"O, friends I will never forget my feelings. Had our other ministers requested that we conform to this ruling we would not have done so. There was not the comfort there to lead us to make sacrifices. I dearly loved my tobacco, and would have parted with all my wealth and lands rather than forsake the pipe. I did get so much good—comfort—out of it; and my blooded race horses were the pride of the land. But this new information—that 'we were of Israel' and might be ministers to our kindred—was a blessing not to be refused. They said, 'pray, fast and ask the Great Spirit to help you to decide.'
"I took my pipe and tobacco and left my home early on the morning that the Elders took their departure. Reaching a little plateau up in the hills, I found a huge rock. I sat down by it and cut up my tobacco and filled my pipe full, then took out some matches and placed them all on top of the stone. Then I stepped back a few paces. I looked at them and said to myself: 'There,' pointing to the things on the rock, 'is the devil, and there,' pointing away up the valley and over the hills in the direction of the Elders, 'is the Priesthood. Which shall I obey, God or the Devil?' Then I went to the opposite side of the rock and prayed for help. When I returned I had decided. I said, 'I will not smoke my pipe again.' Then I took a stone and broke the pipe into fragments. On the second and third days I can not tell the trials through which I went, and how I was tempted. By reason of the fasting and denying myself tobacco I became deathly sick, and on the third day, something suggested to me that my oath was that I would not smoke my pipe again, but that I did not say 'I will not use tobacco again.' 'Piripi, try a cigarette; it is the going without a smoke that makes you so ill.' I yielded and smoked two, but I did not improve, so I said, 'I will never use tobacco again in any form. Old Satan is trying to cheat me out of the Priesthood that rightfully belongs to me.' When the Elders returned I had—by the help of the Lord—conquered, and was prepared to receive the blessings that had been promised."
Later this good man disposed of all of his race horses, and worked for the uplift of his people, and died as he lived—true to the faith. A most remarkable thing is that all of his children followed in his footsteps, and are now leading pillars in the Church. He assisted in proof-reading the Book of Mormon when it was translated into his language. He died in 1897. His life was an inspiration to all who knew him. What he did in the matter of controlling his appetite, and the comfort he experienced as a result, should encourage others to try to do so.
L. G. H.
[Praying to Death]
ATTEMPT OF HAWAIIAN PRIEST TO PRAY MORMON ELDER TO DEATH—HIS FAILURE AND HAWAIIAN DISCOMFITURE
Praying to death is an old practice among the Hawaiians, that prevailed in former times more than at the present day. How successful it was I am not prepared to say. I know that it proved a failure when an attempt was made to exercise it upon me over thirty years ago.
An offense, intentional or unintentional (it made no special difference which) being given, revenge was at once sought to be inflicted upon the offender without the shedding of blood. I suppose success was attained oftener when the party under anathema knew or heard of what was going on against him.
The attempt against me was so secretly kept from my knowledge that I knew of no such project against me until the affair was settled in court.
The episode developed, in the following way: I had leased a tract of rush, swampy land in Crater Valley, consisting of about fifty acres to a Chinaman for the cultivation of rice. Within the boundaries of this tract was an old "loi" of about a half acre which in former years had been devoted to the growing of kalo roots, from which poi is made. When the Chinamen began work on this loi with their big hoes two native women with native men came with a din and noise such as only Chinamen and Hawaiians can make and drove the Chinamen off. I was in Honolulu at the time. On returning Kupau, a noted lawyer for the konehike, (employed to watch and see that the Chinamen did not trespass upon the land) came to me and informed me of the fiasco, and was anxious to know what could be done to prevent strife. I advised that he muster all the Chinamen he could and divide them into four squads; then place one squad or division at each corner of the land which the natives were contesting for, and have them go to work. If the natives should come and drive them from one corner of the land, let the Chinamen proceed to another corner and take the place of the Chinamen stationed there, who would in turn supplant the next squad until the fourth squad should take the place of those just ousted by the natives, and resume work until they in turn were driven off. In this way the Chinamen could keep alternating all day if necessary. My policy was to limit the contest if possible to the natives and Chinamen, and if litigation had to be resorted to I preferred to defend rather than prosecute. The plan worked, and after half a day of intense noise, the echo of which was wafted through the mountains, the natives planted a suit against me as the "konehike" for ejectment. In connection with the planting of the lawsuit, the two women went and secured the services of a "Kahunapule" —a priest of the ancient order. This priest sacrificed black pigs and chickens and went through with his incantations while he feasted on pork and fowls for three weeks previous to the trial. The last act which the two contesting women were instructed to do before the trial was to express great love and respect for me, but they were to heap anathemas on Kupau, the attorney. They did meet me in a street in the city of Honolulu as I was on my way to the court house.