, under circumstances of peculiar danger and sorrow.




BY THE CHIEFS AND PEOPLE.


159


My reception by the chiefs, the governor, and his
wife, the princess, &c., and by numbers of our former
parishioners and special friends, was most warm
hearted and affecting-many of them bathing my
hands with tears as they pressed them to their hearts
and lips, while many "lifted up their voices and
wept aloud." As the news of my arrival spread rapidly through the district, c aroha-aroha Mita
Tuata!-aroha maitai! aroha     oa Mita Tuata!"-I" Love, love to you, lMI. Stewart! the best
love! the strongest love to you, Mr. Stewart "
echoed on every side where I appeared, whether at
a window, at the doors, or in the street. For two
days, in whatever direction I went, the same salutations were heard fiom every plantation, and from
every grove.
You, my dear H-, were far from being forgotten;
and, with our little household, shared fully in every
demonstration of remembrance and affection. ": Aroha Mita Tuata- Vahize, aroha Kali, aroha Harieta a me Beke!"    "Love to Mrs. Stewart,
love to Charles, love to Harriet, together with
Betsey," (Stockton,)-with an occasional substitution
of the native names of the children, Hoapiri and
Tamehamaru-invariably followed their greetings to
myself. Betsey Stockton is held in grateful recollection, both by the chiefs and common people. It was
under her immediate auspices and instruction, as you
know, that the first school among the farmers and
their families in Lahaina was established, at the
close of the year 1824. Schools of the kind are
almost as extensive now as the population, not only




160


THE PRINCESS HARIETA.


of Lahaina, but of Maui itself, with its dependencies,
Ranai, and Morotai. Several individuals composing
the original number of her scholars, have become
hopefully pious; and several are among the best qualified and efficient of the native instructors.
Your namesake, the princess, manifests a very
tender regard for you. Several times, during the
first few days of our visit, she was observed to be
abstracted and sad, while tears often started and trembled in her eyes. Mr. Irving, perceiving this on one
occasion, inquired of Mrs. Richards the cause. She
asked the princess, who replied, " It is thoughts of
Mrs. Stewart-it is sorrow, it is pain, to think how
coldly I loved her when here, and how little I, then,
regarded her instructions -and her advice. I am
dead (or overcome) with shame." The change in
her personal appearance, since 1825, is even greater
than that noticed in her brother, the king. We left
her at that time, you recollect, a slender and delicate
child of ten; but now-though little more than fourteen-she is a tall and full grown woman, with
a form en bon point. The rapidity of her growth
has been such, that she seems scarce accustomed,
herself, to the change in her size; and has lost
as much in the gracefulness of movement, for
which she was so remarkable, as she has in the elegance of her figure. The uncommon brilliance and
life of her eye, however, the intelligence, amiability,
and playfulness of her expression, and her fine teeth,
remain unchanged; and are advantages, that render
her, personally, agreeable and interesting.




THE CHIEF OF WAIRUKU AND HIS WIFE. 161
Our former neighbors at Lahaina, Auwae, the
chief of Wairuku, and his wife, now reside in that
district, thirty miles beyond the mountains. When
at Lahaina some weeks since, on hearing of my expected visit, they made arrangements to be informed
by express of my arrival at Maui; and the same
evening we landed, an islander was dispatched to
them with the intelligence. The messenger made
the journey entirely on foot, and the chieftains and
their train traveled half the distance in the same
manner-accomplishing the remainder, on this side
of the island, in canoes-still, they were at the mission house before breakfast, the second day of our
visit.
They are both hopefully and warmly pious; and
so deep are their impressions of the ingratitude and
sinfulness of having neglected to give their minds
and hearts, at an earlier period, to our instructions,
and to the power of religion, while we were residents
with them, that neither of them could speak on
the subject without tears. Each of them has written a long and interesting letter to you, principally in
reference to this point.
The attachment of the natives of every class, indeed, to the institutions established among them, is
now exceedingly great; and their gratitude and love
to those who have been the means of securing such
blessings to them, seemingly unbounded. All apparently regard Mr. Richards as their best friend and
benefactor; and himself and Mrs. Richards feel that
they, their family, and associates, are dwelling in the
bosom of a population, who would shrink from no
VOL. II.           15




162 GIFTS OF AFFECTION BY THE PEOPLE.


sacrifice to support, comfort, and defend them.
Peace, order, gratitude, and external good morals
alone, now characterize the settlement; and in every
aspect and development of character, the inhabitants of Lahaina are decidedly and interestingly a
Christian people.
The same evening we landed, provisions, in great
abundance, were sent as presents to us from the
chiefs; and for three days following, the gateway to
the mission house was hourly thronged with processions of families, and schools, and single individuals,
men, women, and children, old and young, rich and
poor, all bearing some gift, within compass of their
means, in testimony of their respect and affection.
But for the motive and design of this voluntary tribute, I should have been amused by the exhibitions
in the mission yard. Nothing could be refused; and
the whole premises looked like a fair-heaps of potatoes, taro, sugar cane, cabbages, melons, cocoanuts,
and bananas, were piled on every side; while in one
place was tied a squealing pig, and in another a
bleating goat; here a dozen of squalling fowls, and
there as many quacking ducks; all joining with
sympathetic cadence in the cries of their respective
fellows, still constantly arriving.
The scene was novel to the midshipmen; and
their gravity entirely overcome by it, as, in the general uproar, an old woman, in her best apparel, a
black silk gown, straw bonnet, and printed shawl,
made her way to me, in the midst of our circle in the
sitting-room, with a petulent rooster under one arm,
and a noisy duck under the other, both which she




RESIDENCE OF MR. RICHARDS.


163


was desirous of transferring at once to my personal
good keeping!
The quantity of vegetables and live stock thus imposed on our acceptance, was not only sufficient for
the use of the missionary family, including our party
during our stay, but also to half freight the schooner,
and supply the ship's company on our return.
Mr. Richard's house, though erected at an expense
to the American Board, of less than four hundred
dollars, is a large, well built edifice of stone, two
stories high, with a veranda on each floor in front;
presenting as comfortable and substantial an aspect, as
most farm houses in our own country. The situation is convenient, and as pleasant as any in the
settlement, with sufficient ground for a garden in
the rear, and a small lawn, shaded by a noble tree,
in front. Mr. Andrews-who, with Mrs. Andrews,
and Miss Ogden, is also at this station-occupies at
present a thatched house, in an adjoining inclosure,
but is preparing to build a habitation similar to that
of Mr. Richards.
The example of building in stone and mortar was
early imitated by the islanders; and, besides the
mission house, there are now several dwellings
erected along the beach, in the same style, and almost
equally respectable in their appearance and finish.
One, not yet entirely completed, belongs to the princess, and another to Maaro, the secretary of Hoapiri,
governor of Maui, and an assistant of Mr. Richards
in the translation of the Scriptures. This last is located on a slight elevation, with a strip of meadowlike ground in front. Stuccoed and whitened, it




164


COTTAGE OF MAARO.


rises conspicuously and beautifully amidst the surrounding verdure; and my eye never fell on it without a recurrence to the passage in the charge of Dr.
Worcester, then secretary of the American Board, to
the pioneers of the mission, in which, after pointing
out the general objects of the enterprise in which
they were about to engage, he calls upon them not to
be satisfied with their labors, till the whole land
shall be filled, not only with school houses and
churches, but with "pleasant dwellings."  Such
truly is this of Maaro; and, in my view, it stands in
no doubtful pledge, that ultimately, and even at an
early period, the face of every island will be covered
with many, equally entitled to the interesting epithet.
The entire plan of the house was projected, the
building raised and finished, with the exception of
the sashes of the windows, and similar delicate work,
by Maaro himself, and the native assistance he
could command; and will long remain a monument
of his ingenuity and persevering industry.  Our
party visited him several times; and when examining the construction and arrangement of his cottage,
the furniture and good keeping of the whole, connected with the dress and appearance of himself and
wife, we could scarce believe ourselves in the dwelling, listening to the conversation and partaking of
the hospitality of those, who, within a few years,
were living in all the degradation and debauchery of
heathenism.
Among the architectural improvements at Lahaina,
I must not forget the chapel now erecting. It also is
of stone, ninety-eight feet long, and sixty-two broad,




NEW CHAPEL.


165


two stories in height, to be furnished with galleries,
and calculated to afford seats for three thousand hearers. The walls are finished, and the roof nearly in
readiness to be placed upon them. It is pleasantly
situated near the finest grove of cocoanut trees in the
district-has been erected exclusively at the expense
of the governor and chiefs of Maui-and, when completed, will be the most substantial and noble structure in the Polynesian Islands.
We found similar improvements here in the style
of living and domestic comforts of the chiefs, as at
Oahu; and were particularly gratified in a visit to
the new residence of the ex-queen Kakauonohi, and
her husband Keariiahonui, nearly a mile inland from
the beach. The approach to it is by a carriage road,
branching from the turnpike-which runs through
Lahaina, and extends several miles along the coast.
on either side of it, a recent work of Gov. Hoapiriand terminating, by a circular sweep, in front of the
principal building.
Our call was made the second eveningof our arrival,
in company with the princess, and one or two others.
Keariiahonui, the finest looking man in the nation,
of noble figure, and, but for the loss of his front teeth
-knocked out in testimony of grief, at the death of
Tamehameha the Great in 1819-decidedly handsome in face, received us some distance from the
entrance; where, Kekanouohi, in a white muslin,
with satin sash, and hair put up, a la mode Parisienne, in richly carved combs of tortoise shell, stood
ready also to give us a cordial welcome..
15*




166    COUNTRY HOUSE OF KEKAUONOHI'
The first room we entered was-large and airy, and
furnished as a parlor; and, in addition to chairs,
tables, and a side-board, had a mahogany hand-organ
at one end. The whole apartment, as well as another adjoining, into which we afterwards passed,
was hung with festoons of the aromatic and sweet
scented maire, intertwined with other evergreens.
The second room, nearly as spacious as the first, was
for sleeping, and contained two large field bedsteads,
of a handsome, dark, cabinet wood, surmounted by
canopies hung with curtains of chintz; a toilet-table-covered with white cushions, and hung with
draperies of muslin, festooned with ribbon-beneath
a glass, in a gilt frame, sufficiently large to reflect the
whole figure; and an immense lounge, or native bed
of mats, spread with silk velvet in place of sheets,
with a counterpane or upper covering of satin-a
couch as luxurious in material, at least, as many
that afford repose to the first nobles in Christendom.
Two well dressed servants, a male and a female,
stood at either end of the side-board to serve the wine,
fruit, cocoanut-water, &c., that were offered us.
In making visits of this kind to the chiefs, in
walking over the settlement, in riding on horsebackhorses, with good saddles and bridles, being daily furnished us by order of the princess-in excursions on
the water in canoes, also at our service, in attending
an examination of a principal school, &c., &c., besides the enjoyment of the society of our friends at
the mission house-the time flew rapidly by, and almost before we were aware of it, the limited period of




RETURN TO OAHU.


167


our absence had elapsed; and yesterday morning we
were obliged, reluctantly, to prepare for a return.
The day previous, Governor Adams and Naihe,.
the hereditary counsellor of the nation, with Kapiolani, his wife, had arrived from Hawaii on their way
to Oahu, to visit Captain Finch. They came in the
governor's brig, the Waverly, accompanied by a
smaller vessel. The governor of Maui, the princess,
with Miss Young-a bosom companion, daughter of
John Young of Hawaii, the oldest foreign resident at
the island-and Kekauonohi, had made arrangements to return with us; the governor and train in
a topsail schooner, and the princess, with the queen
to matronise her, in another; and after a painful
farewell to cur friends, and joining the pilot-boat, all
our vessels filled away for Oahu in company.
At day-break this morning, we were off Diamond
Hill. Two whale ships had joined our little squadron in the night, and we approached the port in a
fleet of seven sail. The brig of Governor Adams
arrived first, but we in time to be taken from the pilotboat by a cutter sent for us, and to be welcomed on
board the Vincennes before the ship's company had
been piped to breakfast..




168


INTERVIEW OF CAPTAIN FINCH


LETTER XIII.
VISIT OF CAPTAIN FINCH TO THE PRINCESS, AND ENTERTAINMENT OF THE CHIEFS ON BOARD SHIP.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu,
October 29th, 1829.  }
MR. and Mrs. Bishop had arrived at Honolulu a
day or two previous to my trip to Maui; and early
yesterday morning, Mr. Bishop with Mr. Bingham
came on board the Vincennes, and after making a
call, returned by invitation, to dine with Captain
Finch.
It had been arranged that the Captain should
wait on the princess and the chieftains from the
windward in the afternoon, at the residence of the
king; and at four o'clock, we all left the ship together
for that purpose. We found them assembled, with
most of their compeers, at the place appointed; and
the whole company appeared greatly delighted with
the conversation of an hour which followed. And
with good reason; for in addition to the pleasantness
and urbanity which has marked all his intercourse
with them, he took occasion, at this time, to give
them much very important advice, in reference to
their rights as a government, and the principles by
which they should regulate their public measures,
and upon which they should found their laws.
This was given principally, in answer to questions
proposed by one and another; especially by the king,




WITH THE PRINCESS AND WINDWARD CHIEFS. 169


Governor Adams, and Naihe. Among other points,
he assured them of a. right which most foreigners,
by their conduct at least, have endeavored to persuade them that they do not possess-that of forming laws which shall be binding on all persons at the
island, both natives and visitors; and, also, of the
privilege of presenting to our government any complaint they have to make of the deportment of American citizens which has been displeasing to them.
All light, as to their national and political privileges, has been so carefully concealed from them by
most persons who could with propriety have imparted
it, that they hung on his remarks with the deepest
interest; and manifested so high a degree of gratification and delight, that the interview was prolonged
till quite the dusk of the evening.
In the dress, manners, and general appearance of
the princess and Kapiolani, we had the most decisive
evidence, that an elevation of character among the
chieftains, is by no means confined to the metropolis,
but that both Maui and Hawaii can boast examples,
as interesting in their exhibitions, as any to be found
at the islands. The princess, in a neat and fashionably made straw colored satin, with a handsome pelerine of the same, and hair simply arranged with
combs, by the propriety and dignity of her manners,
and the animation with which she occasionally expressed herself in reference to the topics in discussion,
made a very favorable impression on the captain, as
an intelligent and fine young woman; while Kapiolani, in an Italian silk of a grave color, with a gauze
handkerchief and lace cap, at a single look, was pro



170     KAPIOLANI WIFE OF NAIHE,


nounced not only a most pleasing and fine looking
woman, but to have all the air and manner of a middle aged matron at home.
No one seemed more to rejoice in the encouraging
and liberal conversation of the captain, and in the
various manifestations made by him of sincere and
disinterested friendship, than this individual.  At
two or three different times, I saw her dash the tears
from her eyes, with her handkerchief; and, on leaving the house, to proceed to the weekly lecture at the
chapel, the tears dropt from her cheeks as she took
my arm, and exclaimed, " 0, Mr. Stewart, greatly
indeed are we favored in the visit of this captain of a
man-of-war, and greatly are we blest in such a communication from the high chief of America-great
indeed is the joy of my heart, for I have a thought
that THE CAPTIVITY OF HAWAII (by which term,
as thus used,'the whole group is designated) IS NIGH
TO AN END." An event of which, in the language
of the poet I would say,
" It were a consummation most devoutly to be wished,"
not only by thechieftains and islanders themselves, but
by every philanthropist and lover of his race.
Long, indeed, has Hawaii been in captivity: in
a captivity of paganism, in a captivity of ignorance, superstition, and fear, in a captivity to the licentiousness of too many who have visited her, and
in a captivity to their imposition and deceit. But
her gods of wood and of stone are no more-He,
who would have all men every where to worship
Him in spirit and in truth, is the only deity now acknowledged and adored-letters and religion are fast




THE NATIONAL COUNSELLOR.


171


expelling the terrors of darkness and death, and the
unblushing vice which once stalked abroad at noonday, is now obliged, in a measure at least, to hide its
head: and let but a few such visits as that of the
Vincennes be made to her distant shores, a few such
documents as that of Mr. Southard be placed in the
hands of her rulers, and a few such friends as Captain Finch impart to them his enlightened views,
and important counsels in reference to their municipal enactments, commercial engagements, and political relations, and the captivity of Hawaii will be
not only nigh, but fully to an end!
The Vincennes having been entirely overhauled
and painted anew, is now in fine order; and all the
chiefs expected at Oahu during our visit having arrived, to-day was fixed on to receive the king and
chiefs on board, and pay to them the honors of the
ship. The invitation was given by the captain, at
the close of his interview with the government yesterday. The weather, though bright and clear, was
very unfavorable this morning, in point of wind.
Till near night it blew a gale-making any movement, either on land or water, not only very unpleasant, but almost impracticable. It was too late, however, to make a different arrangement; and the
boats were dispatched to bring the party on board.
At 12 o'clock, their return with the company was
reported by a quarter-master; on which the yards
were manned by the crew, in their muster-dress of
white frocks and trowsers trimmed with blue, and
black hats and shoes. The officers were in full
dress; the guard of marines under arms; the band




172


DRESSES OF THE CHIEFS,


on the quarter-deck; and the Hawaiian flag flying
at the foremast-head. The king, princess, regent,
and Governor Boki, came in the first boat, and were
received with three cheers from the yards, the guard
presenting arms, and the band playing " God save
the king!" And, as soon as the whole party, including the two consuls, and Mr. Bingham and
Bishop, had been received and escorted to the poop, a
salute of twenty-one guns was fired-the highest
honor of our service being thus paid to his Hawaiian
majesty and court.
The visitors appeared to great advantage. The
king, and most of the male chiefs being in full and
rich military uniform; and the females appropriately
and elegantly attired-principally in dresses of black,
with black hats and ostrich plumes. Since the use
of European dresses has become habitual, I have not
had much opportunity of observing the degree of
good judgment shown in the selection of their suits,
in reference to time and seasons, and thought it probable that some incongruity might be perceived.
But such was not the case.
The princess has been the subject of much conversation, since the arrival of the Vincennes; and
this being her first appearance before the officers, I
was particularly anxious that her costume should be
comme il faut; and had a fear, that notwithstanding the blustering character of the day, and the hour
of the entertainment, under an impression that she
must be finely attired, she might choose some light
evening costume, unsuitable for the occasion; and
from that fact, perhaps, was more forcibly struck with




AND ENTERTAINMENT ON BOARD SHIP. 173
her appearance, as she came over the side of the ship,
than I should otherwise have been. The best advisers could not have selected from her wardrobe a
more becoming and appropriate suit: consisting of
an elegant walking-dress of purple silk velvet, made
in London, richly trimmed with satin and velvet of
the same color, and finished at the cuffs and colar
with ruffles blonde; with a bonnet of salmon-colored
silk, white silk stockings, and black satin shoes-the
whole constituting a genteel and becoming dress.
The entertainment, after the salute, consisted of
the playing of the band, while refreshments of wine,
&c.,were served on deck; of the exercise of the crew
and marines, at the guns, as in battle; boarding and
repelling boarders, &c. &c., an exhibition which
greatly delighted the king and male chiefs. They
were then escorted around the different decks, and
shown the whole ship, after which they partook of a
handsome collation in the cabin, remaining on board
till near 4 o'clock, much gratified with the attentions
shown them, and the kind of entertainment given;
and the captain and officers, not less impressed with
the propriety and respectability of their whole appearance and deportment.


VOL. II.


16




174 ELEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE AND FONDNESS


LETTER XIV.
GENERAL EXAMINATION OF THE SCHOOLS OF OAH1K.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 
October 31st, 1829.
WITHIN a few days of the arrival of our ship at
Oahu, a regular quarterly examination of the schools
of Honolulu occurred. Captain Finch and a party
of officers attended the exhibition in the afternoon;
when the classes most advanced, embracing several
hundred scholars, presented evidences of their attainments in reading and writing, in the elements of
arithmetic, geography, 'and biblical history, in recitations from the Scriptures, in catechetical exercises,
and in singing, highly interesting and satisfactory.
Many of the scholars, both male and female,
write well; quite as much so as most persons of
common education in our own country; and all
manifested as full an understanding in the acquisitions made, as would be found among scholars at a
similar exhibition at home.
The king and the chiefs, including Governor and
Madam Boki, appeared at the head of their respective
classes, manifesting not only in their example, but by
their whole manner, the laudable ambition of being
first in useful knowledge, as they are first in rank.
One of the exercises of the king, was that of reading




OF THE NATIVES FOR ARITHMETIC. 175


aloud, in the English language, which he did with
unexpected facility, and with great distinctness of
enunciation, and correctness of accent. He understands much that is spoken in this tongue, but usually is unwilling to attempt speaking it himself seemingly from an apprehension of committing blunders.
One pleasing exhibition on the occasion, was that
of a basket of needle work, prepared by a class of
young girls, under the instruction of Miss Ward.
The articles were all beautifully finished-as much
so, as if the work of a skilful mantuamaker. Many
of the native females have become so expert in dress
making, that the elegance and finish of garments
made by them have greatly surprised us; and the
demand for their services is such, that they obtain an
abundant support by the exercise of the art.
While at Lahiana, I also had an opportunity of
judging of the advancement made by the chiefs and
others there, in exhibitions of a similar kind, by
scholars under the superintendence of Mr. Andrews
and Miss Ogden. The princess and her class are
in advance of all others at that station, as her brother
and his immediate associates are at this place.
Arithmetic proves to be a very favorite study with
the islanders; and they take great delight in the exercise of mind required in it. With the princess, I am
told, this is particularly the case; and a chief amusement of herself and companions, is in exercises in
the elementary rules of the art, and in simple and
compound reduction-the limits of the progress yet
made, I believe, by any of the nation.




176


APPEARANCE OF THE


Notwithstanding the attendance of Captain Finch
and his officers at the quarterly exhibition of this
kind, Kaahumanu felt desirous of presenting to them
a more imposing spectacle in a general examination
of the schools of the whole island; and early information of the design was circulated through the
various districts of Oahu, and other arrangements
made for its execution.
It occurred yesterday; and took place in the chapel-a building one hundred and ninety-eight feet
in length, by seventy-eight in breadth. The scholars
included persons of every age, and the number was
very great, amounting to many thousands-even
thousands more than could be received in the chapel
at the same time; and the examination took place
by districts.
The morning was appropriated to a review, in this
manner, of the schools most recently established in
distant parts of the island, and to those whose proficiency extended only to reading: and the chapel
was two or three times successively filled with these,
arranged by schools, in regular lines along its matted
floor. The people were almost exclusively dressed
in native cloth, but all in new garments: many of
which, consisting of immense folds arranged around
the figure with taste and gracefulness, were of great
beauty. In general, each school was in uniform:
some in mantles and kiheis of black, some of yellow,
some of pink, some of white, some striped, some
spotted, some plain, meeting the eye, as seen in a
single mass spread over so extensive an area, in lively
and agreeable effect.




SCHOLARS IN THE CHAPEL.


177


I never, on any occasion of festivity and amusement, during my residence at the islands, in which
a multitude of the people have, been brought together, saw evidences of greater interest and pleasure
in the passing scenes, whether of the song or of the
dance, or of a trial of skill in their various sports and
games, than were now manifested-brightness and
smiles were on every face; and all seemed desirous
of giving testimony to the importance and value
placed by them, on the attainments they are making,
and of the happiness they find in the new order of
things. The sight, with associations unavoidably
arising from it in my mind, was at once delightful
and affecting.
The afternoon, as in the previous instance, had
been appropriated, in the arrangements for the day,
to the schools and classes in advance of the general
population; and as large a number of the officers
as could be spared from duty, left the ship with Captain Finch at four o'clock, to proceed to the chapel,
The chiefs and a large number of foreigners, visitors,
and residents, including the consuls-who had
learned that there was to be more than ordinary display-were already assembled, and waiting our
arrival.
Fqr the gratification of the gentlemen of the Vincennes, this opportunity was taken of exhibiting so
much of their former style of dress, &c., as would
be consistent with modesty of person and propriety of
deportment. The schools occupied about two-thirds
of the chapel; the remaining part had been appropriated to the accommodation of the female chiefs,
16*




178    ABORIGINAL 1)ISPLAY OF THE


and kept in reserve for them, till, with all the ancient
paraphernalia of chieftainship, they had been borne
in procession from their respective residences to the
chapel. The display made by these, as seen from
the seats to which we were conducted, was beautiful
and imposing.
The princess occupied the centre of the space reserved. She was seated on the farther end from us
of a portable throne-consisting of a light platform,
twenty feet in length, and six in breadth, at an elevation of four feet. This was covered with many
thicknsses of the finest and most beautifully colored
native cloth, hanging in thick and graceful drapery
to the floor. Behind her, and at regular intervals
along the sides, the finest looking of the inferior male
chieftains were stationed, in splendid cloaks of yellow
and scarlet feathers, each supporting a kahile, or feathered staff of state, thirty feet in height; the staffs
or handles-two-thirds of the whole length-being
composed of highly polished, alternate rings of tortoise shell and ivory, and the upper ends of feathers; in compact cylinders, nearly two feet in diameter; some crimson, some black, some green,
and others, again, yellow, imparting a greater air of
dignity and power than can well be imagined by
those, who have never seen them poised over the
heads of the nobles whose rank they proclaim, or
waving with stateliness in the breeze at a procession.
That there might be as little departure as possible
from the primitive dress, without a sacrifice of modesty, the princess wore only a loose slip of black
satin, made close in the neck, with long sleeves; over




PRINCESS AND EX-QUEEN.


179


which, from the waist down, appeared, as she was
seated in the Turkish attitude, the nost beautifully
wrought and splendid article of feathers ever made
at the islands-a pau or native petticoat of yellow,
edged with alternate points of black and scarlet, and
lined with crimson satin —covering, not only the
lower part of her person, but spreading widely in rich
careless folds, over the whole of the platform. A
beautiful feather cape, in a pattern of black and crimson on a yellow ground, hung from her shoulders;
around her neck were several wreaths, and upon her
head a triple coronet of yellow and crimson.f the
same material. At a short distance on her left, in a
large chair of state, festooned with capes and wreaths
of feathers, and elevated three feet from the floor,
was Kinau, in the same costume as the princess, except that her pau consisted of an immense quantity
of gay colored tapa; and having smaller kahiles,
borne by petty chiefs. On the left of her, again, was
a throne, similar to that of the princess, but much
smaller, surrounded by feather bearers, on which were
seated the son and daughter of Kekuanao, in expensive European dresses. On the right of the princess, and corresponding in every respect with Kinau,
were Kekaunohi, Madam Boki and Kekauruohe,
with their feather bearers-the whole forming a semicircle of aboriginal splendor, immediately opposite
our seats, at a distance of fifteen or twenty feet.
Kaahumanu and Kapiolani, in their ordinary dresses,
in European style, were seen indistinctly through the
crowd of attendants behind the chairs of state, bearing kahiles, as in the train of the princess. The




180


GIFT OF THE PRINCESS


grouping of the whole, consisting of some forty individuals, was very impressive; and, by its novelty as
well as richness, excited great admiration.
To be placed so conspicuously before us, as a spectacle to be gazed at, rather than as presiding over the
examination, was an awkward situation for Harieta, as now usually called; but she acquitted herself
with great propriety, and was much complimented,
especially for the handsome manner in which an
expression of politeness to Captain Finch-unexpected, and, I should judge, unthought of, even by
hersel~ till the moment-was made immediately
after our entrance. The seat to which he was conducted was directly in front of hers, though at a distance of some thirty feet. As soon as he recognized
her in her new attire, he rose and made her a very
marked bow: on returning which, she immediately
dismantled herself of the feather cape upon her
shoulders, and dispatched a young chief with it as a
present to him. The compliment was so handsome
and so prompt, that the captain placed it at once upon
his own shoulders, and wore it during the exhibition,
in evidence of the kindness with which it had been
received.
The examination consisted, like all others of a
similar kind, of specimens in reading and writing,
exercises in arithmetic, &c. &c., concluding, at the
end of an hour or more, with a hymn and short
prayer.  The greater portion of the specimens of
writing and of composition, among those most advanced, were letters addressed to myself, in expression of the happiness occasioned by my visit, and of




TO CAPTAIN FINCH.


181


the views of the different writers upon the subjects of
learning and religion. Some hundred of these, I
should think, were committed to me by the writers,
after being subjected to the inspection of the various
foreigners present. Among these were some, who
take little interest in the advances of every kind
making by the people, and who affect to believe, and
who say, that no good has ever been accomplished
by the mission, and that the people have no capacity
for knowledge. To such, the gratification exhibited
by our party at the attainments manifest, and the
encomiums past by them, both on the teachers and
the pupils, were any thing but agreeable:i fact
which they could not disguise. The attention of a
principal officer was attracted by the readiness, and
apparent understanding, with which a large class repeated, what he was told was the multiplication table; and expressed his surprise and pleasure to one
of these gentlemen seated beside him; to which he
replied, with a look expressive of great contempt" All parrot-like, sir, all parrot-like-they 'now
nothing about what they are saying!" Almost
immediately after, a young man brought a slate with
a large and complex sum in addition upon it, presenting it to the officer to know whether it was correct. It was found to be perfectly so: and turning
to Mr. -, he said with a laugh-"A parrot possibly
might learn to repeat the multiplication table, Mr., but it would require a wise bird to add such
a series of columns together, without a mistake!"
Understanding that the females would leave the
chapel in procession, Captain Finch and myself




182


IMPOSING ASPECT


walked out before them, and took a stand in the upper veranda of the palace built by Karaimokucommanding a fine view of the whole street from
the chapel to the house, where they were to be set
down. The children of Kekuanaoa came first; but,
unaccustomed to this ancient mode of conveyance,
the moment their couch of state became elevated
on the shoulders of its bearers, and moved forward
with its compliment of feathered staffs and train,
the young nobles began screaming so loudly, that
their attendants were obliged to receive them to
their arms from  their lofty seats, and allow the
pageant to pass on unoccupied. Next came the
queens, and last, the princess, preceded by the king
and suit on foot, and escorted by a file of the royal
guards on either side, to keep open a passage sufficiently wide for her throne and its bearers, amidst the
immense throng of gayly dressed thousands around.
The scene thus presented in a single coup d'ceil
was highly exciting. This bearing of some favorite
of a. nation upon the heads of the people has always
been associated in my mind with a state of highwrought enthusiasm-an enthusiasm springing from
a just admiration and a sincere love for the object
calling it into action-and the sympathetic influence
of which seizes irresistibly on the heart, even of an
uninterested spectator. I could not free myself from
an influence of the kind on this occasion-nor was
it necessary; for she who was thus borne aloft, surrounded by all the glory of her rank and the gaze of
ten thousand eyes, was the joy of the people and the
delight of the whole nation. And while I gazed in




OF A NATIVE PROCESSION.


