"WE are ready to hear about that queer-named place now, aunty," said Alice at my elbow as I sat writing in my room. Oh, yes, about Kohala. Every thing at Mr. Bond's was the pink of neatness, and though we were shut in by rain for five days, we enjoyed it. Sometimes, it would look like clearing up, and we would walk in the garden; but usually we had to hurry in to escape the rain. The garden looked beautifully, with some We had mangoes for the first time at Mr. Bond's, which were delicious. In shape they are like a pear, only flatter, with the large end growing next the stem. I can not describe the taste, it is unlike any thing we have. The seed is very large, being nearly two thirds the size of the fruit. Fresh figs, too, we tried for the first time, and to our surprise liked them. We had some papaias, which grow on trees; the fruit tastes like a musk-melon, and pies made of them are very much like squash-pies. Sabbath morning it cleared up about eleven, so that we could go to church. Notwithstanding the weather, a goodly congregation On Wednesday, we attended a meeting at Mr. Lyons's church. The house was filled with nicely-dressed natives. Grandpa and Mr. L. sat in front of the pulpit. At the back of the church was a large choir of men and women, who sung well and with animation, beating time with their hands. Soon after we entered, they sung an original hymn by a native named Lyana, which the choir sung to the tune of "Hendon." "Nani ke aloha la! Me ka olioli pu I ka malihini hou— E aloha, aloha oe. "Holo oia a maanei, Mai Amerika mai no, Eia no! ua komo mai— E aloha, aloha oe. "A, ma keia la maikai, Hui aloha pu kakou, E aloha, aloha oe. "E hauoli, oli pu, E na hoahanau a pau, Kane, wahine, keiki no, E aloha, aloha oe. "Na ia nei i hoouna mai I na misioneri nei, E ao mai ia kakou nei; E aloha, aloha oe. "E ala, oli kakou pu, A kokua aloha no Ka makua o kakou;— E aloha, aloha mau." Mr. Bingham, one of the first missionaries to the islands, has given us this translation: "Wonderful that love sincere! Great our joint rejoicings here, For the stranger guest we see; Cordial welcome, friend, to thee. "Sailing far to reach our homes, From America he comes; Lo! in peace he enters here; Welcome to our hearts sincere. "Now on this delightful day, We, in love, unite to pray: Here beneath our temple spire, We our welcome give thee, sire. "Jointly chanting, now rejoice; Brethren, all unite your voice; Husbands, wives, and little ones, Greet this friend with grateful tones. "This is he who hither sends These true missionary friends, To enlighten our dark mind; Thanks and love to one so kind. "Let us then all rise and sing, And our grateful succor bring; For our sire our love to prove,— Love, good-will, unceasing love." Grandpa then made an address, and told them about the missions in Western Asia. Then Kanoa, the missionary to Micronesia, made a prayer; after which, he and his wife sung a Micronesian hymn. Grandpa told them, in another short address, about the India missions. Mr. Lyons then arose and spoke about his own mission, and introduced his senior deacon, Timotao Nalanipo, who made a speech in Hawaiian. Mr. Lyons translated it, and I will read you the translation. "The church-members of the highlands "We, the ancient men of Kamehameha's time, were once idolaters, murderers, guilty of infanticide, polygamy, and constantly quarreling one with another. On the death of Kamehameha, the kingdom devolved on his son Liholiho. He abolished idolatry, broke the tabus; men and women for the first time ate together, and the temples and gods were burned to ashes. "Still we lived on in poverty and darkness, and in secret worship of idols, and were without the knowledge of the living "The king and his premier allowed the missionaries to dwell with us to introduce a new order of things; to teach us first the twelve letters of the alphabet, then spelling, then reading and writing. "During the forty-three years the missionaries have resided on the islands, much seed has been sown, much labor performed, and wonderful have been the results. We were once all dark, buried in darkness, sunk "Our joy is inexpressible in seeing you; and we beg you to carry back to your associates, to the Missionary Society, to all the American churches connected with it, the warmest salutations of the churches of Waimea and Hamakua." This good old man has since died, and gone, doubtless, to be with his Lord whom he so long loved and served. At the close of the Hawaiian address, another original native hymn was sung, composed by Samuela, and sung to the tune of "Farewell, farewell is a lonely sound." "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou Ma keia la hauoli nei Ua hui pu kakou. "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou A eia la ua komo mai Ka luakini nei. "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka malihini hou A na ia nei i hoouna mai Na misionari nei. "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka ekalesia nei Kane, wahine, kamalii Kokua pu kakou. "Auwe; auwe; aloha la Ka makua a kakou Aloha a mahalo pu Ka malihini hou." Mr. Lyons translated it for us:— "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger we now greet. For we together meet. "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger of whom we've heard; Lo! now with us you enter here, This temple of the Lord. "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, The stranger to our land; 'Twas you who loved and sent to us The missionary band. "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, Say all the brethren here, Men, women, and the children, sire, Unite in love sincere. "Oh! oh! we'll welcome you, sire, Our father and our friend; Our best respects and wishes has This stranger to our land." After this was sung, we shook hands with nearly all in the church. Many, to our embarrassment, brought little tokens of good-will in money, amounting in all to ten dollars. With this we bought Hawaiian Bibles to be distributed among the people. Imagine a man, coming up to shake hands, but stopping before he did it The tea-bell! the tea-bell! |