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one who is so apt to be ensnared by the same fault. When our friends called upon him this day, he and his favourite queen were hard at work on their spelling-book; and afterwards they endeavoured to learn by heart a little hymn, composed by Mr. Ellis in the native language,--the first in which the praises of God have been so arranged, since it was spoken by human lips.

June 14. We have had much serious conversation with Mr. Chamberlain and the other Missionaries, respecting the family of the former. As a Christian parent, he is naturally very anxious to preserve the minds of his offspring from the moral contamination to which they are liable from their inevitable exposure to the society (occasionally at least) of native children of their own age, whose language they understand, and whose filthy talk they cannot but hear at times. The abominable conversation (if such may be called) of infants as soon as they begin to lisp out words, is such a jargon of grossness and obscenity as could not be imagined by persons brought up even in those manufacturing towns of our country where manners are the most depraved. And, so far from reproving the little reprobates, their fathers and mothers, both by voice and example, teach them what they are most apt to learn, the expression and indulgence, at the earliest possible period, of every brutal passion. The subject is one of great delicacy and perplexity to faithful Missionaries in all stations among uncivilized heathens, but particularly in these islands, where European and American intercourse, instead of civilizing and humanizing a barbarous population, has hitherto tended to corrupt their habits and practices more and more, in proportion as its influence has been increased, by the establishment of regular commerce for sandal-wood, as well as from the multiplied visits - visitations they may be called, in the afflictive sense of the terni--of whale-ships.

June 15. On our walk, we found a man beating a woman unmercifully. She was sitting upon another man's knee, who not only held her to receive the chastisement, but himself shamefully maltreated her, by tearing off her clothes, and exposing her to the scorn of passers by. She cried bitterly and spat in his face. On asking the reason of this outrage, we were informed that the woman was wife to him who was thrashing her, and sister to him who detained her upon his knee. We were further told, that her husband having stolen something, she had betrayed the theft. We were not able to pacify the ruffians, and were obliged to leave the sufferer in their clutches.

Though the Sandwich Islanders frequently commit depredations on strangers, they rarely steal from each other. Their chattels within doors are seldom secured by locks or bolts, and their plantations of course, must be completely exposed. The terror of retaliation, however, which every injured man may execute with impunity upon his offending neighbour, serves as a suflicient general protection of property. The

individual robbed may kill the thief if he can; or he may collect a party of friends and spoil the spoiler of everything he has. On the other hand, it is but justice to state, that though they eagerly pilfer from foreigners, when temptation and opportunity favour the exercise of that kind of dexterity, we are assured that they may generally be intrusted with the care of anything valuable without much fear of dishonesty on their part.

An American captain, on his return home, left in the hands of his native servant here, a few dollars, which both had forgotten. Five years afterwards, revisiting these islands, he had scarcely landed when the young man came running towards him, to deliver up the dollars, which he had preserved ever since his former employer's departure.-On the whole, we have conceived a favourable opinion of these poor heathen. There is a peculiar frankness about them, which cannot but make a favourable impression upon strangers. They want nothing but what the religion of Christ would give them, or would bring in its train, to make them a fine race of people.

June 18. We have just heard of one of those melancholy accidents which frequently occur on these coasts. A young man, who had been banished by the king, for some family offence, to Maui, was going from that island to Ranai, when his canoe was upset. The sharks, which are always on the watch after such vessels, instantly seized and devoured two of his companions. He himself escaped with great difficulty; as also did a young woman, in a very singular manner. When thrown into the water, she forthwith began to swim, with all her strength and speed, towards the shore. This she reached in safety, though accompanied all the way by two sharks, one on each side of her, as though the three were engaged in a sea-race, which she happily won in this respect-that neither of the monsters attempted to devour her.

June 20. On the last Sabbath, when we sent to inform the king that divine service was about to be held, at which we should be glad to see him present, his majesty returned for answer, that he was pupuka, that is, bad; being engaged in drinking rum, which he knew to be very wrong. To-day we learn that he has emerged from his loug fit of drunkenness, is clothed, and in his right mind.

