Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-21
A MISSIONARY EPISODE.
How thu Good Work in Hi1o Was Inter-
rupted by the Queens Sacred Hog.


rupted by the Queens Sacred Hog.
Shortly after the arrival of the first mis-
sionaries at the Hawaiian islands small
party of them landed from a schooner at
Hilo on their way TO visit the volcano of
kilauea. AT that time no missionary had
been stationed at Hilo, and consequently
but few of the people of the place had ever
had the opportunity of hearing preaching.
As the party were detained in the Village
over Sunday they appointed morning and
afternoon services. 1t so happened that
the only building large enough for the pro-
posed meetings was canoe house situated
on the beach. Thither the congregation
assembled at the appointed time in the
forenoon, filling the house to its utmost
capacity. There were old, SCARED and
white headed warriors, who had fought in
the wars of kamehameha, sitting in their
kappa kiheis, through whose quiet dignity
of manner there shone certain expression
Of expectation; there We're dried up old
crones, to whom the emancipation from
the kapu had come almost too late, and
there were younger people and children
and babies, more or less dressed accordin,,
to the convenience or within or wealth OF
each individual.
The posts which supported the roof of
the house were appropriated by some of
the more agile boys to elevate themselves
above the crowd, where, clinging on like
monkeys, they awaited proceedings with
countenances expressive of the greatest tri-
umph and delight. Others, with equal in
genuity and greater comfort, climbed on
10 the outside OF the roof, and by stealthily
charging small holes, which they found
through the tnatch, or making new ones,
ha1 ~ af,Zrr rod x-fazx of ha 10
and the enormous size of their eyes, visible
from below, showed how they appreciated
it. Under these favorable circumstances
the meeting commenced. The preaching
was listened 20 with great attention by the
audience, and the missionaries felt that
they were making an impression.
suddenly, when the meeting was about
half through. there ensued a scene of the
widest confusion. Men and women rushed
out OF the building through the uncovered
sides or wherever there was an aperture
large enough, rolling over each other in
the attempt and screaming most unac-
countably. Fables screeched as they were
tossed around in the panic; little boys
dropped from the posts and rolled from the
roof. In less than a minute the house was
empty, excepting the missionaries and an
immense hog, which quietly made its bed
on the straw on the middle of the floor.
At the beginning of the disturbance the
missionaries opposed that it was sudden
attack from hostile tribe or an uprising
against themselves, but they soon ascer-
tanned that the black hog which lay grunt-
ing IN comfort on the straw-a ''puaa
anana'' "a six foot hog, as the natives call
those of that size-belonged TO Queen Kaa-
humanu and was held sacred by the na.
hot ba
toned resort in the heat of the day, and its
abrupt entrance among the crowd, swing
ing its sharp tusks from side to side with
perfect contempt of tie common people
was sufficient TO cause the exodus de
scribed.
There is no reliable authority that the
missionaries made any satisfactory prog
ress at Hilo till kaahumanu's pig died
Paradise of the PACIFIC.