THEkingdomofTebureimoaincludestwoislands，GreatandLittleMakin；sometwothousandsubjectspayhimtribute，andtwosemi-
　　independentchieftainsdohimqualifiedhomage。Theimportanceoftheofficeismeasuredbytheman；hemaybeanobody，hemaybeabsolute；andbothextremeshavebeenexemplifiedwithinthememoryofresidents。
　　OnthedeathofkingTetimararoa，Tebureimoa’sfather，Nakaeia，theeldestson，succeeded。Hewasafellowofhugephysicalstrength，masterful，violent，withacertainbarbaricthriftandsomeintelligenceofmenandbusiness。Aloneinhisislands，itwashewhodealtandprofited；hewastheplanterandthemerchant；andhissubjectstoiledforhisbehoofinservitude。Whentheywroughtlongandwelltheirtaskmasterdeclaredaholiday，andsuppliedandsharedageneraldebauch。Thescaleofhisprovidingwasattimesmagnificent；sixhundreddollars’worthofginandbrandywassetforthatonce；thenarrowlandresoundedwiththenoiseofrevelry：
　　anditwasacommonthingtoseethesubjectsstaggeringthemselvesparadetheirdrunkensovereignonthefore-hatchofawreckedvessel，kingandcommonshowlingandsingingastheywent。
　　AtawordfromNakaeia’smouththerevelended；Makinbecameoncemoreanisleofslavesandofteetotalers；andonthemorrowallthepopulationmustbeontheroadsorinthetaro-patchestoilingunderhisbloodshoteye。
　　ThefearofNakaeiafilledtheland。Noregularityofjusticewasaffected；therewasnotrial，therewerenoofficersofthelaw；itseemstherewasbutonepenalty，thecapital；anddaylightassaultandmidnightmurderweretheformsofprocess。Thekinghimselfwouldplaytheexecutioner：andhisblowsweredealtbystealth，andwiththehelpandcountenanceofnonebuthisownwives。Thesewerehisoarswomen；onethatcaughtacrab，heslewincontinentlywiththetiller；thusdisciplined，theypulledhimbynighttothesceneofhisvengeance，whichhewouldthenexecutealoneandreturnwell-pleasedwithhisconnubialcrew。Theinmatesoftheharemheldastationhardforustoconceive。Beastsofdraught，anddrivenbythefearofdeath，theywereyetimplicitlytrustedwiththeirsovereign’slife；theywerestillwivesandqueens，anditwassupposedthatnomanshouldbeholdtheirfaces。Theykilledbythesightlikebasilisks；achanceviewofoneofthoseboatwomenwasacrimetobewipedoutwithblood。InthedaysofNakaeiathepalacewasbesetwithsometallcoco-palmswhichcommandedtheenclosure。Itchancedoneevening，whileNakaeiasatbelowatsupperwithhiswives，thattheownerofthegrovewasinatree-topdrawingpalm-treewine；itchancedthathelookeddown，andthekingatthesamemomentlookingup，theireyesencountered。
　　Instantflightpreservedtheinvoluntarycriminal。Butduringtheremainderofthatreignhemustlurkandbehidbyfriendsinremotepartsoftheisle；Nakaeiahuntedhimwithoutremission，althoughstillinvain；andthepalms，accessoriestothefact，wereruthlesslycutdown。Suchwastheidealofwifelypurityinanislewherenubilevirginswentnakedasinparadise。AndyetscandalfounditswayintoNakaeia’swell-guardedharem。Hewasatthattimetheownerofaschooner，whichheusedforapleasure-
　　house，lodgingonboardasshelayanchored；andthitheronedayhesummonedanewwife。Shewasonethathadbeensealedtohim；thatistosayIpresume，thathewasmarriedtohersister，forthehusbandofaneldersisterhasthecallofthecadets。Shewouldbearrayedfortheoccasion；shewouldcomescented，garlanded，deckedwithfinematsandfamilyjewels，formarriage，asherfriendssupposed；fordeath，asshewellknew。’Tellmetheman’sname，andIwillspareyou，’saidNakaeia。Butthegirlwasstaunch；sheheldherpeace，savedherloverandthequeensstrangledherbetweenthemats。
　　Nakaeiawasfeared；itdoesnotappearthathewashated。Deedsthatsmelltousofmurderworetohissubjectsthereverendfaceofjustice；hisorgiesmadehimpopular；nativestothisdayrecallwithrespectthefirmnessofhisgovernment；andeventhewhites，whomhelongopposedandkeptatarm’s-length，givehimthenameinthecanonicalSouthSeaphraseof’aperfectgentlemanwhensober。’
