hymn, Mr. Ellis offered up a short prayer, and afterwards addressed the people, from Acts xiv, 15, "And preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein." The multitude collected was from different and distant parts of the island. They appeared to listen with attention to the word spoken, and doubtless with many it was the first time they had heard of the name of Jehovah, or of Jesus Christ his Son. We afterwards heard them conversing among themselves about the truths they had heard. After supper and family worship at the Governor's, Mr. Ellis spent the evening in conversation with him, partly on traditions respecting some remarkable places in the neighbourhood of Kairua, and partly on the subject of religion. Mr. Ellis spoke of the desirableness of his building a place for the public worship of the true God, and the advantages of keeping the Sabbath as a day of holy rest, recommending him to set the common people a good example, and use his influence to induce them to attend public worship on the Lord's day. He said it was his intention to build a church by and by, when the common people should become interested in these things, and when they should have a missionary reside permanently with them; but that at present, the people of Kairua were quite indifferent to all religion. 17th. For several days past we have observed many of the people bringing home from their plantations, bundles of young wauti, (a variety of the morus papyrifera,) from which we infer that this is the season for cloth-making in this part of the island. This morning we perceived Keoua, the Governor's wife, and her female attendants, with about forty other women, under the pleasant shade of a beautiful clump of kou trees, employed in stripping off the bark from bundles of wauti sticks, for the purpose CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR. 61 of making cloth with it. The sticks were generally from six to ten feet long, and about an inch in diameter at the thickest end. They first cut the bark the whole length of the stick, with a sharp serrated shell, and having carefully peeled it off, roll it into small coils, the inner bark being outside. In this state it is left some time to make it flat and smooth. Keoua not only worked herself, but appeared to take the superintendance of the whole party. Whenever a fine piece of bark was found, it was shown to her, and put aside for some special purpose. With lively chat and cheerful song they beguiled the hours of labour, until noon, when, having finished their work, they repaired to their dwellings. During the forenoon, Mr. Harwood made an auger to aid the well diggers in boring the rocks.Messrs. Ellis and Thurston walked up to see what progress the natives had made, and to encourage them to persevere. The rocks, they said, were hard, and their progress slow; yet they were not discouraged, but hoped to find the work easier ast they descended lower. After dinner the Governor seemed disposed to enter into conversation on religious subjects, particularly respecting the resurrection of the body, the destruction of the heavens and the earth at the last day, and the final judgment. After listening attentively to what was said upon these subjects, he inquired about the locality of heaven and hell. He was told, that we did not know where the one or the other was situated, as no mortal has ever returned from either to tell mankind about them, and that we only know, that there is a place called heaven, where God makes glorious manifestations of his perfections, and where all good men are perfectly happy; and that there is a place where wicked men are shut up in darkness to endure endless misery. He then said, How do you know these things? Mr. Ellis asked for his Bible; translated the passages which inculcate these doctrines, and told him it was from 62 CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR. ac that book we obtained all our knowledge of these things; and that it was the contents of that book, which we had come to teach the people of Hawaii. He then asked, if all the people in our native countries were acquainted with the Bible. Mr. Ellis answered, that, owing to the abundant means of instruction, the great proportion of the people had either read the book, or had, in some other way, become quainted with its principal contents. He then said, How is it that so many of them swear, get intoxicated, and do so many things prohibited in that book? He was told, that there was a vast difference between knowing the word of God and obeying it; and it was most likely those persons knew their conduct was displeasing to the God who made them, yet persisted in it, because agreeable to their corrupt inclinations. He asked, if God would not be angry with us, for troubling him so frequently with our prayers; if he were like man, he said he was sure he would. Mr. Ellis replied, that God was always "waiting to be gracious," more ready to hear than we are to pray; that indeed, he was not like man, or his patience would have been exhausted long ago by the wickedness of men; but that he continued exercising long-suffering and forbearance towards sinners, that they might turn from their evil ways and live. We supped with the Governor as usual, and conducted family worship with his household, and afterwards prepared our baggage for our journey, some of which we left to be forwarded by the Ainoa to Waiakea, a district on the eastern side of the island. 18th. About 11 o'clock we waited on the Governor, to express our grateful sense of the generous hospitality we had experienced from him during our protracted stay at Kail. We also thanked him for the friendly advice he had given, and the acceptable aid he had so kindly furnished, for the prosecution of our journey, and informing him that we were ready to proceed. |