183


admiration on the animated and youthful favorite
passing triumphantly along, beneath a canopy of
magnificent kahiles nodding with grace and stateliness in the breeze-as cheer after cheer from the
wide-spread and admiring multitude greeted her on
her way-I thought, and remarked, that the pageant,
though destitute of the gilding of equipage and caparison of horse found in other countries, equalled, if
it did not surpass, in its effect upon the eye and upon
the heart, the most gorgeous and princely train I
ever witnessed.
At the close of the quarterly examination, a fortnight ago, Mrs. Bingham entertained Captain Finch
and officers, with the king, and regent, and members
of the mission, at tea,; and we at this time met the
same company, with the addition of a greater number
of the chiefs, at the cottage of Mrs. Ruggles and
Mrs. Clark. On the former occasion, the captain,
with the king on one side and the regent on the
other, through the interpretation of Mr. Bingham,
had new evidences afforded him of their intelligence
and affability; and on the present, a demonstration
was given that a whole circle of their compeers are
no strangers to the etiquette of a tea-drinking.




184 NATIVES ASSEMBLING FOR WORSHIP.


LETTER XV.
AN EVENING MEETING AND SABBATH SCENES.
U. S. Ship ViRcennes, Port of Honolulu, 1
Nov. 2d, 1829.
SOME of the incidents of the last forty-eight hours
have been among the most interesting, dear H-,
that I have ever witnessed here.
On Saturday evening I attended a meeting for
religious conversation and prayer. It was held in a
large school-house, near the residences of the principal chiefs, and was composed of persons of every
rank and condition among the people. There were
circumstances in the mere approach to the spot sufficient to impart seriousness and solemnity to the
mind ever accustomed to higher thoughts than hose
of which the things of this world are worthy. Nimbers from various quarters, wrapped in theirlarge n lanties, were still silently and slowly assembling-seemingly with hearts prepared, by the gray of the evening and musings on the object bringing them
together, for meditations of eternity and the sincere
worship of their God.
No light prattle or giddy laugh, no unbecoming
levity in look or manner, betrayed the careless mind
or a spirit little concerned in the services before it;
but all appeared to be cherishing thoughts and affections suited to a place of seriousness and prayer.




I


AN ALBINO AND A BLIND MAN.        185
On entering the lowly door and humble but spacious apartment, the light of a few tin lamps, at long
intervals against the posts supporting the roof, fell
dimly on the countenances and figures of at least a
thousand of these sable tribes, all waiting in profound
silence the arrival of a teacher in the things of eternity. We took our seats at a small table near a
door, in the midst of them, and waited ourselves till
those yet entering should find places. Among the
number of these was an Albino, though a pure
native, and another a blind man, of fine countenance
and noble figure, with deep seriousness marked on
his features, as, by the guidance of a friend whose
hand he held, he was led near the table, and became seated on the mats at our feet.
There was in this incident that which at once
brought into exercise those better feelings we all
delight to exercise at such hours and in such a place;
and my thoughts were, as I gazed with deep interest
on this afflicted islander-seeking in the darkness of,the night bythe kindness of another, that light, which
though invisible to the natural eye, is emphatically
the\, ight of the world," and the "light of life""hajpp:, happy art thou, though blind, if seeking
light fiom the great Physician! happy, though afflictedi, if, conscious of a darkness of soul as well as of
body,: thy earnest cry is, 'Jesus, thou son of David,
have fercy on me I? 
Afte: a hymn and prayer, and a few remarks suited
to the occasion, any one who felt desirous of asking a
question,or of expressing a sentiment uponthesubjects
for which the meeting was instituted, was requested
VOL. II.             17




186


EVIDENCES OF PIETY


to speak; upon which much interesting conversation
between one and another, and Mr. Bingham, took
place. The remarks, and the feelings of many thus
unfolded, were deeply touching, and fully demonstrated the efficacy of the Gospel, in enlightening
the mind and melting the heart of man in his most
uncultivated state.
The sceptic Ihay discredit, and the cold moralist
doubt, but he who knows from his own experience,
that there is a power in the truth of God which is
above the power of man, and, who has felt its influence pervading his own soul, and bringing him
sweetly into captivity to the gospel, knows that what
the wisdom of the wise can never in itself attain,
tile most ignorant and the most obscure by submitting unreservedly to the simple truths of the Most
High, and to the guidance of his Holy Spirit, are
sure to win.
Yesterday morning we had our usual sabbath
service on board ship, and did not attend at the mission chapel. After dinner, however, Mr. Stribling
and myself went on shore for the purpose of joiniljg
in the native worship at four o'clock. We had been
apprised of the intended administration of the LIord's
Supper at that time, and anticipated, with no little
satisfaction, the privilege of partaking of this Sacred
ordinance in so remote a part of the worli, in the
bosom of a church but lately gathered font heathenism.                      * 
The chapel, the dimensions of which I recollect
already to have stated, was erected, at the expense
of the chiefs, within the last six months. It is in




AMONG THE ISLANDERS.


187


the native style, beautifully thatched, and furnished
with several lofty folding doors, and large windows
of glass at the sides and ends. The pulpit is in the
middle of one side, and is a neat piece of workmanship, with cushions and hangings of crimson damask. A square of considerable dimensions, in
front of this, is lined with sofas, chairs and settees
for the accommodation of the chiefs, mission family,
and a choir of singers, consisting of twenty or thirty
well dressed young persons of both sexes, with the
king at their head.
Many of the more respectable of the congregation
besides the aristocracy, provide themselves with
chairs and other seats in various parts of the house;
but the mass of the audience sit closely together upon
the matted floor only. The neatness and cleanliness
of dress, the respectability, order, and seriousness of
the thousands constituting the customary assemblage
on the sabbath, are most impressive and have excited
the admiration of all who lhave witnessed it.
On entering, we found the immense area of the
building, as usual, greatly crowded; and the services
just commencing by a hymn and a prayer. It is not
customary to have a sermon on these occasions;
and, at the conclusion of another hymn, after the
prayer, the Jnames of seven individuals were announced as those now to be received into the church.
They had been in a state of probation for some
months, and were called on to present themselves
publicly to profess their belief in the articles of
the Christian faith, and to take upon them the vows
of the church covenant. This they did, standing in




188


PUBLIC PROFESSIONS AND


front of the pulpit and communion table, surrounded
by the members of the church, occupying two rows
of seats on the square inclosing it.
Five were men and two women-from twenty
to forty-five years of age-all dressed in good
suits of European clothes, and manifesting in their
whole aspect, a respectability and a degree of solemnity and seeming genuine feeling so striking, as irresistibly to impart corresponding emotions to the bosom of the spectator. The dresses of the females
were becoming and appropriate-plain, neat, and
modest; especially that of the younger of the two,
whose unornamented gown, of snow white cambric,
with turban to match, well became the composed
seriousness of a strikingly mild and amiable countenance. Her husband, one of the young men
making this profession, in a frockcoat of blue cloth
with white cravat, vest and pantaloons, made an
equally interesting appearance.
After assenting to the articles of faith, and taking
on them the obligations contained in the church covenant they were all baptized: and then, each for
himself, both male and female, subscribed his
name to the roll of the church, subjoined to the
preceding documents, and all were proclaimed
members of the church, entitled to all the privileges
of the relation, and commended to the special
love and care of their fellows of the household faith.
This ceremony was succeeded, by the presentation for baptism, of several infants, neatly dressed
like children with us at home. One of the most so,
was that of the individuals whose dresses I have




BAPTISM OF INFANTS.


189


mentioned; and as I looked with deep feelings on the
little family group they formed before the baptismal
font, I could but inwardly exclaim, in view of their
past condition, "happy parents, thus to have learned,
and to have secured blessings, of which, many a
long line of progenitors never conceived! happy child!
thus to have been born in a day, when no murderous
hand will add you to the fearful number whose earliest breathings have been sternly stifled in death,
but when, with humble prayer you are received from
the arms of parental love, into the bosom of the
church, and made one of the flock whose leader and
whose defender is the good Shepherd who careth for
his sheep, and who carries the lambs in his bosom!"
After this, four men presented themselves as candidates, to be received after a suitable period of probation. One of them was the blind man whose appearance had interested me the evening before, and
another the friend, now as then, guiding his darkened way through the crowded mass around.
A general invitation was then given to all professors of religion, among the strangers present-of
whom there were several-to partake in the breaking of bread, and the drinking of wine in the name
of him who said, " This do in remembrance of
me," with the request, that any such would make
themselves known by rising. Mr. Stribling and myself were the only persons thus answering: on which
we were joined in our standing position by the whole
church; and by singing a translation, in the native
language, of the appropriate and affecting hymn.
"'Twas on that dark and doleful night," &c,
17*




190


ADMINISTRATION


commenced the services immediately connected with
the ordinance.
The princess was seated alone on a sofa of crimson silk damask in front of the pulpit. On entering, Mr. Stribling and myself had taken single
chairs on one side of the area; but several of our officers and other foreigners coming in, to make room
for them, we took places beside her; and thus; with
one, who we, dear H -, have long regarded with
the interest of an adopted child, on my right and a
friend who I have learned sincerely to love on my
left, I joined with deep feeling in the prayer and in
the praise of the little flock here gathered from the
gentiles, and partook of the symbols of the " bread of
LIFE," and of "the water of SALVATION"'-of which,
"' if a man eat, he shall live forever," and "if he
drink, he shall never thirst."
It was an occasion which necessarily called from
the pious mind the most devout thanksgiving unto
God for the rich displays of his grace here made,
while it elicited the most ardent prayer that thus, He
" who is mighty to save," would go " forth conquering and to conquer!"  The most unreflecting and
incredulous mind could not have looked upon the
scene, without admiration at the achievements of
decorum  and seeming piety which, at least, it
must be acknowledged, have been accomplished.
The number of communicants was near two hundred-all natives with the exception of Mr. Stribling
and myself, and the mission family-presenting in
their deportment and whole appearance, as great a
degree of intelligence, devotion and entire respecta



OF THE SACRAMENT.


191


bility, as any ordinary church in our country: the
chiefs, by the superiority of their air, and greater
richness of attire, corresponding well to the higher
classes in our own communities, and the common
people differing scarce in any respect, but in their color, from those of the same standing at home.
The happiness to me, of thus surrounding the table of our common Lord, with most of my old associates and missionary friends, and with so many of
the chiefs and people, whose spiritual welfare has long
been a topic of the deepest interest and prayer, was
exceedingly great; and filled my heart with gratitude and praise.
The princess appeared to remarkable advantage.
I could not avoid noticing with satisfaction, the
singular propriety of her dress-a white Italian
crape, finished with simple bindings of white satin,
worn over an underdress of white, with a becoming
bonnet of light silk, and French scarf of the same,
of modest color. She was not only serious, but affected to tears by the ordinance; and while I could
but believe her a truly sincere and firm professor, my
prayer was that she might be "steadfast, unmovable,
and always 'abounding in the work of the Lord."




192


DEFAMATION


LETTER XVI.
DETRACTION AND CALUMNY OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 
November 3d, 1829.
A SHORT time after the arrival of our ship at Honolulu, Captain Finch and myself were invited to dinner by an American resident of respectability.
While at table, the character of the young king
became a subject of conversation; and the Captain
was led to inquire, whether any person had yet been
spoken of as a suitable companion for him as future
queen of the Islands. Our host replied, that the king
and his sister, the princess, were mutually and strongly attached, and that they themselves and all the
chiefs wished a marriage to take place between them,
according to former usages in the royal family, but
were prevented by the missionaries: adding that the
ceremony, however might as well be performed, for.
it was well known, that they were already living in
a state of licentiousness and incest!
As you may readily imagine the boldness of this
assertion, which I was persuaded was utterly false,
caused me to drop my knife and fork, with a surprise
bordering on indignation; and to demand, in a manner sufficiently indicative of the feeling which had
flashed through me, whether Mr. -   believed the
assertion to be true?  To which he replied, "most
assuredly nothing is more notorious-every body
knows it!" while two other Americans at the table,




OF THE PRINCESS.


193


corroborated the charge with the strongest asseverations.
These gentlemen were perfectly aware of the attitude in which I stand to the princess. They knew,
that from the time of my first arrival, as a missionary, in 1823, she-then a child eight years old-had
been a resident at the station that I occupied in Maui;
had ever been a favorite pupil; and on the death of
a converted and pious mother, the late queen Keopulani, had been committed by her to the special guardianship and watchful care of the Rev. Mr. Richards
my colleague, and myself. They knew, that from that
period, I had regarded her with peculiar attachment;
had rejoiced in her acquirements; in the early development of more than ordinary Christian principle and feeling; and in the active and exemplary life
of piety which she had led; and that a newbond ofinterest existed, in an evidence of affection given by her
on the necessary removal of myself and family from
the island, by the assumption, as a favorite and baptismal appellation, of the name of one justly dear
above others to me. They knew also, that she has
been for three years a member in full communion of
the church; stands conspicuous as a Christian, not
only in her own nation, but by report, in various parts
of the world; and that by impugning her characters
they were assailing the veracity and honor of the
whole mission, and casting reproach on all the moral
achievements, it is reported, to have attained.
Courtesy therefore to me as a guest, and a regard
for my feelings, in view of my relation to the princess, and the strong sympathy which I might be




194


REPORT OF IT


known still to feel in all that affects my former associates, should have deterred Mr.    and his
friends for the time at least, from such unqualified defamation, whether unfounded or not; and it could not
shave been expected by them, that after hearing it; I
should not take measures to ascertain its truth and
origin.
The object must have been to force the belief on
the mind of Captain Finch, by the confidence and
publicity of the assertion, that it must be true. How
far this was successfully accomplished the sequel will
show.
On taking leave of the company, I requested
Captain Finch to charge his mind with the remarks
made, and the positiveness of the accompanying
manner, that when he should have an opportunity of
ascertaining the innocence of the princess, he might
be persuaded, from his own observation, of the recklessness with which one, under the influence of
strong prejudice and ill will, could thus scatter "arrows, firebrands, and death!" and then say, "am
1 not in sport?"
To make the assurance of my own mind " doubly
sure," I early ascertained, to my perfect satisfaction,
that the crimination was as false in fact, as it was
heinous in its nature.
From my messmates, and other officers of the
Vincennes, I early learned that the same tale had
been repeated, by different persons, to them; and
shortly after reaching Maui, one of my companions
incidentally mentioned the scandal to Mr. Richards,
as a matter of common report at Oahu. He imme



TO HER GUARDIANS.


195


diately inquired of me, whether I had heard any
thing of the kind; and on relating to him the reiterated and positive avowal of Mr.  and his companions, determined, as pastor of the particular
church of which the princess is a member, to demand
of Hoapiri, governor of Maui, and his wife, the
guardians and adopted parents of Harieta, an investigation of the case. The consequence was, an immediate resolution on the part of the governor and
princess, to proceed to Oahu to meet the allegation;
and, demand, in the name of the government, from
the persons implicated, proof or a recantation of the
charge.
The princess was so much affected by the calumny, as to be unable to sleep or eat; and remained
with the Governor and his wife, during the whole of
the night on which she first heard of it, bathed in
tears; and it was not without much urging by the
mission family and myself, and the reiterated assurance, that all the gentlemen with me believed her
perfectly innocent, that she could be induced to meet
them, in the free and cheerful manner she had, previous to this disclosure.
All, who heard of it, were exceedingly indignant.
And the first shade of sadhess I had seen pass bver
the brow of Kaahumanu, after the arrival of the Yincennes, was on the morning of our return from Maui,
after she had been informed of it. As I approached
her residence, to exchange with her an " aloha;' I
perceived her seated in dejection on one side of the
apartment, while several of her compeers were partaking of a tempting breakfast just by. On asking




196


COUNCIL AND LETTER


her why she did not eat with the rest, she replied,
aohe ono ke ai!"  " There is no sweetness to the
food!" and on inquiring why? and whether she was
ill? was answered, that her " heart was broken by
the wickedness of the foreigners, and the falsehood of their words!"
A general council was early assembled for the
consideration of this subject. Governor Boki had
previously called on Mr., to know why he had
made such a statement. The only satisfaction he
could obtain was, that Mr.   did not intend to
convey the impression that he himself believed the
charge true, but only that it was said by others to be
so, and was generally believed to be a fact. He
could, however, furnish no particular authority; and
the following correspondence between the Chiefs
and Captain Finch has just taken place.
The document from the chiefs was placed in the
hands of Captain Finch, by the queen regent, Kaahumanu, in presence of the signers in open council
yesterday.
LETTER OF THE CIIIEFS.
Honolulu, Oahu, October 30, 1829.
Listen to us, Captain Finch. Great is our affection for you; united with pleasure, admiration, and
confidence for the love which you have shown us.
On account of your affection for us, we rejoice in this
opportunity to tell our thoughts.
This is our sentiment concerning Mr.  dwelling in our islands, Mr. -- and —. Many evil
deeds have been committed by our people towards
them, and many also have been their evil doings to



OF THE CHIEFS.


wards us; on account of their prolonging their residence on these islands of Hawaii, we are exceedingly
ensnared and burdened by them. Formerly our difficulties were small, but latterly they are very great,
on account of the unprovoked injuries that have been
heaped upon us, by the above mentioned foreigners.
Many have been the smaller- injuries which we have
received from them; and which are too many to
number. We will only specify two of greater imp
portance.
The first is concerning our man who shot a cow.
The two-      united, seized upon the, man, bound
him with a rope, and dragged him along behind their
horses, as a horse drags along a cart. Thus they
dragged him for the distance of two miles, until he
barely escaped with his life.
The second charge is concerning the false and
evil report of these persons concerning the princess
Harieta. W e deny the allegation made by themit is not true. On account of the charge brought
by them against her, our hearts are broken by the
scandal, and we can bear it no longer. Our feelings, however, are relieved by the letter of the chief
of America, brought by you, by which we are assured
of his affection for us. We have also seen your letter, which bears the same likeness with that of your
chief.
Because of the similarity of the sentiments of
yourself and your chief, we beseech you, if it is in
your power, to bring Mr.   and Mr. -     to account for the charge which they two have falsely alJeged against the princess. Grant, sir, our request.
VOL. II.           18




1:9s


ANSWER OF


that you bring them to a full account here, or be so
kind as to tell us distinctly, the proper course that we
are to take. 
This we humbly beg of you, with great affection.
which shall be perpetual.
KAUIKEAUOLI, King.
BOKI, Governor of Oahu.
ADAMS, Governor of Hawaii.
HOAPIRI, Governor of Maui.
NAIHE, Counsellor of State.
HARIETA NAHIENANA,A Princess.
ELIZABETH KAAHUMANU, Regent.
ANSWER.
'10 THE KING KAUIKEAk;ULI, AND THE CHIEFS 0t
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of lHonolulu,
November 3d, 1829.
I reply to your letter, and repeat to you that I en 
tertain great friendship for you and your people; as
also do the president and government of the United
States.
It is painful to me to learn, that you feel you have
cause to be offended with my countrymen, Messrs.
and -. They will, or can, I hope, remove
it. I have told them of your grievances.
When you, and those of my countrymen who visit
or live in your islands, become better acquainted,
then all grounds of complaint may cease on both
sides. As they and you are yet in some degree mutual strangers, it is most judicious to exercise forbearance toward each other.
I have not power to give you such satisfaction as
you may think is deserved; but I will receive, and




CAPTA I N FINCH.


199


deliver to the president, such demands or representations as you may choose to make; and they will be
effectually attended to.
As you are at a loss to know how you are to act
toward strangers who reside among you, but do not
behave as you may think they ought-I recommend
to you to propose such questions to my government.
It will explain the extent of its protection to citizens
who visit, or temporarily sojourn among you; also
the restraints andcorrectives it can apply to offences
committed against you.; and will'further inform you
of the degree of power or right over them, which it
is willing to concede to you.
Whatever ill impressions may have been produced
by what Mr. --     and Mr. --    may have said
against the princess Harieta, are removed by your
denialand assurances; their remarks probably were
not conceived in malice, and may have been derived
from  your own people. The knowledge that the
conversation has given you so much pain, will most
probably render them more cautious. When your
government is better established, and your people
more informed, your characters will be better pro,
tected from aspersion.
These are my views and my opinions; you can
however have reference as I before stated, through me
to the president, who will ctnfirm them, or else distinctly differ from me; so that your objects will be
attained.
I have thus, conclusively, noticed all the points of
your letter upon which I can with propriety touch:
and have only to add the fervent wish, that all diffi




U00


ADVICE OF FOREIGNERS


oulties, and every sense or feeling of displeasure, may
for the present, terminate here.
May each day of your existence, add to the pre
sent evidences cf your general prosperity, and indi
vidual happiness.
W. C. B. FINCH.
As to the assertion, that the king, princess, and
chiefs, are all desirous of a marriage between the brother and sister, it is as entirely unfounded as the accompanying calumny. Had not Christianity been
introduced and established, these two would doubtless
have been united before the present time; but it is
now six years since the subject was voluntarily dismissed from the conversation and councils of the
chiefs, as one that was forever put at rest by the precepts of the faith they had espoused. In speaking
upon this point with the princess, she told me that
such a thing had never been intimated to her by
any one of the chiefs, except by Boki, when intoxi
cated, a few weeks since; entering the house at which
she was, lie told her she must marry her brother imMnediately; on which, replyingthathespokelikeacrazy
man, from much drink, she left the room. But it was
added by her, that Mr., an American, and Mr.
-, a British resident, had each, at two different times,
advised and importuned her to marry her brother-saying, that such alliances were frequent, both in Ame
rica and England; and that, not long since, a British
king had married his sister! Mr. Jones, the American consul, however, she says, told her, that it was
not true; that such a marriage was never heard ot




ON THE SUBJECT OF MARRIAGE.


201


int a Christian country; and that to marry her brother
would be a lasting disgrace in the eyes of all civilized
nations.
I have not entered into this detail, and traced the
calumny to its result, from any intrinsic importance
in the circumstance itself, nor with the intention, on
the one hand, of bringing reproach on the individuals
giving rise to it, or on the other, of presenting myself
in pledge for the continued integrity, and future fair
fame of the person to whom it principally relates.
The princess, for so youthful a professor of religion,
is placed in circumstances highly inauspicious to the
continuance of that brightness and spirituality of
Christian character which she has, thus far, so clearly
exhibited-if not hazardous, even to the purity essential to the existence of true piety.
The nation of which she is so conspicuous a chieftain, however humble in comparison with others, and
mean in the pretensions of its royalty to rank and
splendor, still has " its world; to ensnare the youthful mind, and its pleasures, and its follies, to tempt
the inxeperienced heart. Of that world, too, she is.
the idol: its adulations in every form are constantly
poured around her; and unhappily, in the number
of those, whose flattery springs only from admiration
and sincere attachment, there are others who court
but to deceive, and who adulate but to destroy.
And however sincerely such an event is to be deprecated, still it is not impossible, to say the least, that
she may yet live more deeply to dishonor, even than
she has, thus far, adorned the cause, so early espoused
by her. But of such an event, it is most devoutly to
18*




202


SOURCE OF THE


be said, 'sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof;;
and I cannot but protest against the unmanliness
and cruelty of an attempt, thus beforehand, to blast
the fair fame of a reputation hitherto unsullied.
The leading motive to the disclosure has been to
unfold by the opportunity which it presents, the true
fountain of bitterness from which streams of prejudice and misrepresentation, destructive not only to
the best interests of this nation, but of the whole
heathen world, have been made so widely and so
broadly to flow.
It is in cases like the preceding, and on such au'hority as Mr.    and his friends, that the detractions of the mission are founded, which have been
furnished to the world by Captain Beechey, of H. B.
M. ship Blossom, by the "Redacteur" of"' Tie Voyage
of the Blonde," and by M. Von Kotzebue, of the
Russian Imperial Navy, in his " New Voyage Round
the World."  And I venture to assert that there is
not a syllable derogatory to the honor and usefulness
of the missionaries, contained in their united accounts,
which, on investigation, could not be traced to a si
milar " deceitful and deceiving " source.
The station of post-captain in the royal and impe
rial navies of their sovereigns, is in itself an XEgis to
the honor of Beechey and Von-Kotzebue; and I am
far from believing, that the statements they have given
are the fabrications of their own minds. Unhappily
there is too little necessityfor any visitor at the islands,
thus to task his inventive powers: an abundance of
matter of this description, already manufactured, is
there kept in constant store, with tongues ready t.




DETRACTION OF VOYAGERS.


203


retail it; and, I doubt not, those gentlemen can give
the names of the individuals from whom they received all they have rehearsed.
I impeach not their veracity. But unfortunately for
them, the attitude in which they have placed themselves, by their publications, is such, that charity herself cannot throw round them a shield, which, in addition to a defence of theirhonoi as gentlemen, will
screen their reputation as trust worthy reporters to the
world, of the physiology, condition, and prospects of
the people they have visited in traversing the globe.
A defence of their candor can only be sustained by
the sacrifice of the acuteness of their observation,
and the faithfulness of their research.
If their accounts of the Sandwich Islands were
written in full probity of heart, they must plead
guilty to the charge of an error in judgment, and of
having become dupes to the arts and misrepresentations of others, in utter neglect of the facilities for
personal observation by which they were surrounded.
To every intelligent visitor at the same place, it must
be self-evident, that instead of filling their note-books
with facts passing before them, they caught with
eagerness, from strongly prejudiced and ill-disposed
men, recitals and hear-says, in direct opposition to
them.
It is not with unguarded pen that I advance this
opinion. I have myself had a demonstration of the
fact; and can present evidence, both incidental and
direct, in support of it, furnished by those who could
have no motive to deceive.




204


'FALSE REPRESENTATIONS


A short time previous to my departure from the
islands in 1825, I called one morning at the residence
of an American merchant, who had the hour before
returned to Honolulu from a visit of a day or two, at a
place on the western side of Oahu, twenty-five or
thirty miles distant. In the course of the conversation
which ensued, he expressed great anxiety for the
people inhabiting the sections of country through
which he had passed, stating, equally to my surprise
and regret, that they must in a very short time be in
a state of perfect famine, fiom having been obliged
by the chiefs to go into the mountains to cut timber
for a new chapel, lately erected at Honolulu, to the
neglect of their plantations, till all the growth on them
had perished from want of irrigation and other attention: adding, that from this cause, the whole region
presented a most melancholy spectacle.
I had no reason to doubt the truth of the report. 1
knew nothing myself of that part of the island, and
was aware that the inhabitants had recently been
occupied in procuring timber for the chapel; having
myself, on one morning within a fewweeks preceding,
counted 2,200 men bearing it into town, in one uninterrupted procession, while some 800 or 1,000 others
followed during the day. But their appearance was
not that of an oppressed and famishing people; for
they came, evidently in high spirits and joy, with
hands and hearts ready to their work, which wouli
scarce have been the case if, on their way, they had
beheld their plantations perishing and their crops
nuined in consequence of their absence.




OF RESIDENTS.


205


Two gentlemen of the mission arrived at Honolulu, the same day of this conversation, from the Leeward Islands. Not having heard the cry of " Sail ho!"
among the natives, I expressed my surprise on meeting them, at their getting into the harbor without
being discovered; and, iti explanation, learned that
they had landed in the vessel in which they left Tauai,
on the western side of the island, at the same place
visited by Mr. —, and had come on foot over the
same ground which he had travelled. I-t occurred to
me at once, without informing my friends of the particular reason for tLe inquiry, to ask what the appearance of the country and plantations in that direction
were? Tley answered that the cultivated parts were
in luxuriant and beautiful growth; so much so, that
they had repeatedly on the way made the evidence
of industry and the fine order in the farms, the subject of remark i I then informed them of the report
of Mr., which they thought so utterly impossille as to believe rie in jest; till assured of the contrary.
Captain Beechey's visit at Oahu occurred some
few months after this and his principal report of the
condition of the people is, that they were in a state
approaching to utter famine, from habits of indolence
induced by the instruction and influence of the missionaries. That they had been taught, that to attend
church seven times a day, was all that was necessary
for them; and that a native had told him, (in what
language and by whose interpretation?) that it was
'better to pray than to work;" and the consequence
was, that the plantations were going to ruin, and




206


STATEMENTS OF CAPTAINS


provisions so scarce, that the king, only a few days
before, had been obliged to send to the American
consul to beg a piece of bread i
Such is the report of Captain Beechey; while his
own ship, and all other vessels in port, were receiving
from the native market every refreshment, both animal and vegetable, that they needed or desired. The
numerous foreigners resident at Honolulu, were also
living in abundance on the same resources; and a
walk of fifteen minutes in the rear of the town, and
the ride of an hour in almost any direction, would
have shown him thousands and thousands of acres
of cultivated growth, as rich and exuberant as any
ever known since the first discovery of the islands!
From whence, then, I would ask, did he gain his
evidence of famine? From assertions, no doubt, as
well founded as that made by Mr. --  to me: and
where was the acute observation of the intelligent
and scientific voyager?-brooding, it is probable, in
total neglect of the beautiful and fertile valleys around,
over the dusty and sunburnt plain east of the port,
whichhe had been told was once covered with flourishing plantatibns; without the addition, however, of
the time when-a period "to which the memory" of
foreign visitors at least " runneth not contrary!"
A few weeks only intervened between the visit of
Captain Jones, of the U. S. ship Peacock, and that
of Captain Beechey; yet Captain Jones, whatever
he may have heard, saw no evidence of a famine
past or to come. On the contrary, for three months
he beheld a market daily filled with the productions
of the country, in a quantity sufficient for the refresh




BEECHEY AND VON KOTZEBUE.


