HAWAIIAN GROUP. 45 



named Thompson, who was married to Kaiha, a female chief, was 

 going to Hawaii, having on board many passengers, on getting into 

 the straits between Maui and Hawaii the schooner foundered, and all 

 on board, forty-five in number, were obliged to take to swimming for 

 safety. Thompson could swim but little, but his wife was quite expert 

 in the art; she promptly came to his aid, placed him on an oar, and 

 swam for the shore. The accident occurred on Sunday about noon, 

 when she with many others began to swim for the nearest land, which 

 was Kahoolawe. She continued to support her husband until Monday 

 morning, when he died from exhaustion, and she did not succeed in 

 reaching the shore until that afternoon. She clung to him to the last, 

 at the imminent risk of her own life, and was thirty hours in the 

 water ; she was met by some fishermen on landing, who took charge 

 of, and brought her back to Maui. 



I have also been told that there are many instances of such deep 

 attachment among the Hawaiians, and that in former times widows 

 and widowers have been known to commit suicide, or pine away with 

 grief at the loss of their partners. Similar evidences of affection and 

 attachment were also exhibited between parents and children. 



Notwithstanding the instances of this kind, I must say from my 

 own observation, that I should not be inclined to believe there is much 

 natural affection among them ; nor is there apparently any domestic 

 happiness. Thus, it is not an unusual thing for a husband to tell you 

 he has whipped his wife, because she has eaten up all his poe and fish. 

 Formerly their laws of taboo were calculated to produce any thing 

 but a kindly feeling towards the female sex ; nor is it contended that 

 they were of much if any consequence, if they were not of the highest 

 class. These, as has already been mentioned, have great influence 

 over the acts of government. 



At the time of the advent of the missionaries, marriage was hardly 

 known among them, and all the rules they observed, in relation to 

 sexual intercourse, were a few regulating the extent of their licentious- 

 ness. From tradition, however, it is believed that the marriage tie 

 was more regarded prior to the discovery of the island than since. 

 Yet it is good evidence that this tie produced no greater happiness, or 

 rather that they did not look to it as a source of happiness, when it is 

 found that none of their songs, elegies, or other poetic effusions, have 

 any allusion to it ; nor are there any terms in the language to express 

 connubial bliss. 



The natives of this group generally show very little attachment to 

 their children. All classes of females are unwilling to be burdened 

 with the trouble of them, and, whenever it is possible, commit them 



