roughing it-第74章

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myself；　on　general　principles；　although　at　a　time　when　I　did　not　know
much　and　could　not　understand　why　the　people　of　the　Sandwich　Islands
needed　to　worry　so　much　about　it　as　long　as　they　did　not　know　there　was　a
Bible　at　all。

Obookia　was　converted　and　educated；　and　was　to　have　returned　to　his
native　land　with　the　first　missionaries；　had　he　lived。　　The　other　native
youths　made　the　voyage；　and　two　of　them　did　good　service；　but　the　third；
William　Kanui；　fell　from　grace　afterward；　for　a　time；　and　when　the　gold
excitement　broke　out　in　California　he　journeyed　thither　and　went　to
mining；　although　he　was　fifty　years　old。　　He　succeeded　pretty　well；　but
the　failure　of　Page；　Bacon　&　Co。　relieved　him　of　six　thousand　dollars；
and　then；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　he　was　a　bankrupt　in　his　old　age
and　he　resumed　service　in　the　pulpit　again。　　He　died　in　Honolulu　in　1864。

Quite　a　broad　tract　of　land　near　the　temple；　extending　from　the　sea　to
the　mountain　top；　was　sacred　to　the　god　Lono　in　olden　timesso　sacred
that　if　a　common　native　set　his　sacrilegious　foot　upon　it　it　was
judicious　for　him　to　make　his　will；　because　his　time　had　come。　　He　might
go　around　it　by　water；　but　he　could　not　cross　it。　　It　was　well　sprinkled
with　pagan　temples　and　stocked　with　awkward；　homely　idols　carved　out　of
logs　of　wood。　　There　was　a　temple　devoted　to　prayers　for　rainand　with
fine　sagacity　it　was　placed　at　a　point　so　well　up　on　the　mountain　side
that　if　you　prayed　there　twenty…four　times　a　day　for　rain　you　would　be
likely　to　get　it　every　time。　　You　would　seldom　get　to　your　Amen　before
you　would　have　to　hoist　your　umbrella。

And　there　was　a　large　temple　near　at　hand　which　was　built　in　a　single
night；　in　the　midst　of　storm　and　thunder　and　rain；　by　the　ghastly　hands
of　dead　men！　　Tradition　says　that　by　the　weird　glare　of　the　lightning　a
noiseless　multitude　of　phantoms　were　seen　at　their　strange　labor　far　up
the　mountain　side　at　dead　of　nightflitting　hither　and　thither　and
bearing　great　lava…blocks　clasped　in　their　nerveless　fingersappearing
and　disappearing　as　the　pallid　lustre　fell　upon　their　forms　and　faded
away　again。　　Even　to　this　day；　it　is　said；　the　natives　hold　this　dread
structure　in　awe　and　reverence；　and　will　not　pass　by　it　in　the　night。

At　noon　I　observed　a　bevy　of　nude　native　young　ladies　bathing　in　the　sea；
and　went　and　sat　down　on　their　clothes　to　keep　them　from　being　stolen。
I　begged　them　to　come　out；　for　the　sea　was　rising　and　I　was　satisfied
that　they　were　running　some　risk。　　But　they　were　not　afraid；　and
presently　went　on　with　their　sport。　　They　were　finished　swimmers　and
divers；　and　enjoyed　themselves　to　the　last　degree。

They　swam　races；　splashed　and　ducked　and　tumbled　each　other　about；　and
filled　the　air　with　their　laughter。　　It　is　said　that　the　first　thing　an
Islander　learns　is　how　to　swim；　learning　to　walk　being　a　matter　of
smaller　consequence；　comes　afterward。　　One　hears　tales　of　native　men　and
women　swimming　ashore　from　vessels　many　miles　at　seamore　miles；　indeed；
than　I　dare　vouch　for　or　even　mention。　　And　they　tell　of　a　native　diver
who　went　down　in　thirty　or　forty…foot　waters　and　brought　up　an　anvil！
I　think　he　swallowed　the　anvil　afterward；　if　my　memory　serves　me。
However　I　will　not　urge　this　point。

I　have　spoken；　several　times；　of　the　god　LonoI　may　as　well　furnish　two
or　three　sentences　concerning　him。

