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them upon the aggressor. It might be pended greatly upon the amount of ofreasonably conjectured that powers be-ferings. lieved to be capable of such varied and The manner of burial differed accordcounteracting influences, would, from ing to the rank of the deceased. The the natural fear of all parties, be little bodies of the common people were bent employed. But savage passions seldom with the face upon the knees, arms becalculate results: revenge is dearer than neath them, and the hands passed up everything else. Hence they found between the legs; the heads, hands and plentiful employment, notwithstanding knees were closely bound together with the largesses required. Their influence cord, and the corpses enveloped in was strongest over the lower orders; coarse mats, and buried within two days probably fear of open revenge prevent- of decease. Those of the priests and ed them from testing their skill on pow-inferior chiefs were laid out straight, erful chiefs, who were besides their most and wrapped in folds of cloth. The valuable patrons. Deaths, not the re- former were generally interred within sult of accident, were attributed either their temples, their graves being markto their agency, poison, or to the angered by piles of stones or rough wooden of some unpropitious deity.

enclosures. The legs, arms, bones and sometimes the skulls, of the high chiefs whose ancestors had received the honors of deification, or who were themselves to be enrolled in the calendar of gods, were reserved, and the remainder of their bodies buried or burnt. The relics were carefully covered with crimson cloth, and either deposited in temples, for adoration, or remained in possession of the nearest relations, by whom they were held sacred; the spirits of the departed, being supposed to remain with them, exercising a controlling and protecting influence over the living.

The ceremonies practiced were various; the most common was similar to that for the discovery of thieves. It was called Kuniahi, broiling fire,' and was used to discover the authors of injurious incantations and sickness. None but the parties concerned were allowed to enter the house selected for the occasion. Near the invalid, a fire was kindled, and covered with stones. A dog, hog or fowl was killed, emboweled, and placed upon the heated oven. During this operation the priests muttered prayers. A small portion of the broiled meat was eaten by him, and the re- Caverns were generally selected as mainder left to be consumed. He then places of sepulture, and the remains of feigned sleep, and in visions to receive many successive generations deposited answers to his orisons, by which he in- in the same. These were frequently formed his patient who or what occa- embalmed by a rude method, the brains sioned his illness. Additional prayers and entrails being taken out. As with and offerings were then required, that the dead of the Indians of North Amerthe disease might fasten itself upon its ica, their property and food were deauthor, or to remove the anger of the posited with them, which were to serve god who sent it. If the priest said he them in their journies to the world of had not been successful, and had receiv- spirits. Enclosures, surrounded by high ed no revelation, he recommended anoth- stone walls, were also employed, each er trial; which advice was commonly family generally possessing a distinct followed, though not always to his satis- cemetery; though sometimes the dead of faction; a rival being frequently sent a whole town were deposited in the same for to exert his influence. Each had cave. The floors of their own houses different methods, upon the degree of were used by some as graves; but a popularity of which their fame depend- great fear prevailed of the shades of ed; and, like civilized quacks, they the departed, whose apparitions were were anxious to extend the réputation of supposed to hover about their final their remedies, at the expense of their resting-places, and injure those who less bold or skilful brethren. As might be expected, they inculcated the belief that the success of their experiments de

came within their reach. In consequence of this ghostly dread, burials were conducted in a private manner,

and in the night. A portion of the bones | consecrated, or made taboo. The duraof the worshippers of Pele were thrown tion of each varied from two to four into the crater, that they might continue nights, and they were called the Kapuin the society of the volcanic deities, ku, 'the proper taboo,' Kapu-hua, ‘fruit and induce them to protect their living taboo,' Kapu-kalua, cooking taboo,' relatives from eruptions. and Kapu-kane, man taboo.' Their astrologers were acquainted with Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn, and also had names for many fixed stars and constellations.

The fishermen believed to some extent, in transmigration, and frequently cast their dead into the sea to be devoured by sharks. Their souls were supposed ever after to animate those fishes, and incline them to respect the bodies of the living, should accident ever throw them into their power.

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place where it was made. Figures of fish and fruit denoted some particular success in the supply at that spot.*

The only approach towards representing language, or ideas, symbolically, was in the rude scratches or carvings of lines, semi-circles, imitations of the The Hawaiian calendar was based human figure and other rough delineupon a very superficial knowledge of ations, occasionally met with on rocks. astronomy; the year being divided into These were done by travelers, and were two seasons, of six months each, sum- intended to record their number, dots mer and winter, according to the length being used for that purpose and rings to of the days and the productiveness of denote those who had circumambulated the vegetable kingdom. The summer the island; if a semi-circle, it showed months were, Ikiiki, May,' Kaaona, that the party had returned from the Hinaiaeleele, Kamahoemua, Kamahoehope, and Ikua, October:' those of the winter, Welehu, Makalii, Kaelo, Kaulua, Nana and Welo. The year commenced with Makalii,December,' and terminated with Welehu, November.' They reckoned but nine times forty nights in their years, and appear to have had no idea of the necessity of intercalary days to cause it to correspond to the true solstices. Each month contained thirty nights: the different days and nights derived their names from the varying aspects of the moon, according to her age. The first night was Hilo, to twist,' because the moon was then a mere thread; the next,

