September 1851


1 September 1851 • Monday

Engaged variously.1

2 September 1851 • Tuesday

This morning started to Keanae [Ke‘anae]—they wished me to stay until the last of the week and sometime of the brethren would accompany me—but I felt impressed to go and started. I travelled until after dark and stopped upon the road at a house and slept for the night.

3 September 1851 • Wednesday

Started and arrived at Honomanu where I stopped awhile. I learned that they were in trouble at Keanae they had enemies from all hands. Mr. [Rev. Eliphalet W.] Whittlesey the Calvinistic minister had been and had done his best to raise a fuss and some had turned after him. There had also been two French [Catholic] Priests at Bro. [James] Keeler also Mr. [Rev. Jonathan S.] Green had sent a deputy of his Daniela Ii here to endeavor to turn them back—the Devil had set all his instruments to work to stop the progress of the work here and turn the saints from the truth by telling all the lies that could be brought to bear against us. I arrived at Keanae Bro. Keeler had been considerably troubled for the want of the language—the French Priests had said we ought to be driven out & had told all the stories about us that they knew—The Calvin Priest had done his best and had been round to the houses of all who ever had been in the church.2 The Saints were very many of them doubting and they had been praying to the Lord for me to return.3 I preached this afternoon and had a good flow of the spirit.

4 September 1851 • Thursday

Went to the woods to help get out timber for the meeting house. Rained and got very wet. <Before starting> baptised four

5 September 1851 • Friday

Raining all day.

6 September 1851 • Saturday

Rode to Wailua and preached a funeral sermon upon for the wife of Bro. Kapapu. And remained until afternoon and held meeting.4 Upon riding back to Keanae I found our host Bro. Namakaiona had met with an accident in returning Bro. K. [Keeler] and him in company with several others from Wailua he had been thrown from his horse and had dislocated his elbow joint.

7 September 1851 • Sunday

I preached this morning and felt a good deal of the spirit. In afternoon held meeting and was likewise blest with the spirit. I feel to pray that the knowledge of the saints may be increased and their faith—they do not seem to see the difference and realise it as I would like to see them. The luna here of the Calvin order told the constables to take us up if we attempted to baptise any today as we would be breaking the sabbath!!!5 He was full of the spirit of mobocracy and of the devil—he came on Thursday evening and abused us and called us false teachers, deceivers &c. &c. and wanted us to be driven off I reasoned with him and his folly was made manifest before all around I kept very mild the Lord giving me strength to curb my temper under his insulting remarks. He seemed ashamed at leaving and I understood that he told in their meeting the next morning that he repented of what he had done—but he did not come to us to tell us—but still kept his persecuting spirit.

8 September 1851 • Monday

Engaged variously.

9 September 1851 • Tuesday

do. do.

10 September 1851 • Wednesday

Preached this afternoon exhorting the Saints6 I feel very anxious to see the brethren get the language and Bro. Keeler especially I felt the weight of burthen very sensibly especially when they were a little wavering they leaned entirely upon me it seemed as though I could scarcely stand under it sometimes; The Lord is able to support me and enable me to stand firm to the end, and to him I therefore trust. My patience has been a good deal tried since I came here I have seen their weakness.

11 September 1851 • Thursday

I went to Wailua to stay until Saturday evening. In afternoon married a couple [Kahomaeha and Kamaka], and held meeting.

12 September 1851 • Friday

Spoke in meeting in morning and held went with them about two miles to fish. They gathered a quantity of brush which is called by them Au huhu7 and made two piles of it in the bed of the creek they then surrounded these piles men and women with a stick apiece about five <or six> feet long and at a given signal by one of the party they all commenced thrashing the brush—great care had to be taken in using their sticks or they would be apt to hurt their neighbor—they were very dexterous in using their flails—turning they the pile over and over repeatedly and pounding it well the substance when mixed with the water killing all the fish and they floated upon the surface of the water and they gathered the fish. It was picturesque to watch them the women had garlands of green leaves and flowers entwined in their hair and round their bodies and the men were stripped many of them to the waist and had also garlands twisted around them. The women excited my admiration by diving they are certainly the nearast amphibious of any thing I ever seen that could not be called so.—After returning held meeting.

13 September 1851 • Saturday

Held meeting in morning and baptised two and afterwards held meeting in afternoon and confirmed them. I returned this afternoon to Keanae Last evening Bro. [H. K.] Kaleohano [came] from the Kula Keanae to see me. he arrived at Keanae upon Thursday evening. He brought a letter from a young man a member of the Calvinistic church to go <come> and baptise his people.

14 September 1851 • Sunday

I preached and made a longer discourse than I ever done before and was blessed with plenty of thoughts and words and the spirit.—Afternoon held meeting and confirmed four that I baptised in the intermission8 two men and two women—and upon the testimony of the teachers cut off ten who thro’ the influences of their friends had left us and joined the other Church. Upon the officers asking them their reasons they said they did not know any error but their friends had threatened to turn them out and have nothing to do with them if they persisted in meeting with us and for this reason they had turned.9

15 September 1851 • Monday

Bro. Keeler and myself with some boys ascended to the woods and gathered a lot of fruit to send to the folks at Lahaina by a canoe.10 I also wrote a long letter to them urging upon them the necessity of seeing the king [Kamehameha III] and putting a stop to this cry used against us that we have come into this nation without getting permission of the authorities.11

16 September 1851 • Tuesday

I thought of leaving to-day but they (the Calvinistic party) had written to Mr. Whittlesey the Calvinistic minister desiring him to come and as there was a prospect of his coming I thought it best to stay and give him to <a> chance to show forth our errors before the congregation if we had any but he did not come and sent word that he could not come.

