The early attempts of Dibble and Pogue to gather history from Hawaiians
themselves have preserved to native and foreign readers much that
would probably otherwise have been lost. To the late Judge Andrews we
are indebted for a very full grammar and dictionary of the language,
as also for a valuable manuscript collection of _meles_ and antiquarian
literature that passed to the custody of the Board of Education.

There were native historians in those days; the newspaper articles
of S. M. Kamakau, the earlier writings of David Malo, and the later
contributions of G. W. Pilipo and others are but samples of a wealth
of material, most of which has been lost forever to the world. From
time to time Prof. W. D. Alexander, as also C. J. Lyons, has furnished
interesting extracts from these and other hakus.

The Rev. A. O. Forbes devoted some time and thought to the collecting
of island folk-lore: and King Kalakaua took some pains in this line
also, as evidenced by his volume of "Legends and Myths of Hawaii,"
edited by R. M. Daggett, though there is much therein that is wholly
foreign to ancient Hawaiian customs and thought. No one of late years
had a better opportunity than Kalakaua toward collecting the _meles_,
_kaaos_, and traditions of his race; and for purposes looking to
this end there was established by law a Board of Genealogy, which
had an existence of some four years, but nothing of permanent value
resulted therefrom.

Fornander's manuscript collection of _meles_, legends, and genealogies
in the vernacular has fortunately become, by purchase, the property
of the Hon. C. R. Bishop, which insures for posterity the result of
one devoted scholar's efforts to rescue the ancient traditions that