m 



XS^Mi 1 "" HAWAIIAN GROUP, OR 



Cruise of tlic tendei to K.auai. 

 Island of KuaaJ. 



plain, tlit? road to which is well covered with dust. 

 The whole looks, when die crowd has possession of 

 it, not unlike a raj,' fair, the predominant colour 

 being yellow. They art; generally well behaved, 

 and the only sufferer* are the poor horses, who are 

 kept running, not races only, but for the amuse- 

 ment of the riders, whose great delight is to ridt> at 

 full speed. At ttmtii there are raees, in which cast! 

 the crowd is increased by the addition of the fo- 

 reigners, many of w hom are in a state of intoxica- 

 tion. The uproar o» proportionably great, and the 

 natives nre less conspicuous, their places being oc- 

 cupied by those whose morals and enjoyments are 

 far from being as innocent. When hi* majesty and 

 suite are present, much more order and decorum 

 are observed, ami the whole affords a pleasing and 

 amusing sight, The returning throng i~ le ad* d by 

 the king and his party, after w hum follow the crowd 

 in a somewhat upr-arious th.»e mi horse-, 



indiscriminately mixed, racing and hallooing; the 

 fair riders being borne along, amidst clouds Of dust 

 so thick, that were it not for the rustling of flow- 

 ing silks and tapas, one would be at a loss to 

 know their sex. By the evening, all is again 

 t|iiiet, the streets are nearly deserted, and Sun- 

 day is ushered in with a decorum and quiet- 

 ness that wuuld satisfy the most scrupulous Pu- 

 ritan. 



I was much struck with the absence of sports 

 among the bays aud children. On inquiry, 1 

 learned, that it had, after mature deliberation and 

 experience, bom considered advisable by the mis- 

 sionaries to deprive them of all their heathenish 

 enjoyments, rather than allow them to occupy 

 their minds with any thing that might recall old 

 associations. The consequence is, tliat the Ha- 

 waiian boys are staid aud demure, having the quiel 

 looks of oid men. I cannot doubt that they possess 

 the natural tendency of youth towards frolicksome 

 relaxations; but the fear of offending keeps aeon- 

 slant restraint over them. It might be well, per- 

 haps, to introduce some innocent amusement*; and 

 indeed I believe tills has been attempted, for 1 oc- 

 casionally saw them flying kites. 



Among our other duties at this time, a court- 

 martial became necessary. The services we were 

 engaged in had rendered it impossible to convene 

 one prior to our arrival here; and if it had not 

 been for the imperative necessity of making an 

 example in the case of two marines on hoard the 

 Peacock, I should have been inclined Btill to defer 

 it from want of time;- Besides the two marines, 

 there was an unruly fellow by the name of Sweeny, 

 an Englishman, who had been shipped in the ten- 

 der at New Zealand, and was at rimes so riotous 

 on board my ship, that I determined to try him 

 also. A court composed of the oldest officers of 

 the squadron sentenced them "to bo flogged at 

 such time and place as the commander of the 

 squadron might think proper." Understanding 

 from our consul that the sailors of the whaling 

 fleet, as is most generally the case, were disposed 

 to be disorderly, and my interference having been 

 several times asked for, 1 thought it a good oppor- 

 tunity to show the crews of ail these vessels that 

 authority to punish offences existed. I therefore 

 ordered the sentence of the court to be put into 

 execution publicly, after the usual maimer in such 

 cases; a part of the punishment to be inflicted at 

 each vessel, diminishing very much its extent in 



the eases of the two marines. At the time of thu 

 infliction of the punishment 1 received a Idler 

 from the most respectable portion of the crew, 

 requesting Sweeny's discharge, and stating that he 

 was a trcuhlcsome character. To injure his dis- 

 missal, they offered to pay nil the debts he might 

 owe to the government. As he had no claim on 

 the squudroii or flag, which, 1 waB afterwards lobl, 

 he had frequently cursed, and as he had been 

 only six month* in the squadron (having joined it 

 with scarce a shirt to his hack), I resolved to com- 

 ply with the men's request, and sent him out of 

 the squadron at once, with bin Lag and hammock, 

 far better off than when he joined us. The ship 

 became orderly again, having got rid of one of the 

 greatest of the many rascals who are found roam- 

 ing about Polynesia, 



This act, together with the legal punishment of 

 the marines for refusing to do duty, when their 

 time of service had not expired, was another of the 

 nnuiy complain ts brought against me on my 

 return. 



The men's time of liberty having expired, they 

 were again received on board, heartily aick of their 

 frolic. They were remarkably orderly and m II- 

 behaved while on shore; and indeed the potiee is 

 so efficient that U would have been impossible for 

 them to be riotous, if so disponed, without tinding 

 iheiiisrlw-. prisoners in the fi.rt. I must here do 

 Governor Kekuanaoa the justice to say, that he 

 perforins the part of a most excellent and ener- 

 getic magistrate, and while he iiinists on others 

 conforming to tin* laws, he is equally mindful of 

 them himself. His fault, if he errs, lies in cany- 

 ing them into effect loo quickly aud without suffi- 

 cient examination. 



Desirous of having as thorough an examination 

 made of all the islands of the group as possible, 

 arid the repairs of the tender being completed, 1 

 put Mr. Knox in charge of her, aud sent her with 

 several of the naturalists to the island of Kauai, with 

 instructions to laud them, on their return, on the 

 west side of Oaliu, for its examination. 



On landing at Koloa, they entered an extensive 

 level plain, bounded by a ridge of mountains, and 

 cultivated in sugar-cane and mulberries. Captain 

 Stetson has au establishment here built of adobes, 

 but these are not found to he adapted to the cli- 

 mate. The environs uf Koloa afford some pas- 

 turage; the soil is good, though dry aud very 

 stony; the grass and foliage, however, luoked 

 luxuriant. About two miles from Koloa, Captain 

 Stetson has his silk establishment, consisting uf 

 mulberry -grounds, cocoonery, Ac. 



Agreeably to instructions, the naturalists divided 

 themselves into three parties — one, consisting of 

 Dr. Pickering and Mr. Brackenridge, was to cross 

 over the centre of rhe island, from Wninua to 

 Halelea, observing lire hotany of the high ground; 

 another, comprising Messrs. Peale and Rich, was 

 to proceed along the coast on its eastern side ; and 

 the third party, Messrs. Dana and Agate, intended 

 to pursue an intermediate course, to view the 

 scenery, geological formation, Ac. The schooner 

 was in the mean rime to make some examina- 

 tions of the ruadsteads and small harbours uf rhe 

 island. 



There were two old craters near the beach, 

 which were visited. Only a few trees were ob- 

 served. On the low wet grounds are taro-patcln m 



