| Show correspondence FL K ler jer john K R young yoong to his bis tather rather bishop L D tonne young HAWAII march 15 1856 my health to L still good for which I 1 feel to thank our father in heaven oil on the tha ad U and ath of feb last our conference con ferance was held at makahanaloa hilo we had the best native conference that I 1 have ever attended on tile the islands not one contrary voice was heard for all was peace joy and harmony I 1 will give you yon a quotation from my journal showing what my iny feelings gereon were on leaving for conference which Is to be held on the island of lanai on the ath of april next iffy my feelings were very singular at leaving nilo lillo it being my first field of labor in the capacity of a minister of the tha gospel what hab hal been my labor and what have I 1 achieved but little lis true yet I 1 have worked with all the ability that god hs has seen proper to give me I 1 have ever eyer bean ready to raise my voice voica in defense of f the tho truth and I 1 believe that my garments are clean from the blood of all men on leaving hilo pres richards and myself passed through kamakua IIa Ha makua and on the feb reached waipio kaipio where we found elders partridge and rogers rusticating ti upon the tha vegetable productions of that fat land we were kindly invited to attend their conference and had a very good time during the let iet and 2nd and days of march conference over we wended bended our way to this pi pl ce where we are anxiously awaiting a vessel for lanak lanai pm pin tired of this place this thia parched gun sun in a barnt burnt and rocky land fit only for the abode of 0 owls owis wis and vipers in vain I 1 bieze a water gourd and raise it to my parched lips thinking to quench my for alas it is either empty or contains only krac brackish kish water which would be revolting to a california horse As for food i carn dodger and irish potatoes oes would be a dain dainty ty morsel fancy for a that you are seated at our dinner table you yota glance over ever the bill of fare and read as follows sour pota potatoes I 1 oes poi pol mixed with sea water snails sea moss salt ac ac now dear father fat lier iier which dish will you be helped to A chair is moved hack back and a mild voice say says aj I 1 thank you but really im not hungry in the least there is a great deal said about the saints starving arving gt in deveret during this winter have you heard of any ones living worse than we do here atti attl at times I 1 think not but do not think by what I 1 hive have written that I 1 am growing poor for I 1 am fat ragged in the extreme and full as stout as a young giant half grown the rainy ralpy season beason is nearly past yet upolu looks as if it had bad not seea seen rain for the last lai tal century br cannon carnon has published a tract in the hawaiian tongue tangue givina a short sketch of joseph smiths ilfe life tha the book of mormon and its coming forth this is heing being circus circuited circulated ted among the natives and the saints appear to be delighted with it weare we are looking anxiously for the book of mormon momon as it has been out of press some when it arrives we shall expect the tha work to tako a new start throughout phout this group the brethren here are in good health and f gine fine lne ine spirit spirito o it is strange but nevertheless true that they will be happy let thern them bo placed in ever so adverse circumstances the aseret news comes as regularly as the mails will bring it but the mormon has never made its appearance uncle sams mails can certainly take me tsie premium for driving slow siow going scowl and for sailing more slow alow thursday march 27 I 1 am still at upolu as we have had no opportunity to leave A vessel touched here a few days ago but our purses being rather light we were unable to obtain a passage I 1 find that ecat its Us money that makes tee the mare go the world all over I 1 have llave just seen a native brother from lanai and learned ear nd odthe of the departure of elder hammond and family for the valley may the lord bless and eldera videra prosper osper him hirn en ca his journey the company of elders which I 1 came out here with are now sole possessors of the field ejder elder pack has hascom commenced hiss hisa his school chool at lanai which it is said is well attended both days and evenings nar NAt ALUA MOLOKAI april 22 1856 TheElder the elders aare sare bre are pursuing such a straight forward course that if jr I 1 were to write about them or their labors I 1 should say that they are doing all they can to build up the kingdom of god and to roll forth hig his work OH these lands landa tile the last year was froug lit with wilh cares baresi and hard work with but little tittle remuneration there were yere but few in the field who could talk the native language and this people are of such a temperament pe teave that they need to be constantly exhorted leave them alone one week without jogging their righteous memories and they will become lukewarm lu in things pertaining tb the kingdom of our god this years labors have been commenced under different circumstances about 15 elders can now preach in the hawaiian tongue and we anticipate seeing things assume a different aspect before another general conference is held the elders are blessed with an uncommon good portion of offee he holy spirit and the tl ie saints appear to be catching the electric spark and who knows how far it may spread before it stops in compliance with your request I 1 shall now endeavor to wilta some items that thit th it may be of interest to you concerning the islands when discovered allcie ailcie ancient nt traditions ac the tb following table will trill show the number and dimen alons cons of the ISI island Ands NAMES NABIES OF ISLANDS hawalt hawaii 88 miles