Narrative of a Tour Through Hawaii, or Owhyhee (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1826 edition. Excerpt: ... of thousands, and thousands, and thousands. J Vast numbers of hogs, some alive, others cooked, were thrown into the craters during the time they were in action, or when they threatened an eruption; and also, during an inundation, many were thrown into the rolling torrent of lava, to appease the gods and stay its progress. We were told that several attempts had been made to drive them off the islands, and that once they were nearly overpowered by Tamapuaa, the Centaur of Hawaii, a gigantic animal, half hog and half man. He travelled from Oahu to countries beyond the heavens, viz. beyond the boundary where they supposed the heavens to be in form of a hollow cone, joined to the sea. He also visited Kirauea, and made proposals to become the guest and suitor of P6le, the elder sister. When she saw him standing on the edge of the crater, she rejected his proposals with contempt, calling him a hog, the son of a hog. On her ascending from the crater to drive him away, a fierce combat ensued. P6le was forced to her volcano, and threatened with destruction from the waters of the sea, which Tamapuaa poured into the prater till it was almost full, and the fires were nearly extinct. Pele and her companions drank up the waters, rose again from the craters, and finally succeeded in driving Tamapuaa into the sea, whither she followed him with thunder, lightning, and showers of large stones. They also related the account of the destruction of part of Keoua's camp by a violent eruption of the volcano, which, from their description, must have been sudden and awful. Pele, they said, was propitious to Tamehameha, and availed herself of the opportunity afforded by the contiguous encampment of Keoua to diminish his forces and aid the cause of his rival. We...