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Its

Beside these scrawls, which can scarcely be admitted as an exception, the language was strictly oral. chief peculiarities were the simple construction of words, predominancy of vowels, uniform termination and shortness of syllables, which were never composed of more than three letters, and generally of but two, while very many have but one. A vowel terminating every word and syllable, renders the language peculiarly soft and harmonious. Its sounds are few and simple, twelve

kahi, Kulua, &scent;' then Ku- letters only being required to represent

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In the moon's first those purely Hawaiian. Of these, when quarter, when the sharp points were reduced to writing, the vowels received lost, the night was called Huna, to the sound peculiar to them in the princonceal;' the succeeding, when it be- cipal languages of the continent of Eucame convex, Mohalu, to spread out;' rope, while the consonants, H, K, L, the next, Hua, 'to increase;' when it M, N, P, W, retained the English acwas quite rotund, Akua, clear;' when cent. It is difficult for an adult Hanearly and quite full, Hoku, Mahealani, waiian to pronounce two consonants and Kulu. Upon the first decrease, without a vowel between them. Latterly, Laaukukahi, and as it continued to di- many words and sounds have been introminish, Olaaukulua, Laaupau, Oleku- duced, which require other letters of the kahi, Olekulua, Olepau, Kaloakukahi, English alphabet, and the language will, Kaloakulua, Kaloapau. When it had al- as intercourse with foreigners increases, most disappeared, Mauli, 'overshadow- become further modified. The vowel ed;' when entirely gone, Muku, terminations are invariably retained. off.' During every month, four periods were set apart, in which the nights were

cut

*Ellis's Tour through Hawaii, p. 431.

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CHAPTER IV.

Manner of carrying Burdens.

Physical appearance of the Hawaiians-Chiefs-
Habits of Common people-Women-Marriage
-Affinities of blood-Friendships-Salutation
Cannibalism-Intemperance-Treatment of sick
-Lunatics-Aged-Infanticide-Examples of-
Treatment of women-Taboos of food-General
character of the Hawaiians previous to contact

with the whites.

said of some that they were able, by taking a man by the head and leg, to break his back across their knees.From three to four hundred pounds was not an uncommon weight. The female chiefs, when young, possessed interesting and intelligent features, which, however, soon became lost, as their bulk HAVING in the preceding chapter increased; fortunately for them, in the sketched an outline of the original po- eyes of their lords, this but heightened litical and religious condition of the Ha- their charms. When these were most waiians, it remains to speak more par- matured, they became almost as helpticularly of their social relations, before less as the belles of the Celestial empire. entering upon their political history. The latter tottered from want of feet of Between the higher and lower orders sufficient size to support frames of there existed a marked difference in scarcely larger proportions; those of the stature and appearance. The former former, though stout, were equally feewere almost invariably tall, stout and ble to sustain the immense bulk above. well formed, with, as age advanced, a Their flesh hung in deep folds about tendency to unwieldy corpulency: the them; their walk was a majestic staglatter were, upon the average, middle ger; but their carriage was lofty and sized, falling somewhat short of the betokened an innate pride of birth and European standard. Six feet and up-rank.

wards were common to the stature of No aristocracy was ever more disthe chiefs of both sexes, with gigantic tinctly marked by nature. As before frames, more capable of exerting great remarked, to a superficial observer, they strength than of endurance. It was might, with reason, have appeared as a

distinct race. The monopoly they en- their disposal; and, from the quantity joyed, of the good gifts of Providence, they daily consumed, particularly of that with the greater exercise of their men- most nutricious diet, poi, it is not surtal faculties, for they did most of the prising they gave such material evidence thinking for the people, served, every of their training. After a surfeit-a generation, to increase the distinction common case-menials were always between the two classes. The great personal size was doubtless partly inherited, and partly the result of early care. The young chiefs, unless they otherwise desired, were always borne on the shoulders of attendants;* their only exercises were games, sufficient to excite and amuse, without greatly fatiguing; no care or toil was theirs; the abundance of the land and sea was at rátion.

ready to do that for the system, which, otherwise, active exercise only could have effected. Servants were especially trained to lomi-lomi; a luxurious kneading or shampooing, and stretching and cracking the joints, exceedingly pleasant withal, and operating as a gentle and refreshing exercise. The fatter the chiefs, the more they required this ope

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casional acts of good nature, or the ebullitions of innate benevolence, which even such an education could not wholly eradicate, were the lot of their subjects.