20o


ment of the Peacock and numerous other vessels in
the harbor, during the whole period, and at a price
more reasonable than at any other port visited by
him in the Pacific. In place of athreatened famine
from neglect of cultivation, there are the most satisfactory statistical data on record, to show that for
years previous to the visit of Captain Beechey to the
present time, the increase in vegetable and animal
supplies has been more than proportionate to the
increase in the number of ships' frequenting the
group.
Captain Von Kotzebue left the Sandwich Islands
on his return to Russia a few days previous to my
embarkation for England and the United States, in
1825. In his" New Voyage round the World," after
speaking of the missionaries, of their influence and
their character, in a very detractive manner, he
asserts that my intended departure was occasioned
by the injudicious and reprehensible measures of my
associates, especially of Mr. Bingham, and by finding
the objects for which I had left my country in this
manner defeated. I should have been utterly at a
loss to conjecture on what authority such an assertion could have been made, but for a fact which had
previously come to my knowledge.
While Captain Jones was at Oahu, in 1826, a
gentleman, in speaking of me, assigned this same reason for my retirement from the mission; and in support of it mentioned, that he had received a letter
from me in which I acknowledged the fact. Only
a short time previous, Captain Jones had himself
seen a letter, addressed by me from the Georgian




208


0MR. BINGHAM


Islands to one of the missionaries, in which sentiments and feelings at utter variance with such a
statement were strongly expressed. 'Of this he informed the gentleman, saying that he should be
pleased to see that which I had. addressed to him.
He promised to show it-but afterwards said it was
mislaid, and could not be found. The truth is 1
never, to the best of my knowledge, addressed a letter to that individual, either before or after sailing
from the islands. In connection with this circunistance, it was no difficult task to account for the
paragraph in the publication of the voyager. If no
other means had been open to him, he would have
found better authority on this point in one of the
most interesting and polished of his officers, whose
parting words after a warm benediction were, " Reminiscaris interdum mei, qui in tua domo familiaque
se inter quos habet carissimos, in patria reductun
putabat."
Mr. Bingham is the subject of special obloquy in
the work of Von Kotzebue; and I should be doing
injustice to my heart, not to present in this place my
own estimate of his character.
That he is a man of superior intellect, of good
education, and of much general and practical knowledge, all acquainted with him must admit, while
those who know him best are equally aware of the
benevolence and kindness of his heart. His evil, in
the eyes of his calumniators can only be an unreserved devotion of all his powers to the enterprise in
which he is engaged-the entire conversion, moral
renovation, and eternal good of the islanders. For




AND HIS ASSOCIATES.      2


209


the achievement of this,,he spares himself neither by
day nor by night, but, in reference to it, is instant
in season and out of season;' and, after a series of
exhausting labors from the rising to the setting of
every sun, trims the midnight lamp over the construction of books for the Schools, and translations
from thescriptures for the habitations and closets of
the people.  He has no policy in his measures
not approved by all his associates, and exerts nod
influence over the chiefs and people differing from
that of any other missionary, except such as may
arise from a seniority of residence and the ties of long
attachment. 
Mr. Bingham, however, is not the only individual
misrepresented. From the notices of this voyager,
the whole of the missionaries are to be regarded as
an ignorant and vulgar set of men, unfitted to
instruct even the natives in the most common arts.
They do not claim for themselves, nor would I claim
for them, the name and reputation of accomplished
scholars; nor do they affect the wisdom of the philosopher and devotee to science; but all the ordained
ministers of their company (by far the greater number in the whole) have received regular, classical, and
collegiate educations, and are as well informed, on
most subjects, as persons of their profession in any
country. They are accurate and intelligent observers of the phenomena occasionally takingplace around
them, and have furnished articles in such cases, that
have been thought worthy the notice of men. well
known in the circles of science and letters. For amusement and useful information, they have, when on the
VOL. II.             19




210


MENTAL AND MORAL WORTH.


shore, measured the altitudes of the mountains; and
again when on the summits of these, have taken the
bearings of the points of the islands, and from the
data, projected maps more accurate than any previously drawn; and ihn their various tours for purposes connected with the mission, have furnished
to correspondents descriptions of scenery, and notices
of the habits and condition of the people, which for
beauty and interest will compare with the writings
of travelers of reputation.
Such qualifications of mind and of education must
at least save thiem from contempt. But, even, were
they less favored in this respect than they are, their
principles, their personal example, their influence, and
their aim, are such that, whatever the estimate now
placed upon them may be, I am persuaded, that at
last they will be accounted in the number of thoseof
whom "the world was not worthy;" and the drapery which M. Von Kotzebue has cast round me, as
standing in his work in relievo to such men, instead
of a mantle of kindness, must ever be esteemed by
me; a BADGE OF REPROACH.


0




VISIT OF THE MISSIONARIES.         211
LETTER XVII.
GOVERNMENT DEBT AND STATE OF COMMERCE.
U. S. ship Vincennes, port of Honolulu,
cabin, was obliged to excuse himself, and, with Mr.
Bingham as interpreter, go on shore to meet the king
and Governor Boki in a private conference respecting
the claims of the American merchants upon the
native government-to secure payment of which, he
had tendered his services, through the American consul, to the respective houses interested.
The interview continued the greater part of the
day; and; on returning to the ship in the evening,
he expressed great regret, that I could not have been
with him. The development of native intellect, and
evidences of a capacity for the management of
financial and governmental affairs, exhibited on this
occasion he considers decidedly the most interesting
that have yet come under his notice.
He was greatly dlighted with the dignified -and
business-like manner in which the king, as-well as
Boki, entered upon the exposition of their commercial
relations; and with the intelligence and ability of
both, in the discussion of the subject, during the inter



212     COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS


view. From Mr. Bingham I learn, that the captain
improved the opportunity of giving the king much
important advice, as a private friend, in reference
to his fiscal affairs: urged upon him the importance of keeping himself and government free
from pecuniary embarrassments, of having a treasurer qualified to preserve his accounts, in an intelligible manner, &c. &c.
The conference was resumed yesterday morning,
in the presence of all the chiefs; and an investigation of accounts took place, which resulted in the acknowledgment of about $50,000 due, to different
American merchants and ship masters, with a pledge,
on the part of the chiefs, to liquidate the whole within the ensuing nine months. The debts are principally those contracted by the late king Rilio Riho,
and by Taunuarii of Tauai previous to his death.
Sandal wood, for the payment of the same claims,
was collected after the visit of Captain Jones, but appropriated by Boki to new purchases, without the
knowledge of the regent and king. The payment
now to be made is also to be in sandal wood, and
Maaro of Maui, who accompanied Gov. Hoapiri and
the princess to Oahu, has already. by the application
of his arithmetic to the case, assessed the amount
requisite, on the different Islands, according to the
population and quantity of wood on each, to be collected by a general tax.
An American merchant, now in business at Honolulu, and who was here previous to the arrival of the
missionaries in 1820, informs me, that the advance
in the commercial importance of the islands within




ANDh INCREASE OF TRADE.


213


the ten years past, has notbeen less than seven hundred per cent.  Upon this point, however, I will refer you to the following official letter of Mr Jones,
addressed to Captain Finch.
United States Consulate, Sandwich Islands, 
Honolulu, Oahu, October 30th, 1829.  5
Dear Sir,
In your communication oi the 19th inst., received at this Consulate, you have requested me to
give you such information as I may be possessed of,
relative to the state, extent, value, and wants of the
American commerce of these islands, in consequence
of the government of the United States having
evinced a lively interest for its better protection, and
more successful prosecution.
In complying with this request, I shall endeavor
to be as concise as possible; and give you such information only, as shall be conceived most desirable
for our government to be informed of. Since the
discovery of the Whale Fishery Qn the coast of Japan, and the independence of republics of the western coast of North and South America, the commerce of the United States at the Sandwich islands,
has vastly increased; of such importance have these
islands become to our ships, which resort to the coast
of Japan for the prosecution of the whale fishery,
that without another place could be found possessing,equal advantages of conveniences and situation, our
fishery on Japan would be vastly contracted or punsued under circumstances the most disadvantageous.
The importance, also, of the Sandwich islands to
ships bound from  the western coast of North and
19*




2-14


OFFICIAL LETTEr


South America to China, or Manilla, has of late
years, been fully tested: the number of such vessels,
which visit these Island, is annually increasing, and
they have been found to afford them every advantage
for repairing, refreshment &c.-and, generally, a
market for parts of cargoes, which such vessels commonly have remaining unsold at the time of leaving
the coast of Western America; these vessels also
generally obtain from the islands a freight of sandal
wood, either for Canton or Manilla, which is quite an
inducement, of itself, to attract them to these isles.
Thecommerce of the United States, which resorts
to the Sandwich islands, may be classed under five
heads, viz.: First, Those vessels which trade direct
from the United States to these islands, for sandal
wood, and from hence to China and Manilla, and return to America.  Second, Those vessels which are
bound to the Northwest Coast on trading voyages, for
furs, and touch here on their outward bound passage,
generally winter at these islands, and always stop, on
their return to the United States, by the way of China.  Third, Those vessels, which on their passage
from Chili, Peru, Mexico, or California, to China, MIanilla or the East Indies, stop at these islands for refreshments, or repairs, to obtain freight, or dispose of
what small cargoes they may have left. Fourth,
Those vessels which are owned by Americans resident at these islands, and employed by them in
trading to the Northwest Coast, to California and
Mexico, to Canton and Manilla.  Fifth, Those vessels, which are employed in the whale fishery, on the
coast of Japan, which visit semi-annually.




OF THE AMERICAN CONSUL.


215


Of the- first class of vessels, which visit these
islands annually, the number may be estimated at
six, the amount of tonnage, eighteen hundred, and'
the value of.vessels and cargoes, at three hundred
and twenty thousand dollars. Of the second class,
the number may be estimated at five, the tonnage
one thousand and the value of vessels and cargoes,
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Of the
third class, the number may be estimated at eight,
the tonnage two thousand five hundred dollars, and
the value of vessels and cargoes, at five hundred
thousand dollars. Of the fourth class, the number
amay be estimated at six, the tonnage one thousaad,
and the value of vessels and cargoes, two hundred
thousand dollars. Of the fifth class; the number
may be estimated at onehundred, the tonnage, thirtyfive thousand, and the value of vessels.and cargoes,
at four millions. Thus making the commerce of the
United States, which annually visits the- Sandwich
Islands, amount to one hundred and twenty-five vessels, estimated at forty thousand tons, and valued at
five millions two hundred and seventy thousand dollars. This estimate is made from the average number of vessels, which have visited these islands
during the last three years; and will, I believe, be
found to be very near the extent and value of our
commerce, here.
The importance of the Sandwich Islands to the
commerce of the United States, which visits these
seas, is, perhaps, more than has been estimated by
individuals, or our government been made acquainted
with. To our whale fishery on the coast.of Japan,




216


OFFICIAL LETTER


they are indispensably necessary; hither those employed in this business repair in the months of April
and May, to recruit their crews, refresh and adjust
their ships; they then proceed to Japan, and return
in the months of October and November. It is necessary that these ships, after their cruise on Japan,
should return to the nearest port; in consequence, a
large majority resort to these islands, certain here to
obtain any thing of which they may be in want; a
small proportion, however, of these. vessels have proceeded for supplies. and refreshments, in the fall, to
the ports on the coast of California; but as the
government of Mexico have now imposed a duty of
two dollars and one eight per ton, on every ship, that
shall anchor within their waters, whether in distress
or otherwise, this will, of course, preveht our whale
ships from  visiting that coast, and the Sandwich
Islands, will then remain as the only resort for them,
after their cruise on the coast of Japan.
As the government of the Republics of South
America become settled, and peace established on
their shores, our commerce, with these nations, will
undoubtedly increase, and the result will, of course,
have a tendency to bring more commerce to the
islands; here, all vessels bound to China, Manilla, or
the East Indies, will stop on their passage, and the
more the advantages which these islands afford to
such vessels, are known, the more they will becone
frequented.
When we reflect; that only a few years since, the
Sandwich Islands were not known to exist-when
but lately theywere visited only by a few ships bound




OF THIE AMERICAN CONSUL.


217


to the Northwest Coast of America, and these merely stopping to purchase a few yams or-potatoes, and
that now there annually come to this remote corner of
the globe, forty thousand tons. of American shipping,
with the sure prospect, that in no long protracted period, this number will double, we are led to conclude,
that the Sandwich Islands will yet be immensely
more important, to the commerce of the United
States, whic)h visits these seas, than they have been.
You, Sir, will have seen at this part of Honolulu,
a little of the extent:and importance, of our come
merce, and you will be able to form some estimate of
the advantages which these islands afford; and it is
roped you will conceive it proper, to urge on our
government, the necessity and propriety of extending a strong arm of protection to those citizens,
who adventure to this remote part of the world. 1
say protection-for I conceive so large-a commerce,
and so far removed from the laws and restraints of
civilized society, requires to be regulated by the appearance, if 'not the actual force of power.
The annual, if not semi-annual, visit of one of:
our ships of war, to these islands, is conceived to be
necessary; and would, no doubt, be attended with
the best advantages, affording to our commerce in.
these seas, protection, assistance, and security.
For this station, a sloop of war would be sufficient,
for every piprpose required; and; if so arranged as to
visit these islands in the months of March, April, and
May, and again in October and November, every
desired object would then be effected, and the result be, that our merchantmen, and whalers would




218


OFFICIAL LETTER


come tOthe islands with perfect security; their tarry here.riade safe, and many abuses and inconveniences with which they are now shackled, would be
done away. The very knowledge that a ship of
war would semi-annually be at the Sandwich islands,
would be offinfinite service to our commerce in general, which enters the waters of the North Pacific
ocean.
Since.my residence on these islands, ats an officer
of government, I have, repeatedly,, in the discharge
of my official duties, felt the want of protection and
aid, from the power of my government. I have been
compelled to see the guilty escape With impunity;
the innocent suffer without a cause; the interests of
my countrymen abused; vessels compelled to abandon the object of their voyage, in consequence of desertion and mutiny; and -men, who might be made
useful to society, suffered to prowl amongst the different
islands, a disgrace to themselves and their country,
and an injury to others whom they are corrupting
and encouraging to do wrong. From such sources,
our commerce, in this quarter of the world, has suffered much; and I have the confidence to believe
that the regular visits of our ships of war, to these
islands, (their commanders being clothed with sufficient power to act) would have the best tendency to
regulate all things and secure lo our commerce in
this quarter every thing of which it now so importantly feels the want.
I would suggest to yourself the propriety of recommending to our governnent that a ship of war be
detached for the protection of American commerce in




OF THE AMERICAN CONSUL.


219


these waters, that she be required annually to visit the
Society and Marquesas Islands, and, semi-annually,
the Sandwich Islands; that in the intermediate periods whenshe might not be employed at such islands
it shall be required that she visit the ports of California and Mexico, to afford protection to our commerce,
and citizens in that quarter, where they have for a
long time been suffering under the abuses of an illregulated government.
I might point out to you many more, and important reasons, why our, commerce in these waters requires more protection —they are, constantly coming
under my observation, and I daily see the propriety
and necessity that our government should act as I
have suggested to you; but I will forbear to trouble
you longer with this report, which,though superficial,
I hope will (with information you may obtain from
other sources) be sufficient to answer the object for
which you addressed me on the 19th inst.
Be pleased to accept for yourself the assurance of
the respect and esteem with which
I am,.
Sir,
Your obt. servt,
(Signed)         JOHN C. JONES, JR.
To W. C. B. FINCH, Esq,
Commanding U. S ship Vincennes.
r,, /;




220  INVITATION BY GOVERNOR BOKI.


LETTER XVII.
A RIDE TO THE COUNTRY HOUSE OF GOVERNOR BOKI, AND
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT BY THE KING.
U. S- ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu,
November 5th, 1829.  i
AT the close of the commercial-transactions on
Monday, Governor Boki informed Captain Finch
and myself, that the King, princess, and queen regent,
were to spend the next day with him and Madam
Boki, at a cottage occupied by them in the valley of the
Nuuanu, directly inland from the port-adding-that
he should be happy to see us, and any of the officers
who might choose to take the ride, enfamille with
them. A trip to the celebrated Pari or Pass of Kolau,
within a couple of miles of the residence of the governor, being yet an unaccomplished object with us,
we readily accepted the invitation; and a delightful
day indeed, it proved to be.
The captain, Lieutenant Stribling, and myself,
landed immediately after breakfast. My companions
were supplied with horses by Mr. Jones and Mr.
French; and I, through the kindness of the owner,
with a beautiful animal, the property of Madam Halileo, wife of the king's private secretary. The palace yard had been appointed as a place of rendezvous with the chieftains; and, on mounting, we rode
there to oin them.




EQUIPAGES OF TIHE REGENT.


221


The regent, among other equipages, has a hand
somely finished and expensive gig of foreign manufacture. She made great use of it till the occurrence,
lately, of a disaster or two, when taking the air in it.
On one occasion, in driving herself in the vicinity of
her country house at Manao, absorbed in more important musings, she did not sufficiently regard the
nrarrewness of the road on the bank of a taro patch,
filled with mud and water; and found her portly
figure very suddenly transferred, without much regard to the manner, or attitude in which she was left,
from the height of her vehicle into the mire below;
and not long afterwards, General Kekuanaoa, in acting the beau to her, gave a practical demonstration of
the readiness with which the centre of gravity of a
high gig, containing two nobles of three hundred
pounds each, may be shifted in turning a corner in
the true style of James street. In both cases her
majesty escaped material injury; but since these
events, she has been content with a more unpretending establishment-a little, low car of green, with two
wheels, drawn by a pair of shaggy, gray donkeys.
driven tandum, with a harness of undressed goal.
skin.
On the present occasion, as the road in some parts
is not well fitted for wheels, she chose to dismiss the
donkeys, and to commit her safety, in the draught of
the barrow, to bipeds, who could be managed by word
of mouth, without hazarding the uncertainty of the
rein; and on our arrival at the palace, we found her
already seated, under an umbrella, in her vehicle:
with six or eight stout islanders in readiness to trans
VOL. Ti.            20




222


THE GENERAL CAVALCADE,


port her up the valley, and a numerous train on foot,
bearing the various appendages of her service.
The princess, in a black dress, with a mantle of
scarlet satin, and white silk hat, trimmed with flowers, rode a spirited black horse, with Maaro, her secretary, and a dozen others of her household and followers in company; while the king was mounted on
a noble charger of iron gray, and surrounded by a
suite of twenty-five or thirty chieftains and favorites,
on fine and well equipped horses. Captain Finch.
Mr. Stribling, and myself, made up the numberforming a cavalcade of fifty on horseback, while as
many accompanied us on foot, to bear water flagons.
&c., and to take charge of the horses in dismounting.
By ten o'clock we were all in readiness; and as
we issued from the yard, through the gate opening in
the rear upon the country, presented, in our various
groupings and equipments, no little of the aspect, for
this part of the world at least, of a royal party, on an
excursion of pleasure.
The morning was -delightful; the heavens of the
finestblue, and the sun, though bright, not oppressive,
with the trade-wind blowing freshly from the mountains in our faces. All things without, and seemingly
all within, joined to produce a flow of spirits the
most buoyant and cheering. Our horses, full of nerve
and muscle, partook in no small degree of the excitement of feeling; and, impatient of even the slight
restraint we had any disposition to impose on them,
pranced gaily over the swelling grounds at the foot
of Fort Hill, as we wound round it to the entrance of
the valley: the restiveness of some-among others




AND HORSEIMANSHIP OF THE KING.


223


those of the king and his immediate escort-being
such as to lead their riders occasionally to diverge
from the direct road; and, by taking a sweep of half
a mile with unchecked rein, to reduce them to a degree of sobriety, better suited to the convenience of
the general retinue.
The king is exceedingly fond of the exercise of
riding, and is an accomplished horseman. In his
whole air and attitude, and in the ease and glacefulness of his movements, he need scarce shun a comparison with the most admired of the Spanish caballeros, seen on the coast. He has been instructed by
a skillful English groom, still in his service; and
owns a stud of more than a hundred horses. It
is said, that much of the ease and gracefulness of
his manners is attributable to his fondness for riding,
and to his mastery of the manly accomplishment.
On reaching the first stream of water-that which
comes from the valley of Ua-and the stone walls
inclosing the plain, we had a specimen of the facility
with which royalty here, as well as in more noble
nations, triumphs over obstacles of importance in
the movements of inferior persons.  Neither the
rocky banks nor bed of the mountain torrent, nor
the substantial stone barrier on the opposite side, impeded for a moment the chariot wheels of the regent; and she sat most composedly in her equipage,
while it was dashed down one steep bank, and over
the rocks at the bottom of the stream-one wheel,
at one moment, poising high in the air, and the other
equally so at the next-then up the opposite side.
and straight over a wall three or four feet high.




- *^J


N E W T URNPIKE.


After passing the front of the hill, in which the
spur of mountain, dividing the two valleys, Ua
and Nuuanu, terminates towards the port, we came
to the principal stream flowing down the latter, and
at which is the commencement, at present, of a fine
turnpike road, now nmaking by Boki, fiom the harbor to the Pari. The sides of the hills on either
side are excavated sufficiently to give room for two
carriages to pass; and a substantial bridge is to be
thrown across the water. For some cause, which we
did not ascertain, it is carried on in detached parts,
here and there-in no place more than a mile in continuance-but promising when completed to make as
beautiful a drive, as could be desired in any part of
the world; and a work that will do much credit to
the government, and add greatly to the resources of
pleasure among the residents and visitors at Honoiulu.
After crossing this stream, and mounting the opposite bank, the ascent for several miles is gradualaffording extensive views, on either hand and towards
the sea, of the rich plantations with which the
mouth of the valley is filled. Here our company
presented a lively and animating spectacle. Where
the new road had been laid out and completed, we
dashed on en masse over its broad, gravelly surface.
followed by a long line of pedestrians, exhibiting
every variety in the color and form of their costume:
but, where the original paths, diverging from one
another, and winding in different directions, were
only to be found, we became divided into separate
parties, cantering in long lines of single file over hil




BATTLE GROUND.


225


lock and through dingle, first on one side of the'valley and then on another, till, at the end of three or
four miles, we came again upon a stretch of the road
just on the battle ground, where the victory of Tamehameha, over the king of Oahu, about thirty-five
years ago, decided the fortunes of that successful
warrior, and made him monarch of the group.
Here Kauikeauoli, with several of the more intelligent of his companions, had drawn up; and waited
the arrival of the captain, who was in company with
the princess, in order to acquaint him with the historical interest of the ground, and to point out the
stations of the respective parties, their numbers, and
the character and issue of the contest. The group
presented, as we gathered round him to listen to his
statement, connected with the scene in the history of
the islands which has imparted its interest to the
ground, would have afforded a subject scarce beneath
the pencil of a master, while it told a tale, by the contrast of its parts thus brought together in the passing exhibition, and by imagination of that long since
gone by, worthy of a place on canvas.
In the centre was the youthful sovereign, such as
I have described him-of fine figure and easy manners, in a handsome riding suit: and mounted on a
noble animal of a species, the name of which had
probably never here been heard, on the day of this
decisive battle-descanting, while his eye sparkled
with intelligence and interest in the theme, on the
feats of the savage ancestor who had secured to him
his dominion. By his side, in the attire of an elegant female, and equally well mounted, was his sis
20*




226    SCENERY OF THE VALLEY AND


ter-sharing no little in the animation of his narra
five-while clustered round, on horseback, were forty
or fifty chosen friends and companions, with every
appearance, in the dress and manners of the whole.
of no contemptible degree of civilization, and even
refinement. With this group in your eye for a foreground, dear H, fill up the picture in the wild
glen with thousands of a savage race in all the fury
of a deadly conflict-foe struggling in nakedness
with foe, while barbarous menaces and hideous
shouts, amidst the brandishment and hurling of
spears and war clubs, add to the terrors of the sight.
And, when the piece is thus sketched, would you irmagine, that the figures of the foreground and those ol
the filling up are people of the same race?-of the
same age?-and almost of the same quarter of a
century?  Would you believe the civilized and
Christian brother and sister-the eldest scarce sixteen-to be the son and the daughter of the most
fearful of the leaders of tle savage horde?  Yet
such is the fact; and such the strength of contrast,
which the changes of little more than thirty years
here present.
At this spot, the beauty and magnificence of the
mountain scenery of the valley becomes striking
tibt, for its characteristic features, and for a descrip-.ion of the sublime spectacle exhibited at the Pari or
precipice itself, I mrust again say to you-See Stewlart's " Residence in the Sandwich Islands."
Less than two miles from the battle ground.
brought us, by a fine stretch of turnpike, down a
gentle hill. to a grove of acacia, surrounding the tern



ENCAMPMENT OF THE GOVERNOR. k 227


porary abode of Boki-a rural and refreshing spot,
on a slight elevation near the road side, beneath the
shade of some beautiful trees, and within hearing of
the rumbling of numerous mountain torrents, and
the dashing of a distant cascade. The governor designs to build a country house at this place; but the
present establishment is merely an encampment in
booths, for himself and household, while he is superintending the construction of the road. The principal building, a little cottage or rather tent of poles,
scarce twelve feet square, thatched with the green
and shining leaves of the dracena, stands on a terrace of sward, some feet above the level of the ground
in front. It is chiefly intended as a shelter in sleeping; the terrace itself, in the shade of the grove, presenting a more inviting place for all other purposes. This, just strewn with fresh fern leaves, and
spread with mats, was the reception room to which
Madam Boki, in a handsome dress, and head tastefully crowned with flowers, gave us a most cordial
welcome, -followed by a presentation of boquets.
Every thing around was admirably suited to refresh and delight us; and two or three hours past
rapidly after our ride, in lounging and in conversation, while we were served with fruit and wine.
Captain Finch, Mr. Stribling, the princess, three
or four of her train, and myself, then rode to the Pari.
two miles farther up the glen; and after enjoying
with great admiration the magnificence of its scenery, returned to a dinner which we had been apprised
was in preparation. This was spread in china and
glass, in the centre of the green booth described, on a




22S


ENTERTAINMENT AND


mat upon the ground; and when summoned to paltake of it, each was left to his choice, between the
attitude of a Turk and a Roman, during the meal.
The regent, princess, and king, with his private secretary Halileo, were the only persons besides ourselves and hosts, admitted to the entertainment. It
consisted of a dish of baked fish, at the head, before
the governor; a pig at the foot, carved by the secretary; a plate of chickens on one side in the middle,
and a brace of wild fowl opposite, with four round
dishes at the corners, two containing a mixture of
pork and taro tops cooked together, and two, potatoes
and taro as vegetables; while a large sallad dish,
filled with delightful water-cresses from the springs
around, occupied the centre —the beverage being
the finest mountain water, with Madeira, claret, and
muscadine wines. All the cooking was in the native
style-in an oven of heated stones; and each article
was spread on its respective dish, in the inner coat of
the leaves in which it had been baked.
We greatly relished a repast so well prepared, and
so neatly served. After the meats were removed,
Madam Boki drew the casters and sallad bowl near
her, as I at first supposed, to give us a specimen of
her tact in sallad dressing; but, on seeing a servant
approach with a parcel handsomely done up in green
leaves, dripping with water, and observing a smile of
archness playing on the features of her ladyship as
she received it from him, I began to suspect it was
only in preparation for some bonne bouche, peculiarly epicurian in its character. Such it proved to
be; for on carefully untying it, while her eye bright




COURSE OF LIVE SHRIMP.


229


ened more and more with pleasantry, she suddenly
scattered the contents-a quantity of live shrimp, as
pure and transparent as could be, and as sprightly as
crickets-over the cresses, and dashing the cruet of
vinegar upon the whole, caught up a half dozen of
the delicate creatures in the leaves of the sallad, and
tossed them, with a laugh, into her mouth, by way of
encouragement to us to join in the course. The captain is too courteous a gentleman to stop short of any
civility due to the lady of the house; and considering this a kind of challenge, went through the movement of taking a similar quantity in his fingers, and
in raising it to his mouth, whether with the intention
of following the example farther or not I cannot say,
but-in ruse or not-I saw one, at least, of the
nimble fry, hop fairly down his throat.
Our return, towards night, to the town, was as delightful as the ride in the morning had been; and
the day was pleasantly closed at the mission house,
where the band had been ordered from the ship, for
the serenade of an hour or two.
The diner de champetre of Governor Boki was
f followed, last night, by an entertainment by the king.
The invitations to Captain Finch, and the officers in
general, were in writing, and brought on board by
the private secretary. Seven o'clock was the hour
appointed, but it was past eight before all the company-consisting of the principal chiefs, most of the
missionaries, both ladies and gentlemen, including
the Rev. Mr. Whitney, and Mrs. Whitney, who arrived from Tauai a few days since, and as many
of the officers of the Vincennes as could leave the




230


SUPPER AT


ship at the same time —had assembled. The palace
was well lighted, the company well dressed, and with
the band from our ship playing at the entrance, the
general effect was quite equal to that of the morning
levee.
At nine o'clock we became seated at a supper-table,
handsomely laid il China and glass for thirty-five or
more, with dishes and covers of silver plate: the king
occupied the head, and Madam Boki, as the matron of
his household, the fbot of the table; while Captain
Finch was placed in the centre, on one side, between
the princess and queen regent, with Governor Boki
and Mr. Bingham, as interpreter, opposite. The princess returned the compliment of the captain, in wearing
her feather cape at the examination, by exhibiting
upon her neck on this occasion-in addition to a dress
of white satin, richly embroidered with gold, and a
lofty, becoming toque of crimson and white gauze,
elegantly arranged and finished-an exquisitely
wrought gold chain of the manufacture of Panama,
which he had presented to her as a mark of private
respect and friendship.  ro the king he had given;
in the same manner, a large'and handsomely-framed
print of the Declaration of Independence, by Colonel
Trumbull, which, I was pleased also to see, occupying a conspicuous place in the apartment.
Trhe entertainment consisted of three courses:
first, cold meats, ham and tongues sliced, with
biscuit, and butter, &c.; second, coffee and tea, with
different kinds of cake; third, fruits, melons, bananas, grapes, &c., with cider, and a variety of wines.
In this last article, however, his majesty had suffered




THE PALACE.


