roughing it-第75部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
his race offered up in heathen temples as sacrifices to wooden idols； at
a time when no missionary's foot had ever pressed this soil； and he had
never heard of the white man's God； has believed his enemy could secretly
pray him to death； has seen the day； in his childhood； when it was a
crime punishable by death for a man to eat with his wife； or for a
plebeian to let his shadow fall upon the Kingand now look at him； an
educated Christian； neatly and handsomely dressed； a high…minded； elegant
gentleman； a traveler； in some degree； and one who has been the honored
guest of royalty in Europe； a man practiced in holding the reins of an
enlightened government； and well versed in the politics of his country
and in general； practical information。 Look at him； sitting there
presiding over the deliberations of a legislative body； among whom are
white mena grave； dignified； statesmanlike personage； and as seemingly
natural and fitted to the place as if he had been born in it and had
never been out of it in his life time。 How the experiences of this old
man's eventful life shame the cheap inventions of romance！〃
The christianizing of the natives has hardly even weakened some of their
barbarian superstitions； much less destroyed them。 I have just referred
to one of these。 It is still a popular belief that if your enemy can get
hold of any article belonging to you he can get down on his knees over it
and pray you to death。 Therefore many a native gives up and dies merely
because he imagines that some enemy is putting him through a course of
damaging prayer。 This praying an individual to death seems absurb enough
at a first glance； but then when we call to mind some of the pulpit
efforts of certain of our own ministers the thing looks plausible。
In former times； among the Islanders； not only a plurality of wives was
customary； but a plurality of husbands likewise。 Some native women of
noble rank had as many as six husbands。 A woman thus supplied did not
reside with all her husbands at once； but lived several months with each
in turn。 An understood sign hung at her door during these months。 When
the sign was taken down； it meant 〃NEXT。〃
In those days woman was rigidly taught to 〃know her place。〃 Her place
was to do all the work； take all the cuffs； provide all the food； and
content herself with what was left after her lord had finished his
dinner。 She was not only forbidden； by ancient law； and under penalty of
death； to eat with her husband or enter a canoe； but was debarred； under
the same penalty； from eating bananas； pine…apples； oranges and other
choice fruits at any time or in any place。 She had to confine herself
pretty strictly to 〃poi〃 and hard work。 These poor ignorant heathen seem
to have had a sort of groping idea of what came of woman eating fruit in
the garden of Eden； and they did not choose to take any more chances。
But the missionaries broke up this satisfactory arrangement of things。
They liberated woman and made her the equal of man。
The natives had a romantic fashion of burying some of their children
alive when the family became larger than necessary。 The missionaries
interfered in this matter too； and stopped it。
To this day the natives are able to lie down and die whenever they want
to； whether there is anything the matter with them or not。 If a Kanaka
takes a notion to die； that is the end of him； nobody can persuade him to
hold on； all the doctors in the world could not save him。
A luxury which they enjoy more than anything else； is a large funeral。
If a person wants to get rid of a troublesome native； it is only
necessary to promise him a fine funeral and name the hour and he will be
on hand to the minuteat least his remains will。
All the natives are Christians； now； but many of them still desert to the
Great Shark God for temporary succor in time of trouble。 An irruption of
the great volcano of Kilauea； or an earthquake； always brings a deal of
latent loyalty to the Great Shark God to the surface。 It is common
report that the King； educated； cultivated and refined Christian
gentleman as he undoubtedly is； still turns to the idols of his fathers
for help when disaster threatens。 A planter caught a shark； and one of
his christianized natives testified his emancipation from the thrall of
ancient superstition by assisting to dissect the shark after a fashion
forbidden by his abandoned creed。 But remorse shortly began to torture
him。 He grew moody and sought solitude； brooded over his sin； refused
food； and finally said he must die and ought to die； for he had sinned
against the Great Shark God and could never know peace any more。 He was
proof against persuasion and ridicule； and in the course of a day or two
took to his bed and died； although he showed no symptom of disease。
His young daughter followed his lead and suffered a like fate within the
week。 Superstition is ingrained in the native blood and bone and it is
only natural that it should crop out in time of distress。 Wherever one
goes in the Islands； he will find small piles of stones by the wayside；