Among them a considerable degree of physical beauty existed, though on a less noble scale. A few might be seen who were models of active grace, but their general appearance was that of

Their common position was reclining | priestcraft and oppression, varied by ocupon divans of fine mats, surrounded by a retinue, devoted solely to their physical gratification. Some fanned, brushed away insects and held spittoons; others fed them, lomi-lomied, or dressed their hair or persons. In short, the extremes of activity or laziness, temperance or sensuality, were wholly at their option. Ambition and apathy, superstition and avarice, love and pleasure, hewers of wood and drawers of water.' by turns controlled them; and war, They were supple, hardy and inured to *A favorite method of conveyance once existed, toil; yet, either from the debilitating efcalled manele; a rude palanquin borne on the fects of the climate, or a positive physhoulders of four or more men. But it became un-sical inferiority, the result of difference fashionable, from the following circumstance:-A certain extremely corpulent chief of Kauai, remark- of food and living, incapable of the same able for his crabbed, petulant disposition, compelled endurance as the Caucasian race. his carriers to take him up and down the steepest precipices; his amusement and satisfaction being

At the present epoch, the general proportionate with the difficulty of the task. How-cast of features prevailing among the ever, they retorted one day, and relieved themselves whole group, is similar to that of all of their burden, by pitching him headlong over the steep, which put an end to him and the custom. Polynesia, and analogous to the Malay,

to which family of the human race they doubtless belong. A considerable va riety in color exists, from a light olive to an almost African black; the hair is coarse and equally dissimilar, varying from the straight, long black, or dark brown, to the crispy curl peculiar to the negro. This latter is comparatively rare, though white hair among children is common. A broad, open, vulgarly good humored countenance prevails among the males, and a more pleasing and en- Some sentiments relative to connubial gaging look with the females, but both fidelity prevailed which may be said to bespeak the predominance of animal have bordered on morality, or rather passions. Many of the latter, when served in this respect to distinguish them young, are not unattractive. Though from the mere brute. The idea confarther from the equator, both sexes are nected with marriage in their minds is some shades darker than the Tahitians, well indicated by the term used to exMarquesans, or Ascension islanders; all press it-hoao-literally to try one anothof whom excel them in personal beauty. er. After the parties had lived together As with them, a fullness of the nostril, awhile mutually pleased, it was conwithout the peculiar flatness of the sidered disgraceful to separate, though negro, and a general thickness of lips, it was common for those without children prominent and broad cheek bones, and to do so; children being considered a narrow, high and retreating foreheads, strong link, not so much for fidelity as resembling the Asiatic, predominate. for perpetuity. Wives on the slightest Instances of deformity are not more com- suspicion of their husbands were subject mon than in civilized life. Their teeth to very cruel treatment and were often are white, firm and regular; but their severely injured. Even Kamehameha's eyes are generally bloodshot, which queens formed no exception to this sysonce was considered a personal attrac- tem of family discipline and the highest tion. The hands of the females are females of the land bore marks about soft and well made, with tapering fingers. their persons of the jealous brutality of At maturity, which takes place from ten their lords. to twelve years of age, they present slight figures, which however soon disappear and are succeeded by stoutness which in their eyes is the greater charm. No regular marriage ceremonies ex-manu, even at the risk of a rebellion; isted, though, on such occasions, it was customary for the bridegroom to cast a piece of cloth on the bride, in the presence of her family. A feast was then furnished by the friends of both parties. The number of wives depended upon the inclination of the man, and his ability to support them. Though the common men usually lived with one woman, who performed household labors, no binding tie existed; each party consulting their wishes for change, joining or separating, as they agreed or disagreed. As a general thing, there was no such sentiment as chastity; sensual desires were gratified as choice prompted; their only rules being their wishes, modified by

jealousy or fear. The very reverse of christian morality prevailed in this respect, for it was considered a meanness for a man or woman to refuse a solicitation for sensual gratification. Visitors of equal or greater rank than their hosts, were accommodated with women, as a necessary exercise of hospitality. But the wives of the chiefs were guarded with great care, to prevent their indulging in too great license.

Adultery, without the consent of the husband, was viewed as a crime. Kamehameha, in 1809, strangled Kanihonui, a high chief, for this offence with Kaahu

and later still, suspecting one of his priests of a similar practice, he laid a trap for him by which he was exposed. He was immediately executed.

Children were betrothed when quite young, and were then sacredly guarded by their parents from intercourse with others; a practice which being quite common, operated as some restraint on universal licentiousness. Common and frequent prostitution was considered in some degree disreputable and it was enjoined by the better class of parents on their sons to avoid it.

Family alliances among the chiefs, or, more properly speaking, connections, were of the most intricate and shocking

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