Life in Hawaii

In Short

This memoir serves as a firsthand account of nineteenth-century missionary life in the Pacific. It follows a dedicated pastor through his daily efforts to establish schools, build churches, and guide the Hawaiian community through a period of rapid Westernization. Beyond his religious work, the author provides a vivid, firsthand look at the geological volatility of the islands, specifically documenting the awe-inspiring eruptions of Mauna Loa. It endures as a primary source for understanding the mid-1800s mission experience and the intersection of faith, colonial expansion, and natural phenomena.

The Story

The narrative begins in New England, where the author, a young man committed to his religious calling, prepares for a life of service. After marrying his patient partner, who shares his spiritual dedication, he receives his commission for the Sandwich Islands. In 1834, they embark on a long, arduous sea voyage, eventually arriving in Hawaii to begin a mission that will occupy the next half-century of their lives.

The heart of the story takes place in Hilo and the surrounding Puna district. The author describes the challenges of ministering to a population whose traditional way of life is being fundamentally reorganized. He chronicles the labor involved in constructing massive, thatch-roofed meeting houses, the establishment of schools for native girls—managed largely by his wife—and the constant struggle to improve the health and education of the people. He is candid about the obstacles he faces, from the shifting, often fickle nature of local governance to the arrival of competing religious groups and the encroachment of foreign influence that brings both material advancement and moral turmoil.

Throughout these decades, the landscape itself remains a primary character. The author vividly records the terrifying beauty of volcanic eruptions, where fiery rivers of lava descend from the summit of Mauna Loa, consuming forests and threatening the very villages he serves. He details the geological drama of the region, including earthquake-induced tsunamis that force people from their homes.

The narrative also expands to include his repeated missions to the Marquesas Islands, where he witnesses the stark realities of life among people still practicing cannibalism. He captures the contrast between the danger of these encounters and the hope he finds in the children he meets there. The memoir concludes with the author’s return to the United States for a brief visit after thirty-five years of service. He reflects on the immense changes in the Hawaiian Islands—the rise of the sugar industry, the introduction of modern infrastructure, and the transition of the native church toward self-governance. He writes with a sense of humility, viewing his own life as a small part of a larger, often difficult, but ultimately transformative journey of faith, acknowledging both the enduring achievements of his work and the persistent challenges that continue to face the people he served.

How It Unfolds

The call to service After a period of early study and spiritual preparation, the author marries his long-time companion and receives his official missionary instructions in Boston. They depart on a merchant vessel, enduring a rough journey that tests their resolve before they catch their first glimpse of the Pacific islands.

Establishing a mission Upon settling in the Hilo region, the author organizes the local community to build schools and churches using indigenous materials. He details the physical labor of hauling timber from the highland forests and the dedication required to run boarding schools without external financial support.

Navigating cultural change The narrative examines the complexities of working within a society undergoing rapid legal and social transitions. The author reflects on the influence of foreign lawyers, the arrival of rival church leaders, and the constant, often difficult, search for stability in a changing political climate.

Witnessing the mountain’s fire The author provides meticulous observations of several eruptions of Mauna Loa, documenting the path of lava flows as they threaten the forest and local settlements. He records these events with a combination of scientific precision and profound reverence for the power of the natural world.

Broadening the reach The narrative extends to the author’s voyages to the Marquesas Islands, where he seeks to expand mission efforts. He describes the initial hostility of these encounters, the eventual success of smaller, localized missions, and the hope he finds in the next generation of children.

A life’s reflection In the final chapters, the author revisits his home country and evaluates the long-term impact of the mission work in Hawaii. He concludes by acknowledging the loss of his wife and the transition of his life’s work to a new era of native leadership.

The People

The author, Titus Coan, is the central figure, a man defined by his unwavering adherence to his religious duty and his deep, observational curiosity about the natural world. His wife stands beside him as an indispensable partner; she is depicted as a tireless educator who manages schools for girls and shoulders heavy domestic burdens with quiet strength. Together, they represent the prototypical missionary couple of the era.

The Hawaiian people, as described by the author, are portrayed with a mix of affection and paternalistic concern. He sees them as a people in transition, occasionally frustrated by their perceived fickleness and lack of leadership in secular business, yet he is clearly moved by their willingness to contribute to church building and their responsiveness to his message. He highlights figures like the "chief woman," who serves as a judge and enforcer of order, representing the traditional authority that slowly yields to a more Westernized legal system. In the Marquesas, he encounters "savage" populations and converts whose individual stories—such as those of children who learn to chant, "Love to the missionary"—serve as his primary metrics for the success of his work. Throughout the book, he interacts with various foreign figures, from captains and explorers to rival clergymen, each representing the external forces that increasingly shape the future of the islands.

In Its Own Voice

“The wild winds howled, the clouds thickened and darkened, and the tempest raged.”

This description captures the turbulent nature of the author's initial sea voyage from Boston to the Pacific.

“The whole district is so cavernous, so rent with fissures, and so broken by fiery agencies, that not a single stream of water keeps above-ground to reach the sea.”

The author provides this vivid, precise geological observation of the volcanic landscape in the Puna district.

“I often went up to the woods, on foot of course, and grasped the rope, and hauled with the rest to encourage and keep them in heart.”

This sentence illustrates the author’s participatory style of leadership during the arduous task of dragging timber for church construction.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an exploration of the tension between cultural preservation and the imposition of a foreign faith. It asks fundamental questions about the nature of "civilization" and the ethics of proselytizing to remote societies. The author argues that his work brought essential moral clarity and education to the Hawaiian people, yet he also provides enough evidence of the disruption caused by foreign laws and economic shifts to allow the reader to see the complexities of that exchange. Underlying the narrative is a deep preoccupation with theodicy—the problem of evil—as the author tries to reconcile his faith in a benevolent creator with the terrifying, destructive reality of living in the shadow of the world’s largest active volcanoes.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in Pacific history, the evolution of religious missions, or the history of natural disasters will find this book an invaluable, if challenging, document. It offers a rare, granular perspective on life in Hawaii before it became a major global tourist destination, focusing instead on the daily reality of mud-filled trails, the labor of thatch-roof construction, and the constant threat of volcanic activity.

It is important to approach the book with an awareness of its period attitudes; the author writes from a nineteenth-century perspective that frequently views indigenous populations through a lens of paternalistic concern and religious exceptionalism. The prose can be dense, and the structure reflects the episodic nature of a long career, shifting occasionally between detailed scientific reporting and personal reflection. However, the reward for the reader is a remarkably clear, vivid window into a vanished era. The accounts of the volcanic eruptions are particularly striking, reading like high-stakes adventure writing that highlights the vulnerability of human existence against the backdrop of geological time. It is a book that stays with you, not necessarily for its theology, but for its honest rendering of what it meant to live a life of total devotion in one of the most volatile and beautiful places on earth.