Kauikeaouli, the young king, is placed in peculiar circumstances in respect to marriage. There is no female on the Islands of equal rank with himself, except his own sister. Were it not for the prevalence of Christianity there, he would marry her. But it is much to the credit of both, that at present they have no such intention. The nation is unwilling that he should marry one of inferior rank. What the result will be, it is difficult to predict. The importance attached to birth among the Pacific islanders, is truly astonishing. To preserve this equality they will overlook every other consideration. The closest possible affinities have not deterred them from marriage, nor even more than half a century's difference in age.

The Committee of Publication feel themselves indebted to several gentlemen who have taken a deep interest in the subject of this work, and to whose inspection different portions of it have been submitted. Among these is the Corresponding Secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. They acknowledge their special obligations to one person, who was more than two years a member of the mission family on the Islands. Through the suggestion of this individual, to whom the whole book was read before it went to press, some corrections have been made, especially in the orthography of Hawaiian words.

THE END.