231


an imposition from his wine merchant in the village,
that extended to his guests; for while he had ordered
the best in store, and had paid an exlorbitant price,
as Governor Boki informed us, notwithstanding a
great show of seals and marks, as if from the cellar
of a genuine bon-vivant, it was, for the most part, a
villainous manufacture. This, however, was no
drawback to the enjoyment of the evening, and it
was near twelve o'clock before, serenaded by the
band, we pulled off to the ship.
LETTER XIX.
SECOND VISIT TO LAHAINA.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, off Hawaii, 
Nov. 11th, 1829. 
EARLY after the arrival at Oahu, of the chieftains
from Maui and Hawaii, Captain Finch determined to
invite them to return to their respective islands, in the
Vincennes, with a design of asking the king also to
make the voyage.
I acted as interpreter in delivering the invitation.
It was highly gratifying to them; and the general
exclamation on hearing it was, " This is indeed a
joy-making man-of-war!"   Thursday the 5th inst.
was the day appointed for the embarkation; and at
four o'clock in the afternoon, thewhole companywere
brought on board by the captain, in a procession of




232


CHIEFS AND THEIR LUGGAGE,


the ship's boats, under a salute of twenty-one guns-;
returned by the fort; the Tamehameha having previously fired the same number, as the boats passed
ler in the harbor.
Were we in the vicinity of a Court Gazette, the
notice of the trip, with the names and titles of our
royal passengers, would form quite an imposing paragraph. His majesty the king, private secretary, and
suite, including the noble whose special duty it is to
guard his head, and whose prerogatives extend to
the exclusive privilege of awaking his sovereign from
sleep, the keeper of the wardrobe, steward of the
household, &c., &c.; her royal highness the princess
Harieta, and attendants; the ex-queens Kekauruohe
and Kekauonohi; Madam Boki, lady of the Governor
of Oahu; their excellencies the Governors of Maui
and Hawaii; Naihe, chief counsellor of state, and
lady, &c. &c., with their respective attendants.
making in all the goodly number of thirty-six. Mr.
Bingham, at the united request of Captain Finchl
and the king, was also of the party.
Pleasantry aside, however, the whole party was
highly respectable in their appearance and demeanor.
as well as in their rank. No one, unacquainted with
the state of the nation, would have believed the baggage brought on board, previously to the embarkation, to be that of a company of natives; consisting
of highly ornamented and showy traveling trunks,
carpet-bags, portmanteaus, writing-desk, dressing
cases, portfolios, bandboxes, &c., the whole in an elegance and good keeping that, set down in advance of
the company, before an American or English hotel.




ARRIV'AL AT LAHAINA.


233


would make the eyes of the landlord glisten, at the
assurance afforded by tae luggage, of the,afick and
resources of the owners.. 
During the voyage, the chiefs were seated at the
cabin table, going through all the forms of polished
society; changing their dresses for dinner,, &c., and
exhibiting, in other respects, no little acquaintance
with the etiquette of high life. A principal amusement with them, especially in the evening, on deck,
was in singing hymns. Of these they are very fond;
and have learned to- sing so well, especially the king
and his sister, that no one can-listen to them without
interest and pleasure.
On the second evening from Oahu, we arrived at
Lahaina. The princess and governor of Maui were
to be left here; and the captain, wishing to honor
them with a salute, boats were ordered out to carry
them on shore, when yet some distance from the anchorage, in the apprehension that we should not be
able to drop anchor before sunset, after which time,
in our service, it is not customary to fire a salute.
The captain himself intended seeing them on shore;
and as soon as the boats had pulled ahead of the ship,
the compliment was paid, and our probable name
and character at onc:made known by it, throughlout
the settlement.
The visit was equally a surprise and a joy, both to
the missionaies and the people; and 1 have hadthe
happiness of spending two more days delightfully
with them. Yesterday at:noon, however, I was
called painfully to bid them a final adieu; and we
VOL. II.            21




9


234       LETTER OF TUIE PRINCESS
once more took our anchor, from the midst of a fleet
of whale ships, and filled away for Hawaii, with a
salute, answered by a battery planted near the landing.
Among other tokens of affection and remembrance
sent to you, dear H —, find a letterof the princess,
of which the following is a literal translation.
Lahaima, Maui, Nov. 10th, 1829.
Where art thou, my greatly beloved mother, Mrs.
Stewart?
I write to you with anguish of heart, that we no
more meet in person, and that our eyes no more fall
upon each other; though, I believe, that in mind and
feelings, we are ever one, and thus dwell together.
Still my heart is pained within me.
At the time we met Mr. Stewart, my sorrow of
spirit was relieved; but as my eyes fell on his face,
my love for you was revived. How shall I express
my affection for you, and for your children?
It becomes me to acquaint you with some of my
feelings at the present time. I am, externally, among
the people of God, and employed in acts of religion,
though not perhaps with full purpose of heart. It is.
however, my inmost desire forever to repose on the
couch of righteousness; and for this I daily entreat
the Lord, that he would establish his kingdom in my
heart, and grant me his exceeding grace.
My mind is often on passing trifles, but by no
means with that intensity of feeling and strong desire with which, I think, my soul is fixed on the




TO MRS. STEWART.            235
ways of piety. I truly feel that my supreme wish is
after holiness: but still I perceive that a single day
by no' means passes without sin. One day my
thoughts are fixed on "God; another day I am ensnared: and thus it is continualy.
These things I say that you may be acquainted
with my real character. I thiuk that my inmost
spirit seeks after righteousness as my constant companion.
Jane Young (her bosom friend) sends much love
to you, with strong regret that she never saw you.
She in reality has great affection for you. Again I
must express my'own affection for you, my beloved
friend in the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone can give
us life in the world without end. Great love to all
vtour friends and -connections.
HARIETA KEOPUOLANI..LETTER XX.. THREI DAYS AT KEARAKEIUA -ANI KAAAVABOA.
U. S. Ship Vincennesi off Hawaii, 
November 17th, 1819.
AT mid-day on the 13th, we came to anchorin the
memorable bay of Kearakekua. We had the evening
before been so near the entrance of it, that the double
canoe of Kapiolani, a beautiful boat of the kind, with
neatly made canvas sails, and well manned with




236


RECEPTION AT KAAVAROA


paddlers, came off and took. her ladyship to the
shore.
I was very agreeably disappointed in the appearance of the country around this bay, A black and
desolate precipice of lava immediately overhangs it:
and the village of Kaavaroa, at its base on the left;
stands upon a bare platform of the same; but every
thing inland,above the cliff, is verdant and refreshing.
covered with plantations, groves, and single trees.
with a forest beyond, overtopped majestically by
Mounaroa in the distance.
Our company remained on board to dinner, and
did not disembark till towards evening. The voyage of Governor Adams,'as well as that of Naihe
and Kapiolani, was to terminate here; and the salute, under which they left, had a most grand. effect
in the reverberations of the cliffs adjoining. I was
one of the number who went on shore with the
party, landing in front of Naihe's dwelling, on the
very spot at which the unfortunate Cook perished.
But a widely different exhibition from the savage
and murderous scene of that day awaited our arrival.
From a lofty and spacious building, inclosed with a
neat court, by a palisade fence and painted gate, our
noble friend Kapiolani was seen issuing, in the dress
and with the air ofa dignified matron at home, her
face, at all times amiable and benignant, beaming
with jqy, as, with outstretched arms, and tears starting in her eyes. she welcomed us with the customary
' aloha-aloha /":repeated again and again, in a
tone of kindness and warmth, that proved it to come




BY KAPIOLANI.


237


from a bosom filled with hospitality and every generous affection. 
This chief, more than any other, perhaps, has won
our respect and sincere friendship.  She is so intelligent, so amiable, so ladylike in her whole character,
that no one can become acquainted with her, without
feelings of more than ordinary interest and respect;
and from all we had known of her, we were not surprised to find the establishment she dwells in equal;
if not superior, to any -we had before seen-handsomely arranged, well furnished, and neatly kept.
with a sitting room, or hall, in which a nobleman,
in sudh a climate, might be happy to lounge; and
bedrooms, adjoining where, in addition to couches
which the most fastidious would unhesitatingly occupy, are found mirrors and toilettables fitted for
the dressing-room of a modern belle.
It was near tea time, and in the centre of the hall
a large table was laid in a handsome.service of china;
and, after a short stroll in the hamlet, and the rehearsal of the tragedy of Captain Cook's death on
the rocks, at the edge of the water into which he fell;
we surrounded it with greater delight than I had before experienced, in observing the improvement that
has taken place in the domestic and social habits of
the chiefs. Kapiolani presided at the tea-tray, and
poured to us as good a cup of that grateful. beverage,
as would have been furnished in-a parlor at home;
while her husband, at the opposite end, served, to
those who chose to partake of them, in an equally
easy and gentleman-like, manner, a pork steak and
mutton chop,with nicely fried wheaten cakes. A kind
21*




38S


VISIT AT


of jumble, comlposd principally of eggs, sugar,, and
wheat flour, made up the entertainment. After the
removal ofthese, a salver with a bottle of muscadine
wine, glasses, and a pitcher of water, was placed on
the hospitable board. And every day we remained;
similar generous entertainment was spread before various parties from our ship,
The satisfaction derived from witnessing these exhibitions. of household management and civilized
life, was the greater to me from the fact, that with
the exception of our ship's company, there was not a
white person nearer to Kaavaroa than at Kairua, the
residence of Governor Adams, sixteen miles distant.
Kapiolani alone was perceived evidently to be the
mover and director of the whole.
It was not intended, that the Vincennes should
touch at Kairua; and one of the three days we remained at Kearakekua, I appropriated to a visit to
Mr. and Mrs. Thurton, at that place. My friends
Magruder and Buchanan accompanied me. Kapiolani, with as much cheerfulness, and seeming joy, as
if the kindness were in her own favor, appropriated
her double canoe, with its compliment of men, to our
use in making the excursion-a conveyance altov
gether better adapted to the trip than any one of the
ship's boats.
As it was necessary for us to return the same day;
we Were off before the dawn of the morning, while
the- land breeze still blew freshly from the mountains, and the stars twinkled brightly in the sky.
Johnston, our kind steward, nothwithstanding the
unseasonableness of the hor-, had given us a cup of




KAIRUA.


239


coffee before leaving the ship; and seated onmats,
covering the elevated platform between the two
canoes, with our boat cloaks around us, in conversation and befitting song, we watched cheerily the approach of day, as our light bark,-rising andsinking,
with the swell of the dark rollers breaking' almost at
our side, in masses of foam on:the lava-bound shoreglided swiftly forward underthe pressure of her sails.
The sunrise views of Mouna Roa behind, andof Mouna Huararai before, with the, uplands of
the intervening coast, were highly colored and
beautiful-separate from  the other inducements,
worth the sail to be enjoyed-and with the novelty of
our conveyance, and the constantly changing scenes
along a thickly inhabited shore, prevented all tedium
on our way.
By ten o'clock we had arrived at our destination.
The governor was still at Kearekekua, all the chiefs
of the place had joined him there-Mr. Bishop and
family were at Oahu, and Mr.,Thurston's establishment some distance inland, so that our first call
was at a storehouse and retail shop of Mr. French,
in charge of a China-man. He received us kindly,
and furnished us with refreshments of biscuit, preserved ginger, and wine; after partaking-which, we
directed our course in search of Mr. Thurston. Having heard,, from the natives, of our arrival, we soon
met him, on his way to guide and welcome us to his
dwelling. He was always a favorite associate of
mine, when residing at the Islands, and the meeting
with himself and with Mrs. Thurston was both cordial and affecting; Their lot is- cast truly " in a




240


GRAVE OF MRS. BISHOP.


dry and thirsty land,"so far as the immediate location of their residence, and, indeed, of the whole of
Kairua is regarded-; still they appeared comfortable
and happy in their establishment; and though alone,
in the midst ofthousands who, as it were, only yesterday, were lost in heathenism, are cheerfully and
successfully pursuing the work to which they have
devoted their lives.
In the, fore part of the day we walked again into
the town; visited Governor Adams' residencean American house-of frame, brought over and
erected here, well finished, papered, and painted,'both
without and within, and furnished, in all its rooms,
almost exclusively in the European style. We also
passed through the chapel-an immense building:
and, when completed four years ago, the finest native structure in the group. Near it, on one side, within a small inclosure, is one object of deep and tender interst-the lowly grave of Mrs. Bishop, the
companion of our voyage in the Thames, and our
friend and associate; the first. of this mission who
has gone to her rest, and the first whose body has
taken possession of thegrave, in pledge that, even from
these distant isles, there yet shall be, " aresurrection of thejust."
After a hospitable repast, prepared by Mrs. Thurston, we all-including herself and children-with
natives to bear torches, descended into the cave
of Ranakira, which opens on their grounds. For a
description of this, however, I will refer you to Mr.
Ellis' Tour of Hawaii," in which every object and.cene of physical and historic interest in this section




PREACHING IN A GROVE.


241


of the island, is noticed in a minute, able and interesting manner.
Soon after reascending from the cavern, thankful
for this interview for a few hours, it became necessary once more to interchange parting embraces; and
joining our native boat, we were safely returned to
Kaararoa in time to share in the usual evening entertainments of our kind hosts, Naih6 and Kapiolani.
The succeeding' day was the Sabbath.   ince the
departure of the Rev. Mr. Ely and family for America, on account of ill health, six months since, this
station has been destitute of preaching regularly.
Mr. Bingham and Mr. Andrews, who came passengers to this place with us from Lahaina, performed the
services of the, day at this time. Our worship on
board ship was so arranged, that those of the officers
who wished it, were at liberty, to be on shore, both in
the morning and afternoon.
The principal difference in the appearance of the
assemblage of islanders at this, and the other stations
we had visited, was in the place of worship-a small
grove of trees immediately in front of Naihe's house,
paved with a natural bed of smooth lava., The chapel is entirely too small to accommodate the immense
congregation that assemble from the opposite side of
the bay, and from along the coast many miles below.
Not less than five thousand were supposed to be clustered round the preacher and circle of chieftains in
the centre of the grove-as quiet, orderly, and seemingly devout, though half at least of the number
were seated in the open sun, as if each knew and
felt that he was listening for eternity.




194


SABBATH EVENING SCENE.


A more pleasing and impressive scene can scarce
be sketched, than that presented in the dispersion of
the audience at the close of the afternoon service.
By far the greater portion of the multitude had
arrived by water; and shortly after the benediction
had been pronounced, without a rude or noisy word
or a single impropriety, unnumbered canoes were
lanched from every point of the rocky shore, and,
receiving their respective complement of passengers,
shoved off upon the bosom of the bay filled with
bright and happy looks, and spread their white sails
in a return to their respective abodes. - The evening
sun gleamed brightly, and to me joyously, upon the
humble fleet; and the whole sight, with its associations of promise in reference to the future and eternal
destinies of this race, was so delightful, that I could
not avoid counting the canoes as we rowed off to the
ship; and though many had already passed out of
sight beyond the southern point, and many were yet
unlanched, I numbered two hundred and ten, each
containing from three to fifteen persons, many of
whom were twelve and fourteen miles, and some
even a greater distance, from their homes.
Such is the interest and excitement on the subject
of religion and of personal piety along the whole
coast, and over a good portion of the island, that Mr.
and Mrs. Thurston assured me it was literally true,
that they were denied the ordinary hours of sleep
and eating, by the visits of persons demanding
instruction in the way of salvation. Numbers daily
crowded their premises for this purpose, not only from
their immediate neighborhood, but from regions at a




PARTY ON BOARD SHIP.


243


distance —parties traveling on foot many weary miles,
and carrying their food with them, to supply their
wants while encamped for a few days, or even for a
few hours, near the mission-house, their only business the monotonous inquiry " What shall te do
to be saved?"
We were top sail for Oahu again on Tuesday
morning before daybreak, and Monday was busily
improved by us in visiting the various spots of interest in the neighborhood connected with the-voyage
and death of Captain Cook-his encampment on
the south side of the bay-the heiau, or temple, from
which the fence was taken-the cocoanut trees still
marked with the shot of the guns from his shipsand the monument of rough lava and inscription to
his memory on the spot to which his body was taken
after the massacre, left by Lord Byron in 1825.
The king took a party of us also-including Mr.
Stribling, who is a great favorite with his majestyin a double canoe to the village of Honaunau, four
miles south of Kearakekua, distinguished as the
location of the "House of the Gods " and 'c City of
Refuge" so well described in Ellis' Tour of Hawaii.
In the afternoon all the chiefs, including the wife
and daughter of Governor Adams-the former
always styled Mrs. Adams by his excellency-Kamakau, long distinguished for piety at Kaavaroa,
&c. &c., were entertained on board ship.
One of the most interesting of the party was a
tall, venerable, fine-featured old lady, with benignant
expression of countenance and head white as silver:
she appeared to be eighty years of age, though pro



,244


WIFE OF KING TARAIOPU.


bably is not so old, and was the wife in her youth ot
Taraniopu, or Taraiopu, king of the island in the
time of Cook, and the great grandfather, on the maternal side, of the present king. Under any circumstances, the sight of an individual thus associated
with the discovery of the islands and the fate of the
lamented navigator would be interesting; but facts
connected with her-recent history rendered it doubly
so: she has lived, not only to see the introduction of
the religion of salvation in her long benighted
country, but has shared, as is confidently believed, its
richest blessings in
"-soul renewed, and sins forgiven —"
is a member of the church, and has so applied herself
to the acquisition of letters, as to be able to read the
word of God in her native language, and daily to
drink from its pure fountain of the waters of eternal
life.
We returned to the shore with the whole party in
the evening, and reflected with sincere regret, that we
were for the last time enjoying the hospitality of the
couns.ellor and his wife.  Fireworks and rockets
had been ordered to be exhibited from 'the ship; and
at the time appointed for them, Kapiolani, Captain
Finch, Mr. Bingham, and myself, took seats on a
platform of stone at the side of the house next the
bay. After the show had ceased, the Captain in
preparation for his departure requested Mr. Bingham
to express to Kapiolani the very great pleasure his
visit to her had afforded him, and to present his warm
thanks for the hospitality and kindness he had




AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY KAPIOLANI.


245


received-adding that he had not since he left America been entertained more cordially, or felt himself
more happy, than under her roof. 
She was unwilling to hear even the first part of the
acknowledgment; but when the dosing sentiment
was interpreted, her credulity became utterly shaken,
and, limiting the force of his remark, she said, that
he must mean, not since he left America, but since
he had been among the heathen people of Nukuhiva,
andsuch as the inhabitants were at Tahiti, and at this
group. Finding him, however, determined to adhere
tothe strength of the original expression, she replied to
the whole in a pleasant manner by saying, that all
the kindness, and all the favor of the visit, had been
to herself, to the king and chiefs, and to the whole
nation-that he might have had some gratification
in the visit, but he could have had no happiness like.
theirs; "for our happiness,"-she exclaimed, clasping her hands and pressing them to her bosom, as she
lifted her eyes glistening with tears to him-" Our
happiness is the joy of a captive just freed fron
his prison/!"
Mr. Bingham having some writing to finish before
going off to the ship, -I remained with him after all
the boats had left —Kapiolani having engaged to
send us in a canoe, whenever we might wish to go
on board. In the room which Mr. Bingham occupied, I perceived some manuscript books in the native
language, on a table, and on inquiring what they
were, was no little surprised to learn that it was an
AUTOBIOGRAPHY of this chief woman, intended
to embrace the history of her own life and -times;
VOL. II.            22




246


FAREWELL AT KAAVAROA.


and in which she has proceeded, already, through
several interesting and not unimportant chapters.
It was nearly twelve o'clock before Mr. Bingham
was prepared to go to the ship. On entering the
principal house again, we found the family at evening prayers-presenting, in the strong light of the
lamps on a centre table, an impressive and deeply
interesting spectacle, amidst the silence reigning on
every side at the dead hour of night.
Here again, the farewell I was called to take, was
truly painful. The paddlers of the canoe had been
roused from their slumbers-other servants had
lighted numerous brilliant torches of the candle-nut,
tied together in leaves, to accompany us to the water;
and I was about giving my parting salutation, when
not only Naihe, but Kapiolani also, said, ' Aohe mane, aohe mane-makai     N "N Nto! not here nothere- 
but at the sea side;" and, throwing a mantle around
ler, attended by her husband, she accompanied us
to the surf, where, after many a warm grasp of the
hand, and a tearful blessing, she remained standing
on a point of rock, in bold relief amid the glare of torch
light around her, exclaiming again and again, as we
shoved off, " Aloha Mita Tuata-aloha Mita TuIata Vahine —.-aloha kekapena —aloha karii!'
'" Love to you Mr. Stcvart-love to Mrs. Stewart
-love to the captain and love to the king!" while
her handkerchief was waved in repetition of the expression, long after her voice was lost in the dashing
of the waters, and till her figure was blended, in
the distance, with the group by which she was surrounded.




NOTES OF TIHE KING AND MADAM BOKI. 247


LETTER XXI.
1RIIVATE LETTER OF CAPTAIN FINCH TO THE KING.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu, 1
November ~21st, 1829.
AFTER an unusually boisterous passage of two
days from Kearakekua, we entered this harbor again
on the morning of the 19th inst.
When at sea off Hawaii one evening, Captain
Finch, on going into the cabin, found Madam Boki
at the writing table, busily occupied with her pen;
while the king, at the same time, was dictating a
letter to his private secretary. There was no other
person in the cabin; and it appeared, from the following notes, that they were improving the opportunity, to express their gratitude for the pleasure of the
voyage, soon to be brought to a close by our return
to Oahu. I furnish you with a translation of the
notes of each.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, November, 1829.
Affection for you all, the officers of this ship of
war, and for you, Captain Finch.
Great, indeed, is my gratitude to you, for your excellent attention in conducting us thus far. Very
sincere, also, is my commendation of you all; and
of the well doing of your people toward us.
Now on account of my affection for you, as you
are about to return to your own country, while we
shall abide in our own land, with grateftil remem



248


INTERPRETATION OF


brance of you all, I give this testimony of my love
to you, Captain Finch, and to the officers of this ship
of war. My thoughts bless you.
With sincerest love and joy,
KAUIKEAOULI.
Love to you all, our fellow-travellers on the opean.
You have kindly attended to us, on board your ship:
until we have arrived at this part of.our country.
When you shall have restored us to our own places,
then you will leave us entirely-we shall remain
with the remembrance of our having traveled togethfr with you all, and our affection for you will be
mingled with sorrow.
LILIHA.
Liliha, "full fed"-by no means misapplied, to
judge from the appearance of her ladyship-you recollect, is the original name of Madam Boki. Mr.
Bingham, during the voyage, furnished Captain
Finch with the interpretation of the names of all the
chiefs, some of which I do not remember to have
heard before. The most fanciful and most imposing
are those of the king, princess, and ex-queen, Kekauruohe.
Kauikeaouli literally means, " To hang upon the
deep blue sky;" Nahienaena-the favorite appellation of the princess till the death of her mother" The raging or inapproachable fires;" and Kekauruohe, " The bamboo grove."   Kaahumanu.
' The feather mantle;" Naihe, " The spears;
Hoapiri," The inseparable friend"-from his at



THE NAMES OF THE CHIEFS.


249


tachment and companionship with Tamehameha
the Great-and Kapiolani, ' The celestial captive,"
or "Prisoner of Heaven," are already known to
you.'
The note front the king received, in answer from
Captain Finch, the following judicious and important, private letter of advice.
TO KAUIKEAOULI, KING OF THE HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS.
As I am about to depart from your islands, I feel
it becoming on my part, (and due to you,) to state,
that I shall quit you with feelings of increased interest for your prosperity and advancement, in all matters of general and individual utility. And I avail
myself of this occasion to make my acknowledgments for the hospitable reception which the Vincennes has enjoyed, at each of the places under your
jurisdictin, where she has touched.
I beg you to permit me to advert again to some
topics, upon which I have already addressed you formally, and which I deem of essential consequence to
yourself and people-I mean those as to the desertion and the subsequent secretion of mariners from
their vessels. I recollect that you have, in a general
way, told me that you would try and prevent such
abuses. My object is, to suggest some means in aid
of those you may have adopted on these points.
It has been clearly shown to you already, and you
are so well convinced, that your own good is involved
in these practices, that I need not recapitulate the
arguments thereon, which I have verbally used.
22*




250i


PRIVATE LETTER OF


But I would suggest to you, in lieu of one of your
regulations on these subjects, that it will be found
more effectual, in the recovery of deserters and fugitives, if you will forbid the receipt of rewards, as now
asked by your common people, on the apprehension
of such persons; and the assumption of the expenses
by your governments, to be refunded to you alone,
by the masters of vessels, on delivery of runaways.
As the common people are now, in the expectation
of obtaining rewards for services in these cases, it is
believed to be a practice with them to entice sailors
ashore, and to secrete them for awhile, only to betray
them ultimately when remuneration is offered.
A regulation forbidding, also, your people, (under
some penalty in money or produce,) from harboring.
or sheltering and feeding sailors, straying idly in the
country, for any time, without occasional obvious
and useful employment, will also be beneficial.
I would further recommend to you to forbid masters of vessels from discharging or permitting men to
leave their vessels in your harbors. Should they persist in doing so, I would not allow supplies to be carried to them. If men are discharged, it ought to be
with your knowledge and concurrence.    I think
masters of vessels will comply with your wishes in
these respects, when distinctly communicated to
them.
All sick sailors, left on shore, should be taken care
of by the consuls, or owners, or agents of vessels to
which they belong; and as soon as sufficiently recovered, ought to be returned to their respective vessels,
or sent by the consuls or agents, in other convey



CAPTAIN FINCH TO THE KING.


251


ances, to their sevesal countries, or entered on board
such vesrels as may want, or may accept their services.
The regent, Kahumanu, once asked me, what a
consul had to do here? I will again answer, to take
care of our general shipping interest; that he has
his orders from the government; that his duties are
cautiously defined; and he Ought not to be interfered
with, except by application or reference directly from
yourself to the president. 
In the enactment of all laws or regulations, I think
it will be for your benefit, and the good of all persons, if you will ask the advice and opinions of all
the foreigners resident at the islands, in whom you
have confidence. They will no doubt accord it. If
they do not, then you should frame the best laws
which your knowledge will enable you to do; conforming, as far as possible, to what has-always been
the common law or usages of the land; and if, on
trial, you find them unsuited or oppressive, alter them
to suit circumstances. Laws of some kind are necessary every where, particularly for your exterior
relations; the fewer, and the more simple, the better 
and the sooner you set about making an attempt, the
sooner, of course, you can perfect a system. Wise
laws are the highest achievements of the human
mind.
In the letter, which I had the happiness to present
to you on my first introduction, you have a distinct
view of the feelings of my government towards you.
and can easily comprehend the course of conduct on
your part, which will be most acceptable to it; and




25:


PRIVATE LETTER OF


also the most reasonable, as well as permanently
useful to both parties.
The government of the United States entertains
die sincerest desire to preserve you in all your sovereign and local rights, so far as they may be infringed
or openly violated by acts of its citizens; and in return, will only expect strict justice towards them,
and a fair reciprocity in all transactions.
The general objects of a cruising ship, or man-ofwar, are the care and preservation of the lives and
property of our citizens, where governments do not
exist for that purpose, or where governments are unmindful of their obligations.
If any wants or disaffection are expressed by our
trading interest here, (in such communications as the
merchants may send by me,) they will meet the
attention of my government; but I hope it will
appear, that little cause of complaint exists. Had
any been foreseen or known, probably my orders
might have had especial reference to the cases.
As a further method to confirm the attachment of
my countrymen, which is useful to you, and to elevate yourself in your own estimation, and place your
government truly upon an independent basis, I must
urge the perfect liquidation of your debts, at the period promised; and a care not to contract others.
Unless free of debt, or with ability to discharge it, no
nation takes its equal place among others.
Soon after I arrived, strangers pointed out to me
two taverns-one as belonging to the king, and the
other to Governor Boki.   The impression made
upon me, by this information, was unfavorable to




CAPTAIN FINCH TO THE KING.


253


you both. Such establishments are necessary in a
port like Honolulu, but they ought to be conducted
by private individuals. In the direct gains arising
from them, you should not participate-nor ought
you to frequent them. Very few should be allowed
-and on such as are permitted, a high revenue or
tax might be imposed; by which means its resources
will be increased, and the burden, at present resting
on the industrious, will be lightened. The opportunity which has been afforded me, of becoming personally acquainted with you, (by your having been
my guest on board ship for some time,) has, I am
happy to say; conduced greatly to enlist my affections
for your personal credit and welfare; and your advancement in the acquisition of our language and
letters persuades me to urge you to pursue English
studies diligently. By a due division of your time
between studies, business, and becoming pleasures,
your life will be rendered delightful to yourself, and
beneficial to those, who, by circumstances, are placed
under your protection; and who must ultimately
look up to you for example. You are yet young:
now is the period to lay the foundation in your character for extensive usefulness. Ere long, the cares
of government must devolve on you alone. Kaahumanu and your other friends are advanced in years.
and must soon, in the course of nature, be taken
from you.
The geographical situation of your inheritance is
so peculiarly favorable, that no one can foresee the
degree of importance it is to attain; every year its
additional consequence will be apparent to you'




254


PREPARATIONS FOR


therefore, I again repeat, acquire the English language. It will open to you an unlimited field, of
knowledge; in the right use of which, you may
found a name more imperishable and enduring than
the islands of Hawaii. I will only add one other recommendation, which is, the semi-annual or annual
meeting of the great chiefs, for the revision of your
state affairs; alternately, for convenience sake, at
Honolulu and Lahaina.
All that I have said, you will, I think, receive in
the spirit of kindness, and as coming from your
friend.
W. C. B. FINCHJ.
November 21, 1829.
LETTER XXII.
JOINT LETTER OF THE MISSIONARIES TO CAPTAIN FINCIh.
WITH HIS ANSWER.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Port of Honolulu,?
November 22d, 1829.  )
TO-MORROW, the 23d inst., was appointed immediately on our return from the Windward Islands.
for the departure of the Vincennes for the Chinese
Seas; and among other evidences of the approaching
close of our visit here, is a correspondence which has
just taken place between the missionaries and Captain Finch. Of this I am permitted to furnish you
with a copy.




