64 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



only serve to tempt the vengeance of the deities 

 whose sanctuary she was about to violate. She 

 proceeded, however, to the verge of the crater, 

 and being again assailed with their entreaties, she 

 calmly replied, "I am resolved to descend ; and 

 if I do not return safe, then continue to worship 

 Peli ; but, if I come back unhurt, you must learn 

 to adore the God who created Peli." 



Few of her attendants had sufficient courage 

 to follow this heroic woman ; but she steadily 

 persevered, and at length reaching the bottom of 

 the dreadful chasm, she triumphantly thrust a 

 stick into'the burning lava, and for ever dissolved 

 the spell of superstition which till that moment 

 had bound the minds of the astonished specta- 

 tors. Those who had expected to see the in- 

 censed goddess burst forth and destroy the daring 

 intruder, were awe-struck ; they instantly ac- 

 knowledged the superiority of the God of Ka- 

 piolani; and from that time no reverence has 

 been paid to the fires of Peli. 



23th. When I came down to the library early 

 this morning, my uncle asked me several histo- 

 rical questions : taken thus by surprise, I should 

 some months ago have been unable to answer, 

 though, perhaps, I might have been acquainted 

 with the facts ; but now I conquered my diffi- 

 culties in a tolerably satisfactory manner ; and 



