New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-26
THE MISSIONS IN THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS,
Extract fisa Letter ffem Richard H. Dana IT, ESQ., from III
Sandwich Islands communicated for publication a. TT


American Board that in less than forty wears they
have taught this whole people to read and TO write
cipher and to sew. They have given them an alpha
bet, grammar, and dictionary preserved their lam
gusge from exnction given it a literature and trans
lated into il the Bible and works of devotion science
and entertainment, etc. etc They have established
schools reared up native teachers and pressed their
work that now the proportion Of inhabitants who can
read and write is greater than in New-England and
whereas they found these islanders a nation of half
naked savages living in the surf and the sand cat
ing raw fsh, fighting among themselves, tyr.nnized
over by feudal chiefs, and abandoned to sensuaty,
they see them decently clothed, recognizing the
law of marriage, knowing something of accounts
going to school and public worship with more regu-
lariiy than the people do at home and the ele
waited of them taking part in conducting the affairs of
the constitutional monarchy under which they live
holding seats the judicial bench and in the lgsla
tive Chambers and filling posts in the local magis-
tracits.
II il often objected against missionaries that people
must he civilized before IT be Christanized at
least that the two processes must go on together, and
that the preacher, with his book under his arm,
among q bsr6arous people, Is an Improbable laborer
But toe missionaries 10 the Sandw Islands went out
in families ard planted themselves in households carry
ing with them, and exhibiting to the natives the
toms manners comforts discipline, and order of civil
lied society. Each house was center aud source of
civilziDg Influences and the natives generally yieted
10 the superiority of our civilization and copied It's
ways for unlike the Asiatics they had no civilization
of their own and, unlike the North American Indians
they were capable of Civilization. Each missionary
was obliged to qualify himself to some extent as a
physician and surgeon before leaving home, and each
n ission- house had its medicine chest, and the
place of resort by the natives for medicines and medical
advice and care Each missionary was school teacher
10 the natives, in their own language; and the women
Of the missions, who were no less missionaries than
their husbands taught schools tOr women and children,
them not only in books, but in sewing,
knitting and ironing, in singing by note, and in the
discipline of children. These mission families too,
were planted az gIlsons would have been planted by
military conqueror, in places where there were no
inducements OF trade carry families that large
region, however difficult of access or undesirable a
residence Is without its headquarters OF religion and
civilization, The women OF the mission, too, can APP
prosch the native women and children In many ways
not open to men, in their Sickness and b. the pecu
liar sympaies of sex, and thus exert the tenderest
which are often the most decisive, influences.
In the course of the two months have spent upon
these islands ii has been my good fortune TO be the
guest of many Of the mission families, and to become
more or less acquainted with nearly all of them. And
beside fidelity III The discharge of their duties TO the
natives can truly say that in point OF kindness and
hospitality 10 strangers OF intelligence and general
information, of socitude and palnstakng for the liberal
education Of then children and of zeal for the acquire
ment Of information OF every SORT it would be difficult
TO find their superOTs among the most favored families
at home. / have in their houses collections Of
minerals, shells, plants, and flowers. which must be
valuable 10 science, and the missionaries have often
preserved the best sometimes the only records OF the
volcanic erupiOns earthquakes, and other phenomena
and meteorological observations Beside having given
as l have SAID TO the native language an alphabet,
grammar dictionary, and literature they have done
nearly all that has been done TO preserve the national
traditions legends, and poetry. But for the Mission
aries, it is my firm belief that the Hawaiian would
never have been written language there would have
been few or no ustw OTthy early records historical
scentifc the traditions would have persisted; the
native government would have been Overborne by
foreign Influences and the Interesting, intelligent
gentle native would have sunk into nsgnihcance
and perhaps into seTvitude 10 the dominant whites
The educational system of the islands is the work of
the missionaries ana their Supporters among the foreign
residents and one formerly OF the mission is now
Minister of Education. In every district are free
schools for natives. In these they are taught reading
writing, singing by note, arithmetic, grammar, and
geography, by native teachers. AT Lahaina Luna Id
The Normal Schc for natives where the best scholars
from the district schools received and carried to
advanced stage of education, and those who desire 1t
are fitted for the duties Of teachers. This was orig
inally mission school, but is partly govern
ment institution Several Of the missionaries III small
and remote stations have schools for advanced studies,
among which, | visited several times that Of Mr..
LYMAN at Hilo where there nearly one hundred
native lads and all the under teachers natives.
These lads had an orchestra of ten twelve flutes,
which made very creditable music AT Honolulu
there is a ROYAL School for natives and another middle
school for whites and hacasies for has been found
exuedient generally to separate the races IN education.
Both thee schools are Ia excellent condition. But the
special pride Of the missionary efforts for education
tie Iigh School or College Of PunahOu This was es-
tablisled for the education OF the children OF the
mission families. and has been enlarged 70 receive
the children OF other foreign residents, and IL now an
incorporated college, with some seventy scholars.
TIE course Of studies goes far as the end OF the
SouhomOfe wear in our NewEngland Colleges,
and il exuected soon TO 90 further The teachers
are Young men Of the mission families taught first at
ths SCHOOL with educat0ns finished in the Colleges OF
New-Engand. where they have taken high rank. AZ
Williams College, there were at one time i've pupils
from this school of whom the first scholar,
and four of whom among the first seven scholars
Of the year and another Of the professors AT Punahon
was the first scholar Of his year at New-Iaven at
tended several rectatiOns al Punahou IN Greek Latin
and Mathematics and after having said that the
teachers were leading scholars in Colleges and the
puuils mostly children of the mission families, need
hardly add that advised the young men to remain
there 10 the end OF the course they could not pass
the friedman and Sophomore years more probably
elsewhere in nv Judgment. The examinations III
Latin and Greek were particularly thorough III
EtymolOgy and SyntaX. The Greek was read both
by the quantity and by the printed accent, and the
teachers were disposed to follow the continental pro-
nunciaton of the vOwels in the classic languages u
that system should be adopted IN the New-England
Colleges. II il upon that system that the native al
plabet was constructed by the missionaries. This IN
slilution must determine, in great measure, the
character not only of the rising generation OF whites
but, ar education proceeds downward and not up
ward also ta of The natives. 1t Is the chief hope o.
the reorle who have spent their utmost upon it, anC
are now seeking an appeal for aid in the United States
an appeal that ought not 10 be unsuccessful.
have little to ray OF the Roman Catholic missions
because they are re ent and had hand in the grea
developing and forming labors of which have spoken
had letters Of introduction TO the Roman Cathol'
Bshop al Honolulu and visited several of the Churches
and Schools under his jurisdiction, which extends ove
all the islands OF the group SO far as observed IN,
missions are successful the churches are well filled
4, GOOD ffafio for