LEAVING HONOLULU.


'TO C.. B. F. INCH, ESQUIRE, COMMANDER OF U. S.
SHIP VINCENNES.
Hawaiian Islands, Nov. 14th, 1829.
Dear Sir:
It was with no ordinary interest that we looked
for the arrival of the Vincennes at these, but recently,
heathen shores; and it is with no common feeling
that we now approach the period of the final departure
of so welcome a visitor.
The polite and friendly attentions which you have
generously shown to the members of our mission,
during your visit at these islands, not only furnish
us with an ample apology for the freedom we take in
addressing you a line before your departure, but also
require of us some united testimony of our gratitude
for your kindness, and of the satisfaction which we
have derived, both from the communications you
have borne from your government, and the happy
course you have pursued in your intercourse with the
rulers of the country.
We have long been accustomed to take a very
deep interest in whatever appears directly or indirectly to affect the welfare of the islanders. We have
marked with fixed attention the influence of public
vessels of various characters visiting the islands, and
of public agents residing among the people. We
have seen and wept over the evils that have prevailed
in this dark and uninviting region; and while toiling, as it were, in the sweat and dust of a field of
battle, for which we exchanged a pleasant home, we
have witnessed a laudable effort on the part of the




256


JOINT LETTER OF


rulers to rise and free themselves, our hearts have
been. made to bleed afresh, to see them misled by interested counsel, injured and insulted by reproach and
outrage, and wrongfully opposed and oppressed.
We have rejoiced, too, with them in every evidence
of the improvement of their character and condition;
and in every indication of their future prosperity,
and always hail with gladness the voice of friendship
and of wholesome counsel, even from far countries.
As such the communication from the secretary of the
navy, which you have had the honor to bear and to
communicate to the king and chiefs, is to us peculiarly cheering. The marks of friendship and wisdom, which that interesting document bears, and the
importance of its principles, coming as it does from
the highest authority of a great and friendly nation,
which the people are accustomed to respect, cannot
fail to secure for it a kind reception, a studied regard, and a grateful consideration from the young
king and his more enlightened counsellors.  It
would not be strange should it mark one of the
happiest eras in the history of this rising nation, however boldly it may be said by some, that the people
are not yet prepared for such high toned advice; and
by others, that some other channel would have been
preferable.
Are not the people, indeed, prepared for such expressions of friendship and good will as the president
has been pleased to make to them? Are they not
prepared to have their just rights acknowledged by
so high a power as America? Are not the rulers
here prepared to be encouraged to adopt salutary re



THE MISSIONARIES.


257


gulation for the promotion of order, justice, and
peace, in their own undisputed territories?  we
admit, for a moment, that they are not yet prepared
to act with decision and discretion on all the points
recommended for their consideration, what better
means could have been devised, than that communication from our government to raise them to the
very condition to which that letter supposes them to
have advanced? But we have good reason to believe that they are prepared for just such high toned
advice; such professions of friendship; such acknowledgments of rights; such congratulations for the
rising prosperity of the people; and such just reprohensions of every wanton abuse of their rights, or
violation of law and justice by foreign residents, as
that well advised lettercontains. We therefore heartily
rejoice that the young king and his counsellors have,
from so high and respectable a source, received such
encouragement to take the dignified stand they ought
to take, and which they are able to take, among
nations; such encouragement to go forward in promoting learning and virtue; giving protection and
aid to every lawful and laudable pursuit, and of becoming in fact what rulers ought to be, " a terror to
evil doers, and a praise to them that do well."
If, then; the rulers of the people follow (as we hope
they will) the important suggestions from the government of the United States, and adhere to the spirit of
that communication, who in all the world will have
a face to complain?
VOL. II.           23




258


JOINT LETTER OF


That important document, so well devised, so op
portunely delivered, so happily supported by the kind
and courteous attentions of yourself and your officers,
and the judicious counsel you have been pleased repeatedly to give the king and chiefs, both in writing
and in various conversations, will, we feel assured,
prove in a high degree salutary, and tend greatly to
encourage them to pursue a more correct and dignified course in the management of their affairs; inspire them with a higher respect for themselves, (a
grand principle of honorable conduct); shield them
from wanton abuse; secure protection for lawful
trade; increase the confidence of the people as to the
value of civilization and Christianity, and proportionably their attachment to those who have taken up
their residence among them, and are wearing out
their lives, to teach them letters and " the religion of
the Christian's bible," and to'lead them to the enjoyments of civilized life and society, and all the blessings of salvation.
It will be among the most precious recollections in
your review of life, should you find that the visit of
the Vincennes to the Island of Hawaii, had materially
contributed to these objects.
Whether any thing has been gained, in reference
to the improvement of the people during the ten years
since our mission was sent forth, you, sir, who have
now visited four of our stations on the three principal
islands of the group, are able to judge.
That you may have some means of forming a
correct opinion, besides your own observations in a




THE MISSIONARIES.


259


single visit, you will permit us to refer to-a few facts
with which you are acquainted, in reference to the
subject.
In the year 1820, the people might justly have
been denominated a nation of drunkards and gamblers-without letters, without morals, without religion, and without hope; their intercourse debased,
their minds stupified, their evil habits deep rootedforbidding almost utterly any attempt or hope of
amendment.
Now no nation probably is more temperate or less
addicted to gambling; their language has been reduced to writing; morals have been improved, and
the Christian religion established on a firm basis; old
and deep-rooted habits of evil have been, in thousands
of instances, broken up; social intercouse improved;
hope inspired; and, apparently, national enjoyment
extensively promoted.
Industry has been encouraged; commerce has
beert increased about 500 per cent.; schools have
been every where established; and about 30,000 of
the inhabitants, perhaps more, brought under instruction; about 500t pages of different matter have been
prepared for the press, in the language of the country,
including more than half the New, Testament, and
100 Hymns. The whole printed and published in
various forms by our press, amounting to about
7,000;000 pages.
The slate, the pen, and the needle, have, in many
* Now 50,000.  t Now 800.  Now 13,632,800.




260            JOINT LETTER OF
instances, been substituted for the surf-board, the
bottle, and the hula (native dance); domestic peace
for family broils; order for confusion; and decent
clothing of foreign manufacture, for loathsome filth
and nakedness. But your own observations, after
all, will be the most satisfactory to yourself and your
friends; and we hope you may yet have another opportunity to renew them, under still more favorable
circumstances.
Before we take our leave of you, sir, we must beg
the favor, that on your return to our happy country,
whose honor and prosperity are still dear to our
hearts, you will make known to the government the
high sense of obligation which we feel, for the very
friendly and favorable notice which it has been
please to take of us as American citizens, and of the
objects for which we left the land of exalted privileges which gave us birth.
To the officers of the Vincennes, whom we have
had the happiness to know, and from whom we have
received many kind civilities and acceptable favors,
you will allow us to tender, through you, our grateful
acknowledgments.
To   yourself, dear sir, we present our cordial
salutations, with the assurance, that we shall long
cherish with gratitude the recollection of your interesting visit, your studied and persevering kindness,
and attention to us, in our humble and toilsome
station.
Wishing you all prosperity and happiness in this
world, and the blessings of that eternal life, for which




THE MISSIONARIES.           261
we hope, in the world to come, we bid you farewell;
and subscribe ourselves,
With highest esteem,
Very affectionately,
Yours,
H. BINGHAM,
WM. RICHARDS,
(Signed)      LORRIN ANDREWS,
ARTEMAS BISHOP.
EPHRAIM W. CLARK,
STTEPHEN SHEPHARD.
P. S. Dear Sir: I feel no hesitancy in assuring
you that the members of the mission who are absent would, if present, gladly subscribe the above:
you will allow me, therefore, to repeat my own salutations and the salutations of the joint subscribers, in
the name of our association, viz.
A. THURSTON,
J. GOODRICH,
J. S. GREEN,
L. CHAMBERLAIN,
G. P. JUDD,
S. RUGGLES,
P. J. GULIC,
S. WHITNEY.
I am, dear Fir, with the warm feelings of gratitude
and personal regard,
Your friend,
(Signed)        H. BINGHAM.


23*




262


ANSWER OF CAPTAIN FINCH.


U. S. Ship Vincennes, Honoulu, Nov. 22d, 1829.
Gentlemen,
Your agreeable letter, dated on the 14th inst.,
was placed in my hands yesterday. Its interesting
character deserves, but pressing arrangements, preparatory to my departure in the morning, preclude,
so full an answer as I could desire.
I rely upon my deportment towards you all, as the
best evidence I can give, of my respect for your pursuits; and I feel safe in saying, also, that whatever
kindness you may have received from the officers, is
the effect of their own high sense of propriety and
your merits. I will, at your request, make them acquainted with the tenor of your communication; and
probably may submit it to their perusal; and I shall
feel happy in being the organ of conveying.the sense
of obligation which you profess to owe my government.
For your individual happiness, gentlemen, and
the comfort, security, and well doing of your families,
accept my very earnest and friendly wishes.
I am, respectfully,
Yours, &c., &c., &c.,
W. C. B. FINCH.
The Rev. Messrs. BINGHAM,
RICHARDS,
BISHOP, &c., &c.




DEPARTURE FROM OAHU.


263


LETTER XXIII.
DEPARTURE FROM OAHU, AND LETTER OF THE IING TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
U. S. Ship Vincennes at sea, 
November 24th, 1829.  i
At the request of the king, who wished to write a
letter by Captain Finch to the President, the Vincennes remained at Honolulu, one day longer than the
time originally fixed for sailing. This morning, however, immediately after breakfast, we left the harbor
and remained outside the reef, till his majesty's communication should be sent off.
At twelve o'clock, the boat of the private secretary was reported alongside; and, as soon as he had
delivered the dispatches, we filled away with a salute,
before so fresh a breeze, that as the evening just
now closed round us, the faintest outline of Oahu behind, and of Tauai, forty or fifty miles on our right,
could scarcely be discerned in the haze of the distance.
Thus, my dear H, I have a second time bidden
a supposed final adieu to the Sandwich Islands: but
now, through the kindness of God, under auspices
far more happy' than on the previous occasion.
Then every imagination of the future, equally with
every remembrance of the past, was shrouded in
gloom; and fearful apprehensions of sorrows just at
hand, whose depth can only be told by those who




264


LETTER FROM THE KING


have experienced them, gave double poignancy to
thoughts, and feelings of deep interest and affection
lingering on things, and scenes, and friends behind.
But now, while warm love for many a justly endeared
object, and the liveliest interest in the glorious work
of blessing and salvation there triumphantly achieving, filled my eyes with tears, and my heart with
prayer, as the beautiful island receded rapidly from
our gaze, no existing circumstances denied me a full
participation in the bright looks ahd joyous anticipations of my companions, who felt, that after an absence of more than three years, their faces were now
fully set, towards all most dear in country, family,
and friends; and as we crowded sail upon sail, till we
exhibited a mountain of canvass, widely bellying to
the wind, the language of every heart and every eye,
from the quarter deck to the forecastle, was
' Home, sweet, sweet home!"
On opening the packet of the king, the following
translation of the document addressed by him to the
president was found.  Both the original and trahslation are in his own handwriting.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
Island of Hawaii, November 23d, 1829.
Best affection to you, the chief magistrate of
America. This is my sentiment for you; I have joy
and gratitude towards you on account of your kind
regard for me. I now know the excellence of your
communicating to me that which is right and true.
I approve with admiration the justness and faultlessness of your word.




TO THE PRESIDENT.           265
I now believe that your thoughts and ours are alike,
both those countries and these countries, and all large
countries. We are the children-the little islands far
off in this tropical climate.
We have recently had an interview with Captain
Finch, with joyfulness and with sentiments of kindness and pleasure towards him. I do now hope there
will be a perfect agreement between you and us-as
to the rights and duties of both of our goverments,
that the peace now subsisting between us may be
perpetual, that the seat of our prosperity may be
broad, and our -union of heart in things that are right
such, that the highways of the ocean may not diverge, because there is a oneness of sentiment in our
hearts, with those distant countries, these islands, and
all lands.
May our abiding by justice triumphantly prevail,
that all who come hither maybe correct in deportment, and all who go thither from this country.
This is my desire, that you and we may be of
the same mind. Such, too, is my hope that we may
pursue the same course, that we may flourish, and
that true prosperity may rest perpetually on all the
nations of the world,in whieh we dwell.
Look ye on us with charity; we have formerly
been extremely dark-minded, and ignorant of the
usages of enlightened countries. You are the source
of intelligence and light. This is the origin of our
minds being a little enlightened-the arrival here of
of the word of God. This is the foundation of a
little mental improvement which we have recently
made, that we come to know a little of what is right,




266


REMONSTRANCE OF


and of the customs of civilized nations. On this
account do we greatly rejoice at the present time.
I give you thanks, too, for, your bestowing kindly
on me the globes and the map of your country, to
be a means of mental improvement for me, and also
for your other presents to my friends, who rejoice with
me in the reception of the favors which you have
granted them.
Long life to you in this world, and lasting blessedness to you and us in the world to come.
(Signed)     KAUIKEAOULI TAMEHAMEHA III.
LETTER XXIV.
RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE VISIT AT THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS, BY CAPTAIN FINCH.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, at sea, 
November 30th, 1829. 
Early after the arrival of our ship at Oahu, it became evident, that the policy and course of conduct
pursued by' Captian Finch was any thing but agreeable, to a majority of the foreign residents. Even before its public delivery, the letter of the secretary of
the-navy, addressed by the authority of the president
to the king, was denounced by those made acquainted
with its contents, as " a most pernicious document."  And it was soon intimated, that a remonstrance of the principal American citizens, in reference
to it, would be returned to the government, through
the secratary of state, by the Vincennes.




AMERICAN MERCHANTS.


267


Such a document is on board.  I have not seen it;
but common report made me acquainted with its
character, before leaving Honolulu. It consists of a
protest, against the channel through which the president thought proper to communicate with the king
-the secretary of the navy, rather than the secretary of state; of a denial of any right in tle secretary
to, inform  his majesty, that the religion of the
"CHRISTIAN'S BIBLE" is the true religion; or to
recommend the miissionaries as American citizens to
his kindness and protection; of a declaration, that
any charge of ill-conduct, in any American. citizen
at the islands, is false; in an avowal, that, even
if such were not the case, the government of the
United States have no cognizance of,offences, committed by its citizens beyond the limits of-its jurisdiction; and in a remonstrance against the propriety
of introducing my name in a govermental paper!
I am spared the necessity, however, my dear H ---,
not only of any comments of my own on this subject, but, also, of any sumniary remarks on the state
of the mission and of the island, by a "Retrospective
View" of our visit, written by Captain Finch, with
a copy of which I am furnished.    Alny one acquainted with the intelligence and acuteness of observation which characterizes his mind, with the
candor of his judgment, and the integrity of his
principles, will- t once accord an approval to the justness of his strictures and the correctness of his views;
and, with this article, I cheerfully close my account of
the present condition of theSandwich Islands.




268


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


A RETROSPECTIVE V.IEW OF THE VISIT TO THE
SANDWICH, OR HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
AFTER an absence of nearly three years from
home, on service upon the western coasts of South
America, I felt as if on the certain eve of returning
thither; as did the ship's company, whose terms of
engagement had expired.l The orders to proceed on
an 'extended cruise were therefore unexpected and
most unwelcome. In addition to disappointed hopes,
I was little prepared, and far from being desirous of
visiting islanders whose moral character was undergoing change, and whose primitive traits were fast
disappearing; whether for the better was a problem
which I supposed a cursory glance anid short survey
would not enable me to determine.  Again, I felt a
reluctance to be placed in circumstances which I
foresaw might involve me, as a party, in the various
conflicting accounts which had been given to my
government and. the public in regard to these people,
and was afraid that irregularities amongst our trading
or whaling vessels, and collision wit the natives,
might invite my interference, which, if exerted, yet
probably would fall short of the exigencies of the demands. Added to these considerations, I had heard
1 A portion of the crew returned in the frigate Brandywine, the
residue re-entered for a twelvemonth, ind the deficiency was made
up by volunteers from the frigate.




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


269


of the hostility which was entertained by almost all
foreigners resident at those places, where teachers of
the gospel, or missionaries, had established themselves. I promised myself, on the whole, neither
gratification nor usefulness, and therefore undertook
the voyage with real regret; but now that it is gotten
through with, I feel relieved, and look back rather
with surprise that I engaged in it with apathy, or
that I anticipated difficulties and a distaste which I
have not, to the extent apprehended, realized.
My visit has been performed without any occurrence other than of a pleasurable kind attending it:
my interposition when called for has been mildly
exercised, and availing-the objects of our government, I hope, answered-and the good effects, I fear
not, will be understood by any commander who may,
hereafter, perform the like routine of duty.  My
reports collectively to the government will exhibit
what I have done, as well as furnish my opinion on
many points, and show the unavoidable (and supposed) defectiveness of the orders and laws under
which I had to act. These are lucidly pointed out by
my predecessor, Captain Jones of the Peacock.
The very advanced stage of the people of the
Sandwich Islands in the points involving civilization,
religion, and learning, is so well established, so generally known and admitted, that I forbore to give
statements of them equally minute with those I had
made respecting Nukuhiva, Tahiti, and Raiatea.
Their civilities, letters of correspondence, and transaction of business with me, place them in a just


VOL. II.


24




270


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


light, and will enable our government to appreciate
and judge them properly without my saying a word
in their favor, beyond the simple declaration that
they are much in advance of the Society Islanders,
cheeringly and agreeably enlightened, acquainted
limitedly with their own interests, capable of extending them, and sensible of the value of character as a
nation. Their indolence of habit and amiability of
disposition mislead the judgment of persons who deny
their pretensions to intelligence and capacity for selfmanagement or government; the first being overcome, and their knowledge fully aroused to the
advantages which their locality affords, the latter
objection will manifest itself to be erroneous. To aid
in every way to elevate and instruct them, and
increase their self-pride and confidence, ought to be
a source of pleasure, as well as the policy of those
foreigners who are amongst them; but such I am
satisfied is neither the design nor practice of those
persons: they pursue, on the contrary, a shortsighted course, watchful of their own immediate gains
or advantages, apparently regardless and thoughtless
of those who are to succeed them, and whose security,
comfort, and prosperity, may be increased or diminished by the judicious or unwise plans they at present or may hereafter adopt. The gentlemen now
at the Sandwich Islands forget that the natives are
not the same naked, uninstructed creatures which
they were when they first went among them, and in
this forgetfulness, intentional or not it is immaterial,
treat them almost precisely as they did formerly, and




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


271


contemn their pretensions to knowledge and improved
condition.2 Human nature cannot nor will the chiefs
much longer bear or tolerate such arrogance and
injustice.s The more the respectability and importance of the chiefs and people are increased by voluntary and generous attentions from foreigners, the
greater will be the security insured to themselves.
Why will they continue to enjoy the hospitality of
the natives, contract engagements to large amounts
with them, with full reliance upon their integrity,
and yet treat them in a contumelious manner or with
indifference: such is nevertheless the inconsistency
I observed.
I am at a loss to decide wherein the foreign residents have just cause to complain of or to contemn
the government of the Sandwich Islands; they affect
to believe that all its measures are dictated by the
missionaries.  I really do not think so: they doubtless in their station as teachers have influence; but
I rather believe it is confined as closely as is practicable or possible to that relation and no other: unless
it was perceived by them, that the government was
about committing an act of indiscretion or gross
blunder, I dbubt if their voice would be heard. It is
a most lamentable fact, that the dislike of the mis(2) Probably exception may be fairly made to some persons of the
class of foreigners.
(3) If personal profits in a sphere for general competition or operations are to be regarded as exclusive objects, then probably the
original condition of the natives was more favorable formerly than
now: I hope that I shall not be viewed as disposed to trammel
Laudable commercial enterprise.




272


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


sionaries by the foreign residents, has a tendency, as
yet, to paralyze the efforts which the natives are so
laudably making to render themselves worthy of the
support and confidence of enlightened Christian and
distant nations; and this one    circumstance will
render, for some time to come, the visits by our ships
disagreeable to the officers who have to make them.
The constant complaining against the missionaries
is irksome in the extreme, and in such contrast with
the conduct of the missionaries themselves, that I
could not but remark their circumspection and reserve with admiration: the latter never obtruded
upon my attention the grounds or causes they might
have to complain; nor did they advert to the opposition they experienced, unless expressly invited thereto
by me.
If the understandings of the natives are imposed
upon by the religious injunctions of the missionaries,
the evil will ultimately correct itself, by the very tuition which they afford the inhabitants, more certainly and effectually than by the denunciation and
declamation of foreigners, who are interested and
temporary sojourners, without other than moneyed
transactions to engage the' confidence of the natives,4
whereas the missionaries have adventured their
families among them, and stand pledged as to the
issue of their undertaking before, not only the American public, but the world at large.
(4) The missionaries possibly are too rigidly literal in their interpretation and enforcement of the commandments; and an error 
may arise from this source in the formation of provisions for police
or other regulations by the native government, and in their subsequent administration and fulfillment.




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


273


Opposition similar to that now existing against the
present mssionaries would, doubtless, extend to
like persons of any other denomination. All of our
countrymen do not think alike on the special subject of religion, and in which our government (very
wisely and happily) does not interfere; but, all those
who visit the islands in the pacific for trade, will feel
(and rightly, too,) that such order grows out of the establishment of christianity in whatever form introduced, as to preclude undue advantages, ensure personal security, and place the islander on a footing of
equality with his fellow man. Why it is supposed
necessary to retain the Sandwich Islanders in a state
of deeper vassalage and subjection to our avarice and
caprices, than those of inferior cast to ourselves at
home, I am at a loss to determine. If the islanders
are weary of the instruction they receive, or the restraints imposed in receiving it, they have tongues to
speak, and hands to use; and judging by the unrestrained life they have heretofore led, it is but fair to
infer that they would speak and act, if causes existed for their doing so. Whilst they court knowledge,
why should they be ridiculed in the search of it?
Can it be shown that they have misapplied to the injury of others the limited acquirements which they do
possess; on the contrary is it not certain that intercourse with some of them has been rendered more
easy, and confidence increased by this very circumstance? Are they not truly their own masters on the
principle of birth, soil, and action?. Wherein the
right of our merchants then to interfere with them,
wherein that of the missionaries? but by the best of
24*




274


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


all rights, their own invitations;5 the missionaries
and families are also probably more than twice as numerous as the mercantile class. If not satisfied let
merchants withdraw themselves; refreshments, &c.
can still be had without their agency, as heretofore by
the masters of such vessels as may frequent the
islands. I would ask if our countrymen arrogate
any thing to themselves other than what the laws
allow at Hayti?  Do they ever openly reflect upon
that government? Why will they act differently, require or expect more at the Hawaiian Islands?
So great was the friendship and correctness of deportment of the chief islanders, that I could scarcely
suppose myself to be among a people once and so
recently heathen. Variance of language and complexion alone reminded me of it.     These views
may very widely vary from the opinions of those
who have preceded me only a year or two; I can
well believe that we do not keep pace (by means of
our intercourse) with their improvements.  Intervals
of three years make wonderful 'changes, and for the
better; careful and recorded observations only will
assure us of the reality of them. The present king,
as he advances in years will, I feel pretty well persuaded, be a blessing to his people; his usefulness
will, however, depend in a great measure, upon the
choice which he may make in a companion of his
power and the cares inseparable: a doubt and difficul(5) It has been remarked to me that Christianity was established,
or rather idolatry subverted, before the arrival of missionariesgranted: has not the arrival of these persons confirmed these measures, and strengthened the natives in their previous convictions.




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


275


ty rests upon this interesting point, which cannot too
early be removed.
By the diffusion of knowledge among the islanders at large, I can readily suppose that the influence
of the resident whites, and the abject and slavish
adulation and distinction    heretofore paid  to them
have been diminished in some degree:6 will not this
circumstance, to a limited extent; serve to explain the
sourness and bitterness which the whites cherish, and,
on many occasions, display towards the chiefs as well
as the missionaries?   Suppose that undue power is
exercised by either residents, merchants or missionaries, over the governnient of the Sandwich Islands;
from  which source will either the greatest good or
least evil ensue?    I certainly think from  the missionaries.
It is seriously to be regretted that the missionary
society, or some liberal minded and generous gentlemen of wealth, does not establish and maintain at
the Sandwich Islands, on an adequate salary, a person of independence of character, and suitable attainments, separate from clerical avocations, merely as an
adviser of the chiefs, on the principles of government,
jurisprudence, &c. &c.,7 or, if cur government would
(6) A like consequence will eventually ensue to the chiefs, though
I think their positions and prerogatives will never be infringed.
(7) It would be beneficial also if the means of subsistence for
missionaries were augmented; which when done will enable them
both as to personal and in general respects to appear to more advantage (than they can at present) without any departure from proper sanctity of character. They ought, if possible, to be rendered
entirely independent of the natives, or government, until both become more fully sensible of the value of the time, study and attention which, as teachers, they bestow in their incalculably important
functions.




276


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


appoint salaried Consuls, or a Charg6 d'Affaires to the
islands, respectively restricting them from all participation in business, the desired object might be obtained; but whilst such official personages are still
merchants, their influence is comparatively small or
nothingwith the government; but their own and their
patron's interest necessarily engrossing subjects.
The various communications which I bear to my
government will; I trust, awaken its more pointed attelition to these Islands, and to the Americans
who reside in them.      The protest of the merchants and traders to the principles contained in the
public letter which I delivered will claim notice; it
was prepared during my short absence to Hawaii,
but in my letter of the 22d November, I had anticipated its point.8 I feel constrained to utter this
opinion, that its arguments are unsound, its language
unbecoming and hasty, its inferences unfounded, and
its implications ungenerous, and in every respect injudicious.  In the same breath, they, the signers, deny the jurisdiction of our government, and yet invoke protection:-taunt one department with ignorance; defend the conduct of all classes of persons
who have visited the islands; fit a cap to their own
head, which probably was not intended for them;
speak insultingly of, and denounce missionaries; unnecessarily allude to the Rev. Mr. Stewart, and insinuate that the Vincennes has done nothing but aid
(8) Although the letter of protest is dated Nov. 10, I did not receive it until the 23d Nov. a subsequent to my communication to
the secretary of the navy, advising him of my proceedings and intended further movements.




BY CAPTAIN FINC.d.


277


in the saddling a religion on " ignorant and unsuspecting" islanders; unmindful of letters of thanks
previously tendered to me for services affecting their
pockets!
Is it not meant by establishing a consulate, that it
shall receive the control over our citizens within its
reach, which the government of the United States
indisputably would exercise, if these citizens had remained at home. Apublic functionary openly declares
and insists that his own government has no control
over acts committed at the Sandwich Islands! Can
our laws have been framed so blindly, or is this construction to be ascribed to the desires or sinister counsels of others?  The signers' powerful reasons" for
fearing for their " lives and property" are not set forth,
and therefore, I think, can only be creatures of their
own minds, unaided by facts;9 the letter I conceive puts
no more power into the hands of the natives than
belongs to them, or than they always wielded; there
can be no good reasons of objection to a letter coming from the head of any department, if the president chooses to give such direction to it. I cannot
perceive that the letter advocates any particular sect
in religion; nor are the petitioners required or called
upon to recognize or follow the religion of the islanders now, more than they were, when idolatry existed.
In the nature of things, it is impossible that the petitioners can assume a responsibility for the acts or
conduct of all citizens who have visited the islands,
or that they can undertake to establish the position
(9) If, as they say, the chiefs have been made fully to understand
the letters, then it follows that security must result to every body.




278


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW


that there never has been violations of the laws, or
interference with the government of the islands.10
Surely the right on the part of our government to
inquire into the conduct of its own citizens, sojourning temporally abroad, was never until now contested;
and as to the propriety of the governmental letter adverting to the appointment of Mr. Stewart, I humbly
conceive that the governient was quite as well qualified to judge, as the petitioners or protestors.
Lest any thing which I have said may be construed as unduly favoring the missionaries, I take
this occasion to remark that I am not of their particular church, but am a Protestant Episcopalian; so
that I am under no bias on that score."
I have in my reports expressed an interest for Nukuhiva, and given it a decided preference in point of
locality over the Society Islands.  I am confirmed in
this predilection; and more than ever convinced that it
is a most eligible place for our commerce, and that it
will become, and deserves to be, the rivalof Oahu. The
natural tact and vivacity of the Nukuhivans are more
remarkable, and superior to that of the Sandwich
Islanders. The situation of the former, unless communication is had eventually over the isthmus, is
far better than that of these people, for the advantages
of trade by way of Cape Horn; and I earnestly
hope, that the present inviting and propitious moment will be embraced to confer benefits on the
(10) Probably'these matters come not within the scope of the gentlemen's notice, or were not thought 'of before.
(11) There can be no doubt that an American interest and influ.
enee is insensibly produced by benefits derived from the missionaries as American citizens.




