Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-11-01


il came forth immortal. The corresponding BODY,
II eaten IN single meal, was altogether uss:ral-
lated Ike the spirit de CURED by tha god and
the paramount qualities Of tie deceased were sp-
prop, ,la'ed when his body was assiuallaled.
By considerations of filth is tine practice Of tie
suttee sanctihed 10 the Hiudnos, as our reader.
may remember the English public learned through
an adnlrabis article on Major Ludlow und his In
dian reforms, in the Quarterly Review of Sep
tember, 1851. Unlike MajOr Ludlow, the sectari-
an missionaries whom Exeter Hall sends forth pay
no attention-nuch less respect-to obseTvances
which are no more the product Of nothing than
their own rites of Baptism and the Lords Supper.
The consequences of their method Of meIciless ex-
urPaton are seen, in religion, in such neffectuWl
conformity as the missionaries themselves lament;
and IN morals and social welfare, in such deterio-
ration as we must briefly exhibit. The mission
aries have cleared away from the field of their own
vision the old sacrifices garands and festivals, and
have caused the old idols TO be laid down as door
steps, to be trampled on every hour; but they
themselves admit, as We have SAID, that sincere
Christian Is great rarity, while some other modes
OF belief are becoming less scarce. The influence
OF the ROmlSh mission IN the Pacific Islands viii
probably appear by-and-by in something If the
same form IN China-in a mon2;,i Drofes-
son. bred of the and the old rltua! re.igions.
Meantime, PaganlSm turks IN recesses of the noun
'diISI anu OlSCCeeI VINO prove I0elr
like OF the " mickonaree" dOings altogether, may
get sight Of IL, under heavy pledges Of secrecy;
and 1t is not very long since sect which
caused much anxiety, from the number OF people
whom 1t induced to believe in three separate gods
Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and the Indigenous pre-
phetess Of a former century, Hapu, whom no doubt
the Romsh priests could easily transform into the
Virgin. Il Is for the thousands al home who sup
ply the funds of our missions to decide whether it
is for Chrisianiziug in this and TO this d.
gree that they contribute their mouey-from the
plous banker. who announces from the chair In
VI " the tens or hundreds with which he heads the
subscription, to the mad-of all work who hides her
chapel.
Having described what our missionary autho.i-
ties parade every year as their chief success, We
will append the latest case Of what we should call
failure, in iicating the difficulties Of the enter
prise. We have seen what a Ronlnist missiona-
~ had 10 say after twenty-five years Of labor IN
India: and we know that our Protestant mission 10
New Zealand produced only one convert in the in
terV4l between 1914 and 1925. Here is the latest
case within our knowledge, which tells Of period
of seven years. The scene is Lou-ChOo, where
Captain Basil Halls Imagination was SO curiously
enchanted by some Indigenous influence or other.
1t Is probable that his report of the Paradselcai
innocence and bliss of the inhabitants originated
the very scheme which al present stands thus, ss
to results:
"The same evening"" says Bayard Taylor in 1864,
20 a native boat came eff. bringing Dr.. Bet;eiheim,
the sole European resident on the island. lie was
missionary who had Leen pacsd there By socie-
ty OF English naval officers who, about seven years
ago. formed the design Of Christanizng those parts,
and selected the doctoT their first intrument. 1t
was eighteen months since any vessel had touched
at Napa; and the missionary came on boIrd In
state Of great excitement. He was received by
the Commodore, and alter stay of an hour, return
ed 10 the shore. On nv return TO the veS-
SCI (atter exploration Of the island). called at
the residence OF DR.. Bettelheim, which was very
neat cottage, furnished him By the authorities OF
Loo Choo, on a slope behind Capstau Rock. His
family cOnsi ted OF his wIfe-a mild, amlabie Eng
ishwonan-and two children. The house Was
plin, but comfortable and the view OF the neigh
boring rock enchanting; Yet could not but doubt
whether anything can atone Tor such complete re-
noval from the world OF civilized men. Even the
zeal o. the missionary must flag when II Is exercised
vain. After seven years laJour. oil the impress
sion which DIR. Bette.heiIn appears 20 have produced
upon the natives, is expressed in their request,
touching from its very earIesEe>s-' lake this man
away from among Us ~
These who cun conceive Of = CUnsucian priest
being turned out into the Isle If Man in like man
ner or a Jealous MussulmJu in the Isle Of Wight,
trying to persuade everybody t. he secs, and
hope and fear exactly The same things Gs himself,
and to DO people d. in his climate and stage of civ
lizdton, may easily sympathize With both the Loo
ChOO people and their uniuyited visitor. Or, the
actual spectacle of our own island Of Achil, where
Il Pagan sort Of RJmlnst peIsantry gnash their
teeth 1T once at tn enisSIries Ot - I'm Iuam,
and tn Scripture readers sent By the E7Hngellc-
ais, may serve very well specimen oi mission
airy life and Influences, IN the south or any other
scI.
According % the missionaries themselves, an IN
bounded RIGHTEOUSNESS pieyallcd before any Euro
pean had So; foot anywhere in the Pacific and it
continued after foreigners had begun to resort 10
the is1nJs, and before the m,ssIOn1,ies arrived.
During the FIRST peripd there were The wars and
bar5arous heathcu customs whic. tend 10 depOpu-
la'ion, and truly haatheu RIGHTEOUSNESS. During
the second period, there was tEe odtI;oG Of phys
ical aud moral m.schiefs-dlseaseS and int%inper-
ance,-which, acting upon the established ilccntl,
ousness. might account for even such depopulu-
ton as is recorded. Bat nov. when the mlsslonl-
ries declare the people 20 bc pure, in comparison
with their former condition and cured OF their ten
dency TO war; infancide, and recklessaess of life,
the depOpuatiOu Is found 10 have proceeded flste:
than EVERGREEN to the extent OF bali the total
number in iye-and- twenty years. The natives
themselves charge the missionaries with no snal!
portion of it; and good many visitors are Of the
same opinion. The people say that the mlssUna-
ries promised them life, but have brought them
only death and that i Is not future life that they
want, but to live long wheFe they are, and hap
PLY as they used to do before all their customa
were chlngcd, and their pleasures taken away.
There can be 10 question OF the injurious effects
upon heIilh aud life of the forcble ch1nge Of hab-
is imposed by the missionaries, nor Of the fatal
suits Of some of their oyerlegiSlation. Even the
east important change CT alI-thlt Of dreSs-has
rendered the people liable IN much increased de-
gree to consumption and related maladIes. Far
worse is the effect Of the suppression Of the old
sports and festivals. The people cannot receive
lymn-singing and prayer-mee;Ings as substitute;
md thev relapse into an Incidence and sensualIty
which leaves nothing to be wondered at in the
.horteninr Of her lives OF the deepen ng Of