50 HAWAIIANGROUP. 



some light wood. After they have passed within the surf, they are 

 seen buffeting the waves, to regain the outside, whence they again 

 take their course, with almost the speed of an aerial flight. They 

 play for hours in this way, never seeming to tire ; and the time to see 

 a Hawaiian happy, is while he is gambolling and frolicking in the 

 surf I have stood for hours watching their sport with great interest, 

 and, I must say, with no little envy. 



Next in interest to the foregoing amusements, were their dances. 

 Some of these consisted, as among the other islanders, in gesture to 

 a monotonous song, whose lascivious meaning was easily interpreted. 

 Many persons were engaged in these dances, of which some are said 

 to have been graceful; but if so, the people must have sadly changed 

 since their first intercourse with the whites. 



Their music consisted of drumming on various hollow vessels, 

 calabashes, &c. ; but the instrument most used by those who could 

 afford one, was a piece of shark's skin, drawn tight over a hollow log. 

 Since the introduction of Christianity, these amusements have been 

 interdicted ; for, although the missionaries were somewhat averse to 

 destroying those of an innocent character, yet, such was the proneness 

 of all to indulge in lascivious thoughts and actions, that it was deemed 

 by them necessary to put a stop to the whole, in order to root out the 

 licentiousness that pervaded the land. They therefore discourage 

 any kind of nocturnal assemblies, as they are well satisfied that it 

 would talie but little to revive these immoral propensities with more 

 force than ever. The watchfulness of the government, police, and 

 missionaries, is constantly required to enforce the due observance of 

 the laws. 



The principal games now in vogue among them, are cards, of 

 which, as they minister to their love of gambling, they are passion- 

 ately fond, and often indulge in. 



They had likewise the amusement of see-saw, which has not yet 

 gone quite out of fashion, and is performed in a manner somewhat 

 different from ours. A forked post is placed in the ground ; on this 

 a long pole is placed, which admits several on each side. After two 

 or three ups and downs, they try which shall give the opposite party 

 a tumble. This is, at times, adroitly done, and down they all fall, to 

 the infinite amusement both of their adversaries and the bystanders, 

 who indulge in loud laughter and merriment at the expense of those 

 who are so unlucky as to get hurt. They are particularly ungallant, 

 in this respect, to their female associates. 