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


279


Nukuhivans, and secure commercial advantages to
ourselves.
The novel and informal way in which property in
vessels is transferred at Oahu, from one individual
to another individual, each of different nations, and
the license and latitude under which they navigate,
deserve to be looked to. Those which go to the
coast of Mexico and Northwest Coast, complain of
the treatment by the authorities —I cannot say how
justly; but suspect there is, in this, as in almost all
other cases, two sides to the same story. I rather
think that some of the island commerce carried on
by foreigners, if met with at sea by a regular cruiser,
would prove a fair prize, by reason of a want of, or imperfect papers, &c. It is quite common to see vessels
at the Sandwich Islands, without names on their
sterns, with altered names, every medley of crew, and
other circumstances unusual elsewhere.
The various complaints which were made to me
at Oahu, induce me to suppose that great irregularities often prevail in the prosecution of this distant
commerce; the severities which are sometimes practised towards crews is doubtless illegal-more harsh
than in the navy, and in most instances inconsiderate; but on the other hand, the ill temper and recklessness of character which is often manifested by
the sailors, unquestionably call for coercion and restraints of some nature; how these can be wisely
delegated is the desirable point. The ambiguity and
evasion used in shipping crews are the chief evils to
be removed. This is the incipient stage of all the
dissentions and difficulties which ultimately arise,




280


RETROSPECTIVE VIEW, &C.


and most generally exist during the whole space of
a voyage. On these matters Captain Jones of the
Peacock has already spoken most fully.
Of the value of property owned by American
merchants at Oahu, or of that intrusted to their
care and safe keeping, and in depot, I can form no
certain opinion; but infer from appearances, and the
activity with which transfers or sales are effected,
that it does not at any given period exceed eighty
or one hundred thousand dollars.
In these remarks or review, I have abstained from
giving any traditional or historical n6tices of the
islands, their natural appearances, productions, or
population, &c., all of which can be derived from
numerous published accounts.
Respectfully submitted.
W. C. B. FINCH.
The honorable the Secretary of the Navy,
Vashington.




PASSAGE TO CANTON AND MANILLA.


VOL. it.


25


I








PASSAGE TO CANTON AND MANILLA.
LETTER I.
INCIDENTS AT SEA.
U. S. ship Vincennes, at sea,
Dec. 11th, 1829.  I
THE first incident, dear --, worthy of notice
since we left the Sandwich Islands, is one of sadness and of death. The most youthful and most
healthful of our quarter-masters expired in great
agony this morning, after a few hours only of serious
illness.
The sudden death of such men is always accompanied to me with a shock from which I cannot at
once recover.  Sinful, and confident of life, they
entertain no fear or thought of death, till they find
themselves in his terrific and paralyzing grasp!every power withers at his touch; the body sinks into
helplessness and decay, while the spirit-ah! the
immortal spirit, ascends to God only to hear, if his
Word be true, the awful sentence of justice and holiness proceeding from his throne, against every guilty
and impenitent sinner-" Depart from me, ye accursed "  In view of such- a destiny, well may we
exclaim, " 0, that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"




284


DEATH AND


Hfow different the death of the righteous man"No horror pales his lip, or rolls his eye,
No dreadful doubts, or dreamy terrors start
The hope religion pillows on his heart.
When, with a dying hand, he waves adieu
To all who love so well, and weep so true,
Calm-as an infant to the mother's breast,
Turns fondly longing for its wanted rest,
He pants to be where kindred spirits stay,
Turns to his God, and sighs his soul away!"
With the bier of a shipmate, who but yesterday
moved among us in all the vigor of health and manhood, in our view, the day has been one, as may be
supposed, of more than ordinary quiet and soberness.
The weather too has been of a, character to add to
the general listlessness and depression: an almost
entire calm-the sails flapping uselessly against the
masts, and every thing glaring in the burning heat of
a tropical sun.
Just after sunset, the boatswain's call summoned
us to the deck, to perform the last service of fellowship for poor. The hour was well suited to
the melancholy duty; the shades of the night had
began to fall around us; the vessel scarcely moved
upon the water; the sea was smooth as a lake; and
not a sound was to be heard, except the echoing of
the last footsteps gathering round the gang-board at
the ships's side, on which the corpse was poised, ready
to be lanched below at the appointed signal.
After such introductory portions of the Burial
Service, as I thought appropriate to the funeral rite
of one, for whom I fear-melancholy as the apprehension is-that there will be no "resurrection of




BURIAL AT SEA.


285


life," I gave one word of admonition and exhortation-a word to which, under the circumstances, no
ear could be stopped; and to the power of which, it is to
be hoped, that every heart, for the moment at least,
was open;-and then came the slide and dull plunge
of the body which committed it to the bosom of the
Pacific-a grave more wide and more deep than even
a sailor often finds. The scene was one which all
appeared to feel, and one which, I pray, none of those
witnessing it may entirely forget.
The circumstance led to a conversation the most
interesting, as regards the character and strength of
feeling excited by it, I have yet known on board the
Vinccnnes-with Mr. Hoyt, a young gentleman who
joined our ship, from the merchant service at Oahu,
to secure a passage to the United States, and who has
had assigned to him the duty of a sailing-master's
mate. The correctness and dignity of his general
deportment early secured rmy good opinion; and the
little direct intercourse that, till now, had taken place
between us, had confirmed every kind feeling in his
favor. We met this morning, in a mood of mind induced by the sight of the corpse, which neither of us
felt disposed to conceal from the other; and which
led to one of those conversations of undisguised feeling, which win the heart more fully, than years of
common-place civility.
He appears to be one of the few "sons of the ocean,"
whose character and principles in all points are such
as to command the respect of those with whom they
are associated; and to whom the most pure in morals
and the most refined in sentiment need not fear to
25.




286


CREW OF THE VINCENNfES.


extend their companionship and affection. The
principles, habits, generous feelings, and pious disposition of such men, more effectuallysecure the warmth
of my heart than the highest attainments of mind,
fascination of manners, and attraction of rank, where
they are not to be found. I delight to show and
prove myself the friend of such: and new interest is
given to our homeward voyage by the discovery, that
there is at least one on board, beyond my immediate
mess-table, who is disposed to cultivate my friendship
in connection with the spirit and immediate duties
of my office.
As to -the crew in general, I have never been
brought in contact with any set of men apparently
so hopeless in morals, and so beyond the influence of
every good impression. A small portion of them only
were shipped in the United States. The. rest have
been gathered principally from the South American
coast-wanderers upon the earth, without a country
or a home. I have long felt great discouragement,
ag to any decisive benefit to them from the discharge
of the services of my station, still I shall be enabled,
on this point, I trust, to act upon the principle, that,
"Our doubts are traitors,
And often make us lose the good, we else might win,
By fearing to attempt,"




GATHERING OF A STORM.


287


LETTER II.
ARRIVAL IN THE CHINESE SEA.
U.'S. Ship Vincennes, at sea, 1
Dec. 30th, 1829.
THE early part of our voyage from Oahu was
most uninteresting, characterized chiefly by light and
variable winds, an excess of heat, and slow progress;
and, but for the blandness and serenity of nights,
bright
"With stars unnumbered,
And a moon exceeding beautiful,"
and the irresistibly soothing associations connected
with their loveliness, both' on land and at sea, we
should all have become a prey to ennui and the mal
du pays.
On the evening of tlie 24th, however, we were relieved from the listlessness of the preceding month,
bythe sudden rising of a storm, which came raging
upon us, just before night, with the fury of a tempest.
In less than an hour, in place of a clear, blue sky,
and a dead calm, a scud, " thick and palpable,"
almost as the darkness of Egypt, was rushing over
us before a driving wind. A streak of lurid and unnatural light along the western horizon was alone to
be seen; while the sky was every where filled with
wild and ragged clouds, moving swiftly in various
directions, portending some fearful exhibition of their




288


CHRISTMAS-EVE AT SEA.


violence. The sea, too, suddenly rose high; foaming, and roaring, and dashing on board our ship,
as she plunged and rolled in its irregular and broken
swells. Add to this the bustle of two hundred men,
in preparation for the worst that might come; the
rushing of the wind through the masts'and rigging; the bawling of the brazen-mouthed trumpet;
the answers and calls from  aloft, coming faintly
and indistinctly on the ear, as those uttering them
were swept widely and swiftly through the air, in
the uneasiness of the vessel under the pressure of the
blast; the flapping and cracking of the sails in reefing; the flying of hats and handkerchiefs overboard, and you will have a total of circumstances
as appropriate to a Christmas-eve at sea, as the snow
storm, keen temperature, and blustering north-west
wind are to the same season in Otsego. But, ah!
for us there was no blazing hearth nor cheerful fireside; no closely curtained parlor nor happy family
circle to join, after having gazed on the sublimity
and wildness without, till dripping with the peltings
of the storm-but a wet and gloomy ship; a gunroom, with groaning timbers and bulk-heads, and
lights flickering in the wind, till their highest service
was to make darkness visible; chairs, tables, boxes,
and books, fetching away and driving across the
deck at every roll, with an occasional crash and jingle in the steward's pantry, as if all his bottles and
crockery had gone en masse; and last, though not
least, an uncomfortable berth, in which it was impossible to lie still enough to sleep, but to which it
was necessary to cling till morning, while every




LADRONE AND BASHEE ISLANDS.


289


wave, sweeping in its fury along the ship's side,
muttered its threat so closely and so loudly in the
ear, that if from weariness one should fall into a doze,
he could scarce fail of being roused from it the next
moment, by dreaming of being drowned.
Such was the night, and such the morning; and
ever since we have had a continuance of weather in
some degree similar.
On the evening of the 19th inst. we passed the
most northern of the Ladrone Islands, between
Pagon and Agrigan, at a distance of fifteen or twenty
miles. Both lofty islands, the last so much so as frequently to be seen at a distance of sixty miles. It was
near night when we descried them, and nothing but
a dim outline was to be seen against the sky.
Yesterday morning we left another landmark, in
the northern Bashee Islands, behind us. These are
considered one of the barriers of the " Mer la
Grande," as the French very properly style the
Pacific, and one of the portals of the " Celestial
Empire," a principal city of which we expect soon
to visit. Five of the cluster were in sight at breakfast time; insulated rocks, uninhabited and uncovered, except on the highest points, by a little grass
and moss; and as we passed them, and thus entered
the Chinese Sea, many of the gentlemen on the
quarter-deck bade kind adios in Spanish to the
Pacific, on whose waters they had for three years
been floating-to which I added an aroha ino, as
the band gave us "Auld lang Syne."




290


UNHAPPY ACCIDENT.


LETTER III.
CASUALTIES OFF THE COAST OF CHINA.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Chinese Sea, }
January 1, 1830.
YESTERDAY, a disastrous accident befel one of
our crew. The morning was fine, and impatient of
reaching the island of Macoa, the port of our present
destination, we were crowding all sail, when the approach of a sudden squall caused a hasty order for
the lighter canvas to be taken in.
In accomplishing this, one of the maintopmast
studding sails went over board, through the mismanagement of the man at the haliards. The ship
was moving rapidly through the water; and the
moment the canvas came in contact wit]i the sea,
the rigging attached to it was dragged swiftly from
the deck, and with such violence, that one of the
lines, becoming entangled about the leg of a marine
who had inadvertently stepped into its coil, severed
the limb instantly from his body, as he was hurled
against the bulwarks, and would have been carried
overboard, had he not been seized by some of his
shipmates.
The crash, at the same time, of the studding sail
boom, as the weight of the sail in the water carried
it away upon the yard, and the agitated call down
the hatchway for Dr. Malone, led those of us below
to suppose for the moment, that some one had fallen
from aloft in the loss of a spar, and had been dashed




FISHING JUNKS.


291


to death upon the deck-an impression confirmed, on
hastening up, by seeing streams of blood immediately under the main yard. It was a relief, therefore, to learn the truth, melancholy as it is; for
there is hope for the poor fellow in this case, while
there could have been none in the other. It was
necessary to amputate the limb still higher than
the spot at which it had already been severed, and
the surgeon feels much anxiety as to the result.
The weather continued to be more and more boisterous, till we were again well nigh in a tempest;
and for a few moments before day-break this mornitig, I was apprehensive of a terrific consummation
of our disasters. After an almost sleepless night,
from the excessive rolling of the ship, I was awaked
suddenly by an alarm on deck, accompanying the
loud exclamation of the commanding officer to the
man at the helm, ",hard a port! hard a port!quick, quick I" followed by several rapid orders, and
immediately afterwards by a slight concussion of the
ship against something, and again by a second, that
brought every one in the ward-room upright in his
berth.  "She will strike, sir-she will strike?'
were the next words heard from the midshipman of
the forecastle, and I was expecting a tremendous
crash of the Vincennes on the shore, when a quartermaster made his appearance with a light, and as another and still heavier blow was felt against the bow
of the ship, checked the alarm of the ward-room by
informing us that instead of running on shore ourselves, two fishing junks, in the darkness of the
night, and sleep of their owners, had run upon us;




292    FIRST SIGHT OF THE CHINESE.


but fortunately without being sunk-the first not
having appeared to sustain any injury, and the
second only the loss of a small mast.
We hove to immediately, and hoisted lights till
daybreak; but heard nothing from the -boats, and
presume they suffered little damage. I was early on
deck. Though no land was in sight, the whole
horizon was studded with these craft —the only habitations of tens of thousands along the Chinese coast.
Two are always in company, lying to under the
same quantity of sail, attached to each other by hawsers, and dragging nets between them. They are
long, rude looking structures, having one mast of
considerable size in the centre, and another very small
far aft, with an elevated stern and pointed prow,
over which, in place of the bowsprit in our fishing
smacks, is a wooden anchor. On either side of the
bow a large eye is painted, to keep a look out as it is
said, but without always answering the purpose of
proper vigilance, as was proved by the incident of the
night —and which might have eventuated in a horrible catastrophe to those trusting their safety to such
a watch.
On coming up with some of them, we soon had
ocular demonstration of being in a new quarter of
the globe. They all contain numbers of people-apparently whole families, men, women, and children
a cadaverous set, shrewd and cunning in their expression, seemingly good-natured, and highly delighted
to see our fine ship rushing by, so near to their tossing
craft, that we might almost have leaped on board.




ASPECT OF THE ISLANDS.


293


At eleven o'clock we made the c" Pedra Branca,"
a large white rock, a principal landmark in approaching one of the channels along the coast, leading to
the entrance of the river on which Canton stands.
These channels are formed by numerous shoals and
islands, edging the mainland. One of the largest
called the Grand Lema, was in sight at twelve;
and shortly after a whole group, nearer the continent; lofty points of which were also seen rising
beyond them in the distance. A pilot and comprador, or purveyor, boarded us early in the afternoon;
and before nightfall we were once more at anchor off
a small island called Loo-chow. All the islands in
sight are exceedingly barren-scarce any more than
lofty rocks covered with sand and ashes.
Fleets of fishing-boats are at anchor in many
places close along the shore, forming floating villages,
without the appearance of any other habitations, except a single hamlet opposite us, on Loo-chow. To
this the pilot and comprador belong. It wears but
an indifferent aspect, scarce better than that of a poor
fishing village at the Sandwich Islands. The first
sounds heard from it were those of the Gong, proclaiming, as was supposed, the hour of evening
sacrifice-for when the pilot was asked, what it
meant, he replied, " Josh-Josh!"-a corruption of
the Portuguese " Dios."  The sounds did not differ
from those of a large drum; and the associations,
connected with their rapid and monotonous tones,
were those of sadness at the delusion and sin of so
great a portion of the human family, as belong to
this idolatrous empire.
VOL. II.            26




294


DR. AND MRS. MORRISOK0


LETTER     IV.
VISIT AT MACAO AND CANTON.
U. S. shipVincennes, Chinese Sea, 
January 25th, 1830. i
Two days after the date of my last letter, we came
to'anchor in the roads of Macao; and after a few
days in that place and a hasty visit to Canton, are
once more at sea on our passage to Manilla.
Macao is a Portuguese city, situated on a peninsula of a large island of the same name. It is a
walled town, well defended, and contains a large
population, including Chinese residents and foreigners. The harbor is good for small vessels, but ships
of the class of the Vincennes can only lie in the
open roads, at a distance of two or three miles from
the landing; rendering the communication with the
shore inconvenient and at times unpleasant.
It is the summer residence of the merchants of
Canton, and the only place where foreign ladies are
permitted to land: of course gentlemen, who have
their families with them, are under the necessity of
living there. Aware that Dr. Morrison was an inhabitant of this place, I early renewed the acquaintance I had the pleasure of forming with him in London in 1826, and was most cordially received by Mrs.
Morrison and himself into their family. The privilege




CAVE OF CAMOENS.


295


and happiness of enjoying the hospitality of such a
house, and the society of such friends, especially in
a land of strangers, cannot be too highly appreciated,
and can never be forgotten.
Captain Finch soon became domiciliated with Dr.
Bradford of Philadelphia, in the establishment of
Mr. Latimer, a merchant of Canton, from the same
city; while all the officers of the ship received every
polite and kind attention frorA other foreign residents,
including Mr. Plowden, the chief of the honorable
East India Company's Factory,. and other gentlemen
connected with the service.
The town is well built, cleanly, and handsome;
and we spent our time very agreeably, the few days
that could be given to the enjoyment of its society.
A principal object of interest and curiosity within the
place is a grotto, or rather niche in a rock, in which
Camoens is said to have completed the Lusiad. It is
on the summit of a hill, in the midst of a garden
and grounds tastefully laid out and well kept, commanding delightful views of the city and of its inner
and outer harbors, and mightwell be supposed a haunt
of the muses. I visited it twice-once in company
with Captain Finch and Lieutenant Magruder, and
a second time with Mr. Hoyt.
The library and museum of the East India Company, an aviary of splendid birds belonging to Mr.
Bal an English resident, and a small Chinese
temple, were also visited by us with much gratification.
The distance from Macao to Canton is about seventy miles. After considerable difficulty and delay,




296


PARTY TO CANTON.


arrangements were made for a party of officers to go
up. It consisted of Captain Finch, Lieutenants Sullivan, Dornin, and Lardner; Mr. Buchanan, Dr.
Malone; midshipmen Bissell, Hawkins, Maury,
Melville, Rowan, Wurts, and myself; but of our
trip, and the few days we were in the suburbs of that
city, I made only hasty notes. To write them in full
would require a volume; and for the present I must
be content with saying, that we were received and
entertained in the most hospitable manner by C. N.
Talbot, Esquire, acting consul for the United- States,
and by the gentlemen of the various American and
other foreign houses.
Our voyage up was by what is called the outside
passage; but Captain Finch, Lieutenant Sullivan,
Mr. Buchanan, and myself, returned by a rout
which afforded us a more extensive observation of
the country. We reached Macao again on the 18th
inst.; took our anchor for the Philippine Islands on
the 22d, and hope to arrive at Manilla, their capital,
in less than forty-eight hours from the present time.




MANI LLA.
26'




I
0




MANILLA.
LETTER I.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BAY, AND CITY OF MANILLA.
U. S. ship Vincennes, Bay of Manilla,
January 30th, 1830. 
ON the morning of the 26th inst., we descried the
Island of Lugonia, or Lu(on, at a point fifty or sixty
leagues north of the entrance of this bay; and for
the two days following coasted its shore, under the
alternate influence of a land and sea breeze, with the
outline of a mountainous and finely variegated country in full view.
The bay of Manilla is very extensive, ninety
leagues in circumference, and the city situated on its
southern shore, some twenty or twenty-five miles
from the sea. We dropt anchor in our present berth
early yesterday morning; and are surrounded by
varied and beautiful scenery.  The circuit of the
bay is too wide to allow of distinct views of most of
its shores; but the outline of the lofty hills and
mountains, sweeping round it, is traceable at most
times against the sky-giving to it, as a whole, much
the appearance of a noble lake.




300


VIEW OF MANILLA, AND


The view of the city, however, its suburbs, and
the adjoining country on either side, and far inland,
is full and imposing. The city itself, inclosed by
walls of dark stone, and surrounded by a broad moat,
lies on the north side of the river Pasig, here flowing
into the bay, while the suburbs, containing a tenfold
population, lie across the same stream on the north.
The aspect of the two sections presents a striking
contrast. The dark, moss-covered walls on the one
side-screening every thing from sight except the red
tile of the roofs of the houses, and the towers and
domes of the cathedral and churches-stretch a half
or three quarters of a mile along a green bank and
carriage-drive by the waters edge; while on the other,
in place of heavy walls, bastions, and embattled
towers, nothing is to be seen, as far as the eye can
reach, but a mass of huts of bamboo and reeds, of
the slightest construction and rudest aspect, embowered in groves of the greatest luxuriance and verdure.
The location both of the city and suburbs is very
low-a characteristic of the surrounding country;
but some miles inland it becomes more elevated and
broken, and terminates at last on every side in lofty
and beautiful mountains.
G. W. Hubbell, Esquire, consular agent of our
government, waited early upon Captain Finch and his
officers, with a tender of the hospitality of his house;
and it is arranged that the captain, purser, surgeon,
and myself, shall take up our quarters with him
during our visit.
My friend Lieutenant Magruder accompanied me
on shore at two o'clock to dine at the consulate, and




FIRST VISIT ON SHORE.


301


to take a first glance of the city. The landing is by
the river, a narrow and rapid stream, with a lighthouse, small, and of imperfect service, at its mouth on
the suburb side. A long mole of granite, with a circular battery at the end, lines the river on the same
side with the city; immediately on passing which we
perceived a greater stir of business than is seen from
the bay, the river being lined on the side adjoining
the suburbs, with numbers of vessels of various burdens, and covered with boats, plying rapidly in different directions. The walls of the city rise from the
water, and extend more than half a mile up the
stream to a fine stone bridge, affording the only~
communication by carriages with the suburb. Besides
Mr. Hubbell, we found at the consulate Mr. King, a
young gentleman of intelligence and piety, attached
to the establishment, and captains Chever and Benjamin, the commanders of two.American merchantment, at present in port.
The support of an equipage here is attended comparatively with so little expense, that it is not customary to walk, either on business or for pleasure; and
after dinner, at five o'clock, four carriages were in
readiness for the whole party, with the addition of
Mr. Stribling, from the ship, to take an evening airing. The usual vehicle is a light, low phaeton, handsomely finished, drawn by two small, but fleet horses,
under the management of a postillion mounted on
one of them. The rides in the vicinity of the city are
varied, and of a degree of beauty almost unrivalled;
but that most resorted to in the evening is a broad
road lined with a double row of trees, commencing




302


DRIVE ON TIE CALZADA.


at the bridge and following the course of the moat and
glacis surrounding the city wall to the beach, and extending along it in front of the city, with an open
view of the bay and shipping. Here all the rank
and fashion of tile place assemble for an hour or more
every evening, presenting an animated and truly
beautiful spectacle, as equipage after equipage rolls
along in a double line-one passing in one direction
and the other in another-affording a full view, from
the open carriages, of all the dress and beauty of the
first circles of society. The ladies wear neither hats
nor mantles; but, according to the Spanish custom
on such occasions, appear in full evening costume.
This drive is called the Calzada. It is open entirely to the country on one side, and leads past the
public parade ground, near the bay. The standing
forces of the government consist of 12,000 troops, all
natives of the islands, commanded by Spanish
officers. Five thousand of these are quartered in the
city, and the remainder in various parts of the group.
There is a regular evening drill; and about two
thousand were now under arms. They made a fine
appearance-are well dressed, well paid, and it is
said, are loyal and firm in their attachment to the
Spanish authority. Two full bands were performing,
and I have no where heard finer martial musicthough all the musicians, like the soldiers, are native
indians of the country.
The airing and the drill usually terminate together;-the carriages, when the troops begin to move,
changing the rapid rate at which, for the hour pre



NATIVE TROOPS AND MUSIC.


303


vious, they are whirled from one end of the Calzada
to the other, to a walk, accompany them in long and
slow procession, for the enjoyment of the music to
which they march, till dispersed at the barracks near
the bridge.
Two evenings in each week the military bands
perform for an hour, in the palace square within
the city, in front of the residence of His Catholic
Majesty's representative, the Captain General and
Governor of the Philippine Islands, at present the
Senor Rocafuerte. This was one of the evenings;
and we drove into the city to share in the entertainment. It is a well built, neat, and quiet town, containing a population of twenty thousand, principally
Spanish, or of Spanish extraction; officers of government, and of the military department; priests,
soldiers, &c. The streets are regular, and well
kept, and the whole style of building that which I
have described as prevailing in Lima-the Moorish
quadrangle of two stories, with covered balconies from
the second story over the street, and corridors within.
Here the balconies, instead of lattice work of dark
wood, consist of large sashes, to be thrown open at
pleasure, set, in place of glass, with the inner shell
of a large muscle, which, prepared for the purpose,
is translucent, transmitting the glare of a tropical
sun, in a mellowness of light equal to that passing
through ground glass.
The houses of the foreign residents, and of the
more wealthy inhabitants of the suburbs, are in the
same style of architecture; the first story being ap-,.




804


ILLUMINATION.


propriated to storehouses, kitchens, offices, stables,
&c., while the second is occupied by spacious and
lofty saloons, and sleeping  and  dressing apartments.
LETTER II.
EVENING SCENES AT A CATHOLIC FESTIVAL, AND CALL UPON
A NATIVE FAMILY.
Manilla, January 31st, 1829.
AFTER tea this evening a large party took carriages for a short drive to a parish in the eastern part
of the suburbs, where, we were informed, a festival
in honor of the patron saint was in celebration.
The native islanders at Manilla, as well as the
Spanish inhabitants, are Roman Catholics by profession; and holidays of this kind, with processions,
illuminations, and fireworks, in honor of them, are a
chief source of amusement to the people. All the
streets within the boundaries of the parish we now
visited, were more or less illuminated, and those in
the vicinity of the church, and through which the
procession passed, as brilliantly lighted as a walk in
Vauxhall; while all the houses were ornamented
with gay hanging, wreaths of flowers, and evergreen,
and various tawdry decorations of colored paper and
tinsel.




INDIAN COTTAGES.


305


The buildings here are all in the native stylecottages of greater or less dimensions, erected upon
piles at various heights from the ground, and constructed of bamboo and reeds.. They are usually
square, with high roofs, running to a point in the
centre; and are furnished so abundantly with large
windows of lattice work, that when thrown open, the
interior is as much exposed to view, as that of an
ordinary summer-house in the grounds of a gentleman
in our own country. This was the case on the present occasion; and, as we rode along the streets, we
had as full a sight of the apartments, and of the
families in gala dress, and in all the hilarity of festival times, as if we had been their guests. 
Lofty arches of light wood, covered with colored
paper and gilding, and blazing with lamps, were
thrown across the streets; while, in other places,
obelisks of the same materials reared their illuminated
summits high in the darkness of the night; both
having a tasteful and pretty effect.
The principal procession had closed before we
arrived, but fireworks were setting off; and the
image of the patron saint, a female martyr, as appeared from the exhibition, was borne past us. In
the immediate vicinity of the church, the streets
were so thronged with pedestrians of all ranks, from
those apparently of gentility and affluence, to the
lowest orders, that we were obliged to alight near a
half mile from it, and walk the remaining distance.
In the crowd there was quite as great a number of
females, as of the other sex, and some evidently of the
VOL. II.             27




306


COSTUME OF THE


highest classes, in as full evening dress as if in an
opera house or ball room.
An American gentleman of our party was acquainted with a native of some wealth, whose house
we happened to pass; and, at his invitation o.ur whole
company ascended a stair on the outside of the building, and joined a large circle of the relatives and
family friends, convened for purposes of festivityembracing, from appearances, the entire connection
of our host, from grandmothers in the decrepitude of
old age to infants in the arms. The building was
purely in the native style, and exceedingly neat in
its finish and furniture.
The master of the house, a middle aged man, was
in the prevailing costume of the civilized indians:
pantaloons of striped calico of gay colors, with a shirt
of thin grass cloth, or of a material the peculiar manufacture of the country-said to be from the fibrous
parts of the leaves of the pine-apple-as transparent
as gauze, exhibiting the entire contour and muscular
action of the arms, shoulders, and chest. This article is always beautifully finished, and often richly
embroidered around the colar, bosom, and wristbands.
Its most striking peculiarity, however, is in the
manner in which it is put oMn-the lower parts being
invariably over, instead of under, the pantaloons.
Shoes and stockings are not usually worn, and a
round beaver hat is the only other article, in the attire
of a native gentleman.
The dress of thefemales consists of several garments.
The first is a short gown of thin muslin, as transparent as the shirts of the men, reaching scarce be



NATIVE INHABITANTS.


307


low the bosom, and hanging unconfined around the
form, in a manner often to expose the person between it and a petticoat, covering- the lower part of
the figure. Over the petticoat, which is usually of
dark print, several yards of a striped or plaid calico
of bright and strong hues is wbrn, by wrapping it
several times round the form. The ancles and feet
remain bare, while the great toe, with one or two of
its nearest neighbors, is thrust into the point of a long
slipper of morocco, velvet, or silk, often richly-ornamented, which is slid along the floor or pavement in
walking, with a sound that is any thing in my ear
but the " dulce susurrum" of the Mantuan bard.
The head is usually bare; but in full dress a fanciful
turban of lace or wrought muslin is frequently worn,
and also a richly embroidered half-handkerchief, of
the same style, over the short gown.
They are fond of jewelry; and besides pendants
in their ears, bracelets, and necklaces, I have seen
the fingers of both the hands of a village[belle stiff
with diamond rings.
But to return to our host. We were received by
him with great hospitality in an outegr room, where
tables were spread with a profusion of cakes and
fruit, coffee, tea, &c., and then conducted into another in the midst of some twenty-five or thirty
persons, principally females. The elder ones were
in the costume of the country, with their hair turned
smoothly back from the forehead, and hanging in a
long queue behind-smoking cigars or chewing the
beatle leaf and arica nut, with the juice of which
their mouths and teeth were deeply stained. Those




308


FAMILY SCENE.


younger, however, their daughters and grand-daughters, were in European dresses of silk and muslin,
with velvet spencers, gold chains, silk stockings and
shoes. No particular introduction took place; and
all entered readily into conversation with those of
our company who spoke Spanish. Refreshments
of various kinds were offered; and among other
things served, were cigars and the arica nut and
beatle leaf.
With a manifest desire to please, the master of the
house sent for music, to entertain us with a danceof
the country; but the gentlemen who intended returning to the ship plead, in excuse for not remaining, the detention it would occasion to the boat,
and we took our leave.
The whole evening was a novelty; and a striking
proof of the devices by which men, while gratifying
the desires and affections of a worldly mind, persuade
themselves that they are doing God service, and
working out their own salvation. We are ever ready
to tithe " in mint, in anice, and in cummin"-ready
to sacrifice our money and our time, but prone to
neglect the weightier matters of the law, and to withhold the services and devotion of the heart.




