away from my work. I secretly ran to the stream of water, and there I wept for my love to thee. Hearken-my love resembles the cold water far inland. Forsake not thou this our love. Keep it quietly, as I do keep it quietly here.

A THIRD FROM ONE OF THE STUDENTS.

Love to thee, by reason of whom my heart sleeps not night nor day, all the days of my dwelling here. O thou beautiful one, for whom my love shall never cease. Here also is this-at the time I heard you were going to Wailuku, I was enveloped in exceeding great love. And when I heard you had really gone, great was my regret for you, and exceeding great my love. My appearance was like a sick person who cannot answer when spoken to. I would not go down to the sea again, because I supposed you had not returned. I feared lest I should see all the places where you and I had conversed together, and walked together, and I should fall in the streets on account of the greatness of my love to you. I however did go down, and I was continually longing with love to you. Your father said to me, Won't you eat with us? I refused, saying I was full. But the truth was, I had eaten nothing. My great love to you, that was the thing which could alone satisfy me. Presently, however, I went to the place of K————, and there I heard you had arrived. I was a little refreshed by hearing this. But my eyes still hung down. I longed to see you, but could not find you, though I waited till dark. Now, while I am writing, my tears are dropping down for you; now my tears are my friends, and my affection to you, O thou who wilt forever be loved. Here also is this: consent thou to my desire, and write me, that I may know your love. My love to thee is great, thou splendid flower of Lanakahula.

Now we have no hesitation in saying that these lovelorn products of Lahainaluna and Lahainlalo, meant for the eye of the loved alone, but accidentally brought to

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229

my inspection, will compare favorably with many a sonnet, of world-wide notoriety,

"Made to his mistress' eyebrow,"

by the poet-lover, in lands of chivalry and song. They are the strictly natural, unsophisticated, and therefore by no means silly effusions of the youthful Hawaiian mind, under the liquescent process of that almost universal mental solvent, of which Coleridge says,

All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,

All are but ministers of love,

And feed his sacred flame.

Perhaps it is hardly fair to make such a use of intercepted Hawaiian madrigals, but they will have interest for the curious and the philosophic, as well as for the swelling heart of youth, because they prove, if nothing else, how the human mind, under the sway of the passion of Love, as well as under the teachings of Religion, expresses itself after the same way, and evinces the same phenomena, whether in polite Greek, or protean English, or simple Hawaiian.

Let us now compare with these sui generis specimens of Cupid's Epistolography at the Sandwich Islands, the following epistles from the same part of the world elicited by only the ordinary sentiments of sincere friendship, gratitude, and Christian esteem.

HILO, HAWAII.

Love to you, Mr. C. Great is our love to you, in consequence of our dwelling together so pleasantly at Hilo here. Therefore, for our love to you, we have made a palule for you.

We remember all your words, and your commands. It is our mind to keep them all.

This also.—We are living together pleasantly and in peace, we school-girls of Mrs. Coan. If you should hear we are doing those things which are not right, then your heart would be heavy.

This also. We remember our pleasant walks with you in Hilo. Will you pray much that we may live in the peace (literally, cool shade) of our Lord?

By the waves and the winds of the ocean is borne this our thought of love to thee.

From the girls of the Boarding-school at Hilo.

By me,

KALAMA.

KOHALA, HAWAII.

I

Love to you, Mr. C——. This is my thought of love to you. declare it to you on this white paper, and with this black ink, that it may be carried on the wing of the wind. Great love to you, in whom is the Spirit of God. This is what I know of you. You have given us a bell for our meeting-house.

These are some also who have assisted us in building our house; the King, whose is the kingdom, gave only sixty dollars; and the Governor of this island gave only forty dollars, and the members of the church have given only their ninepence and their twenty-five cents! But your present is a bell! That is like-how many dollars? Therefore my love for you has burst forth, and I have thought to write to you. Great indeed is your love for us!

Our meeting-house is finished. It is thatched with ki-leaf on the sides and ends, and with cane-leaf on the roof. It is filled with seats, and most of it is floored with boards; a little remains.

This also I declare to you. There is trouble in the church. Some of the brethren have been drinking sour potato and smoking tobacco. By-and-by, perhaps, the punishment of God will fall upon us of Kohala, if we do not run into Him for shelter. The people of Kona and Kau were guilty of this sin before, and God is

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231

punishing them. There is a great famine there, and after years, or months, perhaps, so it will be here. The beginning of this evil was with the land-officers. This it is that I declare to you. Tell to us some of the wonderful things done in your land. My thought is finished.

By me, a pupil of E. Bond's when you were here in Hawaii.

PAHIA.

KOHALA, HAWAII.

Great love to you, Mr. C—, our father in the truth. Love and blessing to you because of your love to us and your great kindness. Because also of your stirring up the brethren in the United States to that which is wanting to our new meeting-house in Kohala.

We are very happy in having received it, (i. e. the bell,) and in hearing its voice—a strange voice! Ended now are the old things. The horn (shell with which they formerly called to meeting) is nothing now! for here is the bell!

Concerning the bell my word is done.

Here is this new thought. I declare it to you. Blessed are we in having obtained a new meeting-house! It is an excellent house! It has a floor of boards, nice windows, and is full of good seats. All our wants are now supplied in this house.

Here is this new thought, too. We have a singing-school here in Kohala now; there are a great many pupils. By-and-by, perhaps, we shall understand this good work. If the pupils are attentive they will know well. That's done.

This, too, is another thought. The brethren are awaking. A great many now attend meetings on the Sabbath and on other days. Some who had fallen into this sin and that sin, have returned again.

This is my very last thought to you. Love and peace be to you in the Lord Jesus. I remember you in my prayers to God for you, because of illness in your body, and because of our meeting here in Kohala. And I praise God, too, that he has given both to us

and to you blessings for our bodies and our souls; to us a teacher and the Sabbath, His word and good things a great many. I, with respect,

KILAKAU.

From a number of other curious and original manuscript specimens of the Epistolary Literature of the Sandwich Islands in my possession, I select the following to a society of American ladies, friends of the Rev. Mr. Bond, who had sent out to him a box of readymade clothing for the use of his school-boys. Their short way of naming their teacher is not from any want of politeness or of reverence, but is peculiar to the nation.

Hawaiians generally know nothing of the titles Mr. and Madam, or of Christian and surnames united. Thus, in speaking to or of Rev. Mr. Thurston, they would say Kakina, the nearest sound to Thurston they can utter. And so of his wife they would say KakinaWahine, the woman Thurston, or Thurston's wife. This is curt enough, and there must be great advance in the arts of civilization before they will come to Rabbi, Rabbi. The expression "great, perhaps," may be taken, if the reader please, to indicate that they meant to keep clear of all flattery, and not to speak positively, where, after all, a very moderate degree of love might have sent the garments. It will be noticed that they know when they have done, a thing that cannot be always said of either speakers or writers.

Love to you, Ladies of Hallowell, in America. Great is your kindness to us, in giving us the pantaloons for ourselves, and the