The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-06-22
missionary Life utthc NTarqucSaS.

NIl--1oIl.tTS III II
On Sunday evening last. an immense audience
mostly composed of natives, and numbering sew
eral thousands, filed the large church Of the Rev
DR.. Smith, At KaumakaFiii, TO hear an address
from the Rev. y. Kaukau, one % the native
Hawaiian Missionaries. who has for several years
been stationed on the Narquesas Islands. y
deep interest rcrvaded the vast as~emblage, and
the speaker kept them enchanted Tor an hour by
his elOquence. in q heated atmosphere and an I'M
comfortably crowded house. The text was taken
from Isaiah xxi II and ID Watchman.w what
of the night? The Waterman said, The morning
cometh. and also the night if We will inquire
inquire We return, come" An exceedingly IN
tercsting account followed of the present condI-
ton of the heather and still cannibal inhabitants
of the Marquesas group. Mr.. kaukau appears
to have been not only n Jealous and patient Mis-
sionary, ardently devoted to his work, but an
intelligent observer of the degraded people among
whom he lived. The state of society Is repre-
scented as most deplorablc, presenting almost IN
superble obstacles to the work of the Missionary.
Every little valley has its one or more mdePend-
ent chiefs, petty kings, who are constantly at war
either among themselves or with those of the
next valley adjoining. and the horrible practice
of cannibalism is still carried on whenever an
opportunity occurs. Mr.. Kaukau vas once pres
ent at one of these orgies, where a man and
woman were devoured who had been slain in a
raid on a neighboring vale. His description of
the scene was thrilling, while it inspired feelings
of horror and disgust. 1t seems that the strong
stomached ancient aud white headed savages ate
their portions raw, while n fire was built at
which the Younger men roasted their select pieces.
They We're Hospitality inclined, for they offered
the Missionary n share in the revolving feast. He
said. however, that the odor from the broiling
human flesh was peculiarly : ala" or savory.
In this he but corrobOrates the statements of
other travellers who have visited cannibal tribes.
The Marquesans are not idOlaters, but, like the
Fijians, worship the spirits of their ancestors.
The tabu system is very intricate and bears par
ticularly heavy upon the women, who, as is the
case invariably among uncfyiIized people, are
kept in a very degraded condition. They cannot
90 in a canoe, nor enter a certain kind of house,
and particular articles of food are strictly inter
dicted. Other customs in regard TO the govern
ment of females, at certain periods, like those of
the Israelites under the Mosaic dispensation, are
strictly obscryed-as were the same among the
ancient Iiawaiians.
Altogether, these people are represented as
cruel, sensual, bold and outspoken hcathciis of
the worst ~stamp-w0rse, it would seem. in all
these evil characteristics, than the inhabitants of
any of the numerous groups in the Pacific. In
many instances they could only be induced to
attend preaching. or permit their children TO be
taught, by the gift of a fathOm or two of cloth.
The Catholic Missionaries, who have one or two
apparently Furnishing schools for both boys and
gills, with the authority of the French Protecto-
rate TO back them, had, in the first place and in
4 great measure, To resort to this method of pro-
curing pupils and proselytes.
But in the face of all these difficulties. trials
and discouragements - and we have not men
toned a personal one of n peculiarly trying ma
urc-Nr Kaukau expressed his firm determIna-
ton to return by the first opportunity To the
chosen field of his labor and devote his life u the
work of enlightening those dark ends of the earth.
He claims that there are altogether about fifty
converts TO Protestant Christianity SO far among
the islanders. But another irruption of resti-
lence like the smallpox, intoxication and the con-
tinuancc of intestine wars may, in a few year,,
leave but a small remnant of the Marquesans.
During the evening the excellent choir of Kau-
makapili sang several hymns with fine effect,
among which was the beautiful Hawaiian version
of "Watchman, tell us of the night"
As we sat and listened 10 the stirring words of
this eloquent missionary, we could not helprecall-
ing the base libel uttered by-no matter who
that the IIawaiiansare now ten times worse of than
when the American missionaries arrived here. 1t
is no small thing for q native Hawaiian to leave
his country and friends, 90 to the Marquesas,
spend ten years there, surrounded with trials and
enemies, and return with the sam ardent love for
his work that inspired him to leave. Let those
who deny that the IIawaiians are or can be true
christians go and hear Mr.. kaukau plead for the
mission cause till tears are drawn from every eve,
and they will become convinced that there is as
genuine piety here as there was in apostolic days.