RIDE TO SANTA ANNA.           309
LETTER III.
A VILLAGE FETE, AND VISIT TO THE LAKE OF PASIG.
Manilla, February 3d, 1830.
BEFORE sunrise this morning, we were taking a
cup of chocolate previous to setting off for the lake,
some twenty miles distant, from which the river Pasig
flows to the bay. Lieutenants Stribling and Magruder, with Dr. Wessels, and Midshipmen Irving,
Huntt, Kieth, and Taylor, had slept on shore, in
order to be ready for the trip in the cool of the morning; and, with Mr. Buchanan, Captains Benjamin
and Chever, Mr. King and myself, constituted our
party.
The excursion is made by water, on the Pasig 
but it was arranged that we should not take the
river at the town, but go in carriages to the village
of Santa Anna, two or three miles distant, by which
a long bend in the stream, with a strong current
against us, would be cut off. Accordingly we were
soon rolling along the calzada, in seven veloches,
with the fleetness 'of the wind, which our ponies,
fresh from their stalls, seemed desirous of outstripping. Our luggage was of rather a singular and
luxurious character, as seen piled conspicuously at
the feet of each couple, in the bottom of the chariots-consisting principally of pillows, which are
here showy articles, the cases being of fine cambric,
27*




310


DESCRIPTION OF THE


highly wrought and trimmed with inserting of lace
and ribbons, over gay colors of pink, blue, yellow,
&c.; and of fine mats of the country. Mr. King,
with whom I rode, as caterer, carried also a box of
claret, sandwiches, bread, cheese, and ale. The use
of the pillows will be mentioned in due time.
The drive to Santa Anna is one of the most pleasant in the environs. The road branches from the
Calzada, near a picturesque, cottage-like, thatched
guard-house, at the north corner of the parade, and
is formed by a straight avenue, lined richly with
trees of great variety, among which the huts of the
natives stand so, thickly as to constitute an almost
uninterrupted village the greater part of the distance.
The freshness of the morning air made it peculiarly
delightful; and the fifteen or twenty minutes occupied in accomplishing it, gave a stimulus both to body
and mind, that filled every face with bright looks,
and every bosom with cheerfulness, as we alighted,
and all met, for the first time, in the rural and beautifully embowered Santa Anna.
It has been a general festival day, and all here
was life and animation; the whole population, in
varied and gay holiday dress, were just dispersing,
after attending mass at a venerable and fine stone
church-the first, I am told, established on the island-from whose octagonal and lofty turrets, several
chimes of bells of different powers, ranged tier above
tier, were pouring forth peals indicative of merriment
and joy.
Bankas, the name of the canoes of the country,
were by engagement waiting our arrival at the edge




BANKAS OR NATIVE CANOES.


311


of the stream; andit was but a few moments before
we were afloat on the waters of the Pasig. We still
remained as in the carriages, two and two in separate canoes, they generally not being capable of containing more, with room to indulge in the luxurious
attitude of travelers in them which is that of reclining at full length, on a mat spread in the bottom of
the boat, with the head elevated on one of the gay
pillows I have mentioned, at a sufficient height to
afford a clear view above the sides of the canoe of
the banks of the river, and scenery on either side.
In order, however, to give you a better idea of this
mode of traveling, I must describe the canoes with
greater particularity. They are formed from a single
trunk, having much the appearance of the barks of
the North American indians; but with several appendages, of which the most important to their safety
are two outriggers, one on each side. These are of
large bamboo, and lashed parallel to the sides of the
banka, at the distance of two or three inches only;
and render them much more buoyant than they
otherwise would be, and very difficult to be overturned. Another fixture of prime importance in
such a climate, is a slightly arched awning of mats,
supported by stancheons along the sides, which are
notched so that it may be elevated or let down at
pleasure; proving a sufficient protection from the
sun, rain, dew, and every inconvenience of the
kind, as it may be lowered till resting like a lid on
the canoe. The last convenience particularly worthy
of notice, is a floor of split bamboo lashed closely
together-making a cool platform to sit or, lie upon,




312


S.-CENERY ON


and is at the same time a protection from the water,
which occasionally makes its way into the bottom.
Two natives, one in the prow and the other in the
stern, furnished with paddles, oars, and setting poles
-with which they varied and relieved the labor of
working the boat-managed it with great skill: and
by taking advantage of the eddies and counter currents, first along one shore and then the other, propelled us up the stream of a rapid river, with much
greater speed than would be supposed, without ocular
demonstration.
The Pasig is a beautiful river, perhaps one hundred yards wide at Santa Anna, and diminishes
very little for five or six miles. At that distance, the
two streams forming it, one coming from the mountains in the east, and the other from the lake, unite:
above this confluence, each is about half that width.
The general course of the river is sufficiently circuitous, to be the more pleasing for its windings, without making the progress tedious. The banks are
about four or six feet above the surface of the water,
almost every where perpendicular, and as richly
fringed with foliage as the most luxuriant imagination could picture-the light, lofty, and graceful
bamboo predominating, and contrasting strikingly
and beautifully with the 'compact, wide spreading,
round-topped mango. For the. first three or four
miles, the habitations of the people along this edging
of trees and thickets, presented the appearance of a
continued village, each hut having its own little
groves and shrubbery, through and leyond which
glimpses might occasionally be caught of extensive




THE RIVER PASIG.


313


rice grounds, like the fields of a farm at home, with
here and there a clusler of stacks of straw from
which the paddy had been thrashed. In front of
each cottage, a well built, substantial flight of stone
steps leads down to the water, the last step forming
a large platform under the surface, on which to sit or
stand in bathing, which is here a daily habit. On
some of these, mothers were washing their children
previous to putting on their festival clothes; and on
others, busy housewives were preparing poultry and
vegetables for the holiday dinner, or scouring their
cooking utensils and eating dishes.
Rustic belles and beaux, in full dress, were at the
same time seen strolling slowly among the groves, or
hastening along as if destined to some distant scene
of hilarity-all gay and animated, and evidently a
mild and happy people. Occasionally a banka, filled
with a sprightly party past us swiftly under the
double impetus of the paddle and the current; 'while
to fill up the romance, from one or two, the tones of
the song and guitar came floating to us in all their
wildness, as they glided by.
So much were we delighted with the richness and
beauty of the scenery, and the novelty of every thing
arQund, that we could scarce believe ourselves at the
village of Pasig, ten miles from Santa Anna, when,
just after eight o'clock, the tower pf its church was
seen rising above the groves in which the town is
embowered. We were to spend a principal part of
the day here, with an intelligent and wealthy native,
one of the aristocracy of the place; and were most
hospitably received by himself and a son who has




314


VILLAGE


received a classical education at a Roman Catholic
college in Manilla.
A short walk from the place of landing, brought
us into a street leading directly to the church, in the
centre of the village. The bells were ringing cheerily, and a procession passing around the inclosure in
which the building stands —while crowds of people
from all directions were pressing to secure a view.
The principal image borne along, was that of a female saint as large as life, in a dress of blue satin,
glittering with silver spangles, lace and tinsel, with a
small hat of blue, loaded with white plumes: probably the patroness of the church and village-before
which gaudy idol all prostrated themselves as it
passed. The procession was composed-with the
exception of a Spanish padre, and an assistant cure
an indian-of females, from five and six years of age,
covered with spangles, lace, flowers and jewelry, to
girls of sixteen and eighteen, all in their best attire;
bearing wax tapers in the full glare of a tropical sun,
and chanting a hymn-probably of idolatry to the
dumb and helpless object forming the most conspicuous part of the show.
They merely marched round the yard, and reentered the church for the performance of mass-a
service which none of us wished to attend; and
after looking for a moment at the interior, which
was not worthy oipparticular notice, we proceeded to
the residence of our host.
The street leading to it, presented a pleasing
sample of the neatness and rural beauty of a Philippine village, or rather town, for Pasig is said to




OF PASIG.


315


contain 15,000 inhabitants. It is wide, and covered
with a beautiful turf-wheels and animals of burden
being so little used as to make nothing like a traveled carriage way through it-while the picturesque habitations of the villagers, overhung with
trees, line it on either side, in separate inclosures
filled with the mango, bamboo, arica nut, &c. &c.
Four or five hours passed rapidly away in various
observations of the scenes around us; and, after enjoying an extensive and beautiful view from the
tower of the church, of the whole surrounding country, including the lake, three or four miles distant,
lying like an inland sea in the bosom of its shores
and mountains; taking a stroll in the garden of the
padre of the town; visiting two or three native families-one of which was entertaining, with a feast accompanied by music and dancing, all the females
forming the procession of the morning-and sharing
in a profuse dinner of fish, fowl, meats, various dessert, and fruit, provided by our citizen friend, we
prepared to extend our excursion to the lake.
For this purpose our bankas were again ordered.
The scenery on the way did not differ materially from
that which we had passed; the banks being low and
level, and richly clothed, till we approached the lake,
where the paddy grounds extended to the water's
edge. Two large passage and freight boats were at
anchor near the entrance, waiting for passengers and
cargo, for the head of the lake, forty miles distant.
We boarded one of them for a few moments, but
found nothing in the view they commanded to
detain us-that of the tower of the church having


I




316


RETURN TO MANILLA.


given a better and more impressive idea of the extent
and beauty of this sheet of water.
On our return we stopt to take leave of our hospitable acquaintance at Pasig; and found the additional refreshment of a cup of rich chocolate prepared
for us. It was near four o'clock when we left. Our
descent was rapid. Instead of landing at Santa
Anna, we kept our boats; and were greatly gratified
with the richness and beauty of the river scenery
between it and the city, blended with the architectural
display in numerous country seats belonging to the
principal Spanish residents.
LETTER IV.
THE CAMPO SANTO, OR PANTHEON, THE PUBLIC BURIAL
PLACE.
Manilla, February 8th, 1830.
AFTER a visit in the morning, with Mr. Hubbell,
to the new custom-house, a noble and extensive
structure of Grecian architecture in light free stone,
immediately on the river, I devoted the day to further
observations on the city and its environs, in company
with my friend Mr. Hoyt.
Our first drive was a circuit of five or six miles to
the north, a direction in which I had not previously
been. The scenery is much the same as in other




SANTA MAGDALENA.             51[
quarters, with the addition of a higher degree of cultivation, especially of the horticultural kind; most of
the vegetables with which the market is supplied
being grown in that vicinity. We also visited the
pArish of Santa Magdalena in the east; and from a
rising ground three miles from the bay, enjoyed an
extensive and beautiful prospect of the surrontding
country, including the silver windings of the Pasig
through the rich lowlands between Santa Anna and
Manilla, and the towers and domes of the city and
its suburb beyond.
After a handsome dinner with a party of midshipmen, at the only hotel in the place, we-again joined
our carriage; and in company, with Dr. Wessels and
midshipmen "Melville and Anthony, took a circuit
along the bay in the direction of Cavite, a kind of
outer port to Manilla, at a distance from it of some
twelve or fourteen miles, through villages and embowered lanes of unrivalled beauty. On out return
we stopped at the pantheon, or burial place, of the
city, on the road towards Santa Anna. Its location
is beautiful, with a gateway a little retired from the
r6ad on the eastern side. The exterior presents nothing but a heavy wall of brown stone, eight or ten
feet in height, forming a circle a hundred yards
or more in diameter, with a small low chapel, surmounted by a dome at 4he farther side opposite the
gate.
Within, the scene is striking, and with its associations pleasingly affecting; consisting of a tasteful and
neatly kept shrubbery and flower garden, filled with
bloom and beauty, and screening, in a degree, the
VOL. II.           28




318


CHAPEL OF THE PANTHEON,


niches in the wall for the deposit of the dead, for a
longer or shorter period before being committed to a
common receptacle. The chapel is the most simple
and chaste Catholic structure of the kind Ihave ever
seen; so much so, that I was charmed with the goodt
taste exhibited in it. Every thing within, except a
tesselated pavement of white and blue, is of the
purest white, with delicate mouldings and ornaments
in gilding. The altar is finished and furnished with
a crucifix, &c., in the same style, and, on either side,
is a sarcophagus eight or ten feet in length and seven
high, in keeping with the whole; the one, surmounted
by a mitre and crozier, designating its appropriation
to the bodies of the archbishops of the metropolis;
and the other telling, by a sword and chapeau, that
it is designed for a like service, to such of the governors general as may die invested with the chief
civil and military office of the colony.
After having thus examined and admired the
chapel, and having each received a bouquet of flowers from some servants in attendance, we were about
turning from the door to continue our ride, with
feelings and impressions of an agreeable, though not
inappropriate character, when three or four dirty look —
ing and shabbily dressed natives came up to the steps
in a careless and light manner; one of them bearing
on his arms a large shallow tray, on which was
lying what we supposed a gayly dressed waxen
image; but which, to our surprise, as he placed it
on the pavement, and began to arrange wax tapers
on either side, was perceived to be the corpse of an
infant, perhaps a year old, upon whose emaciated




DEPOSITORY OF BONES.


319


features, and lifeless, though open eyes, there still
lingered an expression of the pain, the sorrow, and
the melancholy of death! The silk drapery, gold
lace, gay flowers, and tinselled ornaments with which
it was loaded, seemed sadly inconsistent and ill placed,
beside the evidence presented by it of the frailty of life,
and of the agonies of dissolution.
On making an inquiry, as to the time and manner
of the interment,;a gateway at one side of the chapel
was pointed out, and we invited to view the burial
place of infants. It, is a small building of acircular
form, over the portal of which was the inscription,: angelio;" reviving again, in a remembrance of the
declaration of ('such is the kingdom of heaven,
the associations of a pleasing kind which we had felt
before the sight of the corpse-but only to have them
dissipated a second time by that which was much
more horrible and disgusting; for, on following our
conductor along a kind of terrace round this mausoleum, the word " Osario," in large letters on the
wall, immediately behind it, met our eyes; and, on
looking into an area below, to which there was a
descent on either side by a flight of stone steps, we
beheld a most shocking mass of mouldering bones
and flesh; of ghastly skulls, with mildewed locks
and grisley hair still attached to them; while hands
and feet, kept in form by the adhesion of dried and discolored tendons, were scattered among the bones of
various other parts of the body.
It is thus, after having lain in the niches the appointed time, the bodies are withdrawn from their repose,
cast out from their coffins, and left, an indiscriminate




320


THE CALZADA.


mass of corruption, to enrich, by the decay of time.
the bosom of their mother earth! This sight destroyed all the interest of our first impressions; and
we hurried from it. past the little corpse still lying
unregarded in the midst of the avenue, to our carriages.
It is but a mile from the Campo Santo, or Pantheon,
to the Calzada, which we reached in a few minutes;
and were at once in the midst of a scene in the
widest contrast to that we had left.  All the rank
and fashion of the city were rolling along in various
equipages, in all the gayety of evening dress, in a tropical climate; while two thousand troops were performing the evolutions of the usual drill, to the rich
and soul-stirring strains of full military bands, stationed at different points of the parade. We took
our place in the line of carriages, coursing with them
the beautiful drive, till the military display was over,
and then returned to the city in the customary slow
procession of the troops and bands.




THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,
AND
ISLAND OF ST. HELENA.




I




THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,AND
ISLAND OF ST. HELENA.
LETTER I.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPE TOWN.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Table Bay, 
April 8th, 1830.  i
AFTER a voyage of fifty-six days from- Manilla,
including two at anchor in the Straits of Sunda, we
yesterday doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and before
night ran thirty miles north of it to the bay, in which
we now are, without however securing an entrance
to it before nightfall.
I was roused this morning at four o'clock by the
dropping our anchors abreast of Cape Town, and went
early afterwards on deck. We were within less than
a mile of the town, lying closely along the water's
edge, directly beneath the Table Mountain, which
rises seemingly from its very outskirts like a perpendicular wall of granite, three thousand five hundred
feet high. It is perfectly level on the top for a stretch
of some miles, and in its face towards the water presents much the aspect, with the exception of the tuft28*




3124


CALL ON THE GOVERNOR,


ing of wood and shrubbery, of the palisade cliff on
the Hudson, near New York. It is flanked on one
side by a lofty peak-from which it is separated by a
barren and narrow valley-and an adjoining round
hill called respectively the Lion's Head and Back;
and on the other, by a naked cone of equal height,
called the Devils Peak; all so close to the town as
to exclude every other view in that direction.
The town, containing twenty thousand inhabitants, is compactly and regularly built on wide streets,
crossing each other at right angles; presenting a
neat and agreeable appearance from the water, the
prevailing color of the buildings being white or light
stone. Many of the houses are low and flat-roofed,
especially those skirting the borders of the town.
These are the most conspicuous; and, surrounded by
gardens and shrubbery, have a rural and tasteful
aspect. Every thing adjoining, however, is sunburnt
and dreary; though in the winter, or rainy season.
the whole country is said to be beautifully verdant,
and gaily enamelled with flowers.
We early exchanged salutes with a fortress on
shore. The effect of our guns against the cliffs of
Table Mountain was grand beyond any thing of the
kind I ever heard-echo after echo of the deepest
toned thunder-intermingled with reverberations,
like the discharge of a rapid feu de joie-rolled
round and round the bay between every gun, as if a
whole fleet were in action.
At twelve, I accompanied Captain Finch, Lieut.
Stribling, Mr. Buchanan, and Dr. Malone, in a call,
under the guidance of James Bance, Esquire, Port




4#


SIR LOWRY COLE.            325
Captain, on His Excellency, Lieutenant General the
Honorable Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, G. C. B.
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony.
The government house is at present undergoing repairs, and we were received at the colonial office. The
general is an able and popular ruler, of commanding
figure; and plain and unaffected manners; and,
after giving us a cordial welcome to Cape Town;
expressing the gratification it afforded him to see the
American flag in Table Bay; regretting that the
government house was in a state to deny him the happiness of entertaining us as he could desire, &c., &c.,
entered into general conversation for half an hour,
with much intelligence and courtesy. On passing
from the governor's rooms, we paid our respects for
a moment to Lieutenant Colonel Bell, colonial secretary, a brother-in-lawof the governor, the ladies of both
being daughters of the distinguished diplomatist, the
late Earl of Malmesbury, and were afterwards introduced by Captain Bance to the family of Mr. Ebden,
a principal merchant of the place.
In the afternoon I accompanied my friend Lieut.
Magruder on shore, and, joined by Mr. Buchanan,
took a more full survey of the place. It is well built
and beautiful-more like some of our American
towns, especially those originally settled by the
Dutch, than any I have seen in a foreign country. The general style of architecture is much
the same; the apparent equality of wealth and rank
similar; and the mixture of the population of British
and Dutch extraction in a like proportion; while the
household servants, coachmen, teamsters, &c., of




^tb           PUBLIC GARDENS.
blacks and mulattos, keep up the resemblance in
these respects to many of the most flourishing towns
in Pennsylvania, and the older sections of the state
of New York. There is a blending too of city and
village in the appearance of the streets, and evident
habits of the citizens that is very agreeable; not
unlike that seen in the principal towns in the interior
of the United States. In one respect, however, it is
totally unlike any place in our own country-in the
numerous soldiery seen on post and in the streets;
several regiments being usually quartered here.
The gardens formerly belonging to the Dutch
East India Company are a principal ornament of
the place. They occupy one hundred and twenty
acres immediately adjoining the most compact part
of the town-a principal part of which is inclosed
and cultivated with fruit and vegetables, &c., leaving
a wide and beautiful avenue of oak in the centre,
nearly a mile in length, alone open to the public as
a promenade. The government house is situated in
the gardens on one side of the avenue-a rural and
pleasant establishment, principally in cottage style,
without any particular beauty, or elegance of architecture.
Before returning on board, I called on Mrs. Philip,
lady of the Rev. Dr. Philip, superintendent of the
missions in South America, under the London Missionary Society. I had previously learned with regret
that Dr. Philip himself was several hundred miles in
the interior, and that I should be denied the happiness of meeting him. The hospitality of her house
was most kindly extended to me, but I have thought




RIDE TO CONSTANTIA.           327
it advisable to remain on board ship during the short
time we shall remain at our present anchorage.
LETTER II.
4 RIDE TO CONSTANTIA, AND Afi EVENING AT PROTEA, THE
COTTAGE OF SIR LOWRY COLE.
U.S. SShip Vincennes. Table Bay, 
April 18th, 1830..
THE visit of the Vincennes has been received so
kindly at the Cape, and all her officers so hospitably
entertained by the inhabitants, both Dutch and
English, that my time since our arrival has been
fully 'occupied. A daily reciprocation of civility has
taken place between the ship and town, to the seeming gratification of all parties, and we shall have
much reason to remember with pleasure the many
circles of agreeable acquaintance formed at the Cape
of Good Hope.
A principal object of curiosity in the vicinity is the
estate of Cbnstantia, so long celebrated for the peculiarity and excellence of the wine produced from its
vineyards, and the Rev. Mr. Beck, a near relative of
the present hereditary proprietor of the estate, kindly
proposed taking Lieutenants Stribling and Magruder,
and myself to it in his carriage, a few mornings
since.
The road leads directly north from the town, and
is a delightful turnpike having an open common



328


THE SILVER TREE.


sprinkled here and there with a cluster of white
cottages, a single hut, or a windmill-on either side.
Seared, at this season of the year, by the winds of
the autum, its entire surface is sterile and dreary, like
that of a heath in England. After three miles, however, the drive becomes beautiful, the road being
completely embowered by groves of lofty oak and
pine, and ornamented by handsome gateways, leading to mansions and cottages thickly scattered along
the way-the summer retreats of " the powers that
be," and of those " rich in this world's goods." The
turnpike winds gradually around the bases of the
Table Mountain and Devil's Peak, and at the end
of six miles passes the small village of Wynberg.
Two miles farther brought us to the end of our excursion. The approach to the gate is through a
groVe of the silver tree-protea argentea-affording
us full proof of the appropriateness of their name.
The long pointed leaves are thickly set on the
branches, and being of a bluish green color, covered
with a fine white furze or down, have the appearance,
as the rays of the sun fall upon them, of being edged
and tipped with silver.
Constantia was originally a Dutch government
estate, and is beautifully located under the mountains of the range of Table Land, commanding fine
views of the surrounding country, and of the Indian
Ocean on the eastern side of the cape. It derives its
name from the grape of Constantia in France, which
was that introduced into its vineyards, and by which
it has attained its celebrity. It was sold by the government to a gentleman of the name of Cletoe, an




UPPER CONSTANTIA.


329


ancestor of the present occupant, and entailed in his
family, subject to certain imposts on the proceeds of
the vintage.
Since that period, the original estate has been divided into Upper, or Great, and Lower Constantia,
from their relative position to the mountains. A new
estate has also since been laid out, and planted on
ground still more elevated; and, from that fact, called
High Constantia. This we did not visit, but had a
full view of its vineyards, stretching over the sides of
a hill at the base of the mountains.
The entrance to Upper, or Great Constantia, is
by an avenue of majestic oaks, a quarter of a mile or
more in length, descending gradually to the house, a
respectable looking old mansion in the Dutch style a
century ago. Mr. Cloete received us with much
politeness, and after a conversation of half an hour
in a drawing-room, conducted us through the gardens, shrubbery, and fruit yard in the rear of the
mansion. The colony of the Cape of Good Hope
may be correctly styled the land of fruit and flowers,
and the grounds are filled with a handsome variety of
both. The walks are lined with hedges of myrtle,
and their intersections overspread with arbors beautifully arched and ornamented, by the training of the
living oak. In speaking of the value of this noble
tree, we were informed by the proprietor of its importance here in a respect which I do not recollect to
have before seen noticed, in the sustenance it affords
not only to swine, but to horses and cattle. The
acorn is a principal food on the estate of these animals, furnished to them in the manner in which
VOL. II.            29




330          LOWER CONSTANTIA.
Indian corn is in the United States. After being
gathered, they are preserved without difficulty, by
keeping them covered with fresh water, in which
manner they retain all their juices without being
subject to decay.
A next visit was to the wine house, a long range
of building filled with tiers of immense tanks of
Constantia. From these a superintendant began at
once to serve us with samples of the different kinds
made on the estate. All the varieties-white and
red, Frontinac, Muscadine, and Pontac, are sweet;
too luscious to be drank except as a cordial, with
cake, or after coffee at dinner.
We then passed through a vineyard of forty acres,
inclining handsomely on one side of the house. The
vines are kept very low, about three feet from the
ground, without stake or trellis, and some of them
were pointed out to us as more than seventy years
old. The vintage of the season is just past and the
grapes all gathered, but a cluster here and there, fully
ripe, afforded a luxurious bonne boiche in our
walk.
An elegant collation awaited our return to the
mansion; after partaking of which we visited Lower
Constantia, the possession of a Mr. Colyn. We were
received in the same hospitable and kind manner by
this gentleman, and conducted over an establishment
equally rich and beautiful; and left, on our return
to Wynberg —where we were to dine with the honorable Mr. Wheatley, a judge of the bench of Bengal-much gratified with the observations of the
morning.




RIDE TO PROTEA.           331
The next evening I was engaged to dine at the
cottage of Governor Cole, ten miles in the country,
with Captain Finch, Dr. Malone, and Captain Bance:
and at half past six we took our seats in a landau
and four, to meet the appointment. Just before night
a southeast wind, the sirocco of the Cape, had suddenly risen, and was sweeping around and over every
thing, almost with the power of a hurricane, driving
and whirling the dust before it like the snow of a
winter's storm in Otsego; and, had not the accompanying temperature been sufficiently cool to admit
of having the carriage closed, the ride would have
been exceedingly unpleasant. With this advantage,
however, and a knowledge of the excellence of the
road-it being the same excepting two miles, that
we had traveled to Constantia-we suffered no
inconvenience, notwithstanding the darkness and
the storm; and, in little more than an hour, found
ourselves whirling through the gates of Protea, the
name given by Sir Lowry to the estate, from the
abundance of the silver tree rurrounding it.
The former country-seat of the governor of the
colony, the Newlands, in the same vicinity, was a
splendid establishment, costing the British government, it is said, during the administration of Lord
Charles Somerset, the predecessor of General Cole,
~80,000 sterling; but this has been sold, and Protea
is the private property of the governor; upon which
improvements are but just commencing, it having
been in his possession only a short time. It seemed
an unpretending establishment, for a captain general,
though the opportunity of judging of its appearance




332


FAMILY OF THE GOVERNOR.


was very imperfect, from the darkness of the nightthe range of lights at the portico, with those of three
or four chariots in waiting, throwing only a limited
and flickering glare around.
We had been apprised that it was but a family
party we were to join; and on entering the drawing
room found just the circle that those long cut off from
the enjoyment of refined and polished society would
wish to meet-divested of every thing like the formality and etiquette of an entertainment of state. Lady
Frances, with two or three female companions, and
four lovely daughters, from five to twelve years of
age; the governor and his aids, military and civil;
the attorney general and lady; the surgeon of the
household; and one or two young officers in the uniform of the Scotch regiments, constituting the number. The general, in the full uniform of his rank,
scarlet-with epaulets and cordons of gold-received
us in the centre of the room, and after an interchange
of salutations, presented each of our company in
order to his lady, and then to the party in
general.
Nothing in a family circle has a greater charm for
me than a group of intelligent, well managed, and
lovely children; and the daughters of the household,
in a uniform of scarlet crape, with blue ribbons on
their necks to match their bright eyes, attracted my
first attention. The younger two quickly threw off
the reserve imposed by the entrance of strangers,
and, while every look and every action told that they
had been trained by no inferior hand, by their vivacity and playfulness presented a delightful picture of




LAD PFRANCES COLE.


