Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 410, 17 March 1904, Page 6

Traveller.

HAWAIIAN TBADITIOWS. ■HBOUGHOUT the grots idolatry and cruel praotices springing from traditions and superstitions prao- _ tised in preceding ages, the shreds of Hawaiian legendary mosaic, displaced from their original surroundings and made to fit earlier associations, are still preserved, soiled in appearance and obscured in sense. Standing on the traditional record as heirlooms of the past, as witnesses of a better creed, and as specimens of the archaic simplicity of the language and traditions, they are hardly intelligible to the Hawaiian of the present. The ancient Hawaiians at one time believed in and worshipped a Trinity called Kane, Ku, and Lono, equal in nature, but distinctive in attributes: the first was considered the superior. They j formed a triad commonly referred te as Eu-Ean-Akahi-lit. Ku* stands for 'alone,' or the. one established. The were all jointly worshipped under one grand and mysterious name, and existed from eternity, from and before chaos, from the time of darkness. By an act of their will these gods dissipated or broke into pieces the existing surroundings of Po, which was night or chaos, and thus light entered into space. Then they created the heavens—three in number, differing numerically from the Hebrew legend—as a place for themselves to dwell in, and the earth to be their footstool. Next they created the sun, moon, and stars, and a host of engels or spirits, to minister to them. Last of all they created man in the model of Kane. The body of the first man was made of red earth and the saliva of the gods, and his head of whitish clay which was brought from the four ends of the world ; by Lono. When the earth image of Kane was ready, the three gods breathed into its nose and called on it to rise, and it became a living being. Afterwards the qts6 woman was created from one of the ribs of the man while asleep, and these two were the progenitors of all mankind. Another legend says that the god Kane ordered Lua-nun to go up on a mountain and perform a sacrifice there. Lua-nun looked among the mountains of Kahiki, but none of them appeared suitable for the purpose. Then Lua-nun inquired where he might find a proper place, and Kane replied to him,' Go travel to the eastward, and where you find a sharppeaked hill projecting precipitously in the ccean, that is the hill for the sacrifice.' Then Lua-nun and his son and servant started off in their boat to the eastward, and in remembrance of this event the Hawaiians called the mountain back of Kualoa, Koolau Oahu, after one of Luanun's names. This legend shows a similarity to the story of Abraham and Isaac. The correspondence seenw almost too great to be ascribed to the accidental development of the same train of ideas in the minds of people apparently so widely separated in time and distance as the Hawaiians and the Israelites.

1 Two hypotheses may be resorted to J account for this remarkable resemblance. One is that during the time of the Spanish galleon trade in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries between the Spanish Main and Manilla some shipwrecked people (Spaniards and Portuguese, of whose arrival at the Hawaiian Islands there can be no doubt) had attained sufficient influence to induce these scraps of Bible history into the legendary lore of this people. The other hypothesis is that at some remote period a body of scattered Israelites had arrived on these islands direct, or on some other South Sea islands, and thus imparted a knowledge of their doctrines, of the early life of their ancestors, and some of their peculiar oustoms, which were absorbed by some of the people among whom they found refuge. The Hawaiian legend of the creation of man shows too remarkable an aocord with the Hebrew account to be lightly passed over. The former says thai Kane, Ku, and Lono formed man out of the red earth, and breathed into his nose, and he became a living being. The latter says, ' The Lord formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.' (Qen ii. 7.) In the Chaldean and Hebrew legends the juxtaposition of heaven and earth is not clearly stated, but in the hymns of the Rigveda the idea is plainly set forth that at one time heaven and earth were close together, and the separating of them is attributed to Varuna, Vishnu, Indra, and Loma, who propped up the earth with supports and spread it outMoo, the serpent of Hawaiian lose, is similar to the serpent in the garden of Eden. Another Hawaiian legend bears upon the fall of man and the introduction of death into the world, introduces Eanaloa, who is also their primary spirit of chaos, confusion, and darkness, elevated into a divieity battling with Atea, and god of light and order. Some idea of the supreme consideration in which this goi was held may be had when it is related that no worship was offered to him. Having created gods and demigods, he was above considering the conoerns of mortals. This legend resembles the Chaldean myth of the spirits who rebelled against Ann and spread consternation in heaven and destruction on earth, but were finally conquered by Bel, the son of Hea. The Biblical account of the flood bears some relation to the Hawaiian legend, which runs that one day Rua-Kaku, the ocean god, was asleep at the bottom of the ocean, when a fisherman came along tb»t way with his hook and line. The ho 6& got entangled in the hair of the god, and the fisherman, thinking that he had caught a fine fish, pulled up so vigorously as to bring the god to the surface. Enraged at being thus disturbed, the god threatened instant destruction to the unlucky fisherman; but the latter, having implored the god's pardon, was told to repair to a coral-bank for shelter while the god vented bis displeasure on the rest of the world. The fisherman did as as he was told, and took a friend, a hog, a dog, and a couple of hens with him to the coral bank. After that the ocean commenced rising, and continued rising until the land was covered with water and.the people had perished. Then the water retired, and the fisherman returned so his former home.

