roughing it-第91部分

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him　without　stopping　to　inquire　whether　a　god　might　not　groan　as　well　as
a　man　if　it　suited　his　convenience　to　do　it；　and　satisfied　that　the　idols
were　powerless　to　protect　themselves　they　went　to　work　at　once　and　pulled
them　downhacked　them　to　piecesapplied　the　torchannihilated　them！

The　pagan　priests　were　furious。　　And　well　they　might　be；　they　had　held
the　fattest　offices　in　the　land；　and　now　they　were　beggared；　they　had
been　greatthey　had　stood　above　the　chiefsand　now　they　were　vagabonds。
They　raised　a　revolt；　they　scared　a　number　of　people　into　joining　their
standard；　and　Bekuokalani；　an　ambitious　offshoot　of　royalty；　was　easily
persuaded　to　become　their　leader。

In　the　first　skirmish　the　idolaters　triumphed　over　the　royal　army　sent
against　them；　and　full　of　confidence　they　resolved　to　march　upon　Kailua。
The　King　sent　an　envoy　to　try　and　conciliate　them；　and　came　very　near
being　an　envoy　short　by　the　operation；　the　savages　not　only　refused　to
listen　to　him；　but　wanted　to　kill　him。　　So　the　King　sent　his　men　forth
under　Major　General　Kalaimoku　and　the　two　host　met　a　Kuamoo。　　The　battle
was　long　and　fiercemen　and　women　fighting　side　by　side；　as　was　the
customand　when　the　day　was　done　the　rebels　were　flying　in　every
direction　in　hopeless　panic；　and　idolatry　and　the　tabu　were　dead　in　the
land！

The　royalists　marched　gayly　home　to　Kailua　glorifying　the　new
dispensation。　　〃There　is　no　power　in　the　gods；〃　said　they；　〃they　are　a
vanity　and　a　lie。　　The　army　with　idols　was　weak；　the　army　without　idols
was　strong　and　victorious！〃

The　nation　was　without　a　religion。

The　missionary　ship　arrived　in　safety　shortly　afterward；　timed　by
providential　exactness　to　meet　the　emergency；　and　the　Gospel　was　planted
as　in　a　virgin　soil。




CHAPTER　LXXIII。

At　noon；　we　hired　a　Kanaka　to　take　us　down　to　the　ancient　ruins　at
Honaunan　in　his　canoeprice　two　dollarsreasonable　enough；　for　a　sea
voyage　of　eight　miles；　counting　both　ways。

The　native　canoe　is　an　irresponsible　looking　contrivance。　　I　cannot　think
of　anything　to　liken　it　to　but　a　boy's　sled　runner　hollowed　out；　and　that
does　not　quite　convey　the　correct　idea。　　It　is　about　fifteen　feet　long；
high　and　pointed　at　both　ends；　is　a　foot　and　a　half　or　two　feet　deep；　and
so　narrow　that　if　you　wedged　a　fat　man　into　it　you　might　not　get　him　out
again。　　It　sits　on　top　of　the　water　like　a　duck；　but　it　has　an　outrigger
and　does　not　upset　easily；　if　you　keep　still。　　This　outrigger　is　formed
of　two　long　bent　sticks　like　plow　handles；　which　project　from　one　side；
and　to　their　outer　ends　is　bound　a　curved　beam　composed　of　an　extremely
light　wood；　which　skims　along　the　surface　of　the　water　and　thus　saves　you
from　an　upset　on　that　side；　while　the　outrigger's　weight　is　not　so　easily
lifted　as　to　make　an　upset　on　the　other　side　a　thing　to　be　greatly
feared。　　Still；　until　one　gets　used　to　sitting　perched　upon　this
knifeblade；　he　is　apt　to　reason　within　himself　that　it　would　be　more
comfortable　if　there　were　just　an　outrigger　or　so　on　the　other　side　also。
I　had　the　bow　seat；　and　Billings　sat　amidships　and　faced　the　Kanaka；　who
occupied　the　stern　of　the　craft　and　did　the　paddling。　　With　the　first
stroke　the　trim　shell　of　a　thing　shot　out　from　the　shore　like　an　arrow。
There　was　not　much　to　see。　　While　we　were　on　the　shallow　water　of　the
reef；　it　was　pastime　to　look　down　into　the　limpid　depths　at　the　large
bunches　of　branching　coralthe　unique　shrubbery　of　the　sea。　　We　lost
that；　though；　when　we　got　out　into　the　dead　blue　water　of　the　deep。　　But
we　had　the　picture　of　the　surf；　then；　dashing　angrily　against　the　crag…
bound　shore　and　sending　a　foaming　spray　high　into　the　air。