loep 75 miles widey wide 1000 square saia re miles maul 48 1 it it 30 69 cc 61 2 10 is 46 oahu bahu 46 91 99 25 ic cc cc is kauai 22 cc is 25 Is 1 64 molokai 40 91 cc 7 99 41 9 cc lanai 17 ac 9 is cc loo 1 1 20 cc cc 7 91 at 90 cc 6 11 cc cc 8 is cc CO 60 is cc the whole group embraces a superficial area of about IGO loo miles of which hawaii includes two on hawaii hvall is the renowned crater of Ki lanea tha the ancient goddess of the lire islanders the top of the mountain is covered with perpetual snow forming a str strange inge contrast with the mighty fire fir below the lava of this volcano often bursts thirds jarvis history there are two or three other small islands but they are of little or no importance through some subterraneous passage over ovet overflowing flowing vast fields of the surrounding country laying forests waste and spreading desolation in all directions it is but a few months since tile the town of hilo wat wai a threatened with destruction in this manner and perhaps the danger is not yet altogether past the islands are not entirely surrounded with coral reefs as some have sup Eup supposed posed but vessels can approach from most sides and find anchorage ch orage the island of kauai was first discovered by b y capt cook in the month of january 1778 after stopping a short time tinie at kauai he fie sailed balled to tile the north west coast of america without discovering any of the other islands until his return in november odthe of the same year capt cook first dropped anchor at karimea War imea kauai the next morning the natives saw th the a ship and asked each other oilier what that great tiling was with so many branches bra n ches or limbs meaning tile the masts and spars some said it was a forest moved into the sea but not being satisfied in regard to the matter told some to get out to the ship and see what it actually was some warriors went to the vessel returned and reported with joy that the island was full of iron all an article greatly prized at that time as some bao haa previously floated ashore in pieces of wood upon hearing of the iron a warrior said 1 I 1 will go and steal some for to plunder is my trade ile he went but while in the act of taking it was detected delet ted and shot soon after this tile the ship fired several guns to intimidate the natives when the islanders exclaimed it is isa a god and prepared to fight A remarked do not fight with our god it is best to appease him and she look her daughter ard gave her to capt cook this wor womans comans rians name was kamakame idi lai the daughter was called shall I 1 say that capt cook the christian navigator was the first to indulge in that unhallowed practice that has brought hundreds of this people down dawn ta premature death and laid the ruin and downfall of the nation yes for even so it was the flood gate was now hoisted holsted andas and as winters bitter blast rides forth stripping vegetation of its green and purple foliage fo ilage liage leaving all barren and dreary so was the torrent of sin poured forth to strip the nation of its Us health and to spread misery and woe abroad upon the face of the land from flom whence thia thim people originated is a question not yet solved by the learned many have tried to trace back their origin to the malay tribe it is evident that the tile inhabitants of the hil hn islands have all sprang from the same race the resemblance of features and the sameness of dialects go to prove this and I 1 think if a person was well versed in the productions of moses tile the historian or acquainted with the history of or the aborigines of america as translated by joseph smith that he would be able to solve the question from whence originated the hawaiian Hawa lians we will now through curiosity take a ganee gance at hawaiian tradition I 1 quote from the natives here are ara the names of some who first lived on these islands ma kanand nand a woman they had one son called hakea also and of whom a daughter was born by the name of papa this hakea and md papa are the progenitors of the tha I 1 hawaiians Hawaii lawa lians ans it many marve marvelous lous loua things are told of them papa is ls is 19 said to be the real mother ther of these islands and of the kalo it will be seen that wickedness was the first thing in the minds of the people for after awhile hakea saw baw his daughter that she was fair so he lusted for her and colln colin connived ived with aid of his priest to commit incest biffi with her accomplished shed but papa detect detected hd him and a quarrel ensued when lie he spit in his bis cifes face and divorced her ile he then rapped or tabooed tabo oed the females from eating swine and several kinds of fruit and fish which were always observed until idolatry was abolished tradition gives accounts of famines and ands pestilences which visit edthe people in old times and more moretha than nonce once came camp near exterminating the race they say that wise men always preci ld d 1 these theme calamities and warned the people of what was comin coming and to turn away from their sins they czi had many mitar ideas lieas handed down not nol accounts ace in iri the old bible bibler such euch as josephs being beisig sold eold by his brethren jonah swallowed h bv a whale t the lie fie sun bun made to stand still by joshua to give a chiefs wife time to finish her work also the flood which swept offal lof of the nation except two instead of eight I 1 am arm doing the best that I 1 can and intend to keep doing I 1 have however many things tillage to contend with that are disagreeable ili in the extreme and hard for fora a boy to grapple with but the lord has thus far been my supporter sti and shield I 1 you will doubtless learn ere this reaches you of my being called to the presidency of the molokai conference |
