KAUAI AND OAHU. 53 



walked to Mr. Smith's church, the children of the governor and chiefs 

 heading the procession. I was invited in due form to the feast, and 

 as it was a place where I anticipated some display of the native 

 character, I made a point of going. On my arrival at the church I 

 found several tables set out, one for the accommodation of the chiefs, 

 furnished as we see for a 4th of July lunch at home, with hams, tur- 

 keys, chickens, pies, &c. The common people's children took their 

 poe and raw fish on the floor. 



On arriving at the church, the governor became master of ceremo- 

 nies, and with his numerous aids endeavoured to direct the throng ; 

 but all were too eager to get the most convenient seats to heed his 

 commands, and the uproar was great. Some stopped short of their 

 allotted place, and the church soon became a human hive. The 

 governor did his utmost to maintain order and silence, but his voice 

 was not heard ; for in such a moment the anxiety he was under to 

 have things conducted with good order, caused him for a time to lose 

 sight of his usual urbanity and decorum of behaviour. He in fact 

 showed that a little of the unbridled ferocity of former times was 

 still within him, which moved him repeatedly to use his fist, and that 

 too upon the fair sex, tumbling them over amid calabashes of poe, raw 

 fish, &c, but with little injury to the individuals. Order was at last 

 restored for a few minutes, during which grace was said by the Rev. 

 Mr. Smith ; which being ended, the clatter of tongues, clashing of 

 teeth, and smacking of lips began. It was a joyous sight to see fifteen 

 hundred human beings so happy and gratified by this molasses feast : 

 poe and raw fish were the only additions. The latter are every-day 

 food, so that the molasses constituted the special treat. So great is the 

 fondness of the natives for it, that I was told many are induced to send 

 their children to school, merely to entitle them to be present at this 

 feast. It was not a little amusing to see the wistful faces without, con- 

 trasted with the joyous and happy ones within ; in one place might be 

 seen a sturdy native biting a piece from a raw fish, and near him ano- 

 ther sucking the poe off his fingers, with much grace and sleight of 

 hand. The molasses was either drank with water or sucked from the 

 fingers. I thought that selfishness predominated among the crowd ; the 

 parents and children did not entirely harmonize as to the share that 

 was due to each, and none seemed fully satisfied. Of the molasses 

 there was " short commons;" but, all things considered, the feast went 

 off well. I regretted it had not been held in the open fields, and that 

 the natives were not allowed to have the whole management, without 

 being so immediately under the eye of their teachers; for though suffi- 



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