44 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES, 
the district of Eva or Pearl river, and travelled 
on foot the rest of the way. Religious services 
were continued regularly in the little chapel; but 
after the effects of their novelty had subsided, 
few of the natives attended : we had also frequent 
occasions to lament the inebriation of the king, 
and many of the chiefs, as well as the extensive 
prevalence, and disastrous effects, of intoxication 
among the people; but were encouraged by the 
diligence and perseverance of Kaahumanu, his 
favourite queen. In the mean time we were 
acquiring the language, and were enabled more 
distinctly to communicate our instructions to the 
people. 
After some weeks’ absence, Auna returned, and 
informed us that they had been to different parts 
of Hawaii, that the governor was diligently learning 
to read and write, and that a young chief, whose 
name was Lanui, was anxiously desiring to know 
the word of the true God; that one Sabbath-day, 
when there were great crowds of people around, and 
Auna proposed to retire to a secret place among 
the bushes for prayer, he said, No, let us read 
and pray in my house; the place was crowded 
with people, who listened attentively to the read¬ 
ing and prayer. Kaahumanu directed them to 
fetch the gods that were lying hid in the holes of 
the rocks and caves, at a distance from the shore. 
They brought forth great numbers, and in one day 
burnt no fewer than one hundred and two idols. 
Our friends had a small school of fifteen children, 
whom they were industriously endeavouring to 
instruct. The king and queen, and several of 
the principal persons, had become our pupils, 
and we spent part of every day, either in teaching 
them to read and write, or in conversation on the 