There　was　interest　in　this　beetling　border；　too；　for　it　was　honey…combed
with　quaint　caves　and　arches　and　tunnels；　and　had　a　rude　semblance　of　the
dilapidated　architecture　of　ruined　keeps　and　castles　rising　out　of　the
restless　sea。　　When　this　novelty　ceased　to　be　a　novelty；　we　turned　our
eyes　shoreward　and　gazed　at　the　long　mountain　with　its　rich　green　forests
stretching　up　into　the　curtaining　clouds；　and　at　the　specks　of　houses　in
the　rearward　distance　and　the　diminished　schooner　riding　sleepily　at
anchor。　　And　when　these　grew　tiresome　we　dashed　boldly　into　the　midst　of
a　school　of　huge；　beastly　porpoises　engaged　at　their　eternal　game　of
arching　over　a　wave　and　disappearing；　and　then　doing　it　over　again　and
keeping　it　upalways　circling　over；　in　that　way；　like　so　many　well…
submerged　wheels。　　But　the　porpoises　wheeled　themselves　away；　and　then　we
were　thrown　upon　our　own　resources。　　It　did　not　take　many　minutes　to
discover　that　the　sun　was　blazing　like　a　bonfire；　and　that　the　weather
was　of　a　melting　temperature。　　It　had　a　drowsing　effect；　too。
In　one　place　we　came　upon　a　large　company　of　naked　natives；　of　both　sexes
and　all　ages；　amusing　themselves　with　the　national　pastime　of　surf…
bathing。　　Each　heathen　would　paddle　three　or　four　hundred　yards　out　to
sea；　（taking　a　short　board　with　him）；　then　face　the　shore　and　wait　for　a
particularly　prodigious　billow　to　come　along；　at　the　right　moment　he
would　fling　his　board　upon　its　foamy　crest　and　himself　upon　the　board；
and　here　he　would　come　whizzing　by　like　a　bombshell！　　It　did　not　seem
that　a　lightning　express　train　could　shoot　along　at　a　more　hair…lifting
speed。　　I　tried　surf…bathing　once；　subsequently；　but　made　a　failure　of
it。　　I　got　the　board　placed　right；　and　at　the　right　moment；　too；　but
missed　the　connection　myself。The　board　struck　the　shore　in　three
quarters　of　a　second；　without　any　cargo；　and　I　struck　the　bottom　about
the　same　time；　with　a　couple　of　barrels　of　water　in　me。　　None　but　natives
ever　master　the　art　of　surf…bathing　thoroughly。

At　the　end　of　an　hour；　we　had　made　the　four　miles；　and　landed　on　a　level
point　of　land；　upon　which　was　a　wide　extent　of　old　ruins；　with　many　a
tall　cocoanut　tree　growing　among　them。　　Here　was　the　ancient　City　of
Refugea　vast　inclosure；　whose　stone　walls　were　twenty　feet　thick　at　the
base；　and　fifteen　feet　high；　an　oblong　square；　a　thousand　and　forty　feet
one　way　and　a　fraction　under　seven　hundred　the　other。　　Within　this
inclosure；　in　early　times；　has　been　three　rude　temples；　each　two　hundred
and　ten　feet　long　by　one　hundred　wide；　and　thirteen　high。

In　those　days；　if　a　man　killed　another　anywhere　on　the　island　the
relatives　were　privileged　to　take　the　murderer's　life；　and　then　a　chase
for　life　and　liberty　beganthe　outlawed　criminal　flying　through　pathless
forests　and　over　mountain　and　plain；　with　his　hopes　fixed　upon　the
protecting　walls　of　the　City　of　Refuge；　and　the　avenger　of　blood
following　hotly　after　him！

Sometimes　the　race　was　kept　up　to　the　very　gates　of　the　temple；　and　the
panting　pair　sped　through　long　files　of　excited　natives；　who　watched　the
contest　with　flashing　eye　and　dilated　nostril；　encouraging　the　hunted
refugee　with　sharp；　inspiriting　ejaculations；　and　sending　up　a　ringing
shout　of　exultation　when　the　saving　gates　closed　upon　him　and　the　cheated
pursuer　sank　exhausted　at　the　threshold。　　But　sometimes　the　flying
criminal　fell　under　the　hand　of　the　avenger　at　the　very　door；　when　one
more　brave　stride；　one　more　brief　second　of　time　would　have　brought　his
feet　upon　the　sacred　ground　and　barred　him　against　all　harm。　　Where　did
these　isolated　pagans　get　this　idea　of　a　City　of　Refugethis　ancient
Oriental　custom？

This　old　sanctuary　was　sacred　to　alleven　to　rebels　in　arms　and　invading
armies。　　Once　within　its　walls；　and　confession　made　to　the　priest　and
absolution　obtained；　the　wretch　with　a　price　upon　his　head　could　go　forth
without　fear　and　without　dangerhe　was　tabu；　and　to　harm　him　was　death。
The　routed　rebels　in　the　lost　battle　for　idolatry　fled　to　this　place　to
claim　sanctuary；　and　many　were　thus　saved。

Close　to　the　corner　of　the　great　inclosure　is　a　round　structure　of　stone；
some　six　or　eight　feet　high；　with　a　level　top　about　ten　or　twelve　in
diameter。　　This　was　the　place　of　execution。　　A　high　palisade　of　cocoanut
piles　shut　out　the　cruel　scenes　from　the　vulgar　multitude。　　Here
criminals　were　killed；　the　flesh　stripped　from　the　bones　and　burned；　and
the　bones　secreted　in　holes　in　the　body　of　the　structure。　　If　the　man　had
been　guilty　of　a　high　crime；　the　entire　corpse　was　burned。

The　walls　of　the　temple　are　a　study。　　The　same　food　for　speculation　that
is　offered　the　visitor　to　the　Pyramids　of　Egypt　he　will　find　herethe
mystery　of　how　they　were　constructed　by　a　people　unacquainted　with
science　and　mechanics。　　The　natives　have　no　invention　of　their　own　for
hoisting　heavy　weights；　they　had　no　beasts　of　burden；　and　they　have　never
even　shown　any　knowledge　of　the　properties　of　the　lever。　　Yet　some　of　the
lava　blocks　quarried　out；　brought　over　rough；　broken　ground；　and　built
into　this　wall；　six　or　seven　feet　from　the　ground；　are　of　prodigious　size
and　would　weigh　tons。　　How　did　they　transport　and　how　raise　them？

Both　the　inner　and　outer　surfaces　of　the　walls　present　a　smooth　front　and
are　very　creditable　specimens　of　masonry。　　The　blocks　are　of　all　manner
of　shapes　and　sizes；　but　yet　are　fitted　together　with　the　neatest
exactness。　　The　gradual　narrowing　of　the　wall　from　the　base　upward　is
accurately　pre