VOYAGE TO THE 
Tamchameha was no sooner dead than his son Eio-Kio, who sue- 
ceeded him, effected the most important change the country had 
yet experienced. Having held conferences with the chiefs, and ob- 
tained the sanction of Keopuolani, a powerful female of rank, he ordered 
all the morals to be destroyed, and declared the religion of the foreigners 
(of the principles of which he was then very ignorant) should hence- 
forth be the religion of the state. The burning of the idols and the 
abolition of the taboo immediately succeeded this destruction of the 
morals, and put an end to many cruel and degrading customs both in- 
jurious to the interests of the country and oppressive to the people, 
especially to the females, who were thenceforth admitted to an equality 
with the men. 
The prejudices of Tamehameha had always opposed this change 
in the religion of his subjects, not so much, I am informed, from his 
being bigoted to idolatry as from its being better adapted to his politics. 
The maxims of our religion he thought w^ould tend to deprive him of 
that despotic power which he exercised over the lives and fortunes of 
his subjects. The terror inspired by human sacrifices, and the absolute 
command which the superstitions of his idolatrous subjects gave him, 
suited the plan of his government better than any other religion, and 
he, consequently, opposed every attempt to propagate the gospel among 
his people. 
Up to this period no missionaries had reached the Sandwich Islands, 
and for nearly a year there might be said to be no religion in the 
country; but at the expiration of that period (in 1820), several mis- 
sionary gentlemen arrived from the United States, and immediately en- 
tered upon their vocations. Keopuolani became the first actual convert 
to the Christian religion, though in 1819 both Boki and Krymakoo 
were baptized by the clergyman of Captain Freycinets ship. Keo- 
puolani being a chief of powerful influence, her example was followed 
by a great many persons, and the missionaries have since added 
daily to the number of their converts, and have been protected by 
the government, particularly by Kahumana and Kapeolani, two female 
chiefs next in rank to Keopuolani, and probably first in powder in the 
islands. 
