PUBLIC WORSHIP. 
407 
genius of Tamehameha. A small bay, perhaps 
half a mile across, runs inland a considerable dis¬ 
tance. From one side to the other of this bay, 
Tamehameha built a strong stone wall, six feet 
high in some places, and twenty feet wide, by 
which he had an excellent fish-pond, not less than 
two miles in circumference. There were several 
arches in the wall, which were guarded by strong 
stakes driven into the ground so far apart as to 
admit the water of the sea, yet sufficiently close 
to prevent the fish from escaping. It was well 
stocked with fish, and water-fowl were seen swim- 
in g on its surface. 
The people of this village, as well as the others 
through which I had passed, were preparing to keep 
the Sabbath, and the conversation naturally turned 
on the orders recently issued by the governor. 
They said it was a bad thing to commit murder, 
infanticide, and theft, which had also been for¬ 
bidden ; that it would be well to abstain from these 
crimes; but, they said, they did not know of what 
advantage the palapala , instruction, &c. would be. 
At breakfast the governor seemed interested in 
the narrative of the tour, particularly of the inter¬ 
view we had with the priestess of Pele at Waiakea. 
At half-past ten, the bell rung for public wor¬ 
ship, and about eight hundred people, decently 
dressed, some in foreign, others in native clothing, 
assembled under a large ranai , a place sheltered 
from the sun, formed by two large canvass awnings, 
and a number of platted cocoa-nut leaves, spread 
over the place from posts fixed in the fence which 
enclosed the court-yard around the house of the 
governor’s wife. The governor and his attendants 
sat on chairs ; the rest of the congregation reclined 
on their mats, or sat on the ground. After singing 
