504 APPENDIX. 



THE KING TO THE UNITED STATES CONSUL. 



[ Translation. ] 



Kauwila House, present residence of the 



King of Hawaii, October 28th, 1839. 



My respects to you, the American Consul, — 



I have received your letter asking questions respecting the American 

 missionaries, supposed by some to regulate the acts of my government 

 under me ; I, together with the chiefs under me, now clearly declare 

 to you, that we do not see any thing in which your questions are appli- 

 cable to the American missionaries. From the time the missionaries 

 first arrived, they have asked liberty to dwell in these islands. Com- 

 municating instructions in letters, and delivering the word of God has 

 been their business. 



They were hesitatingly permitted to remain by the chiefs of that 

 time, because they were said to be about to take away the country. 

 We exercised forbearance, however, and protected all the missionaries, 

 and as they frequently arrived in this country, we permitted them to 

 remain in this kingdom because they asked it, and when we saw the 

 excellence of their labours, then some of the chiefs and people turned 

 to them in order to be instructed in letters, for those things were in our 

 opinion really true. 



When the priests of the Romish religion landed at these islands, they 

 did not first make known to us their desire to dwell on the islands, and 

 also their business. There was not a clear understanding with this 

 company of priests as there was with that; because they landed in 

 the country secretly, without Kaahumanu's hearing any thing about 

 their remaining here. 



When the number of the followers of the Romish religion became 

 considerable, certain captains of whale-ships told Kaahumanu of the 



evil of this way, and thus Captain D informed me of a great 



destruction in Britain in ancient time, and that his ancestors died in 

 that slaughter, and he thought a like would soon be done here. That 

 was the company who informed us of the evil of the Romish religion, 

 and also a certain French man-of-war, and a certain British man-of- 

 war, approved of what we did. 



Inasmuch as I do not know of the American missionaries having 

 had any thing to do in my business with my chiefs, I have therefore 

 inquired of them, the chiefs, and they say, no, in the same manner as 

 1 now say, no, to you. 



