Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-21
A MISSIONARY EPISODE.
How the Good Work in Hilo Was
interrupted by the Queens Sacred

kAo" kHC "ooo uIlo " ~
interrupted by the Queens Sacred
Hog.
[From the Paradise of the Pacihc-l
Shortly after the arrival of the first
missionaries at the Hawaiian Islands
small party of them landed from schoon-
er at Hilo on their way to visit the volcano
of Kilauea. At that time no missionary
had been stationed at Hilo, and conse-
quently but few Of the people of the place
had ever had the opportunity of hearing
preaching.
As the party were detained in the vii
lage over Sunday they appointed morning
and afternoon services. 1t SO happened
that the only building large enough for
the proposed meetings was q canoe house
situated on the beach. Thither the con-
gregation assembled at the appointed time
in the forenoon, filling the house to its ut
most capacity. There were old, SCARED
and white headed warriors, who had
fought in the wars of Kamehamehs, ait
ting in their kappa kiheis, through whose
quiet dignity of manner there shone a GER
tain expression of expectation; there were
dried up old crones, to whom the emanci-
patton from the kapu had come almost too
late, and there were younger people and
children and babies, more or less dressed
according to the convenience or whim, or
wealth of each individual.
The posts which supported the roof of
the house were appropriated by ssne 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
triumph and delight. Others, with equal
ingenuity and greater comfort, climbed on
to the outside of the roof, and by STEALTH
ly enlarging small holes, which they found
through the thatch, or making new ones,
had an unobstructed view of the inside,
and the enormous size of their eyes, visi-
BILE from below, showed how they appreci-
ated it. Under these favorable circum-
stances the meeting commenced. The
preaching was listened to with great atten-
ton 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
unaccountably. Babies screeched as they
were tossed around in the panic; little
oOlS oEOppcu IEOLH buc pOsts aiio &Ohco
from the roof. In less than minute the
house was empty, excepting the missiona-
ries and an immense hog, which quietly
made it's bed on the straw on the middle
of the floor.
At the beginning of the disturbance the
| missionaries supposed that it was q sud
den attack from hostile tribe or an up
rising against themselves, but they soor
ascertained that the black hog which lay
| grunting in comfort on the straw-a 'puas
ansna" Ia six foot hog), as the natives call
| those of that size-belonged to Queen
| Kaahumanu and was held sacred by the
| natives; that the canoe house was its sc
| customed resort in the heat of the day
| and its abrupt entrance among the crowd
swinging its sharp tusks from side to side
with perfect contempt of the common
| people, was sufficient to cause the exodu
/ described.
There is no reliable authority that tn
missionaries made any satisfactory pro
gress at Hilo till Kaahumsnu's pig died.