Polynesian., 1860-12-08
No. 80.

on the FIRE, made by rubbing together the first dry
pieces of hibiscus that came to hand Branches
of trees furnished bowers until with renewed ener-
ges the refugees able to build houses as near
to the models of those from whence they came, as
| the materials at hand allowed.
The colony may have been considerable one,
from numerous fleet keeping melancholy company
| till they sighted their new found home and con-
sequently the woods may have become rapidly yo-
cal with the cries of infancy. the sports Of youth,
and the industry, and festivities, and even the pas
sions of manhood. The little community instinct
lively chrystalises into society with chiefs and
subordinaes, after the OF their father land
and all the repulsve train Of petty ealousies and
sharp rivalries to which mar is heir surely
developed as the fruit over their heads the show
ers on their hills. The lowest of animal passions
also walk as unblushingly among them as their
own naked bodies, with only this alienation, that
they are the natural developments OF deranged
moral natures unstimulated by the light and de-
nunciation of direct revelation.
| They have brought q mild heathenism that
prompts them to selecting the most prominent
rocks and lodges, and even trees, as incarnations
of deities, and that deifes the dead so that they
avoid the grosser Developments of pagan cruelty.
Ages lapse. The memory of the first arrival
fades from the traditions Of the descendants.
Their history is undiversi6ed by the occasion
al arrival of lost mariners, like their foreathers,
who either suffer immediate death or coalesce with
those who have prior rights, or ultimately return
to their neighbOring island homes. At intervals
of generations a wondrous apparition with mast
and sail is waited past them, which so fires the
imagination of some daring mind that he prophe-
cies future intercourse with race navigating the
sea in canoes destitute of outriggers. And 10 the
wizard proves seer
| In 1904 Capt Grocer discovers Kusaie and re-
ports it to the civilized world Strong's Island,
after the then Governor of Massachusetts,. In
fho o,1ar nt,ra vic rfa
safe and thoroughly explores it.
Among the earlier Of these long anticipated OBJ
Jects of Kusaien prophecy is the schooner Wdrery,
| Capt. Cathcart, fitted out from the Sandwich Is
lands, and who in the winter of 1885 anchored
| probably but a few rods from where now lay.
She is welcomed with eager curiosity and generous
| hospitality. But hush Can you not even yet
| hear echOing round this enchanted valley the
screeching horror of murdered white men and the
yelling triumph of numbering savagest Kusaien
! friendship is horrid mOckery-this beautiful land
scape is red with treachery. few months later
in the same year Capt. Stock in the small trading
schooner Honduras lost his life in this harbor All
but two of his were killed, who effected their
escape in the vessel to POnapi.
Oh for an avenging sword Yet hold Your
attention but for moment to few lines regarding
the WdUerly in the broken English of q more re-
cent Kusaien King not engaged in the affair.
"White man want to get gal go aboard ship. King
board ship. In morning kanaka go board ship;
every kanaka; big island, small island, all go and
| kill every man board ship. White man kill
kanakas then kanakas take chests, small things
ashore then set fire to ship; burn sails, rigging,
spars, casks, everything belonging to ship. Every
white was killed."
! The Sabbath past, we will accompany the mis-
siOnary company in their visit to the King and
/ their ramble on shore.
Close to the shore near which we lay was the
Kings enclosure, made of rattan-like reeds within
which were several large houses. At the door of
one of these we found King George awaiting our
arrival As we each in order shook his hand, he
wished us " good morning " with very pleas
ant smile. We stood about this door for few
moments and were then asked to enter by another.
| We took our seats Il number OF foreign chests
| arranged on side of the apartment.
The Kings proper name was Reru. His native
title. the Kusaien term for King, is Tokssait-a
term found in various parts OF Micronesia, some
timeseven applied to Deity. The title of George,
by which alone he will descend to after times came
from foreign fatterers, such as are ever ready to
| inlest even a court of naked savages. His reign
must have commenced in 1887 or 1888.
Our eyes rapidly indulge their curiosity in
glancing round the room, which constitutes the
whole house. The frame is of large side posts of
mangroye projecting about FIVE feet above the
ground, on which largely disproportionate root
is erected principally of hibiscus wood, and made
to curve upwards at the two ends. 1t Is thatched
with species of palm. The sides of the house
between the posts are closely filled with Stats or
laths of hibiscus very neatly tied one above the
other, slightly tapping. In the center is square
fireplace, slightly lower than the surrounding floor
of reeds regularly bound together. There is very
pleasant air of neatness and taste about the whole
The fastenings of cord, very numerous and con-
spicuOus, rendered quite ornamental by using
alternately black and white cordage. Valuabies of
native origin may be seen on long shelves along
the sides Of the room. There woven nrdros,
and pearl 6sh-hooks and pieces OF tortoise shell,
and stone AIDES, and singular ornaments OF shells
to be carried on the canoes of chiefs.
Several guns stand conspicuously on one side,
and lantern, few water-colOred prints, cocoa
nut dipper, lamp and other such articles as form
the furniture and decorations of vessel, stood or
hung in different parts OF the room arranged with
the evident intent of exhibiting King Georges for
eign wealth as Solomon might have exhibited his
peacocks and monkeys from Farshish.
Having successfully accomplished the missionary
objects of our visit, which have been recorded in
the Missionary Herald, we asked permission to
look about. First we entered the Kings cooking
or feasting house-a very huge building after the
general model, where fifteen or twenty men were
busily engaged over the various niceties Of a Ku-
safe meal, the great staple of which is breadfruit
prepared in all the various ways that an irgenuty
with few appliances for long centuries confined to
few such channels of enterprise, has devised.
The next house within the royal enclosure, made
of high reeds and aoored with the same, was where
the dead body of the Kings daughter was kept,
who died three months before. Ten women, the
King himself told US, as he escorted Us about the
premises, watched and anointed the body, and kept
up a fire day and night. He requested rs not to
pass before the front door Of the house, and his
whole aspect in speaking of his bereavement, which
he did in broken English, was with q refined sad
mi Ia or1r arts uzfIa cfIsf
is after death to anoint the body with cocoanut
oil. then carefully to wrap it with mats and bind
it from head to foot with colored cordage. Within
two or three days it is buried in grave and left