The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-07

| the hardships endured in the noun
tainS by the natives collecting the
| precious wood.
| The business of supplying whale
| ships was better one, and became
more lucrative. Those ships purchased
| large quantities of fresh provisions.
| particularly of sweet and Irish pota~
toes. cabbages. melons. and large
| squashes. also of pigs, poultry and
some beef and mutton. A large por-
ton Of these fresh supplies were taken
at outports. especially at Lahaina:
also at Hilo. Kawaiahae. and Watmea.
Kauai, at each of which ports, espe-
cially the two first named, many ships
called every season. Lahaina, Indeed,
often entertained many more whalers
than Honolulu, owing to the greater
cheepness of supplies, as well as to
the less exposure of the seamen to
drunkenness and desertion when on
liberty.
During the fall season it was not
uncommon in the early f1fties to see
from so to 100 whaleships at anchor
at once in the sheltered roadstead OF
Lahaina. And in the spring, half that
number would often be there togeth-
err. But so sudden and rapid was the
decrease, that in 1861 only two or
three ships visited that port, although
there continued to be quite a number
at Honolulu. San Francisco also had
come to have many attractions for the
remaining fleet, especially for those re-
turning late from the Arctic. For Ha-
wall, the production of sugar was be-
ginning to be the one great CONNER
cial resource, as it has been ever since.
Such are substantially the CONNER
cial facts about the visits of the Pa
cific whalers to Hawaii. But there re-
mains a chapter of far more important
and momentOus facts about the moral,
social and religious influences in
volved. This especially bore upon the
great missionary work, which was so i
vitality creative as respected the Ha- |
waiian people, the social and political
future, and the kingdom of the Lord |,
Christ in these islands. 1t is painful |
but necessary to record that the in |
fiuence of the great body of the whale
men was unavoidably hostile and det-
rimental to the work of the mission
aries.
The semi-annual visits to Hawaiian
less and morally careless sailormen |
were violently adverse to religious and
uplifting influences. The
great majority of the tenants of ships
are composed of the more
adventurous, reckless and immoral of
our civilized communities. After the
hardships of their voyages, they land
among the barbarian, but hospitable,
islanders. surcharged with bestial
usts and desperately bent upon graf
flying them. The islanders are any,
thing but averse, and the result is con-
tinuous orgies of nameIess vileness.
The kumu, or teacher missionary, is
forgotten by the unreclaimed masses
Of the population, and the Evil One
refgns in full sway over the majority /
Of the people and chiefs at the sea-
ports, who yield to the violent incur L
sions of the debased white seamen.
The unhappy result was the constant
breaking down of the moral barriers to
vice so painfully yet promisingIy
erected by the missionary. who sought
to save the poor natives from their
vices, so poisonous and destroying
alike to soul and body.
We may not vehementIy censure the
1ot and eager young sailors or their
officers. They were straying prodiga1s, II
ed away by their own hot Iusts. and
iriven by the enemy OF souls. Doubt
ess the Lord regarded them with
great compassion. as well as condem-
nation, as being active enemies of His
gracious and wonderful work of SAL
yation in Hawaii. For. indeed, their
snmity to the missionaries was often
bitter and violent. In 1886 a British
Thaieship turned cannon upon the
house of the missionary Richards at
but the balls missed their
mark. The missionaries had induced