As I passed the churchyard two half-white women emerged from a house
near by, and when they saw me they called to some men who were in the
house _"E ka haole!"_ which means, "Oh, the white man!" This they
repeated two or three times, calling at the same time one of the men by
name.
As I walked along towards the picket fence, three men came out of the
house, and stepped up towards the gate. When I got opposite to them I
saluted them, being greeted by them in return.
I had passed but a few feet when the leader of the men inquired of me
where I was going. I told them I thought of returning to Lahaina, on
account of the weather. He said that as this was Saturday, I had better
stop until Monday with him.
He inquired of me who and what I was, and upon my informing him, his
desire to have me stay was increased. I went into the house with
him, and, after some little conversation, and an invitation to eat
food, which he offered. He proposed that we should go up and see the
missionary.
This was what I wanted, and I embraced his proposal gladly.
The missionary's name was Conde; he was a native of Connecticut, and
had been sent out by the American Board of Foreign Missions.
We had a very pleasant conversation, during which he made many
inquiries respecting Utah, my object in coming to the islands, and our
belief. He said he could not believe anything in modern revelation; but
expressed a wish to read some of our works.
I lent him the _Voice of Warning_, though I had little hope of it
having any effect on him, as he had condemned the doctrines before he
had heard or read them.
The moment I entered into the house of this native and saw him and his
two friends, I felt convinced that I had met the men for whom I had
been looking.
The man who owned the house was a judge, and a leading man in that
section. His name was Jonatana H. Napela. It was he who visited
Salt Lake City in 1866, in company with Elder George Nebeker. His
companions' names were Uaua and Kaleohano. They were all three
afterwards baptized and ordained to be Elders, Napela has since died in
the faith, and the others are still members of the Church.
They were graduates of the high school in the country, fine speakers
and reasoners, and were men of standing and influence in the community.
Napela was every anxious to know my belief, and wherein our doctrines
differed from those taught by the missionaries in their midst. I
explained to him, as well as I could, our principles, with which he
seemed very well satisfied. But next day after the service in their
church, Mr. Conde called Napela and a number of the leading men
together, and endeavored to poison their minds against our doctrines,
by telling all kinds of lies about the Prophet Joseph and the people of
Utah.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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