0(U? Demure character of the Hawaiian TI . ,,, . TT , ,, OT>/ -, TTT , ,-. 

 boys.-Court-martial held. HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR 



Cruise of the tender to Kauai. 

 Island of Kauai. 



plain, the road to which is well covered with dust. 

 The whole looks, when the crowd has possession of 

 it, not unlike a rag fair, the predominant colour 

 being yellow. They are generally well behaved, 

 and the only sufferers are the poor horses, who are 

 kept running, not races only, but for the amuse- 

 ment of the riders, whose great delight is to ride at 

 full speed. At times there are races, in which case 

 the crowd is increased by the addition of the fo- 

 reigners, many of whom are in a state of intoxica- 

 tion. The uproar is proportionably great, and the 

 natives are less conspicuous, their places being oc- 

 cupied by those whose morals and enjoyments are 

 far from being as innocent. When his majesty and 

 suite are present, much more order and decorum 

 are observed, and the whole affords a pleasing and 

 amusing sight. The returning throng is headed by 

 the king and his party, after whom follow the crowd 

 in a somewhat uproarious style; those on horses 

 indiscriminately mixed, racing and hallooing; the 

 fair riders being borne along, amidst clouds of dust 

 so thick, that were it not for the rustling of flow- 

 ing silks and tapas, one would be at a loss to 

 know their sex. By the evening, all is again 

 quiet, the streets are nearly deserted, and Sun- 

 day is ushered in with a decorum and quiet- 

 ness that would satisfy the most scrupulous Pu- 

 ritan. 



I was much struck with the absence of sports 

 among the boys and children. On inquiry, I 

 learned, that it had, after mature deliberation and 

 experience, been considered advisable by the mis- 

 sionaries to deprive them of all their heathenish 

 enjoyments, rather than allow them to occupy 

 their minds with any thing that might recall old 

 associations. The consequence is, that the Ha- 

 waiian boys are staid and demure, having the quiet 

 looks of old men. I cannot doubt that they possess 

 the natural tendency of youth towards frolicksome 

 relaxations; but the fear of offending keeps a con- 

 stant restraint over them. It might be well, per- 

 haps, to introduce some innocent amusements; and 

 indeed I believe this has been attempted, for I oc- 

 casionally saw them flying kites. 



Among our other duties at this time, a court- 

 martial became necessary. The services we were 

 engaged in had rendered it impossible to convene 

 one prior to our arrival here; and if it had not 

 been for the imperative necessity of making an 

 example in the case of two marines on board the 

 Peacock, I should have been inclined still to defer 

 it from want of time. Besides the two marines, 

 there was an unruly fellow by the name of Sweeny, 

 an Englishman, who had been shipped in the ten- 

 der at New Zealand, and was at times so riotous 

 on board my ship, that I determined to try him 

 also. A court composed of the oldest officers of 

 the squadron sentenced them "to be flogged at 

 such time and place as the commander of the 

 squadron might think proper." Understanding 

 from our consul that the sailors of the whaling 

 fleet, as is most generally the case, were disposed 

 to be disorderly, and my interference having been 

 several times asked for, I thought it a good oppor- 

 tunity to show the crews of all these vessels that 

 authority to punish offences existed. I therefore 

 ordered the sentence of the court to be put into 

 execution publicly, after the usual manner in such 

 cases; a part of the punishment to be inflicted at 

 each vessel, diminishing very much its extent in 



the cases of the two marines. At the time of the 

 infliction of the punishment I received a letter 

 from the most respectable portion of the crew, 

 requesting Sweeny's discharge, and stating that he 

 was a troublesome character. To insure his dis- 

 missal, they offered to pay all the debts he might 

 owe to the government. As he had no claim on 

 the squadron or flag, which, I was afterwards told, 

 he had frequently cursed, and as he had been 

 only six months in the squadron (having joined it 

 with scarce a shirt to his back), I resolved to com- 

 ply with the men's request, and sent him out of 

 the squadron at once, with his bag and hammock, 

 far better off than when he joined us. The ship 

 became orderly again, having got rid of one of the 

 greatest of the many rascals who are found roam- 

 ing about Polynesia. 



This act, together with the legal punishment of 

 the marines for refusing to do duty, when their 

 time of service had not expired, was another of the 

 many complaints brought against me on my 

 return. 



The men's time of liberty having expired, they 

 were again received on board, heartily sick of their 

 frolic. They were remarkably orderly and well- 

 behaved while on shore; and indeed the police is 

 so efficient that it would have been impossible for 

 them to be riotous, if so disposed, without finding 

 themselves prisoners in the fort. I must here do 

 Governor Kekuanaoa the justice to say, that he 

 pei-forms the part of a most excellent and ener- 

 getic magistrate, and while he insists on others 

 conforming to the laws, he is equally mindful of 

 them himself. His fault, if he errs, lies in carry- 

 ing them into effect too quickly and without suffi- 

 cient examination. 



Desirous of having as thorough an examination 

 made of all the islands of the group as possible, 

 and the repairs of the tender being completed, I 

 put Mr. Knox in charge of her, and sent her with 

 several of the naturalists to the island of Kauai, with 

 instructions to land them, on their return, on the 

 west side of Oahu, for its examination. 



On landing at Koloa, they entered an extensive 

 level plain, bounded by a ridge of mountains, and 

 cultivated in sugar-cane and mulberries. Captain 

 Stetson has an establishment here built of adobes, 

 but these are not found to be adapted to the cli- 

 mate. The environs of Koloa afford some pas- 

 turage; the soil is good, though dry and very 

 stony; the grass and foliage, however, looked 

 luxuriant. About two miles from Koloa, Captain 

 Stetson has his silk establishment, consisting of 

 mulberry-grounds, cocoonery, &c. 



Agreeably to instructions, the naturalists divided 

 themselves into three parties one, consisting of 

 Dr. Pickering and Mr. Brackenridge, was to cross 

 over the centre of the island, from Waimea to 

 Halelea, observing the botany of the high ground ; 

 another, comprising Messrs. Peale and Rich, was 

 to proceed along the coast on its eastern side ; and 

 the third party, Messrs. Dana and Agate, intended 

 to pursue an intermediate course, to view the 

 scenery, geological formation, &c. The schooner 

 was in the mean time to make some examina- 

 tions of the roadsteads and small harbours of the 

 island. 



There were two old craters near the beach, 

 which were visited. Only a few trees were ob- 

 served. On the low wet grounds are taro-patches 