The　idol　the　natives　worshipped　for　him　was　a　slender；　unornamented　staff
twelve　feet　long。　　Tradition　says　he　was　a　favorite　god　on　the　Island　of
Hawaiia　great　king　who　had　been　deified　for　meritorious　servicesjust
our　own　fashion　of　rewarding　heroes；　with　the　difference　that　we　would
have　made　him　a　Postmaster　instead　of　a　god；　no　doubt。　　In　an　angry
moment　he　slew　his　wife；　a　goddess　named　Kaikilani　Aiii。　　Remorse　of
conscience　drove　him　mad；　and　tradition　presents　us　the　singular
spectacle　of　a　god　traveling　〃on　the　shoulder；〃　for　in　his　gnawing　grief
he　wandered　about　from　place　to　place　boxing　and　wrestling　with　all　whom
he　met。　　Of　course　this　pastime　soon　lost　its　novelty；　inasmuch　as　it
must　necessarily　have　been　the　case　that　when　so　powerful　a　deity　sent　a
frail　human　opponent　〃to　grass〃　he　never　came　back　any　more。　　Therefore；
he　instituted　games　called　makahiki；　and　ordered　that　they　should　be　held
in　his　honor；　and　then　sailed　for　foreign　lands　on　a　three…cornered　raft；
stating　that　he　would　return　some　dayand　that　was　the　last　of　Lono。
He　was　never　seen　any　more；　his　raft　got　swamped；　perhaps。　　But　the
people　always　expected　his　return；　and　thus　they　were　easily　led　to
accept　Captain　Cook　as　the　restored　god。

Some　of　the　old　natives　believed　Cook　was　Lono　to　the　day　of　their　death；
but　many　did　not；　for　they　could　not　understand　how　he　could　die　if　he
was　a　god。

Only　a　mile　or　so　from　Kealakekua　Bay　is　a　spot　of　historic　interestthe
place　where　the　last　battle　was　fought　for　idolatry。　　Of　course　we
visited　it；　and　came　away　as　wise　as　most　people　do　who　go　and　gaze　upon
such　mementoes　of　the　past　when　in　an　unreflective　mood。

While　the　first　missionaries　were　on　their　way　around　the　Horn；　the
idolatrous　customs　which　had　obtained　in　the　island；　as　far　back　as
tradition　reached　were　suddenly　broken　up。　　Old　Kamehameha　I。；　was　dead；
and　his　son；　Liholiho；　the　new　King　was　a　free　liver；　a　roystering；
dissolute　fellow；　and　hated　the　restraints　of　the　ancient　tabu。　　His
assistant　in　the　Government；　Kaahumanu；　the　Queen　dowager；　was　proud　and
high…spirited；　and　hated　the　tabu　because　it　restricted　the　privileges　of
her　sex　and　degraded　all　women　very　nearly　to　the　level　of　brutes。
So　the　case　stood。　　Liholiho　had　half　a　mind　to　put　his　foot　down；
Kaahumahu　had　a　whole　mind　to　badger　him　into　doing　it；　and　whiskey　did
the　rest。　　It　was　probably　the　rest。　　It　was　probably　the　first　time
whiskey　ever　prominently　figured　as　an　aid　to　civilization。　　Liholiho
came　up　to　Kailua　as　drunk　as　a　piper；　and　attended　a　great　feast；　the
determined　Queen　spurred　his　drunken　courage　up　to　a　reckless　pitch；　and
then；　while　all　the　multitude　stared　in　blank　dismay；　he　moved
deliberately　forward　and　sat　down　with　the　women！

They　saw　him　eat　from　the　same　vessel　with　them；　and　were　appalled！
Terrible　moments　drifted　slowly　by；　and　still　the　King　ate；　still　he
lived；　still　the　lightnings　of　the　insulted　gods　were　withheld！
Then　conviction　came　like　a　revelationthe　superstitions　of　a　hundred
generations　passed　from　before　the　people　like　a　cloud；　and　a　shout　went
up；　〃the　tabu　is　broken！　　the　tabu　is　broken！〃

Thus　did　King　Liholiho　and　his　dreadful　whiskey　preach　the　first　sermon
and　prepare　the　way　for　the　new　gospel　that　was　speeding　southward　over
the　waves　of　the　Atlantic。

The　tabu　broken　and　destruction　failing　to　follow　the　awful　sacrilege；
the　people；　with　that　childlike　precipitancy　which　has　always
characterized　them；　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　their　gods　were　a　weak
and　wretched　swindle；　just　as　they　formerly　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that
Captain　Cook　was　no　god；　merely　because　he　groaned；　and　promptly　killed
him　without　stopping　to　inquire　whether　a　god　might　not　groan　as　well　as
a　man　if　it　suited　his　convenience　to　do　it；　and　satisfied　that　the　idols
were　powerless　to　protect　themselves　they　went　to　work　at　once　and　pulled
them　downhacked　them　to　piecesapplied　the　torchannihilated　them！

