roughing it-第90节

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But　there　is　no　other　monument　to　Captain　Cook。　　True；　up　on　the　mountain
side　we　had　passed　by　a　large　inclosure　like　an　ample　hog…pen；　built　of
lava　blocks；　which　marks　the　spot　where　Cook's　flesh　was　stripped　from
his　bones　and　burned；　but　this　is　not　properly　a　monument　since　it　was
erected　by　the　natives　themselves；　and　less　to　do　honor　to　the
circumnavigator　than　for　the　sake　of　convenience　in　roasting　him。
A　thing　like　a　guide…board　was　elevated　above　this　pen　on　a　tall　pole；
and　formerly　there　was　an　inscription　upon　it　describing　the　memorable
occurrence　that　had　there　taken　place；　but　the　sun　and　the　wind　have　long
ago　so　defaced　it　as　to　render　it　illegible。

Toward　midnight　a　fine　breeze　sprang　up　and　the　schooner　soon　worked
herself　into　the　bay　and　cast　anchor。　　The　boat　came　ashore　for　us；　and
in　a　little　while　the　clouds　and　the　rain　were　all　gone。　　The　moon　was
beaming　tranquilly　down　on　land　and　sea；　and　we　two　were　stretched　upon
the　deck　sleeping　the　refreshing　sleep　and　dreaming　the　happy　dreams　that
are　only　vouchsafed　to　the　weary　and　the　innocent。




CHAPTER　LXXII。

In　the　breezy　morning　we　went　ashore　and　visited　the　ruined　temple　of　the
last　god　Lono。　　The　high　chief　cook　of　this　templethe　priest　who
presided　over　it　and　roasted　the　human　sacrificeswas　uncle　to　Obookia；
and　at　one　time　that　youth　was　an　apprentice…priest　under　him。　　Obookia
was　a　young　native　of　fine　mind；　who；　together　with　three　other　native
boys；　was　taken　to　New　England　by　the　captain　of　a　whaleship　during　the
reign　of　Kamehameha　I；　and　they　were　the　means　of　attracting　the
attention　of　the　religious　world　to　their　country。　　This　resulted　in　the
sending　of　missionaries　there。　　And　this　Obookia　was　the　very　same
sensitive　savage　who　sat　down　on　the　church　steps　and　wept　because　his
people　did　not　have　the　Bible。　　That　incident　has　been　very　elaborately
painted　in　many　a　charming　Sunday　School　bookaye；　and　told　so
plaintively　and　so　tenderly　that　I　have　cried　over　it　in　Sunday　School
myself；　on　general　principles；　although　at　a　time　when　I　did　not　know
much　and　could　not　understand　why　the　people　of　the　Sandwich　Islands
needed　to　worry　so　much　about　it　as　long　as　they　did　not　know　there　was　a
Bible　at　all。

Obookia　was　converted　and　educated；　and　was　to　have　returned　to　his
native　land　with　the　first　missionaries；　had　he　lived。　　The　other　native
youths　made　the　voyage；　and　two　of　them　did　good　service；　but　the　third；
William　Kanui；　fell　from　grace　afterward；　for　a　time；　and　when　the　gold
excitement　broke　out　in　California　he　journeyed　thither　and　went　to
mining；　although　he　was　fifty　years　old。　　He　succeeded　pretty　well；　but
the　failure　of　Page；　Bacon　&　Co。　relieved　him　of　six　thousand　dollars；
and　then；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　he　was　a　bankrupt　in　his　old　age
and　he　resumed　service　in　the　pulpit　again。　　He　died　in　Honolulu　in　1864。

Quite　a　broad　tract　of　land　near　the　temple；　extending　from　the　sea　to
the　mountain　top；　was　sacred　to　the　god　Lono　in　olden　timesso　sacred
that　if　a　common　native　set　his　sacrilegious　foot　upon　it　it　was
judicious　for　him　to　make　his　will；　because　his　time　had　come。　　He　might
go　around　it　by　water；　but　he　could　not　cross　it。　　It　was　well　sprinkled
with　pagan　temples　and　stocked　with　awkward；　homely　idols　carved　out　of
logs　of　wood。　　There　was　a　temple　devoted　to　prayers　for　rainand　with
fine　sagacity　it　was　placed　at　a　point　so　well　up　on　the　mountain　side
that　if　you　prayed　there　twenty…four　times　a　day　for　rain　you　would　be
likely　to　get　it　every　time。　　You　would　seldom　get　to　your　Amen　before
you　would　have　to　hoist　your　umbrella。

And　there　was　a　large　temple　near　at　hand　which　was　built　in　a　single
night；　in　the　midst　of　storm　and　thunder　and　rain；　by　the　ghastly　hands
of　dead　men！　　Tradition　says　that　by　the　weird　glare　of　the　lightning　a
noiseless　multitude　of　phantoms　were　seen　at　their　strange　labor　far　up
the　mountain　side　at　dead　of　nightflitting　hither　and　thither　and
bearing　great　lava…blocks　clasped　in　their　nerveless　fingersappearing
and　disappearing　as　the　pallid　lustre　fell　upon　their　forms　and　faded
away　again。　　Even　to　this　day；　it　is　said；　the　natives　hold　this　dread
structure　in　awe　and　reverence；　and　will　not　pass　by　it　in　the　night。

At　noon　I　observed　a　bevy　of　nude　native　young　ladies　bathing　in　the　sea；
and　went　and　sat　down　on　their　clothes　to　keep　them　from　being　stolen。
I　begged　them　to　come　out；　for　the　sea　was　rising　and　I　was　satisfied
that　they　were　running　some　risk。　　But　they　were　not　afraid；　and
presently　went　on　with　their　sport。　　They　were　finished　swimmers　and
divers；　and　enjoyed　themselves　to　the　last　degree。

