Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-10-05

kings and governors in the, law of God, to
inform and rebuke them when wrong, and
to advise them to what is right, as it was the
duty of Jewish prophets Of old If this be
neddlipg the more faithfully such meddling
is practised the better; and in this sense, we
take 1t, the missionaries at the Sandwich Is
lands have meddled, though not, perhaps as
early or as much as they should have done,
Tor lear ofthe consequences. Bib. Repor.
July lS49, p $50. l commend to the naval
traveller, all that Mr.. Cheever has said on
this subject; also an article in the Miss. Her
aid for July ls49.
Our author at length, lands at Honolulu
'the lsmir of Polynesia" Here he seems
to have been as much enamored with the
situation of the city-"one Of the prettiest in
the world with the natural scenery as
ne was offended by the moral appearance Of
things. In truth his description of all these
is greatly exaggerated. One would half sus-
pect that his eyes were in eclipse, or at least
that nature playing upon him one other delu-
sions-produced mirage. He says, "On
either hand the shores are fringed with CO.
coa-nuts, and all around us hill and vale,
save the burnt sides Of the Devils Punch
Bowl and Point Diamond, is laid the deepest,
densest verdue, as if it had been actually
poured down from the heights above, in liquid
floods of foliage, until there was not a spot
on the leafy waves where another green
branch could find lurking place. This
may be the description Of Honolulu as it will
be seen in 1875. Who can tell? | need not
say no suchscenery has yet cheered the eye
of the traveller there.
He thus describes Honolulu--pp 362-3-
Honolulu is town of strangers, with shops,
stores, and warehouses;; handsome dwellings
with yerandas and piazzas; pleasantly shad-
ed cottages of elegant modern build, with
grass and flowers; and nice little straw huts,
in clusters by themselves, for bachelors, all
very cool; then the unpaved streets are filled
with dust, and natives wander about, in bright
colored, loosely-fitting garments, looking for
lorn, diseased and miserable, living, no one
cares how or where; sleeping in the-most
loathsome abodes of ofwretchedness, and viest
dens of vice; in all save absolute want or
destltuton, far below, in the moral scale the
worst novels of iniquity in the great cities of
the Old World
This description, so far as streets and
buildings are concerned, and so far as the
general appearance Of native Hawaians is
indicated, is tolerabiy correct. But when
ne speaks OF Hawaiians sleeping in the most
loathsOme abodes Of wretchedness, and VIII
est dens of vice; in all save absolute want or
destitution, far below, in the moral scale, the
worst novels Of iniquity in the great cities of
the old world, [ am amazed at his extraya-
gance. The Hawaiians, particularly those
who crowd the streets of Honolulu from 9TH
er islands, or from other parts of Oahu, are
poor enough, and sleep in abodes loathsome
and wretched enough, and many Of them are
sufficiently vile-but being below the worst
novels of iniquity in the great cities of the
old world It's utterly false. | venture to say
that there is not city in the old world or the
ne,c world, where hundreds Of dens of infamy
could not be found infinitely more vile than
any hovel in Honolulu. can show articles
in the columns of the New-York Tribune
describing scenes witnessed by one Of the
editors, which for degradation and vileness,
leave every thing of the kind at tie Islands
entirely in the back ground. How writer
of the seeming ability of our author should
venture on such an assertion, | cannot con-
ceive, unless there is more meaning than at
first sight appears in the sentence which fol-
lows. '' But tre hare no time 10 raste upon
,norals''
Next we have an account of the kanaka
Enthusiastically Of the pencil Of Mel
VILE. Indeed, am not sure that the latter
may not claim the paternity of this descrip-
ton. regard it as small affair, not to say
superlatively meant to drag lady before the
public in the style both these authors have
done, for the crime of being drawn in light
wagon by native domestic, on plain road
either to the place of worship, or a shopping,
as the case may be. Hear our author:-l
presently low, four-wheeled vehicle rat
ties along-there are many of fthem-drawn
by kanaka cab horses; very kind and hu-
manizing it is too, for the beasts are tame,
never kick, not given to prove restive, or run
away, at least with the COACH often spec
ulated mentally If the fair women when TAX
ing an airing ever blushed for their cattle;
and when l saw pious missionary lady
trotting gaily by, ! wondered il she had ever
seen or read High-beeled shoe for
Limpng Sinner''-most probably not" This
slang should regard as utterly beneath no.
tice but for the insinuation that this custom
is essentially missionary, and that it is an
custom. For the information then
of your readers who have never visited Homo
lulu, allow me to assure them, that before
horses and horse carriages were as common
as now it was not uncommon to see mis-
sionary lady, or the lady Of a merchant, or
the lady of sea captain, drawn in small
carriage by one or more than one native,
through the streets of Honolulu. The Gus
tom is not entirely done away with even now.
But no native ever complained that the labor
was hard or degrading. AS natives are well
paid and kindly treated, the remarks OF. our
author are officious and ungenerous.
Yours, TRUTH
Mr.. THEIRs's OPINION OF THE DUKE OF
WELLrNGToN.-The following high compli-
ment is paid to " the Duke, by the French
historian, certainly carrying impartiality as
far as II can po:-ssThe English army pass