333


the happiness of childhood in the bosom of those it
loves; and it was with sincere regret that I perceived
the whole number, when dinner was announced,
kissing good night to Lady Frances, as she gave her
hand to Captain Finch to be led to the salle a
manger.
The entertainment in the dining room was all
that elegance and taste could desire. On rejoining
the ladies, however, at ten o'clock, for a cup of tea, I
was gratified with a richer enjoyment —in addition to
the conversation taking place-in the privilege of
looking over the sketch book of Lady Cole, filled with
drawings from nature; manifesting a high degree of
native and cultivated talent in the art. The subjects, especially those in landscape, were of local
interest to the family, in Ireland, France, and Spain,
where Sir Lowry served in the peninsular war, in
the Mauritius, where he was for several years governor, &c., &c., pointed out to me by Mr. Balfour,
a nephew, and private secretary of the general, one
of the most pleasing of the acquaintances I have
formed during our voyage. Both Lady Frances and
her sister Lady Catharine Bell, are distinguished for
their high mental endowments, and for the various
accomplishments of their education; and I was happy
to learn, that the influence of their rank and talents
in the colony, is cast in favor of rational enjoyments
and of piety. Lady Frances is not only the patroness,
but a superintendent of the Sabbath School in the
Episcopal Church.
The general and his family take possession of the
government-house in town, in a few days, for the
29*




334


FIRST VIEW


winter; and on the 23d inst. a grand fete, in honor
of the birthday of His Britannic Majesty, is to be given
by them. Invitations were early issued to the officers
of the Vincennes; and both the governor and his
lady expressed a cordial wish, before taking our leave,
that we might remain to the entertainment.
LETTER III.
ARRIVAL AT ST. HELENA, AND INTERVIEW WITH
GOVERNOR DALLAS.
U. S. Ship Vincennes, Bay of James Town, 
May, 3d 1830.      1
WE left our anchorage in Table Bay on the 19th
ult., and on the morning of the 1st inst. descried St.
Helena, at a distance of fifty miles-seeming only a
small jagged-topped cloud of deep blue, on the verge
of the horizon.
The night closed round us, while yet twenty-five
or thirty miles distant. The evening was tranquil,
and beautifully clear; but strong and irresistible associations on the fate of the man, whose name and
end have stamped eternal celebrity on the island before us, shrouded it in our eyes, with a gloom that
rendered doubly sombre the deep neutral tint spread
in an unvarying shade, over its precipitous coast.
Every other emotion was lost in the feeling, that we
were gazing on a mausoleum, in the midst of the
mighty deep, appropriate in its features of dreariness




OF ST. HELENA.             335
and gloom to the later destinies of the genius whose
remains repose within it. And with the pall and
the bier, and all the saddening appendages of the
grave floating in my imagination, I could compare
the outline of the island, as seen against the sky in
its bearings at the time, to nothing more descriptive
of its general form, than a gigantic coffin-to which,
in reality, the perpendicular headlands on either end,
the proportionate length and heigth, and an unvaried
sable hue, gave it no slight resemblance.
The light of the following morning, converted the
blackness of the bare walls of rock bounding the
whole island, as seen in the preceding evening, into a
reddish brown, but without diminishing the general
aspect of dreariness and desolation.  Nothing like
freshness or verdure was to be seen, except a few
pointed hills, rising in the centre, above the general
mass of sterility, and belted beneath by a narrow
strip of cultivated country, sprinkled with a cottage
and plantation here and there-beautiful indeed, but
only like the oasis of the desert, from a strength of
contrast with every thing around.
Every headland and craggy peak is surmounted
by its flag staff and signal station, from one to another of which, communications were constantly
making, as we approached. In doubling the north
end, we neared the shore so closely, that the monstrous cliffs composing it-becoming more and more
lofty and precipitous in the vicinity of James Town,
on the northwest-towered hundreds of feet perpendicularly above our mastheads. The first view of
Buttermilk Point, on passing which the anchorage




336


DESCRIPTION OF


comes in sight, is singularly striking, from the batteries planted high on its very face, and occupying
every nook and crevice in which a gun can be secured-presenting in one spot a projecting rock, and
in another a wide mouthed port, with a heavy piece
of artillery pointed towards you, here a short stretch
of artificial wall, and there a breast-work of the original cliff —without any plan or order, other than that
of the natural formation. The mouths of cannon
project at irregular intervals and distances, from the
top to the bottom, among which, the heads of a half
dozen guards were seen peering over the parapets
upon us, like eagles from the midst of their aeries.
This aspect is, in a greater or less degree, characteristic of the cliffs the remaining distance of a mile
to James Town; in front of which, we were soon
moored within a quarter of a mile of the shore.
The glen, in the narrow mouth of which it stands,
is wedged in between two almost perpendicular walls
of brown lava near a thousand feet in height, approaching each other as they run inland, till at the
distance of a couple of miles, they shut out all farther
view. An esplanade in front, of a few hundred
yards extent-formed by a massive wall ten or twelve
feet high, running across the glen to guard the beach
from the encroachment of a heavy surf-is planted
with a battery, and ornamented with a double row of
trees of the banian tribe, skirting the walls of the
town. The first buildings above the tops of these,
that catch the eye, are a neat church of light yellow,
with a square tower on the right side of the gate in
the centre of the wall; and the government-house, or




JAMES TOWN.


337


castle, a large heavy looking mansion surrounded by
trees and gardens, on the other.  Between these,
from the rapid ascent of the ground, a full view is
presented of an open, unplanted square, surrounded
by residences of good size and comfortable appearance, beyond which the roofs of numerous habitations interspersed with a few trees, a lofty building or
two-a barrack and hospitals are seen-stretching up
the narrow defile for a mile or more, till they terminate in a view of some neat cottages and gardens
overlooking the whole, at the extreme point in sight.
This morning at eleven o'clock, Captain Finch,
accompanied by Dr. Malone and myself, went on
shore to wait upon the governor, the Honorable Brigadier General Dallas-as many others of the officers
as could be spared from the ship, having already
started for Longwood.
The only landing is close beneath a projection of
the cliff, on the left of the anchorage, under the bastions of a fort planted on the face of the rock, some
eighty or a hundred feet above the water. Though
more sheltered from the swell of the sea than any
other spot, still caution is requisite in getting from a
boat on the abutment and steps of massive stone
with which it is furnished; as the water is of great
depth, and its rise and fall in the eddy and whirl of
the surf at all times several feet, and often so great as
altogether to interrupt the communication between
the shipping and town. A causeway, hewn from
the rock, leads along the base of the hill-from the
perpendicular surface of which' on the one hand,
enormous masses projecting in frowning deformity,




33S


RECEPTION BY


threaten momentarily to crush you beneath their
tremendous weight, while on the other, are the roar,
and lashing against the parapet, of a deadly surf.
An irresistible query, as we trod this fearful way,
was-what must have been the thoughts and the
feelings of the imperial captive, when, for the first
and the last time, he paced this same ground, and
gazed above and around him, on the horrid features
of his appointed prison? For the moment, at least,
I suspect the firmness of the philosopher must have
been shaken, and the nerve of the hero unmanned.
On passing the gate, an air of comfort, of quietness, and of leisure, is visible in every thing: there is
nothing of the stir and bustle of business, but, on
every side, evidence of indolence and inactivitysoldiers in handsome uniform  lounging aroundofficers in rich undress-and clusters of gentlemen
in citizen's garb, seated in the shade beside the
houses, or in verandas in front.
Mr. Solomon, a merchant of wealth, kindly threw
open his house to the officers of the ship, immediately
on our arrival; and we availed ourselves of his hospitality till the governor should arrive from Plantation House, the govermental country seat, three
miles inland, where his family exclusively reside. He visits the castle in town, however, almost
daily on business; and when informed of his presence there, under the guidance of Mr. Solomon, we
paid our respects to him.
Our reception by the General and his son, a Captain in the Hon. East India Company's service, and
by Captain Knipe, civil aid, or secretary, was most




GOVERNOR DALLAS.


339


cordial; and immediately followed by an invitation
to dine with himself and family this evening at six
o'clock; but being already engaged to Mr. Solomon,
the invitation was renewed for to-morrow, after we
should have accomplished a visit to Longwood.
Knowing that the Council of the Island was convening, and the Governor consequently occupied,
after a short and agreeable interview, we took leave
for a more extensive survey of the town previous to
the dinner hour of Mr. Solomon.
LETTER IV.
THE TOMB OF NAPOLEON, LONGWOOD, AND PLANTATION
HOUSE.
U. S. ship Vincennes, Bay of Jamestown, 
May 5th, 1830.   i
YESTERDAY morning Captain Finch, Dr. Malone, and myself took breakfast with Dr. Price, the
health officer of the port, and soon afterwards became
mounted for an excursion to Longwood, and the residence of General Dallas.
After the ride of an hour, up the zig-zag reads cut
in the surface of the hill-by which alone, on the
one side of the glen or the other, the ascent to the
mountainous country in the central parts of the'island can be made-we found ourselves beyond the
highest point of land between Jamestown and Longwood, on the edge of a tremendous gulf of an oval




340


TOMB OF


form, called the " Devigs Punch Bowl."     The precipices surrounding it aredeeply furrowed bythewashing of heavy rains, and are every where tinged with
hues of the most delicate shade-a light purple dashed
with pink and pale yellow predominating-the whole
caused by the colored earth, of which the soil is here
constituted. At the head of this chasm, a narrow
and secluded glen-contrasting strongly, in the verdure and freshness of its trees, shrubbery, and grassy
sides with the coloring and nakedness of the wider
and deeper parts below-lies cradled in green hills;
and is the nook in which repose the bones of the
greatest man of his age, and one of the master-spirits
of his race"High is his couch: the ocean flood
Far-far below, by storms is curl'd;
As round him heaved, while high he stood,
A stormy and unstable world.
Alone he sleeps! the mountain cloud
That night hangs round him, and the breath
Of morning scatters, is the shroud
That wraps the Conqueror's clay in death.
Hark!-comes there from the Pyramids,
And from Siberian wastes of snow,
And Europe's hills, a voice that bids
The world he aw'd, to mourn him?-No 
His only-his perpetual dirge
Is the wild sea bird's piercing cryThe mournful murmur of the surge —r
The cloud's deep voice-the wind's loud sigh!"
The tufted tops of the willows that droop around
his grave, and the cottage and garden of the keeper are
seen in the depths of the glen, while, on the height of
the banks above, appears the white front of Huts' gate,




OF NAPOLEON.


341


the farmhouse occupied by Moutholon, and from which
the captive was accustomed to descend on foot to the
spring, near which he chose for himself a resting
place. Directly across the gulf, and within a mile in
direct line, lies the plantation of Longwood spread
over an extensive plain, with the old and new houses
on the gentle swelling of the highest point, with a
few trees clustering around them.
The road to the plantation leads around the chasm
by Huts' Gate, and the ride to it is at least two miles
from the point of this first distant view.
A few moments' ride brought us to a gate on the
principal road, opening into that, cut in the side of
the hill, for the funeral procession. This we descended; and, on reaching a second gate at the end
of half a mile, commited our horses to a person in
waiting, and, passing round a bank tufted with
shrubbery, and gay with the scarlet blossoms of a
geranium, found ourselves at the tomb of NAPOLEON,
and on the brink of the pure fountain, the sweetness
and refreshing coolness of whose waters in such a
climate, led to the eventual consecration of the spot.
The grave is surrounded by a double inclosure;
the first of wooden pales in a dark paint, is a widely
sweeping circle inclosing the four willows overhanging it, and the other a square of about twelve feet of
plain iron railing-marking the immediate dimensions of the tomb itself. This consists of three large
flag stones of granite-taken for the purpose from the
hearth of the kitchen in New Longwood-laid, without any inscription, in substantial masonry at an
VOL. II.             30




342


ARRIVAL AT LONGWOOD.


elevation of a few inches only above the ground: a
monument rude and unadorned, and in good keeping
with the end of the ill-fated exile on whose bosom it
presses.
After examining every point of interest-drinking
of the water of the spring, securing slips from the
willows, inscribing our names in an album in care
of the keeper, and musing on the career and fate of
the conqueror over the little space of earth that alone
of all his kingdoms is retained in his possession, we
remounted our horses; and returning to the public
road, proceeded round the head of the ravine by
Hut's Gate to Longwood.
The lodges and gate are a quarter of a mile or
more from  the house.  The drive from them is
straight and unornamented, except by a few straggling gum trees, and for the last few rods ascends
gradually to the site of the buildings. The horse I
rode, had been at no very remote period a famous
racer. At different times during the ride from James
Town, he had manifested some desire to give a specimen of his fleetness, and the moment of passing
the gate, probably from the frequency of his visits
and familiarity with the ground, started at full
speed with me; and had my accoutrements been at
all similar, I should have arrived at Longwood much
in the plight in which Gilpin found himself on the anniversary of his wedding on alighting at Ware. The
only result in this case, however, was a separation
for the time, from my companions-by which I had
an opportunity of looking round me for a few moments while they were coming up, after having con



BEDROOM OF THE EMPEROR.


343


miitted my horse to the care of one of three or four
urchins, ever ready on the ground for such employment, in the daily visits which the plantation now
receives from strangers calling at the island.
The general aspect of the establishment is that of
an ordinary, shabby farm-house of stone, meanly
stuccoed and irregularly built-the whole being in
bad repair. Long ranges of sheds for cattle, painted
of a dismal color, line two sides of a large square
cow-yard in which it is situated, while a third is
formed by the kitchens, and offices of the principal
house. The approach through this dirty inclosure, as
a lawn, did not promise much for the interior; but I
must confess, that when-on being ushered from it
through a door opening on the ground, with the announcement " this was the bed-room and dressingroom of the emperor"-I found myself in a small,
dark, and filthy stable, occupied by half a dozen
horses, swarming with flies, and teeming with impurity, I could scarce suppress a flush of indignant
feeling, at the contempt and degradation which appeared thus, unnecessarily, to be cast upon the illustrious, though, perhaps, justly unfortunate and unhappy, dead.
I never was a warm admirer of the character of
Bonaparte-while yet in my early infancy, he had
exchanged the greenness of his consular laurels for
the glitter of the diadem; and in the days of my boyish politics, when his sceptre was extending widely
over Europe, I regarded him principally as the proud
usurper, whose ambition it was to triumph over the
kingdoms of the earth, till he should become the Dic



344     READING AND DRAWING-ROOIMS
tator of the world. But, who has not admired the
power of genius that raised him to his glory? Who
did not feel some sympathy, at least, in the depth of
his fall? Who did not commiserate him in the distance and desolateness of his exile? And who, with
the vivid impressions of the wretchedness and discomfort of his captivity, forced upon them by the scene
in the midst of which we now were, would not be
disposed to believe every charge of unkindness and
oppression that has been preferred against his keepers? However different the state of the establishment might have been when inhabited by Napoleon,
all the associations of a visitor, with his situation
during the time, take their color from what is seen;
and the rooms should have been preserved in the
condition in which they were left, or the whole
should have been razed to the ground.
The next apartment we entered, is that in which
lie died. It had been used as a writing room and
library; and he was removed to it, after becoming
seriously ill, for the benefit of a more free circulation
of air. It is small, with two windows on one side,
between which the bed, on which he expired, was
placed. A threshing machine, festooned with cobwebs, is now its only furniture; and not only the
paper in which it was once hung, but the plaster,
and even parts of the wall itself, have been carried
away by the numerous visitors since his death.
On one side of this is the dining room-a low,
dark, and uncomfortable corner of the buildingand in front of it, the new wooden part put up after
his arrival at St. Helena, consisting of two rooum




BILLIARD AND DRAWING-ROOMS.


345


connected by folding doors, one for billiards, and the
other dignified by the name of a drawing-room, but
neither equal in size or style to a parlor in most
common farm houses in the United States.
The review of the whole, in their present condition, tends, irresistibly, to produce feelings of sadness,
and such was the prevalence of these in my own
bosom, that on stepping into the open air in front;
every thing in sight seemed gloomy and desolate;
and I could readily conceive, that even-a great mind,
suddenly cut off, not only from the splendor of an
imperial station in one of the most refined nations
of the world, but from all the enjoyments of private
and domestic life, might speedily sink under the oppressive influence of the unvarying sameness and,desolation of such a prison..The plantation of Longwood is the property of
the East India Companyy; and the management of
it, at present, under a superintendent of the name of
Brokie.   Himself and family occupy the house
built for Count Bertrand, a few hundred yards distant, on a line with New Longwood House, the
edifice erected for Napoleon, but to which he refused
to remove. Mr. Brokie having heard of our arrival,
came up; and went through the rooms again with
us; showed us a decayed shrubbery which had
been planted under the direction of Bonapartea small fish pond-a young oak of his own
planting, &c. &c., all in the dimensions and style
of those of a child's play-house in the precincts of a
nursery.  We then accompanied him to his residence, a pretty cottage-like house. surrounded by
30*




346


NEW LONGWOOD HOUSE.


trees and shrubbery. During the life of Napoleon,
there was a covered walk between it and Longwood-enabling him to visit his friends unseen by
others. We were here served, by Mr. Brokie, with
fruit and other refreshments, in a neat'saloon commanding views of the most highly cultivated parts
of the plantation, of the rising ground near a mile
distant at Deadwood, where the troops were encamped, and of the ocean. In the Venetian shutters,
holes were shown us, cut by Napoleon himself, for a
spyglass, by which, without exposing himself to
view, he could observe the evolutions of the troops,
and the movements in camp.
The next object of curiosity was the New House,
as it is called-a spacious: well planned, and handsomely finished mansion, calculated in all respects
to secure the comfort of him for whom it was designed. It is a quadrangle of stone, stuccoed and
painted yellow, with a roof of slate. The suite of
rooms for Bonaparte himself-consisting of a dining,
a drawing, and a billiard room, of a breakfast parlor.
library, bed-chamber, dressing apartments, and bathis noble and airy: as also are the parts intended for
Count Moutholon and family. The whole stands
unoccupied and unfurnished; and the government
of the island are utterly at a loss to what purpose it
can be best appropriated.
Having thus completed our visit, after thanking
Mr. Brokie for his politeness, we remounted; and
with a boy for our guide, set off for Plantation
House, several miles distant on the opposite side of
the island.




RIDE ACROSS THE ISLAND.


347


The central parts of St. Helena are as singularly
romantic and beautiful by nature, and as highly
enriched by cultivation and art, as the exterior is forbidding and desolate; and after repassing Hut's Gate,
our ride of two and a half hours, through the bosom
of a lovely little vale, adorned by several handsome
mansions and neat cottages, and by a zig-zag road
cut in the sides of a succession of verdant hills till
we reached Diana's Peak, the highest point of the
island, and then descended again to the residence of
General Dallas, was interesting and delightful, beyond any anticipation we could have indulged, from
every thing previously seen. Diana's Peak can be
ascended on horseback till within a few roods of its
summit. This consists of a platform of rock, mantled withvines and shrubbery,!and overhung by a few
low trees, from which the whole island is seen in
birdseye view with the ocean on every side-its farthest verge, at a distance of fifty or sixty miles, being
scarce distinguishable from the sky.
The scene, as looked down upon from this point,
is one of the most unique, diversified, and beautiful,
that can, be imagined; wanting only an icy pinnacle
and snow-capped summit, here and there, to make
it a perfect Switzerland in miniature: and could a
first sight of St. Helena be taken from Diana's Peak,
or any of the surrounding points of view, it would be
thought that the imperial exile had been the inhabitant of a paradise, rather than a prisoner on a desolate
and barren rock.  So strictly true is this, of the
romance and improvements of the interior, that the
seat of Sir William Doveton, just beneath, on the




348


PLANTATION HOUSE AND


road to the governmental county house, is by no
means inappropriately called FAIRY LAND.
It was near four o'clock when we entered the
grounds of Plantation-house, the Eden of the island;
embracing within its inclosures the growth and the
beauty, in fruit and flower, of every region,
"From Nova Zembla's frosts to Ind's remotest clime;"
and where every impression is at once lost, but that
of being in the rich enjoyment of all in nature and
art, that refinement, taste, and elegance, need desire.
The house fronts an extensive circular lawn, descending gradually for a half mile or more towards the
sea, and terminating in' an open terrace, beyond and
beneath which the ocean only is to be seen-while
on either side it is flanked by luxuriant groves of
every growth, sweeping widely down a gentle declivity, embowering a carriage drive of several miles
extent, and screening entirely from view, without
obstructing a sight of the ocean, all the nakedness
and deformity of the coast two or three miles distant.
The mansion itself is a spacious and substantial
edifice, stuccoed and painted in imitation of stone;
reminding me, in its general aspect, of the seat of
the honorable E. P. Livingstofi, at Clermont, on the
Hudson.
We were, received into a fine hall, furnished with
a billiard table, by an aid-de-camp of the general:
and, liaving sent a change of clothes from the townl
by a servant in the morning, were shown at once to
rooms to dress for dinner, the first bell being just
ringing. On re-entering the vestibule: we found the




THE DALLAS FAMILY.


349


governor, Captain Dallas, his son, and an aid, in readiness to conduct us to the drawing room; where, on
being presented to Mrs. Dallas and three daughters,
to Miss Young, an intimate friend of the young
ladies, to the honorable Mr. Brooke, senior member
of the council of St. Helena. the Rev. Mr. Vernon,
colonial chaplain, and to the gentlemen of the governor's family, we met one of those circles of refinement, elegance, and accomplishments, which, after
the intercourse even of an hour, are parted from with
sincere regret.
We had been invited, with the greatest kindness
and cordiality, to remain over the night; and were
not expected by the family to return to the ship till
the following day'  It was therefore with no little
chagrin, at nine o'clock, after a cup of tea, in an elegantly furnished library, from which the attractive
display of an adjoining music room was seen, that I
perceived Captain Finch making a bow, pour prendire congeO, to Mrs. Dallas, just as I had entered into
a conversation of much interest, with one of the most
accomplished of tie circle.




350


ARRIVAL OF THE VINCENNES


POSTSCRIPT.
THE Vincennes sailed from St. Helena on the
evening of the fifth of May, the date of the preceding
letter; and, after a prosperous voyage of thirty-two
days, made the Jersey shore, some thirty miles south
of Sandy Hook, on the afternoon of the seventh of
June. We were obliged to lie to; during the night;
but early next morning, received a pilot on board, and
entered the lower bay. The wind did not allow the
ship to come immediately to the city; but a fine
breeze springing up at midday, by four o'clock we
were at the quarantine, and no cause of detention
existing, soon after filled our topsails to drop anchor,
within the hour, at the close of a prosperous voyage
of the world.
Those only who, after an absence of nearly four
years-the case with most of the ship's companyfrom all they hold most dear; who have sailed from
clime to clime, visiting three of the four quarters of
the world, holding intercourse with 'almost every
variety of its inhabitants, and finding
" No place like home!"can alone estimate the emotions throbbing within
each bosom, as our noble ship, with full spread sails,




AT NEW YORK.


351


rushed over the beautiful bay towards the queen of
the western world, resting brightly on her waters, in
the evening lustre of a summer's sun. The green
hills already behind us-the emerald islets studding
the bosom  of the harbor-the richly cultivated
heights of Long Island and the Jersey shore, with the
Hudson and her basaltic cliffs in the blue distance,
never before looked half so lovely. And whenas we rapidly approached our destination, with the
light sail of the news collector and fisherman, clustering round, and two noble steamboats, crowded with
our fellow-citizens, if not with personal friends, who
appeared from their looks to be participating with us
in the exultation and thankfulness of our oy, passing
by-the band, in appropriate and heart-felt strains,
saluted our country and our home, with " Hail Columbia! happy land!" the power of association
overcame the manliness of every other feeling, and I
doubt whether, from the quarterdeck to the forecastle'
a tearless eye was to be seen.
An anchor had scarcely been dropped, before Captain Finch, with his accustomed kindness, ordered
his gig to be lowered to carry me to the city. Like
my companions, I had been without tidings from any
of my friends, for more than a twelvemonth; and I
shall be pardoned, at least by some of my readers,
for adding one word upon the dispensations that
awaited my landing.
The intelligence of the first few minutes confirmed
the forebodings of ill, which had sometimes, while
at sea, given a cast of melancholy to a meditative
hour. The object of attachment, to whom all I




352       DEATH OF MRS. STEWART.
had written during my absence had been addressed,
was then lying in the fhterior of the state, at the pizt
of death; and it was-doubtful whether, even by traveling express, I should have the privilege of meeting
her alive. This, in mercy, was granted me; and
a hope, for a time, was afterwards indulged, that she
might still be rescued from the grave, and restored to
health, to her family, and to society-but it proved
illusive; and, on the 6th of September following,
she died  the death of the righteous," and entered
upon that " REST THAT REMAINETH FOR THE
PEOPLE OF GOD."




APPENDIX.


VOL. IL.


31








APPENDIX.
MANUSCRIPT LEFT AT NUKUHIVA BY CAP
TAIN FINCH.
THE United States' ship Vincennes, having visited
the ports of Taiohae and Oomni, both in the island of
Nukuhiva-having spent fifteen days thereat, and
now being about to depart-I take occasion to state;
for the information of subsequent visitors, that on my
arrival I was strongly importuned for muskets, powder, flints, and other warlike weapons and munitions
but thatI abstained fiom giving any thing of the kind,
as I soon discovered that a war was raging among
the different clans.
I have found the chiefs and natives obliging to us,
but a little troublesome, fromy the number that desired
to come on board; and in this respect both our patience and forbearance have been tested. All persons,
however, were excluded at night.
I have seen the principal chiefs of four settlements;
have had conferences with them; recommended
peace to them; pointed out their individual, general,
and local interests; charged them to be correct and
honest in their deportment towards all foreigners,
particularly trading vessels which may visit them;
* The bay of Oomi is very narrow, and rather hazardous; difficult
of ingress and egress. Myself and officers visited the bays of Hakapaa and Hakahaa in boats.




356   MANUSCRIPT LEFT AT NUKUHIVA


and they have faithfully promised a compliance with
my injunctions.
We have wooded and watered here, as has also a
French merchant ship, called the Duchess of Berri,
the master of which vessel adopted the same regulations, and followed the same course of treatment towards the chiefs and all other natives, that I pursued.
IHe arrived a day or two after us, and sailed again
solne days ago.
In return for wood, water, hogs, cocoa-nuts, bread,
fruit, &c., we have given cotton cloths, both plain
and colored, axes, knives, chissels, files, and other
useful tools; also combs, tobacco, and old clothes.
I am aware of only a few instances of dishonesty
or theft, and these occurred principally among the
Taipiis.
Although our reception and treatment have been
apparently most cordial, yet I recommend vigilance
and circumspection, and not too ready a confidence in
the natives.'
A very decent, well behaved man, called William
Morrison, who is thoroughly acquainted with the
language of the Island, has been of very essential
service in my intercourse. He is here collecting sandal wood.
Haape is the principal proprietor and chief of the
bay of Taiohae: he is also regent, and the guardian of
the orphan boy Moana, who is by inheritance the
rightful king or high chief of the whole island; and
* As a precautionary measure of security I required the presence
of a high chief on board ship while free intercourse was taking placf
with the shore.




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


35.


will be so acknowledged, I presume, when he attains
manhood.                      W. C. B. FINCH-I.
Nukuhiva, August 11th, 1829.
SUMMARY OF THE CRUISE.
BY CAPTAIN FINCH.
IN the fulfillment of my orders, I pursued the rout
most familiar to commerce since the days of the earliest navigators: of course, nothing original has been
elicited by it, in a geographical point. I was not on
a voyage of discovery; my instructions were specific:
and the unlooked-for extension of an already long
cruise, forbade delays at any place where I might
touch, or any deviation, in attaining the respective
goals appointed, at the quickest period —both in regard to the apposite season for the respective passages, and good faith and observance of the renewed
terms of engagement with the ship's company. Yet
professionally, the result is, a confirmation in part of
the remarks and information communicated by Captain Jones, of the Peacock, in so much that our tracks
were similar; and the independent ascertainment
(almost to a certainty) of the non-existence of Caroline
Island,* (northward of the society cluster,) in the
situation assigned to it upon Arrowsmith's chart of
1798; and of two other nameless ones, in east longi* It is not meant to be implied, that there is no such island as the
Caroline. I believe that the United States' schooner Dolphin touched
at it. The conclusion only is, that it is laid down erroneously on
the charts.




35S


SUMMARY OF THE CRUISE


tude, (supposed recent discoveries,) immediately to
the westward of the Sandwich group, which are important facts. Had they existed, as described, the
Vincennes must have met them, for she literally
passed over the space, which is allotted to their occupancy. So further onward, in the Indian Ocean;
she ran for, and passed within a short distance of a
supposed shoal, mentioned as having been seen from
the ship Suffolk, in S127.
These islands and shoals, (it is to be remarked,)
are stated as being in the way in which a vessel has
unavoidably to go, in performing the circuit which
the Vincennes has accomplished; and alone furnish,
(separate from other considerations,) an almost sufficient inducement for our government to fit out
an expedition for the exclusive determination of
doubtful islands, in the routs pursued by our
numerous and enterprising merchants and traders.
If islands exist, there may be also reefs, shoals, and
breakers. The removal of uncertainty on these heads,
would relieve navigators from some solicitude —which
under the most favoring circumstances, is already sufficiently great; and would also facilitate the voyages
in which they might be engaged. The presumed
existence of a spot of land in one's rout, produces a
perplexing circumspection, which often causes a deviation from a direct path, reduction of canvas, rate of
sailing, loss of favorable winds, exhaustion of supplies, discontent, and probable disappointment in a
market, &c.
The Vincennes' voyage will serve to correct a very
general and common error-that it is an easy one to




BY CAPTAIN FINCH.


359


a vessel, and of a duration to be computed with precision. Neither is the fact. None is more trying to a
ship's hull, qualities, rigging, and spars; and only
such vessel, as is most perfect, ought to undertake it.
The winds are not to be relied upon, with any confidence, either as to the actual points whence they may
blow; when or where to be Wret with; or as to their
strength and continuance. In this opinion my Diary
bears me out fully. We may have been unfortunate
in the season, (however old sailors at Oahu said it
was the best;) for truly I never saw rougher seas or
stronger blows any where, than we frequently met to
the westward of the Ladrone Islands, in the northern
part of the Chinese Sea, to the westward of JavaHead, and near the banks of Agulhas. If the weather
had been of freezing temperature, the ship could
scarcely have been taken care of or managed.
The opportunity which has been enjoyed by the
officers, of personal acquaintance with places, inspection of coasts and ports, and the knowledge acquired
as to the stores, supplies, and refreshments to be obtained, are considerations of weight; and in the event
of war, or other enterprises, may avail the nation
greatly. Another result is, the demonstration of the
practicability of preserving, for a very long period of
confinement at sea, a crowded crew, in an accustomed
state of health.
If another vessel should return home from the
western coast of America, by the way of the Islands
in the Pacific  ocean-(a frigate ought not to be
ordered; because the islands, except Oahu, do not


* Pacific is certainly a misnomer.




360


SUMMARY OF THE GOUISE.


afford proper harbors and shelter; and there the water
is too shoal for a frigate)-it will be useful to
allow her more time, and to start sooner, say in April,
than the Vincennes. It might prove beneficial also
to give her a latitude for observation, so as to pass over
those routs of trade which are adopted, when the
regular season by the established channels has been
forfeited-I mean what is termed the eastern passage
to and from China and India, and the various straits
conducting to these countries. For this purpose,
however, a ship ought to be more especially found
and furnished in all particulars, than the Vincennes
was; which vessel was adapted for the purposes of
a stationary cruiser onlv-that is, her operations were
originally expected to be confined to a limited extent,
of a well known coast. That the Vincennes has
seen nothing remarkable, is to be attributed to the
fact, that there now remains in her rout nothing
wonderful to be seen; but the field is yet open for the
confirmation or refutation of what has already been
declared to have been seen or met with. The good
effects of the tour, in other respects, can be best deduced, (and will at once exhibit themselves,) from the
various reports which I have made, and the communications of other persons which accompany my
statements and remarks.
Respectfully submitted.
W. C. B. FINCH,
At sea, May 20th, 1830.
The Hon. the Secretary of the Navy.


THE END.
















THE uLr^ v a  rY OF MICHIGAN


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