July 4. The American captains and residents have been commemorating the establishment of their national independence, forty-six years ago. An oration, in honour of the revolution of their country at that time, and of its present institutions, was delivered, at the Missionary chapel, by Mr. Jones, the consul; after which Mr. Bingham recited some stanzas, composed by Mr. Bennet for this anniversary, at the request of our friends from the United States.* A prayer had

The following is a copy of these stanzas, with some

slight corrections, from the hastily-composed original.

COLUMBIA still prospers! our spirits rejoice,
'Tis the Land of our fathers, the Land of our choice;
Fair LIBERTY there, in her beauty is seen,
The fruit is all wholesome, her tree ever-green.

For

been offered up, and a psalm sung, at the commencement of this patriotic assembly, and the apostolic benediction was pronounced at the conclusion. At the public dinner given on this occasion, there appeared a singular group of guests-Americans, English, Sandwich Islanders, Africans, and Spaniards from the colonies. We were invited and treated with great respect, but retired soon after the cloth was drawn. Rihoriho, who was present, also went away early, being very unwell from the effects of another round of intoxication, which had lasted several days. In his fits, either of violent passion or drunkenness (but at no other time), he spouts the few English phrases which he can master, and especially utters oaths and imprecations of the more horrible kind, with a fluency and energy which prove that he has been thoroughly taught what it had been better he had never learned at all.

July 5. Calling at the king's house, we found the principal queen and five of her chief women at dinner. The latter were sitting in a circle, cross-legged, but her majesty lay upon her mat at full length, resting her cheek on a pillow, The provisions consisted of a baked dog in one dish, the raw entrails of a large fish in another, a piece of raw fish in a third, some green seaweed in a fourth, and two bowls of poi. Neither knife, fork, nor spoon, was used at this disgusting feast. Each person took what she wanted from any dish with her fingers, which she plied with great but indescribable dexterity in conveying the victuals to her mouth. Five or six boys, their pages, sat in the circle, and partook with their mistresses of the dainties be

For conscience, our ancestors suffer'd of old,
And when by its dictates they worshipp'd, were told,
That unless they conform'd, as the priests should direct,
The laws of old England should cease to protect.
Then multitudes fled from the land of their birth,
Though to them, the most dear of all places on earth;
AMERICA'S bosom, those Eriles received,

She promised them Freedom, nor were they deceived.
NEW-ENGLAND was planted; she gave her increase;
"Pilgrim-Fathers" rejoiced in a region of peace;
Though trials still met them, both many and great,
Sweet Freedom out-balanced the rigours of fate!
'Tis long since AMERICA cast off that yoke,
Which Britain, by pressing too closely, had broke.
In Science and Arts, now in Commerce and Trade,
To compete with the best, she is never afraid.
Her Government, formed upon Liberty's plan,
The rules of the Gospel, the interests of man,
Has sprung from that germ "a plant of renown,"
And o'ershadows the earth, so majestic 'tis grown.
Yet must it be told, that the sons of the brave,
The founders of freedom, persist to enslave
The start sons of Afric?" Alas! it is so!
And shall it continue? It shall not, O, no!
Arise. O, COLUMBIA! shake off the disgrace;
In Liberty's Home, let not bondage have place!
Tell the cruel, the heartless, the holders of slaves,
Desecration they cast on their forefathers' graves.
Be the sons of " America's Pilgrims” then true
To themselves, nor occasion their country to rue:
For the stigma of slavery branded upon her,
Endangers her welfare, and sullies her honour.
Wise, upright and just, let her race ever be,
Humane as courageous, benignant as free;
Wherever they rest, or wherever they roam,

Be they blessings abroad, and thrice blessed at home.

