THROUGH HAWAII. 
3 
of Captain Cook and his companions, and in every 
respect correct, so far as their partial observation 
extended. A residence of eight years in the Society 
and Sandwich islands, has alforded me ah opportunity 
of becoming familiar with many of the scenes and 
usages described in their voyages, and I have often been 
struck with the fidelity with which they are uniformly 
portrayed. In the inferences they draw, and the reasons 
they assign, they are sometimes mistaken; but in the 
description of what they saw and heard, there is 
throughout a degree of accuracy, seldom if ever ex¬ 
ceeded in accounts equally minute and extended. 
Still their acquaintance with the islands and the people 
was superficial, and the state of society which they 
witnessed was different from what generally existed. 
An event so important and surprising as their arrival, 
—the ships and the foreigners,—the colour, dress, arms, 
language, manners, &c. of the latter, whom they re¬ 
garded at first as superior beings, so powerfully affected 
the minds of the natives, that the ordinary avoca¬ 
tions of life w r ere for a time suspended. The news of 
such an event rapidly spread through the islands, 
and multitudes flocked from every quarter to see the 
return of Orono, or the motus, (islands,) as they 
called their ships. The whole island was laid under 
requisition, to supply their wants, or contribute to 
their satisfaction. Hence the immense quantity of pro¬ 
visions presented by Taraiopu; the dances, &c. with 
which they were entertained. The effect also produced 
on the minds of those early visitors, by what they saw 
during their transient stay among the islands, was 
heightened by all the attractions of novelty, and all the 
complacency which such discoveries naturally inspire. 
