During the reign of Kamehameha the Great, unscrupulous masters of American and English whaling ships began dumping sailors in the Islands to lighten their loads before heading to Canton to trade.   Records from the 1850s refer to 2,000­ 3,000 destitute sailors on Hawaiian beaches during the month of October.   Hungry for food, drink and female companionship, they were an embarrassment to the American government, which persuaded Kamehameha III to lease the building as a center for the sick and disabled seamen of Lahaina.   The U.S. Seamen's Hospital was purchased in 1974 by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and now stands completely restored.

One of the best is saved for last, and the perfectly restful place to contemplate all that you've seen and what it means!  Next is the Jodo Mission and the largest statue of Buddha in the U.S. and probably outside of his homeland.

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