S n iru ICU ISLANDS MISSION N G S L CITY lity aug 0 6 1855 EDITOR OF THE NEWS sr sir at the request ui it the I 1 sulamit the following short sketch ot of n r v to the sandwich sand with islands islando and 11 you think woi wol 11 n may insert it la in your 3 our columns column I 1 left this 0 til c 11 with tr br keeler and others on the lith of 0 0 1 I ff california on or arriving at r th forts forty fort port now pr v wi i fel fei fel in company with a 3 number who wre wi w re on their way wax t to thelan dot of geld gou here we organ d ourselves making br jbf J M flake flaks ou our captain until antii w wr auld otake elder charles C illch ilich who ho was a short dis dix ance in our oer advance adv ance acce T arlivid in the mining d strict about the be first oft 01 march larch and ani labored labora faithfully lor the yellow pieces until the isah ot or october WO ania aaion hilon on the bid farewell to riold oid old sup slapjack slap jacl jaci hat bat in lit with 9 others bound fr tir the sandwich islands to preach the gospel being set apart for t that ht pui put pope pose bv by eider elder C C rich kich on the of dec iso luo we landed in nano luio lulo the 1 beat seat of the noi nol not net a single soui soul ot at us the be first word of at 4 the language lug ln guage Th eldal eidal after we yve lauded jan lan dedi we ft e washed as our ur bodies bodd less in pur itro wlter water went en oh io to a high mountain overlooking overlooking the town I 1 arid and whipping gathered each a i stone erected a small email altar altars sung a hymn and all bowed down being agreed beforehand what ye we should ak for the spirit of the lord was mightily poured out upon us and elder john dixon dison spoke in tongues and elder eider james prophesied that thit the the lord would biess bless ble bie us even knore mor ethan thau thad what we asked for and in fulfillment fulfilment of dis this in oue one year from tb that at day between four and five hundred natives had been baptized some of the elders pot got the language langua gey gep and in three or toun tour months were preaching and baptizing ais s for moy hoy my self it took me roe nearly two years lo 10 0 acquire the language langu agge afie so 60 as to in public however I 1 felt that the lord was vas with w ith mey me and at no ilme iliae did I 1 feel to falter in llly my endeavors i I 1 I 1 was on the islands three th years and seven months and was instrumental in the hands bands handset of god in bringing many of the slanders to a know knos ledge of the truth troth for which I 1 feel thankful and rejoice that I 1 was sent on that tbt mission in fact I 1 neer never felt sorry even while there aethol sometimes I 1 felt lon ion lonesome isome and almost disco discouraged bragd the natives ire are a kindhearted kind hearted people and will do all they can to make you ou comfortable will give the last mouthful of food and the best and only bed and it your legs are weary walking walkin gp they will leml rub them and take the s soreness out we inace our homes wholly with w ith the nati natives vesi vesp living on their adlet diet which welch was principally pol and tish fish sometimes forme torae limes doff dog the pol Is made from tie tle the kalo root baked under ground and mashed on a large wooden platter with a stone pestle and Is mixed in water until a thick paste Is formed an ant and t Is sometimes eaten in a sweet state but bui ut generally put aside until it ferments in which condition it is preferred and is aten eaten with the fingers they have many traditions I 1 and some of 0 them teni seem stem to have some foundation they say they had a floody flood and a native dative was swallowed by a large fish as jonah was they had their cities of refuge for the shed derot rot blood to flee to offered sacrifice sacrifices fac fic to their gods the sharky shark the volcano on hawaii awalt II a doi dot and hog bog were all worshipped wor shipped almost every family had bad its own gody eod even it if it wis was made of wood or tone stone they had bad their prop prophets heus heLs and their priesthood descended from father father to son I 1 have talked with seve several ralp raly who affirm hat that they have conversed with the voices of their dead friends and they tell them that their spirits and all the he spirits of their dead are here in this world that there ard are myriads ot of them living in the air one native told me that there was once a man living among them who had been dead and he reported that all the dead were still on the earth living on fruit fruits that grow on trees and generally seemed to enjoy themselves well the country was level levei except two little hills b ills liis but there was no cosea sea bea in that countr country ro and yet be he affirmed that it was identically these lalands ile ne said the reason why he be came back was the people would not let him stay but drove him back into the body they affirm that there Is no such horrible place lace as a pit of fire and brimstone for th the w wicked lacked as theare taught by tile the gentile missionaries it Is a common thing among the natives native both booth men and women when about to be overtaken in a shower of rainy rain to divest themselves of nearly even e ery cry garment and tie tle up their thein clothing to keep them from getting wet their tikon skin Is dark like the indians of these mounta mountains insy but better featured and many are smart and highly educated clean in their person person and dress many ma ny are rich and live in fine houses built either ot of wood or coral well painted and furni furnished hed ked with the best of household furniture in july at a general conference held in honolulu elders cannon cannons farrer hawkins and myself were released from our mission and about the of augu t arri airbed vedi at san francl Franci francisco scoy cal where from want of means to come home I 1 was w as compelled to labor with my handi hands until of april last when I 1 left in a company of saints organized by elder parley P pratt for this place under the presidency of elder W mcbride who acted as a friend and brother we arrived on the ait of july all in good rood health and spirits and I 1 feel to praise the lord god of israel for fon his mercies and goodness unto me in uri LrI bringing nging me safely hack pack backa I 1 to my friends and Ir ethren brethren in these peaceful valleys of the mountains otray my lovely mountain home 1 IT W BIGLER