　　Whenhecametolie，withoutissue，onthebedofdeath，hesummonedhisnextbrother，Nanteitei，madehimadiscourseonroyalpolicy，andwarnedhimhewastooweaktoreign。Thewarningwastakentoheart，andforsomewhilethegovernmentmovedonthemodelofNakaeia’s。Nanteiteidispensedwithguards，andwalkedabroadalonewitharevolverinaleathermail-bag。Toconcealhisweaknessheaffectedarudesilence；youmighttalktohimallday；
　　advice，reproof，appeal，andmenacealikeremainedunanswered。
　　Thenumberofhiswiveswasseventeen，manyofthemheiresses；fortheroyalhouseispoor，andmarriagewasinthesedaysachiefmeansofbuttressingthethrone。Nakaeiakepthisharembusyforhimself；Nanteiteihireditouttoothers。Inhisdays，forinstance，Messrs。Wightmanbuiltapierwithaverandahatthenorthendofthetown。Themasonrywastheworkoftheseventeenqueens，whotoiledandwadedtherelikefisherlasses；butthemanwhowastodotheroofingdurstnotbegintilltheyhadfinished，lestbychanceheshouldlookdownandseethem。
　　Itwasperhapsthelastappearanceoftheharemgang。ForsometimealreadyHawaiianmissionarieshadbeenseatedatButaritari-
　　MakaandKanoa，twobravechildlikemen。Nakaeiawouldnoneoftheirdoctrine；hewasperhapsjealousoftheirpresence；beinghuman，hehadsomeaffectionfortheirpersons。Inthehouse，beforetheeyesofKanoa，heslewwithhisownhandthreesailorsofOahu，crouchingontheirbackstoknifethem，andmenacingthemissionaryifheinterfered；yethenotonlysparedhimatthemoment，butrecalledhimafterwardswhenhehadfledwithsomeexpressionsofrespect。Nanteitei，theweakerman，fellmorecompletelyunderthespell。Maka，alight-hearted，lovable，yetinhisowntradeveryrigorousman，gainedandimprovedaninfluenceonthekingwhichsoongrewparamount。Nanteitei，withtheroyalhouse，waspubliclyconverted；and，withaseveritywhichliberalmissionariesdisavow，theharemwasatoncereduced。Itwasacompendiousact。Thethronewasthusimpoverished，itsinfluenceshaken，thequeen’srelativesmortified，andsixteenchiefwomensomeofgreatpossessionscastinabodyonthemarket。IhavebeenshipmateswithaHawaiiansailorwhowassuccessivelymarriedtotwooftheseIMPROMPTUwidows，andsuccessivelydivorcedbybothformisconduct。Thattwogreatandrichladiesforbothofthesewererichshouldhavemarried’amanfromanotherisland’marksthedissolutionofsociety。Thelawsbesideswerewhollyremodelled，notalwaysforthebetter。IloveMakaasaman；asalegislatorhehastwodefects：weakinthepunishmentofcrime，sterntorepressinnocentpleasures。
　　Warandrevolutionarethecommonsuccessorsofreform；yetNanteiteidiedofanoverdoseofchloroform，inquietpossessionofthethrone，anditwasinthereignofthethirdbrother，Nabakatokia，amanbraveinbodyandfeebleofcharacter，thatthestormburst。Theruleofthehighchiefsandnotablesseemstohavealwaysunderlainandperhapsalternatedwithmonarchy。TheOldMenastheywerecalledhavearighttositwiththekingintheSpeakHouseanddebate：andtheking’schiefsuperiorityisaformofclosure-’TheSpeakingisover。’AfterthelongmonocracyofNakaeiaandthechangesofNanteitei，theOldMenweredoubtlessgrownimpatientofobscurity，andtheywerebeyondquestionjealousoftheinfluenceofMaka。Calumny，orrathercaricature，wascalledinuse；aspokencartoonranroundsociety；Makawasreportedtohavesaidinchurchthatthekingwasthefirstmanintheislandandhimselfthesecond；and，stungbythesupposedaffront，thechiefsbrokeintorebellionandarmedgatherings。InthespaceofoneforenoonthethroneofNakaeiawashumbledinthedust。