They　swam　races；　splashed　and　ducked　and　tumbled　each　other　about；　and
filled　the　air　with　their　laughter。　　It　is　said　that　the　first　thing　an
Islander　learns　is　how　to　swim；　learning　to　walk　being　a　matter　of
smaller　consequence；　comes　afterward。　　One　hears　tales　of　native　men　and
women　swimming　ashore　from　vessels　many　miles　at　seamore　miles；　indeed；
than　I　dare　vouch　for　or　even　mention。　　And　they　tell　of　a　native　diver
who　went　down　in　thirty　or　forty…foot　waters　and　brought　up　an　anvil！
I　think　he　swallowed　the　anvil　afterward；　if　my　memory　serves　me。
However　I　will　not　urge　this　point。

I　have　spoken；　several　times；　of　the　god　LonoI　may　as　well　furnish　two
or　three　sentences　concerning　him。

The　idol　the　natives　worshipped　for　him　was　a　slender；　unornamented　staff
twelve　feet　long。　　Tradition　says　he　was　a　favorite　god　on　the　Island　of
Hawaiia　great　king　who　had　been　deified　for　meritorious　servicesjust
our　own　fashion　of　rewarding　heroes；　with　the　difference　that　we　would
have　made　him　a　Postmaster　instead　of　a　god；　no　doubt。　　In　an　angry
moment　he　slew　his　wife；　a　goddess　named　Kaikilani　Aiii。　　Remorse　of
conscience　drove　him　mad；　and　tradition　presents　us　the　singular
spectacle　of　a　god　traveling　〃on　the　shoulder；〃　for　in　his　gnawing　grief
he　wandered　about　from　place　to　place　boxing　and　wrestling　with　all　whom
he　met。　　Of　course　this　pastime　soon　lost　its　novelty；　inasmuch　as　it
must　necessarily　have　been　the　case　that　when　so　powerful　a　deity　sent　a
frail　human　opponent　〃to　grass〃　he　never　came　back　any　more。　　Therefore；
he　instituted　games　called　makahiki；　and　ordered　that　they　should　be　held
in　his　honor；　and　then　sailed　for　foreign　lands　on　a　three…cornered　raft；
stating　that　he　would　return　some　dayand　that　was　the　last　of　Lono。
He　was　never　seen　any　more；　his　raft　got　swamped；　perhaps。　　But　the
people　always　expected　his　return；　and　thus　they　were　easily　led　to
accept　Captain　Cook　as　the　restored　god。

Some　of　the　old　natives　believed　Cook　was　Lono　to　the　day　of　their　death；
but　many　did　not；　for　they　could　not　understand　how　he　could　die　if　he
was　a　god。

Only　a　mile　or　so　from　Kealakekua　Bay　is　a　spot　of　historic　interestthe
place　where　the　last　battle　was　fought　for　idolatry。　　Of　course　we
visited　it；　and　came　away　as　wise　as　most　people　do　who　go　and　gaze　upon
such　mementoes　of　the　past　when　in　an　unreflective　mood。

While　the　first　missionaries　were　on　their　way　around　the　Horn；　the
idolatrous　customs　which　had　obtained　in　the　island；　as　far　back　as
tradition　reached　were　suddenly　broken　up。　　Old　Kamehameha　I。；　was　dead；
and　his　son；　Liholiho；　the　new　King　was　a　free　liver；　a　roystering；
dissolute　fellow；　and　hated　the　restraints　of　the　ancient　tabu。　　His
assistant　in　the　Government；　Kaahumanu；　the　Queen　dowager；　was　proud　and
high…spirited；　and　hated　the　tabu　because　it　restricted　the　privileges　of
her　sex　and　degraded　all　women　very　nearly　to　the　level　of　brutes。
So　the　case　stood。　　Liholiho　had　half　a　mind　to　put　his　foot　down；
Kaahumahu　had　a　whole　mind　to　badger　him　into　doing　it；　and　whiskey　did
the　rest。　　It　was　probably　the　rest。　　It　was　probably　the　first　time
whiskey　ever　prominently　figured　as　an　aid　to　civilization。　　Liholiho
came　up　to　Kailua　as　drunk　as　a　piper；　and　attended　a　great　feast；　the
determined　Queen　spurred　his　drunken　courage　up　to　a　reckless　pitch；　and
then；　while　all　the　multitude　stared　in　blank　dismay；　he　moved
deliberately　forward　and　sat　down　with　the　women！

They　saw　him　eat　from　the　same　vessel　with　them；　and　were　appalled！
Terrible　moments　drifted　slowly　by；　and　still　the　King　ate；　still　he
lived；　still　the　lightnings　of　the　insulted　gods　were　withheld！
Then　conviction　came　like　a　revelationthe　superstitions　of　a　hundred
generations　passed　from　before　the　people　like　a　cloud；　and　a　shout　went
up；　〃the　tabu　is　broken！　　the　tabu　is　broken！〃

Thus　did　King　Liholiho　and　his　dreadful　whiskey　preach　the　first　sermon
and　prepare　the　way　for　the　new　gospel　that　was　speeding　southward　over
the　waves　of　the　Atlantic。

The　tabu　broken　and　destruction　failing　to　follow　the　awful　sacrilege；
the　people；　with　that　childlike　precipitancy　which　has　always
characterized　them；　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　their　gods　were　a　weak
and　wretched　swindle；　just　as　they　formerly　jumped　to　the　conclusion　that
Captain　Cook　was　no　god；　merely　because　he　groaned；　and　promptly　killed
him　without　stopping　to　inquire　whether　a　god　might　not　groan　as　well　as
a　man　if　it　suited　his　convenie