The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-03-05
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Hawaiian .JournaII-nI-

religious discussion Is IN progress IN the native
papers, which boast OF tar more talent than
their older white-skin rivals. Both the
Hawaiian journals We're established with the
ayOwed understanding that religious discussions
were not ID be INDUCED in, and perhaps they
may have adhered 70 the rule 50 far Us their
editorial management Is concerned, and main
tanned in that respect an unsectarian course.
Bat whether so or not, the correspondence
which appears in them embraces every variety
Of subject, from 4 fish story to the most abstFuss
discussions of theology. - Every one to his
liking Is an old saying, and if the Hawaiians
prefer a little Of everything in their literary
feasts, they certainly are not very unlike their
more refined brethren.
But we set out with the assertion that the
foreign public knew little Of what was going on
in the Hawaiian literary world, and may like
to be informed. On our fourth page we insert
one of the articles in the religious discussion,
translated from the KuokOa, which, it will be
inferred, is written by a Catholic Of no mean
pretensipns. Indeed the articles on both sides
eyince an ability, learning and historical re-
search, on the part Of the disputants, that would
do honor 10 Oxford. How much Of this
pOlemical discussion, with its learned classical
references and historical lore, the IIawaiians
can comprehend, our readers can Judge for
themselves. -
\ few weeks since there appeared in the
kuJkoa, 4 handsomely written article by a Mr..
Poll, Of Maui, which, had we space, we would
like to insert. Its subject was the oneness Of
the Christian religion, and the duty of sects
to live together in harmony and peace. It dis
played 4 mind Of Uncommon ability, and would
have done credit TO any European quarterly.
Many Of the native Hawaii1ns show much talent
in their writings.
The last issue of the KuokOa contains a letter
from Hawaii, concerning the great Plague which
occurred in the time Of Kamehameha the Great.
writer says he had made inquiries of the
old people concerning this plague, which is
called by them Okuu, who told him that 1t de-
stroyeJ great numbers Of men, women and chill
dren, and took qE he nDyority (hapa nui) Of
The population. No plague or sickness ever oc-
like it. Concerning the numbers that
throughout these islands, in some places.
he says. forty died daiy, in others eighty, in
others one hundred and twenty, and in others
still, four hundred died each day.. According to
Inc number of the inhabitants in each place, so
we're the deaths there. This plague continued
for some time, destroying the people of these
Stands for three months and more, perhaps,
hey continued to die every day. This is the
great cause of the decrease of this people.
Tie above is the substance Of the facts commu-
regarding the plague, which were writ
ten IN response to a call for information con-
corning it. Further inquiries will be made re-
the character and symptoms of the
disease, and it Is possible that some valuable
nformation may yet be obtained, though the
Id peopie of that day are fast dropping off.
In describing scenes or events, Hawaiian writer's
vince much taste. Before us lies an account
{ 4 feast at Lahaina on the Kings birthday,
nd TO show their style we insert L free version
f the opening paragraphs of it:
"On the sth Of this mouth, 1 arrived 1t Lahaiua, and lodged
~ : ar.sf, ~ 'sI'fi; m NJ in .h,Hg 81 q. n ".,,b 80, ,9-,r u il
lrseOus spJeudor. the sun revealed his golden rays, and their
beauty vas displayed, a. il to show their delight for the
rhd4y Of cur beloved Sovereign
e There were two f-lsrs held on that day, one by a society
HID the beloved society OF the Kings birthday under the
Ipervision Of Mrs. TTeadway and tie other ty Emma Malo,
rhe premises Of II. Swiuton. L will therefore describe to my
az q their biollzTd King is observed. While 1 va sitting on
r verAu'iaI Ct the store OF J. l. "aterhouse, about one
al young IlIl-s Of the breadfruit shade Of LeI= sitting in It,
se Laieikawai lone Of the Hawaiian ancient Pnncrssesl rest
x 0a d.. wings - birds. And a. the proccssion moved along,
a. l behsd the spisnio' OF the s'rb Of those who composed
IFS beauty attracted me q i'"'" FAC ear Us Object &c
We insert this simply to show their style,
IL Is hardly Il fair specimen of it.
heir letters. stories and songs abound with
imagery and figures of speech, perhaps much
80 than do the English. In one of the
lte papers we observed a letter written by one
tho had been a Mormon, but had renowned
be creed and sought to expose Its errors. He
an account of the receiving of a disciple
luJ the Mormon Church ut Laie, on this island.
ear by where our former townsman Capt.
I1wllud now resides. The writer goes on with
is narrative and gives the prayer of the Nor
ION Priest, who, putting his hands on the con
head, prdys
20 Lord. bless the hair Of this one. bless thou his head. bless
sbraius. bless bis f5rehcai, bless hs eyebrows, bless his eye
j., bless his eye-baII-, bless MS nose, bless his upper-lip- bless
aisusI - - Lord, bless thou him, from the sole q his foot TO the
own Of his head"
The same writer states what 4 Mormon Priest
aid in his sermon at Waialua. We translate
ne or two paragraphs of it. The preacher Is
epOrted to have said
- The saul il nothing, the body : the principal hing il 'he
bly, dies, the sJuI becomes nothing Ceases 70 exist
" Aud he further declared AZ the same time There il no
81 IN heaven. Col Is here. When little children die, they are
e Angels, (Or they become aEgrisJ and they are the Gods 10
ray to-
Infdclity and Atheism do not appear to
1tisfy these new preachers, but they aspire 10
prophets. Here IS one of their predictions,
5 given by the same correspondent
" In the month Of October next. all the Mormons are going
Lzus. aud after returning from thence there viii come a
suience 20 cxtermiHate the race, aud only those Who have
turned from Lanai sl b. spared - says the native MoT-
on Priests Of Laie-r