The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-03-14
Rural Sketches
of the 5awaiian c9slands.
HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE HA.
wAIEANS.

This topic leads me to notice the simplicity of
native manners and their domestic life Several
Illustrations Of these themes were presented to me
on my way to Kualoa. but they were insignificant
IN comparison 10 those subsequently met in the
progress of my tour over the group. While pur-
suing my way along this shore. L was occasionally
overtaken, or met, by some native, smiling all
over his face, and accosting me by their national
word of greeting ALOhdr' (love or saIutation
to you.) Sometimes they will accompany you
side by side for miles, and, excepting this single
word of greeting you on meeting and parting, not
a syllable will escape their lips Others, again,
are as clamorOus company of Arabs asking
for IS 6dAshish-'' Whether the Hawaiian offers a
real greeting or not nothing can harrow up his
feelings than the travellers refusal or omis-
sion TO return the compliment by saying aloha -
Very probably, at the moment of parting, their
taciturnity may fly away, the current of their
clamor become changed, and then their sole talk
is about the 80 h0Oie'' oreigner.) Every feature,
the color of his hair, beard, and eyes every arti-
Gle of dress he has his proficiency rs horse
man-every thing becomes the theme of their ridi
eule or praise and they will remember that for
eigner again after the lapse of years.
In their style of living they are just simple.
They know little or nothing about artificial wants.
With their ponds well stocked with fish, their
beds of tdrO iourshing close to their doors, their
stock, requiring little or no care, increasing
around them, they appear to be the happiest be-
ings on earth.
To a certain extent they are an agricultural
people Such they were observed to be when first
discovered. and such they have been from their
earliest history. In this respect they differ from
the abOrigines of the continents of North and
South America, and yet, in relations, they
to have descended from the same primitive
Oriental stock. Until the downfall of idOlatry,
the Hawaiians maintained II system of pagan wOr-
ship the most cruel, bloody, and debasing ever
known, while the latter more of n nOmadic
race, retaining immaterial worship Both
races are, or have been, powerful and warlike, |
and both passing rapidly away.
By this time the road had lett the shore, and |
resumed its course over the plans. While trying |
to select n good crossing place over a narrow |
ravne my horses hOofs casually stumbled against
low mound. / Immediately perceived it To be /
q funeral mound, probably of some native. The |
top of the grave was rudcly protected by cover |
ing of coral rocks, that looked though they /
might have been there during several generations.
By whose bands it had been dug, or by whom it /
was tenanted, / did not. could not ascertain.
There it stood, near the sea-snOre, all silent and
sGitary. Not n single wild flower grew by Its
side To gather 4 few of the tears of night. not u
blade OF grls. hourished around it. There was
Indication that human footsteps came or went
any errsni Of touching memorial. In all pro-
liability, the only requiem ever waited over that
grave was sung by the fOarning surf that inces-
slntly thundered the contiguous shore No
nan knows where he shall rest his bones knew
not where might leave my own. l turned away
from that grave with L subdued spirit, hoping
that peace might forever reign over the ashes OF
the profound sleeper
At n short distance beyond this funeral mound
sat group of which any painter might justly
have been proud. 1t consisted chiefly OF party
Of native girls Their hair and necks were Orna-
mented with the gay flowers of their native oheEO
(Guahteria peuduLforuh1l.) as beautifully inter
woven as if done by fairy fingers They appeared
as unsophisticated and happy as II they were
strangers to every sorrow-more like the descend
ants Of the :. children of the sum- who dwelt
amid the glOFies of an unfading Peruvian summer,
than the Offshoots of degraded race. From such
beings these, SO beautiful. bright, and happy:
the old poets surely fabled their genii and naiad
queens,
The chief figure in the group was an old man,
Who seemed to be the centre of their joys His
appearance was decidedly patriarchal. long
white beard fJwed gracefully down upon his
e1est. y few white locks We're sprinkled around
hls temples. When he smiled. his eyes sparkled
with unaffected delight and his parted lips re-
vealed q complete set of the finest teeth have
ever seen. Nearly hundred summers had shone
upon him, and his simplicity of appearance was
increased by long wreath of wild flowers winch
one OF those bewitching girls had placed on his
neck He was reciting to his little audience some
u the tales Of his youthful days. Truly they
must have been of thrilling nature, for he had
nsed during the sanguinary struggles that achIev-
e the consolidation of the entire group under the
sway Of old KAMEHAxEHA L.; he had witnessed the
sshnihilation OF several pagan temples, and the
Instruction of :. forty thousand idoLsE This lit
ue group seemed as bright rs the sun IN whose
.ays they were basking: nor was it any wonder
mat those young girls should crowd around the
venerable old man, as he told them of past gene
This picture was primitive in all its associa-
~ Sns- 1t conveyed to my own mind vivid idea
" y ,ne early races of the great family OF man
~,uid not but believe that mankind were far hap
per then than now, and almost wished for re-