Thekingsatinthemaniap’beforethepalacegateexpectinghisrecruits；Makabyhisside，bothanxiousmen；andmeanwhile，inthedoorofahouseatthenorthentryofthetown，achiefhadtakenpostanddivertedthesuccoursastheycame。Theycamesinglyoringroups，eachwithhisgunorpistolslungabouthisneck。’Whereareyougoing?’askedthechief。’Thekingcalledus，’theywouldreply。’Hereisyourplace。Sitdown，’returnedthechief。Withincredibledisloyalty，allobeyed；andsufficientforcebeingthusgottogetherfrombothsides，Nabakatokiawassummonedandsurrendered。Aboutthisperiod，inalmosteverypartofthegroup，thekingsweremurdered；andonTapituea，theskeletonofthelasthangstothisdayinthechiefSpeakHouseoftheisle，amenacetoambition。Nabakatokiawasmorefortunate；
　　hislifeandtheroyalstyleweresparedtohim，buthewasstrippedofpower。TheOldMenenjoyedafestivalofpublicspeaking；thelawswerecontinuallychanged，neverenforced；thecommonshadanopportunitytoregretthemeritsofNakaeia；andtheking，deniedtheresourceofrichmarriagesandtheserviceofatroopofwives，fellnotonlyindisconsiderationbutindebt。
　　Hediedsomemonthsbeforemyarrivalontheislands，andnooneregrettedhim；ratheralllookedhopefullytohissuccessor。Thiswasbyreputetheheroofthefamily。Aloneofthefourbrothers，hehadissue，agrownson，Natiata，andadaughterthreeyearsold；
　　itwastohim，inthehouroftherevolution，thatNabakatokiaturnedtoolateforhelp；andinearlierdayshehadbeentherighthandofthevigorousNakaeia。Nontemat’，MR。CORPSE，washisappallingnickname，andhehadearneditwell。Againandagain，atthecommandofNakaeia，hehadsurroundedhousesinthedeadofnight，cutdownthemosquitobarsandbutcheredfamilies。Herewasthehandofiron；herewasNakaeiaREDUX。Hecame，summonedfromthetributaryruleofLittleMakin：hewasinstalled，heprovedapuppetandatrembler，theunwieldyshuttlecockoforators；andthereaderhasseentheremainsofhiminhissummerparlourunderthenameofTebureimoa。
　　Thechangeintheman’scharacterwasmuchcommentedonintheisland，andvariouslyexplainedbyopiumandChristianity。Tomyeyes，thereseemednochangeatall，ratheranextremeconsistency。
　　Mr。Corpsewasafraidofhisbrother：KingTebureimoaisafraidoftheOldMen。Terrorofthefirstnervedhimfordeedsofdesperation；fearoftheseconddisableshimfortheleastactofgovernment。Heplayedhispartofbravointhepast，followingthelineofleastresistance，butcheringothersinhisowndefence：
　　to-day，grownelderlyandheavy，aconvert，areaderoftheBible，perhapsapenitent，consciousatleastofaccumulatedhatreds，andhismemorychargedwithimagesofviolenceandblood，hecapitulatestotheOldMen，fuddleshimselfwithopium，andsitsamonghisguardsindreadfulexpectation。Thesamecowardicethatputintohishandtheknifeoftheassassindepriveshimofthesceptreofaking。
　　AtalethatIwastold，atriflingincidentthatfellinmyobservation，depictshiminhistwocapacities。AchiefinLittleMakinasked，inanhouroflightness，’WhoisKaeia?’Abirdcarriedthesaying；andNakaeiaplacedthematterinthehandsofacommitteeofthree。Mr。Corpsewaschairman；thesecondcommissionerdiedbeforemyarrival；thethirdwasyetaliveandgreen，andpresentedsovenerableanappearancethatwegavehimthenameofAboubenAdhem。Mr。Corpsewastroubledwithascruple；themanfromLittleMakinwashisadoptedbrother；insuchacaseitwasnotverydelicatetoappearatall，tostriketheblowwhichitseemswasotherwiseexpectedofhimwouldbeworsethanawkward。’Iwillstriketheblow，’saidthevenerableAbou；
　　andMr。Corpsesurelywithasighacceptedthecompromise。Thequarrywasdecoyedintothebush；hewassettocarryingalog；andwhilehisarmswereraisedAbourippeduphisbellyatablow。
　　Justicebeingthusdone，thecommission，inachildishhorror，turnedtoflee。Buttheirvictimrecalledthemtohisside。’Youneednotrunawaynow，’hesaid。’Youhavedonethisthingtome。