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and disappearing as the pallid lustre fell upon their forms and faded
away again。 Even to this day； it is said； the natives hold this dread
structure in awe and reverence； and will not pass by it in the night。
At noon I observed a bevy of nude native young ladies bathing in the sea；
and went and sat down on their clothes to keep them from being stolen。
I begged them to come out； for the sea was rising and I was satisfied
that they were running some risk。 But they were not afraid； and
presently went on with their sport。 They were finished swimmers and
divers； and enjoyed themselves to the last degree。
They swam races； splashed and ducked and tumbled each other about； and
filled the air with their laughter。 It is said that the first thing an
Islander learns is how to swim； learning to walk being a matter of
smaller consequence； comes afterward。 One hears tales of native men and
women swimming ashore from vessels many miles at seamore miles； indeed；
than I dare vouch for or even mention。 And they tell of a native diver
who went down in thirty or forty…foot waters and brought up an anvil！
I think he swallowed the anvil afterward； if my memory serves me。
However I will not urge this point。
I have spoken； several times； of the god LonoI may as well furnish two
or three sentences concerning him。
The idol the natives worshipped for him was a slender； unornamented staff
twelve feet long。 Tradition says he was a favorite god on the Island of
Hawaiia great king who had been deified for meritorious servicesjust
our own fashion of rewarding heroes； with the difference that we would
have made him a Postmaster instead of a god； no doubt。 In an angry
moment he slew his wife； a goddess named Kaikilani Aiii。 Remorse of
conscience drove him mad； and tradition presents us the singular
spectacle of a god traveling 〃on the shoulder；〃 for in his gnawing grief
he wandered about from place to place boxing and wrestling with all whom
he met。 Of course this pastime soon lost its novelty； inasmuch as it
must necessarily have been the case that when so powerful a deity sent a
frail human opponent 〃to grass〃 he never came back any more。 Therefore；
he instituted games called makahiki； and ordered that they should be held
in his honor； and then sailed for foreign lands on a three…cornered raft；
stating that he would return some dayand that was the last of Lono。
He was never seen any more； his raft got swamped； perhaps。 But the
people always expected his return； and thus they were easily led to
accept Captain Cook as the restored god。
Some of the old natives believed Cook was Lono to the day of their death；
but many did not； for they could not understand how he could die if he
was a god。
Only a mile or so from Kealakekua Bay is a spot of historic interestthe
place where the last battle was fought for idolatry。 Of course we
visited it； and came away as wise as most people do who go and gaze upon
such mementoes of the past when in an unreflective mood。
While the first missionaries were on their way around the Horn； the
idolatrous customs which had obtained in the island； as far back as
tradition reached were suddenly broken up。 Old Kamehameha I。； was dead；
and his son； Liholiho； the new King was a free liver； a roystering；
dissolute fellow； and hated the restraints of the ancient tabu。 His
assistant in the Government； Kaahumanu； the Queen dowager； was proud and
high…spirited； and hated the tabu because it restricted the privileges of
her sex and degraded all women very nearly to the level of brutes。
So the case stood。 Liholiho had half a mind to put his foot down；
Kaahumahu had a whole mind to badger him into doing it； and whiskey did
the rest。 It was probably the rest。 It was probably the first time
whiskey ever prominently figured as an aid to civilization。 Liholiho
came up to Kailua as drunk as a piper； and attended a great feast； the
determined Queen spurred his drunken courage up to a reckless pitch； and
then； while all the multitude stared in blank dismay； he moved
deliberately forward and sat down with the women！
They saw him eat from the same vessel with them； and were appalled！
Terrible moments drifted slowly by； and still the King ate； still he
lived； still the lightnings of the insulted gods were withheld！
Then conviction came like a revelationthe superstitions of a hundred
generations passed from before the people like a cloud； and a shout went
up； 〃the tabu is broken！ the tabu is broken！〃
Thus did King Liholiho and his dreadful whiskey preach the first sermon
and prepare the way for the new gospel that was speeding southward over
the waves of the Atlantic。
The tabu broken and destruction failing to follow the awful sacrilege；
the people； with that childlike precipitancy which has always
characterized them； jumped to the conclusion that their gods were a weak
and wretched swindle； just as they formerly jumped to the conclusion that
Captain Cook was no god； merely because he groaned； and promptly killed
him without stopping to inquire whether a god might not groan as well as
a man if it suited his convenience to do it； and satisfied that the idols
were powerless to protect themselves they went to work at once and pulled
them downhacked them to piecesapplied the torchannihilated them！
The pagan priests were furious。 And well they might be； they had held
the fattest offices in the land； and now they were beggared； they had
been greatthey had stood above the chiefsand now they were vagabonds。
They raised a revolt； they scared a number of people into joining their
standard； and Bekuokalani； an ambitious offshoot of royalty； was easily
persuaded to become their leader。
In the first skirmish the idolaters triumphed over the royal army sent
against them； and full of confidence they resolved to march upon Kailua。
The King sent an envoy to try and conciliate them； and came very near
being an envoy short by the operation； the savages not only refused to
listen to him； but wanted to kill him。 So the King sent his men forth
under Major General Kalaimoku and the two host met a Kuamoo。 The battle
was long and fiercemen and women fighting side by side； as was the
customand when the day was done the rebels were flying in every
direction in hopeless panic； and idolatry and the tabu were dead in the
land！
The royalists marched gayly home to Kailua glorifying the new
dispensation。 〃There is no power in the gods；〃 said they； 〃they are a
vanity and a lie。 The army with idols was weak； the army without idols
was strong and victorious！〃
The nation was without a religion。
The missionary ship arrived in safety shortly afterward； timed by
providential exactness to meet the emergency； and the Gospel was planted
as in a virgin soil。
CHAPTER LXXIII。
At noon； we hired a Kanaka to take us down to the ancient ruins at
Honaunan in his canoeprice two dollarsreasonable enough； for a sea
voyage of eight miles； counting both ways。
The native canoe is an irresponsible looking contrivance。 I cannot think
of anything to liken it to but a boy's sled runner hollowed out； and that
does not quite convey the correct idea。 I