FEMALE DANCERS. 
79 
scented flowers of the gardenia on their necks, 
and branches of the fragrant mairi, (another native 
plant,) bound round their ankles, now made their 
way by couples through the crowd, and, arriving 
at the area, on one side of which the musicians 
stood, began their dance. Their movements were 
slow, and, though not always graceful, exhibited 
nothing offensive to modest propriety. Both mu¬ 
sicians and dancers alternately chanted songs in 
honour of former gods and chiefs of the islands, 
apparently much to the gratification of the spec¬ 
tators. After they had continued their hura , 
(song and dance,) for about half an hour, the 
queen, Keopuolani, requested them to leave off, 
as the time had arrived for evening worship. The 
music ceased; the dancers sat down; and, after 
the Missionaries and some of the people had sung 
one of the songs of Zion, I preached to the sur¬ 
rounding multitude with special reference to their 
former idolatrous dances, and the vicious customs 
connected therewith, from Acts xvii. 30. 44 The 
times of this ignorance God winked at, but now 
commandeth all men every where to repent.” 
The audience was attentive ; and when the service 
was finished, the people dispersed, and the dancers 
retired to their houses. 
On our way home, the voice of lamentation 
arrested our attention. Listening a few moments, 
we found it proceeded from a lowly cottage, nearly 
concealed by close rows of sugar-cane. When 
we reached the spot, we beheld a middle-aged 
woman, and two elderly men, weeping around the 
mat of a sick man, apparently near his end. 
Finding him entirely ignorant of God, and of a 
future state, we spoke to him of Jehovah, of the 
fallen condition of man, of the amazing love of 
