The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-12-07

Gsun Appleton, Journal)

land En-d that stands at the head Of this article
Is not translstable into any single expression in
the English language. A description is required
% DO j. foil justice
The l0zzi-i0zai pronounced low-me-low-me).
Which as an Institution Is distinctivey Poynesiau;
j. a lururioas and healthful form Of passire mo
an that i very much employed by the Hawa-
mans. d Is used as remedial measure in the
treatment OF disease. as a relief for fatigue and
a. luEury and Slsce in hours Of ease. 1t is a
favor uhich travellers exchange with each other
daring the in,eEals Of rest from the toilsome
rnarch. ar sctNof kindness by which the wife
Eoofhss the a'igus Of her husband after his daily
labors, service uhich the chief claims from his
Iiereuaa. snd which the king receives as a pre-
negative from the hands Of bis subjects.
No one who has had experience as a Hawaiian
traveller uil not fail to agree that the growing act
o. generous hospitality. Of this most hospitable
people 70 the well-behaved stranger who sojourns
in thsir midst Is the offer Of the lomilomi.
There are many ways Of administering the lomi-
lomi. For our purpose. II will suffice to classify
them under tEo divisions FIRST the general and,
second the special The special lom lomi is ap-
Piled 10 any particular part affected, as to the
bead in casa Of headache to any ore Of the limbs,
or 10 Any region Of The body, in case Of lameDess
or strain. The position Of the recipient of teis
form may be either sitting or reclining as is most
convenient but when the lomi-lomi is general
the patient lies on a mat on some low couch
convenient FOR The manipulation. Imagine your
seif Wearied and exhausted by a long journey
hungry. iooi-sore. and lame in every muscle, to
sach degree that no position seems 10 give rest.
Under ordinary circumstances the probability is
that, TOO weary Tor sleep, you would spend the
night in rolling Wretehedy. and rise in the morn
ing uurelreshed and unfit to proceed on your
journey.
such would be the result in nine cases ouaOf
ten under the ordinary treatment of hospitality in
civilized lands Bot the Hawsiians have an ap-
preciaiion ol the physiological wants Of the wear
led system. which 1t would be well for the people
q other civilized and more enlightened countries
70 initiate. Afier water has been provided for
washing and cooling purposes, or you have per-
hsps immersed yourself bodily in some clear
f0uinr stream. and have RECALLED yourself with a
deiiciously-broiled fsh and a sufficient number of
fnger-dips into 2 calabash Of poi-a favorite ar
ic.e Of food made from a Poynesan esculeut
root, the talo-ihe lomilomi Is proposed as a
ueaas q completing your relreshment and reno
valign What Is this p you ask. You are d.
rected 10 lie al foil length on a mat and are i'm
mediately taken in hand by the artist, generally
an elderly and experienced man or woman The
one Eho performs the lomi lomi seizes your feet
With strong hands and commences manipulations
which are neither kneadng, nor squeezing. nor
rUthinr. bui now Ike one and now ike the other.
Passing Up 70 your body, the muscles of the calf,
the thighs the hack and shoulders, each in turn
reserves appropriate treatment.
The degree Of force used varies from the ten
deresi caress TO the sevenest grip. To those parts
which are the most lame and sore. the feeling may
at times be 0u the verge Of painful, and, when at
fret applied 10 the legs Of the weary novice, may
cause him to shrink aud complain. just as the first
scaidinc dash Of hot water terri6es the nerves Of
the inexperienced Turkish baiher. But, by the
tine the kalunG lonii-l0mi lomilomi DOCTOR
has made one round. all disirusi is gone and you
only regret that the delightful process must so
soon come 10 an end. One skilful in the art of
loni-l0mi eomes 10 possess kind Of tact that en-
ables him 70 graduate his touch and force TO the
wants Of each case. At one moment his finger
points seem to dip down deeply and indiyidualize
each mnscle. AZ another he skilfuly presents only
the rounded eminences Of his palms. and soothes
y0u with the magnetic influence Of gentle, un-
dulatory motion. The skiful performance of loml-
lomi prevents the usual unpleasant effects of ex-
oessve exeriion from being felt severely the next
dag-the stiffness. and lameness. and soreness.
j also seems to impart a sufficient nervous
power to enable one to sleep. so that on the fol-
lowing morning you rise from your bed of clean
Hausiian mats with feeling Of freshness and rest
that is quite surprising. Your muscles are sup
pie. and your joints have an ease Of motion that
is unWonted. You are, in fine, ready to com
menoe another days journey.
u Is not uncommon for the natives TO lie with
theIr faces toward the ground. and have child
or youth Of moderate weight walk over them
from the heels 10 the nape Of the neck trampling
then under loot as grapes are trodden by the feet
0f the VINE makers This. although an inexpli-
cable and alarming SIGHT TO the novice. we recon-
nead a most effective and salutary method q
employing the lomi-omi, especially appropriate
when The iameness or WEAKNESS affects the back,
zbs loius or shoulders.
The native Hawaiians are such firm believers
b. ihe reuedial virtues Of the om;-lomi, that they
ooua-ionaIly cause injury by using it wrongly.
Jlsey sometimes defeat the ends Of the surgeon
Eho Would secure perfect rest for fractured
Esnh. and prevent the union and consolidation Of
The bone BY their uniimely manipulatiOns.
The HaWaiians are famous race Of swimmers,
and. such s their ability 70 maintain themselves
ior great ieugth Of tine 10 the water, that, to
III foreigner, they seem almost amphibious. On
the long sWlus which parties Of them have been
compelled 10 make. when one Of their vessels has
foun6sred Al sea If a member Of the party shows
sgns Of exhaustion and failing strength. the 9TH
en- gather about bin and administer the inyigo-
rztng manipulation Oi the lomilomi, while sus-
taiuiag him in the water. after which the whole
company proceed on their watery way together.
The iomi-lomi Is most excellent. and, might
almost ssy. sufficient substitute for exercise. At