E DESTRUCTION OF THE IDOLS.

The canoe, it was evident, had met with some severe weather, and she
could scarcely, we considered, have held together had she encountered
another gale. We lost no time in getting the survivors into the boats.
The suspicions of the warriors were soon calmed by the explanations of
the young man, and they allowed us without resistance to lift them on
board. The chief's daughter, or young princess, she might have been
called, was less exhausted than many of the strong men. I lifted her up
with care, and placed her on her mats in the stern sheets, and pulled
back as fast as we could to the ship, that the sufferers might have the
advantage of our surgeon's assistance. Having removed the sinnets,
mats, and other articles with which she was loaded, we abandoned the
ill-fated canoe, and stood on our course. I asked the doctor what he
thought of the state of the Indians. "The princess and her attendants
require careful nursing, and so does that young man, but for the rest
who are still alive I have no fear," he answered. "The greater number
died for want of water. They had no lack of food, I suspect." I looked
in his face, and shuddered at the answer he gave. Several days passed
by before the young man who had addressed us in English was again able
to speak. He spoke but a few words of English, but enough to let me
understand that his name was John Vihala, that he was related to the
young girl, daughter of the chief or king of one of the islands; that
her name was Alea; that she had become a Christian; but that her father
and most of the family remained heathens. She had been betrothed (as is
the custom, at an early age) to a powerful chief of a distant island,
still a heathen and a cannibal; and, notwithstanding all her prayers and
entreaties, her father insisted on her fulfilling the contract. She, in
due state, accompanied by several of her relations and female
attendants, was placed on board the canoe, which sailed for its
destination. At first the wind was propitious, but a fierce gale arose,
which drove the canoe out of her course for many days before it, till
those on board were unable to tell in what direction to steer to regain
their own island. Another gale sprang up, which drove them still
farther away, and then famine began, and sickness, and then water
failed, and death followed, and despair took possession of even the
bravest. Alea's chief relations died, but she and Viha