world, no other stages of society, have exhibited anything like it, whether regarded in the nature of a political or religious engine, and whether as operating on the opinions, the fears, or the conduct of the people. On a former occasion we have explained the nature, and looked into the causes, of this extraordinary institution.* The following is an account of its operation at the Sandwich Islands.

6

During the existence of the tabu, or days of prohibition, no person except a chief, or priest, must presume to eat a cocoa nut; no female must eat pork; males and females must never eat with each other, or even from the same dish; and if by any means a man was found upon a tree, or on the mast of a vessel, or in any other place over the king's head, his life was forfeited to the gods. The same was the case with a man who by accident placed his hand over the king's head.

Besides the tabu above described, which were perpetual, there were others embracing certain days in the year, when no fishing canoe must be seen in the water, nor any man out of his house. At this time also the priests, taking some image with them, usually went from island to island collecting the taxes for the gods. The penalty for breaking tabu was death.

'When a sacrifice was wanted, and no criminal could be found, they imposed a new tabu of such a nature as to present a strong temptation to some person or persons to break it; perhaps it was laid secretly, and then whoever should be so unfortunate as to break it, was immediately seized, by persons on the watch, and hurried away to the altar.

A foreign resident has told us, that on one of these days of restriction, he saw a canoe sailing out in front of several houses, and upset by the surf. One of the men afterwards appeared to be drowning. An old man of tender feelings sprang from his house to save the sinking man. In an instant he was seized by the servants of the priests, carried to the adjacent temple, and there sacrificed. In the mean time, the man apparently drowning jumped into his canoe, and rowed away.' Life of Keopuolani, p. 15.

These are the outlines only of the system; it descended into the particulars of daily intercourse, and made every individual more or less wretched with fears of imaginary evil, or with actual privation and suffering. This drove them to the worship

*See North American Review, No. 43, for April, 1824. Vol. xvIIP. p. 350.

of imaginary gods, to ceremonies and sacrifices, to the construction of images and temples, and to the reverence and support of a deluded priesthood. The entire scheme was a burden hard to be borne, imposing a severe task upon the people, exhausting their means for a useless purpose, forbidding many innocent enjoyments, and perpetually doing violence to some of the strongest sympathies of the human heart. Now it could not escape the more intelligent of the natives, that the foreigners among them were a superior race to themselves; that they followed their own inclinations and were prosperous in their affairs, and yet gave no heed to the gods of Hawaii, had no apprehensions of their anger or influence, and despised alike their power and their worship. This was an argument that a savage could understand; it came down to his senses, feelings, interests, and it had its effect. It worked its way insensibly, and when the young prince Rihoriho came to the throne, he was prepared to act from the convictions it had produced. That the stubborn pature of Tamehameha should have resisted its appeals is natural enough; his was not a mind to be moved by accidents, or from which strong impressions were easily to be eradicated; from his infancy he had reverenced the religion of his country; to his god Tairi he ascribed his successes; he had reigned forty years protected by the gods of his native island, and it was not for him to desert the religion of his fathers, or believe that a better existed in the world. The young king's principal advisers, however, were on his side. Karaimoku, his prime minister, and the most remarkable man probably, after Tamehameha, whom the Sandwich Islands have produced, was forward in promoting the measure. He acted as general of the king's forces in quelling the rebellion. And we have seen that the king's mother, also an important personage, readily consented, on the ground that the gods were cruel, and had done no good.' Thus was the revolution accomplished, and idolatry abolished by the government. It is supposed, moreover, that the chiefs were influenced by the intelligence repeatedly received, respecting the changes introduced by Pomare, king of the Society Islands, in consequence of the long residence of the English Missionaries in his dominions.

But without looking farther for causes, it is enough to know, that such was the extraordinary state of things, when the Missionaries from the United States arrived at Hawaii. However it was brought about, the event was auspicious for them, and the

hand of Providence seems to have prepared the field for their labors. When they applied for permission to settle on the different islands, as religious teachers, some of the chiefs were opposed to the plan, but it met with the full approbation of Karaimoku, and the king's mother. The king finally said, 'Let them remain a year, and we shall know what to do.' The year passed away, the Missionaries gained in favor, and from that time to this they have been pursuing their labors with zeal and fortitude, and with a success adequate, we believe, to their most sanguine expectations.