17 September 1851 • Wednesday

We started for Kula, Bro. Kaleohano and me this morning12 we stayed at the House of Mr. Fern and eat dinner stayed about two hours there—he was kind gave me three pair [of] socks and a lot of writing paper and pens—we left and arrived at Waiakoa in evening.

18 September 1851 • Thursday

Engaged writing a letter to Uncle [John Taylor].

19 September 1851 • Friday

do. do.

20 September 1851 • Saturday

Variously engaged.

21 September 1851 • Sunday

Preached this morning upon the first principles; there was a white man present by the name of Freeman who is reported to have an excellent knowledge of Native; after meeting he came and requested to be baptised.—We went up and I baptised him and [blank] others. In afternoon attended to the confirming and gave the brethren the privilege of expressing their feelings.

22 September 1851 • Monday

Started to-day for Honuaula [Honua‘ula], arrived there in evening.

23 September 1851 • Tuesday

Held several meetings explaining the nature of our doctrine and baptised 30 throughout the day.

24 September 1851 • Wednesday

Held meeting this morning and then prepared to return. Making an appointment to return next Monday as I had to attend to the sacrament next Sunday at Waiakoa.

25 September 1851 • Thursday

I had a long interview with Mr. Napela last evening conversing upon the principles of the doctrine. He did not advance any objection to any thing I advanced. This morning I was somewhat surprised by seeing Bro. Keeler walk up.—After asking him the state of his health &c. I asked him where he was going, or what had brought him here. He said he was on his way to Lahaina; they had stopped all the meetings at Koolau [Ko‘olau] and threatened them if they met again until we had authority from the king they would bind them and send them to Lahaina or to Honolulu. This was done by the Konohiki who called them out individually and made them promise the greater part of them that they would not meet again, using persausions and threats to force compliance to their desires. There were some that were determined to meet if Bro. Keeler said so despite the threats and said if they would show our errors they would leave us but not without. They professed to have the authority to do this from the Queen [Kalama] thro’ Kuakamauna the man who holds these lands under the king and over the Konohikis. Bro. K. said we could do nothing more there until we had this thing settled and therefore had come over to see me and for us to see the king, as he was expected to be at Lahaina, and have this affair settled.—I told Bro. Keeler I could not possibly go as I had appointments out for these two ensuing Sundays and I could not with justice leave—but I thought that one of us would be all sufficient and therefore I thought it would be almost useless for me to go. He concluded to stay here to-day and rest himself. It was proposed this evening By Bro. Kaleohano that I should go and he thought that they could get along by helping Bro. Keeler until I returned; this seemed to meet Bro. Keeler’s feelings better than for him to go alone as my knowledge of the Native might be very useful.13

26 September 1851 • Friday

I started this morning on one of Bro. Kaleohano’s horses and arrived in Lahaina a little before sundown. I forgot to mention that yesterday Bro. K. brought a lot of letters that he had received from Lahaina stating that Bro. Lewis had gone to Honolulu to reside and that Bro. Hammond and lady were living with Mr. Treat—Sister [Mary Jane] Hammond doing the cooking &c. for their board.—I found them all well and found Mr. [James] Kipp transformed into Bro. Kipp having been baptised by Bro. H. Bro. Kipp took my horse up to his place and took care of him and came down after supper and invited me up to stay at his house. I accordingly went there and slept. The king was not in Lahaina and it was thought best for me to go to Oahu [O‘ahu].

27 September 1851 • Saturday

Bro. H. and myself went and seen Kuakamauna the man that the Konohikis said had commanded <them> to do as they had done under pain of losing their office. He was so very deaf that we had to do all the talking through his wife, who pitch[ed] her voice to the right key to suit him. He denied having commanded them to do so but said that one of them from Wailua had said that he did not want them to meet upon his land and asked him if he should stop their meetings and he had said Yes without un- scarcely understanding what was meant. We talked about half an hour and frightened them pretty well and then left him. Wrote out some notices for Bro. Kipp to stick round town for meeting to-morrow at his house.

28 September 1851 • Sunday

Held meeting this morning very few in attendance. I preached but had not as good a delivery as I would have wished; I spoke upon the necessity and consistency of new revelation these days as well as any other. In afternoon a great many Natives assembled outside of the house, Bro. K. proposed that I should sit out under the verandah and give them a talk. I talked about two hours to them they seemed very much pleased—they were from Molokai [Moloka‘i] the majority of them.

29 September 1851 • Monday

Engaged variously.

30 September 1851 • Tuesday

A vessel was going to Honolulu this evening I accordingly made preparations to go. Bro. H. let me have $5. as also to Bro. K. $5. to pay my passage I was very sick all evening and night scarcely able to lift my head without vomiting.

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September 1851, The Journal of George Q. Cannon, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon/1850s/1851/09-1851