AN EPIDEMIC. 243 



to rip open his stomach, take out the bowels, 

 clean them, and replace them. Karemaku 

 laughed, and said he would submit to the 

 operation, if it was necessary to his perfect 

 recovery. Some old women, however, who 

 were present, took the matter in sober serious- 

 ness, and spread among the people a report 

 of the dreadful treatment their beloved Kare- 

 maku was threatened with ; a terrible disturb- 

 ance in Hanaruro was the consequence. The 

 people believed I intended to kill him, and 

 were excessively irritated against me. Kare- 

 maku himself sent me this intelligence through 

 Marini ; adding a request, that I would not 

 come ashore again till he had overcome this fool- 

 ish idea, which was accomplished in a few days. 

 The feeling manifested on this occasion was 

 certainly honourable both to the governor and 

 the governed. 



An epidemic disease prevailed this year 

 throughout the Sandwich Islands. It pro- 

 duced a great mortality, death generally fol- 

 lowing the attack within a few days. In Ha- 

 naruro I saw many corpses daily carried to their 

 burial; but nowhere is recovery from serious 

 M 2 



