ce, had lately been relinquished on account of the abandoned
character of the pupils.

These instances must indeed dampen the ardor of the most sanguine
philanthropists, who have been so many years striving to emancipate
these Indian races from the depths of vice and ignorance. The whites
themselves, to their shame, be it said, are far from lessening the
evil, and I heard Mr. Cohen feelingly and truthfully remark, in
connection with the difficulties encountered in their labors, that the
missionaries' voices were but a breath in stemming the torrent of bad
examples, caused by hundreds of loud voices from every merchant vessel
and ship-of-war touching at the group. Assuredly much has been
accomplished in the outer crust of civilization, by an association for
so long a period with the whites, but notwithstanding the almost
unparalleled efforts of the missions, they have gained little in true
morality, though everything, perhaps, in decency, contrasted with the
native state in former times.

The Hawaiians are naturally indolent, voluptuous and deceitful, more
imbecile than vicious, destitute of morality, preserving of late years,
the form, not from principle, but fear of exposure, and subsequent
punishment. Infanticide, always prevalent in the Polynesian tribes, is
here more alarmingly frequent than even during their darkest days of
sacrifice and idolatry, caused, no doubt, in a great degree, by
unnecessarily severe laws against illegitimacy. There are no government
hospitals, and the disease brought by Cook is sweeping still, with the
deadly strides of a pestilence. These causes serve to check and diminish
the population to an extent hitherto unprecedented, and not unless their
very existence as a nation becomes obliterated, does there appear to be
any reasonable prospect of reform.[5] And now, it can be asked, if, with
all these evils entailed upon them by strangers, does it not seem
problematical, if in their days of superstition and ignorance they were
not morally better? Happier they certainly were! Then, their very
indolence, induced by an equable and delicious climate, where Nature so
bountifully scatters her fruits in their path, produced an enervating
languor, where neither cares nor sorrows surrounded them! Now, their
natural sense and experience teach, that they cannot cope with the skill
or energy of the foreigner, and hopelessly and inevitably they must look
forward to the rapid future, when their lands will b