It was deemed a fortunate circumstance, that the Rev. William Ellis, an English Missionary, who had resided six years at the Society Islands, joined our Missionaries in the beginning of the year 1822. This gentleman had made himself master of the Tahitian dialect, which so closely resembles the Hawaiian, that he was able to converse with the natives, and in a short time to speak to them in public. His services at that time were of great importance, in assisting the Missionaries in constructing a grammar of the language, and in preparing elementary books suited to the instruction of the natives. His experience, also, made him a most useful counsellor, and enabled him to apply the means of instruction and influence with more effect, than those who had but recently begun the work. The American Missionaries uniformly speak with marked respect and kindness of this gentleman; and those who knew him while in this country during the past year, will respond a not less cordial testimony to his worth, his amiable character, and his sincere devotedness to the cause in which he was engaged.*

As the Missionaries received an accession to their numbers from the United States, in April, 1823, it was thought expedient to extend the sphere of their operations. With this view a Deputation was appointed to explore the island of Hawaii, to ascertain the best places for missionary stations. The gentlemen appointed

*An account of the doings of the Missionaries in the Sandwich Islands, may be found in the successive numbers of the Missionary Herald, beginning with the seventeenth volume, and coming down to the present time. Other particulars are also contained in an interesting little tract, entitled a Memoir of Keopuolani, late Queen of the Sandwich Islands, written on the spot by one of the Missionaries. This queen exhibits a remarkable instance of the power of instruction on a strong mind, grown up to maturity in ignorance and superstition. She was the wife of Tamehameha, mother of Rihoriho, the late king, and also of Kauikeouli, the young heir apparent, now ten years old.

for this duty were William Ellis, Asa Thurston, Charles S. Stewart, Artemas Bishop, and Joseph Goodrich. The little volume before us is the result of their observations during the tour, drawn up by Mr Ellis from his own minutes, and such as were kept by his companions. The journal is prefaced by a short, summary Report of the Deputation, and in the Appendix are contained several particulars illustrative of the journal, collected and arranged by the assistant secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions. In addition to the points bearing immediately on the main object of the travellers, they have succeeded in gathering many facts curious in themselves, and throwing light on the geography and natural history of the island, as well as on the customs, traditions, agriculture, and modes of living of the inhabitants.

The tour was begun at Kairua, a village on the western side of the island, and the residence of Kuakini, the principal chief of Hawaii. They proceeded along the coast to the south, east, and north, till they had encompassed the island, having occupied in their ramblings a little more than two months. They made frequent excursions inland, visited the principal villages, conversed with the people, preached to them on proper occasions, and collected such information, as in the most satisfactory manner to answer the ends of the mission. A guide was furnished them, called Makoa, a personage of a somewhat remarkable appearance and character, to judge from his picture, and the description of him in the book. But he was faithful to his duty, and the travellers were hospitably received and civilly treated wherever they went.

Six days after the departure of the Deputation from Kairua, they came to Kearakékua bay, the scene of the fatal tragedy, which ended the life of the great English navigator. The facts here reported add something to the former stock of knowledge, and comprise everything, probably, which can be gathered from the natives on the subject.

About sunset Mr Goodrich ascended a neighboring height, and visited the spot where the body of the unfortunate Captain Cook was cut to pieces, and the flesh, separated from the bones, was burnt. It is a small inclosure about fifteen feet square, surrounded by a wall five feet high. Within is a kind of hearth about eighteen inches high, encircled by a row of rude stones. Here the fire was kindled on the above mentioned occasion. The place is still strewed with charcoal.' p. 33.

'Some of us climbed the rocks, and visited the cave where the body of Captain Cook was deposited, on being first taken from the beach.

'There are a number of persons at this and other places in the islands, who were either present themselves at the unhappy dispute, which in this village caused the death of the celebrated Captain Cook, or who, by their connexion with those who were, are intimately acquainted with the particulars of that melancholy event. With many of them we have frequently conversed, and though their narratives differ in some smaller points, yet they all agree in the main facts published by Captain King, his successor.

The foreigner, they say, was not to blame; for, in the first instance, our people stole his boat, and he designed to take our king on board and detain him till it should be returned. Captain Cook and Teraiopu were walking together towards the shore, when our people thronged round the king, and objected to his going any farther. While he was hesitating, a man, running from the other side of the bay, entered the crowd almost breathless, and exclaimed, "It is war! The foreigners have commenced hostilities, have fired on a canoe from one of their boats, and killed a chief." This enraged some of our people, and alarmed the chiefs, as they feared he would kill the king. The people armed themselves with stones, clubs, and spears. Kanona entreated her husband not to go. All the chiefs did the same. The king sat down. The foreigner seemed agitated, and started for his boat. Then one of our men attacked him with a spear, but he turned, and, with his double barrelled gun, shot the man who struck him. Some of our people then threw stones at him, which being seen by his men, they fired on us. Captain Cook turned, and tried to stop his men from firing, but he could not on account of the noise. He was turning again to speak to us, when he was stabbed in his back with a pahoa. A spear was at that same instant driven through his body. He fell into the water and spake no more. After he was dead we all wailed. His bones were separated, and the flesh scraped off and burnt; as was the practice in regard to our own chiefs when they died. We thought he was our god Rono, worshipped him as such, and reverenced his bones.

'Several of the chiefs frequently express the sorrow they feel whenever they think of him, and the people, generally, speak of these facts with much apparent regret. Yet they free the king from all blame, as nothing was done by his orders.

'It has been supposed, that the circumstance of his bones being separated, and the flesh taken off, was evidence of the most savage and unrelenting barbarity; but so far from this, it was the highest respect they could show him, as will be seen more fully hereafter.