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fore them. A calabash of water stood in the midst, in which, when they had dined, they all washed their hands. Tobacco was then introduced, and the pipe went round from mouth to mouth as usual. When the queen had taken a few whiffs, she began to dress her long, dark hair with fuller's earth, which she moistened in water, and rubbed over her head, wreathing and pressing the locks into such forms (fantastic enough) as seemed most becoming to herself. She used a small looking-glass to assist her in this operation, which she went through without the slightest embarrassment from our presence. The natives, indeed, seem not to have the sense of shame.

July 7. From a native of this island, who has just returned from Nukahiva, one of the Marquesas, where he has resided twelve months, we learn that the two antagonist parties there are now dwelling in peace. A native of Tahiti, who has lived among them some time, has told the Marquesans how his countrymen have transported, burned, or destroyed their dumb idols, and now worship the living God alone, in consequence of the Missionaries from England having taught them the way of truth. On this representation, our informant says, the inhabitants of Nukahiva have abandoned cannibalism, and are now praying to our God to send them instructors in his own will. Here, then, we hope the fallow ground is in the course of being broken up, previous to the appointed sowers going forth, in the Lord's time, to sow the seed, which is the word of eternal life.

July 12. Thomas Hopoo-a young man, a native, who resided many years in North America, where he became a convert to Christianity, and gave evidence that his faith was genuinehas addressed a letter to Mr. Bingham, requesting permission to preach the gospel to his countrymen. He says his heart burns within him to engage in this work, for the love of Christ and the souls of men; adding, in the words of the apostle of the Gentiles, "Woe be unto me if I preach not the gospel!" We strongly advised our Missionary friends to admit him on trial, and send him forth into the villages round about, to instruct the people. He appears to have sound piety, correct views of divine truth, and ardent zeal for the salvation of sinners; at the same time maintaining a consistent walk and conversation.

July 20. We witnessed a scene of idle lux. ury, worthy of a barbarian epicure. In the king's house a woman was feeding a man with poi, of the consistence of oatmeal porridge, or pudding-batter. The fellow was lying upon the ground; but on her approach he raised himself, leaned on his elbow, and held up his face, with his jaws wide open. The woman, then, taking a large handful of poi out of the bowl, held it about a foot above his head, and dropped the mess as from a ladle into his mouth, through which it ran down his throat, without chewing.

July 23. Having waited upon the king, so early as six o'clock this morning, we found him with a number of his chiefs, drinking spirits.

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July 24. Two of the queens dined with us to-day. They brought their own provisionstwo raw fishes, and a bowl of poi. Of the latter they sometimes drank, but occasionally employed their fingers to carry the slimy beverage to their mouths. One of the fishes was dressed by their desire; the other they ate raw, just as it came out of the water, scales, fins, and intestines unremoved. This they tore to pieces with their hands and their teeth, as best served their purpose; first one and then the other

helping herself to such portion as she liked best, each taking special care that none of the blood which oozed from the mangled fragments should be lost. But, though it excited very inconvenient qualms of stomach in us to see their filthy feeding, when a common fly was found drowned in one of their messes they seemed at once to grow sick, and turned away their faces with no equivocal expression of utter loathing. Flies, indeed, may be said to be an abomination with these savages,-probably from some supersti

tious prejudice, for vermin far more disgusting are greedily picked by them from their own bodies-nay, from the very dogs-and devoured.

July 29. The Mermaid cutter, by which we came hither four months ago, arrived in the harbour. Captain Kent accounted for his long absence by stating, that instead of reaching Fanning's Island in seven days, as he had expected, the voyage occupied eight and twenty. This noted spot is a coral reef, very little elevated above the surface of the sea; having a large lagoon, in the middle of a ring of rock covered with no other soil than sand from the attrition of the scattered blocks by the washing of the waves, and the decomposition of the coast-foliage and perished fruit of some cocoanut trees, and a few shrubs, which grow upon its narrow margin. Here are about fifty inhabitants, foreigners and Sandwich Islanders, whose business is to collect the buhe (beche de mer), a kind of slug or sea-worm, of a dark brown colour, which is found in water of fifteen or sixteen feet in depth, and obtained by diving. This delicacy is preserved with lime and salt, and, after being dried in the sun, is packed in large quantities, and carried to the Chinese market, where it fetches no small price.

