370 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
The man returned to his house, related where he had 
been, but instead of setting oft* immediately to Kairua, 
he remained to dress a hog, and prepare food for the 
journey. The delay was severely punished, for he 
died before the food, he had stopped to prepare, was 
cooked. 
This story probably originated with those who were 
fearful lest some of the institutions and principles of 
the late king should be disregarded by his successors. 
It serves, however, to exhibit the popular notions of 
the people, and the great influence Tamehameha had 
over them. 
The account given this evening of the Hawaiian 
hades, afforded another proof of the identity between 
the traditions of the Sandwich and Society Islanders. 
For among the latter, the spirits of the Areois, and 
priests of certain idols, were not eaten by the gods 
after the death of their bodies, but went to Miru, (pro¬ 
nounced by both, Meru,) where they lived much in the 
same way as the departed kings and heroes of Hawaii 
were supposed to do; or joining hands, they formed a 
circle with those that had gone before, and danced in 
one eternal round. 
At daylight, on the 19th, numbers of the people col¬ 
lected around the house where we had lodged, with 
whom we held morning worship. Haa, the chief of 
the place, beneath whose friendly roof we had been 
most hospitably entertained, then accompanied us to 
the beach, where he had prepared a canoe to convey 
us to the next district. Shortly after six a. m. we gave 
him the parting hand, with sincere thanks for his kind¬ 
ness, after which we seated ourselves in the canoe, and, 
in the midst of many expressions of good will, from 
