194 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



forehead is the Re of beautiful yellow feathers which is bound 

 upon it. I have repeatedly seen women with hair of two, and, in 

 some instances, of three distinct colors. Deep black and chestnut- 

 brown ; not promiscuously mingled throughout, but lying in 

 separate masses ; and in the rare instances of which I have 

 spoken, they were black, brown, and a kind of ash color, giving 

 to the head a most singular appearance. I had supposed that 

 this party-colored character of the hair was the etfect of art, but 

 was soon informed to the contrary, and perceived that by the 

 natives themselves it was considered a deformity. 

 ' 8th. — Mr. N. and myself are now fairly domiciliated. We occu- 

 py a large and commodious room, in a building called the Pagoda, 

 which is in a central part of the town ; from our front windows 

 we have a fine view of the harbor and the shipping, and from a 

 balcony in the rear, we can see almost the entire length of the 

 lovely valley of Nuano, with its bold and rugged rocks, and the 

 luxuriant verdure on their sides; while nearer, the little square 

 taro patches, crowded together over the intermediate plain, look 

 like pretty garden plots, as the' broad green leaves of the plant 

 are tinted by the sunbeams. 



In the afternoon, a gentleman somewhat past middle age, in 

 a plain, but neat garb, called upon me, and introduced himself 

 as the Rev. Hiram Bingham, one of the missionaries resident 

 upon the island. He gave me a very interesting account of the 

 first landing and establishment of the missionaries at the Sand- 

 wich Islands, and discoursed very pleasantly upon ordinary 

 * topics for half an hour. As Mr. N. was absent on a concholo- 

 gical excursion, I had the good man all to myself, and I may 

 truly say, I have rarely spent a half hour more agreeably. I 

 was particularly interested in Mr. Bingham, from the circum- 

 stance of his being one of the oldest missionaries at these islands, 

 and from the knowledge (which I had before acquired) of the 

 very great influence he had exerted in the establishment of the 



