in this state (Mass.) and with ripe experience in the ministry, carrying with him the esteem and confidence of our churches; XXX a first class man, earnestly devoted to the missionary work. We doubt not you will earnestly and frequently remember him and his work in your prayers."2
At the first chance, Dr. Hyde took a quick interested look at his future school home. In the June 19 letter to Boston he stated a few details and included a rough sketch of what must have seemed a disappointing layout. Said he, "The main building is 22 x 56, giving two large rooms, each 22 x 28. The front room is the Recitation room; the rear, is the Library . . . It is whitewashed and on the walls are hung missionary maps and a map of the Holy Land."3
The North Pacific Missionary Institute opened under his leadership October 2, 1877 with a roster of 15 students, 14 Hawaiian and one Chinese, most of whom were married. From letters to the American Board, from the Friend and other sources comes the story of his aptitude for teaching. His simple direct teaching resourcefulness was noted by observers and as faithfully reported. "Dr. Hyde," said the Rev. Mr. Bingham, "has as many students as the premises of the Institute will accommodate. He has entered into his work with all his heart and strength, and we will cease not to hope and pray that his labors may be largely blessed. The efforts of Mrs. Hyde in behalf of the wives of the married students are praiseworthy."4
In the same ship mail a Hyde letter was also on its way to that American Board correspondent. In this Dr. Hyde wrote first impressions of the native. ". . . The Hawaiians seem to be a people whom it is very easy to interest. But interesting as they are, there are lacking in their national characteristics some elements, which are indispensable to true and permanent national prosperity. They have more of the French grace vive and dash elan than the English grit and pluck. I cannot but be pleased with the apparent quickness and readiness with which they take any suggestion from me."5
Later that year he added further analysis:
The people have no mental training from the past like the Oriental. They have never learned the art of thinking logically, or of thinking properly so-called at all. Yet they are not dull or stupid: on the contrary, they are quick and bright. I have not heard anything striking from them in the addresses or conversation. The student talks the first evening seemed to me like our little children's "Sunday School Meetings!"
They look with reverence to a makua,6 and are ready to obey, much more than to command. They allow "friends" to eat them out of house and home because they don't know how to get rid of the intruders.7
"I have been troubled," he wrote to Clark later, "as other teachers have in former times, by an influx of makamakas,8 friends of the students. No Hawaiian, as a general thing is master of his own house. He is liable at any time to be eaten out of house and home by friends who quarter themselves on him till his food and property are well spent. I have interfered to protect the students, and summarily dismissed some of such unwelcome guests, that in Hawaiian style had camped down in the rooms."9
Towards the end of his first school year he detailed some of his adventures in teaching and referred to the role that Mrs. Hyde was taking in backing up his work:
. . . I am greatly disappointed at being unable to give them some English text books to study. My attempt to get a simple Biblical Geography has not succeeded . . . I have Binney's Theological Compend. Improved. It is about the size I should like, but it is not written in as terse and simple English as is needful for immature and uncultivated minds—and it is a Methodist book . . . I have given them orally and on the blackboard what is technically called "Isogogics"—"Introduction" to the Pastoral Epistles, and required them to recite back in Hawaiian and English. When they had finished the study of the two Epistles to Timothy, I invited some of the clergymen in the city to visit the Institute, and without any previous drilling for the performance examined the students in what they had been studying. I was gratified with the manner in which they acquitted themselves, with the blunders they made as well as with the measure of fluency and accuracy they had attained in a few weeks of imperfect instruction.
We have just finished the study of Gallender's Child's Book of Natural Theology (in Hawaiian). I am now leading them on in Biblical Archeology—the chronology of the Scriptures, the Social and Domestic Life of the Jews etc etc giving topics from the Tract Society's Biblical Dictionary (in Hawaiian) and requesting one person each day to give a review (in English) of the previous lesson. I give them a half dozen Hawaiian sentences each day to translate into English and as many English sentences to write from dictation, hoping to prepare them thus to write an Outline Study of Systematic Theology.
. . . I have forgotten that on the evening of the same day (Tuesday Mar 12) in which the students were examined, Mrs. Hyde invited them all to come to the house for a social gathering, the married ones with their wives. There were 22 present and they enjoyed the occasion very much. They had been afraid of awkwardness in the use of knives and forks but sandwiches prevented any need of such timidity. After an hour spent in looking at pictures, conversation and singing after the collation had been disposed of, they left the house with many "alohas" and "ma-halos."10
A Hyde letter telling of his first session with Sunday School teachers is graphic. He had volunteered to head the Sunday School at Kauma-kapili Church:
At a Sunday School teachers meeting one evening . . . I told them of the books in use in Christ's time. The fact was mentioned that a physician in Honolulu who had visited the Holy Land, had in his possession the book of Esther in Hebrew manuscript . . . I read some of it in the Hebrew, and the corresponding passage in the Hawaiian Bible. Children and grown people gathered around the pulpit at the close of the exercises with eager curiosity to see the words in which the Bible, so familiar to them in their own tongue, was originally written, and the parchment roll, described to them actually seen, and its folds still smoky brown, with the slow consuming touch of time, were reverently handled as a memorial of centuries of bye gone years.11
The first annual report of the Institute was a good report of the initial Hyde year. It was handwritten in English and Hawaiian and read to the annual meeting, the Aha Paeaina, of the Hawaiian Evangelical Association and printed in the proceedings. The report referred to the school as the Ministers' School and Hyde signed as teacher. Excerpts follow:
. . . Hyde taught mostly in English. The students read and translated the English reader, together with the grammar. Hyde taught the Sunday School lesson every week. He explained the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Jude and II and III John. The students memorized some divisions of the Bible dictionary.
All the students worked outside every Friday only one hour, cleaning the premises. They worked every afternoon to get their food. They get almost enough by means of their work without outside help. "If anyone desires to be a minister, he desires a good work." Laziness is unsuited.
The gifts of the Hawaiian Board were insufficient to accomplish everything, but four rooms have been renovated and prepared with funds given by the four churches. C. M. Cooke gave window curtains for the dining room. Rev. E. Bond gave $100 for the new building. Mrs. Dickson and Miss Judd gave material for the rooms—a bed, a bureau and mats.
The Rev. S. B. Dole gave Latin books for the teacher and Mrs. Pogue gave all the books of her late husband, Secretary of the Hawaiian Board, recently deceased. There are almost 300 of these valuable books. Some old books in Hawaiian and English were sent from Lahainaluna, but this school needs books in Hawaiian.
This year we have seen merely the new beginning. Like trees after a storm, this school has begun to bud forth again. We have many reasons for being hopeful. It is not well to forget the words of the Lord, "Pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest."
It will be well for this Association to appoint a committee every year to test the qualifications of the students. You all are requested to attend the examinations of the School on Monday at 8:30 a.m.12
Immediately following is the brief but heartwarming comment of the examining committee. "The school was examined on June 6 and the committee was wide-awake for the job. We thank God for this school. The work is progressing. Great has been Dr. Hyde's speed in learning Hawaiian, also his power to impress his ideas on