The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-12

one of the most inconyenient of which
was the prohibiting males and females
to eat together. They lived separately,
the women eating In their house and
the men in theirs. This occasioned
great additional labor, and created
much misery. The women could Meth
er eat pork, eocoanuts, nor bananas
and some other things; dogs and GER
tain fish they could, not eat. The pray
ing classes did eat pork at all times;
it was only during certain kapus, and
at other times they would eat fish
Here is another sort of kapu that I
have seen, viz, high chiefs, and espe-
cially the king. They were called gods
by some, because their houses were
sacred and everything that pertained
to their persons. Many, very many
were the deadly kapus connected with
the persons and property of the chiefs
which / have seen. In the day time
these kapus are peculiarly rigid they
We're less so in the night, because the
eyes of the common people could not
look upon them. When I was about to
take hold of anything belonging to the
king, his kappa, his spit-box or his ka-
hill. I prepared first my own person.
malo; / could wear no kappa whatever:
it was strictly forbidden; then I took
hold. 1 dare not attend to any concern
of my own while waiting on the king.
When travelling, I must not walk
straight behind his back; this was ka-
pu; neither dare I approach his shad-
ow in the forenoon or afternoon, not
even the shadow of the house in which
ha HUad No 1r,rior
proach that place with their kapas on
If anything was carried to or from the
chief the carrier cried out aloud to all.
to fall PROSTATE, which all did, throw
ing off their kapas and whatever they
were carrying. IF they had something
they could not get rid of at once, the
only way was to fall PROSTATE It
would have been death to have stood
up So you see our chiefs used to be
gods.
Numerous indeed were the oppressive
laws and customs of those times They
were hard times. dangerous times: but
we then thought these things were all
right. Alas for us, how dark hearted
we were. Chiefs who reigned before
the days of Kamehameha' I were de-
spised, because they killed their people
without foundation, as I have heard.
But the reign of Kamehameha was
greatly admired. because unlike former
chiefs, he protected and favored the
common people, even children, old wom-
en- and old men. He placed strong ka-
puS upon agriculture and fishing of the
common people. His acts were really
good; he was a man of deep and strong
| considera ton, but some of his laws
We're very bad. If any one should say
/ that his course was excellent, and ex-
celled the regulations of the present
time, I cannot think he is correct We
have many improvements at the pres
ent day I see great reason tc
bless God for his love to us and oul
nation. He has taken away our false
gods and our distressing kapus This
was once a land of war: we were {
fighting people, but we are all at peace
now; we have also now many goot
laws; the burdens of the poor ar,
made lighter; old people are not taxed
nor do they go to chiefs work. Hus
bands and wives live together as the!
do in enlightened lands; our chiefs ar
no longer gods to destroy us. There
FORE call to mind these happy change
that have taken place, as well as al
the blessings which have been gracious
ly conferred upon us from time to time
for we have received many during tn
year now at a close.