THROUGH HAWAII. 
443 
Asiatic islands ; that the proximity of the Friendly and 
Figii islands may have given both a variety of words 
and usages in common, while the people to which the 
former belong have remained in many respects dis¬ 
tinct. 
The nation inhabiting the eastern parts of the Pacific 
has spread itself over an immense tract of ocean, ex¬ 
tending upwards of seventy degrees north and south 
from New Zealand and Chatham Island to the Sand¬ 
wich group, and between sixty and seventy degrees 
east and west from Tongatabu to Easter Island. This 
last is not farther from the islands adjacent to the con¬ 
tinent than some of these groups are from any other 
inhabited island. The Sandwich Islands are above 
twenty degrees from the Marquesas, and thirty-six from 
Tahiti, yet inhabited by the same race of people. 
The day after the conversation took place which 
led to the above remarks, the pilot-boat arrived at 
Kairua, on her way to Maui. On first coming to an¬ 
chor, Kahiori , the master, said he should sail in the 
evening; but when I told him I would go with him if 
he would wait till the Sabbath was over, he cheerfully 
agreed to do so. By him the governor received a note 
on business, written by Kamakau, the interesting chief 
of Kaavaroa, which, after he had read it, he shewed me, 
saying, he admired the diligence and perseverance of 
Kamakau, who, with but little instruction, had learned 
to write very well. “ This letter writing,” added the 
governor, “ is a very good thing.” It also appears to 
them a most surprising art, which, till they saw what 
had been acquired by the natives of the southern islands, 
they imagined could never be attained by persons in 
their circumstances. Supposing it beyond the powers 
