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212 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



were on the look out, and was echoed all round the neighbor- 

 hood. The king, who had of late become unusually dull and 

 spiritless, seemed suddenly to have acquired new life. He was 

 seen rushing out of the house, like one distraught, and jumping 

 and capering all about in a perfect agony of joy. Seeing me 

 near him, he grasped my hand in the most cordial manner, while 

 his eyes filled with tears : " We shall go back to Oahu, hauri, 

 my people want me again ; the wind has changed, and this ship 

 is sent to take me away." 



I participated in the anxiety of the king to return ; for, in ad- 

 dition to the ennui which is always the accompaniment of a 

 forced detention, even in pleasant places, I feared that our brig 

 would leave the islands for the Columbia without us, and we 

 should thus lose the opportunity of hailing the opening of spring, 

 in our western world, the season which, of all others, is the most 

 interesting to us. 



Next morning a messenger came to the king from Waimea, a 

 port about fourteen miles distant, with information that the 

 schooner which we had seen, had put in there, and only waited 

 the embarkation of his majesty to steer direct for Oahu. No 

 time was lost in taking advantage of this opportunity; and at 

 noon, the spot, which the day before had swarmed with hundreds 

 of dingy natives, was silent and untenanted. 



On the day following, learning that the schooner had not sail- 

 ed, and fearing that the Avon would not arrive early enough,! wrote 

 a letter to the king, requesting a passage for Mr. N. and myself, 

 with him. To this, — which I sent by a runner, — the following 

 laconic reply was received. It was directed "To the missionary, 

 Mr. Gulick," and is rendered literally from the native language : 

 " Say thou to the foreigners, we have sailed. Let them look out 

 when we arrive there. King Kauikeaouli." 



The an-ival spoken of, alluded to the vessel passing the port 



