The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-05-08
The

REv. j. F.. PoGuE delivered an address on Sab
bath evening last TO a large audience assembled
in the Kaumakapili church, in which he gave
some interesting sketches of the Hawaiian mis-
isionaries laborins there, and the trials which they
.are subjected to. The present population of the
group is estimated at seven to eight thousand.
more than one half of whom live on the Island of
flivaoa, where Rev. Mr.. kekela is located. This
island is divided by very abrupt ridges into nu-
merous valleys, each occupied by Il distinct clan
or tribe, which is ruled by n chief. These va
rious tribes are frequently at war with each other,
and the causes of their wars are often the merest
prctexts.
Like the IIawaiians, the Marquesans are de-
crcasing in numbers every year-the effect of dis
case and war. As we observed last week, on one
island. Tahuata, nearly all the inhabitants are
now more or less affected with the .Asiatic leprosy.
Tie population, which formerly numbered thou
sands, has dwindlcd down to about two hundred.
1t IL somewhat singular that we have never before
heard that this disease was prevalent there until
now. but tEis ~ owing. probably. 70 the fact
that visitors did not know what the leprosy was.
No one. however, who has seen Il genuine case of
it can ever he in doubt when ne secs it again.
rs no pains have ever been taken by the authori-
ties to check its spread in the Marquesas, it is not
unlikely that it viii, sooner or later, break out
on all the islands of that group, and even extend
to the Society and other contiguous groups.
The picture which the reverend gentleman
drew of tie Indebtedness produced by the unre-
strained use of Intoxicating spirits, was sickening.
The natives were formerly tabued the use of spir-
its, not so much by laws of the French as by the
..,-o. o-..o.,.l -, ....-, II, III 80. H..
GA, whose authority was supreme among all the
various tribes of Hivaoa. She died IN 1868, and
Immediately on her death, it was proclaimed
- The goddess is dead The tabu is ended -
Chiefs and people ali joined in manufacturing
rum from the cocoanut, and gave themselves up
to the widest debauchery. Two or three high
chiefs have already died from intoxicltion, and
among the common people generally it is pro-
ducing the same results that follow excessive in
diligence everywhere. All efforts made by the
Catholic and Hawaiian missionaries to check rum
drinking have proved almost futile.
During the stay of the Morning Star at Hiva-
on, a native and his wife returned intoxicated at
night from II drunken bout, and lay down outside
their house. In the morning the man was found
dead, having been shot during the night. On
another occasion, four or five natives attempted
to rob one of the sailors Of the brig, who had
wandered inland n little too far. Finding he had
e. fallen among thieves, = he ran to the beach. fol-
lowed by the savages. and only escaped by plung-
ing into the sea and swimming off to the boat.
The Hawaiian missionaries laboring there have
a hard time, and many occurrences happen which
tend to discourage them; but they persevere
nobly through all their trials, like true apostles.
No one who has witnessed their selfdcnying labor,
can doubt the genuineness of the piety Of Kekela,
kauwealoha, Kaiwi, and other of our missionaries
to the Marquesas.