Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-26
HAWAIIA'S HISTORY.
Great Work Of Missionaries in
the Sandwich Islands.
People Have Been Redeemed from
Savagery to Civilization.
Resume Of Missionary Work BY Rev. 5. G.
Bartlett Of Hanover. N. Il.

| Boston lenuS Interest 10 the IdCt Tia
those islands have been brought by
the missionaries of the American
board from savagery to civilization.
The entire work has been accom-
plished since 1919.
The history as written by the Rev.
| S. c. Bartlett, ID. D., of Hanover, N.
4 H.. ex-president of Dartmouth College.
4 states that in the year 1909 a dark
| skinned boy was found weeping on the
| doorsteps of Yale College. His name
| was Henry Obookiah, and he came
from the Sandwich Islands. In a civil
| war his father and mother had been
| slain before his eyes; and when he fled
! with his infant brother on his back
| the child was killed with spear, and
he was taken prisoner.
| The poor boy, at the age of "a, was
| glad to come with Capt Brintnel to
| New Haven. He fingered round the
college buildings. and the Rev. Edwin
| w. Dwight, resident graduate,
found him and took him as a pupil
| In the autumn of that year came
| another resident graduate to New
| Haven for the purpose of awakening
| the spirit of missions. 1t was Samuel
j. Mills. Obookiah told Mills how the
| people of Hawaii pray to gods made
| of wood" and he longed TO learn to
| read this Bible. and go back there and
tell them to pray to God up in heaven. "
| Mills took Obookiah to his own home
in Torringford. CT. and thence to An
dover. Mass, for a tWo-years resi-
| dence: after which the young man
found his way to the grammar school
| at Litchfield. CT. and. when it was
| opened in 1871. to the Foreign Mission
| School at Cornwall. CT. At Litchfield
he became acquainted and intimate
With Samuel Ruggles who about 1916
resolved to accompany him to his
| native island with the gospel.
In the same vessel which brought
obookiah to America came TWO other
| Hawaiian lads. William Tennooe
O<anuD and Thomas Hopu. After
rowing lives of many years. in 1915 they
| were both converted-Tennooe at New
Haven and Hopu after he had removed
from New Haven to TorrinCford.
These young men. too. had been the
objects of much personal interest in
| New Haven A meeting was called by
| some gentlemen to discuss the project
of foreign mission school. An organ
. lZdIlDD WAS tIftttd uf1ItI the Atiiti l.
can board that autumn. at the house
of President Dwight. three months be
fore his death.
Next year the school opened. It's
first principal was MIR. Edwin Dwight.
| who found Obookiah in tears ut Yale
| College. and among its first pupils
| were Obookiah, Tennooe. Hopu and
two other Hawaiian youths, with
Samuel Ruggles and Elisha LOOMS.
But Obookiah, nine months from the
| opening of the mission school, closed
a consistent Christian life with a
peaceful Christian death. The memoir
of his life crystalized into mission.
The story drew legacies from the dy
ing and donations from the living.
In TWO years more missionary band
| VAS ready for the Sandwich Islands.
Hopu. Tennooe. and John Honoree. ma =
tives of the islands. We're to be accom-
panied by Hiram Bingham and Asa
Thurston. young graduates Of Ando-
YER DIR. Thomas Holman, young
physician Daniel Chamberlain. sub
stantial farmer: Samuel Whitney, me-
chanic and teacher; Samuel Ruggles.
eatechist and teacher; and Elisha
Loomis, printer and teacher.
All the Americans were accompanied
by their wives and Mr.. Chamberlain
hy a family of five children.
Mr.. LOOMS had been a member OF
the mission school. With this company
went also George Tamoree (KamauliD
who had been wanderer in America
for II years to return to his father
the subject king of Kauai.
The ordination of Messrs Bingham
! and Thurston, at Goshen. Ct, DIRE"
from the surrounding region large
assembly. among whom were a great
number of clergymen and nearly al
the members of the mission school
now 80 or more in number; and lib
eral offerings for the mission came il
from all quarters.
fortnight later the missionary
band was organized at Boston into 9
church of Il members; public services
were held Friday evening and Satur-
day afternoon, in the presence OF
crowded" houses at the Park Street
| church: and on the Sabbath 600 com
municants sat with them at the table
of the Lord.
Saturday. the 23d of october. 1872 s
Christian assembly stood upon Long
| wharf, anu SANG, i'iCol A'N ''N -
that Binds.
T. There was a prayer by DR.. Worces
ter. a farewell speech by Hopu, sons
by the missionaries, When Shall W.
All Meet Again." and l4-oared barge
Q swiftly conveyed the little band from
their weeping friends to the bris
Thaddeus which was to carry tn
i destiny of the Hawaiian islands.
q The 10 islands of the Hawaiian groul
. an area somewhat less than Massa
chusetts-were peopled by wei
4 | formed muscular race. with oiiV'
h compilations and open countenances
\ in the lowest stages of barbarism
s sensuality and vice
The children went stark naked til
they were 9 or 10 years old: and tn
u men and women wore the scanties
n apology for clothing, which neithe
6 sex hesitated to leave in the hut a
home before they passed through tn
n village to the surf
- The king came more than once from
:. the surf to the house of Mr.. Ruggle
with his five wives. all in state Q
nudity: and on being informed of tn
t improperly, he came the next tim
s dressed-with a pair of silk stocking
i and hat!