36 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
could understand the speech of our guests, and 
make ourselves understood, we perceived that the 
Sandwich Islanders and Tahitians were members 
of one great family, and spoke the same lan¬ 
guage with but slight variations : a fact which we 
regarded as of great importance in the intercourse 
we might have with the people. The next morn¬ 
ing at sun-rise, the chief and his party joined 
us at our morning devotions, but they did not 
kneel in prayer. During the day we were aston¬ 
ished and delighted with the appearance of the 
country: the lofty Mounakea, whose summit 
was covered with snow, impressed very power¬ 
fully the minds of our Tahitians. So pleased 
were they with the sight of the snow, of which 
we had often endeavoured in vain to give them a 
correct description, that they proposed, as soon 
as they should land, to take a journey to the top 
of the mountain, for the purpose of obtaining 
some of the white hard water. The signs of 
recent, vigorous, and extensive volcanic action, in 
the wide, and often winding streams of black 
indurated lava, which covered the greater part 
of the coast, were not less strange and wonderful 
to us. During the forenoon of the following day, 
when we were opposite Kairauea, Kuakini left us, 
accompanied, agreeably to his urgent request, by 
Auna, towards whom he manifested much attach¬ 
ment. The next day was the Sabbath: by day¬ 
light we found ourselves opposite Kearakekua 
bay, in which a number of ships appeared lying 
at anchor. Early in the forenoon we entered the 
harbour, and were soon boarded by the captains 
of the ships, and surrounded by natives from 
the shore. We were scarcely able to hold public 
worship on deck in the afternoon, on account of 
