who had resided in the
islands for many years at the time of the Russian navigator's visit in
1804. Originally a sailor, born at Liverpool, he had been compulsorily
detained by the natives when he landed from his ship in Hawaii in March
1790. But from the first he received the kindest treatment from the
king, Kamehameha, whose full confidence and high esteem he enjoyed and
deserved. The king gave him a fine estate and appointed him to several
responsible offices; in particular Young was governor of Hawaii for no
less than nine years during the king's absence. He married a native
woman of rank, by whom he had six children. While he remained warmly
attached to his native country and rendered essential services to
English vessels touching at the islands, he remained a voluntary exile
for forty-five years in Hawaii, where he died at the patriarchal age of
ninety-two in December 1835. During this long period he enjoyed the
favour of the kings, chiefs, and people, and was highly respected and
esteemed for his intelligence and good offices by European voyagers to
the islands.[144] Thus he had the best opportunities for acquainting
himself with the customs and beliefs of the natives, and it is much to
be regretted that of the ample store of knowledge which he thus acquired
nothing remains but a few scattered notices recorded by travellers to
whom he had verbally communicated them.

[144] G. Vancouver, _Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific
Ocean and round the World_ (London, 1798), ii. 135 _sq._; W.
Ellis, _Polynesian Researches_, iv. 96; Tyerman and Bennet,
_Journal of Voyages and Travels_, i. 377 _sq._; F. D. Bennett,
_Narrative of a Whaling Voyage_, i. 238 _sq._

In 1809, some five years after Lisiansky's visit to Hawaii, the Scotch
sailor Archibald Campbell witnessed one of these Saturnalia held on the
occasion of the death of the king's brother. He says: "The public
mourning that took place on this occasion was of so extraordinary a
nature that had I not been an eye-witness, I could not have given credit
to it. The natives cut out their hair, and went about completely naked.
Many of them, particularly the women, disfigured themselves, by knocking
out their front teeth, and branding their faces with red-hot stones, and
the small end of calabashes, which they held burning to their faces till
a circular mark was produced; whilst, at the same time, a general, I
believe I may say an universal, public pro