Sandwich Islands. LETTER XLIII. ARRIVAL AT THE ISLAND OF HAWAII. U.S. ship Vincennes, off Ilawaii, AFTER a passage of eighteen days from Raiatea, including four of a dead calm, previously to taking the north-east trade-wind, yesterday afternoon, at five o'clock," Land ho!" was called from the mast-head Before the call from aloft was made, my eyes had been fixed for some minutes on what I believed to be the summit of Mounakea; but I dared not assert it, lest I might be deceived: I was correct, however, though a thick haze prevented any more distinct sight of it. The south-east point, in the neighbourhood of Kearakomo, was the only part clearly in view before dark, and that at a distance of forty or fifty miles. For the last two hours, we have been running along the coast, which momentarily increases in richness. I am happy that the ship's company thus have an opportunity of seeing this section of the country, so widely different from every thing on the leeward sides. Hawaii is, without hesitation, pronounced by them the finest and most important island we have yet seen; and evidently rich in its capacities for improvement. We are now so near the entrance of the bay, that orders are given for two boats to be in readiness for lowering; one to carry me to the mission-house, and the other to enable the sailing-master to take a view of the harbour, that we may have it in our power to speak from observation of its advantages and disadvantages. I must, therefore, drop my pen, only to resume it, I trust, with good news from " country." a far LETTER XLIV. VISIT ON SHORE, AND DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENERY. Mission-House, at Byron's Bay, You will be as much surprised, dear H, at the place of my present date, as I am at the opportunity I enjoy of making it. When I wrote yesterday morning, I little thought of spending the night under this roof; but such I am most happy and thankful to say is the fact. At eleven o'clock, I left the ship. A tremendous swell was setting towards the land, and it was almost as much as one's life was worth, to attempt getting into the boats, as they rose and fell, apparently ten or twelve feet, with every returning billow. We got off safely, however, and, as the sea did not break, did very well, with the exception of the long pull to the bottom of the bay. The ship was farther off the land than we thought, not less than eight or nine miles, and it was half-past twelve o'clock before we got into the harbour. An immense thatched building, beautifully finished, on the western side of the bay, near the river of Wairuku, I rightly judged to be the chapel; and we steered for it, knowing that the mission-house would be found near. While still a considerable distance from the beach, I recognized Mr. Goodrich among a crowd of natives, beckoning us to the best spot for landing shortly afterwards, our boat touched the Hawaiian shore. A thousand varied thoughts and RECEPTION BY MR. GOODRICH. 275 emotions rushed upon my mind and heart, and I was incapable of lifting up my head, lest I should betray what might be interpreted into a weakness by my companions, till I found myself in the strong grasp of a missionary friend and brother. Our meeting was the more impressive and affecting to Mr. Goodrich, from its being entirely unexpected. After introducing my fellow-officers, a few minutes walk inland brought us to the mission-house, where I was happy to meet Mrs. Goodrich and two little daughters, in good health. Mr. Goodrich is at present without an associate. The captain had felt it necessary to limit our stay on shore to half an hour, and consequently all was hurry and excitement. After ascertaining that all the missionaries were well, every thing in a most promising and prosperous state, and a great deal else of gratifying intelligence, we took a turn in the garden, where there is much to admire in the variety and luxuriance of the productions of this part of the islands. Every thing, except the bread-fruit, within the enclosure, is the growth of little more than two years; yet, besides fine hedges of a native tree very similar in appearance to the mountain ash, of the ti, dracana, damask-rose, and cape gooseberry, there are many fine coffee-plants, covered with berries of an uncommonly large size, exhibiting a vigour and rankness unequalled by any I saw at Rio de Janeiro; a fine vineyard, with vines trained into arbours; tama rind, fig, lime, lemon, orange, and mango trees, strawberries, &c. In the shrubbery, I observed the pride of Barbadoes, casalpinia coriaria, the seeds of which I believe I brought to the island, thriving finely; and by its rich blossoms of crimson and orange, imparting an air of gaiety to every thing near. The strawberry bed, too, is from seeds sent to me, and received after our return to America. The news of my arrival spread rapidly among the people; and the house soon began to be thronged with those who had a recollection of me, but whom, principally, I had forgotten. Many of them shed tears, as they embraced and kissed my hands, or sank at my feet, manifesting a degree of sensibility and affection, considering their slight personal knowledge of me, that was surprising, till informed of the happy fact, that a period of deep seriousness and religious feeling has long existed at this place, and that many of these are still under the influence of the lively affections of recent conversion; of a conversion not only from the follies and sins of a worldly life, but from the ignorance, surperstition, and prejudices of heathenism, to the love and services of true piety. Our limited half hour was gone before we seemed to have been fifteen minutes on shore; and we felt ourselves obliged even to decline the refreshments which Mrs. Goodrich had kindly prepared, and to take a hasty leave. After a hard row of two hours, we gained the ship; and as soon as the boats were secured, stood away, as we thought, for Maui. But the wind had already become light and baffling. A heavy swell and current were setting us within the points forming the bay, and our prospects of making much progress for the night were very uncertain: so much so, that after a moment's debate, to my surprise, but equally to my satisfaction, the captain determined upon running into the harbour, before the landbreeze should come off; and, by five o'clock, we were snugly at anchor abreast of the river and waterfall, and of course in the immediate vicinity of this place. Mr. Goodrich, perceiving our design, boarded us in his canoe, in time to point out the best anchorage for a vessel of our class. I early took leave of the ship, to spend the even A SABBATH MORNING. 277 ing and night on shore, and kept my friends, from their rest long beyond their accustomed hour. As is almost invariably the case in this district, heavy showers of rain fell during the latter part of the night and morning, and every thing without became so perfectly drenched, that I was kept within doors till a late hour. I felt no disposition, however, to complain of the cause, for the pattering of the rain on the thatch of the roof and sides of the house, proved a lullaby so soothing, as to make my repose of the kind that 44 delights Above the luxury of common sleep." LETTER XLV. A WORSHIPPING ASSEMBLY AT HIDO. U. S. Ship Vincennes, Byron's Bay, THE scenes of the sabbath have been such, dear H—, that a review of them, in my own mind, will not be an abuse of sacred time, nor will their perusal give rise to thoughts and affections unsuited to a day of God. At an early hour of the morning, even before we had taken our breakfast on board ship, a single islander here or there, or a group of three or four, wrapped in their large mantles of various hues, might be seen winding their way among the groves fringing the bay on the east, or descending from the hills and ravine on the north, towards the chapel; and by degrees their numbers increased, till, in a short time, every path along the beach, and over the uplands, presented an almost uninterrupted procession of both sexes and of every age, all pressing to the house of God. So few canoes were round the ship yesterday, and the landing-place had been so little thronged as our boats passed to and fro, that one might have thought the district but thinly inhabited; |