44 H A W A 1 1 A N G R O U P. 



suicide ; thus averaging one a year in the whole group, besides two 

 cases of manslaughter. 



The mythology of the Hawaiians is extensive and complicated; but 

 their gods are fast being forgotten, and few are willing to spend much 

 time in attending to them. Little information on this subject is to be 

 derived from any one with whom I had an opportunity of conversing. 

 What is known is contained in published accounts. 



Traditions were extremely numerous, and many have been already 

 published in the Hawaiian Spectator. 



The Hawaiians appear to have but little knowledge of astronomy. 

 Hoapili, who died a short time before our arrival, was accounted one 

 of their most skilful astrologers. They had some knowledge of the 

 planets, with five of which they were acquainted, viz. : Mercury 

 (Kawela), Venus (Naholoholo), Jupiter (Hoomanalonala), Mars (Holo- 

 kolapinaau), Saturn (Mukula). There was a class of persons whose 

 employment was to watch tlie motions of the stars, and who from prac- 

 tice became tolerably accurate observers of many celestial phenomena. 

 They were in the habit of telling the hour of the night quite as cor- 

 rectly as they did the hour of the day by the sun. This remark 

 applies more particularly to the fishermen and those who were em- 

 ployed during the night. 



It was by the particular position of the planets (or "wandering 

 stars") in relation to certaiii fixed ones, that their soothsayers grounded 

 their predictions of the fate of battles, and the success of all enter- 

 prises. 



The contiguity of the planets to certain fixed stars and constella- 

 tions, some of which had names, foretold the speedy death of some 

 chief The goddess of volcanoes (Pele) was supposed to hold inter- 

 course with the travelling stars, and from their movements hers were 

 oftentimes predicted. 



The motions of the stars in the vicinity of the north pole attracted 

 much of their attention, and was often a subject of discussion among 

 their astrologers. These they designated as the regular travelling 

 stars, the planets were the wandering ones. 



Of the true motions, they had no knowledge whatever. Their best 

 chronologists measured time by means both of the moon and fixed 

 stars. The year was divided into twelve months, and each month into 

 thirty days. They had a distinct name for each of the days of the 

 month. The following is a copy of the Hawaiian calendar. 