they are satisfied with the toy ordered but there are pome who have very treacherous memories, and he flnde it advisable to get them to pay on delivery) One. gentleman has a magnificent estate ia Esßex, always pays in advance, and as his orders are as frequent as they are I eccentric, his patronage haa proved exo«edis gly profitable to the inventor. Two 1 years ago this gentleman hai a coßtly toy railway laid dows in his private grounds,; and one peculiarity connected with its construction waa an engine which on calling at each station on the route whistles an anthem. ENFOECED WAKEFULNESS. On one occasion Judge Upham was traielling in the woods in winter, with an Indian for guide. The snow was bo deep, and the difficulty of moving bo great, that the judge became exhausted, and. Bitting dowD, he directed the Indian to go on and get help, while be remained where he wae. The Indian positively refused, but after much persuasion he consented, on condition that the judge should continue to sit on a stump which he pointed out, and if he fell off he should get on again After some remonstrance the judge was forced to agree to the strange proposition and make the required promise. He mounted the stump, and the Indian disappeared. . By-and-by the judge fell asleep, and, as the natural res alt, tumbled off the stump H« climbed up age in, again fell asleep, and once more tumbled cff Then he understood why the Indian had made him Sromise to ait on the stump—to prevent im from going to Bleep and being frozen to death. When the Indian finally arrived with help he found the judge sitting - on the stamp, but with great difficulty keeping awake. Judge Upham lived for many years afterwards, but never forgot that he owed the preservation of his life to the simple ruse of the red man. MAKING HOME ATTEACTIVE. Any accomplishment is worth cultivating that may help to make the home attractive to huaband and sosb $ but the beat acquirements for this purpose are no doubt moral rather than intellectual. They are a good temper and a habit of looking on the bright side of things. A cheerful temper, .not occasionally, but habitually cheerful, is a quality which no wise man would be willing to dispenae with in chooßing a wife A good wife is courteous, sweet, and gentle in all her dealings. She may be a plain woman, but she takes pains to be always fascinating. Her first thought is—never to disarrange, even for an instant, that i drapery of pleasantness which a woman should always wear. She knows that if it 1 is the duty of a husband to make the ' money, it ia hers to make life ornamental ' and charming for him. Her perpetual . aim is to give pleasure, to be agreeable, I and to be amiable, and she succeeds in ; making ' a faappy fireside clime,' which is I the true pathos and sublimity of human 1 life, ) ALWAYS TAKE TIME. Take time to breathe a morning prayer, asking God to keep you from evil, and ' use you for His glory during the day. Take time to read a few verses from 1 God's Word each day. 1 Take time to be. pleasant. A bright smile or a pleasant word falls like a sua- ' beam upon the hearts of those around us. 1 Take time to be polite. A gentle 'I thank you,''lf you please,' 'Excuse me,' I etc., even to an inferior, is no compromise of dignity, and you know—i ' True politeness is to Bay , The kindest things in the kindest way.'