This evening a messenger came from Keaumoku, the governor of Maui, to request two of the Missionaries to visit him. He had been greatly alarmed by a dream, in which he saw the whole island on fire, and all the water in the surrounding sea could not quench the flames. He had sought for safety, but in vain; he could find no shelter. Awaking in horror, therefore, he grasped at the hope set before him in the gospel. This, Mr. Ellis and Mr. Bingham faithfully unfolded to the dreamer, and to the persons assembled round him. These consisted of a goodly number of chiefs, many of whom were lying on the floor learning to spell or read, and some to write. Thomas Hopoo, the native convert, offered a fervent prayer for the salvation of his countrymen, and Mr. Ellis delivered suitable discourse on the name of Jesus. July 31. This morning the afore-mentioned chief had an interview with Kaahumanu, queen of Tauai, when he proposed to her to unite with him in commanding all their people to attend to the palapala, that is, to their learning. She gave him an evasive answer, saying that by and by she would. He was not, however, thus to be put off, and told her plainly that she might do as she pleased, but, for his part, he should send all his men to be taught to read and write, and understand the great word. He proposes to build a large school-room immediately. The evening was spent in prayer and Christian discourse at his house, and the Missionaries were requested to repair thither again by day-break to-morrow morning, to conduct family worship, which he says he is determined shall henceforth be daily performed under his roof. Upwards of sixty natives of rank were present, and all behaved with an affecting decorum which we have rarely seen at the public services.

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Aug. 3. Keaumoku's example already produces some happy effect. The king has just been with us. After expressing high displeasure against those who are ever on the watch to ensare him into drunkenness, folly, and violence, for their own mercenary ends, he declared that he and his chiefs would begin in earnest to learn to read next Monday, and that, when they had made some progress, all his subjects should be instructed.

CHAPTER XXII.

The King and Chiefs attend Divine Service. Royal Family learning to read-Anecdote-Juvenile Teachers -First Christian Marriage in the Sandwich IslandsInjunction against drinking ardent Spirits-Kamschatka Sledge-Watch-seal presented to RihorihoDeputation leave Oahu-Letter from Rihoriho to George IV. Extracts from Auna's Journal in Hawaii. AUG. 4. Being Lord's day, the king and many of his principal people attended divine service. They were more becomingly dressed, and behaved with more decency than on any former occasion. Mr. Ellis's text was peculiarly appropriate at the present crisis, when symptoms of a favourable change are daily multiplying:-" How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him."-1 Kings, xviii. 21. Again, in the afternoon, with equal felicity of application, our friend discoursed on those words of our blessed Saviour;-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live."-1 John v. 25. We cordially reply, "Amen; even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

We

Aug. 5. This being "Monday," the king was punctual to his promise. He and his family began to learn their alphabet like little children. Mr. Ellis and Mr. Bingham were engaged with them all the forenoon. Mr. Thurston and we (the Deputation) were at Keaumoku's. attended again in the evening, and found all our scholars, old and young, diligently conning their lessons. This may be recorded as a great day for the Sandwich Islands. What was begun upon it may-nay, it must-influence to an incalculable degree, the future state of all generations who shall dwell here, even to the end of time. We may quote a specimen of native teaching: Keaumoku, having made sufficient progress himself, was telling some of his people how to join a consonant with a vowel so as to produce a syllable; which he illustrated thus: "The consonant is Tane (the husband), and the vowel Vahine (the wife). Bring them together they become one, and they are something; alone, they are nothing."

Aug. 9. The king continues not only very diligent in learning himself, but, so far as he knows, in teaching others. He is, however, very careful to have somebody near him, to correct him when he goes wrong in leading the new way, lest his followers should err after him. The eagerness for instruction is so great that all the little boys in the school are daily, during their play-hours, in requisition as masters. Three