HAWAIIAN GROUP. 47 



is about six feet in length and eighteen inches wide, made of some light 

 wood. After they have passed within the surf, they are seen buffeting 

 the w r aves, 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, cala- 

 bashes, &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 w r as 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 

 take 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 passionately 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 w T ho 

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

 respect, to their female associates. 



The practice of medicine was not known in ancient times ; they 

 had then no physicians, and the only medical treatment, if such it may 