The　pagan　priests　were　furious。　　And　well　they　might　be；　they　had　held
the　fattest　offices　in　the　land；　and　now　they　were　beggared；　they　had
been　greatthey　had　stood　above　the　chiefsand　now　they　were　vagabonds。
They　raised　a　revolt；　they　scared　a　number　of　people　into　joining　their
standard；　and　Bekuokalani；　an　ambitious　offshoot　of　royalty；　was　easily
persuaded　to　become　their　leader。

In　the　first　skirmish　the　idolaters　triumphed　over　the　royal　army　sent
against　them；　and　full　of　confidence　they　resolved　to　march　upon　Kailua。
The　King　sent　an　envoy　to　try　and　conciliate　them；　and　came　very　near
being　an　envoy　short　by　the　operation；　the　savages　not　only　refused　to
listen　to　him；　but　wanted　to　kill　him。　　So　the　King　sent　his　men　forth
under　Major　General　Kalaimoku　and　the　two　host　met　a　Kuamoo。　　The　battle
was　long　and　fiercemen　and　women　fighting　side　by　side；　as　was　the
customand　when　the　day　was　done　the　rebels　were　flying　in　every
direction　in　hopeless　panic；　and　idolatry　and　the　tabu　were　dead　in　the
land！

The　royalists　marched　gayly　home　to　Kailua　glorifying　the　new
dispensation。　　〃There　is　no　power　in　the　gods；〃　said　they；　〃they　are　a
vanity　and　a　lie。　　The　army　with　idols　was　weak；　the　army　without　idols
was　strong　and　victorious！〃

The　nation　was　without　a　religion。

The　missionary　ship　arrived　in　safety　shortly　afterward；　timed　by
providential　exactness　to　meet　the　emergency；　and　the　Gospel　was　planted
as　in　a　virgin　soil。




CHAPTER　LXXIII。

At　noon；　we　hired　a　Kanaka　to　take　us　down　to　the　ancient　ruins　at
Honaunan　in　his　canoeprice　two　dollarsreasonable　enough；　for　a　sea
voyage　of　eight　miles；　counting　both　ways。

The　native　canoe　is　an　irresponsible　looking　contrivance。　　I　cannot　think
of　anything　to　liken　it　to　but　a　boy's　sled　runner　hollowed　out；　and　that
does　not　quite　convey　the　correct　idea。　　It　is　about　fifteen　feet　long；
high　and　pointed　at　both　ends；　is　a　foot　and　a　half　or　two　feet　deep；　and
so　narrow　that　if　you　wedged　a　fat　man　into　it　you　might　not　get　him　out
again。　　It　sits　on　top　of　the　water　like　a　duck；　but　it　has　an　outrigger
and　does　not　upset　easily；　if　you　keep　still。　　This　outrigger　is　formed
of　two　long　bent　sticks　like　plow　handles；　which　project　from　one　side；
and　to　their　outer　ends　is　bound　a　curved　beam　composed　of　an　extremely
light　wood；　which　skims　along　the　surface　of　the　water　and　thus　saves　you
from　an　upset　on　that　side；　while　the　outrigger's　weight　is　not　so　easily
lifted　as　to　make　an　upset　on　the　other　side　a　thing　to　be　greatly
feared。　　Still；　until　one　gets　used　to　sitting　perched　upon　this
knifeblade；　he　is　apt　to　reason　within　himself　that　it　would　be　more
comfortable　if　there　were　just　an　outrigger　or　so　on　the　other　side　also。
I　had　the　bow　seat；　and　Billings　sat　amidships　and　faced　the　Kanaka；　who
occupied　the　stern　of　the　craft　and　did　the　paddling。　　With　the　first
stroke　the　trim　shell　of　a　thing　shot　out　from　the　shore　like　an　arrow。
There　was　not　much　to　see。　　While　we　were　on　the　shallow　water　of　the
reef；　it　was　pastime　to　look　down　into　the　limpid　depths　at　the　large
bunches　of　branching　coralthe　unique　shrubbery　of　the　sea。　　We　lost
that；　though；　when　we　got　out　into　the　dead　blue　water　of　the　deep。　　But
we　had　the　picture　of　the　surf；　then；　dashing　angrily　against　the　crag…
bound　shore　and　sending　a　foaming　spray　high　into　the　air。

There　was　interest　in　this　beetling　border；　too；　for　it　was　honey…combed
with　quaint　caves　and　arches　and　tunnels；　and　had　a　rude　semblance　of　the
dilapidated　architecture　of　ruined　keeps　and　castles　rising　out　of　the
restless　sea。　　When　this　novelty　ceased　to　be　a　novelty；　we　turned　our
eyes　shoreward　and　gazed　at　the　long　mountain　with　its　rich　green　forests
stretching　up　into　the　curtaining　clouds；　and　at　the　specks　of　houses　in
the　rearward　distance　and　the　diminished