Polynesian., 1858-11-20

hau IN the direction OF the BAIT There bite; the
captive IS tast with dexterous JERK it is brought out
of the water and swung round so that it shall exactly
arrive between the ribs side of the body and the
heshy part OF the arm. To the hook is
not the work of second. Again it is in the water
another bite, another fish, and so on continuously till
the shoal has passed by, when there is general rest
drinking Of water, smoking of pipes, and a confused
conversation, to which many contribute and few listen
When the sh appear again the operation is repeated
da eapo And that is all | know about fish hunting
except perhaps this that the denzens of the sea are
sometimes fed with small specimens of their own race
taken from ponds. This induces them to keep about
one spot and when the day for catching them arrives
and the canoe has got into the midst of them handus
OF these small fry thrown TO keep them in the
wake, and then great many mistake the artificial bait
for something more to their taste, and the sport is
cellent.
In this district there exist the remains of
heias, temples dedicated to the ancient deities In
n little bay called kahalua, situate some five or six
miles from Kaua, there are as many as six or seVen
perhaps, to be seen in walk Of hardly many min
utes. 1t would seem that the ancient people of Kona
were very plOus in their own way. Many persons now
alive in the habit of attending the sacrifices and
other rites which belonged to the cruel system then in
vogue. One once very orthodox establishment is Just
before now close to the sugar house that have al
ready alluded to, on the right side OF the bay you
look seward Near 1t is enclosure surrounded by
four high walls, whittier, am tod the King and his
attendants in the habit of retiring on the especial
days set apart by their religion either for the purposes
of meditation, might do in clOsters otherwise
to cool off before going to the sanctuary proper, which
latter was close at hand and sprinked bv the foam Of
the tiring breakers. But do you know got to
melitating, merely from idle curiosity whether this
habit may not have given rise to in among
many elderly natives, mean that of being too soon for
church, and sitting about under trees and verandahs
till they hear the belle kaa or the last bell before
vice, when in they 90. Surely there can be no good
IN rpiact Sueh n foEp
cal view of matters ecclesiastical for how many of the
forms and habits of doing things practiced before the
Christian engrafted upon the ceremonies of some
widespread churches and now, born again as it Were
and invested with significance altogether arbitrary,
are observed by unquestoning multitudes as flowers
that never bOssomed before \. d. !.
But what a change has taken place With the re-
mains of recent heathensm before my eyes, remember
how, only two Sabbaths ago. the of the Holy
Eucharist administered no farther away from here
than could throw biscuit. There was very large
attendance-judging from the number of horses and
that tethered outside and the mule foals
that about loose the latter receiving anything but
fond kicks from their father, tme-observing jack
that comes to service every Sunday 1t is Of my
business to estimate the proportion of those who eat and
drank unworthly. But Zen pareatlese) it does seem
little strange that while of the scraments and ord
of the prevailing denominations here is admins
tered with what in secular matters, might be termed
open handed berality, the right of baptism should be
so ealousy guarded, that poor misbegotten little soul
hardly achieve the primary step towards salvation
far the good offices of the church can help him to
beatitude There something in this system of degrees
that puzzles plain they say that there is a
tain amount of original sin adherng to us althat the
offspring of Adam and Eve are conceived and born in
sin, every of them. Why then are those misera-
bes who into the world inhertors only of more
sin than usual to be carried round the town or country
and at every churcbdoor to be refused admittanee 1t
is simply question of degree. Who was the first to
draw this arbitrary ne and to constitute himself the
executive officer in carrying out decree by which the
sins of the fathers to be visited upon their children
The practice may be old the hills but it takes
very conservative stomach to digest the doctrine that
everything old is good. paragraph has been going
the round Of the papers to the effect that in Mecklen
burg. Schwerin, of 1880 children born in 1857
1882 were egtmate. This does not tell much for the
morality of that little community and yet it difficult to
conceive that if those children should be put under the
ban of the church, their being would have the effect
of making them better men and women when they
come to ripper years than their parents were before
them.
But this is dull pressing. Let me give little anec-
dote to relieve it, although suggested by it. Some
two months ago certain deliberatiye body in the
tTOpois of Honolulu had under its consideration the
law relating to, rather forbidding the supply Of
wines and liquors to natiyeborn subjects of his Majesty
One of the members whether instigated to do by
simple desire to obtain information prompted by the
spirit of quiz, cannot tell which, asked whether at
the end of such and such section it would not be well
to prevent future arguments calculated to detract
from the force of the enacments then before the
mttee-to provide, in a special way, that missionaries
were to be exempt from any fines other punishments
in that law contained, in far any charge against
them of them might be predicted upon the fact
of wine having been administered to native church
members at the celebration of the last sacrament. By
no means" replied an elderly gentleman of Hawaiian
birth, and himself frequent recipient. ''They are
tOtal lprs know uOW-a-laVS and don't
wine at all-only molasses and water" Under these
circumstances, amendment made. But is it not
possible upon this deviation the part of pastors
from the letter of the divine law, pseudo spirit
ually- minded persons may establish quibble and par
take Of quasi sacrament satisfied that if the worst
comes to the worst, they fall back on techni-
cality'
Never surely, from all We have ever heard or read
in history there country equal to this in its rei
gous experiences. Here the transitions of ages
in a collapsed form, developed in a single lifetime
Every day almost, we converse with those who were
once accustomed to gather round while the exultng
priests offered and women the affairs Of their
wooden gods, these hideous images made with hands,
and the blood lay round about in pools. Then came
the age of reason during which the ancient supersti-
tons in dsrepue, and the something better to
succeed them had not arrived To this interreg
mum perOd was put when the Christian missionaries
stepped shore, here in Kaiua II is true that in one
of the rites of this creed blood mentioned but
only symbolcaly, and as something by when TO keep
in remembrance an ancient sacrifice, of which wine
the outward sign That is three changes; We are now
going through the fourth Wine has already succumb
ed to syrup and water. What next' 1t certainly
would appear that the children of this world
than wise-tha they keen in their generation, and
that there end to the Improvements they feel called
upon to suggest matter whether the originator Of
the practice 70 be readjusted dWeller in the
heavens, or a crawer upon earth.
But let US turn 10 something more encouraging
In Kaua and its vincinity there numerous chill
dren and from the rectatOns to be heard by who
travels along the lower, beach road, am prepared
to state that common schools are not scarce. 1t
is said that lately there English school IN
operaton although it is discontinued now the teacher,
if my memory serves me, having moved away. Taught
only in their native language the rising generation Will
no doubt be expert fishermen, raise good kdo, and
- L. nnrnrrn .nrf