In the South Seas eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 372 pages of information about In the South Seas.

In the South Seas eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 372 pages of information about In the South Seas.
(shoulder), he take him light out house; he give chief he whale-boat, he file-a’m, he blackee coat.  He take Missa Whela he house, make him sit down with he wife and chil’en.  Missa Whela all-the-same pelison (prison); he wife, he chil’en in Amelica; he cly—­O, he cly.  Kekela he solly.  One day Kekela he see ship. (Pantomime.) He say Missa Whela, “Ma’ Whala?” Missa Whela he say, “Yes.”  Kanaka they begin go down beach.  Kekela he get eleven Kanaka, get oa’ (oars), get evely thing.  He say Missa Whela, “Now you go quick.”  They jump in whale-boat.  “Now you low!” Kekela he say:  “you low quick, quick!” (Violent pantomime, and a change indicating that the narrator has left the boat and returned to the beach.) All the Kanaka they say, “How!  ’Melican mate he go away?”—­jump in boat; low afta. (Violent pantomime, and change again to boat.) Kekela he say, “Low quick!"’

Here I think Kauwealoha’s pantomime had confused me; I have no more of his ipsissima verba; and can but add, in my own less spirited manner, that the ship was reached, Mr. Whalon taken aboard, and Kekela returned to his charge among the cannibals.  But how unjust it is to repeat the stumblings of a foreigner in a language only partly acquired!  A thoughtless reader might conceive Kauwealoha and his colleague to be a species of amicable baboon; but I have here the anti-dote.  In return for his act of gallant charity, Kekela was presented by the American Government with a sum of money, and by President Lincoln personally with a gold watch.  From his letter of thanks, written in his own tongue, I give the following extract.  I do not envy the man who can read it without emotion.

’When I saw one of your countrymen, a citizen of your great nation, ill-treated, and about to be baked and eaten, as a pig is eaten, I ran to save him, full of pity and grief at the evil deed of these benighted people.  I gave my boat for the stranger’s life.  This boat came from James Hunnewell, a gift of friendship.  It became the ransom of this countryman of yours, that he might not be eaten by the savages who knew not Jehovah.  This was Mr. Whalon, and the date, Jan. 14, 1864.

As to this friendly deed of mine in saving Mr. Whalon, its seed came from your great land, and was brought by certain of your countrymen, who had received the love of God.  It was planted in Hawaii, and I brought it to plant in this land and in these dark regions, that they might receive the root of all that is good and true, which is love.

’1.  Love to Jehovah.

’2.  Love to self.

’3.  Love to our neighbour.

’If a man have a sufficiency of these three, he is good and holy, like his God, Jehovah, in his triune character (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), one-three, three-one.  If he have two and wants one, it is not well; and if he have one and wants two, indeed, is not well; but if he cherishes all three, then is he holy, indeed, after the manner of the Bible.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
In the South Seas from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.