Austin's Hawaiian weekly. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1899-190?, 1899-11-11

All suS SiSNSHeh SSIituiy q SSotC vi CAtIoOluiiioy
activity of mind seems to have taken possession
Of the Polynesians, and they again sailed the
seas in their double canoes, guided by the stars.
They took with them on these voyages their
priests and astrologers, and frequently evoked
the assistance of the gods having the elements
in their keeping.
Thus the descendants of Nanaula were
awakened from their dreams by the appearance
OF explorers from the south, lead by the redoubt-
aroused to enthusiasm by the tales of distant
lands, some of the most adventurous spirits were
induced to return with them to Tahiti or Samoa.
For about 80 years this activity prevailed, and
large immigration to Hawaii of the most noted
chiefs of the southern islands was the result.
This immigration was disastrous to the simple
and poetic religion of the Hawaiians, and such
of the arts of civilization retained by the
earliest settlers of Hawaii. Priestcraft with all
its attendant evils, had reached an advanced
stage of barbarism among the immigrants and
soon coiled itself about and absorbed the simpler
faith the dreadful tabn, which had heretofore
only been observed in a mild form as the pre-
negative of chiefs, was introduced into religion,
and human Sacrifices superseded the simple offer.
ings of fruit and flowers new and awful deites
represented by hideous idols were created, and
the old poetic faith lived only in the minds and
hearts of the people.
time of the discovery of the Islands by Captain
Cook and until 1919, when Liholiho (Kameha
meha II.) through the influence of Kaahumanu,
one of the wives of Kamehameha l, who upon
her husbands death, became the advisor of
Liholiho, broke the famous tabu, which denied
certain privileges to women, chief among which
was the tabu commanding that men and women
should not eat together. Lhoho ate in public
with his Queen, thus defying the Goddess Pele,
who was supposed to have imposed this unjust
restriction. AS the outraged Goddess did not
rise in her wrath and devour the sacrilegious
monarch and his domains with her volcanic
fires, the back of the tyrannc and barbarous
religion was broken. The temples that had
been held sacred for six hundred years, were
destroyed while anarchy, icentious and riotous
living still further Slapped the vitality of people
already greatly reduced by the intercenne wars
of Kamehameha l. From this awless condition
the Hawaiians were rescued by the early mis-
sionaries in 1920, and in marveously short
period of time they have imbibed the arts Of
modern civilization, without losing any of their
primitive simplicity. 1t almost seems as if in
rescuing them from the tolls of priestcraft, they
have only been restored to their ancient state of
civilizations; that they have been taught nothing
but modern methods of government and educa-
toa. Note, for instance their reception of Chris.
tanity
The missionaries came from Puritan New
England, armed to the teeth with doctrine, and
austere regulations for the minutest details in
the conduct of life. If these restrictions were in
any wise infringed upon, the culprt was sup
posed to be visited, in future state, by the
wrath Of the Almighty, with the eternal pains of
hell fire.
The natives readily embraced Christianity, for
even on these terms, it was better religion