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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 convenience to do it； and satisfied that the idols
were powerless to protect themselves they went to work at once and pulled
them downhacked them to piecesapplied the torchannihilated them！
The pagan priests were furious。 And well they might be； they had held
the fattest offices in the land； and now they were beggared； they had
been greatthey had stood above the chiefsand now they were vagabonds。
They raised a revolt； they scared a number of people into joining their
standard； and Bekuokalani； an ambitious offshoot of royalty； was easily
persuaded to become their leader。
In the first skirmish the idolaters triumphed over the royal army sent
against them； and full of confidence they resolved to march upon Kailua。
The King sent an envoy to try and conciliate them； and came very near
being an envoy short by the operation； the savages not only refused to
listen to him； but wanted to kill him。 So the King sent his men forth
under Major General Kalaimoku and the two host met a Kuamoo。 The battle
was long and fiercemen and women fighting side by side； as was the
customand when the day was done the rebels were flying in every
direction in hopeless panic； and idolatry and the tabu were dead in the
land！
The royalists marched gayly home to Kailua glorifying the new
dispensation。 〃There is no power in the gods；〃 said they； 〃they are a
vanity and a lie。 The army with idols was weak； the army without idols
was strong and victorious！〃
The nation was without a religion。
The missionary ship arrived in safety shortly afterward； timed by
providential exactness to meet the emergency； and the Gospel was planted
as in a virgin soil。
CHAPTER LXXIII。
At noon； we hired a Kanaka to take us down to the ancient ruins at
Honaunan in his canoeprice two dollarsreasonable enough； for a sea
voyage of eight miles； counting both ways。
The native canoe is an irresponsible looking contrivance。 I cannot think
of anything to liken it to but a boy's sled runner hollowed out； and that
does not quite convey the correct idea。 It is about fifteen feet long；
high and pointed at both ends； is a foot and a half or two feet deep； and
so narrow that if you wedged a fat man into it you might not get him out
again。 It sits on top of the water like a duck； but it has an outrigger
and does not upset easily； if you keep still。 This outrigger is formed
of two long bent sticks like plow handles； which project from one side；
and to their outer ends is bound a curved beam composed of an extremely
light wood； which skims along the surface of the water and thus saves you
from an upset on that side； while the outrigger's weight is not so easily
lifted as to make an upset on the other side a thing to be greatly
feared。 Still； until one gets used to sitting perched upon this
knifeblade； he is apt to reason within himself that it would be more
comfortable if there were just an outrigger or so on the other side also。
I had the bow seat； and Billings sat amidships and faced the Kanaka； who
occupied the stern of the craft and did the paddling。 With the first
stroke the trim shell of a thing shot out from the shore like an arrow。
There was not much to see。 While we were on the shallow water of the
reef； it was pastime to look down into the limpid depths at the large
bunches of branching coralthe unique shrubbery of the sea。 We lost
that； though； when we got out into the dead blue water of the deep。 But
we had the picture of the surf； then； dashing angrily against the crag…
bound shore and sending a foaming spray high into the air。
There was interest in this beetling border； too； for it was honey…combed
with quaint caves and arches and tunnels； and had a rude semblance of the
dilapidated architecture of ruined keeps and castles rising out of the
restless sea。 When this novelty ceased to be a novelty； we turned our
eyes shoreward and gazed at the long mountain with its rich green forests
stretching up into the curtaining clouds； and at the specks of houses in
the rearward distance and the diminished schooner riding sleepily at
anchor。 And when these grew tiresome we dashed boldly into the midst of
a school of huge； beastly porpoises engaged at their eternal game of
arching over a wave and disappearing； and then doing it over again and
keeping it upalways circling over； in that way； like so many well…
submerged wheels。 But the porpoises wheeled themselves away； and then we
were thrown upon our own resources。 It did not take many minutes to
discover that the sun was blazing like a bonfire； and that the weather
was of a melting temperature。 It had a drowsing effect； too。
In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives； of both sexes
and all ages； amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf…
bathing。 Each heathen would paddle three or four hundred yards out to
sea； （taking a short board with him）； then face the shore and wait for a
particularly prodigious billow to come along； at the right moment he
would fling his board upon its foamy crest and himself upon the board；
and here he would come whizzing by like a bombshell！ It did not seem
that a lightning express train could shoot along at a more hair…lifting
speed。 I tried surf…bathing once； subsequently； but made a failure of
it。 I got the board placed right； and at the right moment； too； but
missed the connection myself。The board struck the shore in three
quarters of a second； without any cargo； and I struck the bottom about
the same time； with a couple of barrels of water in me。 None but natives
ever master the art of surf…bathing thoroughly。
At the end of an hour； we had made the four miles； and landed on a level
point of land； upon which was a wide extent of old ruins； with many a
tall cocoanut tree growing among them。 Here was the ancient City of
Refugea vast inclosure； whose stone walls were twenty feet thick at the
base； and fifteen feet high； an oblong square； a thousand and forty feet
one way and a fraction under seven hundred the other。 Within this
inclosure； in early times； has been th