covered with leafy offerings； placed there by the natives to appease evil
spirits or honor local deities belonging to the mythology of former days。
In the rural districts of any of the Islands； the traveler hourly comes
upon parties of dusky maidens bathing in the streams or in the sea
without any clothing on and exhibiting no very intemperate zeal in the
matter of hiding their nakedness。 When the missionaries first took up
their residence in Honolulu； the native women would pay their families
frequent friendly visits； day by day； not even clothed with a blush。
It was found a hard matter to convince them that this was rather
indelicate。 Finally the missionaries provided them with long； loose
calico robes； and that ended the difficultyfor the women would troop
through the town； stark naked； with their robes folded under their arms；
march to the missionary houses and then proceed to dress！The natives
soon manifested a strong proclivity for clothing； but it was shortly
apparent that they only wanted it for grandeur。 The missionaries
imported a quantity of hats； bonnets； and other male and female wearing
apparel； instituted a general distribution； and begged the people not to
come to church naked； next Sunday； as usual。 And they did not； but the
national spirit of unselfishness led them to divide up with neighbors who
were not at the distribution； and next Sabbath the poor preachers could
hardly keep countenance before their vast congregations。 In the midst of
the reading of a hymn a brown； stately dame would sweep up the aisle with
a world of airs； with nothing in the world on but a 〃stovepipe〃 hat and a
pair of cheap gloves； another dame would follow； tricked out in a man's
shirt； and nothing else； another one would enter with a flourish； with
simply the sleeves of a bright calico dress tied around her waist and the
rest of the garment dragging behind like a peacock's tail off duty； a
stately 〃buck〃 Kanaka would stalk in with a woman's bonnet on； wrong side
beforeonly this； and nothing more； after him would stride his fellow；
with the legs of a pair of pantaloons tied around his neck； the rest of
his person untrammeled； in his rear would come another gentleman simply
gotten up in a fiery neck…tie and a striped vest。
The poor creatures were beaming with complacency and wholly unconscious
of any absurdity in their appearance。 They gazed at each other with
happy admiration； and it was plain to see that the young girls were
taking note of what each other had on； as naturally as if they had always
lived in a land of Bibles and knew what churches were made for； here was
the evidence of a dawning civilization。 The spectacle which the
congregation presented was so extraordinary and withal so moving； that
the missionaries found it difficult to keep to the text and go on with
the services； and by and by when the simple children of the sun began a
general swapping of garments in open meeting and produced some
irresistibly grotesque effects in the course of re…dressing； there was
nothing for it but to cut the thing short with the benediction and
dismiss the fantastic assemblage。
In our country； children play 〃keep house；〃 and in the same high…sounding
but miniature way the grown folk here； with the poor little material of
slender territory and meagre population； play 〃empire。〃 There is his
royal Majesty the King； with a New York detective's income of thirty or
thirty…five thousand dollars a year from the 〃royal civil list〃 and the
〃royal domain。〃 He lives in a two…story frame 〃palace。〃
And there is the 〃royal family〃the customary hive of royal brothers；
sisters； cousins and other noble drones and vagrants usual to monarchy；
all with a spoon in the national pap…dish； and all bearing such titles as
his or her Royal Highness the Prince or Princess So…and…so。 Few of them
can carry their royal splendors far enough to ride in carriages； however；
they sport the economical Kanaka horse or 〃hoof it〃 with the plebeians。
Then there is his Excellency the 〃royal Chamberlain〃a sinecure； for his
majesty dresses himself with his own hands； except when he is ruralizing
at Waikiki and then he requires no dressing。
Next we have his Excellency the Commander…in…chief of the Household
Troops； whose forces consist of about the number of soldiers usually
placed under a corporal in other lands。
Next comes the royal Steward and the Grand Equerry in Waitinghigh
dignitaries with modest salaries and little to do。
Then we have his Excellency the First Gentleman of the Bed…chamberan
office as easy as it is magnificent。
Next we come to his Excellency the Prime Minister； a renegade American
from New Hampshire； all jaw； vanity； bombast and ignorance； a lawyer of
〃shyster〃 calibre； a fraud by nature； a humble worshiper of the sceptre
above him； a reptile never tired of sneering at the land of his birth or
glorifying the ten…acre kingdom that has adopted himsalary； 4；000 a
year； vast consequence； and no perquisites。
Then we have his Excellency the Imperial Minister of Finance； who handles
a million dollars of public mo
